Tropical Tryst: 25 All New and Exclusive Sexy Reads

by Nicole Morgan

  Her expression turned rueful. “I’m not. Unfortunately.” She heaved a sigh. “But that’s what I’ll be thinking about while I’m standing there with him looking at me.”

  Ryan blinked, but the image refused to be dislodged from his mind’s eye. His tongue felt thick and slow. “I guess that’s a good idea. A distraction from—”

  The family at the booth grabbed their suitcases and trooped away. The official waved them forward.

  Juanita gave Ryan a serious look, then walked forward with steady steps, pulling her suitcase behind her. Ryan followed. He wanted to glare at the official with all his hostility for the government that had done this to Juanita in his eyes, but he forced himself to glance down at Juanita’s swaying hips instead. The smooth fall of her dress, not a panty line in sight, suggested she’d told him the truth.

  Juanita calmly pulled her wallet from the leather purse Ryan had bought her in Cozumel and extracted Carmen’s driver’s license. She passed it to the customs official and met his intent stare with a relaxed, level gaze. Only a slight increase in the rate of her breathing betrayed any agitation. Ryan wondered if it came from fear or from the erotic fantasy she was imagining.

  Probably some of each.

  The official looked down at Carmen’s license, then back up at Juanita. Down again, and up. Down a third time.

  Ryan’s gut knotted. It was over. They’d been caught. Time slowed to a crawl. With cool deliberation he planned his strategy. He would shout and fight and raise as much of a commotion as he could. He’d yell at Juanita to run. If she was fast and his distraction was dramatic enough, perhaps she could vanish into the crowd and escape before they pursued her.

  The official passed Carmen’s license to Juanita. She accepted it with a polite nod and stepped aside. Ryan’s feet carried him forward automatically. With stiff, robot-like motions he pulled his wallet from his pocket, produced his driver’s license, and handed it to the official.

  The man turned to type on his keyboard, then back to look at Ryan. Ryan tried to recall Juanita’s provocative image, but instead his thoughts went back to their first night together. He imagined Juanita on her knees before him, her mouth around him, her sliding tongue setting him aflame…

  The official’s eyes went down, then up, then down again. He squinted at Ryan, once more at his license, then stuck his hand out. Ryan took his license and tucked it back into his wallet. The official jerked his head, and Ryan gripped the handle of his suitcase and walked to join Juanita. Side by side, they rolled their suitcases away from the customs station.

  “We did it,” she whispered.

  He nodded, too limp with relief to reply. They followed the signs and the guidance of terminal employees toward the exit.

  Ryan recovered his wits enough to pause before they passed through the glass doors. He turned toward a counter at the side of the hall. “I have to declare the rum.”

  “Okay.” Juanita waited to one side while he filled out the form and paid the tax. Then she grabbed his hand and they emerged into a chilly breeze under an overcast sky. It looked like it might drizzle at any moment, but Ryan didn’t care. They were free. Juanita was safe. He’d brought her home.

  Juanita glanced at him and giggled. She looked as dazed as Ryan felt. “Where’s your car?”

  “Parked in one of the lots. There’s a shuttle.” He looked around and spotted a cluster of people waiting to board the short bus. They joined the line. There wasn’t room for them on the first shuttle, but they crowded into the next. Juanita claimed a seat, and Ryan squeezed next to her. She laid her head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arms around her. The ride was slow and bumpy, and they stopped at least a dozen times to let people out before they reached the place where his car was parked, but Ryan didn’t care how long it took, and he suspected Juanita didn’t either.

  Eventually they reached his car, and Ryan reluctantly let Juanita go. The shuttle attendant handed their luggage down and Ryan stowed it in his trunk. Juanita climbed into the passenger seat, and Ryan started the car and steered it out of the lot. He pulled up Juanita’s parents’ address on his GPS and headed toward the bridge to the mainland.

  Juanita pulled out her phone, then grimaced and stuck it back in her purse. “I forgot. I don’t have service in the US anymore.”

  “I’ll have to check my email. I’ve probably got a hundred questions from people at work who think they can’t get along without me. Do you want to use my phone to call your parents?”

  “Yes, please. And Carmen, too, if you don’t mind.”

  “Of course not.” Ryan pulled his phone from his pocket, unlocked it with his thumb on the sensor, and passed it to her.

  Juanita punched in numbers, waited, then sucked in a shaky breath. “Hi, Mom.” Her voice quavered. “Yeah, it’s me. Ryan let me use his phone. We’re on our way. Everything went fine.”

  She listened for a while, exchanged a few more comments, and hung up. Before Ryan could say anything, she punched in another number. “Carmen. Hey. Yeah, we made it.”

  Ryan could hear Carmen’s excited, happy voice coming from the speaker, though he couldn’t make out what she said. Juanita nodded. “Whenever you’re ready. Please, call as soon as you’re through. I’m not going to stop worrying until I hear from you. My phone doesn’t have service, so call Mom and Dad at home. I’ll be there in about an hour and a half. You can call Ryan’s phone if you’re through before that.” She listened. “All right. I won’t.” She swallowed. “Good luck.”

  Juanita hung up and passed the phone back to him. “She says the lines at the border crossing have been long and really slow, so it will probably take her a few hours at least. She promised to call the minute she’s clear. I told her I wouldn’t worry, but I’m pretty sure she knew I was lying.”

  Ryan patted her arm, then pulled his hand back. The touch of her skin was too tempting to endure for more than an instant when he couldn’t hope for more. “She’ll be fine. Everything so far has gone exactly the way we planned. This will, too.”

  “I hope you’re right.” Juanita was still and silent for a moment, then pounced on the car’s radio, turned it on, and started flipping from station to station. “Gosh, I’ve missed American radio,” she said, her tone forced. “It’s in English! And it’s got my kind of music. Not that Norteño and Tejano are bad once you get used to them, but give me Top 40 any day.”

  They chatted about music for a while, then moved on to other casual subjects for the rest of the drive. Only a few awkward silences broke the flow of conversation.

  Shortly before noon, Ryan pulled into the modest but pleasant working-class neighborhood where Juanita’s parents lived. Juanita fell quiet and leaned forward, straining for the first glimpse of their house. When Ryan pulled into their driveway, she was out the door before he put the car in park. By the time he lifted her suitcase from the trunk and rolled it to the front door, she was in her father’s arms, both of them laughing and sobbing.

  Mr. Gomez gestured for Ryan to enter as Juanita dashed into the house. “Welcome. We can never thank you enough for bringing our little girl home.”

  “It was nothing,” Ryan said, his face heating. He doubted his welcome would be quite so warm if Juanita’s father knew what they’d gotten up to together. “I’m just glad I was able to help you and Carmen and Juanita.”

  “If there’s ever anything we can do to repay you in some small measure, just say the word. In the meantime, please stay for lunch.”

  Ryan would have preferred to refuse. This should be a private celebration for Juanita and her family. He would feel like an intruder. And every minute he spent in Juanita’s presence, knowing he’d never kiss her, never hold her, never make love to her again, was torture. But he didn’t want to offend Mr. Gomez, who’d undoubtedly gone to a great deal of effort to prepare the meal. And he didn’t want to leave until Carmen called to say she was across the border and this whole episode was finally over.

  So he said, “I’d be delighted,
” and followed Mr. Gomez in. He led Ryan down a hall and into a bedroom from which happy voices were emanating. Juanita was perched on the edge of a double bed. Her mother was sitting propped against pillows, dressed in an attractive housedress with her hair neatly styled, clutching Juanita’s hands and talking a mile a minute. A woman in a nurse’s uniform sat quietly in a chair on the far side of the room, watching the reunion with a misty smile. An IV pole and other medical equipment was tucked discreetly out of the way.

  Juanita turned to beckon Ryan over, beaming. “Mom, this is Ryan. I never could have made it without him.”

  “Carmen introduced us.” Mrs. Gomez pulled him in for a hug much stronger than he would have thought her frail arms could deliver. “Thank you for bringing my baby home to me. May God bless you richly for your kindness.”

  He already has, Ryan thought. But of course he couldn’t say that. “Your happiness and Juanita’s are blessing enough.”

  Mrs. Gomez beamed at him. “Sit down and tell me about your trip. I want to hear everything.”

  Ryan’s cheeks warmed again, but he dragged a chair over as Juanita started giving an account of shopping in Cozumel. She sent him to fetch the gifts they’d bought for her family from her suitcase. Mrs. Gomez exclaimed over the onyx rosary, and Mr. Gomez expressed warm appreciation for the inlaid wooden box. They set the silver nativity aside for Carmen to unwrap when she arrived. Then Juanita continued, glossing over her panic at going through the checkpoint and rushing on to rhapsodize over the food. Ryan was impressed by how she enthusiastically described the melt-in-your-mouth cake without giving even a hint that it had provided anything but gustatory pleasure. This must not be the first time she’d concealed her amorous adventures from her parents.

  After Juanita recounted the first show they’d attended, her father herded them into the dining room. The nurse supported Mrs. Gomez as she shakily rose and walked with slow, careful steps down the hall. Ryan saw pain flicker across Juanita’s face, but she swiftly replaced it with a cheery grin and helped the nurse settle her mother into a cushioned chair at the dining room table.

  Juanita extravagantly praised the hamburgers and hot dogs and pizza Mr. Gomez served. She chugged can after can of Dr. Pepper and ate two bowls of ice cream for dessert. Ryan would never have suspected she was anxious if he hadn’t noticed her surreptitiously glancing at the clock on the wall every few minutes.

  They sat around talking for more than an hour after they finished eating. Juanita continued her account of the cruise, with Ryan contributing a few comments. Her parents filled her in on happenings among their circle of friends and acquaintances. Eventually Mrs. Gomez excused herself, and the nurse helped her back to her room for a nap. Juanita settled with her father and Ryan in the living room. She maintained her cheerful demeanor, but Ryan caught her checking the time even more often than before.

  Finally Mr. Gomez voiced what they were all thinking. “It’s awfully late. Shouldn’t Carmen have called by now?”

  Juanita shrugged, worry in her eyes but a smile on her lips. “It’s only been a few hours since I talked to her. She said there was a long line at the border crossing.”

  Ryan pulled out his phone and checked the log. “We called her at ten. It’s nearly three. Should I call back, do you think?”

  “We shouldn’t interrupt her if she’s in the middle of talking to Border Patrol.” Juanita twisted her hands together in her lap.

  Mr. Gomez hesitated, then inclined his head to Ryan. “Please do. She’ll ignore the call if it’s inconvenient.” He flashed a grin just like Juanita’s. “I speak from experience.”

  Ryan put his phone on speaker and punched the number. They all listened as Carmen’s phone rang four times, then went to voicemail. “I’m sorry. I can’t take your call right now. Leave a message and I’ll get right back to you.”

  Ryan said, “Hey, Carmen, just checking in to make sure you’re all right. Give us a call as soon as you can.” He hit the button to hang up.

  They all exchanged glances, but nobody said anything. Finally Juanita took a deep breath. “Let me tell you about the shop where I worked in Mexico City. You would have loved it, Dad. All the gaudy little trinkets you could ever want.”

  Her father chuckled. When Juanita ran out of things to say, he was quick to bring up the subject of a new mission project their church had recently become involved in. When that had been thoroughly discussed, Ryan contributed an account of the big project he’d finished immediately before the cruise. They nibbled away another two hours, until the nurse brought word that Mrs. Gomez had woken and was asking for Juanita.

  Ryan stood up along with her. He hated to leave before knowing Carmen was all right, but he couldn’t intrude on the family any longer. Juanita needed time alone with her mother, and Mr. Gomez would need to start preparing supper soon. So as soon as Juanita disappeared into the bedroom, he said, “I need to be going. I want to get home and unpack before it gets too late.”

  “Please, stay for supper,” Mr. Gomez said. Ryan could tell he meant it, but he knew his continued presence would be an imposition. He turned down the offer politely but firmly and repeated his resolution to leave until Mr. Gomez ushered him to the door.

  Ryan hoped to escape without having to face Juanita again, but a moment after the door creaked open she dashed down the hall. “You weren’t going to leave without saying goodbye, were you?” she accused him.

  “Um…”

  She threw her arms around him. He closed his eyes and wrapped his arms around her. They held each other for a long moment. Then Ryan pulled away. “Tell your mother goodbye for me. And call as soon as you hear from Carmen.”

  “We will. You call here if she answers your message.”

  “Of course.” Ryan fixed Juanita with a stern look. “And if you ever need my help again, no matter what the problem is or how long it’s been, call me. Promise.”

  “I promise.” She pushed a strand of hair out of her face.

  He didn’t know whether or not to believe her, but it was the best he could do. “Or even if you just want to, you know, talk. Or… whatever.”

  Her cheeks reddened, and she angled her face away from her father. “I’ve got your number.”

  “Good.” He ached to kiss her, but that would be a bad idea for a whole slew of reasons. So he backed away. “So, um, goodbye.”

  “Goodbye, Ryan.” Her eyes held volumes neither of them could say.

  He clenched his fists. “Thanks for the wonderful lunch, Mr. Gomez. I’m glad I could help. Bye.”

  Ryan forced himself to walk through the door. He got into his car, gave Mr. Gomez and Juanita a final wave, and backed out of the driveway. He drove slowly down the street. Just before he turned the corner, he risked a glance in the rearview mirror. Mr. Gomez had vanished inside, but Juanita was still standing in the doorway, watching him drive away.

  It was all Ryan could do not to make a U-turn and drive back to beg Juanita one more time to change her mind. But he knew she wouldn’t. So he set his jaw, turned onto the crossing street, and drove much faster than the speed limit allowed all the way to his apartment.

  CHAPTER 18

  J uanita plodded back to Mom’s bedroom and made cheerful small talk until Dad called them for supper. He’d made spaghetti and meatballs, another homey American meal she’d missed while in Mexico. Not that the ingredients were unavailable, but they were pricey, and she’d seldom been able to muster the energy to shop or cook.

  She loved how Dad had stepped up and taken over the cooking here. Nine years ago when Mom had gotten sick the first time, Juanita and Carmen had assumed her domestic duties. Mom and Dad had always stuck to traditional gender roles in the past, but she supposed that when Dad was left with no other choice, he’d buckled down and learned to do what was needed. Now he seemed to take great pride in producing delicious dishes.

  There were brownies for dessert. Juanita nibbled one, thinking how much Ryan would enjoy sharing it with her. She’d tried not t
o let him see how deeply it hurt her to say goodbye, or how tempted she was by his plea for her to call. She suppressed a smile. “Whatever” indeed! If only she were free to call him for “whatever” on a regular basis.

  But that was impossible, so she shoved it out of her mind. She was never going to talk to him again. She’d make Carmen contact him herself once she called. If for some reason Juanita ever needed to communicate with him, she’d pass a message through her sister or her parents. Or send him an email if she was desperate.

  Not that she was ever going to be desperate, or even slightly needy. She’d done without him perfectly well for her whole life before this week. She’d continue to do without him from now on.

  As the nurse, Amanda, rose to help Mom back to her room, the phone rang. Everyone froze and stared through the door into the kitchen, where the cordless handset rested in its cradle on the counter. On the second ring Juanita jumped to her feet and dashed to snatch it up. She hit the talk button with a shaking finger. “Hello?”

  “Excuse me, may I speak to Mr. Roberto Gomez? This is Rosa Blackburn.”

  “The immigration lawyer?” Juanita blurted, going cold all over.

  “That’s right. Please, is Mr. Gomez there? This is urgent.”

  “Yes.” Juanita started to hand the phone to Dad, then pulled it back and stabbed the speaker button. “Um, this is Juanita speaking. This is about Carmen, isn’t it? Is she okay?”

  For a moment the phone emitted only a barely audible hum. Then the woman said, “I really do need to speak to your father, Juanita. Or your mother, although I hate to disturb her.”

  “I’m here, Rosa,” Dad said into the phone. Juanita held it out between the three of them.

  “So am I,” Mom added. “What’s happened to Carmen?”

  “All of you, please stay calm. Carmen is perfectly safe. We’re going to get this straightened out as soon as possible.” The sound of her inhale hissed from the phone. “Carmen was arrested this morning while attempting to cross the border from Mexico into Texas. She’s being held at a federal facility in Brownsville. When they allowed her a phone call, she very wisely contacted me. I’ve got calls in to all the relevant authorities already, but since it’s the weekend we may not be able to get her out until Monday.”