A Venture of the Heart (Silver Bay Book 1)

by Amelia Judd

  He raised an eyebrow.

  “What? It could happen,” she said on a quick bubble of laughter.

  “Are you a fan of pirates?”

  “I admire their spirit of adventure.”

  “Seriously. You?” Pax asked, a smile playing around his lips.

  “Don’t sound so surprised. People often appreciate qualities in others they lack themselves. Take you for example. Right now, you probably admire people who remember to take their clothes off before swimming.” She patted the spot next to her. “Care to join me?”

  Pax sighed and lifted himself out of the lagoon. Water streamed down his face and his muscles contracted in effort. When he positioned himself next to her on the ledge, his size immediately overwhelmed the intimate space.

  His sun-warmed skin smelled amazing. She drew in a long breath of him, and her gaze dropped to his mouth. His full, wet lips were parted slightly and only inches away. If she tipped her head and leaned closer, she could taste him. Her pulse kicked up, and her breathing grew heavy. She wanted his mouth on hers—had never wanted anything so much.

  She licked her lips and raised her gaze to meet his. The undeniable desire burning in his eyes made her breath still. He leaned closer, and she groaned.

  “Sage?” He breathed her name, a warning in the low, sexy tone.

  The tone triggered a memory from the past. A memory of that night by the pool. A memory of craving Pax’s touch more than air. A memory that ended in equal amounts pain and embarrassment.

  Rational thought broke through the surreal scene and screamed at her to stop. No way would she let sexual desire control her.

  “I have a boyfriend,” she croaked.

  Pax’s body, no more than a second away from touching hers, stilled and his expression hardened. He gave a nearly imperceptible nod and leaned away.

  Good. She felt relieved. Right?

  “To be honest, boyfriend is a little inaccurate,” she said, filling the silence before it became too awkward. “We’ve only gone out a few times, but he’s got promise. He’s a banker. So that’s nice. I mean, he’s responsible, which is nice. And other things too, of course. Like, um, punctual, logical, stable.” Holy buckets, she couldn’t seem to stop the ridiculous flow from spewing. “And he loves Wisconsin. We both want to put down roots there. We’re a smart match,” she added weakly before clamping her lips shut in a pained half-cringe, half-smile combo.

  “Smart match?” he asked, his expression flat.

  “I’ve seen what happens when boyfriends are chosen for the excitement they offer in the present. I plan for the long run instead, and Will is a good fit for my future.”

  “Will?”

  “William Pembrock, that is. Well, the son, not the father.”

  “From the bank?”

  “You know him?”

  “Oh, yeah,” Pax said with a humorless smile. “My dad loves him.” He scrubbed a rough hand down his face. “Let me get this straight. You’re dating the guy who has final say over my loan?”

  She nodded.

  “So that makes kissing you an even worse idea,” Pax growled, frustration edging his words.

  Before she could respond, he started for shore, swimming directly through the cascading water. Sage knew building a secure future required self-restraint, and she’d just been strong enough to stop trouble before it started. She should be giddy with pride. Or at least relieved she’d been able to resist temptation.

  But did she feel either proud or relieved? No. Instead, her stupid heart squeezed with an emotion that felt suspiciously like disappointment.

  Chapter 6

  It quickly became evident Pax planned to tiptoe around her for the rest of the afternoon.

  Which was fine by Sage. She didn’t want to think about—much less talk about—their near kiss.

  Not long after the ill-advised waterfall stop, they met up with Brick who seemed unaware of the thick tension and limited communication between her and Pax. Thankfully, Brick carried the conversation for the remainder of the excursion. By the time Sage sat with the guide in the Land Rover returning to La Vida in the late afternoon, she’d heard more than a dozen stories of his adventurous life. Not that she believed even half of what he claimed was true. Brick obviously thought embellishment and good storytelling went hand in hand.

  Sage didn’t care if he exaggerated. Brick’s story of skiing off a mountain cliff and avoiding death by grabbing the uncovered roots of a native tree had been a welcome distraction. Like a superhero movie, it simply required a willing suspension of disbelief to enjoy Brick’s tales. Plus, his easy manner and talkative personality had allowed her to keep her distance from Pax.

  “And that’s how I ended up exploring the Daintree Rainforest for a week with Carter O’Reilly. You know the movie star in all those action films? Real nice guy. Kinda misunderstood though.” Brick finished his latest story as he pulled the SUV to a stop in front of the resort. “Here we are, ma’am. Back at La Vida, safe and sound.”

  “Thanks, Brick.” Sage shot him a weak smile, gathered her backpack, and bolted for the hacienda.

  Pax had followed behind in his own vehicle, and he could be pulling up at any moment. She rushed into the hacienda, planning to head straight through the building for the path by the pool. She hoped to make it back to her villa before he could inform her of the next adventure he had planned for her.

  Raised voices stopped her in her tracks. A peek through the arched opening to the kitchen showed Susanna pointing an accusing finger at Logan as she charged toward him.

  “I lost a pastry chef because of you!” Susanna yelled. “Again!”

  “Come on, darl, don’t be mad.” Logan backed away from the chef, both hands extended, palms out in an I-mean-you-no-harm gesture.

  “Don’t you darl me, Logan McCabe. Now who will make the croissants every morning? Who will make the desserts every evening?”

  Brick joined Sage in the kitchen’s doorway just as Susanna let loose with a string of Spanish delivered at a speed well beyond Sage’s limited ability to comprehend. Apparently, she should have taken another year of Spanish in college. Then again, judging by Susanna’s tone, Sage doubted Señora Pineda would have covered the type of words the chef was currently yelling at Logan.

  “She sounds really ticked,” Sage whispered to Brick.

  “Logan hooked up with the little lady who did all the baking. ’Cept Logan doesn’t stick with any lady for long. She quit when he broke it off.” Brick shrugged. “Problem is, he did the same thing a couple of months ago, so Susie is pretty steamed.”

  Susanna stood toe-to-toe, or rather nose-to-chest, with the Australian, her brown eyes blazing. “I swear, Logan, the next time you don’t keep it in your pants, I will cut it off!” She punctuated her words with a chopping motion with her hand before storming through an opening on the other side of the kitchen.

  Pax appeared in the arched doorway beside them. Sage felt the familiar sizzle of awareness even before he spoke.

  “Go calm her down,” he instructed.

  “Okay, I’ll try,” Brick answered, looking unsure.

  “Not you.” Pax shot a look at Logan. “He’s the one who seems to think his sex life is more important than his job.”

  “Don’t worry, mate.” Logan slapped Pax on the shoulder. “I’ll take care of it.” He winked at Sage, then headed in the same direction as Susanna.

  “I better make sure she doesn’t kill him,” Brick said, following after them.

  Pax blew out a breath. “Do I even want to know what kind of impression we’re making on you?”

  Sage bit back a grin. “I like them.”

  “They’re a pain in the ass.”

  “Aren’t all families?”

  He snorted. “Good point.”

  •••

  A plant shelf? Unbelievable! What type of evil sadist had designed this bathroom?

  Hot water beat down on Sage as she stood immobilized in her shower staring in horror at the plant
-filled ledge above her bathroom door. She’d been so busy scanning the floors and walls for reptiles yesterday and again today, she hadn’t noticed the artistic niche that provided the perfect location for a reptilian ambush.

  Awesome.

  She rolled her eyes and tried to relax. After returning from her horseback-riding excursion that day, she’d avoided Pax by having dinner delivered to her room again. She would have preferred to avoid her jungle-loving shower as well, but she didn’t want to go to bed smelling like a horse.

  Sage had been doing okay and almost enjoying the shower when she’d noticed the plant shelf above the door. Now every time she walked into her bathroom, she had to worry about a slithering snake pouncing onto her head.

  Holy buckets! Something had moved up there.

  Without taking her eyes from the plant in question, she turned off the shower, grabbed her towel, and secured it around her body with a knot above her breasts. Unless she wanted to scramble over the unfinished wall of her shower, the door directly under the ledge provided her only way of escape. Should she hurdle the wall, tiptoe quietly from the bathroom, or make a run for it?

  A little green head with two beady eyes peeked through the leaves at her, and her feet made the decision for her. She bolted out of the shower, through her bathroom, and straight out of the villa’s front door into the moonlit night.

  Dripping wet and panting, she stood on the wooden deck. She took a number of deep breaths, and then for good measure she took a few more. Just as she started to regain control, the image of those shallow, soulless eyes flashed in her mind, sparking an involuntary leg kick and a whole-body shiver. “Stupid gecko!”

  “Need any help?”

  Sage yelped at the sound of Pax’s voice. Of course he’d be the one to see her here, looking like a fool. She raised her head to find him no more than twenty feet away, grinning at her. When she looked closer, she realized it was more than a grin—the bastard was fighting back laughter.

  “Nope. I’m completely fine.” She’d be damned if she would ask him to save her. “Just enjoying that little extra touch of nature your resort provides.” She clenched her teeth as she slicked her soaking hair from her face.

  This time he did laugh, a deep bark of laughter that shot off annoyingly attractive golden sparks in his liquid brown eyes. He walked up the steps to her villa, still grinning as he strolled past her and through the open door. When he returned a few minutes later, hands cupped together in front of him, she instinctively shied away. With a casual grace, Pax leaned over the railing of the deck and released a small green lizard onto the branch of a tree.

  “Your little visitor is harmless. See, he’s gone now.” He stepped closer. “Susanna said you had dinner delivered to your villa again. I thought I should check to make sure everything is okay.”

  “I’m fine,” she lied. “I have some work to catch up on, that’s all.”

  He looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “Alright. Then I’ll let you finish your shower.”

  “Wait.” She shot her arm out like one of those little exit gates at a parking garage, but she misjudged her aim. Her hand landed on his rock solid chest. Right about nipple level, in fact.

  For a very long second, they both froze.

  Then she ripped her hand away. “I’m sorry... I mean, thank you. Thank you for getting the lizard. Not thank you for letting me cop a feel.” She cringed, seemingly powerless to stop the nervous rambling. “Not that I meant to cop a feel, that was an accident. Sorry for that. And thank you for the lizard. Yep, thank you and sorry. Oh, and I hate that stupid shower.” She bit down on her bottom lip to physically prevent the ridiculous spew of words coming from her mouth.

  “You’re the one who inspired the open concept.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “The night by the pool—when you insisted on a shower before you swam—you told me you loved showering surrounded by nature.” Pax’s voice was as thick as smoke. “I never forgot it.”

  Sage drew in a sharp breath and felt the knot on her towel slip loose. A strangled sound escaped her throat as she grabbed the fabric an instant before their little encounter earned an R rating. She clutched the towel hard. His gaze dropped to her fisted hand, and his eyes went dark.

  “I’m as bad as Logan,” he mumbled.

  “What?”

  “Nothing.” He shook his head and turned to leave.

  “Thanks again for the rescue.”

  “Any time.”

  “It won’t happen again,” she murmured to herself, pushing back a wave of desire when her wayward gaze dropped to admire his very fine butt as he strode away.

  The memories he’d brought up from the past had triggered a crystal-clear solution to her current problem. She needed reinforcements, and she knew just who to call.

  Chapter 7

  “Wow! This place is gorgeous. I’m glad I brought my big suitcase. I just might stay awhile.”

  At the sound of her best friend’s voice in the hacienda’s lobby, Sage sagged back in her chair in relief. After the charged incident with Pax the evening before, she’d called Katherine Bennett, and her wonderfully impulsive friend had arrived in less than twenty-four hours.

  Okay, she’d fibbed a little to get Kat there so quickly. Telling Pax’s sister that he really seemed to miss his family and that it would be a great (big!) surprise for him if Kat came to visit was a dirty trick to play on Pax. But desperate times and all that. Sage needed a buffer for the remainder of the week, and vivacious Kat fit the bill perfectly. Plus, Sage hoped the trip would be good for Kat who’d seemed distracted and a little lost ever since quitting her job in DC and moving home with her parents five months ago.

  “I’ll be right there,” Sage called toward the lobby as she lowered her laptop’s screen and quickly gathered the papers spread about the table in front of her. Since breakfast, she’d been studying La Vida’s financial records in Pax’s office. After the dubious horseback riding excursion yesterday, she needed both time and space from Pax while she waited for the cavalry to arrive.

  After a quick review of the records, any concern she’d harbored that Pax’s resort would prove to be financially unsound disappeared quicker than her first cup of morning coffee. Over the past five years, La Vida continually showed strong, reliable profits—most of which had been reinvested back into the resort.

  If Pax had more money to put down on the loan, his request would be a no-brainer. But she understood why the bank was hesitant to hold the vast majority of the mortgage. If Pax grew tired of La Vida, he could walk away with little to no financial loss. In her gut, she knew he’d never do that, but she doubted the bank would ignore its own safety measures on account of her gut’s opinion.

  Pax loved this place. He’d be crushed if he had to let it go. And what would that make her if his loan was denied? The evil stepmother of the banking industry? The destroyer of dreams?

  “What a mess,” she muttered, shaking off the ominous thought as she headed to the lobby and hugged the petite brunette standing in the doorway. “Kat, I’m so happy you’re here. I hope it wasn’t too difficult to get away on short notice.”

  “No problem at all.” Kat hugged her back. “I quit. My boss was a jackass anyway.”

  Horrified, and a little impressed, Sage stepped back and gawked at her friend. Leaving work early on a Friday made Sage nervous. She would never be able to quit a job without having an even better one lined up. “You quit? What did you say?”

  “I said the job blowed and that he was a terrible boss. I threw in a few curse words for good measure,” Kat said with a grin. “But I know you don’t like it when I swear, so I’ll stick to the edited version for you.”

  “I don’t mind if you swear within reason. I only cringe when you make threats that aren’t physically possible to follow through on.”

  “But those are the best kind.”

  “Just try to behave around Pax, okay? He seems a little stressed right now.” Sage hoped sh
e hadn’t made a mistake by inviting Kat. Even though her friend only reached a couple inches over five feet and a few pounds over a hundred, her powerhouse personality made her a force to be reckoned with.

  “Where is Pax?” Kat’s gaze swept the lobby, interest lighting her blue-gray eyes. “You know he’s going to freak when he realizes a beloved member of his family has invaded his private oasis. We’ve all wanted to land an invitation for years, and he’s always missed our subtle hints.”

  “I don’t know how to break this to you, Kat, but you’ve never, ever been subtle. I’m fairly sure he ignored all of your not-so-subtle hints.”

  Kat tossed a smug grin over her shoulder as she glided through the lobby on light feet.

  All the Bennetts moved with an inherent feline grace. Pax stalked like a predatory big cat, bringing to mind a sleek, muscular jaguar. Petite Kat’s fluid, agile manner more resembled a lynx.

  “I still can’t believe he’s trying to buy this place,” Kat said. “I always thought he’d eventually move back to Silver Bay.”

  Sage shrugged. “He seems to love it here.” She walked to the hand-carved bar that held carafes of iced juices, water, and tea. She poured two iced teas and joined Kat on the tiled deck surrounding the pool.

  They sat at a sunny table between the hacienda and the pool. Two other guests—a middle-aged couple in coordinating floral swimwear—were sunning on lounge chairs near the end of the infinity pool. Across from them, a woman with pixie-cut gray hair sat at a table with her feet kicked up, eyes focused on her e-reader. The rest of the guests were either on excursions, at the beach, or enjoying their own private villas.

  La Vida’s records showed it ran at near-full capacity all year. When you combined the resort’s spacious grounds with the fact that only sixteen guests could stay there at a time, it never felt crowded. Instead, Sage felt like she was the personal guest at a friend’s tropical paradise. Since Pax and the other employees obviously considered La Vida their home, her impression seemed close to the truth.