by Alice Ward
She glanced over at the other couple’s table again. “Yes! I absolutely think you need that exact same tat…” she reached out and tapped me on the forehead, “right there.”
“Now, you’re just being mean. I think you should give me a kiss as an apology.”
There was a long moment of silence, then she crooked her finger at me. Like a caught trout, she reeled me closer until her hands were on my cheeks. “You’re right,” she said, pulling my face closer to hers. “I’m sorry.” Then she kissed me right on the center of my forehead.
I exhaled a breath. “You are an evil woman.”
She leaned back in her chair, that sexy smirk reappearing. “Still want to get to know me better?”
Biblically. Intimately. I want to know every cell in your body.
“Yeah.”
“Why the flying penguins?”
I blinked. What the total fuck? “Um…”
She laughed and tapped me over the heart. “The dove tattoos. Why did you choose them?”
“For my grandparents. I’d never really experienced loss before they died, just days apart from one another. At their funeral, doves were released. I…” I lifted a shoulder, unsure how to go on.
“Kept them as an eternal memory?” Sloane offered.
She got me. “Yes.”
Like most women, she couldn’t help but reach out and run her hand over it. She hesitated before actually touching me. “May I?”
“Of course.”
Her hand was soft as she caressed my ink stained skin. “I would have expected something tribal or more warriorlike. This is simple but gorgeous.”
“I think there’s enough war on our planet.”
Her expression softened. “Make love, not war? It appears you’re doing your part to fulfill the wish of that motto.”
“Clean slate,” I reminded her but shoved my sleeves up so she could examine the see no evil, hear no evil, say no evil triad on my right arm as well as the warrior she expected on my left.
Her finger traced over the lines. “Such contradictions,” she murmured. “Unexpected.”
Time seemed to slow as she touched my skin, her scent surrounding me. “So… no gambling canines?” I asked to break the tension.
She began to move her hand away, but I closed mine over hers. She didn’t resist, just stared down at where our fingers linked. “No.” She looked serious now. “Continue to choose the symbols that speak to you.”
She picked up her drink but only took a small sip. Since we seemed to be in a serious place, I decided to ask the question I’d been curious about since she ordered. “Do you always avoid alcohol? If so, I’ll remove the champagne I brought to your room.”
“I don’t drink when I work.” Her eyes widened just a bit. If I hadn’t been watching her closely, I would have missed it. “I mean…” She cleared her throat but seemed to be searching for an explanation.”
“Dolphin watching?” I offered, giving her an escape. What was she hiding?
She recovered quickly, giving a soft, embarrassed laugh but didn’t confirm or deny my guess. “Sorry, I think I’m tired from the trip. It’s been a while since I’ve taken any time off.”
I waggled my eyebrows at her, hoping she’d continue to laugh. “I have several ideas on ways to help you relax.”
She rolled her eyes but was still smiling. “I’m sure you do. But to answer your initial question, I do enjoy champagne and wine. I also enjoy pale beer. When I go to a baseball game or watch football on television, eat pizza or barbeque, it’s usually beer that I prefer.”
“Beer? Sports? Pizza? I think I love you.”
She laughed again. It was light, airy, and freaking magical. Not one hint of a silly-ass giggle in it. She sighed, and I found that sound arousing.
Everything she did was arousing.
Tracing the outline of her hand with my fingertip, the romantic island music playing filtered in and I asked, “How about we trip the light fantastic, Sloane? Get the blood stirring before we settle down for that glass of wine?”
Her eyes widened. “Oh, no. I don’t dance.”
I stood up and held out my hand. “Come on. Just one.”
She shook her head and made stop signs with her hands, but I wasn’t taking no for an answer. The pretty lady needed my help desperately. She just hadn’t realized it yet.
“You don’t dance yet. You see, I’m going to teach you. That way you can say that you learned to dance while you vacationed in Maldives. It’ll be a cute story you can tell our grandkids one day.”
The way she eyed me made goosebumps pop up in a place that didn’t happen too often. “You think you’re smooth, Zane, but this little dance won’t be a thing I tell anyone’s grandkids about. And neither will you.” I just stood there, hand held out until she rolled her eyes and sighed, then laced her fingers with mine and stood. “At least my sandals are light and won’t hurt your feet too badly when I step on them.”
I pulled her against my chest and pressed my lips to her ear. “Stop talking. Let’s just move.”
And move she did, following along just fine. Up until the time I turned her around, and she left her feet right where they were. I nearly crushed her little toes. She laughed. “I told you so.”
“No, you said you’d crush mine. This was quite the opposite.” I grinned and pulled her back against me. Although many inches shorter than me, her body fit the curves and valleys of mine perfectly. “Let’s start again. I’ll move our clasped hands when I’m taking a step to let you know what’s going to happen.” I bent and pressed my forehead against hers. “You will be a dancer before you leave me.”
She shook her head and smiled. “Will I now, Fred? Okay, you’ll move your hand, and I’ll move my feet. Let’s try this again.”
I took tiny steps to make sure I wouldn’t step on her, and she watched our feet as we went. After I allowed her to do that for one song, I made her look up. The song was slow, perfect for holding her close. “You can rest your head on my shoulder while we move back and forth. Just slide your feet alongside mine.”
Her eyes were wary. “Um. Well. I…”
Pulling her to me, I felt her heart pounding. “It’ll be okay, Sloane. We’re just dancing. After this, I’ll buy you a glass of wine. Then maybe we’ll head to the spa. You can get a mani-pedi while I watch.”
She looked up at me through long lashes. “Is that what you’re into, Zane? Watching?”
“I like to watch a thing or two. A few things come to mind where you’re concerned, but they’re a bit on the naughty side. I should probably keep them to myself for now.”
She nuzzled my shoulder and ran her hand up to rest on my bicep. “Do you have that much patience?”
Giving her a little squeeze, I picked her up and spun around. “With you, I think I can wait for all that.” She slid down my body until her feet were on the floor again. “I’d like to get to know you first.”
Pink lips quirked to one side. “You say that as if it’s a certainty.”
I gave her a lopsided grin right back. “You say that as if it’s not.”
She laid her head back down on my shoulder and ran her hand down to rest on my ass. “Nothing is certain, Zane.” Then her hand came up my back and stayed in an appropriate area.
That was okay. I could deal with that. The woman wasn’t going to be easy. I could see that. I could respect that. And I thought I could handle that.
But that dance was something else. Our bodies curved together like we were two pieces of a puzzle. Her hand fit in mine as if we were cut from the same cloth.
The smell of her hair took me away as I nuzzled my nose in the soft strands. Flowers, some vanilla, and maybe even a touch of tapioca pudding made up the enticing aroma. Sloane was a rare woman, and I was lucky to have gotten to her before any other man had.
As I looked around, I saw men eyeing her. A few looked envious of me. More than a few looked cockily at her, waiting for me to leave her alone for a brief moment so th
ey could steal her away.
Not a chance, boys. She’s all mine.
When the song ended, neither of us seemed to want to let the other go, and no way in hell would I be the one to let go first. She sighed and pulled away. “I’d love a glass of wine now.”
Not letting her hand go, I led her back to the table. “I’ll find us a good bottle.” Pulling her chair out, she took her seat. We both seemed to be in a bit of a daze. “Now, don’t you go running off on me.”
That sly smile was back. “Not a chance. And try not to run off with any of the random women who’re hovering around the bar, waiting to take you away from me.”
I made my way to the bar and watched various men’s eyes go toward my girl.
Listen to me. My girl.
But that was how I was already thinking. Any man would find me standing in his way if he made a move on Sloane. As ridiculous as it might seem, I knew she was special. Even though we’d only talked a little to one another, I knew there was something about her. Something I wanted to explore much further.
And I thought she might like to explore things further with me too.
CHAPTER SIX
Sloane
With a fresh Mai Tai in one hand and a dark red wine in the other, Zane came back to me, just as my rabbit and his date were getting up and walking away from the little bar.
I needed to follow them, using Zane as my cover. It was time to do a little fancy footwork myself as he approached me with a sexy smile on his handsome face. “For my lady.” He placed the drink in my hand, and I stood, making that smile turn upside down. “Leaving?”
Placing my hand in the crook of his arm, I shook my head. “How about we enjoy these outside? I need to stretch my legs a bit more after the long flight.”
“Let’s go.” He began to lead me the wrong direction.
Stopping him, I found something that looked interesting in the other direction. “Isn’t that tree oddly shaped? Let’s go this way.”
He shrugged. “Any way you want, baby.”
It was evident I could lead him around for a while. Eventually, though, if I wanted to keep using him, I’d have to give in to him. Not that it would upset me one bit. But the idea of hurting the man when I ditched him was a little upsetting.
A salty breeze took my senses to new heights. The way the waves gently washed ashore made the scene picturesque, and it was hard to keep in mind that I was not on vacation in the island paradise. I cut my eyes to make sure Smith was still in front of us.
“That speedboat ride from the airport was something else, huh?” I sipped my wine, waiting for his take on the thrilling ride that brought everyone to the island.
“I thought it was fun.” He let my hand go to move his arm around my waist, pulling me close. “Maybe we should take a ride tomorrow.”
I liked the fact he was trying to set up a date for the next day. But I knew I had to play hard to get, at least a bit. “Tomorrow? I don’t know.”
His chuckle was deep, smooth, and confident. “Okay. Here’s the part where you and I get to know one another. That way you won’t feel like you’re hanging out with a stranger all the time. I’ll let you go first. What is this job you’ve been working so hard on?”
I already had my cover drilled into my brain.
“I’m a freelance photojournalist. I’ve been working in Afghanistan for the last six months.” It was my usual cover that came complete with a website to make it believable. “My equipment was shipped home to Queens, and I got on a flight to paradise so I could forget about the hell I had to live in for half a year.”
He had stopped walking and looked at me, mouth nearly agape. “Shit. That’s dangerous as hell. Wow.”
I got us started walking again, keeping Smith in my sights. “Yes, it was pretty intense at times, and I’d rather not talk much about that if you don’t mind. I saw more than I cared to. I’d like to think nothing more about it all and just relax.”
He stopped again and turned me in his arms. “I won’t bring it up at all. I get it. You’re remarkable. I bet you hear that all the time though.”
He was wrong. All I seemed to hear lately was how much harder I needed to work, that good wasn’t enough. The pressure to survive being a rookie in the FBI was incredible. “Nah, you’re the first.” I playfully hit him in the chest, my fist landing on the rock-hard surface.
Oh, those muscles.
He was such a fine specimen, it kept making me wish we’d met under normal circumstances, and I didn’t have to fill him full of shit about myself.
“So, you live in Queens, but you must travel a lot with your job.” He seemed excited about that as he let me go and took my hand.
“I do travel very often. I’m hardly ever home.” That part was true. I hardly ever got to my parents’ home in Queens. But my real apartment was in DC, a thing Zane couldn’t know.
“I travel often too.” He smiled at me as he gave me a sideways glance. “Maybe you and I could become travel buddies.”
“One never knows.” But I knew we could never be anything more than what we could fit into the days I was on the island.
A loud giggle caught my attention, and I looked ahead to see Smith and his girlfriend playing in the surf. Zane caught me staring. “Do you know them?”
I feigned ignorance. “Know who?”
He shook his head and kept walking. “Never mind.”
We walked farther down, and I spotted a sweet double swing. “Want to sit and enjoy the view.” My white-haired target was just within sight.
“Sure.”
As I settled into the cushions, I allowed myself a moment to take the environment in. It truly was beautiful. As was the man who had nestled me into the crook of his arm.
“What do you do when you aren’t living in paradise?”
His nose wrinkled. “I’m part of a candy company in Scranton, Pennsylvania.”
He wasn’t like any man I’d ever met. Ask a man a question about his job and be prepared to spend at least half an hour as he told you how the world wouldn’t be turning if it weren’t for his job. Or it might be how he was the hardest worker in his company, but no one saw that. Whichever way it went, it usually went on and on until I wanted to pull my gun out and shoot something.
I was sincerely curious now. “Do you like Scranton? Is your family from there?”
“Yeah.” That was it. One damn word.
“Yeah, you live there? Yeah, you like it? Yeah, your family lives there?” I was perplexed.
He lifted a shoulder and continued to stare out at the sea. “Yeah to all three. How about you? Do you like where you live? I mean, I know you’re hardly there. Is that because you hate it there or because you have a passion for taking pictures?”
“I’m hardly ever home because my work takes me away.” I wasn’t a naturally great photographer, and I’d had to work my ass off to get good enough for the cover to work. Being artistic was kind of hard to fake. Taking pics wasn’t a passion at all. But I had to act as if it was. “But I love my work. I’d take pictures even if no one paid me to do it. But I leave my equipment home when I take time off, on purpose. If I have my camera around, then I’ll go into that mode and never just relax. You know what I mean?”
“I got ya.” He took my empty glass from my hand, and set it beside his on the sand. “Looks like we’re in the perfect spot to watch the sunset.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Smith and his girl sitting on the sand. Most likely waiting to see the sunset too. “That sounds nice.”
Zane pulled me closer and our fingers wove together. “It’s really spectacular here. We’re so close to the equator, everything is bigger and better.”
That surge of electricity was back, and it made me smile and duck my head so he wouldn’t see how much he affected me.
My first impression of Zane was one of a womanizing jerk. He wasn’t being that with me. He was a charming man with a romantic side that I didn’t see coming.
It was goin
g to be hard to keep things in perspective where he was concerned.
“You’re not like I thought you’d be, Zane Boyd.”
“Yeah, I bet. Sorry about that first impression. I must have looked like a dick.” He chuckled again, making my heart flip as I looked at him.
I turned my head to look out at the sun that was melting into the Indian Ocean. “I can see why people used to think the world was flat. It sure looks like it from here, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah, it does. And have you ever seen the colors the sun and water make? God, it’s gorgeous.”
I wish I could’ve taken my eyes off him to see that, but I just couldn’t. He was the perfect man. Hot, sensual, and it seemed he had a bit of a sensitive side to him as well.
Damn, if I could be real with him, it’d be like hitting the jackpot.
But I couldn’t, so I turned my head and watched the sun paint the sky with a dazzling array of pinks and oranges. “Goodbye, sun,” I murmured as the last arc of the red globe disappeared.
Giving the rabbit one quick sideways glance, I found he was making out with his girl and had her flat on her back on the sand. With a scan of the area, I found a number of couples kissing as if the sunset had started fires in them all.
When my eyes came around to Zane, I found him looking at me, those sea green eyes exploring my face. “Hungry?”
I was starving.
For his attention. His touch. His…
I could get lost in those eyes. Zane’s arms could hold me forever. My lips ached to feel his pressed against them. Against my breasts, my…
I looked back to the ocean and closed my eyes as the breeze combined with the sounds of the night insects and animals, lulling me into a mystical trance. Or was it Zane’s proximity? Both?
It was hard to tell.
He was just a cover, I told myself.
“I’m not hungry.”
In one gentle motion, I was on his lap, and his hands were on my shoulders, kneading the tight muscles there. “You have to eat. You don’t want to waste away here, do you?”
The way he was massaging my shoulders was mind-altering. Like the best kind of drug. I was losing all hope of keeping my head straight with the man. He knew how to hit all the right buttons with me.