Christmas in Cancun

by KaLyn Cooper

  “Marcelino, I think perhaps you should go home to your mother and cats now and don’t bother Señora Girard ever again.” Kuk’s booming voice left no room for argument.

  “It’s Muluc.” The professor’s indignant tone didn’t faze Jack. “My name is now legally Muluc Tzuc.”

  “That piece of paper doesn’t change your blood.” Kuk sneered down at the small man. “All it did was hide your true identity from a few Mayans and the university staff long enough to get you hired.”

  What the hell was all that about?

  “Mona.” The professor sounded contrite. “Wonderful party as usual. It seems as if it may be some time before the papers you promised me will become available. Have a Merry Christmas.”

  The backhanded jab to his mother pissed Jack off. “Shall I show you to the door?” He walked the man the fifteen feet to the front door. “Don’t bother coming back or calling my mother again. You’ll never see those documents.” Jack all but shoved the man through the door.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Marcelino? Muluc? What was that all about?” Jillian had to tilt her head way up to see Kuk’s face. “I get that Muluc is a Mayan name, and Marcelino is definitely Spanish. The man legally changed his name?”

  “Marcelino Terrazas is on his master’s degree, and that’s a Spanish Mexican name. He supposedly changed his name when doing research for his doctorate because no Mayans would work with him or help him out with translations,” Kuk explained.

  “What a slime bag.” Jack had other phrases to describe the man, but it was Christmas Eve, and he was at his mother’s party.

  “You don’t know the half of it. When our Dean of Mayan Studies hired him—and no, I wasn’t on the selection committee, by the way—he had glowing recommendations from the University of Monterrey. They probably wanted to get rid of him.” Kuk ran his big hands through his jet-black hair that fell well beyond his shoulders. “A few months ago one of his former grad students from Monterrey tried to publish his thesis and was charged with plagiarizing Tzuc. The student said he’d never heard of the man. That’s when the name change came out. Seems while he was going by Terrazas, he polished the draft thesis papers from several grad students and published them under his own name.” Kuk shook his huge head.

  “I’ve heard of that before,” Jillian agreed. “In academia, at his level, it’s publish or perish, but that certainly doesn’t give him the right to steal the hard work of his students. So did the guy in Monterrey get the charges dropped?”

  Kuk chuckled. “Yeah. After he showed them all his research, they’ve now accused Tzuc of plagiarism. He’s about to get kicked out of Yucatan. I now sit on the department board, and he’s up for contract renewal. Not going to happen.”

  He turned to Jillian. “I’m sorry. We haven’t met. I’m Kuk Chel.”

  “Jillian Girard.” She held out her hand, and it completely disappeared within his.

  “You’re Jimmy’s widow.”

  “Yes.”

  Kuk pulled her into a strong hug. “I loved him like a brother.” He finally released her. “Have you finished your doctorate?”

  “Working on it. Completing my research and putting the last touches on my thesis this week. I’ll defend in the spring.”

  “Excellent.”

  “Hey, Kuk, we have something we want you to translate for us.” Jack gestured to his drink. “Bring that with you.” He looked around. “Where’s Mother?”

  “Over there.” Kuk indicated toward the unlit fireplace. “She’s introducing that cute little blonde on her hip to everyone in the room. I’ve never seen her so proud.”

  “I’ll get Addi and meet you down there.” Jillian headed toward his mother.

  In her room, Jack’s glance automatically went to Jillian’s bed, now neatly made. Serenity soothed his soul as he remembered waking up to Jillian and Addi that morning. He belonged there, with them.

  “That’s for later, cuz.” Kuk nudged him toward the piled books and papers in the sitting area. “So this is what that jackass wants so badly?”

  “Yeah. Gramps’ findings are here”—Jack pointed to one pile—“and Jimmy’s are here.”

  He pointed to a much smaller stack. “Those are Jillian’s.”

  “You know she’s a really good anthropologist. I’ve read her articles, and some of my own research backs up her theories. I just haven’t had time to publish lately with the dancing, teaching, and my own research.”

  “She’d love to hear that,” Jack told his favorite cousin. “She’s worried about her contract for next semester. I don’t think her current university is very supportive.”

  “She should come down here, where we truly appreciate Mayan studies.” Kuk picked up a nautical chart of the Mayan Riviera. “What are all these dots?”

  “Those are sites we dove on with Gramps looking for the goddesses. As you know, he was obsessed with Ix Chel and her daughter, Ix Chebeliax, then to a lesser extent with Ix Hunie and Ix Huneita. He was convinced that the golden idols were hidden during the conquistadors’ raids on Isla Mujeres.” Jack moved a stack of photographs and riffled through the largest pile.

  “Here it is.” He handed a yellowed piece of notebook paper to Kuk.

  After studying it a minute, Kuk asked, “Where is the original?” He pointed to the many tattered journals in the pile. “It came from folk lore. I’ve heard this phrase before, but not exactly like this. Grandmother told us the story a hundred times about the priestesses hiding the statues, but I always figured it was a fairy tale. What they wished had happened.”

  Jack found the original in a book bound with an ancient twine, the pages of hand-made paper browned by time.

  “Got gloves?” Kuk asked as he looked at the dried leather cover.

  “Yeah. Somewhere. Jillian makes—”

  “Jillian makes him wear gloves, and he hates them,” she said as she entered the bedroom. She handed Kuk a pair of surgical gloves to protect the books from the oils and acids in human hands.

  Kuk carefully turned each page and read quickly. “I wanted to get the context of the phrase.” He then translated out loud. “The…Goddess will protect the way…and show the faithful the…Secret place where the Mother and her child have hidden. The others are gone to… it’s the Mayan equivalent of heaven.”

  Kuk stared at the page. “If I hadn’t seen the whole story, and known it from childhood, I would have brushed it off as a story about another woman and her baby running from a bad marriage and abusive husband. But in the context of this story, and the capitalization of Goddess, Secret and Mother, it changes everything.”

  “The Goddess will protect the way,” Kuk repeated. “But there’s this word.” He pointed to the faded, uneven writing then squinted and brought the manuscript nearly to his nose. He lowered the book and stared off into the distance.

  He tilted his head. The streak of white teeth that slowly split his nut-brown face made Jack hopeful.

  “Holy Mother of God. I’ll be damned.” Kuk read the passage again, his lips moving but no sound emerged.

  Impatient, Jack nearly yelled, “What is it?”

  He looked at Jack. “I told you, Holy Mother of God. The Virgin Mary.” He reread the passage a little differently this time. “The new Goddess, they’re talking about the Virgin Mary, will protect the way.” He considered for a moment before adding, “It might be more than one Virgin Mary.”

  Kuk looked at Jillian. “Your hypothesis may be more correct than you ever imagined.” He concentrated on the book again before continuing his translation. “Show the faithful…the secret…no, the clean water? Maybe they’re indicating a cenote or river. Where our Mother and her child have hidden. No, have been hidden, by someone else. The others are lost forever.”

  “So, what does it mean?” Jack’s patience was waning. He looked at Jillian, who was rocking a nearly asleep Addi, but her gaze was totally on Kuk. At some point, she had changed Addi into a sleeveless onesie and applied the magic salve from Ma
teo.

  “Do we need to be quiet?” Jack asked her.

  Jillian shook her head. “She’s had her meds and is down for the count. She’ll sleep better tonight.” She laid Addison in her crib then joined Jack and Kuk at the couch.

  Jack grabbed the map and started looking for cenotes. There were none on Isla Mujeres, but the mainland was riddled with them. “There are so many cenotes around this area, and they all date back hundreds of years, thousands actually.” Jack snatched a highlighter and the stack of photographs slid to the floor.

  Jillian began picking them up and froze.

  “What’s the matter, darling?” Jack asked.

  Jillian didn’t move. Jack wasn’t sure she was even breathing.

  “Jillian, look at me.” He lifted her face with two fingers under her chin. “Are you all right?”

  She seemed to come back to reality and pasted on a smile. Her voice broke as she said, “I’m fine.” She quickly began to pick up the other pictures of underwater sites he’d dived on with his Gramps and Jimmy. A glance at the top one showed him all he needed to know. It was the Virgin Mary at Isla Mujeres. The punch to his gut wasn’t as hard as it had been before but hurt nevertheless.

  “I miss him, too.” Jack kissed Jillian’s temple and took the pictures from her tight grasp. To redirect her attention, he pointed to the manuscripts. “Will you find that other passage that referred to the conquistadores landing for me?”

  An hour later, Kuk stood. “It’s Christmas Eve, and I need to run. I have two more family parties to hit on my way home. I think you should give this a rest, enjoy Christmas, and let’s get together again later in the week.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” Although Jack was eager about the idol quest, he was also excited about the woman who sat next to him on the couch. Her scent was pure torture. Every time her thigh rubbed against his, he wanted to pull her onto his lap and help her slide onto his growing erection. He had to refocus on their task to keep his body under control.

  They stood and walked Kuk to the door.

  “Jillian, if there’s anything I can do to help with your research, let me know. I can open doors for you with a phone call.”

  “Thank you, Kuk. I really appreciate that. The Chel name and relationship really helped me at Tulum.” She held out her hand to shake, and he picked her up in a hug.

  “Jack, give me a few days to mull this over and I might come up with more.” They did that man-hug, back-smack thing and complicated fist bump before he left.

  Jack pulled Jillian into his arms. “Have I told you how much I like your kick-ass professor side?” He kissed her then, not gently but allowing her to feel the need he had for her, for her body, for everything. She pulled back.

  “I thought you were going to punch Dr. Tzuc out there for a minute.” Jillian smiled up at him. “Have I told you how much I like that protective side of you?” She cupped his face in both hands and pulled him in for the kind of kiss he’d prayed for. She held nothing back, pulling her soft body to his even closer, aligning them from nose to toes. She wrapped her tongue around his in a playful dance of lust.

  He massaged her breast through the thin cotton of her dress as he kissed his way down her neck, across her collarbone. With the tip of his tongue, he traced the v that exposed the rounded tops of her breasts.

  “Jack,” she gasped. He loved it when she called out his name.

  He slid both her dress and bra straps off her shoulder in one easy move, freeing her breast from its confines. Damn, she had great breasts. He licked the nipple then blew on it so he could watch it wrinkle and stiffen. He hadn’t gotten a chance to see them last night in the dark boat. Light pink, only slightly darker than her ivory skin, surrounded the rosy, peaked nipple.

  He couldn’t torture himself any longer. He drew it into his mouth and sucked hard. She arched into him, giving him better access. Her breathing was ragged. She ran long fingers through his hair, lightly massaging his scalp, but not allowing him to withdraw. She dug in when he nipped her, not enough to leave a mark, but enough to let him know just how sensitive her breasts were.

  He had to have her. Now. The bed was ten feet away, and he could be deep inside her in less than one minute. But was she ready for him? Did she want him?

  He slid his hand down her back and over that perfect ass, giving it a squeeze. She pressed her whole body into his. If she kept that up, he’d explode on impact sliding into her. He lifted her leg and wrapped it around his hip before he found the bottom of her dress. Sliding his hand up her bare leg, he found that naked ass he wanted to take an entire night to kiss. He was too close to do anything more than follow her crevice and the back of her thong to the source of her heat and pleasure.

  Yes. She was wet. He slid two fingers into her.

  “Jack.” The word was a gasp. Thankfully he had a good hold on her because, perched on only one leg, she all but leaped onto his body.

  “Like that, huh?” He shoved his fingers deeply into her and flicked her swollen clit with his thumb.

  Her cry was too loud for the open doors to the quad, so he captured her mouth with his as her internal muscles clamped around his pumping fingers. When she pulled back, he reminded her, “We have company just the other side of those sheer curtains, so you’re going to have to keep it quiet.”

  Jack looked around the room and was glad they were in the unlit area, no lights behind them to give the partiers around the pool a shadow show.

  He circled his thumb around and over her clit, driving her higher and higher.

  “Please.” The plea in her voice was satisfying beyond belief. “I want you inside me.”

  In the distance, he heard his name. As he worked his fingers, he tuned into the party outside. His mother’s voice was coming closer.

  So was Jillian.

  “Come for me, darling.”

  “With you inside me. With you,” she whispered and kissed him, demonstrating with her tongue what she wanted him to do with his cock.

  “This is all for you, baby. Just let go.” The voices were several feet away, but Jack didn’t want to leave Jillian on the edge. “Now.” His low command was nearly a growl.

  Jillian fell apart in his arms as his fingers were drenched with her release. He kept up the pressure until her shaking ceased. He pulled his fingers out of her faster than he’d wished. Her leg dropped bonelessly to the floor, arms wrapped around his neck, her head resting on his shoulder.

  He heard the tap, tap of his mother’s high-heeled sandals and her chatter, his name mentioned often.

  “Jillian, baby, I need you to come back to me. We’re about to have company.”

  “What?” Clouded jade eyes peeked up at him with that look of satisfied woman on her pale face. He smiled. He wanted her to look at him that way every night. Day too. Afternoons would be just fine, also.

  “Any second now my mother is going to stick her head through that curtain.”

  “Oh my God.” Jillian jerked away from him, looked at her bare breasts, and shoved everything back into place. “How do I look?” She smoothed her hands over her hair.

  “Just fucked.” Jack didn’t bother hiding his you-can-thank-me-later smile. He brought his wet fingers to his nose and inhaled deeply. “I can’t wait to taste you tonight.” He shoved the two he’d had inside her channel into his mouth and sucked off her juices. Spicy. Sweet. Just how he knew she’d be.

  Jillian’s eyes were wide when he finally opened his own. She was so cute when she was flustered. She escaped into the bathroom as the click-clack of heels reached the short step up into her room.

  “Jackie? Jillian?” His mother’s voice was low, being considerate of a sleeping Addi he was sure.

  The lightweight curtains separated, and his mother slid through. “Oh, there you are.” She looked around then toward the bathroom when the toilet flushed. “Did Kuk leave?”

  “Yes, a few minutes ago.”

  “Good. Jackie, I don’t want to put any stress on you, and you can r
efuse if you want, but your sister needs your help.”

  Jack went on instant brother alert. “Is someone hassling her?”

  “Just that ass of an ex-husband of hers.”

  “Did he show up here?” Jack's hands fisted at his sides. He’d love an excuse to beat the shit out of that cheating bastard. Lilly and the boys deserved so much better than him.

  Jillian emerged from the bathroom, cheeks still a little flushed, but perhaps his mother would think it was the sun she’d gotten since arriving in Mexico. He didn’t care as much as he expected Jillian did.

  “No, no.” His mother’s voice was a little loud, and Jillian’s gaze flew to the crib.

  Jack motioned to the quad. To his surprise, Jillian followed them out.

  Lilly walked over before Mother could say anything. “My two-timing ex sent the boys bicycles for Christmas. The son of a bitch had the nerve to call me—tonight, while I was with…talking with Stan. Seems they aren’t assembled.” She placed her hand on Jack’s forearm. “You know Levi is no good at mechanical things and”—her voice broke—“and the bastard has already told the boys to have fun with their bikes. Way to ruin their surprise.”

  “So you need me to put together the bikes.” How hard can that be?

  “I’ll help you. Just let me get out of this dress.” Lilly headed to the pool house.

  “I won’t be of any help to you,” his mother admitted, “so I’m going to supervise the staff in cleaning this place up and shooing the last of the guests out the door. I swear more and more people show up every year.”

  “You throw one hell of a party, Mother. Wait till New Year’s Eve.” Jack cringed at the thought of the hundreds who invaded that night. Then he considered who he’d be kissing at midnight and smiled at the woman beside him.

  “I’ll help, too.” Jillian’s offer was sweet. So was she.

  Jack ran his fingers through her hair, tucking it behind her ear. “You don’t need to, babe. Get some sleep.” He leaned in to kiss her, but her gaze flicked to his mother, who stood there staring at them.