Sand, Sun...Seduction!

by Stephanie Bond

  She gave herself a mental shake. And she wasn’t doubting it now. But she needed to call Gil and let him know she was okay. Knowing Gil, even if Elaina had reached him, he’d still be worried sick about her…and about his foiled plans.

  Pushing the troubling thoughts from her mind, she removed the towel and combed conditioner through her long hair, leaving it to dry naturally. She emerged from the bathroom feeling like a new woman.

  “I thought you’d drowned in—” Finn looked up from an upholstered chair in the sitting area and did a double take “—there.” His Adam’s apple bobbed. “Wow. You look…different.”

  “Thanks,” she said dryly. “It’s amazing what a little soap can do.”

  He was still staring. “Uh…there’s beer and water in the fridge.”

  “Would it be all right if I placed a long-distance call on a credit card?”

  “Sure.” He pushed to his feet, holding the black messenger bag she’d seen earlier. “I’ll just take a quick shower.”

  He stole another glance her way before leaving the room, and she smiled with feminine satisfaction. It felt good to be appreciated. Gil never—

  She stopped the thought before it materialized. She would not compare her longtime boyfriend to a man she’d met—she squinted—was it only this morning? She felt as if she’d known Finn much longer.

  The man had a way of making time crawl.

  Kimber located the phone and fumbled her way through a conversation with an operator, who placed a call to Gil’s cell phone.

  On the second ring, he answered. “Hello?”

  “Gil, it’s me!”

  “Kimber? Where the hell are you?”

  She frowned at his tone. “I’m in Sri Lanka. Didn’t Elaina call you?”

  “Yes. The question is, why didn’t you call me?”

  Anger sparked in her stomach. “Because my battery was dying, and I thought I had a better chance of reaching her. And I’m fine, thanks for asking.”

  “Elaina told me you were fine. And don’t get cross with me, Kimber. This is all your fault.”

  She pressed her lips together. “Being sidelined in Sri Lanka isn’t my fault.”

  “If you’d been on the flight with me, none of this would’ve happened.”

  “We went over this, Gil. I couldn’t leave Mrs. Pennington in a lurch.”

  “So you left me in a lurch, instead.”

  “I didn’t plan it this way,” she said quietly.

  “I don’t understand—Sri Lanka isn’t that far. What’s keeping you from traveling on to Maldives?”

  She paced the small kitchen, trying to think of something to say that wouldn’t further incite Gil’s anger.

  The door opened and Finn emerged wearing the cargo pants…and nothing else. His dark blond hair still held the comb marks, and the brown hair on his broad chest sparkled with droplets against tanned skin. Long, muscular arms and flat abs were simply a bonus. Kimber gawked.

  “Kimber? Are you there?” Gil demanded.

  She turned her back on Finn to gather her composure. “I’m sorry, what did you say, Gil?”

  A frustrated noise came over the line. “I asked why you can’t come directly to Maldives now, instead of waiting until tomorrow morning.”

  “Mechanical problems,” she said, thinking it was easier to lie than to explain that Finn had offered to show her the countryside while he shopped for wood. “How is Maldives?”

  “Just grand,” Gil said morosely. “I’m glad I brought a book.”

  “Me, too,” she said cheerfully. “I should hang up—this is probably costing a fortune. But I’ll see you tomorrow, sweetie, okay?”

  “Okay,” he grumped. “Bye.”

  She opened her mouth to tell him she loved him, but he’d already hung up. She replaced the receiver slowly, then turned around. Finn, thank goodness, had donned a T-shirt.

  “Everything okay?” he asked.

  “My boyfriend’s worried, is all.”

  He grinned. “Did you tell him you were in good hands?”

  “Somehow I don’t think that would’ve made him feel better.”

  “What’s his name?”

  “Gil.”

  He gave a little laugh. “Figures.”

  Kimber frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  A honk sounded outside.

  “There’s our driver,” Finn said. “Ready?”

  “Let me grab my purse.” She jogged to the bedroom to get her purse and swung it over her shoulder. On the way back to the entrance, though, she forced herself to slow down. She shouldn’t be so excited about spending the afternoon with someone other than Gil.

  But she was.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  “WHAT KIND OF HOUSE are you building?” Kimber asked Finn as they bumped over a rural road. She sat in the middle of the cab of a small, clattering pickup, jammed up against Finn to give the driver room to shift gears. The wizened little man driving the truck hadn’t said a word since they’d climbed in.

  “A small one,” Finn said. “But I’m doing everything myself just the way I want it.”

  “What’s the wood for?”

  “A banister I’m building. I’m using as many different indigenous woods as I can. And here I can get teak, mahogany—even ebony.”

  “Sounds beautiful,” she offered.

  “I think it’ll be nice when it’s finished.”

  “Do you live alone?” she asked, then lifted her camera to take a picture of the passing scenery.

  “No, there’s Ally.”

  Kimber couldn’t explain the stab of disappointment she felt—so the man was living with someone, what was it to her?

  “Ally’s my cat,” he added.

  She laughed. “You don’t seem like a cat person.”

  “I’m not, but she just showed up one day and I can’t get rid of her.”

  “So she adopted you.”

  “Something like that. I guess you live with your boyfriend?”

  She shook her head. “We both have our own places in Atlanta. We work together, so living together just seems…too much.” Something they’d have to sort out after they were married.

  “Is The Varsity still in Atlanta?”

  The Varsity, an Atlanta landmark, was reportedly the largest fast-food restaurant in the world. “Yes. You know The Varsity?”

  “I’ve been through Atlanta a time or two.”

  “Where did you live in the States?”

  “Everywhere,” he said vaguely. “I guess I’ve always been a nomad, although I’ve been in Dubai longer than anywhere else—six years.”

  “How did you and my sister start working together?”

  “I know her partner, Mike.”

  “Oh.” Kimber pretended to adjust her camera. She should’ve known—it took a dreamer to know one.

  “You don’t like Mike?” Finn asked.

  “Mike’s a good guy,” she said. “I could never understand why he didn’t marry Elaina.”

  “They seem content, last I heard.”

  She shrugged. “I always thought she could do better.”

  “I guess Elaina didn’t,” he offered cheerfully.

  Kimber lifted the camera and continued to capture scenes outside the truck window—the rugged, rolling countryside that could be alternately sparse and lush, and the colorful laundry lines that flanked many of the modest homes dotting hills that were studded with palm trees. Finn played tour guide, pointing out the major-industry crops of tea, coffee and rubber. She continued to be impressed by his knowledge and love of the area and acknowledged that she’d led a very insular existence.

  An hour later they pulled up next to a home dwarfed by the large truck stacked high with wood sitting next to it. A stocky man and two preschool-aged children emerged from the home. Finn waved and climbed out to greet the man with a handshake. Kimber alighted gingerly, wanting to stretch her legs. Finn and the man began speaking in a language she didn’t understand, and at his fluidity, sh
e guessed that Finn had downplayed his command of the local language. The two men moved to the truck and Finn began to inspect the logs with his large hands.

  Her mind went to his hand being parked on her hip during their nap. In sleep, his body had responded to hers…and hers to his. But she chalked it up to the fact that she and Gil hadn’t been together in a while because of their busy schedules. And Finn would probably respond to any warm woman, she observed wryly. The man seemed to be built for physical pursuits and pleasure, and he probably approached lovemaking with the same zeal as flying—doing barrel rolls and whooping throughout.

  Instead of disgusting her, though, the idea sent a zing of excitement through her. If she were inclined toward sexual experimentation, she imagined that Finn Meyers would be willing.

  Finn was handling a long slab of wood with care, holding it up to peer down its length. He stroked the surface of the wood with such concentration and purpose the moisture disappeared from Kimber’s mouth. Would he stroke his partner with such precision?

  Finn looked up and caught her staring, then gave her a wink that flustered her. She averted her gaze and pulled out her camera to snap more photos. The view at this vantage point was inspiring—the landscape rocky, with splotches of bright color where clumps of purple and white flowers had managed to take root. The late-afternoon sun was high and hot, but a nice breeze at this altitude moderated the temperature. She inhaled deeply to fill her lungs with the clean, clear air, and exhaled slowly. She rarely took time to enjoy the outdoors when she was home in Atlanta, primarily because Gil was allergic to almost anything that grew, but she vowed to change that part of her life when she returned. Elaina belonged to a hiking club, and often asked Kimber to go on day trips. The next time, she’d take her sister up on the offer.

  At the horizon was a strip of navy blue water, the Indian Ocean. Across the ocean to the west, Gil was waiting for her. She could practically feel his irritation reaching out to her over the miles.

  A tug on her shirt tore her attention away from her thoughts. She looked down to see the two children, their eyes and teeth bright against brown skin. A girl and a boy, perhaps five years old, who looked so much alike she wondered if they were twins.

  “Hello,” Kimber said with a smile. “How are you?”

  They didn’t seem to understand her, but from behind her back, the little girl revealed a necklace woven from the purple and white mountain flowers. She offered it to Kimber.

  “How beautiful!” she exclaimed, then touched her chest. “For me?”

  The little girl nodded, and Kimber crouched to allow the girl to lift the necklace over her head.

  “Thank you,” Kimber said, fingering the simple, yet beautiful creation. She pointed to the camera and gestured between herself and the children. “May I take your picture?”

  The children smiled and moved to stand together—they obviously knew what the camera was for.

  She snapped the photo and thanked them before they scampered away from her. When she looked up, Kimber found Finn watching her with a smile on his face. On impulse she lifted the camera and snapped a photo of him. He held up his hand to ward off more pictures, then pulled out his wallet to pay for the boards and logs that had been set aside. He also pulled coins from his pocket and made a show of pulling them out of the ears of the little ones before placing them in their tiny hands. They laughed in delight. The stocky man helped Finn load the wood into the bed of the truck they’d arrived in. Kimber made her way back to the vehicle, grateful that she’d seen a little slice of daily life in a place she might not have otherwise been exposed to.

  “Thank you for bringing me,” she said to Finn when they’d settled back into the truck.

  He seemed surprised. “You’re not angry you’re not in Maldives?”

  “You worked me into a trip you’d already planned. I’m the interloper here.”

  “Still, this isn’t what you’d planned. And your boyfriend must be upset.”

  “He is,” she agreed. “Gil doesn’t like surprises.”

  Finn laughed. “Surprises are why I get out of bed in the morning.”

  “The two of you couldn’t be any more different,” she said, trying not to notice how good it felt to be wedged up against him. He’d settled his arm across the back of the seat to give them more room, but it actually made for more intimate seating.

  Finn’s mouth set in a line and she realized that she might have unintentionally offended him by comparing him to Gil. “What’s on the agenda for this evening?” she asked to change the subject.

  “There’s a festival in town—I thought it would give you a chance to wear your sari.”

  “I don’t know how to wear it.”

  “I’ll help you,” he said with a grin, then wagged his eyebrows.

  She elbowed him, glad he was back to his lewd self. This Finn she could handle. It was the Finn who was building his own home, who’d taken in a stray cat and who could make children laugh that had her off balance.

  By the time the driver dropped them at the apartment, the sun was setting. Finn instructed the man to deliver the wood to the airstrip, then followed her inside. Kimber checked her cell phone and winced.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I forgot to charge the battery. Gil has probably been calling all afternoon.” From her purse she pulled out the charger and a converter, then plugged it into a wall outlet. Worry gnawed at her over the grief she must be causing him. Gil didn’t deserve to have his plans ruined.

  “It should be charged by morning,” Finn assured her. “Let’s get changed. If you don’t mind a short walk, we can skip a taxi.”

  “That sounds good,” she said, then bit her lip. “But the sari…”

  “Put on the little top that came with it, and the petticoat, then I’ll help you tie it.”

  Kimber waited for him to make a lascivious remark, but he didn’t. She escaped to the bathroom to don the thin petticoat, which was simply a long, thin skirt the same color as the length of blue cloth and fastened with a drawstring waist. A midriff-baring top in a similar color came next. She picked up the beautiful sari, which was easily six yards long, and walked out.

  To her surprise, Finn had donned a loose, white cotton shirt embroidered with geometric designs. With his shaggy dark blond hair and bronze skin, he looked wild and untamed…and incredibly sexy.

  “The shirt suits you,” she murmured.

  “Thanks.” Finn stared at her in the flimsy garments, then cleared his throat. “Now let’s get you dressed.” He reached for the blue sari and unfolded it. “The edge with the border just brushes the floor. The plain edge gets pleated and tucked into your petticoat, like this.” He folded the edge of the cloth into pleats, then tucked it inside the drawstring of the petticoat. His warm fingers skimmed her navel and stomach, sending little tremors of pleasure through her midsection.

  “Then wrap it around your waist once.” He held her gaze while he slowly enveloped her with his arms to wrap the entire length of the fabric around her.

  Kimber swallowed hard as he invaded her personal space, sliding his hands over her hip and lower back. Her skin sang where he touched her, sending alarms to other parts of her body. He smelled of sandalwood and earthy male scents, and his eyes were slightly hooded, as if he knew exactly how he was affecting her.

  “I get the feeling you’ve removed a few saris in your time,” she said wryly.

  Finn laughed, his breath fanning her cheek. He pulled the remainder of the fabric back to the front and under her right arm, then over her left shoulder to fall down her back. Then he produced a small safety pin, and Kimber held her breath while he secured the fabric to her blouse at her shoulder. Her breasts felt tight and heavy, and despite the fact that she was standing completely still, her heart seemed to be getting a workout.

  “There,” he said with a little pat, admiring his job. “Not bad at all.”

  Welling up with pleasure, Kimber brushed her hand over the luxurious fabric of t
he sari. “I feel…exotic.”

  “You look exotic,” Finn said quietly. He reached for the flower necklace that she’d set on the table next to the bed and lifted it over her head. “Perfect.”

  She smiled up at him, and the mood suddenly changed from friendly to electric. Kimber’s breath caught in her throat as Finn lowered his head. But just before his lips met hers, she stepped back. “I can’t, Finn. When I get to Maldives, my boyfriend is going to propose.”

  Finn’s eyebrows went up. “Oh. You know this?”

  “Someone close to him told me. It’s supposed to be a surprise.”

  “Well…congratulations.”

  “Thank you.” She wet her lips. “Maybe we should get going.”

  Finn nodded, then grinned. “Let’s go celebrate your impending engagement, Fancy Pants.”

  She punched him in the shoulder, but was relieved that he was back to his old self. The night air was warm and thick as they walked the few blocks to the festival. They heard the activities well in advance of seeing them. Bonfires lit the sky. Music and ceremonial dances with flamboyant costumes were a treat for the senses. For dinner, Finn introduced her to more local food—spicy fish kabobs, rice cooked in banana leaves, and pudding with fresh coconut.

  Kimber tried to forget about the near-kiss, but it was on her mind all evening. Part of her was relieved she hadn’t let Finn kiss her, and part of her longed to know what it would feel like. It was just the island atmosphere, she told herself, the spice-infused air and the fervor of celebration. It made her want to…loosen up.

  “Try this,” Finn said, handing her a cup of dark liquid that looked like soda and taking one for himself. “It’s a local drink called arrack. It’s mixed with Coca-Cola.”

  Kimber took a sip and nodded. “It’s good.”

  “And strong,” Finn warned. “Go easy.”

  But as the night progressed, the tempo of the festival increased, and the arrack went down smoothly. Her senses became keener and everything seemed bathed in a rosy glow. The sari made her feel sensual and glamorous. She swayed back and forth to the music, and when a local urged her to dance with the crowd, she jumped in, throwing her arms up and shouting along with them. She spotted Finn on the periphery and waved for him to join her. “Come on, Finn! Dance with me!”