Or maybe...oh, screw it, whatever the reason, she was going to make the best of it.
Besides, if she was off with Stuart, she’d stop thinking about Teagan and that was most important.
Of all things, she felt this odd tug and pull, which smacked too hard of yearning to be trusted.
She couldn’t actually miss Teagan.
It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours since she’d left him in that bar.
And he’d been a jerk.
A judgy jerk at that.
But he had been incredibly wonderful with her on the zip line.
It was hard not to fall just a little bit for a guy in protector mode.
When that tug became sharper, Harper pinned her hair and climbed into the shower, determined to make the most out of this unusual opportunity and to forget all about Teagan.
At least she knew if it was another zip line adventure, she could handle it without embarrassing herself.
Eye on the prize, girl. Eye on the prize.
The mantra managed to get her ready and downstairs, but the minute she stepped foot on the deck where Stuart was waiting, she realized with a start that the group included Teagan.
Suck a duck.
Couldn’t she catch a break?
Harper immediately noticed the subtle shadowing beneath Teagan’s right eye and alarm followed. What had happened to Teagan’s face? Had someone hit him? The need to know momentarily eclipsed her distress at being thrown together, yet again, but she managed to handle it before she embarrassed herself.
“So happy you could join us,” Stuart said, grinning as he motioned for Harper to join them. “I have a special treat in store.”
Forcing a smile, Harper dragged her feet to meet them. Avoiding Teagan at all costs, she looked to Stuart. “What’s going on? Your invitation was a little veiled.”
Vanessa took point. “Honey, we are going to do a little exploration, just the four of us. Stuart has arranged a helicopter to pick us up at port and take us to the Mayan ruins. Doesn’t that sound amazing?”
It sounded incredible.
But Stuart wasn’t doing it for Harper, he was doing it for Vanessa. That was plain as the nose on Harper’s face.
Did she really want to spend the afternoon watching as her dreams went up in smoke?
Really, if Stuart was into Vanessa like he seemed to be, there was no point in following him around any longer.
Perhaps she could bow out gracefully, feign an illness—Ebola, maybe?
However, Vanessa was already moving forward, like the mad current in a bloated river. Before she knew it, they were hustling off the ship and going straight to their transport.
An executive helicopter awaited them at the heliport and Harper sheepishly admitted to herself, the idea of a private tour of an ancient ruin was pretty fantastic.
Teagan’s eyes lit up with appreciation when he saw the helicopter. He said with open delight, “Gorgeous piece of machinery,” and climbed inside to chat with the pilot before takeoff.
Harper tried to ignore the tingle in her belly, but Teagan was damn sexy when he smiled with genuine happiness or intrigue. Made her want to grab his cheeks and put a kiss on those entirely too kissable lips.
Pulling her gaze away from Teagan, she drew a deep breath and followed Vanessa and Stuart into the helicopter.
She wasn’t surprised when she saw the only open seat was next to Teagan’s. Harper was beginning to suspect some amateur matchmaking at work.
Ironic.
If she weren’t so pressed to find a solution, she might’ve found it funny.
But at the moment, laughter wasn’t her go-to reaction.
Harper struggled against the urge to set Stuart and Vanessa straight about her interest in Teagan, but even as she formulated the words, she knew it would be hard to sell.
There was something about Teagan that called to her.
Last night had sucked.
Well, sleeping without him had sucked.
And that was plainly ridiculous because a) she preferred sleeping alone; and b) she’d only slept with him one night.
But the facts were hard to ignore—she’d tossed and turned all night.
Punching her pillow.
Staring at the ceiling.
Wondering if he was thinking about her.
Replaying how sweet he’d been with her.
Replaying what a jerk he’d been, too.
All those turbulent thoughts made it hard to catch a wink, which was why she could thank Teagan for the slight dark circles ringing her eyes.
They slipped headphones over their ears and the pilot started his cheery “Hi, I’m your pilot” introduction as they lifted off.
It wasn’t the first time she’d flown by helicopter but the experience never got old.
“First we’re going to give you a fun, aerial view of our majestic Mexican landscape where you’ll see waterfalls only accessible by foot, deep in the jungle. Then, we’ll head over to one of the seven wonders of the world, Chichen Itza, where you’ll get to experience the incredible mathematical genius of an ancient civilization.”
A smile found Harper’s lips as she peered out the window, enjoying the view.
“I thought you were afraid of heights?”
Teagan’s voice in her ear sent a shiver down her arms.
She glanced at him. “As long as this helicopter remains airborne, I’ll be fine.”
He chuckled and she ignored the flutter of excitement tickling her insides.
It was too easy to remember that deep chuckle rumbling through her body when she was pressed tightly against him, his hands roving, his mouth tasting.
Don’t go there. Stop it.
Harper drew a halting breath and returned to the scenery. Trees were good. Safe.
Teagan was not for her.
17
TEAGAN SHOULD’VE KNOWN Vanessa would throw them all together after their little chat that morning, but it was a little jarring to see Harper again after last night.
He felt like an idiot, sporting a shiner like a kid, but he’d be a liar if he didn’t admit seeing Harper sent wild arcs of electricity snapping through him.
His hands fidgeted with the desire to touch.
His mouth needed to be on hers.
And if he wasn’t careful, he’d be sporting a woody to go with his embarrassing black eye.
The fact that he’d gotten so blitzed last night was an indication that Harper was already under his skin.
Was fate punishing him for some crime he was unaware he’d committed?
It was true, in his youth, he’d been a little wild, but once Teagan had realized that both Carmichael brothers couldn’t run around tearing things up, he became the responsible one.
At times, the boring one.
Harper reminded him that he used to be fun.
Used to enjoy getting wild.
He chuckled to himself, forgetting that Harper could hear him. She caught his gaze and he stared at her.
The things I want to do to you...
Harper’s tongue wet her bottom lip and he had to hold himself back to keep from lunging at her and sucking it into his mouth.
Her cheeks bloomed and she quickly returned to her view out the window.
At least he could take comfort in knowing that he wasn’t alone in his feelings.
Maybe Vanessa was right; Harper was fighting her attraction to him and he needed to push harder.
It was time to get to know the real Harper...not the sex-kitten, man-eater part she played.
The trouble was...what if Harper was afraid to show him what was beneath the mask?
If Vanessa was right, maybe it was his job to show Harper with his actions t
hat she could trust him with all her secrets.
He didn’t care about her past, what mattered was the present.
If his time in the military had taught him anything, it was to appreciate the moment.
And the moment belonged to him and Harper.
But how could he get Harper to see that, too?
He wanted to show her that he saw more than the beautiful woman.
Perhaps the key to winning Harper’s trust was to ignore the physical and go deeper.
He wanted to get personal.
What was her favorite food? Did she have any family? What kind of music did she like? Turnoffs? Turn-ons? Phobias—aside from heights—and pet peeves?
Teagan wanted to know it all.
Maybe then, Harper would realize he was interested in more than her body.
It was worth a shot.
Time to show Harper that he was more than just a horny guy, interested in getting in her pants for a good romp.
If she’d let him, Teagan was willing to go all in.
* * *
SHE NEEDED AIR.
Harper’s breath quickened as she felt the insides of the chopper close in on her.
Teagan was everywhere.
The scent of his skin teased her nose.
The warmth of his solid body against her side reminded her of things she needed to forget.
The rumble of his voice in her ear turned her insides to liquid.
Just as she was about to do something irrational, such as start pounding on the Plexiglas so she could jump out, the pilot announced their descent.
She wasted no time in escaping the confined space and practically leaped from her seat once the door was open.
If anyone noticed her odd behavior, no one commented because Stuart was already talking.
“We have a few hours to explore, and then we’ll meet back here for a picnic lunch catered by a local eatery that will deliver, and then we’ll pack up and head back to the ship.”
Once Harper could breathe again, she realized why Chichen Itza was a wonder of the world.
“This is incredible,” she managed to say around her gasp. “It’s huge.”
“And they made this all by hand,” Stuart said. “The Mayans are the ancestral architects of today’s modern world.”
“This is incredible,” Harper admitted. “And kind of... I don’t know, intimidating.”
Vanessa nodded in agreement. “Glad I’m visiting the ruin and not actually taking a trip back in time. Not sure I’d enjoy the Mayan way of life.”
“You would probably be sacrificed to the Mayan Gods for your exotic beauty,” Stuart teased, and Vanessa swiped at him playfully.
Harper was too amazed by the ruins to take more than a cursory notice of Stuart and Vanessa’s cozy canoodling. She wanted to care but at the moment, she simply didn’t. The ruins had completely captured her attention.
The rock-hewn steps leading to the top of Temple of Kukulcan, or El Castillo as it was known, were protected with limited access but that was okay, because Harper was astounded simply by seeing it from the ground.
Vanessa and Stuart went hand in hand to go explore with the help of a travel book Vanessa had picked up and they were soon off doing their own thing, leaving Teagan and Harper alone.
Again.
This time, Harper noticed. “They are doing this on purpose,” Harper said with a faint frown. “We really need to set them straight.”
“Someone needs to be set straight,” he agreed, slipping his hand into hers before she could stop him. “C’mon, let’s explore.”
She should’ve tugged her hand free but it felt good to have his hand wrapped around hers. It was silly, but she felt incredibly safe around Teagan.
Emotional safety hadn’t been a luxury she could afford.
In spite of being one of the top visited places in Mexico, the crowds were thin and easily navigated as they walked around the ruins.
She’d never been particularly religious or spiritual, but it was hard to ignore the dense heaviness in the air, as if the ghosts of the past were still hanging around.
“You okay?” Teagan asked when he caught her rubbing the goose bumps from her arms.
“I know it sounds stupid, but...this place has a lot of weird energy. Either that, or it’s the humidity messing with my hair and my brain.”
She expected him to laugh or poke fun at her but he didn’t. Instead, he said, “I’ve seen too many things in my life that I can’t explain to make quick judgments about anything. The Mayans, for all their intelligence, were a brutal race. Lots of human sacrifice going on. I wouldn’t doubt there’s some residual energy floating around.”
“Really?” Harper said, smiling shyly at Teagan for not making her feel stupid. “Yeah, that makes sense.”
“Besides, it’s hard to ignore the fact that the Mayans seemed to know things they couldn’t possibly have understood given their limited technology. Either it’s supernatural or...aliens.”
Harper laughed. “Aliens?”
“Yeah, what else makes sense?”
He was joking but he was semiserious, too. That made her laugh harder.
“Hey, if you can believe in ghosts, I can believe in aliens,” he said with mock affront.
“You’re absolutely right,” Harper said, shaking her head in apology. “Who knows, maybe it was aliens.”
“Exactly.”
“All right, you were in the military—did some secret missions—is Area 51 where they really keep the alien bodies?”
Teagan sobered. “If I told you, I’d have to kill you. Classified.”
Harper laughed, enjoying their banter so much she didn’t even resist when Teagan pulled her in for a kiss.
It seemed so natural and so right to be wrapped in his arms, the sun bathing them in golden light, that she sank into his kiss, loving the way he pulled her close and held her as if she were his greatest treasure.
This was what a true courtship was supposed to feel like—heady and intoxicating—not calculated or manipulated.
“What am I going to do with you?” she murmured against his lips, fighting the smile.
“Whatever comes natural,” he suggested, but they both knew what they wanted and it had nothing to do with walking around the ruins. The moment grew dense between them until it seemed they were the only two people on the planet. Her clothes scratched against her warmed skin, as if encouraging her to do something reckless.
“Too bad we aren’t alone,” he said, dragging reality back into play. They were surrounded by people who, no doubt, wouldn’t appreciate an X-rated show while on vacation. Teagan slowly let her go but the promise in his eyes remained. Sliding his hand back in hers, he said, “Let’s check out this creepy cool place so we can at least say we’ve seen it.”
She laughed with a shaky nod. “Lead the way. I’m terrible at direction.”
“Lucky for you, I know exactly where I’m going.”
It sounded like a double entendre—it probably was—but Harper didn’t care. The giddy bubbles in her stomach were too enjoyable to stomp out.
What was one more night in the big scheme of things?
This trip was a bust. Might as well enjoy some quality sex while she was nursing her ego.
And she couldn’t imagine anyone she’d rather work out those tensions with than Teagan Carmichael.
18
HAND IN HAND, Teagan and Harper explored the ancient city, laughing and even cracking a few jokes as they marveled at the architecture and artistic expression carved from the stones.
“Everything is so masculine,” she noted, peering at the menacing open mouth of the snake carved into the base of the staircase. “I don’t see anything that I would attribute to a female infl
uence.”
“Not surprising for a people who engaged in ritual sacrifice of their enemies and sometimes children,” Teagan said.
“Children?” Harper repeated, aghast. “How awful.”
“In times of drought they often threw treasured objects into the Cenote Sagrado for the god Chac in the hopes of pleasing him. I can’t imagine anything more treasured than their kids,” Teagan said.
“How do you know all this? Are you an archeologist in your spare time?”
Teagan produced a small pamphlet from his back pocket with a grin. “I snagged this at the entrance. It’s pretty interesting. Filled with good info.”
Harper laughed. “And here I thought you were just really smart.”
“I have my moments but my Mayan history is a little rusty.”
Harper pulled the pamphlet from his hand and started reading, her brow furrowing as she skimmed the information. “Should we go see the sacrificial waters?” she asked, sending him a cheeky smile for using the brochure’s verbiage. “Sounds like a cheery place.”
Teagan grasped her hand and tugged her close. “Or we could find a secluded spot and invoke the ancient gods’ favor with a fertility rite,” he suggested with a dirty grin.
She gasped as his hand found her rounded behind. “Oh, my God, Teagan,” she squeaked with an adorable blush. “Someone could see us.”
“I don’t care,” he said, sealing his mouth to hers in a firm kiss. His tongue found hers and she didn’t hold back in spite of her supposed protests. She was taking as much as she was giving. It didn’t take long before he was near busting out of his shorts. Teagan reluctantly ended the kiss, pleased to see her lids at half-mast and her lips reddened and plump. His libido was on overdrive but he managed to throttle down, determined to show Harper that he was into more than just sex with her. “Okay,” he said roughly, “let’s find this pool of death.”
Harper laughed and followed his lead, her sunny smile lighting up his insides.
They arrived at the Cenote Sagrado and Harper was relieved to see it was roped off.
“Thank God,” she said, peering past the roped-off section to the giant, gaping maw of the cenote. “I can’t imagine being tossed into that thing to drown. How awful.”
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