Summer Vows

by Rochelle Alers

  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 week 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.

  As if choreographed in advance, they turned and faced each other. A gentle smile lit up her eyes when she gazed into those of her husband. Even being addressed as Mrs. Jones didn’t sound as strange as it had three days ago. If given a choice she would’ve hyphenated her last name. But that was beyond her control, and she realized Diego had her listed as Ana Jones instead Ana Cole-Jones because the name Cole would’ve raised a red flag.

  Jacob ran a finger down the length of her nose. “You know this is going to change everything.”

  “The only thing that’s going to change is our having sex. Everything else will remain the same.”

  Unconsciously his brow furrowed. “What about our marriage?”

  A sweep of lashes concealed Ana’s innermost thoughts. “There will be no marriage once we go back. I’ve accepted why Diego wanted us married, but I refuse to let him or anyone else determine my destiny. I will marry whomever I want whenever I want, n
ot because someone else deems it.”

  “Even if your life depends on it?”

  Ana’s eyelids fluttered. “Yes. As the youngest of four I spent years fighting to be my own person. It was never Jason and Ana, but always the twins. Do you have any idea how aggravating that can be?”

  “No, baby, I don’t. I’m not a twin.”

  She rested a leg over Jacob’s. “Please don’t get me wrong. I love Jason, but it gets a little tired when we’re lumped together in the same breath.”

  “Like peanut butter and jelly, ham and eggs, and mac and cheese?”

  “Exactly.”

  Jacob pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Don’t worry about it. You’ve proven you can roll with the best of them. A lot of men can’t do what you do and become successful.”

  “Why does it always come down to gender? If I were Clive Davis or David Foster no one would bat an eye, but because I’m a woman the spotlight is always there. As long as we’re in the kitchen or bedroom, barefoot and pregnant, all is right with the world. But, if we dare step out of place or get out of pocket we’re nothing more than a bitch.”

  Jacob’s mouth touched hers. “That’s enough beating up on yourself, baby. You’re an incredible woman and if a man doesn’t recognize that then he’s a fool.”

  Ana kissed him, the touch of her lips as light as the brush of a butterfly’s wing. “You’re so good for my ego, m’ijo.”

  “I don’t want to be good for your ego, but good to you.”

  She smiled. “You are. You turned out to be a much better husband than I would’ve imagined.”

  His eyebrows lifted. “You had your doubts?”

  “Initially I did. You were such a grouch.”

  “No!”

  Ana giggled like a little girl. “Yes. But you managed to redeem yourself once I became Mrs. Jones.”

  “I told you the Jones men make good husbands. We support our women, protect them and remain faithful.”

  “I suppose I couldn’t ask for more. We should—” Ana’s words died on her tongue when Jacob flipped her over on her back, straddling her.

  “No, you can’t.”

  The sunlight coming in through the specially made glass and the sheer netting draping the bed wouldn’t permit Ana to see Jacob’s eyes clearly when he stared down at her. He’d awakened her mind and body to a rushing, heated desire that intensified whenever they shared the same space. The reality that he was a stranger, a stranger with whom she’d shared a bed and married had kept her from opening her heart to him. Always the realist, she knew they were playing a game that would end the moment the person responsible for wanting her dead was apprehended. There would be just right now for her and Jacob rather than a happily ever after.

  She gasped again, this time when his erection brushed her inner thigh. At that very moment Ana wanted to surrender all she was and all she had to him. She clung to him, his touch warm and comforting. And when his mouth moved lower to her breasts she arched off the bed, swallowing the moans welling up in the back of her throat.

  Ana clutched Jacob’s shoulders tightly, pulling her lips between her teeth as he began his exploration. She tried but couldn’t stop the whimpers and breathless moans when his mouth staked its claim on the soft, wet folds of her sex. Her head thrashed back and forth on the pillow as his tongue swept over the tiny bud of flesh in a flicking motion. It sent explosive sensations throughout her body, rocking her womb.

  Jacob knew Ana was close to climaxing; he stopped and slipped on the condom. Spreading her legs with his knee, he penetrated her newly awakened body. Her moan of pleasure pounded the blood in his head, and he forgot everything. He forgot his marriage to Ana was one of convenience and why they were living on Cannamore Cay. There was only Ana Jones.

  He felt her tight flesh stretch to accommodate his tumescence, then it closed around his swollen penis, holding him fast. His groans matched hers when they moved together, quickening and slowing until they established a rhythm that made them one.

  Sliding his hands under her hips, Jacob pulled Ana even closer, she rising to meet his powerful thrusting, matching the fury of desire that threatened to devour them whole. Without warning, desire, passion, possession and need collided in a fireball of ecstasy that shattered them into infinite pieces and left them struggling to breathe.

  Tears leaked from Ana’s eyes, sliding down her face and into the pillow under her head. Her heart felt as if it was going to burst from the most exquisite lovemaking she’d ever experienced in her life. It was as if her body had been dormant, waiting for someone to awaken her to the pleasure poets waxed about since the beginning of time.

  She presented Jacob with her back to keep him from seeing her tears. Making love had changed her. As much as she didn’t want to admit it, Ana was falling in love with her husband.

  Chapter 12

  Ana slipped her feet into a pair of strappy black patent-leather stilettos. It was Friday—date night at the couples-only resort. She’d chosen to wear a body-hugging, sleeveless sheath dress with alternating bands of black and white with an asymmetrical neckline.

  Peering into the full-length mirror on the door of the armoire, she checked her face. A dusting of bronzer, a coat of mascara and cherry-red lipstick highlighted her eyes and mouth. Using her fingers, she fluffed up her short curly hair. The day before, she’d utilized the services at the on-site spa for an exfoliating facial, mani/pedi and full-body massage. Jacob had made his own appointment for a haircut, shave, manicure and pedicure. Instead of joining the other couples for dinner, they’d elected to call room service. After a sumptuous assorted cold fish entrée with marinated veggies and mineral water, they retired to bed and made love as if it would be the last time.

  Ana still couldn’t believe how easily she’d fallen into the role as Jacob’s wife. They could not have been better suited if they’d had countless rehearsals. His reflection appeared in the mirror behind her. Jacob had selected a pair of black dress slacks, black shirt and pale gray jacket. She smiled; he’d exchanged his predictable sandals and running shoes for a pair of black imported slip-ons.

  “My, don’t you look handsome.”

  He moved closer, circling her waist with his arms. “And you look delicious. Would you mind giving me a little sample of your goodies before we leave?”

  “No!”

  Jacob tightened his hold around her waist when she attempted to twist out of his embrace. “Why are you being so stingy?”

  “I know you, Jacob. A sample will end up with us spending the night in bed and missing date night.”

  He pressed a kiss to her ear. “Don’t tell me you’re going to deny your husband his conjugal rights.”

  He loosened his hold and she turned around, meeting his eyes. Nearly four inches of heels put the top of her head at his nose. There was something about his cropped hair and clean-shaven face where he appeared younger, almost boyish. But Ana knew there was no boy in a man who was licensed to carry and discharge a firearm in the line of duty.

  “If Diego hadn’t bribed some court clerk to make up that license you would have no conjugal rights.”

  Jacob’s impassive expression did not change. “Are you that certain he bribed someone?”

  Ana sucked her teeth. “I wouldn’t put it past him. I told you he isn’t that far removed from my grandfather when it comes to getting what he wants.”

  Jacob’s hands moved up, cradling her face. “Whatever he did is something we will not speak of again. Do I make myself clear?”

  Her eyes grew wider when she realized he was chastising her. “Do not speak to me as if I were a child.”

  “I know you’re not a child,” he retorted between clenched teeth.

  “Then don’t treat me like one.”

  Jacob opened his mouth to read Ana the riot act, and then thought better of it. He didn’t want to cause a rift in their fragile relationship by trading barbs. He doubted whether Diego would risk bribing a court official for his own benefit. It wouldn’t be
the first time people had married in absentia, and it definitely wouldn’t be the last. It would be similar to Ana giving another person power of attorney to make decisions on her behalf.

  He’d been just as surprised as Ana when Henri handed him the license and rings. What he did know about his godson’s father was he would do anything within his power to protect his family. And Jacob knew it had exceeded the bounds of friendship when Diego had entrusted him with Ana.

  “If you were a child I never would’ve made love to you,” he said instead. Ana’s mouth opened, but no words came out. Smiling, he cupped her buttocks, pulling her close, her breasts touching his chest. “Are you finished primping, m’ija?”

  For a reason she couldn’t fathom, Ana knew she couldn’t stay angry with Jacob. Just when she thought she was going to verbally spar with him he switched gears, shutting her down. And it was impossible to argue with herself.

  Resting her hand on his shoulder, she leaned in even closer. A smile played at the corners of Jacob’s mouth, bringing her gaze to linger there. Choking sounds came from his throat when she cupped his groin, increasing the slightest pressure until he grew heavy in her hand. “Play with fire, m’ijo, and you’ll get burned,” she hissed.

  Jacob didn’t know whether to laugh or yell at Ana for giving him a hard-on. He picked her up instead and swung her around and around until she pleaded with him to stop. If he’d acted on impulse he would’ve stripped her naked and made love to her until she pleaded with him to stop.

  “I warned you about teasing me,” he said, glaring at her.

  “I’m sorry.”

  Jacob slowly let her down until her feet touched the floor. “No, you’re not.”

  “Yes, I am, mi amor.”

  “Am I your love, Ana?”

  She picked up her small evening bag off the nightstand. “Of course you are,” she said glibly, winking at him over her shoulder. “I married you, didn’t I?” She walked out of the bedroom, leaving Jacob staring at the seductive sway of her hips and sexy legs in the heels.