The bribe of oil and filter worked and Bess turned over. With a jaunty wave to her worried aunt and uncle who stood in the doorway, she headed off for the pick-ups. Despite having been raised on island time, a tour had to run to schedule, so she gunned the engine and headed out to the highway. First stop would be to pick up two couples at The Palms then head up to Silver Sands.
A light breeze blew a few wispy clouds across the azure blue sky. It was the perfect day to tour the island. She only hoped today’s group was a little more agile. Having to hoist a few grannies into the bus yesterday went beyond tour guide duty.
The two couples she picked up at the Palms were in their late fifties. And within the first ten minutes of the drive up to the other resort she’d learned more about them than she ever needed to know. How her uncle did this day after day, year after year, she had no idea. She gritted her teeth. When had she gotten so jaded? Was it representing the scum of New York, getting known criminals off on technicalities so they could beat up little old ladies on their way home from the courthouse? Her penance should be to spend the rest of her life looking at photos of other people’s children, listening to their happy memories, never experiencing the same for herself.
By the time she pulled into the drive of the Silver Sands, she was grinding her teeth. An accident on the highway had meant a half hour delay. She’d have to apologize profusely to the group for something that wasn’t her fault. She thought about her uncle and all the work he’d put into making this company a success. Putting on her warmest smile, she prepared to mollify.
Only two men stood waiting in reception when she entered—both tall, both handsome. One had a full beard and mustache and hair down to his collar, the other clean-shaven with shorter hair and a languid smile on his face. They were definitely not the usual tour takers, and after a brief smile in their direction she approached the reception clerk. She was little more than half an hour late; surely, the whole party hadn’t given up on her. Maybe they were stocking up on bottled water or using the facilities one last time.
“Sorry I’m late, there was an accident on the road.” She gazed around the lobby again. “Where’s my group?”
“Dem dere,” the receptionist replied with a nod toward the two men, and a smile in her eyes that indicated she thought Crescy was one lucky woman.
“The booking was for nine. Where are the others?”
The not-hairy one stepped forward. He was even more gorgeous up close. Not classically handsome, he was rough and tumble with faint lines around his eyes as though he lived life and didn’t sit back and watch it. And his smile went up higher one side than the other. His light green eyes held more than a hint of mischief.
“I’m afraid we’re it.”
He was ‘it’ all right.
Chapter 2
Marcus ignored Liam’s questioning stare and shook hands with the tour guide. She was even more beautiful close up.
“I’m Marcus Sullivan.” He waited for the fan flush when she recognized his name. And waited. So, not a mystery novel fan. Well, he was supposed to be setting her up with Liam anyway. “And this is my brother Liam Manning.”
“William Manning of IWC Securities?” There was the groupie response. Marcus ignored the green-eyed devil that threatened to ruin his day while mentally recording the sensation to use later in his book. He forced his lips from their tight line and turned to Liam.
“Seems you have a fan, brother.”
Liam shook hands with the woman and Marcus stared into his eyes, trying to determine if there was a flush of desire, or even piqued interest there. “Yes, that’s me. Are you in the computer industry?”
“No, I had a boyfriend who was,” she said. “I’m Crescentia St. Ives, your driver and tour guide.”
Boyfriend…at least she’d used the past tense. Marcus glanced at her ring-less left hand as she ran it down a list of names on a clipboard. She scanned the reception area again. “We’re still missing Cynthia Davis, Leslie Perkins, Gretchen von Bremer, Hans von Bremer, Terrance Weston, Florence Weston, Destiny Fairchild and Susan Patterson.”
“Yes, they’ve all got a bad stomach so decided to stay at the resort today. Don’t worry, I told them it was non-refundable,” Marcus said. He dodged Liam’s elbow aimed at his rib cage. It probably hadn’t been the best idea to use character names from his last novel as fellow tourists.
“Oh, well, okay, I guess we’d best be off,” Crescentia replied.
As he turned to follow, Liam grabbed his arm. “You’re plotting again.”
“Shush, we’re just here to enjoy the day. Now put away your phone and paste a smile on your ugly face. I don’t want you scaring the other passengers.”
Liam flashed him a smile that would make the Joker look sane. But he pocketed his phone and followed Crescentia. It wasn’t a hardship as the rear view was almost as good as the front.
“Oh, Miss St. Ives, do you mind if my brother rides up front with you? He gets car sick,” Marcus said as they approached the battered bus. It didn’t appear it would make it to the end of the driveway, never mind a tour of the island.
“Please, call me Crescentia. And I guess it would be okay, but you have to wear a seatbelt in the front seat.”
“Not a problem,” Marcus said for his brother, ignoring the death glare he was getting from Liam.
He ducked through the side door of the van and smiled at the two couples already there. After brief introductions, he sat in the seat directly behind Crescentia so he could keep an eye on Liam. He knew his brother was likely to zone out the minute they hit the road and never see one of the sights or even appreciate the beautiful woman beside him.
Sure enough, they were on the road five minutes and Liam was sound asleep in the passenger seat. When Marcus had woken in the night, as he often did, he noticed his brother out on his deck, hunched over his laptop, the eerie glow of the screen reflecting on his face. If Liam didn’t slow down he’d be the one in hospital next. It was no use trying to wake him now as they drove along the highway, slowing for animals and children who wandered onto the road with apparent disregard for their lives.
“So, Crescentia, how long have you been a tour guide?” It would be helpful if he could give his brother some basic information during their first stop, save him all the mindless chitchat. Not that Liam indulged in chitchat anyway.
“My uncle has run this tour company for the past twenty years,” she replied. That was about the age of the van. Although immaculately clean, there were some definite rattles and creaks, which weren’t normal in any moving vehicle.
“And you’ve worked for your uncle since?” He noticed she cleverly deflected his question.
“I’ve been back on the island for two weeks. My uncle is ill at the moment so I’m helping out. You don’t need to worry. I’ve taken this tour thousands of times with him. I know all the stops and could run through the itinerary and fascinating facts in my sleep.”
“Oh, I wasn’t worried. So, if you’ve only been back for two weeks, where do you normally live?” Her accent wasn’t as pronounced as most islanders. She spoke almost with precision, as though she was trying to disguise her island roots.
“New York,” she said curtly. “Ladies and gentlemen, we are now coming into Castries, the largest city and capital of St. Lucia…”
She went into her tour guide monologue and Marcus sat back in his seat, letting her melodious voice flow over him. He had to stop himself from leaning closer, trying not to inhale too deeply her faint scent of jasmine and vanilla. It wouldn’t do for him to be lusting after the woman who he hoped would one day be his sister-in-law. Their family was broken enough as it was with his mother and father not even speaking to each other, and Liam caught in a loveless limbo.
Twenty-eight years ago, when their mother brought Liam home from the hospital and virtually abandoned him in his cot, Marcus promised to love and care for his baby brother. He was the one who cuddled and sang songs to the baby, showering Liam with love, even thou
gh Marcus was only six years old at the time. His mother blamed Liam for the destruction of her marriage, when it was her affair and not the resultant child that had sent Marcus’s dad packing.
Without a father or interested mother to love Liam, Marcus took over the role of protector. As a teen he’d even run from his school to his brother’s at the end of each day to stop bullies from beating up little Liam. His brother had grown up and could fight his own battles now, but the years hadn’t changed anything else. He would do anything for his baby brother, including holding back on a desire for the luscious woman in the front seat.
She kept up her recitation of the history of Castries and the buildings, monuments, and public spaces they passed. Many of her statements punctuated with a blast of the bus horn, proving her credentials as a local driver.
After crawling through the city, they arrived at Morne Fortune, a hill from which they could view the city and harbor below. Crescentia pulled the van to a stop but kept the engine running.
“You can jump out and take some photos, if you wish,” she said, still using her tour guide voice.
The two couples climbed out of the vehicle and aimed their cameras at the view.
“Are you going to wake him? He’ll miss the best bits.” She nodded at Liam.
Marcus repressed a shiver at the husky timber of her words. “Nah, let him sleep. I think he was up all night working. The man doesn’t know the meaning of vacation.” He hoped to at least engender some sympathy toward his brother.
She glanced over at Liam before turning her attention back to him. “Don’t you want to take some photos?”
So much for his cover of taking the tour to see the sights. “Oh, yeah. Be right back.” He rushed out of the van, bumping his head on the door as he exited. He snapped a couple random photos with his camera. It was meant to be a gift to the nurse who said her son was interested in photography. He’d have to remember to wipe the photos from the memory card before he gave it to her.
When he turned back to the van, he saw Crescentia stretching. Her arms above her head, back arched, her breasts thrust from her chest. He swallowed and swayed as all his blood raced to his groin.
Damn, this won’t be easy.
Maybe he should wake Liam up to see what he was missing.
There was no way he’d be able to sleep with such a hot woman next to him. He didn’t sleep much anyway with the stimulants he had to take to keep his heart beating. With a luscious woman like Crescentia in his life, he could probably quit the drugs entirely. Except it wouldn’t be fair on her, or any other woman for that matter.
***
Crescy rolled her head on her neck trying to ease some of the tension. Her stress level, however, had nothing to do with the tour, or the traffic. Or the worry if she turned off the van it would never start again—yet at the same time she was burning through gas unnecessarily, adding to the cost of the trip. All that was icing on the cake compared to the muscle spasms she experienced trying not to react to the hot guy sitting behind her.
She didn’t know what kind of aftershave he was wearing, but it should be banned. It was citrusy and spicy, and made her want to lick him all over. Maybe she’d been too long without a man. Perhaps she should go out tonight and have some fun. Except she had the uneasy feeling forgetting Marcus Sullivan and chatting up some other guy wasn’t going to be easy.
Marcus Sullivan and Liam Manning were in her van! She had no idea what a millionaire and billionaire were doing taking a crappy tour of the island. At least they weren’t acting like rich snobs; they were actually rather entertaining. Well, Marcus was. Liam had fallen asleep almost immediately.
She’d recognized Liam as soon as she’d seen his face. Her ex-boyfriend talked about him, saying how he was revolutionizing the Internet security field. Marcus’s name had bugged her for a few minutes until she remembered one of her colleagues talking about his books. No way was she going to give him the pleasure of mooning over him. He probably had enough of it already. Besides, Crescentia St. Ives didn’t fan girl. Not in public anyway.
She did lust after a good body and a great face, and Marcus Sullivan had both. In spades. And probably even better in the buff. She cranked up the air conditioning and directed the airflow onto her face. This was going to be one hell of a long day.
While her passengers returned to their seats, she rehearsed the next historical soliloquy. Usually, she could give them in her sleep, but Marcus’s presence was throwing off her whole cool, calm, and collected vibe. She was right back to her first day flying solo in court, except this time she didn’t have ten years of someone’s life riding on the competency of her performance.
With everyone loaded she reversed the van, wincing at the grinding in the gearbox as she tried to find first gear again. Finally, the gear engaged and she pulled out into the traffic. Drawing on all her professionalism, she gave an abbreviated version of the tour monologue and pointed out the most prominent buildings they passed. Hopefully, the guests wouldn’t demand a refund. She couldn’t wait for the break at Marigo Bay. She needed a cold drink.
When they stopped again, Liam’s eyes fluttered open. They were deep and brown, like rich, melted chocolate. She could see his appeal, and it had nothing to do with his bank balance. But it was incomparable to his brother’s magnetism. Marcus had green eyes that with one look could convince you to do something entirely against your character—and enjoy it. As the man in question exited the van, she sucked in a breath. Damn right she’d enjoy it, but she had a job to do. Clamping down on her desire, she shut off the engine with a silent prayer to the deity of automotive reliance that it would start again.
Marigo Bay was usually her favorite stop of the day. The beauty of the harbor, surrounded by palm trees and steep hills, the serenity of the boats bobbing in the water, somehow gave her comfort. It reminded her of when she was young and her mother would hold her, stroke her hair, and sing songs to her.
“Crescentia, how long are we here for?” Marcus appeared out of nowhere and she dropped the keys.
She bent to pick them up and admired his long length as she did. Not a hint of fat covered his lean body and she bit her bottom lip. Not long enough. “Usually ten minutes or so, enough to take some snaps and buy a drink if you need it. With such a small group our time is pretty flexible, so if you want to stay longer I’m sure that can be accommodated.”
“No, ten minutes is good. Can I get you a drink?”
“Thanks. I’ve got mine with me.” She went around to the back of the van and opened the rear doors. She unearthed the cooler from under a pile of blankets. Grabbing an ice cold water from within, she drank it in one go. It did nothing to cool her.
Two hours later, Crescy admitted to herself she had one very bad case of the hots for a guest. She wasn’t interested in a relationship. Crescentia St. Ives didn’t do holiday affairs. Repeat after me. Then again, Crescentia St. Ives hadn’t met Marcus Sullivan before. And she wasn’t after an affair.
Just an itch that needed to be scratched.
***
“What the hell do you mean you’re leaving?” Marcus rounded on Liam. His brother had been distracted and distant all day. Any attempt Marcus had made to get Liam and Crescentia together ended in disaster. It was almost as if his brother was deliberately avoiding the beautiful woman.
“There’s been a hack somewhere sensitive and they need me to see what’s been compromised and create a patch right away,” Liam said.
“And no one else can fix it?”
Liam didn’t even bother looking smug. “Nope. They’re sending a plane. I should be back tomorrow night.” His expression changed to one of concern. “Will you be all right? I know I promised this vacation would be just you and me, a chance to…well, you know. But this is an emergency, and we can stay two or three days longer if that makes it up to you.”
“Go, Liam. I’m sure I can manage for two days in an island paradise without you holding my hand. I probably won’t even notice you’re gone.”
Liam laughed, yet there was still a hint of regret in his eyes. “You will be careful, won’t you, Marcus? Don’t do anything that will—”
“Shut up, I’m not a baby,” he said just as Crescentia came near.
“Miss St. Ives, can you call a taxi to take me to the airport in Castries?” Liam asked.
“Yes, of course. Is everything okay?” She glanced between him and Liam.
“It’s fine. He’s been called back to work,” Marcus replied. He didn’t want her to think the tour was boring and his brother was ditching it. Perhaps once Liam returned they could get together for dinner or something. Maybe charter a boat and moor it in the Marigo Bay harbor. He’d seen a hint of longing cross Crescentia’s eyes when they’d stopped there.
She picked up her cell phone and made the call while Liam rescued his laptop from the back of the van.
“You got the AED with you?” Liam asked when the taxi pulled up next to the van.
“Yes, Mother. God, it’s going to be good to get away from your nagging for a few days,” he said.
Liam pulled him into a tight hug. “Give me a break. You’re all I got, have to look after my assets.”
The taxi arrived within minutes. With a pat on his brother’s back, he let him go. After a final wave to Liam, Marcus turned around to see Crescentia leaning against the van, staring at him.
“You’re very close.” The rest of the group was wandering the market stalls, so it was only the two of them left.
“He’s the most important thing in my life,” Marcus said. “I’d do anything for my little brother.”
“Well, seems to me he’s pretty self-sufficient.”
“Self-sufficient and happy are two different things.”
She pushed away from the van. “Don’t you want to do any shopping?”
“Not alone. Will you show me the best things to buy?”
A wicked smile creased her lips. “Of course.”
Miss Guided: a Guide to Love novella Page 2