by Joanna Neil
‘I know.’ The words came out in a muffled tone. She was conscious of the heat from his arm gently seeping into her, and as he moved closer, she felt the brush of his long body next to hers. It was a good feeling, that warmth of human contact, and it occurred to her that it had been a long time since she had known such tenderness. She had a strange yearning to lean against him, to have him hold her and comfort her, but that would never do, would it?
This was Jake, a man she had known for barely two weeks, and instinct told her that she ought to be keeping him at arm’s length. It was a pity her heart wasn’t listening. Instead, it was beating out its own erratic rhythm, and seemed to be recklessly bent on overriding common sense.
A soft breeze stirred the air, and she looked out over the water. Moonlight glittered on its surface, beautiful in its serenity.
‘Are you cold?’ Jake asked, and she was suddenly reminded that they were standing out here on the dock, with her wearing little more than a cotton shift.
She shook her head. ‘No, but I should go and put something on—a robe, or something.’
His mouth curved. ‘You don’t need to do that on my account. I’m perfectly happy for you to stay as you are… You feel very soft and cuddlesome to me, and you look like an angel, a dazzling, white angel who makes the moonbeams dance on the water.’ His eyes gleamed in the darkness. ‘Which reminds me…I came here to ask if you would come and join the party… There’s dancing, friendly people, and lots of good food and drink to warm your soul.’ He looked at her intently. ‘What do you say? Will you come?’
She shook her head. ‘I can’t. It’s late… I’m not dressed.’
‘Late doesn’t matter, does it? After all, you don’t have to be at work till lunchtime tomorrow, do you? You said you were on the late shift all week. And as to being dressed, much as it goes against the grain to suggest altering what’s perfect already, we could soon rectify that, couldn’t we?’
He started to turn her around, and began to walk her towards the house. ‘It really doesn’t matter what you wear. You’ll look gorgeous in anything, so choose whatever takes your fancy—maybe something cool and partyish.’
‘I haven’t said I’ll come to your party,’ she objected huskily as he urged her into the house, his arm still draped around her shoulders.
‘Then I’ll stay here with you and abandon my guests for even longer than I have done already. It will be all your fault when they say I’m a bad host.’
She gave him a look from under her lashes. ‘Am I supposed to worry about that? Your problem is, you haven’t learned to take no for an answer.’
He nodded. ‘You’re absolutely right.’ He halted at the foot of the stairs, leaning negligently against the newel post. ‘So what’s it to be? Am I staying the night?’ He paused, reflecting on that for a while. ‘Actually, come to think of it, it seems to me that’s much the better option.’ Flame darted wickedly in his eyes.
‘Oh, you’re impossible.’ She turned away from him and started up the stairs, but then she swivelled around and held out a forbidding hand as he made to follow her. ‘You stay there,’ she told him.
‘Are you sure?’ He gave her an innocent, wide-eyed look. ‘I thought you might need some help deciding what to wear.’
‘I’m quite sure.’ Her blue eyes sparked a warning, and this time he paid heed, holding up his hands in mock submission.
‘Okay, okay. I get the message.’
‘That’s good.’
Lacey started to climb the stairs once more, but in the background she heard his plaintive voice muttering, ‘She doesn’t like me a bit… She doesn’t trust me…yet here I am, innocent as the day…’
‘Innocent as an alligator on the prowl,’ she retorted without looking back, and was rewarded with a soft splutter of laughter.
She dressed quickly in a simple, pencil-line dress made of a soft jersey fabric that clung to her figure like a second skin. She felt good in this dress. In delicate shades of blue, it enhanced the colour of her eyes, and lent her confidence. It had a V neckline and was waist cinching, and the bodice was embellished with a smattering of sparkling diamanté.
When she went back downstairs just a few minutes later, she found Jake was waiting for her in the hall. As she approached, he simply stared at her, an arrested look in his eyes, as though he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He gave a soft gasp of appreciation.
‘You look fantastic,’ he said, his gaze drifting over her. ‘Like the girl of my dreams… I want to scoop you up and keep you all to myself.’
‘Sorry. That’s not an option.’ She smiled. ‘Besides, you said yourself that your guests will be wondering what’s happened to you.’
‘Maybe…but I left the caterers in charge. They’ll see to it that no one goes hungry or without a drink.’ He was still gazing at her in an enthralled fashion. ‘Perhaps the party was a bad idea. It would be so much easier to get to know you better if we were to stay here.’
‘On your way, neighbour,’ she told him in a firm voice. ‘You railroaded me into this, and you promised me food and drink… Besides, I have to confess I’m dying to see what your house is like inside. What I’ve seen from a distance looks magnificent, like a millionaire’s retreat…all those different elevations and those landscaped acres. Even the pale sunshine colouring looks good, with the white deck rails and tiled roofs and awnings. I’m intrigued to know what the rest of it looks like.’
‘Then it will be my pleasure to show it to you,’ he said. ‘Though I don’t think you need to feel envious in any way. The place you have here is just lovely—a lot smaller than mine, I grant you, but perfect for a couple, maybe, with a small family.’
He sent her a glance as they left the house and started out along the dock. ‘Have you thought about selling up and finding yourself another place nearer to the hospital, or closer to your sister? I mean, you have no real reason to stay on here, do you? And Rob said you were hoping to meet up with your sister again soon.’
Her brow knotted. ‘No, I hadn’t thought about it at all. I’m still coming to terms with the move out here, and this was the natural choice of where to stay.’
He nodded. ‘I can see how you would need time to acclimatise yourself. But if you ever do decide you want to sell up, I would give you a good price for the property.’
She looked at him in astonishment. ‘Why on earth would you want to buy the place? Don’t you have enough room to rattle about in already?’
He smiled. ‘It’s more about the land… I’d like to extend the dock, and build a marine basin… And then there’s the orange grove at the back of the property. I already grow oranges, limes and grapefruit, but with your land added to mine I could do it on a commercial basis. There’s always a market for fresh fruit or fruit juices.’
They were approaching his property by now, and she frowned, studying him briefly in the glow of lanterns that were sited at strategic intervals all around. ‘I think you’ll have to look elsewhere for any business opportunities,’ she told him. ‘I have good memories of the house from when it was a family home, and I don’t believe I’m ready to sell up. I’m just getting used to being here, and the familiarity helps.’
He nodded, but his eyes had darkened a fraction as though he was disappointed by her response. ‘Well, the offer will still be there if you change your mind.’
He ushered her along the sweeping, wide drive that led up to his house. The gardens were beautifully landscaped, with palm trees making striking silhouettes against the skyline. Bougainvillea shrubs provided glorious splashes of colour along the curving borders, their heart-shaped leaves and flowers enclosed by scarlet bracts. Oleander vied for room with a variety of herbaceous plants, the dark green leaves a rich contrast to its delicate yellow and white flowers. Here and there she saw breathtaking clusters of orchids peeping through the display, and above all there was the delicate perfume of frangipani, filling her senses with all that was tropical and exotic.
‘I’ll fix y
ou a drink and then introduce you to some of the people here,’ Jake murmured, his hand resting lightly on the small of her back. ‘Mostly they’re friends, or business acquaintances of my father, and some are people I know from Miami. I think you’ll like them.’
He showed her the bar, set up in a corner of the terrace, where a waiter was mixing cocktails for anyone who cared to try them. ‘How about a Florida Sunrise?’ Jake suggested.
‘I don’t think I’ve ever tried one,’ Lacey said. ‘What is it?’
‘It’s delicious… It’s made by pouring a dash of grenadine into the bottom of a glass—that’s a syrup made from red currants and pomegranates—then you add crushed ice, pour in Bacardi rum and top up with orange juice. I think you’ll like it.’
‘Sounds good to me,’ she agreed, and when she sipped her drink a moment later she was pleasantly surprised. ‘This is really great.’
He smiled. ‘Trust me,’ he said. ‘I won’t steer you wrong.’
She looked into his eyes and wondered if that could be true. She simply couldn’t work him out. In truth, she might be here in body and spirit, but her mind was still trying to fathom his surprise offer to buy her house. Rob had been right when he’d said that Jake was eccentric. You never knew what to expect from him.
He introduced her around, as promised, but did it en route as they explored the house. Everyone was friendly, intent on having a good time, and after a while Lacey began to relax.
She was fascinated by this glimpse into the way he lived. The kitchen was superb, richly fitted out with warm-coloured mahogany cupboards and wall units, mostly glass fronted, and the whole was finished with gleaming granite worktops. There were built-in ovens and appliances made from stainless steel and dark glass, and at one end of the room there was a corner sink unit. The opposite corner was made up of a wall of glass, looking out onto a covered deck, which in turn overlooked the sea.
‘Help yourself to something to eat,’ Jake told her. ‘The least I can do is feed you up after you’ve been hard at work all day. Besides, I owe you for the empanadas.’
‘Thanks.’ Her glance swept over the feast that had been laid out on a large island unit to one side of the kitchen. ‘But they fade into insignificance next to this. It all looks mouth-wateringly delicious.’
Among the treats on offer, there were dishes of fresh pink shrimp set out on beds of lettuce leaves, plates of rye bread garnished with pastrami, cheese and sauerkraut, and laced with salad dressing, and there were crispy tortilla chips topped with guacamole, sour cream, salsa and cheese.
‘Try a bit of everything,’ he suggested, handing her a plate.
‘Okay.’ She tasted several of the gourmet dishes on offer, savouring the different flavours and textures, and then when she felt she could eat no more, she glanced around. She was captivated by the understated opulence of his home. It was set out in open-plan fashion, the different areas marked out by a change in floor covering—ceramic tiles in the kitchen, and oak boards in the living and dining room areas. There were wide archways leading from one room to another, and the whole gave a feeling of spaciousness and light.
‘If you’ve finished eating for the moment,’ he said as she put aside her plate, ‘I’ll give you a tour of the rest of the house.’
‘Thanks, I’d like that. What I’ve seen so far is way beyond my expectations.’ The furniture was upholstered in pale, luxurious fabrics, with scatter cushions adding a dash of colour here and there. Simple flower arrangements and the greenery of ferns made everything complete. ‘You have a lovely home.’ Home was the operative word. Somehow the elegance and luxury faded into the background, with the overall feeling that this was not just a beautifully furnished house. It was a place where you could live and relax and be yourself.
His smile was warm. ‘I’m glad you like it.’
She nodded, but inside she was asking herself why on earth he would want to have her house as well as this one. His talk of extending the dock and fruit groves somehow didn’t ring true. ‘Let me show you around upstairs,’ he murmured, placing a hand beneath her elbow and leading her through the crowded rooms to the stairs. ‘There are five bedrooms in all,’ he added, as they made their way to the second floor, ‘and they’ve all been sited to look out over the sea.’
He pushed open a door. ‘This is the master suite. It’s the biggest room, and has a deck area, so first thing in the morning I can go out there and breathe in the fresh air.’
‘I know that feeling. It’s lovely to be able to do that.’ She could imagine him standing out here in the early morning, half-awake, bare-chested as the sun rose and cast its glow over his golden skin, his long body lithe and tautly muscled.
‘Yes, it is.’ He glanced at her. ‘Are you all right? You look very pensive all of a sudden.’
She blinked, and gave him a startled look. What was the matter with her? Heat rushed through her body in a swift wave, going straight to her head. For a moment there she had drifted off into a reverie of intoxicating dreams and wild imaginings. ‘Um…I’m fine.’ She tried to rally her thoughts. ‘There must have been more rum than orange juice in that Florida Sunrise.’
He laughed. ‘The night’s young. When the food you’ve eaten begins to take effect, I’m sure you could risk another one.’
She wasn’t so sure that it was the drink that was affecting her. The plain truth was she couldn’t think straight when he was close by. He had a strange effect on her nervous system, and by now she ought to know better than to let him get under her guard.
‘Bathrooms,’ he said, steering her out of the danger area. ‘There are several, but they’re all pretty much alike.’ He opened a door that led off from the main bedroom. ‘This is my en suite…it’s lovely and cool at the height of the summer. You can just lean against those marble walls and let the heat drizzle out of you.’
She tried it, leaning back against the cool tiles and waiting for the heat to dissipate. Only it didn’t happen, because Jake was standing in front of her and all at once his arms were gliding around her waist, and his long body was lightly pressuring hers.
She half closed her eyes, and when his lips brushed hers it was everything that she had dreamed of…exhilarating, intoxicating, a ripple of pleasure that started with her lips and flowed from there through every particle of her being. His hands gently caressed the curve of her hips, drawing her towards him, and a pool of heat started to grow inside her, eddying out in circles of exquisite delight.
She wasn’t in control of herself any more. His hands roamed lightly over her body, and she realised he was playing her like a finely tuned instrument, stroking every quivering nerve fibre as though he knew exactly how to coax the response he wanted.
She moved against him, loving the way their bodies fitted, his hard, muscled torso against her soft, feminine curves. He groaned raggedly, deepening the kiss, and then let his lips trail over her hot skin, swooping downwards, exploring the smooth curve of her breasts.
A soft gasp escaped her. Her mind was whirling, and she was overwhelmed by these new, unbidden sensations that rocketed through her body. Why was this happening? How was he able to do this to her…how was he able to make her feel this way?
This was something she had never experienced before…not even with Nick, who had been everything to her at one time, until it had all gone wrong. Why would she even think of allowing herself to fall into that same situation all over again?
She laid her hands flatly on Jake’s chest, and even that had the effect of making her weak with desire. Her fingertips moved shakily along the line of his rib cage. Why was she letting this happen?
‘Jake,’ she managed at last, ‘Jake, I can’t do this. I don’t know what I was thinking. I’m not ready for this.’
‘You’re delicious, you’re beautiful,’ he murmured huskily against the smooth velvet of her throat, as though he hadn’t heard her. ‘You’re everything I could ever want.’
She tried to draw back from him, and a faint groan rum
bled in his throat, the flat of his hands supporting her spine, resisting her efforts. ‘What could be wrong about this? I know you want me,’ he whispered. ‘You melted in my arms, you kissed me, you showed me how much you wanted me.’
‘Jake, no… I mean it. I’m sorry.’ Determined now, she pushed against his chest until he stopped caressing her, and his body became rigid with tension. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said again.
Slowly, reluctantly, he eased himself away from her. ‘You don’t have anything to apologise for,’ he said in a low, roughened tone. ‘I should have known better. I invited you here and you should have been safe in my home, even from the likes of me.’
He straightened. ‘Don’t let it spoil your evening,’ he said. ‘Go back downstairs and join the others, if you will. I just need a minute or two to get myself together.’
She looked at him and saw the lines of tension in his face. She daren’t do anything other than he suggested. It was clear to see that he was struggling in the aftermath of their passionate encounter, and she didn’t want to risk any repercussions by staying on.
She left him there, and went to join the rest of his guests. Perhaps she would be able to slip quietly away.
CHAPTER FOUR
SLIPPING away from the party wasn’t going to be quite as easy as she had imagined, Lacey discovered when she walked out onto the deck outside Jake’s sitting room. Her plan was to follow the path of the deck around the house to the nearest exit and then flee into the darkness.
Instead, she was waylaid by one of the male guests. ‘Hi,’ he said, coming to stand beside her. ‘I’m Ben.’
‘Hello, Ben.’ She gave him a brief nod, a wave of frustration washing over her as her escape route was effectively cut off. He was around Jake’s age, fair haired, good-looking, and with an athletic build.
‘You seem to be all alone,’ he murmured, ‘and without a drink. We can’t have that. Have you tried one of our Rum Runner cocktails?’