by Nana Malone
And now he was here again, touching her slowly, kissing her in a way only he could, and it was driving her crazy.
“What are you doing to me?” she asked breathlessly.
“Hell, I wish I knew.” She knew he was going to take her mouth; she anticipated the feel of his lips on hers. She wanted to taste him, to savor him, to take this new memory of him and lock it up.
“I’ve missed you,” he whispered right as his mouth touched hers, and that snapped her right out of her lust-filled fog. She was going to let the boy who broke her heart suck her in again.
She shoved him away. “No. Bad. Just no.”
“Willa,” he groaned.
“Don’t you ‘Willa’ me. What are you doing with your hands all over me? And where do you get off telling me you miss me? You don’t miss me! You’ve probably got a whole other squad of football players waiting somewhere so you can humiliate—”
“Willa, enough!” he barked, and she jumped. “I’m sorry.” He cupped her face and rested his forehead against hers. “You know I’m sorry. I hurt you and I have been feeling like shit about it since you walked out of my life.” He lifted his head and looked into her eyes. “You don’t have to forgive me, but the least you can do is believe me when I tell you that.”
She closed her eyes briefly, because his gaze was too much for her. He wasn’t lying to her. It would be easier if he were. “I do believe you. I just don’t think I’m ready to stop being mad at you yet.”
“Okay. Fair enough.” He nodded and stepped away from her. “Good night.”
She watched him walk away from her, expecting him to say more, but he didn’t. He didn’t even look back at her.
She knew that preventing him from really kissing her was the right thing to do. She didn’t need him to invade her thoughts any more than he already had, but she kind of wished she hadn’t stopped him. She kind of wished she had been swept away by his kiss, by one of those mind-numbing kisses that made all coherent thoughts flee. It would have been nice to go to bed still feeling the warmth from his mouth, instead of this emptiness in her chest.
“Hey, Willa,” he called. She looked over to see him on the steps of the bungalow next to hers. It took her a moment to process what he was doing there, but when she saw him take the key out of his pocket and place it in the door she knew there was no escaping him this trip.
“Let’s head over to breakfast tomorrow together. And don’t think of going without me. I get up early.”
* * *
Marc was serious about being an early riser. When Willa walked outside to her outdoor living room, she saw him in his. His eyes were closed, his arms were stretched high above his head, and he was shirtless. She had known he was in good shape before. She had seen the way his clothing fit, she had felt his hard, hot body pressed against hers the day before, but seeing him...
Her mouth went dry. She didn’t need to be close to see how ripped his body was. All those muscles covered by that rich dark skin. She had never been a sucker for built men—guys with muscles were never her thing—but Marcus was impressive. And the urge to walk across the little path that separated their bungalows and inspect him more closely was overwhelming.
He opened his eyes then and looked directly at her.
She had been caught ogling him red-handed, and all she could think to say was “Hi.”
“Hi.” He gave her a knowing smile. “I was just doing my post-workout stretches.”
“Um, you’re good at them.”
“Come over here and I’ll show you how they’re done.”
“That’s okay,” she said quickly. “I have to go get dressed.”
“Maybe later?” His grin grew a little wider, and if possible, sexier. “I’ll meet you at your place in an hour. I know where we are meeting for breakfast.”
He was there exactly an hour later. Today he was in more relaxed clothing than she was used to seeing him in—an aqua-colored polo and some well-fitting shorts. He wore a smile, too, like he knew something that she didn’t. She wanted to knock it off his face, but she found it too damn appealing.
“I like your hair like this, Wil.” He lifted his hand to touch her curls. She would have been fine if that was where he’d stopped, but somehow his hand slid down to cup her chin, and his thumb was suddenly stroking her jawline. “It’s pretty.”
His touch felt nice, not sexual, not hot like his other touches had, just nice. Her eyes started to drift shut again as his touch began to hypnotize her, but she forced them open, refusing to be taken in by him.
She slapped his hand away. “I accepted your apology. So you can quit whatever it is you’re up to.”
“I’m not up to anything.”
“Really? How did your bungalow get next to mine?”
“I assure you I wasn’t here when they built it. I think whoever designed this resort decided to put that one next to this one.”
“You know what I mean.”
“No, I don’t, Dr. Arthur. You know I’m a slow Southern boy. You might have to break it down for me.”
“Did you ask them to put you in the bungalow next to mine?”
“That seems a little stalker-ish.”
“It is!”
“What if I did? What would you think about that?”
“That you were a psycho planning to make a skin suit out of me.”
He raised his hands in defense. “Hold on there, Miss Imagination. I think writing those novels has made you paranoid.”
“It really has,” she admitted. “Sometimes I sleep with the lights and TV on. Even last night I was kind of scared.”
“Were you?”
“Yes. Even though I know nothing is going to happen to me, I still find myself afraid to sleep alone in a new place.”
He put his hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “I can come over tonight if you want.”
“I’d rather be turned into a skin suit.”
“Ouch, girl.” He touched his chest. “That one hit me right here.”
“Pity. I was hoping it hit you lower.”
He laughed, the same rich deep laugh he had when she first knew him. It made her warm all over then, and it still had the same effect on her now.
“I think I’m going to have to start wearing a cup around you.”
“It’s not a bad idea, especially since you insist on forcing your presence on me.”
“I’m not forcing my presence on you.” He looped his arm around her shoulder and brought her close to him, dropping a kiss on her forehead. “We’re just old friends who need to get to know each other again.”
She leaned into him. “I have a feeling you would like to get to know me again without my clothes on.”
He shook his head. “I have nothing to say to that.”
“Nothing to say to that?” She looked up at him. “You do want to see me naked, don’t you?”
He laughed again. “Come on, Willa. Let’s get some breakfast.”
* * *
“Look up there!” Marc pointed to the thick trees above them as they walked the path to breakfast.
“What?” She inched closer to him. It wasn’t the first time he had alerted her to something he saw on their walk. The first time was a small green reptile, the second it was one of the biggest bugs she had ever seen. She was just hoping he wasn’t pointing out something bigger than that.
“Toucan.”
She followed his finger to see that there was a beautiful bird with a colorful beak sitting on a branch above them. “He’s gorgeous,” she said, sighing.
“Why do you sound relieved?”
“I lived in New York for ten years. The only wildlife I see are pigeons and the occasional rat in the subway. I just wasn’t sure what to expect.”
“A snake maybe?”
>
She nodded. “I love trees and plants and fresh tropical air. But after seeing that bug I’m not sure I like all the creepy-crawly things that come along with plants and trees and fresh tropical air.”
“That’s too bad, because there’s a little snake right there just off the path.”
“What?” She grabbed on to him, holding him tightly around the middle.
“There’s a little snake right over there. Really colorful, probably poisonous.”
“That’s not funny, Marc!” She buried her face in his chest, not sure if he was telling the truth, but too creeped out to look and find out.
“I’m not laughing, Willa,” he said as he wrapped his arms around her. “I read that a lot of snakes give dry bites, meaning no venom comes out. Even if the venom did come out, only one percent of people die from snakebites. And we’re at this resort. I’m sure if you got bit there is some antivenin somewhere around here.”
“I hate you so much right now.”
“I can live with that. Come on. Let’s keep walking. We’re almost there. I won’t let the little guy get you.”
“What are you going to do? Break him in half?”
“Didn’t you know I was a snake charmer? I work with much bigger serpents than him in Washington.”
“That’s right. You clean up their messes.”
“I wouldn’t call it that. I give them the opportunity to make better choices.”
“That’s a nice way of putting it. Do you like your job?”
“Hate it,” he said as they walked on.
“Really?”
“I’m an extremely well-paid babysitter. I’ve seen kindergartners who were more qualified to hold public office.”
“I always thought you were going to be a teacher. I saw you with those kids when you were a camp counselor. You were so good with them. You’ve never considered working with kids?”
“I thought about it, but being a teacher didn’t fit in with the lifestyle I wanted to have. Until I moved in with my aunt and uncle, I was piss-poor. They showed me that a better life was attainable, and I wanted to show them that I could do well for myself.”
“I’m sure they would have been just as proud of you if you had become a teacher.”
“Maybe, but honestly I didn’t do it just for that. DC is exciting at first, and I had all these powerful people listening to me, asking me what I thought, coming to me for help. Plus it was a job I could use my mind with. For a long time the only way I thought I could become successful was playing pro ball. I think I wanted to prove to myself that I had more to offer. Besides, this job makes my mama real proud, and she brags to all her friends that I know the president.”
“Do you?”
“We’ve met. He told me he hopes he never has to see me again, because that means something has gone terribly wrong in his life.”
His words made Willa laugh, and she almost forgot that she still had her arm wrapped around him, that there was no space between their sides as they walked. That his hard, warm body felt good against hers, and that in this unfamiliar landscape she felt safe with him. But she remembered as soon as they came to the opening and saw Virginia and her soon-to-be husband sitting at a table in front of the small man-made lagoon.
She couldn’t miss the curious look in her friend’s eyes as she spotted them together. But there was no judgment there. Only curiosity.
“Good morning!” Willa greeted them as she distanced herself from Marc. “How did the planning go last night?”
“I’m sure Carlos is bored to death with it.” Virginia looped her arm through Willa’s. “He said he wanted to help plan, but I think he’s had enough of me going on about the details.”
“No, baby. I really don’t mind. Your freaky attention to detail is one of the many reasons I fell in love with you.”
“Charmer.” She grinned adoringly at him. “You don’t have to try so hard.” She dropped her voice to a whisper. “You’re going to get lucky tonight anyway. I’m going to take a little walk with Willa while we wait for everyone else to get here. You talk to Marc. He’s a man and likes sports and stuff.”
She led Willa down the path that wound around the lagoon. There was a small waterfall gently flowing into a pool. “How did you choose this place, Gin? It’s so beautiful.”
“I didn’t. Carlos’s family is from Costa Rica. He brought me here when I came to meet his grandmother. We only came for a few days, but it was an amazing three days. I knew we had to get married here. Now enough about me. What’s going on with you and Marc?”
“What?” She laughed uneasily. “There’s nothing going on. I haven’t seen him since we graduated.”
“Really? You two looked kind of cozy when you walked in.”
“That was nothing. He just happens to be staying next door to me. We walked over together.”
“Oh? I also heard that you were sitting kind of close together at dinner last night. That’s kind of odd for somebody you haven’t seen since high school.”
“Who told you that? They were exaggerating.”
“Marcus Simpson has grown into one fine-looking man, Wil. When’s the last time you had sex?”
“That’s none of your business!”
“Since when? And it’s been that long, huh? It wouldn’t be so bad if you had a little thing going on. You know I wouldn’t judge.”
“Why are you so interested in us all of a sudden?”
“It’s not so sudden,” she admitted. “When I called him to invite him to the wedding, the first thing he asked about was you. He has always asked about you. Why didn’t you two keep in touch?”
She shrugged. “Asa asked me that. I guess we had nothing to say.”
Virginia looked disappointed. “I thought you two had a crush on each other in high school. I always wanted you two to get together.”
“You did?”
“I know it was silly. But it would be nice to have my best friends get together.”
“Gin,” Carlos called to her. “Everybody is here. Let’s eat.”
* * *
All the wedding guests were supposed to meet back at the main lodge a few hours later. They were heading out for a “jungle excursion,” as Virginia called it. Marc didn’t know what exactly to expect. He only wished he was walking over with Willa and not by himself. Her curvy little body felt good tucked into his, but he knew he needed to put some space between them. He hadn’t missed the look Virginia gave them when they walked into breakfast that morning with their arms wrapped around each other. There was nothing going on between them except an attraction that hadn’t died. He knew she felt it, too. Every look, every smile, every unintentional touch told him so. But there was no need to stir up rumors with their friends if nothing was going on between them.
He walked inside the lodge to find that most of their party was already there. Virginia and Carlos were talking with who he thought might be their tour guide. All three of them were wearing sturdy hiking boots. Asa was wearing sneakers, shorts and a long-sleeved FDNY T-shirt. Whatever they had planned for the day it seemed they were all prepared to be active. He was glad he had changed into his workout clothes.
Asa came over to him. “You ready for this?” He brought his knee up to his chest, stretching just like he did before track practice. “I’ve read some crazy shit about this rain forest tour. Virginia didn’t even pick the easy one. She picked the zip-line canopy tour with a visit to the open-air serpentarium.”
“What the hell is a serpentarium?”
“It’s where they keep all the snakes and reptiles. The place is fenced in, but they don’t keep the snakes in cages. They live in trees.”
“Oh.”
“I’m surprised at my sister, but this year she has become a bit of an adrenaline junkie. She’s gone skydiving and bungee ju
mping. She’s even done a couple of mud races with me. I can’t blame Carlos, either. Even he thinks she’s a little crazy.”
His thoughts immediately went to Willa, who lived in New York City and thought taking the subway was enough adventure for her. She couldn’t even look at the tiny snake he saw this morning. He wondered if she knew what she was in for.
And then she walked in wearing a cute little sundress with tiny flowers on it. On her feet were gold sandals, and her hair was pulled back in a tight bun. Everyone looked at her.
“I can see I’m not dressed properly for this rain forest excursion.”
“That’s okay, Wil,” Virginia said. “I wasn’t really clear about what we were doing today. I wanted you guys to be surprised. You can go back and change. We’ll wait for you.”
“What exactly do you have in store for us? I don’t think I was prepared for more than a tour of the resort.”
“I’m not feeling too good,” Marc spoke up and stepped forward and took her hand. “Willa and are going to sit this tour out. Take a lot of pictures.”
He took her out of the lodge before anyone could say anything else.
“Why did you pull me out of there? What makes you think I want to spend the afternoon with you?”
“Fine. Go back in there. I’m sure you’ll have lots of fun on the zip-line tour, and the trip to the serpentarium would have been the thrill of your life.”
“A serpentarium?” Her face fell. “Is that like the reptile house at the Bronx Zoo?”
“Kind of. Only there’s no thick glass between you and the wildlife.”
She shivered. “What the hell is wrong with Virginia? That’s nobody’s idea of a good time.”
“It’s hers, and you would have gone along and pretended you weren’t scared shitless because you wouldn’t have wanted to disappoint your friend.”
She nodded. “I’m kind of scared of heights, too. I really thought I was going to spend this entire trip in my bathing suit with a drink in my hand. I even put on my bathing suit before I left my bungalow.”