“Who’s going to run Slow Wyne?”
The keloids that had ruined the handsome face of the slender, dark-skinned man in the charcoal-gray, pinstriped tailored suit looked like blisters whenever Webb smiled. Webb had prided himself on his good looks until another man who’d made it known that he would pay for getting his sister pregnant had followed through on his threat when he waylaid Webb and went to work carving up his face. Basil had come to his rescue, stomping the man to death. Webb told the police he’d killed the man in self-defense, but his plea fell on deaf ears because the prosecutor claimed he’d continued to kick the man even after he died, resulting in an unrecognizable corpse.
Even as he lay bleeding, while cradling the flesh hanging from his face like raw meat, Webb would never forget the sight and sounds of Basil kicking his attacker. It was as if his older brother had become temporarily insane. He knew women would never look at him in the same way they’d done as an adolescent, but that no longer mattered. He’d sworn a vow never to sleep with another woman as long as he lived.
“I will,” Webb stated quietly.
The two brothers engaged in what had become a stare-down. “Okay,” Basil finally agreed. “But first I have to tie up a few things.”
“How long is that going to take?”
“No more than a week. I don’t want to leave now, because the police will believe I’m running because I have something to hide.”
There was another prolonged pause. “You’re right,” Webb said. “Maybe you should wait until that pig stops rooting around. Better yet, wait until they close the investigation.”
“Have you heard anything since Serenity closed down?” Basil asked.
“Not yet. What I can’t believe is that they would close their offices without setting up somewhere else. And where the hell is Ana Cole? It’s as if she’s dropped off the face of the earth.”
Basil shook his head, groaning aloud. He couldn’t even move his head with the stabbing pain making it virtually impossible to think. “I’m going to contact my inside person for an update.”
Webb exhaled audibly. He knew Basil was playing a very dangerous game of revenge where there could only be one winner and one loser. His responsibility was to make certain his brother would not end up the loser.
“Be careful, brother. We can’t afford to slip up now.”
* * *
“Come on, baby. I won’t let you fall.”
Ana tightened her hold on Jacob’s hand. They’d taken a golf cart to explore the west side of the island, and during their exploration they’d discovered water flowing down the mountains creating a waterfall that spilled into a lagoon. Jacob stepped into the crystal-clear water, and then swung her down beside him. The lagoon was at least five feet in depth and spanned the length and width of an Olympic swimming pool.
The heat of the brilliant Caribbean sun offset the chill of the water as Ana floated on her back, staring up at the canopy of ferns, vines, leaves and exotic flowers growing wildly and creating their private Garden of Eden. She watched Jacob duck under the water and swim laps. Ana joined him, matching him stroke for stroke. Her competitiveness surfaced and she streaked through the water like a colorful fish, Jacob in close pursuit.
She managed to make it to the opposite end, touching the bank, and before she could turn around Jacob was several strokes ahead of her. Seconds later it was a body’s length and he stood, waiting and grinning when she finally caught up with him.
Gathering her close, Jacob anchored a hand under her chin, raising her face for a hot, explosive kiss that sucked the breath from her laboring lungs. Ana anchored her arms under his shoulders, holding on to to him as she went on tiptoe. Heat exploded inside her like an incendiary device. She was on fire! The kiss was nothing like the ones they’d shared before.
Jacob’s hands moved up under Ana’s shoulders, holding her aloft while his tongue slipped between her lips, suckling and tasting the sweetness of her mouth. He kissed her with all the passion he could summon for a woman, a passion he’d withheld from every woman he’d known and kissed.
It’d been three days since he and Ana had come to Cannamore; three days in which he’d become the husband of a woman who’d ensnared him in a web of longing that had him dreaming about her, lusting for her, and as much as he didn’t want to admit it, he was falling for Ana—hard.
It had taken less than a week for Jacob to conclude Ana wasn’t the spoiled little rich girl who pouted if she didn’t get her way. She was unpretentious, generous, opinionated and wasn’t prone to mincing words. And she wasn’t into head games—something he truly detested. She also made him laugh—something he hadn’t done enough.
He wanted to resent her intrusion into what he thought of as his predictable lifestyle. Whenever he woke each morning he knew exactly what he had to do and what was expected of him. That all changed the moment Ana walked out of the Marathon airport and into his life. Either he had changed or the woman with whom he went to bed and woke with had changed him. There had never been a time since his first sexual encounter that whenever he shared a bed with a woman he’d always shared her body. The exception was his wife.
Jacob hadn’t begun to think of himself as a husband and Ana his wife until he went online and queried Diego about his supposed marriage to his cousin. Diego’s reply came within minutes: Rumors that Serenity has folded have gone viral. Jason is scheduled to give a formal press conference next week about the relocation. When asked about Ana’s absence, he hinted she’s away with her boyfriend. Enjoy your honeymoon.
He hadn’t shown Ana the email, but told her what Jason had said about her unavailability. When she’d complained that fabricating a marriage was definitely over-the-top, he’d countered that everything they did had to look real. Newshounds were usually relentless when it came to uncovering the truth.
Not only was he enjoying his honeymoon, but also his wife. Ana had gotten up earlier that morning, made breakfast, then joined him in bed while they ate pancakes, a fruit cup with diced mango, pineapple and freshly brewed coffee. He knew he could very easily get used to eating breakfast in bed with her.
It was with extreme reluctance that he released her mouth. Water had pasted her hair to her scalp and spiked her lashes. His gaze lingered on her thoroughly kissed, lush lips. Not only did he want to make love to Ana. He wanted to consummate their marriage.
Ana’s eyes met Jacob’s. Droplets clung to his bearded face. She felt the muscles in his biceps tighten when he lowered her until her toes touched the bottom. Her entire body was shaking and it had nothing to do with the cold water. Closing her eyes against his intense stare, she thought of the words that lay in her heart.
It hadn’t mattered she’d only known him a week. It didn’t matter that their marriage was not only arranged by a third party, but was also one of convenience. Here on Cannamore Cay she didn’t have to hide from a nameless, faceless assassin but could dream about a future. Stepping away from Serenity had offered her a new perspective of a world beyond music. It was a world where she could fall in love and dream of marriage and children.
Living on the private island as Mrs. Jacob Jones was nothing short of fantasy. Falling in love with him would become an emotional disaster. Ana knew everything would end, including her marriage, once she returned to the States. She and Jacob had been married three days, and even after they annulled the union it still would exceed Britney Spears’ celebrated fifty-five-hour nuptials.
“I want to go back now,” she whispered.
Needing no further prompting, Jacob swung her up into his arms, carefully navigating the rocks until he placed her on the seat in the golf cart. Reaching for a pair of shorts, he pulled them on over his swim trunks. Ana realized they’d spent most of their time outside their cottage to resist the temptation of making love. After hours in the sun, swimming in the ocean and walks along the beach they were
too exhausted to do anything but sleep once they retired for bed. Other than breakfast, they’d taken their meals in the restaurant with the resort’s guests.
She didn’t know how long she would be able to hold out not asking Jacob to make love to her. How long she would be able to deal with her own battle of self-restraint and survive without a meltdown. She kept telling herself that Jacob was a stranger in her bed, one who’d vowed to protect her, but who was going to protect her heart if and when she found herself in too deep?
What Ana felt and was beginning to feel for Jacob had nothing to do with appreciation. He was a constant reminder of what she’d denied because of the two men who’d forced her to put up a barrier to keep all men at a distance. Even her ongoing excuse that she was too busy for a relationship was beginning to wear thin.
It was his body heat, the now familiar feel of his arm resting over her waist, and the clean masculine smell of his freshly showered body that lingered with her even in her sleep. The erotic dream hadn’t returned, because the man she wanted was her husband.
Her gaze shifted to the band on Jacob’s left hand. “How much is Diego paying you to pretend we’re married?”
Jacob maneuvered the cart over a grassy surface. Seconds ticked while he struggled not to lose his temper. “I thought we’d passed the stage where we’d no longer talk about money.”
“We have.”
“Then why did you bring it up, Ana?”
“I...it’s just that when Henri gave you the license and the rings it was if you were expecting them. I know you told me Diego wanted to explain my disappearance, but I never would’ve thought you’d agree to a marriage of convenience.”
“I couldn’t agree because I wasn’t asked. But if Diego feels this is the best way to deal with whatever is going on back in the States then I’m willing to go along with whatever he proposes. We are married, but that doesn’t mean we have to stay married.”
“You’re right.”
Jacob gave her a sidelong glance. “Thank you for agreeing with me. I never would’ve thought you would be an obedient wife.”
“I hope you’re not referring to obedient as in obey.”
“Maybe yes, maybe no.”
Ana rolled her eyes at him. “No wonder you’re not married.”
Jacob smiled. “That’s where you’re wrong, Mrs. Jones. We are married and I’m going to show you just how married we are.”
She leaned against his shoulder. “What do you propose to do?”
“What I should’ve done to you that morning in Key West.”
Ana knew he was talking about the shower incident. Jacob was right. If they’d made love that morning she wouldn’t be able to stop repressing her urges. Her moments were coming more frequently and becoming more intense. The only thing that saved her from embarrassment was, as a woman, she’d been able to conceal sexual arousal wherein it was much more difficult for Jacob.
Ana was saved from replying when Jacob maneuvered to the entrance of the resort and a bellhop came over to greet them. “I’ll take the cart back, Mr. Jones.”
Reaching for a T-shirt, she pulled it on over her swimsuit. Resting her hands on Jacob’s shoulders, she permitted him to assist her from the cart. Half a dozen couples sat at tables near the bar drinking and talking softly to one another. At night the area became an impromptu cabaret with a piano player taking requests while the bartender took drink orders. Accommodations at the main house contained ten one-bedroom suites and two two-bedroom suites. There were three private cottages set up as honeymoon retreats, each with a fully stocked refrigerator and pantry.
“Are you going to give me a hint what you’re going to do?” Ana whispered to Jacob as they walked along the path leading to their cottage.
Throwing back his head, he laughed. “Of course not.”
“Shouldn’t I know what to expect?”
“No, m’ija. Surprises are always more fun.”
Reaching in the pocket of his shorts, Jacob took out the card key and swiped it. Within seconds of the light turning green Ana felt her heart rate quicken. He opened the door, stepped inside and then beckoned her.
“Come inside, said the spider to the butterfly.”
It was Ana’s turn to laugh. She stared at the tall, bearded man with the intense dark eyes, amazed that she felt a closeness she hadn’t thought possible. When he extended his arms, she walked into his embrace.
Jacob buried his face in her damp hair. “I’m not going to do anything you don’t want me to do.”
Ana pressed her cheek to the crisp hair covering her husband’s chest. Her husband. That’s how she’d begun to think of Jacob. With or without her approval or participation she’d become Mrs. Jacob Stephen Jones.
“I’ll let you know when I don’t like something or I want you to stop,” she mumbled, pressing light kisses over his pectorals.
Bending slightly, Jacob picked her up. “I know you will.”
For a reason she couldn’t fathom, Ana felt making love with Jacob was the most natural thing in the world. It was as if they were destined to be together. She wasn’t going to delude herself into believing she was in love with him, because she wasn’t. However, with time she knew she could come to love him. Time—it had become her enemy. She didn’t know how long she would have to remain in exile, and she also didn’t know how long she would be able to enjoy the advantages of married life, which meant she didn’t have to go looking for a date; she didn’t have to deal with the pressure of trolling clubs to find a man for sex; she also wasn’t faced with the angst following a breakup.
Jacob carried Ana into the bedroom, pushing aside the mosquito netting and placing her on the neatly made bed. He’d called housekeeping to have them change the linen, clean the bathroom and vacuum. Sitting on the side of the mattress, he stared at the golden orbs staring back at him. He smiled. Ana’s expression was calm, serene. It was as if the day of reckoning had been in suspended animation until this time, and Jacob was astounded by a sense of self-realization that Ana possessed everything he sought in a woman. In the past he’d confused sex with companionship but their living together without the benefit of sex allowed him to appreciate his wife. His wife. He’d come to like the sound of the two words. He belonged to Ana and she belonged to him.
Jacob hadn’t exchanged vows, promising to love, honor, respect and care for her in sickness and in death, but then again no words were needed. He went to his knees and brushed his mouth over hers. “How long has it been, baby?”
Ana knew he was asking about her having sex. “Un par de años, papacito.”
He smoothed back the raven strands curling over the top of her ears. “Well, mamacita, I’ll make certain to be gentle with you.” It had been a couple of years for Ana, while it hadn’t been that long for Jacob. Now, he was glad he’d waited. He rose from the bed, went into the bathroom and removed a supply of condoms from his toiletry bag.
Ana’s eyes followed his every move when he returned, placing a condom on his pillow and the others in the drawer of the nightstand on his side of the bed. The visible, rapidly beating pulse in her throat indicated she wasn’t as calm as her serene expression.
Smiling, he removed Ana’s T-shirt and then the black maillot, his gaze worshipping her compact, curvy body. Spending time in the sun had darkened her olive complexion to rich henna. Her lashes swept down across a pair of high cheekbones, the gesture charming and wanton, and Jacob wondered, who was she? This woman who claimed his name. Was she as innocent as she now appeared? Or was she the siren who’d unwittingly seduced him with her sassy attitude and uninhibited exhibition of provocative lingerie? He’d lied to Ana when he’d told her he wouldn’t make love to her when his body said differently. The first time she’d strolled into the kitchen in Long Key, Jacob realized then that living with her wasn’t going to be an easy endeavor. And within a wee
k they’d traveled from Long Key as protector and protected, to Key West under the guise they were a couple, and now to an island in the Bahamas as husband and wife.
Jacob’s gaze never strayed from Ana as he pushed his shorts and swim trunks down in one smooth motion, stepping out of them. He lay down, closing his eyes and permitting his senses to take over. Although fully aroused, he wanted to slow down his respiration to prolong their eventual coming together. Not only had it been months since his last sexual encounter, he couldn’t forget that the woman beside him wasn’t just an acquaintance but his wife.
His declaration that he wouldn’t sleep with Ana came as much from his friendship with Diego as it did with his promise that he would protect and not take advantage of her. Now the circumstances were different because Diego had arranged their marriage in absentia and, as Ana’s husband, he could and would consummate their marriage.
Jacob smiled when Ana held his hand, her thumb moving back and forth over his knuckle. “Are you all right, mi amor?”
“I’m wonderful,” she replied in a breathless whisper.
Ana opened her eyes, staring up at the gossamer fabric shrouding the large bed. It was as if she and Jacob had escaped to an ethereal world where any and everything they could want was available to them. Cannamore Cay was a private paradise with exotic birds, flowers and fruit everywhere. Pristine white sand, blue-green ocean waters, lush mountains with waterfalls spilling into crystal-clear pools and lagoons and warm trade winds offsetting the tropical heat.
Ana hadn’t lied to Jacob when she’d said she was wonderful. The reason she was hiding on a private island in the Bahamas was never far from her mind. Nor was the reality that it was she and not Tyler who’d been the target of an alleged hit.
If someone had predicted her life would take the turn it had Ana would’ve vehemently protested, calling them a liar. In no way could she have imagined having to flee her home and family because of a business deal. She and Basil Irvine weren’t drug dealers fighting over turf, or heads of organized crime negotiating territory and/or who would control gambling, prostitution or drugs.
Summer Vows (Arabesque) Page 20