Untamed Devotion

by Danielle Stewart

  “Right,” Monroe said, stretching out the word as though he was sure she was certifiable. “Should we get on with this then?” He checked his watch and pursed his lips. “Which place downstairs do you want to eat at?”

  “Oh, we can’t eat at the resort,” Aria laughed, finding his ignorance a little endearing. “I’m the help. It’s strictly prohibited for me or any of my coworkers to attempt to eat a meal in the vicinity of guests. We’re meant to be no more intrusive than paint on a wall. A bulb in a lamp.”

  “You’d be my guest,” Monroe countered.

  “Also strictly prohibited.” Aria shrugged. “I’ll be happy to take you to a place off the resort. The food is incredible.”

  “Whatever gets this process moving along. Just let me know when this big test of yours starts.” Monroe stuffed his hands in his pockets and began to walk down the hallway.

  “It already has.” Aria grinned. “We’ll walk. Is that all right?” She watched his face flinch with hesitation. She had him on his heels, pondering each answer, considering each word. Perfect.

  “Walking is fine,” he replied flatly. “Was that part of the test?”

  “Maybe,” Aria replied flatly, not wanting to give anything away, as they moved toward the elevator. “This is killing you, isn’t it?”

  “I’m always up for a challenge,” Monroe replied, his back arrow straight with confidence. “Bring on the test.”

  Chapter 5

  “This place looks authentic,” Monroe commented through a genuine smile. “I travel a lot, and I always look for a place I can get a meal that really represents the area. I hate chain restaurants. Top-rated usually means pretentious.”

  “Where’s the best place you’ve ever traveled?” Aria asked thoughtfully as they entered the open-air restaurant and sat at a table in the corner. The light overhead was warm, glowing gently trough a sea-glass-green shade. Island music played softly in the background, just enough to set a relaxing mood. If Monroe wasn’t stressed with the idea of possibly losing this deal—or worse, making the deal and finding out it was the wrong choice—he might actually have enjoyed himself. A beautiful woman. A warm night. The promise of delicious food. Everything he usually loved.

  “I’ve enjoyed a lot of my travels,” Monroe said, perusing the eclectic menu as he realized he hadn’t eaten all day. “I think the place I enjoyed the most was the Amalfi Coast in Italy. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  “I’ve never seen anything like it ever,” Aria quipped as the waiter approached.

  “How are you this evening? My name is Chaz,” he said, pulling a tiny notebook from his apron. “We have a few specials tonight. Our homebrewed ginger beer is made with all local ingredients and pairs perfectly with the jerk chicken and peas. For dessert we have black rum cake with raspberry sauce.”

  Monroe watched as Chaz waited patiently for their reply. “What’s the best thing on the menu in your opinion?” he asked, tipping his chin up intently as Chaz thought it over.

  “Personally I enjoy oxtail stew, but if you’re not accustomed to the spices you may not care for it. Something less traditional like jerk chicken might be better suited for you.”

  “I like to take risks,” Monroe said, pandering to Aria and her little test. “I’d like the stew.”

  Aria ordered confidently and then stared at Monroe for a few extra beats. “What?” he asked, sipping on the ginger beer that had been placed in front of them. “You have an interesting look on your face.”

  “I think you’ll like the stew,” she said, nervously changing the subject. Part of Monroe wished this was just a date, that there wasn’t a calculated dance happening between them. It had been ages since he’d been out with a woman of substance. It was one thing to attend an event with a statuesque model on his arm, but this had real sparks.

  “So there’s an awful lot neither one of us wants to talk about until you decide you trust me. What’s not off limits?”

  “Where were you born?” Aria asked, folding her delicate hands together and resting her chin on them.

  “Ohio,” Monroe answered, the twinge he always felt when talking about his humble beginnings raging in his stomach. Very few people knew his roots, and Aria certainly wasn’t going to get it out of him over some ginger beer. “That’s about all you’ll get from me.”

  “Maine,” Aria replied back with a playful smile, obviously not willing to give more than he had.

  “Cold there,” Monroe grunted.

  “This is an enthralling conversation,” Aria beamed sarcastically. “I’m buzzing with this verbal dance we’re doing. It’s magical.”

  “Like the hokey pokey,” Monroe smiled, drawn into the moment by Aria’s wry smirk.

  “Let’s just have our meal,” Aria suggested as the rich smelling food was placed on the table before them.

  “Can I bring you anything else?” Chaz asked, his hands tucked behind his back as he waited eagerly to serve them.

  “No,” Monroe said, looking over the table with pleasure. “Everything looks perfect.”

  “Things tend to look that way when you’re in the company of a stunning woman,” Chaz said, tipping his chin toward Aria who instantly blushed.

  “I’d have to agree with you there,” Monroe replied, not skipping a beat. “And she’s more than just a pretty face. Quite the conversationalist too.”

  “It’s nice to see you at a table rather than sitting alone at the bar,” Chaz said, looking harmless and endearing as he teased her.

  “It’s hard to find anyone worth sitting with,” Aria laughed, looking unaffected by the lighthearted jab about her normal dining habits. “But tonight, we can’t seem to stop chattering about the most interesting things. I’m sure you and your wife know how that is.”

  “That’s a good sign.” Chaz grinned. “My wife, Gigi, and I just found out we’re having a baby. I haven’t been able to breathe right since we got the news. I don’t know the first thing about having a baby in the house. Where do you buy those little plastic things to cover the outlets? How do you snap all those little snaps on the outfits?”

  Monroe chuckled as Chaz bounced with nerves. “No one has it figured out. All those parents running around looking like they know what they’re doing are only better actors than the rest of them.”

  “Thanks,” Chaz sighed loudly. “I’ll let you guys eat your meal, and I’ll check on you in a little bit. Save room for dessert.” He winked knowingly at Aria, who waved him off as though their inside joke was not funny right now.

  Aria was studying Monroe’s face clinically and not touching her meal. “I should let you off the hook early,” she asserted. “No need to have you sitting here wondering if this is going anywhere.”

  “This?” he said, spiritedly pointing between them and waggling his brows. “Because it sounds like you are desperate for this to be a date. Usually eating alone?”

  “I meant my assessment of you,” she corrected sternly, trying to beat back his silly advances. “No use stringing you along and making you wonder how you did.”

  “The suspense is killing me.” He took a mouthful of his stew, and his eyes rolled back as the spices teased his taste buds. “This is incredible,” he explained, gesturing with his spoon at the stew. “You have to try this.”

  “I’ve had it,” she said, eyeing him. “Aren’t you worried this isn’t going your way?”

  “I figure I don’t have much control over that since you haven’t told me how you’re grading this bizarre test of yours. I might as well be myself and enjoy the meal. If nothing else, like Chaz said, I’m in the company of a beautiful woman.”

  “You passed,” she groaned, looking almost disappointed. “I’ll tell you what you want to know about the resort.”

  “First I have to know how you decided,” he said, grinning widely. “How in the world could you know, in that short amount of time, that I am trustworthy?”

  “Trustworthy is the wrong word,” Aria explained. “It’s more about th
at hesitation good people have when faced with a choice. They hit the inevitable crossroads, and they have to decide which way to go. Some people fly down the path they think is best for them. I’m always looking for the people who have the mechanism in them that at least lets them pause and think of the impact on other people. To hesitate and consider right from wrong.”

  “That’s interesting,” Monroe commented, actually impressed at the distinction. “But still, there’s no way you were able to see I possess that level of conscience after just one meal.”

  “The test started the second I met you. It does for everyone I meet.”

  “Why?” Monroe asked skeptically. “You aren’t in business for yourself. You aren’t running a small country. Why do you have to test everyone you come across? Isn’t that exhausting?”

  “Not nearly as exhausting as everything that happens when I don’t do it.” Her eyes darted away and by the time she glanced back at him again, she’d managed to hide any emotion that had flashed across her face.

  “I’m glad I passed the test,” Monroe said, trying to quell the tension between them. He raised his glass and clinked it against hers. “To our new arrangement.”

  “To the truth coming out,” she added, breathing in deeply and flashing that agony in her eyes again. With painful clarity he knew Aria would be impossible to walk away from. Whatever dragon was tormenting her, he’d slay it.

  Chapter 6

  Aria could feel Monroe’s curiosity closing in around her. It was killing him that she’d made it all the way through dinner without letting him in on her secret formula.

  “What was the waiter’s name?” Aria asked, enjoying their slow-paced walk, winding their way back to the resort.

  “Who, Chaz?” Monroe asked, his face showing confusion.

  “Yeah.” She breathed out a laugh. “Chaz. What color were his eyes?”

  “Uh, how should I know?” Monroe asked, tucking his hands into his pockets and looking away.

  “Come on,” Aria insisted, bumping her elbow into his side. “What color were his eyes?”

  “Green,” Monroe groaned. “Why?”

  “His wife’s name?”

  Monroe rolled his eyes. “Gigi. But is there a point to this? Are you planning on painting a picture of Chaz and Gigi?”

  “You looked at him, and you listened to him,” Aria explained, though she could tell he wasn’t connecting the dots. “It was part of the test.”

  “Looking someone in the eye, and learning their name is common courtesy,” Monroe challenged, unconvinced.

  “No, there’s a distinct difference between common courtesy and human dignity. There’s a difference between looking at someone and actually seeing them.”

  “That couldn’t possibly have been enough for you decide if I’m a good guy,” Monroe scoffed. “I mean, don’t let me talk you out of it.”

  “What were the two cross streets between the resort and the restaurant?” Aria pressed, knowing the full picture would become clear to him if he stayed patient enough to hear it.

  “Topin and Fisher,” Monroe answered matter of factly. “What would that possibly tell you? I’m observant and have a good sense of direction.”

  “Did you see the flowers?” she asked, propping a hand up on her hip with an air of overconfidence.

  “Actually I didn’t,” Monroe countered, as though he’d just scored a point. “I didn’t notice them at all.”

  “I know you didn’t. You were looking on the other side of the road. You were looking at Miss Tilly.”

  “You know her?” Monroe asked, forgetting to keep his guard up. “The homeless woman on the bench.”

  “Yes,” Aria replied sadly. “There’s this street full of exotic vibrant flowers on one side and this sad disheveled homeless woman on the other side. The easiest thing for someone to do is to look away. To comment on the flowers and their beauty. But you didn’t. You looked right at Miss Tilly. You smiled, gave a nod.”

  “What does that have to do with me remembering the name of the cross street?” Monroe asked, his heart thudding with unease at being analyzed so closely. He’d underestimated how thorough she’d been.

  “You tucked your hands in your pocket. I watched you.”

  “I left the resort so quickly I forgot to pull any cash out of the safe,” Monroe explained through a huffy breath. “I would have given her something.”

  “And when you realized you didn’t have cash,” Aria said, her eyes wide with what looked like excitement, “you looked at the sign and took a mental note of the cross street.”

  “I thought I might pass by here tomorrow and maybe have some cash in my pocket then.” Monroe fidgeted nervously as he admitted what should be an admirable idea.

  Aria was bouncing and grinning victoriously. “There were plenty of the little instances where you showed you are compassionate and when you look at people, you really see them.”

  “So from that you’ve deduced I’m a good guy?” His voice was layered with incredulity.

  “It sounds like you want me to change my mind. That’s counterproductive to what your goal is,” she reminded him. “Why don’t you want me to think you’re a kind man?”

  “Kindness is frequently confused with weakness,” Monroe explained. “And weakness means you accomplish nothing. I’m a man who likes to get things done. So I prefer not to parade around showing my softer side.”

  “That’s dumb,” Aria mocked. “You have to have this bluster in order to be taken seriously?”

  “If you’ve analyzed me enough,” Monroe said annoyed, “can we move on to the task at hand? I’m a good guy. Check that off the list. Now you said you’d tell me what I want to know.”

  “I will,” she said, nervously wringing her hands. “I just don’t know how this will work. Buckley hates me. I have back to back shifts for the next few days. He won’t allow me to miss those.”

  “There’s a part of your formula you forget to add in,” Monroe said, spinning so his chest was suddenly in her face. She had to stop abruptly so as not to ram into him. Her neck craned up, and she stared nervously at him. “I am all the things you say. But Buckley and anyone else who crosses me or people I care about will see a side of me you can’t imagine. One you wouldn’t want to try to figure out. I’m good to those who deserve it. I’m merciless to those who don’t.”

  Chapter 7

  “I don’t really like to walk back to my bunk alone this late at night,” Aria explained as they reached the gate of the resort. “I’m just over that hill, so I hope you don’t mind if we part ways here.”

  “You’re staying with me tonight,” he asserted, his hand on the small of her back as his key card buzzed the gate open.

  “Our agreement does not include me sleeping with you,” Aria countered, firmly spinning away from his touch.

  “Trust me,” Monroe whispered, “I don’t need any kind of agreement to get women to sleep with me. They can’t help themselves. If anything I’ve needed written contracts to get them to realize we’re done sleeping together.”

  “Nice,” she said, rolling her eyes, but he noticed she was still following his lead. “Well, if I go to your room, I think you should know I will fight the powerful urge to have sex with you. It’ll be hard, but it’s my cross to bear.”

  “Because you’re so different than all the other women I meet?” he asked, knowing this would anger her. It was fun to see the color rise in her cheeks.

  “I have a feeling if the women you usually date were gazelles at the waterhole, they’d be the first ones to get eaten. I don’t make myself easy prey.”

  “They do look good in bikinis around that waterhole,” he teased.

  “That’s not what I meant. I was inferring they must be idiots,” she corrected. “You’re no better if you are foolish enough to believe I’d throw myself at you because we’re alone in a room. I have self-control.”

  “And you’ll need to employ it?” he asked, biting at his lip as he stared down at her
.

  “I’m glad you’re taking this all so seriously,” she scolded. “I thought this was such a big deal. Very time sensitive.”

  “It is,” he resigned. “You’re right. I will stop fooling around.” Monroe made his face very serious.

  “This isn’t a joke,” she said, choking up with emotion. “There are people here. This is our life. It’s not a joke.”

  “I’m sorry,” Monroe stuttered out, catching her elbow and spinning her back toward him. “I understand how serious this is.”

  They moved in silence through the lobby and up the elevator. It wasn’t until he was swiping the keycard in front of the door that she finally spoke up. “I’m sorry I snapped at you. I’m also sorry I jumped to conclusions about why you were trying to get me back here. I should have realized your intentions were strictly professional.”

  “My intentions with a beautiful, articulate, fierce woman, can never be summed up as strictly professional. Having you in this room is going to be like tempting a hungry man with a chocolate cake. I may as well be honest with you about that. But you’re safe with me. I’m capable of being as professional as you want me to be.”

  “Good,” she said, as he pushed open the door, and again his hand fell to the small of her back as he ushered her in.

  “Can I make you a drink?” he asked over his shoulder as he poured himself a tumbler of Scotch. “It’s fully stocked here.”

  “I know,” she snickered. “I’m the one who keeps them stocked. I’ll pass on the drink. I think we should just get down to it.”

  “I knew you’d change your mind,” he hissed playfully as he closed in on her and wrapped an arm around her waist. “Kidding,” he said, disarmingly tossing his hands up in the air. “Let’s sit and talk.”

  She sank into the couch and rubbed her hand across the soft fabric of the lush pillows. “I’ve always loved this room,” she started, tipping her head back and closing her eyes. “It’s in my top three of all the rooms here. I love the view.”