by Karen Booth
She opened her door and walked back into the main room. Zane was drying one of the hand-painted platters she’d used. “Hey. I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t apologize. I shouldn’t have given you a hard time. You have things you have to do. I get it.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that.”
Zane set down the clean dish and leaned against the kitchen counter. “Nice guy?”
“What?”
“The guy you were talking to. You seemed pretty chummy. I thought it was just you and your partner in that office.”
For a moment, Allison struggled to figure out what he was asking, but then she realized there was the slightest chance that Zane was jealous. That was so incongruous with his personality that it didn’t really compute. He could have any woman he wanted. And he’d pushed her away the one time they’d kissed. “Great guy, actually. Supersmart. Handsome, too.”
“Yeah? Could there be something brewing between you two?”
He might not be jealous, but he was curious, which made her both nervous and a bit exhilarated. “I hate to disappoint you, but no. He’s a recruit. Nothing else.”
Zane nodded. “Oh. Okay.”
She scanned his face, and he returned the look. Good God, she had the most urgent desire to show him the reason why a guy like Ryan Hathaway was not what she wanted. If only she could press Zane against that kitchen counter and kiss him into oblivion, thread her hands into his hair and show him just how badly she longed for him. She wanted to tell him everything—that she’d fantasized about him hundreds of times, how she needed to finally get him out of her system. Being this close to him and knowing she couldn’t do any of that was testing what little resolve she had left. But she had to hold strong. She would not make the first move.
“I should probably get going,” Zane said, finally breaking their eye contact. “Get out of your hair.”
“You aren’t in my hair, Zane. This is fun. I could talk to you all night.” She did her best to hide the soft rumble in her voice, the way she secretly wanted to beckon him to her bedroom with her tone.
“I need to get a good night’s sleep if we’re going to go snorkeling tomorrow.”
Tomorrow. Allison could wait until then. Tomorrow was another chance to show Zane that she was a woman. He’d been with so many over the years, why not her? Why couldn’t she have at least one taste of him? “Right. Snorkeling.”
He pushed off from the kitchen counter and walked to the door leading out to her patio. Allison followed, tormented and enticed by everything about him. “Thanks for dinner. It was amazing.” He ran his hands through his thick hair, seeming at least a little conflicted. She took solace in that. She was at war with herself, too.
“You’re more than welcome.”
He leaned in and pecked her on the cheek. It happened so fast, she had no time to grip his arms or pull him closer or even simply wish for a real kiss. It only left her once again hungry for everything she couldn’t have.
“See you tomorrow morning.”
“Yep. Got it.” She watched as he disappeared down the beach, into the darkness. It hurt to see him go without leaving her more, but she’d felt this way about Zane forever. The yearning might never go away. It might always be an unanswered question. Still, she really wished he would finally get up enough nerve to be the one to break their never-ending standoff. Her heart couldn’t take much more.
CHAPTER FOUR
Zane woke with the sun and too many thoughts rolling around in his head. He was excited by the prospect of spending the day with Allison. Snorkeling with a friend sounded fun, and “fun” was something he so rarely had. But last night had been a close call from his side of things. He’d wanted to kiss Allison so badly that he’d volunteered to clean her kitchen—not his favorite activity.
What was keeping him from going for what he wanted? He’d never felt shy about it in the past. His greatest fear was Scott finding out, even though in all likelihood, Zane and Allison could do whatever they wanted without fear of repercussions. But guilt would crush him alive. Betrayal was at the top of Zane’s to-not-do list. He needed trust in his life. He’d learned that the hard way when he was a teenager and his life fell apart. Everything he’d ever counted on—the stability of his family and, more important, his parents’ marriage—was upended. He realized then just how badly he needed to be able to trust in something or someone. But that was a two-way street—if he couldn’t be trustworthy in return, what was he doing with his life? Giving in to his desire for Allison would give Scott every reason in the world to feel betrayed. He’d never breached their friendship like that and he didn’t want to start now.
He was assuming a lot, though. Just because Allison had once kissed him didn’t mean she still wanted that from him. She’d taken that phone call last night and seemed eager to distance herself. She’d said it was about work, but Zane wasn’t convinced. Why duck into the other room and close the door behind her? She was an executive recruiter, not an undercover FBI agent. She obviously had some new guy after her, which should come as absolutely no surprise. Or perhaps she was doing the pursuing. He could imagine that, too.
Get a grip, Zane. Get a damn grip. Allison was his friend. Last night, they’d had a friendly dinner. Today, they were going on an adventure. This was meant to be fun. It was meant to be platonic. Nothing more.
He slathered on sunscreen, got dressed in his swim trunks and headed over to Allison’s cottage. She was hanging out on her patio, again on the phone. He waved at her and, although she returned the gesture, she quickly shot up out of her chaise, plugging a finger in her free ear and hustling back into the house. Perhaps it was work again. He hadn’t realized Allison was quite so driven, but it would certainly be in line with her personality. Then again, there was the chance that it was a guy. Definitely a plausible explanation. He hung out next to her pool while she finished her call, taking deep breaths and admiring the gentle lap of the water on the sand.
“Hey. Sorry,” Allison said, reappearing from inside the house. She was wearing her sarong again and through the thin fabric, it was apparent she was wearing that same maddening bikini.
He prayed for strength. So much strength. “Everything okay? It wasn’t Scott giving you a hard time again, was it?”
She unleashed her electric smile, which calmed him, but sent a noticeable thrill through him, as well. “No. Although, he did call again last night. He keeps telling me to watch the forecast. And to watch out for you.”
Zane directed his sights skyward. “It’s another beautiful day in paradise. And I think we demonstrated last night that there’s no need to worry about anything else.”
She nodded. “Right? He needs to get a hobby.”
“I could call him and tell him to get to work, but I promised myself I wouldn’t turn on my phone once while I’m here.” Zane deliberately delivered a pointed glance. “Maybe you should try the same thing.”
She looked at her phone and hesitated. “You know, I think that’s a great idea. I will do that. I’ve already talked to my partner today, and honestly, I think it’ll be good for Scott to not be able to reach either of us for a few days. Let him wonder what’s going on.” She bounced her eyebrows playfully.
Zane felt a distinct tug from his stomach. He didn’t want Scott worrying, but there was likely no avoiding that, with or without phone contact with his sister. “We ready to head out?”
“Yes. My uncle had someone drop off the snorkel gear for us about an hour ago.” She grabbed two mesh drawstring bags that were sitting on the patio tile next to the French doors. “I just need help getting sunscreen on my back before we get in the water. And I’m guessing you do, too.”
Indeed, that had been the one place Zane hadn’t been able to reach on his own. He considered accepting the reality of a sunburn, but skin cancer was no joke. “Yep.”
He followed Allison into her cott
age, where she had a bottle of SPF 50 on the kitchen counter. “I’ll do you first. Turn around.”
Zane swallowed hard at the notion of either of them doing the other, but followed Allison’s directive. He heard the squishy sounds as she rubbed the lotion between her hands, and even though he knew it was coming, he winced when she touched him.
“Still cold?” she asked as she began to spread the silky liquid over his back and shoulders.
“No. No. It feels great.” He closed his eyes to attempt to ward off how damn good it felt to have her touch him. This was what he’d wanted, if only for an instant, that night that she’d kissed him. They’d been fully clothed then. Not now. Instead, they not only had too much bare skin between them, they also had privacy, solitude and an entire sunny day stretching out in front of them. He tried to quiet his mind, but that only put the physical sensations at center stage. Her hands were pure magic as she worked the lotion into his shoulders, then down his spine until she reached his waist. He heard her pour more into her hands, then she swiped the velvety cream in circles at the small of his back.
“You’re good to go,” she said, handing him the bottle. “Now me.”
He turned, only to see that she’d taken off her sarong and tossed it aside. And now he was confronted with her in that tiny black bikini. She did a one-eighty, putting her back to him, gathering her hair with both hands and holding it atop her head. He tried to think of a chaste and asexual way to go about this, but it was impossible. Every fiber of his being wanted to untie her top, kiss her neck, take her hand and lead her into the bedroom. Hopefully this would be as trying as today got, so he went ahead and got to work.
The first touch on her shoulders felt innocent enough. Sure, her skin was impossibly soft and even more shimmery with the lotion on it, but he could take it. The second touch across the center of her back prompted a definite ratcheting of tension in his body. The tie of her bathing suit was right there, millimeters from his fingertips, and everything about her was so damn inviting. The third touch, however, against her lower back, all the way down to the top of her bathing suit bottoms… Well, that felt as sexual as anything Zane had done since yesterday when he’d had to pleasure himself in search of some relief.
“Don’t miss a spot,” she said, looking back over her shoulder.
If only she knew that was not the danger. He wasn’t about to miss even a fraction of an inch. Wanting to get on with their hike and swim, and get himself out of this situation, he finished up as quickly but as thoroughly as possible. “All set.”
“Thanks. Let me just grab my sun hat.” She flitted off and was back a few seconds later.
They headed outside, up the beachline away from both of their cottages. At first, their walk was nothing more than a leisurely stroll along the sand, but then the coast got rocky in patches, and they would wade through knee-to waist-high water to get past the tougher terrain. A few times, they hiked inland and made their way on footpaths that wound through the forest.
“You sure you know where you’re going?” Zane trailed behind Allison as they walked down a narrow trail under dense tree cover. It was a welcome break from the sun and the heat of the day. “We haven’t seen a single person or even another cottage this whole time.”
“Yep. I know this trip like the back of my hand. I promise. Scott and I did this a hundred times when we were kids.”
“The resort has been in your family that long?”
“Yes. It originally belonged to my grandparents, but it was a little more rustic when we were growing up. The bungalows weren’t quite so fancy. They didn’t have all of the amenities they do now. My aunt and uncle made it into what it is today.”
Ahead, Zane saw the bright sun breaking through the trees. “Is that where we’re going?”
She turned back and flashed her smile at him, the one that made it hard to think straight. “Yep.”
“Awesome.” Zane took stock of their surroundings as soon they were out of the wooded area and back on the beach. To his right, the coast was again rocky, with a steep and densely overgrown hillside racing up from it. He then looked out over the water, spotting a tiny island. It appeared to be about the length of four or five football fields away. It had three palm trees on it but no other signs of life. “What’s that?”
“That’s where we’re going if you’re up for the swim. Scott and I named it Mako Island.”
“As in the shark? Because I was more in the mood for colorful tropical fish today. Not so much into man-eating aquatic specimens.”
Allison laughed. “Scott was really into sharks when we named it, but don’t worry. I’ve never seen anything too scary in these waters.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“It’ll take about twenty minutes to get over there, but it’s an easy swim and you’ll get a beautiful view the whole way. Just follow me.”
Zane nodded in agreement, declining to say that if he was following her, it wasn’t the ocean that would be providing the beauty. That was all on Allison.
* * *
Zane and Allison put on their fins and snorkel masks, then she grabbed the inflatable swim buoy her uncle had left for her. With a belt that went around her waist, it would float behind her, hold a few bottles of water and could double as a flotation device if either she or Zane got into trouble during their swim.
“Your aunt and uncle think of everything, don’t they?” Zane asked.
“They love to be protective.” Always. But she wasn’t going to let things like her family come between her and a good day with Zane. “Come on.”
Allison waded into the sea, feeling so blissfully at home the instant she was floating in the water. They swam at a leisurely pace, buoyed by the saline. Below, the ocean floor was dotted with clusters of starfish, while schools of fish in bright shades of yellow and blue darted between the sea plants. One thing Allison loved more than anything about snorkeling was that the only thing she could hear was her own breath. She purposely made it deep and even, forcing every stress in her life from her body. Today was for her and Zane. She’d waited fifteen years for it to happen.
As they approached Mako Island, the water became quite shallow—only two or three feet deep. That allowed them to walk the final fifty yards to dry land, or in this case, what was really a very large sandbar with a few rocks, trees and plants.
They both collapsed when they reached a shady spot on the beach, sitting down and taking off their fins. “That was incredible,” Zane said, a bit breathless. She tried not to watch the rise and fall of his enticing chest. She tried not to think about how badly she wanted to touch him there. “Thank you so much for sharing it with me.”
“Of course. I’ll give you the quick tour of the island. It won’t take long.” Indeed, it was only about the size of the combined footprint of five or six Rose Cove cottages. Mostly sand and rocks, some low brush and a half dozen palms. Unfit for human life, it wasn’t completely uninhabited. Plenty of birds were busy up in the trees, and there were even a few iguanas, who could make the swim from Rose Cove or other nearby islands.
They found their way back to that shady, cool spot on the beach and took a breather. “You know, half of the fun of this is getting to show it off to someone I care about.”
Zane sat forward, resting his forearms on his knees and looking down at the sand, and nodded. “That’s a nice thing to say.” His voice was so burdened it made her heart heavy. Why did he have to be so deeply conflicted about every nice thing she chose to say? “I care about you, too.”
She had too many words on the tip of her tongue—things about her brother or other women or why in the hell he couldn’t just give in to the attraction that she had to believe he felt. There was no way that the electricity between them only went one way. But she didn’t want their conversation to get too serious, so she kept these nagging, negative thoughts to herself. Instead, she fished the bottles of water out
of the small pouch attached to the swim buoy and handed one to Zane. “Here. Drink. I need to keep you safe out here. Scott will never forgive me if you die of dehydration.”
Zane laughed. It was deep and throaty and sexy as ever. “Same for you. I think we’re equally responsible for each other at this point.” He took a long drink of his water, then replaced the cap and reclined back in the sand, resting on his elbows. “It’s so amazing to think about, isn’t it?”
“What? How my brother has an ironclad hold on both of us?”
“Well, that, sure, but that’s a long conversation. I was talking more about the here and now. When we met, did you ever think that you and I would end up together on this tiny uninhabited island in the Caribbean?”
Allison hugged her knees to her chest and ran her hands through the sand, too embarrassed to tell Zane that she’d spent more than a decade crafting fantasies about him. Of the many times she’d felt like a naive schoolgirl around him, this moment might have been the most striking. It felt as though there was an invisible force between them, keeping them apart, and she didn’t know how to get rid of it. “Hard to believe, huh?”
“We’re so far away from it all. From everyone. From responsibility and expectations. From family and our jobs. I had no idea it would be so freeing.”
Freeing. This scenario they’d found themselves in should’ve felt freeing, but they didn’t have true freedom, and they wouldn’t unless she finally shook loose the words buzzing in her head and forced the conversation. “We could do whatever we want, you know. Nobody can say a thing.”
Zane was quiet for a few heartbeats, and Allison braced for a reprimand about being suggestive. “So true. We are the extent of the society on this island.” Just then, an iguana jumped up onto a rock a few dozen feet away. “Well, us and that guy.”