“Oh, God. He loves me. And I love him, yet I never told him out of fear of rejection. He doesn’t even know it.” She rubbed her stomach to still the butterflies. Giddy, she giggled, sure that if Neoma heard her, she’d have her thrown into a straightjacket. “He loves me, Luke! He loves me!”
Luke sighed. “Yes, that’s what we’ve been trying to prove to you all along…with a little help from some healthy bouts of sex, of course.”
“Of course.” Jewel couldn’t help but smile.
A thought suddenly occurred to her. She stood up slowly. “I have to tell him everything, don’t I?”
“Hot damn, Xanthus, I think she’s got it!”
Unable to help herself, she chuckled softly. “Luke?”
“Yes?”
“Why didn’t you just tell me all this from the start, instead of putting me on that island with him? It would have saved a lot of time and grief.”
He let out a sarcastic cluck of the tongue. “Picture this… Bottle suddenly appears out of the dawn.” He waved his hands dramatically. “Hot, handsome genie materializes before Jewel’s very eyes. She’s utterly disbelieving and assumes she’s hallucinating. Studly genie says, ‘Oh, by the way, Vince Santiago has always loved you. Go ahead, pack up and head on out to Denver for a happily-ever-after. Bye, now!’ Now tell me truthfully, would you have gone to Denver? Really?”
Jewel blinked. “Well, of course not.”
He began to float, his body now reclining. “If I’d have suggested a getaway on a hedonistic island, and presented you with airline tickets and an itinerary, would the almost-nun, prim and prideful Jewel Dublin, have gone?”
“No, but—”
“And if I’d have told the then haughty, very bitter Jewel Dublin, that the man she loved and yet hated with her entire soul would be there as her only companion for a full two to three days, would she have gone?”
“Okay. You make some good points.” She blew out a breath of resignation. “I would have told you to go to hell and get out of my dream.”
“Bingo! So you had to be ‘abducted’, as you once called it, and made to see the error of your stubborn ways. But Vince had his issues, too, so don’t feel alone in this, hon.”
She snorted. “Thanks for the reminder.”
“Well,” he said, sitting up to brush his palms together in a task-complete gesture. “That just about does it. Except for one thing.”
“Yes?”
“Let’s get you out of that dreary gown and into something hot.”
Chapter Ten
Jewel nodded her agreement. “Hurry. Please hurry.”
“Jewel, sweetheart, you can just bet I will. Whether you know it or not, the clock’s been ticking for us all.”
With a wave of his hand and a simple chant, the task was complete. She looked down to find herself clad in a very revealing, very short and sexy, see-through black negligee. Already, her pussy was getting wet just thinking about Vince seeing her this way. She turned this way and that, sticking out one foot to examine the shoes. High, spiky, red stiletto heels decorated her feet, making her heart pound with anticipation. She angled toward the dresser mirror and studied the effect Luke had conjured up. Her hair had been swept up into a clip, and seductive, golden wisps and curls framed her face, now highlighted with red lipstick and just a touch of eye makeup. “Wow. He’s gonna flip.”
“That’s the idea, hon.” Luke grinned wolfishly, clearly enjoying this matchmaking game he played.
“I have to go to him. As soon as possible.” She crossed the room and took Luke’s hand. It felt large and warm and friendly in hers. “Can you help me? Can you…you know, do some more abracadabra or something, and send me to him? Like right now?”
“You bet. Now that you’ve both admitted your love for each other, I can do all the magic I want.” He lifted her hand and gave the back of it a loud, smacking kiss. “Where do you want to go? To his place? To Carnal Island? Anywhere you want to go, hon.”
She inhaled swiftly and her heart fluttered at the thought of seeing Vince again so soon. “Can we?”
“Can you what?”
“Go back to Carnal Island?” The thought of spending time with him there to hash everything out, to make up for all those lost years, made her system thrum with eagerness. Already, she could feel her clit throbbing beneath the hem of the negligee.
“Honey, you’ve helped my soul mate to earn one of two needed wings, so to speak. So yes. If Carnal Island is your desire, consider it done. We’d be honored to have you both as guests once again at our exciting, catered, all-inclusive resort.”
“All-inclusive?”
“All-inclusive.”
“But…but we didn’t see any resort on Carnal Island. It was deserted, completely abandoned.”
“Really?” Suddenly evasive, he turned his back on her, floated to the window and parted the curtain.
“Really. Um, Luke?”
“Hmm?” He didn’t turn, only looked down upon the courtyard of the convent.
“So all that time we struggled to survive, there was really a civilized resort nearby?”
He spun and presented her with his most charming, devastating smile. “Well, of course. Carnal Island is and can be all things to all people in need. Depending on what their particular situation is in need of, of course.”
“Of course.” She couldn’t suppress the grin that spread across her face, but still tapped her foot and folded her arms, snaring him with a scolding look. Nonetheless, joy filled her heart. Looking back, there would have been no way two people would have been able to fill such a deep rift while being wined and dined on pâté and caviar. Not if those two people were as stubborn and prideful as she and Vince were.
Luke glanced away guiltily. “So, do you want to go or not?”
She flew across the room, her stilettos clomping on the wood floor, and threw her arms around him. “Thank you, Luke. Thank you and Jennie, both.” She cupped his face in her hands and planted a loud, smacking kiss on his stunned lips. “Now, let’s get the hell out of here before the nuns come and throw me into a paddy wagon.”
* * * * *
Vince tried his best to relax in the lounge chair, waiting, hoping to see her again. He still couldn’t believe all this civilized pampering had been just out of reach those two days or so that he and Jewel had struggled to survive. Perplexed, he shook his head, certain he’d covered the island from shore to shore.
He scanned the palm tree-dotted area below the balcony where couples engaged in various carnal activities around a huge swimming pool and waterfall. A tiki bar set on the edge of the shallow end was lined with underwater barstools. Naked men and women sat on them engaging in lazy sexual play as they sipped piña coladas and strawberry margaritas. Nude volleyball and miniature golf were in full swing. The sound of flirty giggles, both distant and near carried on the sultry air. Inhaling hungrily, Vince could smell pineapple and glazed ham roasting on the beach below where The Catch restaurant prepared for a luau. The sun blazed overhead, soaking already-bronzed skin with hot rays. Off in the distance, white-tipped waves rolled in from the Gulf, the rush of their eager flight crashing ashore. Sea gulls swooped over a school of groupers, squawking in frustration when they snagged a kill, only to have the fish slip from their beaks and flop back into the water.
He tipped his beer and swallowed a long draught. It slid down his throat icy-cold and fizzy. Vince plucked up a lemon slice from the snack tray room service had placed on the patio table, and chased his beer with a suck of the tart pulp. On a whim, he riffled through the lime slices and popped a fat one into his beer. And with a sigh, he closed his eyes, laced the bottle in his hands over his belly and tried to relax.
“Hello, Vince.”
His eyelids popped open. The sound of her voice filled his ears, sweet and seductive. He sat upright and swiveled his head toward the sound, unsure if he’d imagined it.
And there she stood in the opening of the sliding glass door to his suite.
Curtains fluttered around her in the tropical breeze, and her alluring scent floated across the space, instantly putting his dick on alert inside his cut-off jean shorts. The upswept style of her hair made him long to run his fingers through it and release the glossy tresses so they bounced around her bare shoulders. Her eyes had been accented with a faint touch of makeup, just enough to make a man long to drown in those glittering gems. His gaze fell to the mouth, painted in kissable cherry-red and curved in a soft but seductive smile. His heart skipped a beat when his shocked brain finally registered what she wore. The black, sheer, lacy little number emphasized every curve and every plane of her voluptuous body. He noted how her faintly bronzed skin glittered in the sunlight, emphasizing the deep cavern of her cleavage where the old crone’s silver necklace still nestled. Zippers and buttons had been sewn into strategic spots that made his fingers curl with need to undo them all. He slid a look down over the vee where he could see the outline of moist lips. His pulse galloped through his system, stirring up heat and making his cock tingle with the rise of an inevitable erection. With rigid control, he imagined yanking aside that silky strip and sinking himself into her dampness, feeling her tight muscles clamp around him.
Or better yet, he thought, licking his lips, he’d like to lap up every drop of that delicious cream of hers and then bury his shaft into her. Unable to remove his gaze from her, still visually hungry, he shifted his perusal lower. The long length of toned legs poured into red, high-heeled shoes the exact shade as her lipstick. He’d never seen her in fuck-me heels like this before. In fact, he’d never seen her in a negligee like this before. The novelty of it assaulted his libido with deadly accuracy.
Unable to help himself, he let out a long, low whistle. “Holy shit.”
“Is that all you have to say? ‘Holy shit’?” She slinked forward, her breasts jiggling enticingly. “Not very romantic, Vincent Santiago.”
“Jewel…I—oh God, you’re here. You came back to me.”
She nodded and stopped in front of him, the heels bringing her almost eyelevel with him. The tempting fragrance of floral perfume and pussy filled his lungs. “We have a lot to discuss.”
His palms itched to feel her satiny flesh. He set them on her shoulders and slid his hands downward, soaking in the softness of her flesh. Twining his hands with hers, he replied, “I’m so sorry for being so stubborn, and for hurting you that way. I…I guess I was scared when you demanded to know if I had intentions of marrying you. But, Jewel,” he said, squeezing her hands, “it didn’t mean I didn’t want you. It didn’t mean I didn’t love you. Marriage would have come in its own time.”
She smiled softly and planted a butterfly kiss on his mouth. The flavor of love and forgiveness burst in his mouth. “I know that now, Vince. And I’m sorry I forced myself on you like that and then walked out. I felt like you’d totally rejected me. I thought you didn’t want me and our—” She halted her words abruptly, her lids squeezing shut.
“What, sweetheart? Our what?” He tipped her chin up so that she was forced to open her eyes and look into his.
Tears glittered over emerald pools. He watched as the sun glinted off each droplet. They spilled over, soft and pure, and rolled down her cheeks. “Our baby,” she whispered.
Our baby?
Stunned, her words slammed into him with unexpected force. He swallowed a lump that threatened to choke him to death. Shaking his head frantically, he tried desperately to clear every sound from his ears but that of her words. “Did you say our…baby?”
“Yes.”
“I have a baby?”
“No.”
“What? Wait. You’re not making any sense.” He collapsed onto the lounge chair, his elbows resting on his knees as he looked up into her beautiful, tormented face. “I…I don’t understand.”
She squatted down and her slightly spread legs afforded him a perfect view of her vee. But he couldn’t concentrate on that right now, no matter how alluring the sight. He lifted his gaze to hers. She planted a hand on his cheek, cool and gentle. Her eyes bored into his, begging for understanding.
“I’d just found out I was pregnant. It was why I came to you that night with this sudden need to know your intentions. The last thing I wanted was for you to marry me just because I was pregnant. I needed to know if you really loved me, if you really had plans, even if very long-term, to spend the rest of your life with me. I couldn’t tell you, at least not at the moment, until I knew for sure, because I didn’t want to be a charity case for you. I wanted to be wanted first, loved first. It had to be that way for me before I told you about the baby. A child needs, in my opinion, a strong foundation of parents that truly love each other first. Do you understand?”
He couldn’t stop shaking his head. His stomach fluttered with the reality of what had truly happened. Flashes of what she’d said, how irrational and frantic she’d acted, moved through his memory. It all started to come together, to become crystal-clear. Except for one thing.
“You said you were pregnant, but that I don’t have a baby. Jewel, please tell me you didn’t…”
Sobs tore from her. She laid her head in his lap and collapsed to her knees. “No, I didn’t. I could never give up your child for any reason in any way. The wreck. I told you about the wreck. I lost the baby, Vince. I miscarried our child that very night because of the accident, and I woke up from that coma devastated that I’d lost you both.”
Dazed, he could swear his heart stopped. The thought of her going through all that emotional and physical pain all alone without him, crushed him completely. Guilt reached out to slap him across the face and punch him in the gut.
He gathered her close, clutching her to him. “I’m so sorry, Jewel. God, I’m so sorry!” Tears stung his eyes and he shut them tight, allowing the wetness to cleanse his cheeks and his heart.
Her arms wound around him, squeezing with sincere forgiveness and comfort. “No, Vince, we’re both to blame.” She reared back and clamped his head in her hands, forcing him to look into her soul. And he thought she’d never looked stronger and more beautiful in all the years he’d known her.
“You see, for me,” she went on, “hurt and pain turned to anger, which further complicated it. After I’d gone through all the surgeries and lost all that weight due to having to have my jaw wired shut, I sought you out one night. You were in a bar having the time of your life. Women were draped all over you. I hated you at that moment. I wondered how I could love a man so much who didn’t love me back. And so I left without even bothering to confront you or explain what I’d been through.”
“And because of Celeste, you thought I’d dumped you completely.”
She nodded eagerly, and he could see in her eyes how the therapy of finally talking about it gave her relief and hope. “Yes. So I found a teaching job in the convent in Vermont and vowed to become a nun so I could cleanse you from my system. Silly, I know, but I needed desperately to forget all that I had had, and that had been taken away from me in such a short time. I couldn’t go on without you. It seemed my only way, at the time, of getting through life without cracking up.”
“Oh, baby,” he breathed, kissing her forehead, her wet cheeks, her mouth. “It kills me to think you went through all that pain and suffering without me. I want to make it up to you. Will you let me?”
She beamed through her tears, and her answer came out on a choked cry. “I’m counting on it, Santiago.”
He dragged her up and turned her so that she sat on the lounge chair next to him. Rising, he dropped to one knee. “I’m supposed to be the one down on my knees,” he grinned ruefully.
Her mouth fell open. She stared at him through eyes that sparkled with stunned faith. “What…what are you doing?”
He closed his eyes and breathed in her sultry scent. God, how he wanted that smell around him forever! “I’m proposing to you.”
She slapped a hand over that blood-red mouth. “Are you serious?”
His grin faded. He reached into his pocket and drew out a black velvet box laden with a silver lock. “The key, Jewel. I need your key.”
Confused, she stared into his eyes. Following his gaze downward, she looked at the chain that still hung around her neck. “This?”
He nodded. “It’s the key to your heart. Inside, is the key to mine, just like the old witch said on the beach that day.”
Understanding dawned on her gorgeous face. She lifted the chain over her head, her expression dazed when the encrusted ruby on its surface glowed in her hand.
Vince turned the box’s lock toward her. “Unlock my heart, Jewel. Forever.”
Without hesitation, she inserted the silver key into the lock. She gasped in delight when the lid popped open. The sun glinted down on a two-carat, platinum-gold diamond ring nestled in white satin.
“It’s the band the old crone slipped on your finger that day!” she rasped, fighting tears of joy.
Yes, he thought, one and the same ring. Only now, the symbol of love and the promise of forever nestled within prongs that stood proud and strong. The diamond she would wear for the rest of their lives winked at him, taking his breath away.
“Jewel Dublin, will you marry me?”
She threw her arms around him and shrieked, “Yes. Oh my God, yes, Vinnie!”
A breeze blew in cool and strong. It carried with it the scent of tropical blooms just perfect for a wedding. Vince knew Jennie and Luke looked on, and somehow, it pleased him that his old college buddy turned genie, and his gorgeous genie wife, had shared this tender moment with them.
He slipped the ring on her finger and watched, his heart pumping sure and sturdy, as she turned her hand this way and that, taking in every cut and angle of the diamond.
“Happy?”
She glanced up, her eyes snaring him with an overflow of emotions. “Ecstatic. Vince,” she sighed, sliding her arms around his neck. “I love you. I’ve always loved you. And I’m so glad I woke up one morning to find a strange bottle on my dresser at the convent.”
Me Tarzan, You Jewel Page 18