The Ties That Bind

by Jaci Burton

  "I don't know about that. You and Connie are more devious than me. I prefer the direct approach."

  "Oh, come on. You know our idea has merit. You, Mom, stuck together for a week in a tropical paradise. It's your chance to talk to her, to convince her the two of you should try again."

  "She'll be pissed." And he wouldn't put it past her to hop right back on the plane and fly home.

  Kayla shrugged. "She'll get over it. Who could resist the lure of the Caribbean? Warm sand, tropical breezes, all that hot sex..."

  "Kayla," he warned, wondering when his baby girl had grown up and become a woman of the world.

  "Dad," she said, rolling her eyes. "You're both consenting adults. Even if the thought of you two...doing it...makes me want to hurl." She let her tongue unfurl and hang out her mouth, making the icky face that made him laugh.

  "Gee. Thanks. That's so romantic."

  She snorted. "I gotta go. Hopefully Connie is twisting her arm as we speak. I'll talk to you tomorrow, see if Connie managed to convince her."

  She leaned across the car and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Love you, Dad."

  "Love you, too, Kay."

  And in a flash, she was gone, swallowed up by the hordes of other graduates spending the night at the graduation lockup party in the high school gym. Which meant fun, games, all the food they could consume, and they'd be safe.

  As he drove away, he found it hard to comprehend he was the father of a high school graduate. No, a soon-to-be college freshman. Jesus, when had he gotten old?

  Fuck that. He wasn't old. Neither was Lisa. Their lives were just beginning. And if everything worked out in the Caribbean, they'd have their second chance.

  Hell of a plan. Of course, to Kayla it was all so simple. Lie to Lisa, convince her to go to the Caribbean for a vacation, but have Rick show up there instead. Then spend time together and try to recapture the magic they'd once had when they were younger.

  Was that even possible? They were different people now. When they first fell in love, they were both teenagers. They'd lived a lifetime since then, had raised a daughter. They had careers, separate lives. Yet they were never really separate, were they?

  He knew Connie, knew she'd be able to talk Lisa into going on this trip. Of course, Connie wouldn't be the one accompanying her. Rick would be going. And he owed the entire devious plan to his daughter, who thought her parents should finally consummate the passion that had always flamed between them.

  She was right. There had always been fire between Lisa and him. There'd been sparks from the time he met her, even when Lisa was fourteen, when he'd known better than to touch her. But even then it had been damned hard to resist the attraction. They'd waited two years before falling into bed together. And they'd been careful, as careful as they could be when desire consumed them. But condoms weren't the best birth control method, and when Lisa, at sixteen years old, got pregnant, they'd gotten married. They'd been in love. It had been tough. Goddamn, it had been tough. Barely twenty and struggling to work full-time and juggle college part-time, he'd suddenly also had to deal with a pregnant teenaged wife.

  A wife he'd adored.

  And when Kayla had been born, he'd hung the moon on his daughter. She'd been perfect, and he and Lisa had given up everything for her, determined that she'd never pay for their mistakes. But they were barely adults, didn't know how to really love each other. Tensions had mounted as high as their bills. They were drowning. Eventually Lisa had to move back home with her parents, taking Kayla with her.

  Rick hated failure, but even he had to admit that separating had been the best thing for all of them, had eased the tension between them. By the time Kayla was three, they'd known divorce was inevitable. They'd realized they weren't ready to face an adult relationship, even though they still loved each other. They sacrificed each other to do what was right for Kayla, before they ended up tearing each other apart and Kayla in the process.

  Divorcing had been the hardest thing he'd ever done. But he'd vowed never to let either of them go. He was responsible for his child and the woman he'd vowed to love forever. He'd worked his way through college, gotten his degree, and when he'd finally gotten back on his feet, bought a house for Lisa and Kayla. Lisa hadn't wanted it, of course, but Rick said a house was a good place for Kayla to grow up, much better than an apartment. By then Lisa was going to nursing school, and eventually Rick bought a house nearby so he could help watch Kay while Lisa was in school. When Lisa graduated and started making decent money of her own, she took over the payments of her own house. It was important to her to stand on her own two feet and not depend on Rick for everything. It was one of the things he admired most about her.

  Over the years they'd developed a perfect relationship, relying on each other, as close to a real family as you could get. Kayla was secure and loved by both her parents, and Rick and Lisa settled into a cozy, comfortable relationship.

  A relationship that had no passion.

  It suited both of them fine for a long time, while they nurtured Kayla and built their careers. They both dated other people here and there, but it seemed like neither one of them wanted to bring another person into the family relationship they had built among the three of them. Lisa hadn't moved on. Neither had he. It always seemed to Rick as if he and Lisa were both waiting for the time when they could be together again, only neither of them had ever mentioned it. It was like a tenuous, invisible thread between them, and both of them were afraid to do anything to break it. Even if it meant they'd do nothing at all.

  No more waiting. That time was now. If they got there and she said no, then that would be it. He'd walk away with no regrets. But he'd regret it forever if he didn't at least try to win back the woman he'd loved almost half his life.

  Two

  Lisa avoided pressing her nose to the tiny window of the small two-engine plane that swooped and rolled on its way to landing at the tiny island of Saint Thomas. It was difficult, though. Butterflies the size of Tyrannosaurus rex stomped around in her stomach. She was so damned excited she wanted to leap out of the plane so she could get there faster.

  The Virgin Islands. The Caribbean. She was almost there. She wished Connie could have traveled with her so she could share in the excitement, but the travel agent had to book them on separate flights. Since they had to schedule at the last minute, seats were at a premium, so Connie would be flying in later today. Lisa was fine with that. She was almost there, and that's what counted.

  The previous few weeks had passed in a blur of activity. Shopping for the trip, making travel arrangements, and seeing Kayla off on her own trip, though fortunately those details had already been dealt with months ago, clearing the way for Lisa to concentrate on her own travel plans. Kayla and Connie had insisted on dragging her shopping to buy new clothes. Her suitcase was now filled with sundresses, sandals, swimsuits, and just about anything and everything she could possibly need for this vacation. And would probably never wear again. Scandalous, sexy wear, including stuff for the evenings. And the lingerie? What were her daughter and best friend thinking? It wasn't like she was going to be parading around half-naked for a bevy of men every night.

  But at least when she looked in the mirror of her hotel room, she'd make herself blush.

  Connie had insisted she go to the salon and get her hair cut and put some highlights in it. More tropical, she'd claimed. Whatever. Brown was brown. Her hair was brown, her eyes were brown, and she was pretty much average looking. But Connie and Kayla had so much fun doing her makeover that she went along with it. Now she had chin-length hair with subtle highlights that brought out her natural auburn, and even Lisa had to admit it looked pretty darned good. The new makeup was nice, too. Restrained, but sexy. She was ready for...

  For what? Anything and everything, she supposed. After Kayla's graduation, she'd seen very little of Rick. She supposed she'd have to get used to that since Kayla was now eighteen, out of school, and they didn't have the normal sharing of custody that they
used to. Kayla could come and go as she pleased, divide her time between both parents however she wanted to, not according to a court-ordered custody document. Not that that had ever mattered anyway, since Lisa and Rick had pretty much split custody. When one had something to do, the other gladly filled in with taking care of Kayla.

  But still...Lisa's world seemed emptier without Rick in it.

  Too bad. She'd just have to get over that. Rick obviously had a life now. It was high time she got one. After this vacation, she intended to start living again. Going out more. Dating.

  Bleh.

  The announcement of their impending landing relieved her of that train of thought. In a few minutes, they were on the ground. Lisa grabbed her luggage and went off to find the shuttle to take her to the hotel.

  Connie said her cousin had gotten them a great deal at one of the most beautiful resorts on Saint Thomas. A last-minute cancellation or something like that, so they'd gotten it at half price. Lisa didn't care where they stayed. A discount-rate shack would have been fine with her.

  But when the shuttle turned through the gates and down the long road leading to the hotel, Lisa caught her first sight of the resort and gasped. It was a villa, a palazzo, a veritable mansion towering above the entire island. Built on top of a hill, rising high and proud and utterly breathtaking, Lisa realized then and there that this wasn't a hotel, it was a damn city in itself. The resort was one of the finest, the ritziest, and Lisa figured Connie was insane and they were both going to be flat broke by the time this vacation was over.

  Check-in was like a dream. Her reservation was already taken care of--bless you, Connie and your cousin! The room was ready and her things were brought up by the bellman. Wow, this was living. She'd never been treated like this. The bellman took her upstairs via an elevator--everything was trimmed in gold, including the numbered buttons on the elevator. The bellman used another key, sliding it into the slot above the room numbers on the elevator. The light at the top blinked.

  "We're on the top floor?"

  "Yes, ma'am," he said, looking straight ahead and not at her. "Presidential suite."

  "Um, are you sure? Because I'm not important or anything."

  His lips curled upward. "Yes, ma'am. Presidential suite. When we get up there, I'll give you all your keys."

  The door opened, they took a step out, and there was the door right in front of them. Wow. The hotel room was as big as her entire house. Prettier, too. Open, airy, tropical breezes blowing through the open balconies. Dear God, she could see the turquoise blue waters of the Caribbean right from her room. She knew her mouth hung open, but she couldn't do anything to shut it as she strolled along the pristine cinnamon marble flooring, broken up occasionally by plush, room-sized rugs. The entire suite screamed expensive, from the dark furniture to the king-sized bed. Everything was open, gorgeous, state of the art, and oh, she so couldn't afford this.

  "Are you sure?" she asked the bellman again as he set her suitcases on the floor in the bedroom.

  "Yes, ma'am." He showed her how to use the elevator keys, gave her a tour of the suite. She gave him a generous tip, then after he left, she turned around and walked outside on the balcony. One of four balconies, one available from every room in the house--because that's what this was. A freakin' house.

  Holy crap. This had to be some kind of mistake. She was certain the hotel management would come knocking on her door within the hour, indicating that there had, in fact, been a mistake, and she needed to pack up her things and move to a regular room. One of those "bed and bathroom and that's all you get" kind of rooms. Actually, she wasn't certain she could even afford one of their regular rooms.

  This couldn't be her and Connie's room. Even at the discount rate, it just didn't seem possible.

  She wandered through the suite and waited a full hour before deciding no one was going to knock at the door announcing an error. Then she decided to unpack.

  One king-sized bed in the master bedroom. And another bedroom in another part of the suite. Oh well, she and Connie would figure it out later, and the master bedroom's closet was more than large enough for both their clothes.

  She hung everything up, put her things in one of the dressers, then changed into a sundress, trying to figure out what to do until Connie arrived tonight, when the phone beside the bed rang. Her stomach lurched. This was it. The management.

  It was Connie.

  "Is it gorgeous?" she asked.

  "Yes! Oh, my God, this place is a palace."

  Connie laughed. "I knew it."

  "Are you packed yet?"

  There was a slight pause before Connie said, "Uh, yeah. Packed and eager. One problem, though. My flight is delayed."

  "Oh, no. What's the problem?"

  "Some equipment failure. They're going to bring in another plane, but I won't be able to come in until tomorrow."

  "Dammit, Connie. That sucks. You should have had my flight."

  "Don't be silly. Anyway, here's the deal. I got you a dinner companion for tonight."

  Lisa was sure she hadn't heard that part correctly. "What?"

  "My cousin knows this guy who lives there locally. Gorgeous. Great talker. He's available and would love to have dinner with you. You won't have to hide in the hotel room tonight like I know you would have."

  She would have. "Connie, I'm not at all interested..."

  "He'll meet you in the bar at seven-thirty. Dress sexy. I already told him what you look like. Oh, I have another call coming in, I gotta go. Have fun!"

  "Connie, wait!"

  But she was already gone. Dammit! How could Connie do this to her? A dinner date? Jesus. She so wasn't ready for this.

  Okay, she had to calm down before she drove herself crazy. This was just dinner. A nice way to pass the time tonight, and Connie was right. It was better than spending her first night in the room. If the guy was a local, he could fill her in about the island, things to do, and places she and Connie could go. Perfect. She'd have a good time. It would be fine. It wasn't like she was obligated to hop into the sack with the guy.

  God, she was rusty at this whole man-woman thing. With Rick it was so easy.

  Get over it, Lisa. You don't have Rick anymore. Time to step outside your comfort zone.

  Way outside.

  She glanced at the clock on the nightstand. It was four. She had three and a half hours until she had to meet her date tonight. Plenty of time to wander around the resort, grab some pool time, and start working on her tan. She could even have one of those tropical drinks, which would help her relax.

  She changed clothes again, this time putting on her swimsuit and a cover-up, then slipped on her sandals, filled up her beach bag, and headed downstairs.

  After taking so many turns around the hotel she ended up right back where she'd started, she decided she was going to need a map or she'd be forever lost. She stopped at the concierge's desk and picked one up. That would help a lot. Navigating this theme park-sized resort wasn't going to be easy, and she didn't have the best sense of direction anyway.

  She made it through the throngs of inside-the-hotel shops, stopped and surveyed the menus at a couple of restaurants, and found the bar before maneuvering her way to one of the pools. She ended her hotel sightseeing right there at the crystal blue waters that seemed to spill over into the turquoise of the Caribbean, as the pool was balanced on the edge of the ocean. It was breathtaking. She found a corner spot, pulled off her cover-up and lathered on sunscreen, then stretched out to enjoy the warmth of the sun.

  This really was the life. Her eyes closed, she listened to the water lapping over the rocks, falling into the pool on the first level below. The smell of sunscreen and flowers was heady and tropical. She'd ordered a pina colada from the waiter who'd hurried to her side as soon as she'd laid her towel on the chair, and she took a moment to sip from it before lying down again.

  It was possible she might never move from this spot. Though after about fifteen minutes she was hot and sweaty, so she
got up and took a plunge in the pool to cool off, swam a few laps, then came out and stretched out on her stomach, tossing her floppy hat over her head to block the sun.

  It was delightfully uncrowded, just a handful of people lounging by the pool. She spotted a couple across the pool, lying side by side on their chairs, holding hands, occasionally kissing and whispering. They were about the same age as Rick and her. If she and Rick hadn't divorced, they'd have been married nearly twenty years by now. It might be the two of them on this tropical vacation, soaking up the sun, kissing...

  She remembered his mouth, the way he used to take it slow, kissing her until her toes curled, until she couldn't stand it anymore and begged him to fuck her. Even now she could still find herself staring at the fullness of his lips whenever they were together, remembering how he tasted, wishing...

  The pain of longing struck her hard, and the tears began to fall before she could do anything to stop them. Thankfully, the wide brim of her hat camouflaged the ridiculous waterworks.

  What the hell was wrong with her anyway? It was way too early in the month for PMS. She was just lonely. If Connie were here, she'd no doubt be drunk and laughing her ass off by now, or fending off some lifeguard fifteen years her junior that Connie had dragged over.

  Tomorrow things would be better, when she didn't have all this alone time and nothing but memories to wallow in.

  She sniffed, swiped at the tears, angry at her emotions. Rick had a woman in his life now. She had no hold on him anymore. It wasn't like she ever had anyway. Ever since they divorced, he'd been free to date, to find someone else, to get married even.

  So had she, though the thought had never crossed her mind. Not while Kayla had needed raising.

  Kayla was raised now. No more excuses. So how come she still didn't want to?

  The sun had long ago slipped behind the tall columns of the main hotel. She grabbed her watch, realizing it was almost six. Time to get ready. She threw on her cover-up and headed upstairs to take a shower and get ready for tonight. For her date. Where she promised herself she wouldn't once think about Rick.

  Who knew where tonight would lead? Maybe this guy would be smokin' hot and she could have some wild, uninhibited, no-strings-attached sex. God, she really needed sex, was tired of her hands and her vibrator and craved the feel of a man's big, hot hands all over her, the feel of a thick cock sliding inside her, pumping her until she screamed, bringing her to orgasm over and over again.