“So do I. Get away from the winter weather. Why not?”
Taylor glanced out the window. The sky was clear, but the wind had left branches from the trees across their dirt road, and the grounds were a mess. The predicted storm was churning in the Atlantic, so Taylor saw no sense in rushing to clean it up.
“Miguel’s out working already,” Anna said. “Got Raul with him.”
“I know. I had thought we could wait until the storm blows through, but Miguel can’t sit still,” Taylor said with a sigh. “Mind if I run off and give them a hand? He’s got the boy doing some heavy lifting.”
“Sure. But don’t be doing too much either. We can hire a crew for this.”
“Mom. Best if we conserve our money for now. If this hurricane comes we might need it for repairs later.” The light blue sky gave no hint of a storm, though the winds were strong.
“Oh, dear. Do you think it might hit us after all?”
“According to the Weather Channel, we are in the warning cone.” You’d think they’d be able to pinpoint hurricane landings with all of the scientific gear, but Mother Nature had a mind of her own.
“What shall we do?” Anna looked around the office. “I suppose we should leave. Go to Miami. Brittany can put us up for a few days. Or Kayla might put us all up, if they are staying.” Kayla’s home was only twenty miles north of them, on the Intracoastal side, not the ocean.
“If it looks ominous tomorrow morning, we’ll decide then.” Taylor spoke firmly. “But I might stick around here and take care of things.”
“No!” Anna took her glasses off and stared at Taylor. “That’s not a good idea.”
“Somebody should and I don’t mind. Colt’s staying too.”
“Colt. That’s a relief. He’ll be better company than me at any rate.”
Taylor laughed, more afraid of leaving her café and resort open to looters than she was afraid of the storm. “Well, I will feel safer having him around if things get a little crazy around here.”
“If it comes to that Taylor, you both should leave too.”
“We will see what happens.” Her mind was already made up, but she didn’t want to add to her mother’s worries. “The couples have decided to stay today, and will make a decision whether to go in the morning. Colt’s taking them snorkeling later, with a picnic lunch. Let’s hope the weather holds up. At least let them have this one perfect day.”
“Yes. Let’s pray the storm stays away. We have enough going on with Kayla’s wedding in three weeks. Last thing we need is a mess on our hands.” Anna paced before the desk.
“Look, I need to go, but FPL thinks the power should kick back on in a couple of hours.” She grabbed a white cap and put it on. “Meanwhile, try not to bake.”
“If I do, I’ll head over to the cafe.” Anna wiped her brow. “At least you have that generator over there.”
“Couldn’t do without it. Suppose we should think about installing one here as well. But right now that’s another expense we don’t need.”
“We’ll get by. Maybe next spring.”
“Later, Mom.” She left the screen door open to allow the breeze to blow through. It was the best they could do in the ninety degree heat.
She found Raul and Miguel hauling tree limbs and stray branches into a pile that Miguel would dispose of later. “Hey, Raul. Could you run down and see Anna? She needs you for something.” She winked at him and he took off before his father could stop him. “Any damage to the cabins?” she asked, dragging a limb over to the pile.
“Couldn’t see anything, but we might want to rethink that thatched roof at the back of the cafe. It’s pretty and I know you wanted it, but it won’t stand up in a big storm.”
She grabbed another branch the size of an eight-foot piling and dragged it along the dirt. “Mom mentioned that too. She suggested a wooden A-frame with open windows so the storm could blow through.”
Miguel nodded, his forehead shiny with perspiration. “We’ll talk about it after. Once this storm passes.”
“You think it will pass?” she asked, wiping her dirty hands on her khaki shorts.
“No way to tell.” He shook his head at her. “You don’t need to do any hard labor, Miss Taylor. My boy and I can do this.” He wiped the sweat off his brow with a hankie, and then stuffed it back into his jeans pocket.
“Since when do the women not work around here? And stop with the “Miss” would you? We’re not running a southern plantation. It’s a guest resort, last I heard.”
He grinned. “No, you heard right. But I want to teach my boy some manners, and if he calls you that, well, I should too.”
She picked up a branch from one of the palms and lightly swatted him with it. “You want to fight me over it?”
His brown eyes grew big and he looked worried until he realized that she was teasing. Then he started to laugh, deep belly laughs, and had to sit down to catch his breath. Raul came running up with two bottles of water. “What’s the matter? You okay, Dad?”
“Yes. But I’ll take one of those waters you’re carrying.”
He twisted the lid and drank almost half before he stopped. “Guess I was thirstier than I thought.” He wiped his mouth. “Looks like we’ve got ourselves another pair of hands. Taylor, Miss Taylor to you, wants to get hers dirty.”
She patted Miguel’s shoulder, then offered a hand to help him to his feet. “Much better. Raul, drink some water and then let’s get back to work. Are we going to light this baby up, Miguel?”
“No. Not with this heat and wind. Might not be able to contain a small fire. Don’t worry, by tomorrow you won’t even know it was here.”
“What are you? A magician now?” She bent over to grab another branch, and had to tug and tug.
“Nope. Just know a thing or two. Saw a lot of storms in my lifetime.”
Dropping the stubborn branch she bent over in an effort to snap it in two. “Whoa, let me help with that.” Before she could straighten up, a pair of hands were on her hips. Her head snapped around.
“Colt. Jamie. What are you two doing here?” She turned around to face him. “Thought you were taking our guests out?”
“I am, but Jamie and I decided to come a little early and see how much damage there was.”
“We still don’t have power, but otherwise no major problems. The generator is saving the food in the kitchen, which just leaves this mess to clean up.”
“I see that.” He stomped on the branch and it broke in two. “We’re here to help.”
“No need to do that. Taking our guests out snorkeling will give us a chance to get things cleared.” She bent over to pick up the two pieces, and could feel his eyes on her backside.
“And miss this splendid sight?” Colt said in a low voice. “No thank you.”
Her pulse sped up. “And what sight would that be?”
He stepped closer. “You have a very fine ass. First class.” The words were a mere whisper but the thrill of them turned her skin a bright pink.
“Being an expert, you should know.”
He chuckled and stepped away. “You’ve been busy this morning,” he said to Miguel. “Got most of the road cleared.”
“Probably before you had breakfast,” Miguel muttered under his breath.
Taylor snickered and looked at Colt’s face. Miguel was protective of her and her family. Unlike Juanita, Miguel was suspicious of Colt, not trusting the younger man’s intentions.
Meanwhile, Raul was showing off to Jamie, dragging the biggest branches he could find. Jamie flexed his own muscles, darting glances at her to see if she was watching.
Taylor did her best to ignore all the testosterone floating around and returned to the job at hand. An hour later they had the road leading to the occupied cottages cleaned up, and the others could wait. Colt helped load the piles into a large sized wheelbarrow, and Miguel took it to the far edge of the property to remove it from sight. By eleven a.m. the resort looked halfway presentable, and the power was restored.
Colt and Jamie washed up inside the cafe, while she put together a picnic lunch. He sidled up beside her, pretending to look in the basket. “Looks good. Turkey and Swiss cheese sandwiches, tuna wraps, bags of chips, and fresh fruit. The only thing missing is a good bottle of wine and a woman to share it with.” His eyes caught hers. “Since you don’t have any other guests, why not come with us?”
Jamie heard the question and dragged her by the hand. “Please come. Oh, please?”
She laughed. “I couldn’t. I’m a mess.”
“No, you’re not,” Jamie said. “Come. I’ll show you where the barracudas hang out.”
“I think I can pass on that.” She shifted her gaze to Colt. He was watching her and there was something about his expression that made her change her mind. When was the last time she did anything for fun? And didn’t she deserve an afternoon off after the back-breaking work she’d just done?
“Why…if you don’t mind waiting fifteen minutes for me, I will.”
“We’ll wait, don’t you worry.” Colt’s eyes danced. “We’ll be down at the dock, getting the boat ready.”
“I’m on it!” She ran off, feeling light-hearted and almost carefree. A whole afternoon off. This storm had been an unpleasant surprise, but it had given her a reward. An afternoon with sunny skies, nice company, and Colt.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Taylor ran into the cabin, tossing her dirty clothes onto the floor. “I’m going out snorkeling, Mom. I should be back in a few hours.”
“That’s nice, dear. I’m so pleased you’re getting out.” Anna beamed. “When was the last time you went snorkeling? I remember how much you love it.”
“I don’t know. I can’t remember,” Taylor said, heading for the bathroom shower.
Her mother picked up her clothes, and smiled as she walked into her daughter’s bedroom. While Taylor cleaned up, Anna rummaged through her daughter’s dresser to find the bikini that she’d bought for her 30th birthday, and had yet to wear. She cut off the sales tag, and laid it out with a pair of hot pink shorts and a white lacy shirt that she could tie under her breasts.
When Taylor returned to her bedroom, she saw the clothes lying on the bed.
“You want me to wear this?” She dangled the polka dot bikini in her mother’s face. “We have guests, for heaven’s sake.”
“And they haven’t seen a bikini before?” Anna tossed her head and snorted. “Don’t be silly. It’s a two piece. Not risqué at all. Besides, you’ll have a vest on, won’t you?”
“No. That’s only for scuba.” Taylor quickly dressed in the bikini and shorts then tossed on her pink Paradise T-shirt instead of the see through white shirt. “Okay. This is better.”
She put her hair in a ponytail tucked in a pink cap. She slipped into a pair of canvas sneakers, and grabbed her lip gloss. “Okay, Mom. Nobody’s around. Close the damn office and take the day off too. We deserve it, don’t we?”
“Why, what a lovely idea. I might take the car and go into town. Look around the shops. Treat myself to a pedicure before the storm hits tomorrow.” She smiled. “You be sweet to Colt. He’s a good man, Taylor.”
“I know, Mom.” She let out a sigh. “Thing is, he’s not ready for anything serious and neither am I.” Her chin lifted. Nothing was going to spoil this day. “So we will have some non-serious fun together. No harm in that.”
“Now you’re talking my language. Enjoy yourself while you can.”
Taylor grabbed a towel and her snorkeling gear, and headed for the pier. She could see the other guests were already on the boat waiting for her.
Jamie waved when he spotted her hurrying down the wharf, and Colt jumped onto the pier to help her aboard. She was certainly getting the royal treatment today.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” she called out to the guests. “Colt, did you remember the picnic basket?”
“Sure did. I added some beers and wine too.”
Phil nodded. “I also brought a six pack. You got a fridge down below?”
“Here. I’ll take it.” Taylor had to put her own gear away, so she took the foam cooler as well. He had a few sodas and half a dozen Corona Lights which she emptied into the fridge.
A half hour later they were at one of the popular spots in the inner reefs. The shallow water, beautiful coral reefs, and bountiful fish made this a great spot for all divers, regardless of their experience.
Colt dropped the anchor, and helped the two couples find goggles and fins to fit, then waited until they were in the water. “Jamie, you want to join them?”
“Are you coming?” he asked.
“Yes. In a minute. Got to get a few things organized first.”
“How about you?” Jamie asked Taylor.
“I’ll help your dad. Not sure if I want to dive or not.”
Jamie lowered his goggles. “You guys suck.”
“Jamie,” Colt said in warning. “Don’t use that language or you’ll be sitting alone in the cabin for the afternoon.”
In answer, Jamie jumped into the water, then turned a triumphant face in their direction.
“Kids,” Colt mumbled. “I should go after him, but he can swim like a fish.” He called down to his son, “Stick with the others. We’ll be keeping an eye on you.”
Jamie fitted his regulator in his mouth and swam toward the couples. He waved, then dived under.
Colt turned to Taylor. “You don’t have to wait for me.”
“I want to.” She didn’t want to take her shirt off and let anyone see her in the bikini. But if she wore the tee in the water, she’d be a sopping mess when she got out.
“You brought your gear. You know how to dive, right?”
“Of course. It’s just that I…”
“Can’t stand being away from me?” he said with a twinkle in his eye.
“No. I’m wearing a bikini. Mom bought it for me, and I’ve never worn it. It’s kind of skimpy with guests around.”
“They aren’t around. It’s just you and me, baby. And I like bikinis. Even better than beer.”
“I bet you do.”
He took her arms and lifted them high, then slowly he slid the shirt up inch by inch, and over her head. Her heart raced. It almost felt like a striptease.
When her head popped out from the shirt he kissed her, and his hands slid around her bare waist. “Your mother has good taste,” he said, kissing her shoulder. “Remind me to thank her.”
“Colt. We have guests.”
“They’re in the water. They can’t see us, and wouldn’t care if they did.”
“Your son…”
“Is fine.” His hands pulled her closer, and she could feel the warmth of his naked chest. When had he taken his shirt off? She dropped her eyes, admiring his tanned sculpted chest and ripped abs up close. They were pretty much perfect. Not overly done like some clowns. Lean, sexy, with a light smattering of fine blond hair.
She let her hand trail down his chest, her eyes on his. He swallowed hard and stepped back. “I think I better go for that swim after all.”
Without bothering with his snorkel he dived in. When his head popped out of the water, he beckoned to her. “Come in if you dare.”
For once in her life, she did. Shimmying out of her shorts, she jumped feet first into the pristine water.
When she reached his side, he pulled her to the far side of the boat, out of sight from his son and her guests and gave her a long, hot, wet kiss. His leg wrapped around her, and she could feel the bulge in his swimsuit.
Oh my! All her fantasies about him were true.
Then he swam away, joining his son and the others, giving them both a chance to cool off. She was the first one back onboard, and that gave her time to redress, towel dry her hair, and lay out the picnic basket. It also gave her time to reflect on the passionate kiss and the burning desire inside of her that had been lit.
Did she know what she was doing? And would her heart break when he walked away?
* * *
Colt stayed well clear of her once he was back on board. He cracked open a beer, grabbed a turkey sandwich, and sat on the side of the boat, chatting with the men. It was a much safer place to be.
Taylor avoided looking at him too. She listened to the women as they went on and on about how spectacular the diving was here, and how they didn’t have water like this up in New Jersey.
No shit! That’s why he chose to live in Paradise Cove. It really was paradise. He didn’t need the city life, or a big home. The sea was his home. Not only was it free, but it never remained stagnant. Ever-changing, it might be full of drama one minute, and calm the next. Quite like a woman in fact…and yet a man could never tire of it, get impatient with the mood swings, or want a younger model.
As a charter captain he was married to the sea. His only responsibility was to his son, and to his paying customers. That’s the way he liked it, and wanted it.
So what was he going to do about this burning sensation inside of him that wanted to claim Taylor and make her his own? He didn’t want any men sniffing around her. He wanted her in his bed, and in his life.
Well, a small part of his life anyway. He wished he could compartmentalize her. She would be the only woman he made love to, and then she could go about her life as usual and he could too. Perfect. Why should a woman demand more than that?
Sex was good. Sex was great. Like food and water. It was necessary for survival. One didn’t need a commitment or a relationship with food and water. They simply took what they needed and drank until full. Should be the same with sex. He wanted to take what he needed, and have her do the same. Good for the goose—good for the gander.
He glanced over at her. She was smiling and laughing, and looked all flushed from the sun. She caught his eyes on her and shyly looked back. She bobbed her head and blushed. She had to be the sweetest thing ever—and that was just one of the countless reasons why he couldn’t do all the things he wanted. Not to her. She deserved better. She deserved to be treated like a Queen, and have a man crazy about her. She should be given a fine home, fine clothes, and a dozen fine children.
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