He’d never called her sweetheart before. It meant he’d passed from being angry to furious.
Greg must have read the signs because he said, “You’re a lucky man, Jarvis. Lacey’s the best. Have a great trip and come home safely.” He disappeared out the front door before she could say good-bye.
At that moment Lacey admired Greg more than at any other time in their lives. The fact that he was finally letting go of a fantasy proved that he was growing up. It took courage to do that in front of Max, and she said as much to him.
“I agree.” His tone was glacial. He drew her against him roughly, causing the pin to drop to the floor, but he paid no attention. “Particularly as I don’t know if you are the best. I’m probably the only man of your acquaintance who hasn’t sampled the goods.”
Suddenly his mouth was covering hers with smothering force. He crushed her in his arms and held her so tightly, their heartbeats merged. It wasn’t as much a kiss as a punishment. Lacey fought for air. “Max!” she gasped in protest.
With his chest heaving he demanded, “How long has he been over here?”
“Not long enough to do what your fertile imagination has envisioned.” She lashed out in a rage. “For your information, he’s come to accept the fact that I’m in love with you!”
With features devoid of expression, he slowly lifted his hand and caressed her silky throat with his fingers. “That’s the second time I’ve heard you say that. Do you know—” his voice rasped “—fool that I am, I was halfway beginning to believe you were capable of that elusive emotion until I walked in here tonight?”
Beneath the anger she thought she detected pain.
One hot tear spilled down her cheek. “So what are you saying? Because of what you think was going on in your absence, you’re calling off the project?” she cried bitterly, her eyes deep green pools of anguish.
“No,” he muttered gruffly. “It’s too late for that. We’re going ahead as scheduled with one slight hitch in plans. I want nothing more to do with you, so you’ll be on your own from here on out. I’ll bunk with Nick. You can do your thing with any male who crosses your path, but leave my crew alone. The minute I see you causing trouble, you’ll be sent home so fast you won’t know what happened.”
He released her with enough force that she had to grab hold of the nearest chair to keep from falling.
“Max—” she called after him, desperate to make him understand. But he was gone. When the door slammed shut, she had the awful premonition he would never willingly walk through it again.
CHAPTER NINE
INSTEAD of being rested for the long flight to Miami, Lacey was white-faced from lack of sleep and puffy-eyed when the taxi pulled up in front of the condo the next morning as planned.
After ringing her front doorbell, Max took her bags out to the taxi. He didn’t look at her or say as much as a good morning. An uncomfortable silence pervaded the taxi’s interior all the way to Salt Lake International Airport.
Under the circumstances, Lacey greeted Milo with warm enthusiasm when they reached the lounge. If Max intended to freeze her out, at least she had Milo to talk to. Nick and Jeff had already left the day before with their families and would meet them in Miami.
Lacey had a hard time believing this day had come. If only Max would be kind, she could enjoy her first trip in years. As it was, she felt nervous and keyed up.
To make matters worse, Max discussed business with Milo most of the way to Florida. When they met up with the others in Miami and piled into the van for the trip to a beachfront hotel, Max made sure he didn’t sit by her. The crew obviously knew something was wrong, but kept quiet about it, which didn’t augur well for a good beginning.
Jeff had made all the travel arrangements and handed her the room key which should have been Max’s. For a brief moment, Jeff’s eyes met hers in a silent message of commiseration before she followed the bellboy to the elevator. Of necessity, she had to pass Max, who was deep in conversation with Milo and didn’t appear to notice her departure.
Their plan was to meet in the hotel dining room for a late supper, then go to bed. In the morning, they’d drive a large rental van to the Everglades.
A tiny village just outside the borders of the Everglades Park would be their home for the next ten days. Apparently it was nothing more than a compound run by employees of the Florida Simian Society where the monkeys were brought from South America.
After Max’s treatment of her, the thought of food made Lacey slightly nauseated. Since she craved sleep and couldn’t bear the thought of being in his taciturn presence a second longer than necessary, she called room service and asked that soup and salad be sent up.
Later, while she was eating, there was a rap on her door. “Lacey?” Max called peremptorily. “Why aren’t you downstairs with the rest of us?”
She cleared her throat. “I’m exhausted and decided to eat dinner in my room. After a good night’s sleep, I’ll be ready to go in the morning. Eight o’clock in the lobby, right?”
He muttered something she couldn’t understand and went away, much to her relief.
By seven the next morning, Lacey had showered and dressed in lightweight cotton pants and blouse. The tan safari-style outfit was comfortable, but accentuated her prominent curves. With a sigh, she packed her overnight bag and went down to the lobby to leave it with reception.
Since she’d slept better than she’d anticipated, she found she was hungry and strode into the nearly empty dining room decorated with exotic flowering plants of all types. It was a veritable Garden of Eden.
To her chagrin, she managed to capture the attention of every dark-eyed male waiter in the room. They rushed to take her order, then broke into rapid Spanish, making it impossible to understand very much, even though she’d taken language in school.
Each of them came by her table on one pretext or other. Toward the end of her meal, five or six of them congregated around, wreathed in smiles, plying her with questions in English. How long was she staying? Could they show her around when they went off duty?
After Max’s hostility, their harmless attention was balm to her soul. It felt good to laugh and not have to feel on her guard every second.
“In case you’re in danger of forgetting the reason why we’re here, the guys are waiting in the lobby.”
Max’s menacing voice sent the young waiters scattering in all directions.
At his high-handed attitude, Lacey’s facial muscles constricted, and she glanced at her watch. It was only ten to eight!
She’d taken all the abuse she could stand and turned to tell him so, but the words died on her lips.
Dressed in a khaki shirt similar to hers, and a pair of hip-hugging jeans, his masculinity reached out to her like a living thing.
Yet his expression was uncompromising, and his bronzed complexion had a definite pallor, as if he hadn’t slept well. Even more disturbing was the way his eyes swept over her body in frank appraisal, making her tremble with unassuaged longing.
While he dealt with the bill she asked, “Aren’t any of you going to eat before we leave?”
He encircled her wrist with his hand and ushered her from the dining room. “If you had joined us last evening, you would have known we planned to have breakfast at six-thirty.”
The crew’s enthusiastic greeting prevented further chastisement. They were ready to go. Their flattering comments about her looks sustained her all the way out to the huge rental van. Surprisingly enough, Max shared a seat with her, but neither of them said a word.
The afternoon before, Lacey had been too drained to take cognizance of her surroundings. This morning she determined to ignore Max and enjoy the scenery.
After living in the Rocky Mountains, the flatness of the land made a huge impact, as did the tall buildings of steel and smoked glass.
Billboards and fast-food restaurants crammed the highway leading to the Everglades. Soon they were surrounded by prairie, swampland and cabbage palms. She’d rea
d the book, River of Grass, in preparation for her trip and marveled at the vegetation which could only grow in such a warm, humid climate.
They passed a small Miccosukee village displaying Native artifacts and her excitement grew. “Max—” she whispered tentatively, “please let’s try to get along while we’re here and not let what’s wrong affect the others.”
“If that’s an invitation for me to join you in your hut, think again.”
His low, unexpected reply stung and succeeded in silencing her for the rest of the drive to the compound hidden deep in foliage she couldn’t begin to identify.
The moment the van drew up to the main building, Max jumped out. Milo happened to be the person closest to Lacey and clasped her slender waist to help her get down. It was a gesture that didn’t escape Max’s notice, judging from his tight-lipped grimace. He was standing a few yards off, separating the luggage and camera equipment.
Jeff drew close to her. “Your hut is next to the main building. Follow the trail.” A well-traveled footpath disappeared into the alien green world surrounding them.
Suddenly she was aware of Max’s eyes fastened on her with an intimacy that sent her pulse racing. The cloying humidity had caused her clothes to mold to the lines and curves of her body like a second skin and there was absolutely nothing she could do about it.
Right now she felt as if they were the only two people in the world. If that were the case, maybe then he’d put away his suspicions and love her.
“I can carry my own bags.”
Max shook his head, drawing her attention to his dark blond hair, which had a tendency to curl in the moist heat. “You need to take it easy for the rest of the day and acclimatize first. We won’t start filming until tomorrow.”
As they started along the path, a woman close to Lorraine’s age with gray-blond hair hurried toward them dressed in jeans and a blouse. Her mouth broke into a broad smile when she saw them.
“We’ve been waiting for you to come. Any interest in the simian aide program is welcomed. I’m Ruth Stevens.”
Max shook her hand and said, “Ruth, this is Lacey West. She’ll be starring in our documentary.”
She pumped Lacey’s hand. “We’re thrilled to have you, Lacey. In fact, we’re just one big happy family around here and eat our meals together in the compound dining room. No one stands on ceremony.”
“It sounds wonderful,” Lacey commented, liking Ruth immediately. “What are your responsibilities?”
“Professionally, I’m a veterinarian. Personally, I take care of my husband, Drew, who has been studying simians for years and created the institute.”
“You make me feel as if I’m doing absolutely nothing with my life.”
“I wouldn’t call making a film to help the other-abled, nothing. It’s a tremendously significant program.” Her gaze darted from Lacey to Max. “Drew is impressed that someone of your international reputation would choose to make this kind of contribution, Mr. Jarvis.”
“Max,” he interjected with a genuine smile that robbed Lacey of breath.
“Max.” The older woman beamed back. “Drew wants you to know he’s pledged his full support while you’re here.”
“We’re grateful for your cooperation and will try to do the project justice. But in all honesty, if it weren’t for Lacey, who introduced me to a trained monkey named George, I would never have known about the program or the good it can do. Her dedication to the cause is the reason we’re here.”
Giving Lacey credit for the project should have warmed her heart, but there was too much enmity between them. His cruelty had hurt her to the point of numbness.
Lacey continued to follow Ruth with Max trailing a few steps behind until they came to a wood hut nestled in the verdure.
“There’s plenty of room for everybody. Lacey, I’ve put you here because it’s closest to the main building where Drew and I live. At first, the noises at night are a little unnerving. If you feel like company, you can run over. The door is never locked.”
“Thank you,” she said, touched by the older woman’s concern.
“Max—I understand you’ll be rooming with one of your crew. It looks as if Drew has already shown them their quarters. Go ahead and make yourselves comfortable, then come over to the main hut. That’s where the rest room and showers are located. I have fresh, icy-cold lemonade waiting.”
“That sounds divine,” Lacey murmured. “Thank you for the warm welcome. You’ve made me feel perfectly at home.”
Ruth put her hands on her hips. “Well, it may not be what you’re used to, but we have all the necessary comforts. I’ll see you in a while.”
As Ruth walked off, Lacey entered her own designated hut, aware of Max at her heels. They entered the square room bungalow and he put her bags on the floor.
Her gaze wandered from the cot with its mosquito netting to the dresser and wardrobe. Woven mats of a beautiful Native design covered the floor, and flowered curtains hung at the small windows. Everything was spotlessly clean. She couldn’t have asked for more.
Max’s expression was inscrutable. “Just so you know, I’ll be rooming with Milo in the cabin next to this one.”
Her proud chin lifted. “I’m surprised you’d put yourself in the path of temptation, or is it that you have a perverted need to monitor my nocturnal activities?”
His eyes narrowed to slits. “Actually I thought you’d be comforted to know help was at hand in case a predator or something equally deadly invaded your chambers during the night.”
“Knowing how your mind works, you’re praying it will happen. Anything to disturb my clandestine assignations. But I have news for you. I don’t frighten easily.” The lie rolled off her lips.
. He’d just painted pictures that made her shudder in horror. She made up her mind then and there that if anything untoward did happen, he’d be the last person to whom she’d appeal for help.
“We’ll see, won’t we,” he mocked, and walked out on her, closing the door quietly behind him. In a rage, she threw herself on the cot.
Lacey had heard of women and men who fought physically with each other, but could never imagine such a thing happening...until she’d met Max whose attitude was so impossible, she’d come close to slapping his face. Whoever said the line between love and hate was almost indistinguishable, must have known Max Jarvis!
The cot felt good. In her lethargy, brought on by the humidity, she slept for a while and awakened an hour later feeling a little better, but terribly thirsty.
Gathering up a few essentials, she headed for the main hut, which turned out to be a rectangular building made of wood like the other huts. She could hear a generator going, evidence of modern technology in a world which had been here since the beginning of time.
As soon as she stepped inside the hallway, a male voice said hello. Lacey turned her head in time to see a good-looking Hispanic man about her age exiting the dining room.
“You must be the actress Ruth was telling us about. I’m Carlos Rivera, and this is my first job as a veterinarian.”
“I’m Lacey West, a CPA from Salt Lake City.”
His white smile deepened. “Brains and beauty. Will you join me for a drink?”
“I’d like that. Just give me five minutes.”
The bathroom was surprisingly modem and sanitary. She washed her face and gave her curls a good brushing. After putting on fresh lip gloss, she felt slightly more human as she went in search of Carlos.
The dining room cum lounge contained chairs, a large couch and several bookshelves holding every conceivable type of reading material as well as a variety of puzzles and games. On the other side was a large rectangular table and hutch.
“There you are.” Ruth came from the direction of the kitchen, holding out drinks for both of them. “I was almost about to come and get you.”
“The heat is enervating, so I took a nap.” She drank a long swallow of lemonade and thought nothing had ever tasted so delicious.
“
Good for you,” Carlos chimed in. “The first day you must do nothing but play.”
“Carlos? Why not take Lacey to the pool this afternoon? The lagoon is the best place I know to relax and cool off. I sent Max and the others there over an hour ago.”
At the mention of Max’s name, Lacey’s breathing constricted. “Maybe later.”
All she needed was for Max to catch her swimming with Carlos. No matter how much she was tempted to flaunt the young vet in Max’s face, she knew it would backfire on her.
The crew was here to do a documentary. Since they’d be working nonstop for the next ten days, and cooperation was essential, she had no desire to escalate their personal war.
Carlos eyed her intently. “Perhaps you’d like to visit the animal hospital where the monkeys are housed.”
“I’d love it,” she enthused. Max couldn’t find fault with her for touring the facility.
Ruth took their empty glasses. “By the time you’re back, dinner will be ready.”
For the next two hours, Lacey became completely engrossed as Carlos showed her the amazing laboratory she would never have dreamed existed here. Beyond it, over a dozen capuchin monkeys were enclosed in a huge, open-air cage covering a half acre of ground which replicated their habitat.
The monkeys reminded her so much of George, she felt right at home. Carlos was an expert on simians. He explained that not all monkeys made good companions, particularly those who came into the program with questionable backgrounds.
He also indicated that the program didn’t work for every other-abled person. Now Lacey understood why Lorraine was so adamant about training monkeys from birth. Lacey’s eyes were opened to the complexity of the situation and Carlos’s reasoning gave her a lot to mull over as they walked back to the lounge.
Deep in concentration with him, she didn’t realize they were the focus of attention until she felt Max’s accusing gaze as they entered the dining room.
“There you are,” Ruth called from the kitchen. “I’ve been keeping your food hot.”
“I’m afraid we lost track of the time,” Carlos offered to no one in particular.
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