by Kait Gamble
Too tired to go looking through her suitcase for her clothes, Maia stripped down to her underwear and fell into the heavenly softness of the bed.
Alex flipped onto his side, cursing the length of the couch. There was no way he would be able to fit himself comfortably on it. He envisioned Maia in the luxurious bed just a few steps below and groaned. He couldn’t imagine what she would do if he tried to get in it with her. Persuading her wouldn’t be a hardship, if she didn’t try to kill him in the attempt. In fact, he rather liked the idea of kissing her into submission. Caressing that smooth, pale skin and watching it turn rosy with passion…
But he refused to give in to the temptation. Alex knew that she was attracted to him. He could feel the frisson of awareness that hummed between them. He saw it in her eyes. He would simply take his time and when she came to him, it would be that much better.
When he rolled again, the rigid state of his body reminded him that patience wasn’t a virtue at the moment.
Giving up on the couch, he got up, took the pillow and sheet with him and went to the back patio. The huge net suspended like a hammock over the water was his only other bet to getting any sleep unless he wanted to stretch out on the deck. He rolled onto it and made himself comfortable. As far as beds went, it was great. Fresh air, the soothing sound of the waves, it was perfect.
So why couldn’t he stop thinking about Maia and get to sleep? Because he had made the mistake of imagining her naked and spread beneath him, that’s why. He tried to distract himself by shifting his train of thought elsewhere to something, anything, other than Maia. Unfortunately for him, his thoughts always circled back.
What had she been like nearly a decade ago? She would have been, what? In her late teens? Imagining Maia as a bright-eyed youth, unjaded and looking forward to the future made him flinch. Had he truly been the one to turn her into who she was now? Not that she wasn’t still stunning and smart. But Maia was guarded, closed off by walls of ice. He wanted to be the one to break down those barriers.
But if he was the one who had hurt her, as he was beginning to believe, did he have a chance?
Chapter Nine
The sunlight filtered into the room, waking Maia. She immediately scrambled out of bed to press the button to clear the glass. Just as she suspected, the scene was even more stunning in daylight. The colors of the fish and coral were even more vibrant now and she could see further into the clear water. It was definitely something she could get used to waking up to every morning.
She stood marveling at the sight for a while only to be disturbed when a chiseled male body splashed into the water above and began cutting through it with sure strokes.
Alex wore black shorts and goggles. The rest of his glorious body was bare for her to study unabashedly. Long and lean, his powerful form easily ate up the distance and with a deft flip, he headed back toward the villa.
Maia watched mesmerized as he did this half a dozen times without slowing his pace. On his final return to the villa, he stopped and dove into the coral. He watched the fish, drifting among them like he belonged there. It wasn’t long before his gaze followed a school of silver fish zipping past the window and saw her. He cocked his head and grinned, watching her a moment longer before resurfacing.
She looked down at herself and groaned. She’d totally forgotten that she was only in her underwear. Maia blindly gathered an outfit to wear for the day and headed straight upstairs to the bathroom.
After an extra-long shower, she got dressed, did her hair and lightly applied makeup. Maia glared at her reflection. She’d stalled long enough. She couldn’t even make up the excuse to change because the dress she’d grabbed was perfect for a day on the island, provided they weren’t going spelunking or anything of the sort, of course.
Alex sat at a tiny table set up on the patio, reading a paper and drinking coffee in nothing but his shorts. She’d taken up the one bathroom so he hadn’t had a chance to wash the sea off him. And now she was forced to have breakfast while staring at his bare chest. Something that obviously bothered her way more than it did him from the looks of it.
He stood with a smile when he saw her. “Good morning. I trust you had a pleasant sleep.”
“Wonderful.” She slid into the seat he pulled out for her and stared at her plate and the artfully carved fruit displayed upon it. Perfect, again. Maia speared the fruit and did her best to keep her eyes on her food. She began to relax cell by cell as they enjoyed the morning sunlight in mutual silence.
As she sipped her coffee, Alex plucked a slice of mango from her plate. “I thought that today we would explore the jungle. There are some ruins that might interest you.”
So she’d chosen the wrong outfit after all. “That sounds good.”
“Excellent.” He put down the paper, his eyes instantly catching hers. Alex looked like there was something on the tip of his tongue, but he smiled, said, “Bon appétit,” and dug into his meal.
Maia did the same. “What ruins are there to see?” She’d always had a fascination with archeology and the thought of being able to see ruins that she hadn’t before made her skin tingle. Or it could have been the man across the table from her? No. Definitely the thought of exploring ruins.
“I thought we’d visit Caracol first. It’s supposed to be the most important archeological site in the area. Have you heard of it?”
Maia shook her head.
“I’ve visited only once when we were scouting the area. I don’t think you will be disappointed.”
Fascinated, Maia smiled at him. “What can you tell me about it?”
He put down his fork and a small smile curved his lips. “If I remember correctly, it’s thought to have been occupied in 1200 BCE and covers approximately two hundred square kilometers. There are a great number of structures that I think we’ll enjoy exploring. There is a team investigating the area right now that will be able to help us learn more.
Just from that tiny titbit of information, Maia buzzed with excitement and her food was forgotten. “Just let me get changed and I’ll be ready to go whenever you are.”
“I’ll just get showered.” Alex stood and Maia couldn’t look away from the taut expanse of skin and light sprinkling of hair on his chest. “Be right back.”
“Uh-huh. I mean, of course. I’ll just get changed.” Maia stumbled on the leg of the chair, but she waved him away when he tried to help her steady herself. “I’ll be right back too.”
It wasn’t until she was back in the bedroom that she was able to breathe again. What was that? Since when did she ever get tongue-tied and clumsy? She rubbed her forehead as she mentally sorted through her clothes for something suitable to wear.
Thanks to her need to be prepared for any occasion, she had jeans, hiking boots, and a T-shirt with her. Minutes later, she was on the jetty with her camera and notepad all slung in a bag over her shoulder.
Alex emerged dressed in khakis and white button-down shirt and was just finishing up yet another call. He pointed to the phone. “The guide will meet us at the helipad on the other side.”
“Great. Are you ready?”
He grinned. “Always.”
* * * *
The helicopter trip was a blur of blue from above and below until they reached the mainland and the dense vegetation of the jungle turned the scene beneath a dark green.
As promised, a jovial little man met them on the other side. Alex informed her on the way over that he was the head of a team of archeologists currently digging there and was considered the foremost expert on the ruins.
Who else would the Girards find but the best?
They chatted on the quick Jeep ride over about what they would see but Maia wasn’t prepared for the sheer magnificence of what they encountered.
The moment she walked across the grassy ground to look up at the towering ruins, Maia felt a mix of awe and humility. She immediately pulled out her camera and started snapping. The information that the guide gave them was noted as they followed
him around.
The blazing sun beat down on the stones, and she marveled at how long it must have done this very thing and how much longer it would go on doing so. It was mind-boggling that something created by man had lasted so many millennia.
Alex seemed to share her drive to climb every step and explore every crevice in the city and they even managed to outlast their guide, who was happy to give them pertinent information before they explored the last few buildings.
The sun hung low on its descent as they climbed the last structure. The steep steps were hard on her legs after a day of scaling just about everything she could find a stable foothold. As if sensing her fatigue, Alex took her hand and led the way up the remaining steps. Once they stood at the summit, Maia gazed out at the ruins and wondered what they had looked like when they were shiny and new.
“Magnificent, isn’t it?” Alex handed her his canteen of water.
Maia took it gratefully and took a few sips. “Very. It’s incredible what they were able to achieve.”
She handed it back. Maia wasn’t ready for the zap when his hand grazed hers. Biting her bottom lip, she tried to pull hers from his grasp, but he tangled his fingers with hers. Maia couldn’t look away from Alex. His mesmerizing gaze held hers and Maia’s body responded. All the aches she felt previously disappeared except for the one growing low in her belly.
“Um. Thanks.” She forced herself to look away, shattering the moment. Maia turned her gaze to the stone glowing in the dimming light.
He took it from her. “You’re welcome.”
“I think we’ve seen just about everything, haven’t we?”
“If you are happy to leave, we will.”
Nodding, she took a few more photos and started her descent, carefully avoiding the hand he offered her.
Maia dazedly made her way down. It was getting too easy to be with Alex. She had facts oozing out of her ears and two memory cards full of photos and while she wanted to see more, what she was most interested in was time with him.
The thought did occur to her to ask to camp out with the archeologists. She wanted to learn as much as she could about the site and at the same time it would keep her from an all too intimate situation with Alex. But they’d already taken up enough of their time. So with a promise to add pictures of the ruins to her article to raise awareness of what they were doing, she bade them goodbye.
Alex was silent the whole ride back. He’d been quiet most of the day. He’d asked questions and added to discussions here and there. He’d actually been quite knowledgeable about the history of the area. But for the most part, he was happy just soaking everything in. Quite unlike what she’d expected from him.
Not that anything she’d expected of him had come to fruition. Apart from the vile things he’d said to her after she’d thrown the champagne at him, he was a good man. He had a tendency to be a bit distant, but over the past few days, he’d opened up a little.
She beamed. So had she.
Maybe his father was right. They were good for each other.
“You look content.” Alex had angled his head to look at her as they walked back to the villa.
She gazed up at him. “I had a great day.”
“Glad to hear it. But it’s not over yet. I’m sure the chef has something spectacular planned for dinner.”
Her grin widened.
And he was right. The patio was decorated with strings of lights and a large table was set with candles, gilded plates and gleaming silverware. The enormous lobster drew her eyes so she barely noticed anything else on the table.
“I have to admit I took a guess with this one. It’s one of my favorites. I hope that it doesn’t disappoint.”
She knew he loved lobster. It was one of the things they had in common, but, of course, he couldn’t remember that. Maia shook her head. “Not at all.”
He pulled her chair out for her before pouring the wine. Alex briskly served her and sat back.
Maia couldn’t wait to dive in, but Alex hadn’t made a move toward the food. “Aren’t you having any?”
“I will. I just want to see if you like it.”
She bit her lip. “Why? What have you done to it?” Maia joked.
He chuckled. “Of course I didn’t do anything to the food. I just want to see if you enjoy my favorite meal as much as I do.”
A smiled curved her lips as she speared a succulent bit of lobster. “It’s my favorite as well.”
A grin lit up his face, making him look like the Alex that she remembered. “It seems that we have a lot in common.” He took his share of the food and dove in.
She scoffed. “I don’t think enjoying similar food can be counted for a lot.”
He lifted his eyebrows. “There’s the archeology as well. I bet if we sat down and actually had a conversation, we would find a few more.”
That depended on what he wanted to talk about. The last thing she wanted to discuss was their past. She just wanted to forget about it and move on. But she knew what Alex was like and he wouldn’t be satisfied until he uncovered everything.
“You look pensive.” Alex chewed thoughtfully as he regarded her.
“Not really. Just tired I guess. And I still have a lot of work to get done.”
“Of course. Perhaps we should take it easy tomorrow then, give you a chance to catch up.”
There was still so much to see and do. She wanted the article to cover everything. “I can manage.”
The smile on his face was soft. “Are you in that much of a hurry to get away from me?”
That gave her pause. Maia was surprised that she actually wanted the opposite. She wanted to get to know him. She knew the plan was to get the job done and get out. Now, she realized that the man that he’d become was fascinatingly different from the boy she’d known. She wanted to delve deeper into who he was now. Find out what made him smile, his interests. Just to spend time with him.
“I’ll take that as a yes, then.” He shifted back in his seat and took a long sip of wine.
“Not at all.” Her eyes met his fleetingly before dropping to her own drink. “Spending time with you hasn’t been all bad.”
He chuckled before a warm hand closed around hers. The jolt she got from his touch lifted her eyes to meet his smoldering gaze. “I could say the same thing.”
Her mind faltered on what to say, what to do next. He didn’t seem to have the same problem and lifted her hand to his lips so he could gently kiss her knuckles. “Tomorrow we will take it a bit slower. I’ll find us something to do that won’t have you out for the entire day. It might be nice to spend some time here. Together.”
And alone.
Maia appreciated that he was thinking about her needs. At least that part of him hadn’t changed. She knew that they were pretty much alone on the island. She just wasn’t sure how great an idea it would be to be alone so isolated with her defenses falling rapidly as they were. At least when they were out doing things, there were other people around. Plenty of distractions. The thought of spending a lot of time at the villa alone made her feel vulnerable.
“You don’t seem pleased with that idea.” Alex watched her intently and could probably glean everything that was going on in her head.
She quickly shook it off and smiled at him. “So what else is there to do here?”
The curve of his lips never wavered. “So much. But I think we need to pace ourselves. I don’t want to wear you out.”
Thoughts of how he could wear her out sent a blast of heat to her cheeks and started her heart racing. If he could do that with just a few words and a touch, what could he do when he really wanted to?
She delicately pulled her hand from his grasp. “Don’t worry about me. I’m sure I can handle whatever you throw at me.”
Alex smirked. “Oh, I have no doubt.”
Chapter Ten
Alex must have taken her remark as a challenge. The next day he had a long list of things to see and do. Starting immediately after a light breakfast,
they walked to the opposite side of the island to go snorkeling.
Maia had traveled all over the globe and swum in some of the most amazing waters, but this one was pure magic. The morning light filtered through the water to play with the corals and the fish darting through it, giving it an almost otherworldly appearance.
Alex tirelessly led her to one amazing spot after another. At one point, they were even joined by a curious turtle that swam alongside them for a time.
Maia broke through the surface with a smile on her face. Pulling out the snorkel, she flipped onto her back and let the sun warm her skin.
Alex wasn’t too far behind. He greeted her with a laugh. “You look right at home.”
“I’ve always felt at home in the water but this was absolutely incredible. I wish I could stay forever.”
He made a sound that gave her the impression that he felt the same. “I’m sure the owner could make a villa free for you whenever you like.”
It was on the tip of her tongue to accept. Who wouldn’t? “I might have to take you up on that offer sometime.” She said the words, even though she had no intention of taking advantage of him or his connections.
She felt a hand close around hers and the next thing she knew, she was vertical and in his arms. “Alex—”
He silenced her with a kiss. Slanting over her mouth, he stole her breath away with his intensity. When she parted her lips to draw more air, he delved deeper, his tongue caressing hers. He slowly slid his hands up her body to hold her steady against his sensual onslaught.
Maia pulled him closer, loving the sensation of his body so tight against hers. He was solid. All hard muscle and angles. It was wonderful to feel him against her again. But gone was the boy she remembered. This Alex might have smelled and tasted familiar, but that was where the similarities ended. He turned her nerveless with nothing more than his lips and hands. She was dimly aware of one hand gliding down her body to cup her bottom and hold her against his impressive erection. When Alex pulled back, it took a moment for her eyes to refocus.