Holding it in both hands, she raised them over her head and paused. I am placing my rescue and freedom on a plastic toilet bowl scrubber. She swung forward and hit the metal door. It made a solid tap sound which reverberated though her head like a nuclear explosion. She dropped the handle to grab her head, but instead smashed herself in the face with her tied wrists. Squeezing her eyes to hold back the tears, she touched her nose. Warm liquid dribbled down her lip. Great. I punched myself in the face. Just let me die here and rot away. She fell over on her side and sighed.
Her foot hit the door. Drawing her knees up, she thrust her legs forward. When her feet hit the door, the impact sent a jolt up through her legs which ricocheted around inside her head. I'm really trapped in here. What if no one comes looking for me? What if the ship's docked and they've all gone? I'm gonna die in here. Tears rolled out of her eyes and mixed with the trail of blood that flowed from her nose.
She sniffled. "Crab. I nid a Kleenex."
Rolling back around to the shelves behind her, she reached up and found the stack of paper towels. Fumbling because of the wrist ties, she managed to rip it open, grabbed one, blew her nose and wiped her eyes with the rough paper. As she made her way back to the door, she found the toilet brush handle. Picking it up, she leaned back against the door and tapped it above her left shoulder.
Her back rest disappeared and the room filled with light as her head smacked the deck of the ship. A familiar male voice said, "Hey there beautiful. I was wondering where you were hiding? Let's get you up and out of here."
He pulled a small knife from his pocket, sliced the ties that held her ankles and wrists, helped her stand, then scooped her up in his arms and carried her to the elevator. Red had a million questions to ask, but instead she closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulder. When she opened them again, she was lying on an examination table in the ship's medical room. The doctor's smiling face came into her view.
"How are you feeling?" He picked up her wrist, felt her pulse then shone his little light in her eyes. "Bad headache?"
She nodded.
"A couple of aspirin will fix that." Turning her wrist over, he said, "The scrapes on your wrists and ankles will heal in a few days."
Tap. Tap. She heard a knock on the door.
"Come in. It's open," the doctor said.
Sara stepped through the door. Her worried face broke into a grin of relief when Red looked up at her. "Oh, good heavens child. You scared us so."
"I'm sort of ok. A bad headache. And these." She held up her wrists. "But I'm ok."
"I'll leave you to her care." The doctor held out his hand to help her hop off the examination table. "Wake her every couple of hours. Make sure she has a quiet day tomorrow. She's young and healthy. She'll heal quickly."
Since Red's legs were shaky, Sara wrapped her arm around her granddaughter's waist and helped her to her cabin. Sara fussed over Red as she tucked her into bed. Red closed her eyes and fell asleep.
A hand shook her shoulder. Red looked up.
"I'm supposed to wake you. Do you know who I am?"
"The President of the United States? The Queen of England? My grandmother."
Sara chuckled. "Only took three tries, I guess you're alright." She yawned. "Someone else'll wake you in a bit. I need to get some sleep." She placed a kiss on Esmerelda's forehead. "I'm so glad you're safe. Sleep now."
The next time she woke, two faces stared down at her.
"No, I'm not the President." The first woman shook her head.
"And I'm not the Queen. But I should be. I'd make a great queen." The second lady fluffed her hair and held her head up in a royal-attitude.
Chuckling, Red struggled to sit up. "You're Maggie and Beverly, lifelong friends of my grandmother."
Maggie nudged her friend. "Good sign. She got us right on the first try."
"But we did give her some hints." Beverly patted Red's head. "Quite a scare you gave everyone. He wouldn't leave the ship until he knew you were safe."
Red's brow crinkled. "Who wouldn't?"
Maggie chuckled. "The doctor was right. He said you might be a bit confused. We'll let you sleep now."
Red heard the door click shut. Leaning back on the headboard, she took stock of herself. Head's ok. Her hand rubbed her wrist. Bit tender. Her tummy rumbled. Hungry. Wonder what time it is? Wonder what day it is? Reaching for the phone on the night table, she called room service and asked for an order of toast and coffee.
She showered and dressed while waiting for her breakfast to arrive. Hearing the steward's knock, Red opened the door and pointed to the balcony. "The sunshine looked inviting. I think I'll eat out there."
When she'd finished, she grabbed her beach bag, dug out her e-reader and her sunglasses then settled back down on the balcony chair. I don't want to think or remember. I'm just going to sit here and read. She clicked on the e-reader and spent several hours reading the story she'd started earlier on the cruise.
Knock. Knock. "It's your grandmother."
Red unlocked the door. Her grandmother followed her into the living room and sat on one of the chairs next to the couch.
"I brought a present." She opened her bag and pulled out two wine glasses and a bottle of red wine. "Doctor's orders."
Red chuckled.
"You look so beautiful when you smile. Does my heart good. Better than any heart medication the doctors can come up with. "She opened the bottle, poured a glass, handed it to Red then poured herself one and sat in a chair across from her granddaughter.
"Did he get the necklace?" Red sipped her wine.
"Yes and no. They got it back. But now it's being held as evidence." She shrugged. "But none of that matters as long as you're ok." Sara reached into her bag and pulled out a silver box. "He also had this."
"How the hell…it was in my drawer! He was in my room?" Red looked around and shuddered.
"I got the Captain to convince them to give this back." She reached into her purse and pulled out her keys. Choosing one, she undid the lock, lifted the lid and sniffed. "They still smell wonderful. So, I guess no worse for wear. "
She offered the box of chocolates to Red, who shook her head. "You have the right to the first sample."
Her grandmother's hand hovered over the box for a moment and chose a dark chocolate square. She took a tentative bite. "Mmm." A drop of chocolate liqueur dribbled down her lip. "I think there's a hint of nutmeg in this." She wiped the drip off with a finger and licked it. "I sometimes get a bit afraid of the combinations they come up with in the research lab."
"Oh gawd yes! Remember that chocolate-covered cream cheese and cucumber one. That was horrible."
"Don't remind me. Then there was the one that tasted like Brussel sprouts. The designers said they didn't use any, but every time I bit into one that's all I could taste."
The two women sat, sipped red wine, nibbled on designer chocolates and reminisced about chocolate and happy moments in their lives.
Red sighed. Full of red wine and great chocolate, she felt contented and relaxed. "What do I do now?"
A chirping tune emanated from Sara's beach bag. She pulled out her cell and checked the text message. Standing, she looked at her granddaughter. "I'm going. And my advice to you is, talk to him." She placed another bottle of wine on the table, put the corkscrew next to it, placed a glass next to Red's, crossed the room, opened the door and stepped through.
Red's head swam with the scent before he entered the room. "Can I come in?"
She looked up into two worried dark-chocolate colored eyes and patted the couch next to her.
"Thank-you for rescuing me." Her voice was low. "I was so scared. And I didn't know where I was. And…and I thought I was gonna die." She sniffed and fought back the tears.
Will picked up the corkscrew and opened the bottle of wine, filled Red's glass and his. "I wouldn't leave the ship until you were found."
"Where were you going?"
"I had to take Andrew to the authorities."<
br />
At the sound of Chopper's real name, she shivered. "Why you? Sorry, I'm being dense. The doctor said I might be out of it for a few days."
"Then I'll start from the beginning." He sipped his wine. "From what I can determine, Andrew--or Chopper as you know him--learned about the existence of your Grandmother's necklace a few months back when he saw her at a fundraising event. He learned she'd booked this cruise so he got a ticket."
With her head lowered, she spoke to the wine glass. "I get the next part. Then he cozied up to me with that innocent act so he could get close to Grandma and steal the necklace."
He scratched his chin. "I was keeping my eye on him. I figured he'd go for whatever he was after as we neared Cozumel. He'd be hoping to get off the ship before the loss was noticed."
"Only, like a dumbass, I walk into the room wearing the necklace."
"He hit you with something, knocked you out and hid you in a utility closet."
"Where I tried to free myself by pounding on the door with a toilet brush."
Will chuckled. "So that's why you were holding on to it. You looked quite a sight, flat on your back, hands and ankles tied, blood running down your chin and holding the toilet bowl brush like it was an Olympic torch."
She touched her nose. I pnd mslf."
"What?"
"I punched myself in the face. Made my nose bleed. It was dark and I was confused and I'm not used to being tied up." She pouted.
Will put his hand on the top of his wine glass to keep the liquid from splashing out as he laughed. "That was pretty pathetic."
"So why you? Why did you have to take Chopper to the police?"
"I'm part of ship's security."
She brushed the tip of her finger across a bruise just under his left eye. "Did he do that?"
He nodded.
"But what about the fashion photography thing? You said—"
"That's just a cover. Most people really don't know what a fashion photographer does, so they don't question me. And if I walk around the ship taking photos people just assume I'm scouting locations or something. "
Red covered her mouth to hide her yawn. Will looked at his watch. "Time for you to get back into bed. It's my turn to watch over you."
For a moment she didn't move. Too many unanswered questions, but her headache had returned and the wine had made her sleepy. "Good night." She crossed the room and prepared for bed.
She peeked into the living room, Will was stretched out on the couch reading her e-reader. Dressed in her blue teddy, she walked over and stood next to him. "Is your name really Wilhelm?"
"Sort of. It's actually William."
She ran her fingers through his hair. "William means protector. When I was dancing with you I felt protected in your arms. From what I didn't know, but I knew I'd be safe if you were near." She held out her hand. "Come sleep beside me. You'll be more comfortable and I'll feel safer."
Red led the way to her bed, pulled down the covers and lay down. Will dropped his clothes on the floor and snuggled in beside her. The smell of his aftershave soothed her soul as she drifted off to sleep.
Chapter Six
Red rolled over and opened her eyes. She was alone. I know my brain isn't supposed to be working one hundred per cent, but he was here last night. I didn't dream him. She yawned, got out of bed, showered, dressed strolled down to the breakfast cafe.
The knitting group sat sipping cups of coffee and pulling croissants apart. Red took a seat next to Maggie. In her most cheerful voice she said, "Good morning everybody."
How are you feeling?" Sara's brow was wrinkled with concern.
"Fine, I guess." She settled down to munch her toast.
Maggie tapped Red's arm and pointed to the door. "Your knight in shining armor is looking for you."
Red looked up. When Will spotted her, his face changed from concern to relief. He came over, squeezed her shoulder and slipped into the chair next to her. "Good morning. I thought I'd be back before you got up." The edges of his hair were still wet.
Hiding behind their coffee cups, the ladies suppressed their giggles.
"Are you two going to join us today?" Red's grandmother's eyes twinkled as she spoke.
"We're spending the day in Georgetown," said Beverly.
"Georgetown? Grand Cayman? What happened to Cozumel?" Red looked around the table, her brow crinkled in confusion.
Sara put her coffee cup on the table. "You missed it. You spent part of it locked in closet and the rest asleep in your room."
"Well then, I am definitely playing the tourist today." She bit her toast with force to emphasize her point.
Will turned to face her. "Only after you have seen the ship's doctor and he clears you."
Red grimaced. "I'm ok."
"I carried you there once, I can do it again." His gaze locked onto hers.
"Ok. I'm pretty much done here. I'll go see him and meet you…where?"
"How about at the purser's desk?" suggested Maggie.
Red started to rise, stopped and looked at Will. "You coming with us?"
"I wouldn't want to miss a chance to spend a day with you. Sightseeing. Shopping and—"
"Vodka shots!" yelled the normally quiet Christine. A big grin crossed her face. "He said shopping that's the magic word."
"But it's 9:15." Beverly checked her watch.
Sara held up her hand. "When we return to the ship, it's vodka shots all around. Agreed?"
Everyone at the table nodded their heads, except Will, whose face had a puzzled expression. Beverly explained, "Before we go on a group trip someone picks the magic word, but doesn't tell anybody what it is. It's Christine's turn. And whenever someone says it, she yells vodka shots."
"And then we drink, but since it's so early, we'll do it later." Maggie shrugged. "Sometimes you have to adjust the rules."
"I'm off." Red left to visit the doctor. After being cleared to play tourist, she returned to her cabin, dressed in a colorful skirt and crop top and slipped on her flip-flops. She tossed her things into her beach bag, put her sunglasses on and left for the purser's desk.
Within five minutes everyone had arrived and they boarded the sea shuttle to the island. After passing through Customs, they stood on the sidewalk, basking in the Caribbean sun in one of Red's most favorite places in the world.
"Snorkeling or shopping?" she asked.
"Vodka shots!" Christine's face lit up with a big smile.
"Ah." Red hit the palm of her hand on her forehead. "I walked right into that." She looked up the street. "There's a bar. This round's on me. Look right. Remember, these people drive on the opposite side."
Will matched his stride to hers. "I think I'm going to like this vodka shot game. I may just walk around town saying the magic word every five, ten minutes."
Red stopped in front of the bar. "After the first freebie word, he who says it pays for it."
"Hmm, hadn't thought of that." He pulled open the door and held as the others entered the bar.
The group entered and sat on the stools at the bar. When the bartender smiled, Sara pointed at Red. "Vodka shots for all and she's paying."
Red waved her hand.
When each had a filled shot glass, Red lifted hers. "To life. To love. To us." She tossed back her drink, swallowed and shuddered. "Vodka does that to me every time. OK, now we're off to…" She smiled at Christine. "off to view purchasable items in cute little boutiques."
Christine pouted. "Spoil sport."
Red and Will followed the group out of the dark bar into the brilliant sunlight. "I love this city." She spun around. "The air's cleaner, the sun's brighter and everything is so colorful. Back home is a grey, dull mess this time of year."
Will slipped his hand around hers and smiled when her fingers closed around his. "Where is home?"
"Chicago. And yours?"
"When I'm not on a cruise ship, Miami."
Red stopped and peered in a window. "Oh, I get one of those whenever I'm on a tropical vacation. T
he little shell ankle bracelet." She pulled him toward the door.
"Uh, I'm one of those guys who hates sh—" He glanced around to see if the vodka-shots lady was nearby. "What'd you call it? Viewing cute little items in boutiques."
As she crossed the store to the jewelry display, she shook her head. "No the items were purchasable; the boutiques cute." She picked out a shell bracelet and bent over to try it on. Bolting up, she grabbed Will's arm. "Oh. Wow. Bending over isn't good."
He put a hand around her waist. "Do you want to sit down?"
"No. I'm ok. Could you put this on?" She handed him the ankle bracelet.
Will bent down and lifted Red's foot and placed it on his thigh. She grabbed the counter for support. His fingers grazed her flesh as he reached around to do up the clasp. Her eyelids fluttered closed at the sensation.
"Looks good."
"My ankle or the bracelet?"
"Both." His eyes showed a hint of desire as he watched her place her foot back onto the floor.
Spinning the carousel of shell jewelry, Esmerelda picked out a shark's tooth necklace on hemp jute. She held it up. "Do you like it?"
Will nodded.
"Can I…?"
He lowered his head as she slipped her hands around his neck. As she fumbled with the clasp, he raised his face. Their lips were a breath apart.
Kiss me. Please kiss me.
His lips parted. Having finished with the clasp, Red rested her forearms on his shoulders. His face drew closer.
"Oh, there you are, Esmerelda. We were wondering where we'd lost you." Beverly stuck her head back out of the store. "I found them." She turned back to Red and Will. "We were worried that maybe you felt ill."
Red dropped her arms to her sides. "No. Just shop—" She bit her lip.
Chuckling, Will walked to the cashier and paid for their purchases. Hand in hand they followed the knitting group as they explored each boutique, trying on hats, picking out postcards and making small purchases for grandchildren. More than once, when someone asked Red a question, it had to be repeated as Red's attention was on the contact of her flesh on his. Will's hands felt strong and his fingers were long. Shudders passed through her as she thought about him sliding those fingers along the insides of her thighs.
Sexy Red Hood Page 5