He let out a frustrated sigh, but capitulated. “I’d always been interested in maritime archaeology. When Rick offered me a job while I was in high school, I jumped at the chance. They weren’t doing much treasure hunting at the time, but it was exactly what I needed to get my feet wet. Pun not intended.”
A soft laugh escaped her, anyway. “Go on.”
“Rick indulged us kids by letting us look for the Mariposa between construction jobs and during college breaks. After I graduated from college, I went back to work at Holden’s Marine Construction & Salvage. I knew we were getting close to finding the Mariposa. Justin, Emily’s brother, had a contact in Los Angeles who came down to film in case we actually found something. We did. Treasure Hunters was born. Now I split my time between salvage and construction jobs while continuing my research on shipwrecks.”
Her eyes narrowed. “So you’re the treasure hunter of Treasure Hunters. It’s your show.”
He shook his head. “No, it’s about the Holden family business. I find the shipwrecks, but we salvage other valuable things too. Items I don’t find.”
“How can you possibly be sure if you’ve only seen one episode?”
“My manager would have told me.” His hands slid up and down her arms. “We should talk about boundaries.”
“Boundaries?”
“Kissing boundaries.”
“Kissing…?” She stared at him for a second. “How did we go from talking about your occupation to talking about kissing?”
“I’m still committed to the innocent romance you wanted when we first got together on the Intrepid.”
“Good. So am I.” She couldn’t help adding, “You really don’t like talking about being a TV star, do you?”
“Not particularly.”
Her hands slid onto his shoulders. “I do apologize. Please continue. Kissing boundaries?”
His arm encircled her waist. “I don’t think we should kiss at our villas.”
“Ok. Then where?”
“Places like this where it’s secluded but still public. It’s harder to get carried away when there’s a chance someone could walk up at any second.”
She glanced around at the empty beach. “But, what if someone sees us?”
“We won’t be doing anything we need a ton of privacy for. Besides, we’ll make sure to stay aware of our surroundings. What do you think?”
She had to admit the idea had some merit. The Pure Love conference would be here before she knew it, and she wanted to be able to speak there with a pure conscience. Still, conference or not, it was a good idea to have some boundaries in place. To say things had gotten heated in the kitchen this morning might be something of an understatement—flames notwithstanding.
Obviously, they’d need to revise their agreement once they got back to the states. The paparazzi would have a field day with them if they didn’t. For now, with it being just the two of them on a vacation together, the greatest risk was too much privacy rather than not enough.
“I think it’s a good idea.” She offered an innocent smile. “So… places like this, huh?”
Chapter Twenty-One
Ian could hear the real world breathing down his neck, and it sounded a lot like Miriam Rodrigues. Or, rather, Ava’s voice relaying Miriam’s orders. With his villa’s phone tucked against her ear, his girlfriend nodded at something the woman said. “I know. Yes, I promise. I’m watching him turn on his laptop right now.”
Ava sent him a prodding look. He grimaced, but pressed the computer’s start button. Her lips tilted into an amused little smile.
Man, she looked beautiful today. Her dark hair was piled up on her head. The scarlet strap of her swimsuit peeked out from beneath a close-cut navy cover-up. Her turquoise eyes sparkled. He loved seeing her like this. Casual, unaffected, and unafraid.
Her eyes softened. She took a step toward him, then stopped herself. Her smile turned rueful before she slowly turned away and went into the kitchen. He forced his attention back to the computer.
They’d done well at sticking to the boundaries they’d laid out during the picnic—even when they hadn’t always wanted to. Of course, it had only been thirty-some hours since then. Most of it had been spent away from their villas as they made use of the motorboat he’d rented.
He’d surprised her with a trip to the Whim Plantation Museum in St. Croix today. She’d absolutely loved it from the moment she’d caught sight of the pristinely preserved eighteenth century Dutch architecture. The museum was made up of a whole complex of historic buildings and structures—real ones. No trailer parks, tiny houses, or facades.
A tour guide had led them through the great house, cookhouse, slave quarters, and caretaker’s cottage before they’d wandered out to the well-kept sugar mill and factory ruins. Ava had taken note of several books in the research center that she hoped to read later. They’d lingered in the gift shop until the taxi returned to pick them up.
Finally, they’d cooled off by swimming at Mermaid’s Cove near St. John before heading to his place. He’d changed into a dress shirt and slacks for their date tonight. They’d been headed out the door when the phone rang.
His computer demanded his focus with a loud welcoming crescendo. He turned the volume down and put in his password. A few moments later, he opened his email account and found Miriam’s message. “I’ve got it.”
Ava appeared in the doorway of the kitchen with a glass of the kiwi-lemonade spritzer they’d picked up on the way home from the marina. “He’s reading your email as we speak. Yes, I’m sure he will. No problem. Thanks! You have a good evening too.”
“Bye, Miriam,” Ian called as he looked over the email.
“She said, ‘bye back.’” Ava ended the call and joined him on the comfortable light blue sofa. She took a sip of her drink. “What’s so all-fired important about this email again?”
“It details my travel arrangements and press tour assignments, but I think what they’re really worried about is the crazy long non-disclosure agreement they attached. It would be easier to look over if I could print it out.”
“There’s a printer at my place. It’s in the little office nook they tucked away in the spare bedroom. We could head over there. I could get changed for dinner while you get all of this squared away.”
He closed his computer. “Sounds like a plan.”
Ten minutes later, Ian had printed out the agreement at her villa and was searching for a stapler when Ava joined him in the guest room. “Did the printer work out ok for you?”
“Yep, just trying to find something to keep the papers together.”
“I think I saw some paper clips.” She leaned around him, reaching into the mouth of a small decorative whale to pull out a large paper clip. “That ought to do it, right?”
“Yep. Thanks.” He clipped the papers, then turned to face her. She’d changed into a Grecian-looking little black dress with flowy fabric that clung to her waist and flared out at her hips. He forced his gaze upward past her pink lips to meet her eyes.
She sent him a warning look even as she stepped closer and softly asked, “Why do you keep looking at me like that… in our villas…. where I can’t do anything about it?”
“You’re gorgeous.”
Surprise filled her eyes. She smiled while a flush enhanced her cheeks. “Thank you.”
It was almost as if he’d never said it before. Surely, he had. He must have. Yet, for the life of him, he could remember paying her a single compliment before. She was the most beautiful woman in the world to him, and he hadn’t managed to mention it before now. What was wrong with him?
He captured her chin in his hand and lazily let his gaze trace her features before meeting hers again. “You are breathtaking. No matter what you wear, I can’t keep my eyes off you. Today, I just have it particularly bad. Are you ready to leave?”
“Um, yes.”
Releasing her, he glanced at her shoulder. “No purse?”
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“I have pockets.” She slid her hands into her the slots at the front of her dress to demonstrate.
“Keys?”
She pulled them from her pocket. Taking them, he placed a hand on the small of her back to guide her toward the door. A moment later, he locked the door behind them. He set the keys back in her palm and closed her fingers over it, making sure they went back into her pocket. His other hand slid around her waist.
No other inducement was necessary.
She swayed toward him as he leaned down. They met with a gentle kiss. He lifted his head. The dark fan of her lashes slowly rose to reveal turquoise eyes full of trust and adoration. How in the world could he ever deserve her?
She was incredible. More than he could have asked for or dreamed of in a woman. He shook his head. His next words came out as naturally as his next breath. “I’m falling in love with you, Ava Emerson.”
“Oh,” she said breathlessly. “Ian.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck as she pressed her lips against his jaw, then hugging him. “I’m falling in love with you too.”
Something within him froze at the exchange even as he hugged her back. He hadn’t meant to say those words, especially not without any forethought or planning. He hadn’t even acknowledged them to himself yet, but he had said them, and they were true.
He held her tight, then dipped her back just enough to kiss her once more. “Come on, we should go before we miss our reservation.”
He took her hand and led her to the car where he opened the door for her. Driving to the restaurant, his right hand kept straying to hers or resting on her knee. Apparently, he could either keep his eyes off her or he could keep his hands off her, but he couldn’t do both at once. Or, stop wanting to kiss her or talk to her or hear her voice.
He was definitely falling in love with her. He’d told her so, and he’d meant it. No lies or half-truths necessary. She returned his feelings. He should be ecstatic and hopeful. Why, then, did he feel so lost, so out-of-sorts, so guilty?
As he took her hand and escorted her toward the restaurant, he tried to will those feelings away. Yet they only seemed to increase when the maître d’ led them to a secluded little table. The wall of windows nearby overlooked the lush tropical forest outside. The table settings were stately gold and green rimmed plates upon a pristine white table cloth. Soft music filled the room with the strains of… Was that a tango? Really?
His heart sent an unspoken prayer heavenward even though he wasn’t entirely sure what he was asking for. The waitress arrived to provide them with menus and a golden basket full of bread. She returned with their drink orders before discretely disappearing to give them more time to deliberate on their options.
Ian unbuttoned the collar of his shirt, grateful he’d forgone a tie. Fine dining wasn’t really his speed, which is why he’d reserved the indulgence for the few women over the years who’d officially made it to the role of his girlfriend. All except for Emily.
He’d never even offered to take her some place nice like this. With all her health challenges she’d had when they were together, he’d assumed she wouldn’t have been up for such an excursion. At least, that’s what he’d told himself at the time. Perhaps he simply hadn’t been willing to officially consider her his girlfriend in his own mind.
Either way, it was kind of lousy that he hadn’t even asked her. She may have enjoyed it—especially toward the end of their relationship when she’d been feeling better. He should have planned it for her birthday. Of course, even if he had, their breakup would have ensured they never made it to the restaurant, anyway.
Ava’s voice pulled him back to the present. “Do you ever feel like all we do is eat?”
He glanced up from the menu he’d been unseeingly perusing to meet her dancing eyes. Realizing he’d been way too quiet and all but ignoring his date, he lowered the menu to the table and laughed. “Well, we’re very active people. We need fuel.”
“Good answer.” She smiled. “Have you decided what you want?”
“I—I’m not sure yet. What about you?”
“I’m trying to decide between two options.”
Unable to hold her gaze, he glanced down at the menu. “Which two?”
Both options she’d mentioned sounded good to Ian, so they each ordered one and shared them. Ava declared both dishes delicious, and as the meal progressed, Ian felt himself relaxing into the familiar companionability between them. She was someone he could talk with about anything and everything. Even if they’d never gotten together in a romantic way…
He held back a laugh. No, he couldn’t imagine being “just friends” with Ava now that they were more than that. He wasn’t even sure how he’d managed it as long as he had.
They ordered a molten chocolate lava and ice cream cake, then laughingly battled over it when arrived in a much smaller portion than they’d anticipated. Finally, a golden billfold slid onto the table. He glanced up to see the waitress returning the receipt and his credit card. She smiled at them. “Thank you, guys, for visiting us today. We’ve enjoyed having you and hope to see you again soon.”
Ava smiled up at the college-aged blonde. “Thank you, Lauren. You have a wonderful evening.”
The girl hesitated, then gushed, “You two are totally relationship goals.”
Surprise lit Ava face. “Oh, thank you! That’s so sweet.”
Ian chuckled, but shook his head in confusion. “Relationship goals?”
“You know,” Lauren said, stepping slightly closer to the table. “Hashtag relationship goals. The epitome of what everyone wants. Seriously, the way you two look at each other and treat each other and laugh together… That’s what I want one day. Get it? Relationship goals.”
“I get it.” He glanced at Ava to find her watching him with a warm smile. Reaching across the table, he squeezed her hand, then glanced up at Lauren. “My girlfriend is right. It’s very kind of you to say so.”
“Just being honest.” She shrugged. “Are you two looking for something else to do tonight?”
After the full day they’d had, Ian had assumed they’d go back to Ava’s villas and watch a movie until she fell asleep as usual. However, Ava leaned forward with interest, “Is there something you’d suggest?”
“Sure is. There’s a great band from Puerto Rico playing tonight at Calypso Hideaway. I’d go if I could, but my shift doesn’t end for another two hours. I wouldn’t recommend it if I didn’t know it was going to be good though.”
Ava’s gaze met his, and he could tell she was intrigued. Removing his credit card from the billfold, he shrugged. “We could check it out. Calypso Hideaway, you said?”
“Yep. It’s on the beach.” She gave them a few easy directions, then grinned. “Well, I’ve done my part—shipping it.”
Taking the billfold, Lauren winked at them and left. Ava shook her head. “She lost me on the last one. ‘Shipping it?’”
“Roughly translated, it means she’s rooting for our relationship. She wants us to be together. That kind of thing.”
“Oh.” Curiosity filled her gaze. “How did you know that?”
“It’s TV fan lingo.” Fans had been shipping him with Emily since Treasure Hunters first started. He’d laughed off their enthusiasm. Little had he known the fans were picking up on emotions he hadn’t even realized were there—not until it was too late to stop a tragedy from happening.
“Interesting.” Ava peered after the waitress. “Maybe Lauren is a fan of yours.”
“Surely, she would have mentioned it, asked for an autograph or something.” Even so, he couldn’t help feeling a little antsy. As much as he appreciated his fans, he wasn’t in the mood to play celebrity tonight. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”
R
The bright notes of a flute playfully drifted on the Caribbean breeze as Ava led the way down the plank pathway toward the beach. Palm trees hid their destination from view. However, the lively
atmosphere filtered through the trees along with the warm tones of a trumpet and the hollow click of claves. The palm trees thinned out to reveal a view of the entire club.
Stringed lights and glowing lanterns crisscrossed above an expansive white dance floor where a troupe of dancer performed. The band moved with the rhythm of the music on a small, raised stage that sat at one corner of the dance floor. Meanwhile, candlelight flickered on the low, square tables that extended diagonally from the stage area, lining two sides of the dance floor.
A bar and an open kitchen area stood opposite the stage, leaving a large area for people to mill about. Most hovered near the dance floor watching the dancers who performed a traditional salsa in colorful outfits that looked straight out of the early 1960s. Fascinated by their intricate patterns and turns, Ava picked up her pace, grateful she’d exchanged her heels for sandals in the Jeep when the plank path turned to packed sand.
She stopped abruptly. Ian’s hand was no longer on her back or waist or shoulder. Nor was her hand in his.
She spun to look for him just as he took a large step to catch up with her. They collided. His arms encircled her waist. She latched onto his shoulders. He steadied them both. “Sorry.”
Releasing a soft laugh, she let her hands slide down to rest on his forearms. “I thought I’d lost you.”
“No.” His gaze darted over her head toward the dance floor. “Just taking it all in.”
That distant, slightly troubled look had become increasingly familiar to her this evening. She softly asked, “Ian, what’s wrong?”
He refocused on her. “Nothing.”
“You aren’t regretting what you told me earlier?” At his confusion, she clarified, “About falling in love with me?”
“What? No. Why would I? It’s the… It’s the truth.”
She eyed him thoughtfully. The truth? Unlike the last time he’d told a woman he loved her and it hadn’t been true? Is that where his mind had been wandering tonight? To Emily?
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