by Skylar Ward
“You have a point there,” Ace agreed.
“Only one?”
“I don’t say it often enough,” Ace said, “this place is a testament to all your hard work. Thank you!”
“Keep the praises coming. I don’t mind hearing them.”
“Don’t push it.” Ace chuckled. “I pay you to do a job, and I expect you to do it.”
Someone knocked on the door.
“Either my food is here, or Efia,” Ace said. “Either way, I have to go.”
“Before you leave, get some water activities in.”
“I intend to,” Ace said and ended the call. He tossed the phone on the chair and headed for the door.
<>
Efia removed her iPad from its waist holder. To say she was excited to receive the message alert was an understatement. She read the message and frowned.
“Stop by when I am available? Is this man crazy? Doesn’t he know this is my job? Of course, I am available.”
Efia’s steps hastened as she made her way to the Fiesta Villa. When she neared the building, she noticed the sign was no longer on the door. Pleased the offending note was gone, she grinned from ear-to-ear.
What’s taking him so long? She raised her hand to knock a second time.
The door opened.
Efia’s eyes dropped to Ace’s bare feet before moving up his legs and over his torso, finally landing on his face. He has kissable lips.
Ace stared blankly back at Efia.
Sheepishly, she lowered her eyes, banishing the thought. “Good afternoon. How are you?”
“Great,” Ace said, stepping aside. “Don’t just stand there, come on in.”
“Have you eaten breakfast?” Efia asked, entering the villa.
“No. I ordered lunch, it should be here shortly. Why don’t you join me? There is always enough for at least three people.”
I am starved. “Thank you,” Efia replied.
“That should be it.” Ace said after someone had knocked on the door. He opened the door, and the waiter wheeled in the food cart.
“Where do you want me to set this up?” the waiter asked.
“Efia?” Ace said.
“Over on the veranda is fine, Max,” Efia replied.
Max, a lanky, twenty-something-year-old redhead, winked at Efia as he made his way through to the veranda.
“After you,” Ace said.
“Thank you,” Efia responded.
While Efia and Ace sat, Max set the table before removing several platters from the rolling cart. Spicy aromas filled the air as he lifted the covers off the serving dishes. Max wasted no time preparing plates of conch fritters, dipping sauce, Bahamian-style Macaroni and cheese, golden, crispy French fries, and garden salad. With a selection of wine and soft drinks to choose from, Ace opted for red wine while Efia settled for the BaHaMaS GOOMBAY PUNCH.
“We can take it from here,” Ace said to Max. “You don’t have to wait around.”
“If you need anything else, hit me up on the iPad,” Max said.
Efia smiled and waved as Max left the room.
Chapter 10
Efia dunked a piece of conch fritter into the dipping sauce and popped it into her mouth. “Humm, this is good.”
Heat spread through Ace’s body as he watched the display in silence and his lower half pulsed with excitement. Surprised by his body’s response, he attributed the awakening to pent-up emotions and the relaxed island’s atmosphere. Powerless against his growing desire, Ace dropped his eyes from Efia’s mouth and drew his chair closer to the table.
He cleared his throat. “What made you choose a career path in the hospitality industry?”
Efia sat up with her back ramrod straight.
Seeing Efia switched into interview-type mode made Ace smile. When she folded her hands in her lap, the urge to tell her to relax was tempting, but his desire to get a glimpse into her life and to know all her quirks took precedence. Ace placed a piece of fritter into his mouth and waited.
“My undergraduate’s degree is in Hospitality and Tourism Management. My friend found out about this job. We both applied and here we are.”
“Sounds like a special friend.”
“I would say so.”
“I guess Max feels the same way you do,” Ace said, stunned by the annoyance in his own voice.
Efia squinted. “Who?”
“Max ... the waiter.”
“Max is my co-worker. I met him here.”
A genuine smile tugged at the corners of Ace’s lips, her response had satisfied him more than it should have, and he knew it.
“My apologies,” he said. “You two seemed very friendly. I assumed …”
“It’s okay, don’t worry about it,” Efia said, accompanied by a dismissive hand wave. “When you are on an island far from home, it is best to get along with everyone.”
What the hell am I doing? Ace chided himself as he felt an unmistakable pull toward the young woman sitting across from him. Efia was an employee, she was off-limits. Even during his single days, he had made it a personal rule to never mix business with pleasure. Furthermore, he hadn’t come to Calico Cays Resort in search of female companionship. He could have easily gotten that back in Massachusetts. Ace inhaled deeply, inviting Efia to share a meal was turning into a stress inducer, her aura threatening to engulf him.
“That’s a wise approach,” Ace finally said when he realized that Efia was staring at him.
She smiled, seemingly content with his response.
Smooth melted chocolate, Ace thought as his eyes danced over her flawless arms, face, and neck. The type of extravagant chocolate that is savored and never shared. Ace continued to eye Efia, and she returned his appraisal without batting a lash. Whatever was happening between them, he sensed she felt it as well. And it seemed to be bigger than either of them. Finally, Ace turned his eyes away, reminding himself she was far, too, young to be in his thoughts.
“Do you like the conch fritter?” Efia asked.
“Oh, yes, it’s magnificent.”
They resumed eating lunch in quiet. During the comfortable silence, Ace thought of his wife and child and the love he would forever carry deep within his soul for the pair. He knew his heart wasn’t prepared to love anyone else. In fact, he was doubtful he could ever love another woman. However, thanks to the young woman sitting across from him, he was confident that he was ready for female companionship, or at least his body was.
“Are you from New York?” Ace asked, breaking the quietness.
“Yes, the Bronx, but I was born in Africa. My parents came to America when I was four-years-old.”
“Which country?”
Efia laughed. “Ghana.”
Ace smiled loving the sound and the way her eyes seemed to disappear when she laughed. “What’s so funny?”
“You are one of the few people who seemed to know that Africa is not one big plot of land. You should hear some of the silly questions people often ask me.”
“And those questions upset you?”
“Sometimes,” Efia admitted.
“You shouldn’t allow it,” Ace said seriously. “Most people don’t have a clue who their senators are, let alone the geography and history of another country.”
“I never thought of it like that,” Efia said. “It’s no excuse, but it makes sense.”
“I take it this is your first time working away from New York?”
“Yes.”
“You are some distance from home, no?”
“I imagine so are most of the other workers here,” Efia said matter-of-factly.
Efia Kwateng has an edge. Ace popped a French fry into his mouth and smiled as he admired the natural ease with which she carried herself. At that instant, her apparent lack of experience and age difference disappeared. To Ace, she seemed like one of his peers.
Efia sliced a piece of her tomato, placing it into her mouth. A little juice escaped and ran down the corner of her lips, dripping further. She snaked her
tongue out and quickly gathered it up.
Ace grabbed a napkin and covered his mouth. Does she know the havoc she is causing?
Efia grabbed a bottle of water off the table, twisted the cap off, and handed it to Ace. “Drink this.”
Ace’s inner voice prompted him to put an end to lunch and send Efia away. He ignored the warning and took the bottle, dutifully drinking the entire thing.
“Do you feel better?” she asked.
“Yes. Thank you.”
Several minutes later, Ace asked, “Is working here living up to your expectations?”
Efia chewed and swallowed. “I didn’t have many expectations coming here. I only knew that I wanted to get away from home and experience life.”
Ace raised his eyebrows, surprised by her honesty.
“I wanted to acquire as much experience as I could,” Efia said hurriedly. “My goal is to be in management. And I need to get my own apartment.”
“With your determination, you will be a part of the management team in no time.
“The company is large,” Efia said. “I have many options.”
Ace nodded, impressed that she had done her due diligence. “Sounds like you have it all figured out.” he stabbed a conch fritter with his fork. “Just a word of advice, if I may?”
Efia shrugged.
“Don’t be in such a hurry to leave home, you might end up settling for a lot less than you would if you were fully prepared.”
“I am prepared,” Efia said forcefully. “I will be 24 on December 10th, my goal is to have a place by then.”
Sensing that Efia didn’t care for his advice, Ace lifted his wineglass, raising it in the air. “To you, Efia Kwateng, may your wishes become a reality.”
Efia lifted her glass of punch, clicking it to his. “Thank you. From your lips to the man upstairs’ ears.”
“Do you come from a large family?” Ace asked.
“Just me and my parents. We have a large extended family back home, though. What about you?”
“I have a younger sister.”
Efia sipped her soda and eyed Ace from beneath her long lashes. “You were in a somber mood when you arrived. Now, you seem to be in a better place.”
Discussing his grief with anyone other than his immediate circle was new territory to Ace where he hadn’t yet figured out the lay of the land. To give himself time to come up with an appropriate response, he picked up his glass and swallowed its content. He took the wine bottle from the bucket, removed the cork, and filled the glass. In the end, he merely said, “I lost my wife and child.”
“Oh, my God!” Efia said. “That is tragic. How?”
Ace took a gulp of wine. “Let us not talk about that.” Even to his own ears, his voice sounded harsher than he had intended.
“I am sorry.” Efia’s eyes darkened. “It is none of my business, I should not pry.”
Bastard! his inner voice screamed. Hoping to ease Efia’s discomfort, Ace responded, “Let’s hurry up and finish our lunch. I want to get a bit of sunshine in before the sun goes down.”
“Sure.” Efia wiped her mouth and rose from her seat.
“You can’t be finished,” Ace said. “You still have a lot of food on your plate.”
“I think my eyes were bigger than my stomach.”
Ace frowned, suspecting she wasn’t truthful. Why should I care? he mentally questioned himself. It’s her business if she wants to starve herself.
Chapter 11
An hour later, Efia stood at the shoreline in a white one-piece swimsuit and female board shorts—the mandatory attire for resort employees. Unable to keep her eyes off Ace, she held her breath each time he dove into a wave, exhaling when he reappeared.
Her heart somersaulted as she recalled the way Ace had scrutinized her over lunch. His gaze so intense, she could have sworn he was able to read her thoughts—thoughts of him. Although she was no expert on relationships, she was no fool, either. Deep within her soul, she suspected Ace felt the connection between them.
What connection?
“He did, I know he did,” Efia whispered, refusing to give into her negative internal voice.
“Come on in,” Ace shouted. “the water is warm.”
Happy to put an end to her internal conflict, Efia shouted back, “I don’t think so. There’s no back door.”
“What?”
The vision of Ace, emerging from the ocean with his hair tapered to his scalp and water dripping from every inch of his somewhat bare frame, almost sent Efia into hyperventilation.
“Nothing!” Efia said, breathlessly as her eyes meandered from Ace’s shapely calves to his flat stomach, narrow hips, and masculine shoulders, culminating at his handsome face.
As Ace drew nearer, Efia’s small, rounded breasts strained beneath the swimwear, and her lower region pulsed with eagerness.
“Are you all right?” Ace asked, a smile teasing the corners of his lips.
“I am fine.”
Ace leaned his head to the right and shook water from his ear. “What is this about the sea and a back door?”
“My mother’s friend always says, ‘The sea doesn’t have a back door.’”
Ace laughed at the idiom. “I am not familiar with that expression, but it makes perfect sense. Perhaps I can change a few words and come up with the business community’s next catchphrase.”
“Don’t forget to give credit where credit is due,” Efia said.
“Never,” Ace replied, pinning Efia with his stark blue eyes.
Unable to stand his scrutiny, she averted her gaze and pretended to brush something off her thighs.
A lazy smile lifted the corners of Ace’s lips. “Let’s get you wet. We can stay close to the front door.”
“I am holding you to it,” Efia said, chuckling at his amusing response. She gazed at the water. “I guess it won’t hurt to wet my legs.”
“Come on.” Ace held his hand out to her. “You can hold onto me, I won’t let anything happen to you, I promise.”
Her hand disappeared into his proffered hand, the contact sending her heart into overdrive. She inhaled deeply and patted her chest, hoping to stop the palpitations, or at the very least slow them down.
“Aren’t you going to take your shorts off?”
Efia shook her head. “Company’s policy.”
“Ready?”
“I don’t want to go too far, okay?”
“You are safe with me,” Ace said, leading her into the ocean. “I will protect you.”
With the water barely above her calves, Efia stopped, forcing Ace to do the same.
Ace lifted her chin. “You can trust me, don’t be afraid.”
A wave rose up and rolled toward them. “Oh, uh,” Efia stammered.
When it broke apart a few feet away, Ace held her close to his side. “Let us go a little bit further.”
Efia still wasn’t a fan of the ocean, but she was a fan of Ace Davenport. She trusted him. He could have taken her to the middle of the sea without a life vest, and she would have gone. As they ventured further, she felt the water rise further up her body.
She pointed. “A big wave is coming.”
“Good.” Ace swooped her into his arms. “Put your arms around my neck.”
Efia hesitated, momentarily, until Ace lowered himself into the surf, and the water reached her throat. She wrapped both hands around his neck, loving the feel of his big, protective body.
“Doesn’t that feel good?”
“It-is-okay,” Efia stammered. “Another wave.”
Ace crouched lower into the wave, and Efia’s hands tightened around his neck.
“Here is another one,” Ace said. “Do you want me to go lower?”
“No, no, this is good enough.”
After several minutes of dipping in the ocean, Ace craned his neck back, gazing up at the sky. “We should call it quits for the day.”
Disappointed, Efia hands fell from his neck.
“Don’t let go, I will
carry you.”
“Thank you,” Efia spluttered, her body quivering with desire from his closeness.
Wishing she was his sophisticated equal, Efia filled her memory bank with the feel and scent of his body for the lonely nights after his departure. When Ace placed Efia on her feet, she wobbled, missing the security of his strong arms. Ace held her around the waist, steadying her.
“Are you going to be okay?” he asked.
“I think so.” Efia grabbed her towel. She shook the sand off and patted the excess water from her body as Ace watched in silence.
Finally, he picked up his towel, hanging it around his neck. “Walk with me.”
Efia tied her towel around her waist and fell into line beside him.
Ace moved around Efia so that he was between her and the ocean. “I want to apologize for earlier.”
“You don’t have to apologize to me.”
Ace stopped walking. And Efia did likewise.
A strained expression covered his face. “I do. You did not deserve my surliness.”
Hearing the sincerity in his voice, Efia offered him one of her sweetest smiles.“In that case, apology accepted.”
Ace glanced away, and they resumed walking. “My wife’s name was Jodi.” He dragged a hand, nervously through his hair. “She died during childbirth. The doctors said it was from an amniotic-fluid embolism. Our daughter’s name was Emma Francis. She died three hours later.”
“When?”
Efia caught herself. The last thing she wanted to do was dwell on Ace’s grief. He had already done a two-hundred and seventy-degrees turn since his arrival at Calico Cays Resort—and that was where she preferred to keep him.
“You don’t have to answer,” she said.
Ignoring her statement, Ace replied, “Three years.”
“Your wife must have been an extraordinary person,” Efia said. “My best friend’s mother died, and her father found another woman in a little over a year.”
“She was,” Ace said. “I loved her very much. We were married for two years.”
Jealousy sliced through Efia like a sword, only to be replaced with a feeling of guilt. She lowered her head. “I am sorry for your loss. Hopefully, you will find peace shortly.”
“Hopefully,” Ace said, staring off into the distance.