Colin had said the purpose of the trip was to teach her to snorkel, so she rummaged in the suitcases and found six different two-piece bathing suits with matching cover-ups in an array of colors. She eyed a dark-pink two-piece with a critical eye. Skimpy. Decidedly skimpy. But the other suits didn’t look much larger.
With a sigh, she took the bikini and its cover-up into the bathroom and put it on.
Viewing herself in a floor-length mirror, she frowned. The bottom half of the suit started inches below her navel and its legs were cut high. The top was little more than two bra cups held together by string. At the same time, nothing vital was exposed, and it wasn’t completely outrageous. She twisted around to get another view, and the conclusion she reached surprised her. She looked pretty good in the suit.
She smiled at herself. The very fact that she was here, with two scraps of fabric serving as a swimsuit, was yet another clue that she was changing. What she didn’t know, and what she was here to figure out, was whether or not she liked the changes.
Plus, she had never been on a tropical island before, and swimsuits did seem to be called for. She took one more glance at herself in the mirror. How stupid of her. Why did she feel she had to defend herself to herself?
The cover-up was a lovely soft drift of pink-flowered material. She slipped it under one arm and tied it at the top of the opposite shoulder. There, she thought with another smile at herself—nothing showed but a shoulder and her arms.
Last night she’d delved into one of the smaller bathroom bags only long enough to find a new toothbrush and a tube of toothpaste. Now she took a longer look in each bag and found the touch of the beauteous Jacqui in the variety of facial creams, cleansers and makeup, all bearing the Jacqui’s logo. According to several of her female acquaintances, Jacqui’s products were excellent, so okay, she would use them.
She didn’t have to look in the other bag. She knew it bore Molly’s touch and contained all her medications. Hopefully she wouldn’t have to use any of them.
She washed her face, brushed her teeth and slathered one of the creams on her face and neck. Then she turned to the task of her hair and found there wasn’t much to do.
The hairstylist who had cut her hair yesterday had layered it. The cut had lightened its weight and revealed the wayward natural curl she had fought all her life to tame. The stylist had also shortened her hair to brush her shoulders and added wispy bangs. As a result, all she had to do was run her fingers through it, wet or dry, and it looked the same as when the stylist had sent her on her way yesterday.
She briefly shook her head at her reflection in the mirror. The haircut was one change she definitely hadn’t gotten used to yet. Returning to her bedroom, she donned a pair of sandals she found in one of the suitcases and headed for the terrace.
But after only a few steps, she stopped. Colin was standing at the other end of the terrace, staring out at the turquoise sea, one hand braced against a post, the other hand holding a cup of coffee.
And he was wearing nothing but a pair of dark blue, tight, low-cut swim briefs.
Very brief. Very tight.
She flushed and swallowed with a suddenly dry throat. Seeing him in profile as she was, the bulk of his sex was obvious.
She was riveted by the sight, and her heart began to pound as if it were about to burst out of her chest. But why? She had already felt his size and shape when they had danced. In his arms, on the dance floor, encircled by other couples, she had nearly come apart at the feel of him pressed against her lower body. She still could remember how she had ached for him.
She couldn’t allow that to happen here. She wouldn’t.
Besides, as she had just told herself, they were on an island where bathing suits were called for. She might as well get accustomed to the sight of his hard body, his sex….
Unbidden, heat flowed into her veins, until her whole body felt feverish.
She barely managed to stop herself from retreating to her bedroom. This was not a good way for her to start off her visit here on the island. She had stopped hiding in her bedroom closet a long time ago, and she had no intention of starting now, however metaphorical it would be in this situation.
Slowly she walked toward him, but she forced her gaze away from him and scanned the rest of the terrace. Behind Colin was an outdoor living area, complete with comfortable-looking couches and chairs covered with fabrics that faithfully duplicated the tropical colors around them. There was even a fireplace, and overhead, a ceiling fan turned, as did several others along the terrace.
His gaze was so fixed on the sea, he didn’t see her as she approached, which was just as well. No matter how hard she tried, she could no longer avoid looking at him. Closer now, she saw water droplets drying on his muscled body and golden-brown hair.
“Good morning,” she said. Hopefully conversation would get her mind off his body.
He turned with an uncomplicated smile of welcome. “Good morning.”
His smile warmed her in a way that had nothing to do with sex. Thank goodness. “Is it? Morning, I mean? Time-wise, I’m thrown. All I know is that I fell into bed last night, slept the sleep of the dead, and when I awoke, the sun was already up.”
“That’s pretty much all you need to know. Time really isn’t important here in the islands.” His gaze skimmed her attire. “You look lovely.”
“Thank you,” she said, then instinctively tried to deflect his attention away from her. “This island is dazzling.”
“I’m glad you like it.” His smile told her he knew what she was doing.
Damn it. He was back to reading her mind. “Have you already been for a swim?”
He nodded. “The water was great. You’re going to love it.”
She glanced toward the sea. “That remains to be seen.”
“Right.” He reached for a blue-printed T-shirt that matched the blue of his swimsuit, slipped it over his head and down over his chest. Water quickly stained it in the places where he wasn’t yet dry, such as his chest, where she’d just seen water droplets glistening. She closed her eyes, as if the act would banish the sight from her mind. It didn’t work.
“First things first,” he said briskly. “Since you missed dinner last night, I bet you’re hungry.”
“You’d win that bet,” she said, glancing around and seeing a long rectangular table off to the side of the living area. It was set for two.
He took her hand. “Come with me.”
It seemed that was all she had been doing for the past three days.
She settled into the chair he held out for her; then he took a chair at a right angle to her. There were several covered dishes already on the table, along with a large fruit centerpiece.
As if on cue, a caramel-colored young beauty with close-cropped black hair glided into view, carrying a white carafe. “Coffee, ma’am?”
“Yes, thank you. Oh, I need decaffeinated, please. Is that a problem?”
“Not at all. That’s what this is.”
“Jill, this is Liana. Liana, this is my friend Jill.”
“Hello,” Jill said and received a warm smile in return.
“Welcome to Serenity,” Liana said as she poured Jill’s coffee.
“Serenity?”
Liana moved to a sideboard, exchanged carafes, then strolled around the table to replenish Colin’s cup. “It is the name of our island.”
“Liana and her family are caretakers of the island,” Colin inserted.
“How nice,” Jill said, looking back and forth between the two of them. “I can already see that the island was well named.”
Liana and Colin exchanged smiles, and something clutched at Jill’s heart. Their smiles were filled with intimate familiarity. Were they involved? Was Liana the woman with whom he had fallen in love? And if so, how had she broken his heart? Obviously they still felt warmly toward each other.
Liana directed her lovely black-eyed gaze on her. “Was there something special you’d like to eat this morning, Ms
. Baron?”
“I’m not sure,” she said, staring at the island beauty, reflecting that Colin had a way of drawing beautiful women to him. Yesterday it had been Jacqui. Today it was Liana. She gave a soft sigh. What did it matter, anyway? “I am hungry, though.”
“Just name your first choice,” Colin said. “If we don’t have it, you can go on to choice number two.”
“All right, then. How about French toast with—” she glanced at the fruit bowl “—kiwi fruit, and crisp bacon on the side?”
“We can do that, ma’am.”
“Wonderful.” She stared at Liana’s warm smile and decided she couldn’t blame her if she was in love with Colin. It sometimes seemed as if half the women she knew were. “And please, call me Jill.”
“Thank you, Jill. Colin?”
“What she’s having sounds good.”
“Mama and I will get right on it.” Liana turned and disappeared through a doorway.
Just then a gust of wind blew through the covered terrace and ruffled Jill’s hair. Instinctively she lifted her face to the breeze.
“You look as if you belong here,” Colin murmured.
Slightly embarrassed to be caught in what had been an unguarded moment, she turned the comment back on him. “So do you. You must come here often.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because you and Liana seem to know each other well.”
He nodded, eyeing her thoughtfully. “Well, to answer your question, I do come here often—or rather, as often as I can manage. And yes, Liana and I know each other very well.”
“How well?” As soon as she said it, she wished for the words back.
Suddenly Colin’s eyes began to twinkle. “What have you got going on in that beautiful head of yours? Do you think Liana and I are lovers?”
The sight of gold lights dancing in Colin’s eyes was something to behold. She felt a quickening low in her belly. It could mean she was just hungry, but she seriously doubted it. “Are you?”
He shook his head. “No, Jill. I’ve known Liana and her family for ten years, ever since I started coming here. We’re good friends, and that’s it. Plus, I don’t think her husband would approve.” He tilted his head and gazed thoughtfully at her. “Okay?”
She shrugged as if it didn’t matter one way or the other. “Sure.” She reached for a glass pitcher of orange juice and poured herself some. “So you’ve been coming here for ten years?”
“Yes.”
“The person who owns this island must be a very good friend.”
“He is.”
“You own this island, don’t you?”
He smiled. “Along with Des.”
“I didn’t realize you two were so close.”
“I told you right from the beginning that we were good friends.”
She chewed on her bottom lip. She supposed Colin had done her a great favor by bringing her to an island Des owned half interest in. So why did she feel a sudden panic?
“Why didn’t you tell me who owned the island?”
“Because I was afraid if you knew it was partly mine, you might feel trapped in some way.”
That was it. Her panic had nothing to do with Des and everything to do with Colin. He had her in a place from which she couldn’t escape—escape from him.
“If at any time you decide you want to leave, just tell me.”
She nodded. Once again he had read her mind, which by now she had come to consider almost normal. Maybe it was because he had told her they could leave any time she wanted, but all of a sudden she didn’t feel trapped anymore. And strangely, anticipation bubbled through her like champagne. The question was, what was she anticipating?
“Are you and Des planning on developing the island?”
“It’s as developed as it’s likely to get. We love it just as it is, though someday we may build another residence for those times when we both might like to bring our families here at the same time.”
She had been about to point out the money they could make if they did decide to develop it, but the thought of Colin with a family constricted her throat to the point that she doubted she could even make a sound.
Colin with a wife and children.
Troubled by the idea, she frowned. But after all, she reasoned, just because he hadn’t yet married and started a family, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t in the future. And the fact that he had even brought up the possibility of building another residence meant that marriage and a family were something he hoped to have.
“While your breakfast settles, I thought I might take you on a mini tour of the island. Or, if you’d rather, we can go straight into the swimming pool.”
The hand holding her orange juice halted halfway between the table and her lips. “Swimming pool? There’s a swimming pool on the island?”
He nodded. “Within walking distance, though you can’t see it until you get there.”
“Isn’t a pool redundant here?”
He chuckled. “I think so, but Des and I decided to go ahead and put one in. Apparently there are some people who want to be able to see what’s under them when they swim at night—therefore, the pool.”
“I bet you’re not one of those people.”
“You’re right. The ocean is wonderful at night.”
She found herself tangled up in the depths of his eyes. Lord, it was no wonder women fell for him left, right and center. “You mean you’re going to teach me how to snorkel in a pool? Colin, I have a swimming pool in my own backyard. For that matter, so do you. We could have just stayed home.”
“I want to go over the basics in the pool first, so I know you’ll be able to handle it out there.” He nodded in the direction of the sea. “Once you’ve got it down, then we’ll head for the reef I’ve got picked out for you.”
“Oh.” She sipped at her orange juice, then decided to go back to the coffee. “I suppose that’s a good idea. But tell me something. From what little I know about snorkeling, it looks relatively easy.”
“Once you learn the basics, it is.”
“Okay, so I don’t see you—or Des, for that matter—being content to merely swim along on the surface of the water. If you two do anything, it would be scuba diving.”
His dimple appeared. “You’re right, but there are two reasons I decided to bring you down here and teach you how to snorkel. First, you can learn it much faster than you can learn to scuba. And after your first snorkeling trip, it will whet your appetite for scuba diving.” He paused and eyed her speculatively. “And if you do convince Des to marry you, that would be something he could teach you.”
Once again his answer made sense. But what didn’t make sense was that she hated the answer.
“By the way, can you swim?”
She couldn’t help but laugh. “Do you honestly think I would consider snorkeling if I couldn’t?”
“Okay, but how well do you swim?”
She thought over his question. “I used to be pretty good, but I haven’t been swimming since I was in high school. My father made sure my sisters and I could swim.”
“Considering there’s an enormous lake at the edge of the Double B, I can see why. He wouldn’t have wanted any of you to fall in and accidentally drown.”
“I doubt if he would have blinked an eye if one of us had drowned.”
“You can’t mean that.”
“I guarantee you, the day after the funeral, he would be back to business as usual.”
“People grieve in different ways, Jill.”
“It’s not important.” She waved the issue aside. “But the reason he made sure we could swim was so that we could race against each other. It was all part of his teaching us to be competitive. It was also the reason he taught us to play golf, tennis, baseball, horseshoes and any other sport he could come up with. It’s the reason I stopped swimming as soon as possible, and as a result, truthfully, I’m not sure how far I can swim now.”
He stared at her for several moments as if he wa
s contemplating saying something—no doubt something about her father—but then he seemed to change his mind.
“You won’t have to worry. You’ll be wearing a belt that will keep you buoyant, and a vest if you still don’t feel secure, plus the saltwater helps. However, I would never take out someone who didn’t know how to swim at all.”
“Then why didn’t you ask me before now?”
He smiled. “Because if you couldn’t swim, I figured I’d just teach you.”
“Teach me to swim, huh? As easy as that. You know, you missed your calling. You should have been a teacher.”
“You think?”
She nodded. “I’m sure teaching history and mathematics couldn’t be that much different from teaching a woman how to accept a man’s touch, or teaching her how to dance close to a man, or even teaching her snorkeling. Just another lesson in a long line of them, right?”
He smiled. “Right.” He looked up. “Ah, here’s our breakfast. Thank you, Liana.”
Jill untied the pink wrap and draped it over a lounge chair by the pool. Colin let out a long wolf whistle. “I’ve got to say that I have excellent taste.”
She shrugged, self-conscious. Colin was standing with his hands on his hips, staring at her with open appreciation.
“I did one hell of a job picking out that suit, but then, you’ve got a great body to show it off.”
Annoyingly, unnervingly, his compliment sent heat to every part of her body. “Oh, quit congratulating yourself and let’s get on with it.”
“Come here.”
Irritated more by the way he was making her feel than his words, she pointed to the underwater steps she was standing by. “This is where we go in.”
“Not yet. Come here.”
The huskiness she heard in his voice caused her irritation to melt away. And just so she didn’t do the same, she stiffened her spine and quickly walked to him. She didn’t want him to have a chance to study her body too closely, nor did she want the opportunity to do the same to him. As it was, she was having an extremely difficult time keeping her eyes above the line where his swim briefs ended.
When she reached him, he grasped her shoulders and turned her around.
The Barons of Texas: Jill Page 10