“Have a seat.” She lifted her brow just slightly at his curt command, but she moved to sit down, choosing a seat across from him. Very telling. He smiled. Apparently her assertiveness had faded somewhat, along with the arousal. Good.
“Who is Franklin?”
“A friend. Colleague, actually.” Jack’s response was automatic. He was busy watching the light play across her hair, deciding which filter would be most flattering. Nah, she didn’t need any help, she’d photograph beautifully under even the harshest light.
“I remember you blaming him earlier, when I first met you. For being here, I mean. Does it have something to do with your job?”
Jack dragged his attention back to the conversation. He propped his feet up on the coffee table, telling himself he was glad she was providing them both with a reprieve. The new position didn’t ease his discomfort, but maybe he could at least hide his condition from her view.
Reprieve or not, her deep, steady voice made it difficult to forget there was a big queen-size bed in the next room. “My job?” he answered, hoping he remembered the question. “Well, sort of. I guess you could say I tend to be a bit aggressive about my work. Somehow I let Franklin manage to convince me that taking a few weeks off would not bring the world to a grinding halt.”
“So, is it Franklin’s choice of Mexico? Or Paradise Cove? Or do you just miss working and want to get back?”
Jack stopped restlessly tapping his feet together and looked directly at her. Judging from her earnest expression, she wasn’t just making idle chitchat, she really seemed to want to know. “It’s partly being stuck so far away from anything without there being a real purpose for it,” he said quietly. “It’s partly the feeling that I should be working on another assignment.”
“So you don’t miss it as much as you thought you would?”
Jack stilled completely, his gaze pinned on hers. Her ability to cut to the core of things still startled him. She heard things he hadn’t been aware of saying. Until she’d asked, even he hadn’t acknowledged that a large part of the unsettling disquiet plaguing him since he’d arrived here was due to exactly that possibility.
He ignored for now the myriad of questions her comment provoked him to consider. Instead he finished answering her earlier question. “But the main reason I was swearing at Franklin when you walked in was because if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have met you.”
April’s eyes widened and she stiffened in the chair. “I wasn’t aware I’d made such a nuisance out of myself.”
Jack leaned forward, swung his feet to the floor, and stood, his motions controlled and fluid. He stepped around the low table separating them. April immediately got up and moved several feet away. Jack halted, his light eyes glittering as they narrowed. “I’d think by now you’d know I’m not going to do anything that isn’t a mutual decision.”
The hurt he’d felt at her retreat lessened considerably when she squared her shoulders and held her ground as he moved to stand in front of her. It took guts, he knew, to try to stare down a man a good foot taller than herself. “I’ve been very careful to go slowly with you.” He felt his lips twitch at the disbelief that crossed her face. “I haven’t done anything without your consent, have I?”
“If you’re not counting the pictures you took of me at the reception, no.”
“The pictures aren’t the issue here.” He stepped closer and felt his body warm as he confirmed that the look in her eyes was one of irritation, not fear. He’d never been more turned on, or more confused, in his whole life. “I want to get to know you. Spend time with you. After what happened under that tree you can hardly deny it’s only one-sided.”
“I wanted you to kiss me back, if that’s what you mean. But I don’t like being made to feel guilty that you’re attracted to me. I didn’t like being attracted to you either; it’s confusing and I wasn’t planning on it. But, at least once I admitted it to myself, I was honest with you about it. I don’t know if anything will ever happen between us, but I won’t sneak around to find out.”
She was so damn direct it unnerved him. Jack felt as if he were teetering on the edge of a giant, gaping crevasse, tiptoeing along the rim. One wrong move and he’d be swept away forever. “I wasn’t trying to hide anything by bringing you here. I was under the misguided impression you would prefer to continue what we started out there in private. And for the record, you can’t plan everything in life.”
He placed his hands on her hips; the gentle thrust of her hipbones pressing against his big hands made him aware of just how much bigger he was than her. She didn’t try to move or shift away and he gave in to the need to feel her against him. He pulled her closer and slowly shifted her back and forth, his arousal unmistakable against her flat belly.
“You want honesty? This is what you do to me every time you look at me, talk to me. Even when you’re mad at me. I don’t like feeling this way either, April. I don’t like not being in control. But I’m not hiding from it, either.”
April reached up to grip Jack’s shoulders for support, barely drawing enough breath to fill her lungs. His body was hot and hard against hers and she had a sudden desperate need for him to lift her up so that his erection would be pressed against the ache between her legs instead of being wasted against her stomach. “Jack?” Her voice was a low rasp.
“What, mi tesoro?”
My treasure. The endearment was at once rough with need and tender with concern.
“I do want you.” She gasped as he groaned and gripped her hips tighter, pressing himself more deeply against her. “But, I think …” She looked down at their bodies. How wonderful it felt to finally be this close to him. “I may hate myself for this.”
Jack shifted his arm behind her back so he could tilt her chin with his finger until she looked him in the eyes. “No regrets, April. But stop me now if you don’t intend to finish this.”
“I want to eat lunch first.”
“What?” His tone was the epitome of disbelief. “Now you’re hungry? For food?”
“No, not in the least.”
“You’re not the only one confused here, lady.”
She reached up a trembling finger, pressing it against his lips. “I meant it, what I said earlier. I just need to go a bit slower. Does it have to be all or nothing?”
Jack blew out a deep breath, struggling with his need for her, to be on top of her, inside of her. He let his finger trail along the side of her jaw. “It shouldn’t be, no. I’ve known you less than a week and yet it’s taking every bit of my willpower not to tug you down on this tile floor, lift that skirt to your hips, and do everything I can think of to make you beg me to be deep inside of you.”
He watched her pupils expand as he spoke until the brown was almost swallowed by her black irises. He was fascinated by the convulsing of the muscles in her slender throat as she tried to come to terms with her body’s response to his words. His gaze dropped lower and he had to forcibly restrain himself from lowering his lips to the tightened nipples straining against her thin blouse.
“Pretty amazing, isn’t it?” His voice was deep and dark.
“You have no idea,” she finally choked out. With that cryptic statement, April eased out of his arms and walked to the kitchen.
Jack let her go, very unwillingly, but knowing she’d been right to put a halt on things. She wasn’t the only one who felt out of her depth. He cleared his throat and followed her into the tiny kitchen, leaning against the bar. “If you still want to, I sorta thought we could eat on the beach. I figured you’d know all the secluded spots.” She darted a quick look at him and he added, “And the crowded ones.”
“I think we’d better stick to the public beach.”
Jack relaxed as she smiled, her tone dry, her voice even. He grinned, allowing himself to switch back to the comfortable charm he used to keep people at a distance, and winked. “Just remember, I still haven’t had my turn at kissing yet. Are you sure you want to risk it?”
He
was close enough now to see the quick flare of desire darken her brown eyes before she looked away, and he cursed himself for teasing her. He also made a mental note to start wearing baggier shorts around her. “Don’t answer that.” He grabbed the basket. “I’ll haul the food, you tote the blanket. Deal?”
“Deal.” She scooped up the woven cotton blanket and he stepped aside to let her pass. She headed out the door and down the path without looking back.
April glanced briefly at her watch, then turned her attention back to the action on the beach. She couldn’t believe she’d been playing hooky for two hours. Thoughts of what she should be doing skittered away as she watched Jack’s bare chest expand and the muscles of his arm bunch as he soared into the air and slammed the volleyball down over the net. The referee called a foul and April leapt to her feet, yelling and pumping her fist with the rest of the sizeable crowd.
It wasn’t until she heard herself threatening to fire the ref unless he reversed the call that she realized what she was doing. She cast a quick glance around, but no one was paying any attention to her. All eyes were riveted on the match, as they had been for most of the last hour.
With a sheepish smile, she plopped back down on the blanket and fiddled with the last piece of mango. After a quiet lunch of tuna salad, fresh fruit, and light, impersonal talk, Jack had offered a walk on the beach. April had declined. Not because she didn’t want to go; she wanted to go very badly. But she’d started to wonder if maybe jack had been right about keeping their combustive reaction to each other behind closed doors. He’d been a total gentleman during lunch, yet her pulse hadn’t slowed down one bit.
She was still intent on keeping everything open and aboveboard, but since she wasn’t sure she could hold his hand for a quiet walk without tugging him into the first empty cabana she saw to finish that kiss, she’d declined. He’d smiled and taken it gracefully. She hadn’t been sure how she felt about that, but since the volleyball game had started right after, she hadn’t had much time to dwell on it. She’d pooped out after the first match, but Jack had continued playing.
She watched his team score on another of his spectacular spikes, then turned to gather up the picnic supplies. As much as she’d appreciated the opportunity to ogle Jack’s hard-muscled physique to her heart’s content for the last hour, she had to get back to work.
She didn’t want to disrupt the game, but she didn’t want to just leave either. She stood and brushed the sand from the white shorts she’d changed into after leaving the bungalow, then felt a warm hand grip her elbow. She tensed as she looked up, but relaxed as she gazed into the now-familiar translucent green eyes.
“Playtime’s over, huh?” His voice was a bit gravelly from exertion, and it had no small effect on her system.
“For me, yes.” She smiled, squinting into the sun. “You go ahead and finish the game, though.”
Jack’s eyes widened in surprise. His large frame blocked out the game, but not the other players’ voices as they called him to come back. He glanced back at them, then at her. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
“You are on vacation. I can find my way to my office. Go, have fan.” She didn’t add that she thought he could use a bit of mindless fun in his life. But the look in his eyes told her she didn’t have to.
“You’re sure?”
“Consider it a direct order from the CEO.”
A grin split his tanned face and he closed the space between them, shielding her completely from view. “I love it when you order me around. I will see you later.”
“I’ll probably be working late tonight.” At the frown that creased his brow she added, “Even Señor Jack can’t solve all of the Cove’s problems in a day or two. Speaking of which, you should relax and enjoy what the Cove has to offer.”
“I thought I was.” April moved back slightly, but Jack reached out to hold her arm in a gentle grip. His voice was low and carried only as far as her ears. He didn’t hide his frustration. “I didn’t mean that like it sounded. If I truly thought you were just one of the Cove’s perks, I sure as hell would have worked off the sexual energy we built up in a much more enjoyable way than playing volleyball in ninety-plus heat.”
April’s eyes widened, causing Jack to smile again.
“You mean that’s why you …?”
“Yeah. For a whole hour. And if you keep looking at me like that, I’m gonna have to do laps next.” The shouts for Jack to return grew louder, but he kept his gaze on her. “You’ll be in your office later?”
“Yes, except for a few minutes before the nightly show. I usually greet the guests just before showtime and make several announcements about upcoming events.”
“Did you mean what you said earlier?”
April looked confused, then wary. “Probably. Which thing?”
“About not sneaking around.”
“I’m here on the beach with you, aren’t I?”
Jack’s grin broadened to a bright white smile. “Yeah, I guess you are. Then you won’t mind if I do this.”
Before she could answer, he pulled her into his arms and pressed his lips to hers. His kiss was hard, hot, and over entirely too soon.
“It was my turn, right?” he whispered in her ear.
April nodded mutely, but the whistles of a few of the guests brought her back to the present. A volleyball landed in a spray of sand at his feet and he stepped away. He toed the ball up into his hands and looked back at her.
She could have sworn that for a split second he’d been searching her face for signs he’d acted out of line. He hadn’t been. After all, she’d given him the green light earlier, under the tree. She smiled back at him and his cocky grin instantly surfaced.
He backed his way toward the net, his eyes flashing, a teasing smile on his face, popping the ball onto his biceps like a beach bum trying to impress his girl.
She couldn’t resist. She flashed him a big smile and said in a clear voice, “See you later, Moondoggie.” She had the satisfaction, as she climbed up the stairs leading from the beach to the grounds, of hearing the other men razz Jack.
She grinned all the way to her office, amazed that she’d spent the afternoon behaving like a college kid on spring break, at her own resort no less! Her smile faltered as images of the far more mature activity she could have spent the steamy afternoon indulging in floated through her mind.
April entered her office and sat down behind her desk. The large room was a dozen degrees cooler than the beach, yet she felt hotter, uncomfortable.
Forcing the tantalizing images from her mind, she swiveled her chair and looked out the large window to the beach below. She didn’t bother to kid herself that she wasn’t hoping for a glimpse of him. She could see the volleyball game from here, but not enough to tell which one was Jack. She had no doubt she’d see him again tonight. The thought sent a thrill of anticipation through her.
Jack may have seemed more relaxed on the beach, but she knew it would take more than a volleyball game to truly unwind the tension and weariness that lay beneath the surface of his charming smile. It went far deeper than corporate burnout. Getting involved with Jack would not be light and easy. But nothing in her life, good or bad, had ever been either of those things. All that remained to be seen was which category having a relationship with him would fall in to.
Jack crossed the moonlit lawn, enjoying the cooler midnight air. The grass was cool and wet between his toes and the evening wind whipped the dampness from his freshly showered hair. As he neared the entrance to the main building, he shifted the cooler in his hand and glanced down at the baggy chinos and print shirt he wore as he slipped on the beach thongs he’s bought earlier at the Cove’s gift shop.
He had a sudden wild urge to go back to the bungalow and put on something less … rumpled. A wry smile crossed his face. Since when had he cared how he dressed? Besides, April had already seen him wearing less.
His thoughts drifted to how she’d stared at him the day he’d caught her looking thro
ugh the reception pictures. He’d only been wearing a bath towel, but at the time had been grateful for the coverage, considering his immediate response to her.
Now he paused and looked up at the windows at the top of the half dozen of so floors. Yellow light blinked between the slats of the blinds of a large corner office that wrapped around the back of the building. He headed into the lobby.
He immediately spotted the concierge. Surprised that he was still on duty, Jack nodded to the dark-skinned man, then abruptly headed over to him. “Buenas noches, Dominguez,” he said in greeting.
“Hola, Señor Jack. What can I do for you?” He nodded to the small cooler Jack held in one hand.
Jack looked down as if wondering what had caught Dom’s attention. “Oh,” he answered, then glanced back up, “nothing right now. But I’m expecting some mail in the next few days. I’d really appreciate it if you could get it to me as soon as it comes in.”
“Sí, sí. No problem.” He grinned at Jack and nodded, flashing one gold-capped tooth.
Jack nodded back, then paused a moment, suddenly realizing that he felt uncomfortable about going to the lobby elevator. His destination would be all too clear to Dom and anyone else who cared to watch the illuminating numbers above the lobby doors as he rode to the top floor.
It was ridiculous. He’d never felt the need, or even had an urge, to protect the reputation of the women he’d dated. They’d all been sophisticated and intelligent enough to be responsible for their decisions. Which made the urge to protect April all the more confusing. Jack smiled briefly at Dom and moved a few steps away in the general direction of the elevator.
More than any of the other women he’d dated, April, with her achievements, certainly knew her own mind. He paced over to the gleaming brass doors, his finger hovering over the arrow button. So why, he silently asked himself, especially in light of the statements she’d made to him that very afternoon, were his instincts still screaming at him to go slow, to protect, to take special care?
Because, his mind responded, beneath that competent, efficient CEO face she presented to the world, a fragile layer existed, one he suspected she’d rarely allowed anyone to see. But he had seen it, had held her while she came to grips with whatever had caused it.
Tango in Paradise Page 7
