“Turn around,” Valentin instructed.
She heard him squeeze a liberal dose of lotion into his hand, then felt the cold shock of it as he stroked it across her skin. The cold shock was rapidly replaced by the warmth of his palms as he firmly rubbed the lotion over her back and shoulders. When he got to the small of her back she drew in a sharp breath. That area had always been particularly sensitive for her and judging by the way his fingers lingered there, he remembered just what it did to her inside. After several taut minutes, he passed the tube over her shoulder.
“My turn,” he said.
She swiveled around and took the tube from him, reluctantly meeting his gaze. There was an imp of mischief gleaming behind his blue eyes that tugged at her. He’d never shown a playful side of himself before. Everything about their last relationship, from their dangerous location and the risks involved with that, to the seriousness of his work and their own massive emotional highs followed by the deepest low of her life, had been borne on a power of emotion that had been exhausting at times. There’d been no time, no chance in that very different world, for flirtatiousness or fun. Given the contrast in their circumstances now, she found herself beginning to look forward to the rest of this week and dreading it a little at the same time. What if they failed again? What if this week simply proved the only thing they had in common was sex? That wasn’t basis enough for marriage or a family. They’d already proved that.
Imogene gestured for Valentin to turn around, hoping he wouldn’t see the turmoil that churned inside her. The moment he presented his back to her she went to work, squeezing lotion into her hands and then massaging it into his broad, strong back. Her palms tingled at the touch. It had been so long, too long, since she’d touched anyone else like this and that it should be him... Well, that just made the experience all the more acute. Even though she thought she’d pushed all those memories into a dark place in the back of her mind, never to be taken into the light again, she still remembered him so well. Every line of his body. The dips, the hollows. Where he liked to be touched. Where he was ticklish. It was too much.
She gave him a slap on the shoulder. “That’s it. I think we’re covered.”
“Thanks,” he said, his voice rough.
“You okay?” she asked.
“Just a little uncomfortable,” he admitted. “Only to be expected.”
He turned to face her and her eyes dropped immediately below his waist where evidence of his discomfort disturbed the line of his swim shorts.
“Oh, I see,” Imogene said, feeling an answering surge of need swell through her body.
“It’s okay, Imogene. Just because I said we shouldn’t have sex while we work this out doesn’t mean I won’t desire you. It also doesn’t mean there’s any pressure on either of us. Just think of it as a normal healthy response.”
“Normal, huh?” She looked down again, then back up to his face. “If you say so.”
For a moment he looked surprised, then his face split in a grin before a chuckle rose from deep inside. Imogene felt her lips pull into an answering smile before she slipped past him and out to the covered patio, where she grabbed a couple of towels and headed down toward the gleaming white sand. That laugh, and the pleasure of seeing the sheer joy on his face, reminded her starkly of all they had missed together, of all that they had never had. Her eyes blurring with unexpected tears, she dropped the towels and her wrap on a hammock conveniently strung between two tall palms and carried on to the water’s edge.
It was just tiredness that was causing this stupid reaction, she told herself as she looked across the lagoon. Behind her, she heard Valentin’s rapid approach. She didn’t have time to think before strong arms lifted her in the air and his forward motion propelled them both into the sea. She squealed just before they went under, feeling a brief moment of panic before she realized the water was warm and clear and she could easily touch the sandy floor.
Pushing herself upward, she let the water course from her face as she eyed her laughing husband.
“You looked like you needed a bit of help getting in,” he said by way of explanation, but that mischief she’d spied earlier belied his so-called helpfulness.
“Thanks,” she said wryly. “Sometimes I guess you just need to take a leap of faith, right?”
His eyes grew serious. “Yes,” he answered. “Like we did yesterday. A leap of faith is exactly what we need, Imogene. Faith in each other.”
With that, he turned away from her and struck out with strong strokes toward the reef. Imogene watched him swim. Powerful, purposeful. Pretty much how he’d always done everything in his life when she’d known him. He seemed to believe they’d be okay, but as she started a gentle breaststroke through the water, staying nearer to the shore, where she felt comfortable, she still wasn’t convinced. The specter of their past still stood like an unresolved invisible wall between them. Until she could believe him, wholeheartedly, it would always remain.
* * *
For the rest of the day they swam, ate and napped. The threatened storm hadn’t yet appeared, so when it was time for dinner they elected to eat down on the sand by candlelight with the night breeze blowing past them and sand at their bare feet. The scent of frangipani wafted down from the garden and the palm fronds whispered constantly on the wind.
“What would you like to do tomorrow?” Valentin asked as he topped up Imogene’s glass of champagne.
“I wouldn’t mind seeing around the island. You know, get our bearings. What about you?”
“Sounds fun. I’m happy doing whatever you want.”
“Valentin, this isn’t just about what I want.”
There was a note to Imogene’s voice that struck a warning—some of that he put down to the sheer exhaustion she had to be feeling in the aftermath of their wedding and the travel. And even though they’d had a pretty easy day so far, he, too, felt tired tonight. But for the rest, he recognized immediately that she didn’t want to be pandered to. He chose his next words carefully.
“No, I understand that,” he answered with a smile. “Don’t think you’re going to get everything your way.”
He got the response he’d hoped for when she gave a small laugh.
“Well, that’s good to know, I think.”
After dinner they got out one of the island maps that was tucked in a visitor guide on the coffee table inside the house and pored over it. After some discussion, they chose a few places they wanted to stop during their circuit of the island and marked others to visit on another day. They both agreed a week was probably not long enough for them to see everything they wanted, but they’d hit the highlights and play the rest by ear. By the time Valentin saw her to her room, and to bed, they were both dragging their feet.
“Sleep well, Imogene,” he said, leaning forward and placing a gentle kiss on her cheek.
“You, too.”
He waited until she closed her bedroom door behind her and turned to his own room. He stood in the center of the floor for a moment, his hands fisted at his sides, willing his body to release the sexual tension that had gripped him all day. Today had been an exercise in torment. Whether it had been applying sunblock to Imogene’s back or simply watching her swim or snooze in a hammock, he’d wanted her with an ache that verged on desperation. No other woman had ever had this effect on him and, he was certain, no other woman would. He had to earn her wholehearted trust back. He’d been given this second chance to make it work and he’d better not screw it up.
Which brought him back to the conversation he’d had with Galen about Carla. He’d have to tell Imogene at some stage about the other woman being on his staff, but he didn’t think his honeymoon was the right place or time. No, he’d wait until they were home and in a routine. When they were feeling more comfortable together again instead of walking on eggshells and rediscovering their way with each other.
Which in t
urn brought him back to the one thing that had remained constant between him and Imogene through the seven-year absence they’d had from each other. The one thing that had brought them together in an incendiary conflagration to begin with—the overpowering strength of their attraction. Was it any wonder their relationship had burned up the way it did? Emotions had been high, passion for each other even higher. In some ways he’d resented that at inopportune moments in his workday, his thoughts would turn to Imogene, or what they’d done together the previous night. Their relationship had been a puzzle to him and his ordered mind from day one, but he’d been unable to resist the attraction despite every logical part of his mind urging him to take things slowly and to tread with care. It didn’t matter which way he dressed it up or tried to ignore it, then or now. He wanted her on a level that even he, with all his education and experience in life to date, could not quantify or explain. The only thing he could do was accept it and roll with it. No matter how much discomfort it left him in.
* * *
The next morning they elected to use the scooter to get around the island. Despite the heat that already stuck their clothes to their bodies, Valentin couldn’t help feeling scooters were a vastly underrated method of travel because having Imogene plastered to his back, with her arms tightly wrapped around his waist as they drove on the island roads, was something he decided he’d like to get used to. Even with the cloying humidity that hung in the air after a heavy morning shower, he relished the feeling of her body pressed firmly against his. He was equally glad the low speed limit on the island ensured their trip took longer than he’d expected.
After a short ride, they strolled around the main center and a large colorful market before stopping for lunch at a restaurant overlooking the harbor. The place thronged with people from all over the world, judging by the accents and languages they heard on the air, but overlaying everything was a sense of relaxation and casualness that left them both unwinding by degrees.
“This is some place, isn’t it?” Imogene said as she watched a bunch of kids playing in the water.
“It sure is. Are you enjoying yourself so far?”
“Yeah,” she said after a minute. “I am. It’s been good to relax and kick back. I guess I didn’t realize how tense I was before the wedding. Things have been really busy at work. I decided to take a step back from the active management of my company and get back to my roots as a teacher, but it’s meant a huge amount of work. More than I imagined, to be honest. And when we get home it’ll ramp up again when I start interviewing for my replacement as CEO.”
“I heard you’d remodeled your company to create a franchise-based operation.”
He watched as her eyes brightened and her face became animated as she explained the reasons behind what she’d done and how she’d put the new structure in place. It only increased his admiration for her. He’d never really understood her on this level before, but now, hearing her talk about her work like this opened up another window on the woman he’d remarried.
“My mother can’t understand why I’d want to go back to teaching. She sees it as less important than being in charge of a company.”
“Education, especially early education, is vital. If we can’t teach kids a love of learning from their early days, it makes life more challenging for everyone as they grow up.”
“Exactly. It’s why my centers focus on finding out the best way for individuals to learn. Not everyone responds to the same style. And that’s something I’ve really missed since I’ve been out of the classroom. Plus, I want a better work-life balance. I don’t want my kids being raised by strangers while I pursue the next dollar. That’s not what’s important to me.”
He loved listening to her speak so animatedly and wanted to know more.
“And your family? Are they excited for you with the changes? They must be proud of all you’ve achieved.”
“Oh, they don’t care one way or the other. Dad’s attention is pretty much solely on his work and Mom is very busy with her charity committees. My work is peripheral to their interests.”
She said the words lightly but he could hear the pain that lay beneath them. Valentin sensed the disconnect in her family was far wider than she’d let on. Her father hadn’t even been there for their wedding, and while her mother had made the effort to be supportive, Caroline O’Connor had clearly thought the whole concept of marrying at first sight to be a ridiculous way to approach a marriage. She certainly hadn’t looked any happier when she’d realized her daughter wasn’t marrying a stranger after all, and had remained coolly civil when conversing with him at the reception.
“You’re not close?” he probed.
“I’m closer to my mom, but not to my dad. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I’m sure he loves me in his way, but he’s never been a hands-on parent. That’s something I am determined to be and it’s one of the reasons I restructured my company. I want to be there for my kids. For everything.”
“We agree one hundred percent on that,” he said, reaching across the table to take her hand.
The idea of them starting a family together filled him with a hope and excitement he hadn’t expected.
“Good to know,” she answered, tugging her hand free after a moment. “You lost your dad a while back. Do you have many memories of him?”
“I do, and good ones. He made an effort to be there for Galen and me. I get the impression that Mom was the rule maker on that issue because his work could easily have consumed him. Either way, until his heart attack he was a constant in our lives, even if he did struggle a bit with my incessant need to learn and understand the why of everything.”
She laughed. “I’ve had kids like that from time to time. They’re a challenge, all right. But they push you to be a better teacher in the long run.”
Valentin looked across the table at her and smiled again. “Your classroom kids will be very lucky to have you back teaching.”
“Thank you,” she said. “That’s one of the nicest things you’ve ever said to me.”
He felt a jolt of shock. “Is it? Then it’s something I definitely need to work on. You’ve a special talent, Imogene. I’m glad you’re chasing your dream.”
She looked a little flustered by his compliment and swiftly turned the attention back on him. “And you? Is Horvath Pharmaceuticals your dream or do you miss practicing medicine?”
“Yes and no. Working as a trauma surgeon was rewarding most of the time but there was always a disconnect between me and the people I treated. While I was saving lives, I was only the first port of call in what was often a long journey for them. It didn’t bother me so much at first but as I’ve grown older I guess I’ve been looking for something different, something more, in my life. And when I looked at the work I was doing in Africa and the things that so often prevented us from making a lasting difference, I began to see where I might make a significant contribution. We were always hamstrung by a lack of supplies and medications to treat even the simplest of issues. Things that we take for granted that we can and will be treated for here. I went there to make a difference but what I did barely scratched the surface.
“When I returned home it only felt natural to go into the company business and work to try to make those vital medications more accessible for others. Not just overseas but at home, as well. The red tape can be suffocating at times but I like to remind myself that I’m making a difference in improving people’s lives and life expectancies.”
The waiter chose that moment to bring their orders to the table, interrupting him. As soon as the guy had left Valentin felt as though the closeness that he and Imogene had begun to share had changed. Had it been his mention of Africa? Probably. He gave himself a mental kick and slowly turned their conversation to more general matters, exhorting himself to be more careful in the future. This relationship of theirs was a fragile thing and needed careful tending.
And the more time
he spent with Imogene, the more he knew just how much he wanted their marriage to succeed. The thing was, did she? Was she as invested in trying to make this work and going past their three-month trial period, or was she simply marking off the days on the calendar? She wasn’t as easy to read as she used to be and the realization troubled him more than he wanted to admit.
Six
Imogene lay in her tangled sheets fighting to get to sleep. The past six days had been incredible. Fun, even. It wasn’t what she’d been expecting. Oh, sure, the physical attraction they’d always shared had simmered between them constantly. Even flared up a time or two in a way that had made her wish that one of them, at least, would do something to relieve it. Should she be the one to take the initiative? she wondered as she flopped onto her back and stared at the ceiling.
Of course not, she told herself. They had an agreement. They’d get to know each other better before taking that step. But then why did her body continually ache for his touch? Why did she wish he’d take her hand as they strolled along the beach, that he’d kiss her as the sun set so gloriously, painting the sky with shades of purple and apricot and blush pink until the dark velvet of night consumed it all? Aside from those times when he helped her with her sunblock, he barely touched her at all.
She rolled onto her side and sighed heavily. Even though they were trying to get to know each other, they only hovered on the surface. It was as if they were each so determined not to cross any lines that they were almost being too careful, too respectful of each other’s space. She sat up with a growl of frustration and pushed her sheets off. Maybe a nice cool swim in their pool would help, she decided.
She reached for a bikini, then looked at the glowing face of the digital clock at her bedside. It was 2:00 a.m. She was hardly likely to be observed by anybody else at this time of night, and with her nerves stretched to breaking point the idea of the silky soft glide of the pool water against her naked skin sounded like just the balm she needed.
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