by Allen, Jewel
Esther frowned at the children like they were annoying inconveniences. “I can see that. How about that nightcap?”
“No, thanks.”
“No?” Esther’s expression hardened. “A shame. I was hoping to discuss your charity projects, as we had discussed a couple of nights ago.”
Michael hesitated. “How about tomorrow morning?”
Esther’s eyes glinted with triumph. “I’m afraid I’m not a morning person. It shouldn’t take us long tonight.”
Michael hemmed and hawed his reply. It was pitiful to watch.
With a sinking heart, Lara knew Michael would most likely spend his time after dinner with Esther. It wasn’t as if Lara had claim over him.
She kept walking on with Lizzie in her arms. He could catch up with them. She didn’t really care.
Inside their suite, Lara shifted Lizzie in her arms and flipped a lamp on as Michael walked through the door. Mick stirred in his arms and then fell asleep again. Lizzie didn’t even budge. She was out cold.
“Thanks,” Lara told Michael once they were on their beds.
“You’re very welcome,” Michael said, just watching and waiting.
She moved to the door, gazing at it pointedly. “With the kids asleep, I can just stay here while you go off and have dinner with Esther.”
“You guys need food too. I told her I was busy tonight. I didn’t want you to think I was interested in her again. Let’s get you fed.”
Lara felt exhausted in body and spirit. She didn’t like conflict. Never did as a child, and didn’t thrive on it as a lawyer. But the thought of having food delivered sounded good.
“Okay,” she said, happy that Michael chose her over Esther.
While she washed up in the bathroom, she heard Michael order room service.
“I’ll have grilled impala with chocolate sauce over potatoes.” He turned to Lara. “What’ll you have?”
Lara sat beside him on the bed and studied the menu. She tapped on the item. “A juicy hamburger. I’m feeling American.”
“And an American hamburger.” He covered the mouthpiece. “Are you okay with an African hamburger?”
She giggled and sat cross-legged against her pillow and headboard. “Yes.”
He hung up and gazed at her, the seconds ticking past.
The children were asleep. There was no real reason why he couldn’t just sit beside her and claim a kiss.
Did she just think of a kiss? She groaned inwardly and held the pillow at her midriff to ward off his advances.
Michael didn’t seem interested, though. He lay across the foot of her bed and promptly...fell asleep.
So much for his campaign of seduction.
Her heart contracted as she glanced first at the children, sweetly asleep on their beds on top of their covers, and then at Michael. She studied his handsome face. If, after the safari, he would have her, she would gladly have him. But for now, she didn’t want to make any rash decisions.
When the knock came on the door, Lara started. She must have fallen asleep too.
Room service had arrived. She asked the employee to leave it covered out on the porch table. Later, they should get the children something to eat. She hovered over Michael, wondering if she should wake him. He looked so tired.
She touched his face. The scruff on his jaw felt so sensual. Such a delight under the pads of her fingertips. When she was younger, she used to run her fingers on her father’s face. Until he left the family. Later, she realized she would date guys with scruff because they reminded her of her father.
Michael was the first scruffy guy who actually held down a responsible job. The others had been forgettable. No one to be serious with. Although some were hot, they abandoned her just as her father abandoned Lara and the rest of the family.
She pressed a bit harder as her finger traced Michael’s soft lower lip. His eyes flew open, and he snatched her wrist.
“Hungry?” she asked him.
His sleepy gaze roamed her face. “Yes.”
She whispered, “Food’s on the porch table.”
“That was super fast,” Michael said, yawning and sitting up.
“For the money you paid here, they’d better be.”
They smiled at each other, his eyes zoning in on her mouth.
Here it was.
He was going to kiss her. And she was going to give in.
Lizzie whimpered in her sleep. “Mommy!”
Lara turned her head as Michael murmured under his breath, “Poor baby.”
Lizzie shot up in bed and turned a glazed gaze at them.
Lara made a soothing noise and went over to sit on the edge of her bed. “There, it’s okay. Lara’s here.”
Lizzie snuggled in Lara’s arms. “Where’s Uncle Michael?”
“I’m here.” He crossed the room and sat beside them. Raising a hand, he pushed back Lizzie’s curly hair away from her eyes.
Lizzie scooted so she sat between them. She leaned into Lara’s arms but set her legs on Michael’s.
Lara’s eyes met Michael’s over the head of this little one, and Michael’s filled with tears. She had some healing to do, and so did Michael.
Michael called room service again. “What would you like, Lizzie?”
“Pancake.”
“Me too,” Mick piped up from his bed.
Michael put in the order and then came in bearing food. The room service food was excellent. There was enough for the four of them to share until the kids could get their actual orders. The impala had a light, delicate flavor. Lizzie really liked it and couldn’t get enough. By the time the pancakes came around, Lara was glad. The little munchkin had practically eaten all her food.
Mick, on the other hand, picked at his food listlessly.
Lara touched his forehead. “Are you okay?” she said, half joking, but realizing Mick did have a higher-than-usual temperature.
He nodded and then threw up.
Chapter 31
Michael grimaced as he did his best to help clean up.
So much for his romantic overtures tonight for him and Lara.
Mick managed to spew not just on the bed but on Lara’s lap and some of the food. Michael tried not to hurl himself as he helped clean the mess up.
Lizzie cried because Mick got her Doggie dirty. Michael soothed her because Lara was in the bathroom cleaning herself and Mick up.
With Mick in clean clothes and ready to sleep once again, Michael tucked him in. Lara came out in a cute nightgown that Michael tried to not stare at too much. The fabric wasn’t see-through and had plenty of room, but its allure lay precisely because it didn’t reveal too much. He felt a rush of attraction for this woman who was handling this whole thing like a boss.
A lodge employee came immediately at their request, took away the dirty sheets and trays, and gave them replacement linens. She had the beds re-covered in no time. Room service returned shortly as well.
“Could you please put the food on the table outside?” Lara asked the young man.
With the kids in bed, Michael and Lara went outside. It was dark, and Lara didn’t bother turning on the lights.
“The thought of eating pancakes makes my stomach turn,” Lara confessed.
Michael smiled. “Me too, to be honest.”
She returned his smile in the darkness. “That was good triage in there, Doc, for a kid incident.”
“Triage all right.” He approached the table and gazed at the plates of food. “Actually, the pancake’s not looking too bad. The kids wiped out my steak.”
“Go for it.”
They sat companionably, Lara nursing her goblet of water while Michael tucked in a pancake or two. Lara swirled her drink.
“Taking care of children enough to drive you to drink, eh,” Michael teased.
“I thought it would be harder, but it’s more fun than I expected.”
“Oh? What did you expect?”
“To be honest, I kept my expectations low. Bratty kids. A lot of cryin
g and Band-Aids and whining. So far they’ve been high-energy but perfect.”
“Thank goodness for tonight, then, or it would get boring.”
“I can stay in with him tomorrow,” she said. “You should take Lizzie with you.”
“We’ll all stay if he can’t come.”
“Don’t be silly. We don’t all have to stay, and I’m the one that’s paid to babysit.”
“You know I don’t see you as hired help,” Michael said.
His voice was low. Thrilling.
“But I am.” She gazed into his eyes as the darkness allowed her to. “Fine. We could take turns. You go out tomorrow.”
“We’ll see.”
He took another bite of his pancake and chewed slowly.
A hunger built in the pit of her stomach. A hunger that had been building all day. She imagined the sweetness of the pancake, the taste of syrup on his lips. Sweet and addictive.
“Want some?” he asked.
He held a fork to her, and she nodded, unable to speak. He put the bite in her mouth, and she closed her lips around it. So buttery and fluffy.
“Mmm,” she said and then opened her eyes to Michael staring at her intently.
“Want more?” he asked.
She imagined him asking the question about him, about his kisses. And the short answer was, Not yet.
But she could certainly say yes to more pancake. “Yes.”
He fed her again, his eyes not leaving hers.
She was breathless. “I can feed myself, you know.”
“Yes, I know.”
“I can’t believe I’m here in Africa, being fed pancakes by my boss.”
“I would pay double just to have this chance to feed you.” Michael set down his fork and pulled his chair over. “I know you said to wait...”
Lara averted her eyes. “Michael.”
“Shhh.” He grasped her chin. “You want this too, Lara. Don’t deny it.”
She gazed at him mutely and couldn’t argue otherwise.
He pulled her toward him, and she felt like a puppet doing his bidding helplessly. The African night sounds whirred around them, insects and bird calls punctuating the air. It was dark. She could hardly see his face, but she could smell the sweet syrup on his breath, and now his lips as he slid a kiss across hers.
Sweet, so sweet like syrup...
Her lips parted, and he kissed her with intensity as mysterious and alluring as this night. She allowed herself to feel and revel and exult in the pleasure of the moment. Who knew what tomorrow would bring, but for tonight, this felt right.
His fingers twined themselves through her hair as he deepened their kiss. When they came apart, she rested her cheek against his solid chest.
“Good night, sweetness,” Michael said, pressing a tender kiss on her forehead.
Chapter 32
As it was, in the morning, neither Lara nor Michael had to stay at the lodge with Mick. He was up as usual at sunrise, not missing a beat. Michael marveled at the ability of children to bounce back.
Michael had gone in to check on Lara and the children first thing, before he’d even changed out of his sweats. She answered the door in that nightgown, and it was all he could do to not pull her into his arms and kiss her.
But the children were playing happily in the background, so he could only gaze at her meaningfully. He was pleased to see her rosy blush. Had things changed for them? He hoped so. The incident last night with Mick throwing up could have been negative. Instead, he felt even closer to this beautiful woman. He hoped she was starting to feel like she could trust him.
Esther gave him a flinty stare in the lobby as he went down to touch bases with Kalinga.
“Nice of you to return my messages last night,” she said.
“Messages?” he echoed. “Sorry, I didn’t get any.”
“I called your room several times.” She crossed her arms over her chest.
“I told you I was busy last night. It might have been while Mick was throwing up. He was sick last night, and we had to clean up, so...yeah.”
Esther’s nose crinkled in disgust. “Eww. That’s the worst.”
“It wasn’t too bad,” Michael said, remembering his kiss with Lara.
“So much for our conversation about your charity. I’ve decided to leave, this time for good. Apparently, I misunderstood your interest the other day.”
“Esther, listen,” Michael said, touching Esther’s shoulder. “You are an attractive woman, but my heart has been taken by someone else.”
Her eyes glittered. “I hope your nanny knows how lucky she is.”
“I’m the one that’s lucky.”
Esther’s smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Enjoy your romance,” she said. “Goodbye, Doc.”
Chapter 33
Michael was so relieved that Esther had finally left. His chances with Lara just went up in spades.
Kalinga announced, “We will drive now to Livingstone, Zambia, where you will see Victoria Falls and go to your hotel for the night. Are you ready?”
Hours later, Kalinga drove the Rover into Livingstone. It was a small city with numerous tour companies vying for business in a mall-like building. Farther into town, they passed a long strip mall of stores along a main road.
“There are artists along here whom you could watch at work,” Kalinga said. “Would you be interested?”
Michael glanced at Lara with a question in his eyes.
“Sure,” Lara said.
There were three artists hunched over portraits in various stages of completion. They painted safari animals—zebras, giraffes, lions—and had whimsical styles. One of them asked Lara if she wanted her portrait taken.
“I’d love for you to,” Michael said.
Lara’s cheeks warmed.
The artist had Lara sit in a chair and relax. She caught Michael’s eye and averted her gaze.
Lara was so beautiful, sitting there in the sun.
Michael ached to hold her. Instead, he took the children around to admire the art, picking little pieces that could fit in their suitcase.
When they returned to Lara, her portrait had taken on an amazing journey—she looked like an African princess. The artist had painted her with fair coloring but with the dress and headwrap of black royalty.
Michael leaned over and whispered something to the artist, who nodded with a smile.
When Lara took a peek, she gasped. “Wow. Let me buy it,” she said.
“Sorry,” the artist said. “It’s sold.”
“It is?” She blinked.
The artist grinned. “To him,” he said, gesturing toward Michael.
Lara’s gaze faltered, her lips curving up in a smile.
Michael paid for the art in cash and carried it off.
“I want a copy of that painting,” she told him.
“Don’t worry. I’ll share it someday.”
“How?”
He just smiled at her mysteriously.
That night, they had dinner at the Zambezi Café. It was elegant dining outdoors in a walled-off compound. Mango trees surrounded the tables. Occasionally, a mango would fall, plop, and startle a nearby table of customers.
Lara, Michael, and the children all shared a plateful of crocodile ribs. To anyone casually looking, they were simply a family.
Michael’s chest ached, thinking of how the end of their trip would play out. Would Lara stay for him? For the children? He hoped she would make that choice.
For now, he would enjoy this. Her reticence at being kissed was a cute game. It didn’t help that whenever she sat close enough to him so he could smell her perfume, she angled away, making him yearn for her.
Their server, a sassy young lady with a ready smile, came over with their check, and Michael handed her a credit card.
She held up a hand, “Sorry,” she said, “no swiping.”
“But this is Zambia,” Michael said, bewildered.
“Yes, it is, but we are affected by what goes on past the borde
r. Sorry.”
Michael glanced at Lara. “I hate to ask you this, but do you have any cash? I used up all my cash buying your portrait.”
Lara laughed. “A billionaire without money? What good are you?”
“I know. I suppose if you don’t, this will be a great test of our dishwashing ability.”
“I suppose.” She pulled out a wad of bills. “Fortunately, we don’t have to test it tonight. “I have enough, I think.”
That night, they stayed at a nice little resort called Hotel Victoria. They were in a family suite this time. With the children pooped from their day’s adventures, Lara tucked them in, kissing their foreheads. As she turned off the light and left the room, she nearly ran into Michael, who was leaning against the door frame, watching her.
Lara held her finger to her lips and tiptoed out.
Michael shut the door quietly after her and snagged her in his arms by the waist.
“Michael,” she said, but she was smiling.
“Come dance with me,” he said against her ear.
She let him pull her along, unresisting, to the kitchen.
“You’re so silly,” she said, her voice husky.
“Am I?” He leaned close and kissed her skin under her ear. She watched him from under her lashes, her color heightened.
He pulled out his phone and tapped on a few buttons. Soon, big band music flowed into the room. He took her in his arms and whirled her around, dipping her until she giggled.
“You’re a good dancer,” she said.
“You sound surprised.”
“Well, I didn’t know eye doctors had that talent too.”
“Why shouldn’t we? It makes for a good visual.”
She thwacked him playfully on the chest. “That was so bad it’s good.”
He captured her hand in his. “Glad to know at least one of us thinks I’m funny.”
“There are two other little people in here who love you.”
“They love me?” He paused, searching her eyes. “Does that mean you love me too?”
His heart pounded as they stopped swaying to the music, leaving him just holding her. A noise roared in his ears, and he was drowning in sensations. The lights turned down low. The music playing in the background. His hand caressing the small of her back through her blouse fabric. Their bodies warm against each other.