Tropical Balm

by Franny Armstrong

  Moving away from Alex, she reached up to kiss him, feeling his warm lips meet hers. Strange, he never kissed her so gently before, always offering lusty, lip-smacking kisses. Teal froze. Something was wrong. Her eyes flew wide, and she jumped. The blue eyes staring into hers were not Alex’s, but Camden Brooke’s.

  “Oh!” she cried, backing away from him, groaning when she moved as her entire torso protested. “It wasn’t a dream! Oh, God!”

  Bits and pieces of last night flashed in her mind, and she put her hand over her mouth. She was going to throw up. Seconds later the wastebasket was in front of her, and she vomited violently over, and over again. Cam’s hand held back her hair, as he murmured words of comfort.

  Exhausted, she fell back on the bed, pressing her palms to her eyes. She suddenly realized that she was naked and swore, clutching the blanket close to her chest.

  Cam had left the room, taking the pail with him. He came back a few minutes later with a bottle of water, Aspirin, and a cold compress.

  “Here love, sit up a minute,” he said, calm and efficient as he helped her.

  Teal stayed where she was, mortified. No one had watched her vomit since she was a kid. And last night! What had happened? She couldn’t remember much more than Cam holding her, whispering sweet words, wiping her tears, and telling her it was going to be okay.

  “What the hell happened?” she asked in a deadened voice, unspent tears filling her eyes.

  “Simeon spiced up your stew with a good dose of magic mushrooms, and then decided to use you as a punching bag when you wouldn’t cooperate with him.”

  “I’m going to kill him. I’m going to beat the living shit out of him. That bastard.” Her anger built to a healthy level, and Cam smiled. She was no simpering miss, cringing at the hands of a man.

  “Well, I’m afraid you might have to get in line. You see, once I…ah…persuaded Simeon to tell me what he’d done, Delon took him to town, and dumped him off with the police. I’m afraid the ride may have been a bit bumpy based on the look on Delon’s face. He’s very protective of you.”

  “Where is Poppy?”

  “Well, she wasn’t able to hold on to you, since you were bashing around so much, so she let me take care of you.” Cam’s kind eyes caught hers as she peeked out from under her palms.

  Uncertainty filled her gaze as she watched him. “You…you didn’t—.”

  “Never laid a finger on you love. When I do, you’ll be wide awake, and knowing who’s touching you.” His warm smile reassured her, though she blushed at his words.

  Sighing, Teal dropped her arms on the bed.

  “Thank you Cam. I don’t know what would have happened if you hadn’t come along.” Staring at him with narrowed eyes, she asked, “Why were you here anyway?”

  Wearing a sheepish grin, he admitted, “I couldn’t stop thinking about you, and decided I’d come by, and persuade you to go for a ride with me. The beach is beautiful in the full moonlight.”

  An ache filled her heart as she said, “Cam, I can’t get involved with you. There are things about me you don’t know, and I can’t get close to anyone. Not now. Not ever.”

  “You mean like it’s all your fault that Alex and Zack went fishing and died, and you could have stopped them but didn’t, and you can’t let anyone close to you because you are afraid of getting hurt again, and—.”

  “Stop!” she cried, aghast that he knew everything. “Who told you all that. No one knows so much about me.”

  “Well, I’d like to say a little bird told me, but you aren’t exactly a bird.” Grinning he winked at her stunned expression.

  “Well shit!” she said, stunned.

  Chuckling, Cam asked, tongue in cheek, “Is there any reason that we can’t be friends, and leave it at that? Delon is your friend, is he not?”

  “Well, yes, but that’s different…he’s—.”

  “He’s a kid, and not as handsome, and debonair as me?”

  Snorting, Teal said with sarcasm, “Yeah, right, that’s about the long and short of it.”

  Wiggling his eyebrows, Cam teased, “Well, then I rest my case. It’s friends we are then.”

  “Wait a minute, I didn’t say—.” Releasing an exaggerated groan, she conceded. “Okay fine then. Friends. But no funny stuff like that kiss this morning.”

  “Ha! As if I kissed you. If I recall correctly, you planted those luscious lips on mine, and damn near knocked me off the bed!”

  Laughter bubbled up, causing her to wince. “You are too much. Get the hell out of my bedroom, so I can get dressed. Go make yourself a coffee or something.” A haunted look came over her, and she said, “I need a shower and a large bucket of soap.”

  “Well, I fixed your shower curtain, and had a talk with the little fella that scared you so bad that you molested my poor body.”

  A bark of laughter escaped her. “You are such an idiot. Get out of here, will you?”

  Tweaking her nose, Cam got off the bed, and left the room, whistling a Scottish tune.

  Unable to keep from smiling, Teal put on her oversized robe, and soon followed him, pouring herself a coffee. She smiled as she passed him on her way to the shower. When she giggled, he yelled, “I’ll come guard the shower from the dragon for you if you wish!”

  It surprised her that she’d come out of her ordeal with a grin, instead of cowering in fear, She peeked in the doorway and saw him sit back and drink his coffee, helping himself to a few pieces of fresh fruit. Laughing, she headed for the tub.

  ***

  Poppy came in with a look of concern, but seeing his grinning face, she was relieved. Ms. Teal would be all right, as long as this man before her stuck around. After last night, she had feared the poor woman would sink back into depression. Leaning over, Poppy kissed Cam on the cheek.

  “Now what was that lovely gift for, my sweet?” He grinned, winking at her.

  “For being you.” Poppy set about making a hearty lunch for them, humming a happy song.

  ***

  “I told you it was beautiful, didn’t I love?” Cam spoke low in his lilting Scottish burr. It had been a week since the incident with Simeon, and her bruises were nearly gone.

  “I wish you’d stop calling me that, Cam,” Teal said quietly, staring at the incredible scene before her.

  “Call you what?” His teasing tone was lost to her as she stared at the crashing waves, the pearly white spray flying up into the air. She marvelled at the way the moonlight glittered on the rolling water, hypnotizing, mesmerizing, a feast for her artist’s eye.

  “Love.”

  “It’s a little soon for me, Teal, but if you’re game, I am.,” He snickered, watching her face when she realized what he’d said.

  “What?” She turned her confused gaze at him.

  “You said ‘love’. I wasn’t quite ready for that yet, but if you insist, I’m game.”

  Consternation marred her brow, “What the hell are you talking about, you bloody Scotsman? Are you completely insane, or are you ready for a temporary stint in a straight jacket?” Her hands were on her hips, her eyes spitting fire. She was stunning.

  Chuckling, Cam asked, “Would you like to get a drink? There’s a beach bar just down the way, not too far to walk.”

  Shaking her head at his complete change of subject, Teal threw up her hands, and turned away from him, heading down the beach.

  His strong hand clapped gently on her shoulders, his deep chuckle in her ear, “It’s this way, love.”

  Yanking her shoulders away from his hands, she snarled, “Stop calling me that, for crying out loud.”

  “I would imagine that you would.”

  Stopping in her tracks she turned on him, a look of incredulity on her face as she cried out, “You imagine that I would what?”

  “Cry out loud. Very loud, if I don’t miss my guess!” He leered at her playfully, slipping his hands around her waist, and pulling her close.

  “Oh! Does your brain ever come out of the gutter? Did you drin
k some funky water? Have a little too much Jamaican Jerk Spice?”

  Laughing in delight, he tried to kiss her but she turned her cheek, his warm lips accepted the offering and caressed her cheek, nuzzling his nose in the crook of her neck.

  Gasping, Teal pulled away, her heart pounding in response to his heat.

  “Take…me…home…now!” she said, biting off each word.

  “No. Now are you going to come have a drink with me? I’m fair parched.” His boyish grin was her undoing.

  “Oh, bloody hell! Fine, one drink, then you take me home.”

  “I’d be delighted love, I’ll put you right to bed!”

  “No, you…oh, what’s the use, you’ll just twist what I say to sound like what you want anyway. There’s no talking to you. Bloody Scotsman!” she growled, hiding her grin by turning to watch the ocean. She was carrying her sandals, walking barefoot in the surf.

  When a particularly large wave came up to her knees, she yipped and fell into him. His arms came around her, and he leaned in close kissing her neck, whispering, “Ah, you see, it worked. You’re falling for me. You can’t help yourself, can you love?”

  Giving in, she giggled and smacked his solid chest. “You are incorrigible Brooke.”

  He let her push him away, and picked up her hand, slipping his fingers through hers.

  After a quick warning glance, she didn’t complain, and they walked on in companionable silence until they reached the bar.

  Snickering as she noticed the sign above the bar, she turned a questioning gaze to him. “The Lusty Lady?” At his Gaelic shrug, she laughed, and let him lead her inside. Teal sat on a bar stool beside him.

  “What’ll you have, love?” he asked softly, smiling at the way she rolled her eyes at his endearment.

  “A beer would be nice.”

  Nodding to the bartender, a tall slim Jamaican, he said, “A beer for the lady, and a cola for me please.”

  Surprised, she asked, “You aren’t having a drink?”

  Shaking his head sadly he said, “Not since I was hit by a drunk driver. I never drink and drive.”

  “You were hit? Was it very bad?” Empathy nibbled at another corner of the shell of ice on her heart as she watched pain wash over his expression.

  “Yeah, I was working and—oh, I was an OPP officer on duty at the time. Well, I was standing beside this car, giving out a speeding ticket when—.”

  “Oh, my God! You weren’t in your car?” Her eyes widened in horror.

  Shaking his head, he said, “Three years. I was in hospital for three years.”

  “I can’t even imagine the pain you must have been in, Cam. How did your family take it?”

  Snorting, a bitter look on his face, he said, “Oh, they took it quiet well. My wife didn’t want a cripple around, so she took off for greener pastures out in Vancouver, taking my two girls with her. I haven’t seen them in four years.”

  “Cam! I’m so sorry.” She gave a sarcastic laugh. “Right. Sorry. That really helps. All my friends, acquaintances, Alex’s and Zack’s put together, with all their apologies about my loss, and not one word made me feel better. It never brought them back. It didn’t take away the pain. It didn’t change a thing. I used to get so angry when someone said, ‘I’m so sorry, Teal’.”

  Cam’s hand covered hers. “It’s okay love. If my marriage had been so great, she would have stuck with me. I’m better off without her. It’s the girls leaving that hurt the most.”

  “How old are they?”

  “Well, Maggie, she would be twenty-seven now, and so Moira is twenty-five. I have no idea if they married or not. They don’t call or write, or even email me. I suppose I could track them down, but I’ve been nursing my pride. I moved down here to get away from it all.”

  His shoulders seemed to sag, losing their proud strength. Teal turned to her beer, taking a big swallow.

  Cam was a man of many layers. One minute he was playful and teasing, the next fierce and protective. Now he was hurt and vulnerable. Suddenly, it was difficult to swallow the beer and Teal slipped off her stool, ready to run out of the bar, and down the beach, desperate to escape from the feelings this man aroused in her. Her frozen heart cracked a little more, and she panicked.

  Strong fingers circled her wrist, holding her by his side. He was silent, watching her eyes. She became wild with panic, her chest rising and falling with her rapid breathing.

  She figured that Cam knew the signs of fear when he saw them, and he knew that Teal was terrified of feeling, unwilling to allow herself to get close to someone, for fear of getting hurt.

  “Lass. Finish your beer.” His serious expression said that he wouldn’t take no for an answer, so she slipped back up on the stool again, silent, withdrawn.

  Two Rastafarian men entered the bar, grinning and speaking in a Jamaican slang, called Patoi, that Teal didn’t understand. They called out to the bartender, a friend it seemed, and pointed up at the show playing on the TV, propped high in the corner.

  “Turn it up mon,” the first man said, grinning. He was beautiful. His body was sculpted, his hair braided into tiny cornrows that fell to his waist, beaded in bright colours. The fishnet shirt he wore was so pure white that his dark chocolate skin stood out in stark contrast.

  Teal watched the TV for a moment, seeing a large woman and a Rasta man talking animatedly in a tropical forest. The woman was obviously the one in charge, and she shoved him so hard, he landed on his butt on the ground, grinning up at her.

  Snickering, Teal watched the two men and the bartender taking great delight in the man’s dilemma.

  Laughing aloud, the three men slapped each other on their backs when the woman leaned in close and waggled her finger in the man’s face, chastising him.

  The handsome Rasta man looked over at Teal and grinned, his beautiful white teeth gleaming in the dull light of the bar. With his hand, he ran his fingers down his cheeks a few times, and said to Teal, “You favour her.”

  Confused, Teal glanced at Cam, who hid a grin that showed in his eyes.

  “He means you look like the woman on TV. Frankly I don’t see the resemblance, but who am I to argue with the natives?”

  The three men now grinned at her, and nodded, pointing at the TV.

  “Iga,” said the bartender. “You are Iga.”

  Looking up at the screen, Teal nearly choked. The woman was now sitting on the man’s prone body, pumping up and down and smacking him, yelling something in German, her own version of S&M.

  Cam’s deep chuckle had her blushing. “Well Iga, are you ready to leave?”

  A shriek of laughter burst out before Teal could stop it, and she blushed again.

  “Bloody hell. I’m forty-four years old, and still blushing!” Putting her hands on her flaming cheeks, she slipped off the stool, and came up against a wall of muscle. Her eyes widened when she saw Cam’s eyes filled with mirth.

  Turning her head, she looked up into the handsome Rasta’s eyes, and croaked, “Hi.”

  He put his arm around her shoulder’s, and said, “Pretty lady. You want to come play tonight?”

  Shifting her gaze to Cam, she followed his eyes to the man’s hand handing on her shoulder and saw a very thick joint. Knowing that Cam was an ex-cop, she expected he would say something, or have the man charged for possession, but he stayed silent.

  “Ah, no thank you. I’ve got a date for tonight.” Her face completely hot now, she struggled to hold the laughter in.

  “Don’t you like Cheapy Cheapy Willie?” he asked, removing his arm to light his joint.

  Her voice strangled with laughter, Teal said, “Ah, yes, you are quite beautiful Willie, but I’ve had my fill of cheap men thank you.” Belatedly realizing what that statement sounded like, she flushed again, grabbed Cam’s hand, and slipped around Willie, heading for the door.

  The men weren’t about to let her have a dignified escape, and gave Cam the high five, making rude gestures with their pumping hips as if they were making love.
Cam winked at them, and jerked his hips too.

  Howls of laughter followed them onto the beach, and Cam chuckled as Teal pulled him along.

  “Now would be a fine time to go home,” she said.

  “I’ll even tuck you in love, if that’s what you are asking.” Biting back a grin, he grunted when her elbow jabbed into his stomach. “Ouch—Iga! Now that wasn’t nice at all.”

  Shaking free of his hand, she took off down the beach, running along the shore as fast as she could.

  A shriek escaped her when he caught her moments later, tumbling with her to the warm sand.

  Lying on top, Cam laughed down at her, teasing, “Now Iga, I think you are supposed to be the one on top, love.”

  “Oh…shut up Cam.” Unable to help herself, she laughed at him, her heart pounding as she fought to catch her breath.

  Suddenly his eyes were serious, and he went still, staring at her lips.

  Teal stopped breathing, knowing he was going to kiss her, afraid he would. Her eyes widened as his lips descended, but just before they met hers, she turned her head, gasping. The fast pace of her heartbeat was as loud as the surf in her ears when his lips burned a trail over her cheek, and down her neck.