Key to My Heart: An Anthology of Sweet Romance

by Alice La Roux

  “Come on, mate. We’re here for the three S’s…” A large frame barrels into me and knocks my bag to the floor.

  “Watch it.” I bend down to retrieve the contents and feel my face flush. Another figure bends down to help me, but we pick up the same passport. I let my eyes trail up his muscular body until my eyes meet his ice blues.

  “I’m so sorry about my friend. He’s like an over-excited puppy.”

  I shrug. “I have one of those friends.”

  I stand up and see Sally pointing her finger into the chest of the man I assume knocked my bag on the floor. “It’s okay, honestly. Nothing is broken and no one is hurt,” I try to reassure everyone.

  “I’m Jack, and this is my friend Jared.” He holds his hand out to me and I accept it a little too quickly. I think I just want to get off this aircraft and get to our hotel.

  “Nice to meet you. I’m Hallie and this is Sally.”

  “Girls’ holiday?” asks Jack.

  “Something like that. You? I mean, not a girls’ holiday.” I feel the heat rise in my cheeks because of my lack of brain to mouth filter. I’ve always been the same when I’m nervous, and the opposite sex makes me nervous.

  “We work out here. Maybe we’ll see you around the island.”

  “Maybe.”

  By now, it’s evident that we’re holding up the other holidaymakers. People are pushing past us, trying to get out of here. I don’t blame them: we’ve been in here long enough. It will be good to stretch our legs.

  “See you around.” He winks at me.

  If I thought I was hot before, now I’m about ready to combust. Who would have thought one man could make me feel like a giddy schoolgirl with a crush on the star football player?

  “Come on, sister. Let’s get this party started.” Sally links my arm and we manage to make our way down the steps without anymore mishaps.

  “Well, did I do good, or did I do good?” Sally gushes as we look up to our hotel.

  I push my sunglasses up onto my head. “Hmm! Let’s get this luggage inside before we melt here on the street.”

  The heat has got to be about twenty-six degrees, if not more. I wasn’t expecting it to be so hot so early in the morning. The jeans I decided to put on are rubbing in places I don’t want to be rubbing—the joys of having chunky thighs.

  We walk through the main hotel doors and the reception desk is right in front of us. It seems quite quiet, but I don’t want to speak too soon. We’re in Las Americas, after all. It’s party central in the peak season.

  We stand at the desk and the receptionist has her back to us. A man rushes in behind the desk, rifling through paperwork, obviously in a hurry.

  “Welcome back, Mr Donovan. How was your visit home?”

  “Good, Connie. Thank you.”

  That voice hits me square in the chest and I look up to see ice blue eyes staring back at me. “Are you following me?” I giggle.

  What is wrong with me? I never giggle like a child. I can’t even blame the sun or the booze, because I’ve had none yet.

  “I wish I was, Hallie. But, unfortunately, duty calls.” He waves paperwork in my direction and backs away from us. “I’ll see you around.” He winks at me again.

  I roll my eyes and look at my friend leaning against the counter, tapping her fingers impatiently. “Can we get checked in now?”

  I nod. I think this holiday might be an adventure after all.

  Chapter Three

  Jack

  I sit at my desk and throw down the paperwork. I can’t believe I’m gushing over a woman I just met, all thanks to my idiot friend who’s clumsy and can’t watch where he’s going. I’m always telling him to slow down and be careful, but maybe this time it worked out in my favour.

  Anyone would think landing back in Tenerife would be all fun and frolics, but for business owners, it’s not all parties and baking in the sun. No, it’s dealing with orders and clients. It’s being responsible for making sure every guest has a great holiday. Now that I’ve met this beautiful brunette, I’d much rather throw the paperwork over to my assistant and just have some fun, but the level head on my shoulders can’t throw caution to the wind.

  Can I?

  I nestle down and take care of all the paperwork I missed while I was back home in Glasgow for my sister’s wedding. The quicker I can take care of work, the more chance I have of being able to play for a little while.

  “Come on! Can’t you show us a good time?” drawls a member of a hen party we have staying in the hotel.

  “I’m sure someone will show you a good time, sweetheart, but I’m afraid it won’t be me. Duty calls.” I roll my eyes and shake my head. I head behind the bar where I hope I’ll be safe for a while. I know I don’t have to work menial jobs since I own the place, but I like to know what’s going on, and I like to get my hands dirty.

  “You need to lighten up, Jack. You had all of those girls in the palm of your hand. How could you turn that down?” mocks Josh, my bar manager.

  “Because I’m thirty-two, not eighteen. You’re worse than Jared.”

  I turn away from Josh and see Hallie and Sally walking into the bar. There might be two ladies, but the only one I really see is Hallie. Her long brown hair is hanging around her shoulders in ringlets. She has clearly been sitting in the sun today, because her skin is golden brown. If I thought she looked smoking hot this morning, now she’s like sex on legs, smoking hot.

  Her gaze catches mine and she smiles as she sits down on the bar stool. “We meet again.”

  I nod. “We do indeed. What can I get you?” I lean over the bar and give her my full attention.

  “Sal…” She cuts herself off when she notices her friend has veered off to a group of guys sitting in the corner. “I don’t know why I come out with her.” Hallie huffs and turns back to me. “Can I have one of your finest cocktails? Surprise me.”

  “Coming right up.”

  What the hell do I pick? We have a fine cocktail menu, and if I didn’t care much about the woman sitting at my bar then I wouldn’t care what I pour. I grab the bottle of gin and cherry brandy. I start by making her a Singapore Sling. You either love it or hate it, but she looks like a gin kind of girl.

  “Try this.” I place the cocktail on the bar and cover her hands as she goes to pay me for it. “It’s on the house.”

  “Thank you. What is it?” She giggles as she inspects my creation.

  “It’s a Singapore Sling. You look like a gin lover, am I right?”

  She nods. “I like flavoured gins, yes.” She puts the straw to her mouth and takes a drink. I watch her cheeks hollow in as the sweet and bitter tantalizes her taste buds. “Very nice. How long have you worked here?” she asks.

  “Confession time. I don’t actually just work here. My friend, Jared—who you met this morning—and I own this hotel. We’ve been out here for nearly six years now.”

  “Wow! Impressive. It must be like a totally different world living out here.”

  I grab a bottle of beer from the fridge and point to the chair beside her. “Do you mind if I join you?”

  She shakes her head and turns in her chair. “It is different out here. Although it’s party central, everyone is relaxed and carefree. I love all of the Canary Islands.”

  “I’ve only been to Gran Canaria. That is one of my favourites.”

  “A girl after my own heart. I’m getting ready to open a new hotel there in July. Just along from The Irish Centre in Playa Del Ingles.”

  “Lovely area.”

  “I plan on having a hotel on each of the islands by the time I retire.”

  “Unless you’ve aged well, I’d say you have a lot of years to accomplish that dream.”

  “I guess now I need to ask what age you think I am.”

  “Hmm.” She studies me and trails her eyes up and down my body. “About thirty.”

  “I’ll take that. I like looking younger than I actually am. I’m thirty-two.”

  “Not a bad guess.�
� She smiles brightly.

  “So, what brings a beautiful young woman out here alone?”

  “What brings anyone out here? I’m young, free, and single. But, honestly, my friend made me come.”

  “Said friend that has buggered off and left you.” He laughs.

  “The one and only. Anyway, I’d much rather be propping up the bar, going through the cocktail menu here, as opposed to sitting amongst that group of guys or doing a pub crawl.”

  “Wise woman. What would your friend say if I stole you away for a walk along the beach?”

  We both look over our shoulder and see Sally laughing and joking with one of the guys. She even has a drink in her hand.

  “I doubt she’ll even know I’m missing, but I’ll text her.”

  “Good. Let’s go. Josh, you’re on your own for a while,” I shout over the bar and his cheeky smirk speaks a thousand words.

  My friends are always trying to set me up with some woman, but they’ve got me all wrong. I don’t like who they offer me. I’m more of an au natural man, and right now, Hallie is the only woman who has appealed to me in years.

  Chapter Four

  Hallie

  What on Earth am I doing? This man could be an axe murderer or a serial rapist. He might be luring me away to do God knows what. But you know what? I don’t care. I like Jack. Something about him appeals to me on a level that no one ever has. Probably not even my fiancé, and that only rings good bells in my head. I’m throwing caution to the wind and having some fun for once in my life.

  “How long are you out here for?” asks Jack as we walk along the promenade.

  “Seven days.” I bend down and slip off my sandals as we step onto the golden sand. It’s very quiet for this time of day. Diners are eating in restaurants, the faint sound of music in the background. This is the life. “I wish we were staying longer. I didn’t want to come away, but now I’m here, well, that changes things.”

  “Why do I get the feeling that you’re hiding from something back home?”

  I look up at him and smile. “Am I that readable?”

  “No. I just know the tell-tale signs of a broken heart.”

  I nod. “I’m not exactly running. I just needed to get away from everything.”

  “Man troubles, huh?”

  “If you call my fiancé humping my best friend at our wedding rehearsal man trouble, then yes. Although, it was a few months ago. I’ve moved on.”

  “I think you had a lucky escape. That guy sounds like a class A…”

  I put my hand on his arm to stop him from continuing. “I agree. Now that you know all about my misfortunes, tell me about you. No Mr or Mrs in your life?”

  He laughs. “No and no. Been burnt a few times and now I’m quite happy to be working out here, making money, and living life.”

  “Sounds a little bit like I’ve been doing, minus the sun, sea and…” I feel my cheeks blush at the thought of saying sex. I’m not a prude by any means, but I am shy compared to my friends.

  “It seems like we met each other for a reason, don’t you think?” Jack changes the subject and doesn’t elaborate on my misspoken words, thankfully.

  “To make each other see that work and no play leads for a boring day.”

  “Maybe.” He shrugs. “I don’t know about you, but I don’t generally walk along the beach with a woman I just met several hours ago. I’d say that I was meant to meet you this morning, because I believe in fate.”

  “And what is fate telling you now?” I stop and turn to face Jack. His beautiful blue eyes are still dazzling even in the dusk night glow.

  “I want to get to know you, Hallie. There is just something about you that captivates me.”

  “I bet you say that to all the women.” I giggle.

  He shakes his head slightly. “That’s the first time I’ve ever said that to anyone. Have you eaten?” I shake my head because I think I’m speechless over this man. “Do you like seafood?”

  “I love it.”

  “I know this great little restaurant just on the corner. It looks right over the water, and at night, the moon usually showcases the sea.”

  “Sounds perfect.” I smile giddily.

  Jack holds his hand out to me, and I let my small, delicate fingers link through his. I know I should get back to Sally, but I’m being selfish and doing something for me for once. It might only be a holiday friendship I have with Jack, but I’m happy and content.

  Chapter Five

  Hallie

  The following day, Sally and I laze at the pool. Sally is sporting the hangover from hell, and her lounger is her piece of heaven today. I doubt I’ll get much sense out of her for a few hours. Well, until it’s time to go again tonight.

  I turn onto my stomach and stick my head into my book. At least I’m getting to do something I originally wanted to do on my annual leave: read a book or two.

  I don’t know how long I’ve been reading for, but like always, I get carried away with the story. It often feels like I’m sitting in the midst of the world the author created.

  “You might want to put some sun screen on. You’re turning a little red there.”

  I look over my shoulder to see Jack throwing his towel down on the lounger beside me. I feel my cheeks heating up when I realize I’m lying here in a skimpy bikini.

  I clear my throat and close my book. “I have cheap skin. I just have to look at the sun and I burn.”

  “Give me your cream and I’ll rub it in for you.”

  I look over to my right and Sally is still purring away. I reluctantly hand him the bottle and lie flat on my front. His big bear-like hands caress the raw skin on my back. The cold lotion and his hands are soothing, and I feel my body relaxing into the lounger.

  “You should have been a masseuse.”

  “Healing hands. My gran used to say that to me all the time.”

  He sits down on the lounger and pulls his t-shirt over his head. I lay my head on my hands, facing to the side. I’ve got a bird’s eye view of his toned muscles.

  “Don’t you have work to do?”

  “The joys of being the boss. I can do what I like. And, today, I fancy bathing in the sun with a beautiful woman. I hope you don’t mind me interrupting your reading time.”

  I bite on the side of my lip, tasting the metallic blood in my mouth. “I can read a book any time. So, what do you do in your spare time here?”

  He sits back in his lounger and puts his hands under his head. “Honestly, I don’t usually take any time for myself here. Work doesn’t feel like work here, unless it’s accounts and boring paperwork.”

  “That I agree with. I’m an accountant. I work with numbers daily. It can become tedious.”

  “Now, I never pegged you as an accountant.”

  I laugh. “Not many people do.”

  “What are you and your friend doing this evening?”

  I lean up onto my elbows and shrug my shoulders. “We didn’t have anything planned. Sally is dying today.” I snigger.

  “Well, Jared and I were planning on going for some dinner, if you’d fancy it. Before you answer, let me tell you that you’d be doing me a huge favour, because I love him like a brother, but he can drive me crazy.”

  I giggle. “I’m sure we could do that. What time?”

  “Meet in the hotel lobby at seven?”

  “Sure. It’s a date.” I lie my head back on my arms and feel like all my birthdays and Christmases have come at once.

  Seven p.m. comes around all too quickly. Jack sat with me for a couple of hours this afternoon while Sally slept. It was good, because it let us get to know each other a little better. It let me find out that he hates strawberries, he loves chocolate, and his favourite animals are dogs. It was all pointless information to some, but I was pleased to hear it.

  “I can’t believe you’re dragging me along tonight. I could have punched Jared on the plane.”

  “Oh, behave. You’re both too alike, that’s the trouble. It’s one di
nner. I’m sure you can manage that.”

  She mumbles something unintelligible and I shake my head. I see Jack and Jared standing at the reception desk. The moment Jack sees us approaching, he walks towards us. He bends down and places a gentle kiss on my cheek. It’s the first time he’s done it, and my heart jumps in my chest and my skin prickles. I like it.

  “You ladies look lovely. Why don’t we get out of here?”

  I nod and walk in front with Jack. We leave Sally and Jared walking behind us, no doubt moaning about something. I must laugh, because it’s good to see someone that’s a good match for my friend. Even if she doesn’t see it herself.

  “We might regret bringing those two before the end of the night,” Jack whispers to me.

  “Yeah. Maybe we can throw them in the sea.” I laugh.

  And that idea sounds more appealing than it probably should.

  “Oh, come on, Casanova. You can’t tell me you’re not a playboy.”

  “I am not! It’s a man’s prerogative to like a woman’s company,” says Jared.

  Jack spits out his beer as he laughs at Jared. I’m sure Jared is just winding up Sally, because he knows he can. “Eh, speak for yourself. I am not like you, at all.”

  “Okay, enough of this. We’re in Tenerife, baby. Who’s up for shots? My shout.” Jared stands from his seat and backs away to the bar, teasing Sally to follow him. I know she doesn’t want to follow Jared, but the idea of shots makes her stand up and follow him.

  I laugh and shake my head. “Someone please shoot me now. They’re worse than kids.”

  “Tell me about it. The sexual tension is something else. Maybe we should lock them in my basement and only let them out when they can agree on something.” Jack shrugs nonchalantly. “Or we can escape and leave them to either get along or kill one another.”

  “I think the latter will come first, but what do you have in mind if we leave them here?”