Temptation Island (14 page)

He stared at her hard trying to figure out what kind of game she was playing.  She’d been all over him a few minutes ago on the beach.  And up on Mt. Liamuiga?  He hadn’t imagined that.  He wanted her and she him, so what the fuck was the problem?

Marek scowled and waited for her to go on.  At his intense frown Carm folded her arms across her voluptuous chest and smiled sweetly, confusing him further.

“You want sex, Marek.  Hot, down and dirty, no holds barred sex—“

“That’s the idea.”  Marek interjected dryly.

“I want sex too.”

A hammer hit him in the gut at those words and flared his desire to a fever pitch.  Taking a step toward her, Marek swore when she held up a hand to stay him.

With her back straight and her bearing proud Carm declared, low and firm, “I want to have sex with you Marek Stokes, but not now.”

Frustration ripped viciously through him.  “Why the hell not?” Marek demanded, his voice harsh with need.

Carm glided over to him and placed a cool, smooth hand on his clenched jaw.  She had no idea that she was baiting a hungry wolf.  Didn’t she know it was dangerous to stroke an angry animal?  Hell, maybe she did and was testing his control.  At the moment he didn’t understand a fucking thing about her.

“Because, Marek, I don’t really know you.  I know next to nothing about your past—“

“I don’t talk about my past,
cheri
—“

“And you know virtually nothing about me.  Lastly, and you already know this, you don’t love me and I don’t love you.  I want love, Marek.  Sex with you tonight might be an amazing experience for me, but tomorrow?  In the light of day I’ll have regrets, and I don’t want regrets with you.”

Marek felt his jaw tick under her slender hand and growled, “You ask for the impossible.  Why can’t you just take what I offer now?  I promise you won’t regret it, I won’t let you.”

Carm smiled softly and dropped her hand.  Squaring her shoulders she stated in a voice ripe with conviction, “Because I deserve better than that, Marek.  I demand better than table scraps and what’s convenient for you to offer without risk. When I choose to be with a man he’ll get
all
of me.  Nothing halfway.  I expect the same in return. And don’t make me promises that you can’t keep.”

He watched her walk away, his gut swirling with emotions.  “So that’s it then, even though we’ve already been together once and we’re already fucking married?” He hollered and stalked to the door.

Carm nodded over her shoulder, “The first time neither of us remember, Marek.  I screwed up once, I won’t do it again.”

Marek swore violently and yanked the door open, “You’re a wicked woman, Carmen Hogue.  You won’t stop until you own a man’s very soul, will you?  Well, I won’t give you mine
sorciere.
  It belongs to me, and me alone.”

Marek stepped through the door and slammed it shut, leaving Carm staring after him.  Anger tore through him tangling with another emotion he refused to believe was fear.

Shit, he needed a drink.

Carm woke to the sound of waves lapping gently against the shore and sunlight streaming in through the open window.  She rolled over and stretched her hands over her head and yawned.  A memory of her doing the same exact thing yesterday flashed through her mind and Carm whipped her head to the spare pillow. 

She was alone.  Not that she should have really been worried considering the nasty showdown she’d had with Marek last night.  He’d been upset by her stance, but she wouldn’t back down.  Couldn’t.  She had something so much better to gain.

A wild yellow canary landed on her windowsill and fluttered his vibrant wings.  The little bird spotted her and cocked his head to the side and chirped.  Carm watched in delight as the canary ruffled his feathers and began singing.

The little bird was a bright spot of color in the cool white toned room.  His brilliant yellow feathers practically glowed in the morning sun. 

With one last song the tiny bird flew away leaving Carm alone again.  Since her arrival two days ago she’d seen more color and brilliance than ever before.  The joy of the West Indies could definitely steal her heart.

Sitting up, Carm dragged the crisp white sheet with her and placed her feet on the beige sisal rug.  Carm spotted a small clock on the dresser and noted it was just past seven in the morning.  She remembered Landon saying they’d head back to Tortola around nine, so she stood up and padded into the living room.

She wondered if Marek had even come back last night or if he’d spent the night with someone willing to do what she wouldn’t.  Ugh!  Was that jealousy rearing its green head?

Carm shook her head disgusted with herself and peeked into Marek’s room.  He’d left the door wide open last night and was fast asleep in the middle of the bed.  Absurdly pleased that he
had
come back, Carm grinned and tip-toed silently back to her room.

Dropping the towel Carm stood naked in her room and made her way to the bathroom.  After a nice, hot shower she’d go in and wake Marek up, but for now she wanted some time to reflect on her plan of action before she had to deal with him.

By the time she’d showered, dressed in the same clothes she’d worn yesterday and applied what little makeup she found in her purse, it was past eight.  Letting her damp hair hang loose about her shoulders, Carm strode barefoot to Marek’s room to wake him up.

She found him dripping wet in the middle of the room with only a skimpy white towel slung low around his waist.  Carm felt her breath hitch at the sight of his golden skin glistening with water.  His back faced her and she felt her mouth dry up as she gazed at the rippling display of muscle across his broad shoulders. 

Carm raked her eyes greedily over every inch of him down to the expanse of his hard, disciplined legs.  Every inch of him was a gorgeous shade of golden brown. 

She sighed and ran her gaze hungrily back up his body to his hair. She was right, when his hair was wet it was quite a bit longer. It hung in wet clumps down to his shoulders, the ends already curling in solid rings of sun bleached blond.  Carm loved the different shades of color of his hair, from the dark brown base to the pale gold streaks. 

Marek must have heard her sigh because he whipped his head around.  He half turned toward her and Carm almost swallowed her tongue at display of rigid muscle that ripped down his abs to in a scrumptious vee at his hips.  The ring of dolphins stared back at her from below his navel, drawing her eye down.

Raking her gaze back up, Carm found it hard to breathe as she surveyed his hard chest and defined, gorgeous arms.  But what got her most was the way his eyes sparkled, clear and mysterious in the morning light beneath his damp, thick lashes.

Marek continued to glare at her as he rubbed a hand over his unshaven jaw.  A day’s growth shadowed his face, making his translucent eyes stand out even more.  He was without a doubt, the sexiest man Carmen had ever laid eyes on.

Finally Marek broke eye contact and muttered, his tone resigned, “What do you want, Carmen?”

Finding it hard to talk around the sawdust in her mouth, Carm swallowed a few times and cleared her throat.  “I just wanted to wake you, but I see you’re already up.  I’ll go now.” She finished lamely.

A wicked gleam came into Marek’s eye. At that look Carm knew she should leave but couldn’t turn from the sight of his bare flesh.  Warning bells sounded in her head as he smirked at her, telling her to run for the hills, but her feet were frozen in place.

Marek grinned and crooned with false sweetness, “Don’t rush away on my account, cupcake.”  Then he dropped his towel, giving Carm an unhindered view of him.

Carm gasped and felt her eyes go big with shock. 
Oh. My. Word.  Hot flash, really big hot flash. 

Carm couldn’t help but stare at his exposed flesh. 

The man was bronzed all over.  Every square inch of him.  And, my-oh-my, there were quite a few inches. 
Holy crap.
 
Was that thing for real?

Covering her open mouth with her hand, Carm spun on her heels and ran.  Marek’s mocking laughter followed her.

CHAPTER TEN

Marek watched Carm out of the corner of his eye as they made their way through the airport back to his jeep.  The flight had been very interesting with Landon’s non-stop un-P.C. chatter and Carm’s perpetual red face.  She hadn’t looked him in the eye once the whole flight and when he ventured to ask her a questioned she stared out the window while answering.  At least his little stunt had kept her mind off her fear of flying.

The look on her face after he’d dropped his towel was priceless.  Marek had never seen a female so flustered by the sight of him.  It had taken all his control not to laugh.  As he’d bit the inside of his lip he’d lectured himself reminding him his was no doubt the first naked male body she’d seen.

He felt a perverse satisfaction at that, knowing he was the first man her Carmen in many ways.

He was still pissed at her though and felt no guilt or remorse for his juvenile antics.  Not after the way she’d so coldly shut him down last night.  In his opinion the frigid brat deserved it.  Might make her think twice about what she was passing up.  He’d had to spend last night drowning his libido in booze and still spent a restless night aching for her.

So if he took a cheap shot to get even, big deal.  It was his turn to make her squirm. 

Once they reached the jeep, Marek opened her door and closed it behind her before striding around to his side.  He climbed in and stuck the keys in the ignition.  He began turning the engine over then stopped.  Turning to face Carm, Marek studied her from behind his sunglasses.

“Are you going to ignore me for the rest of your stay, sugar?  Unless we get things squared away quick with this whole marriage crap you might be here for a while.  Could get lonely without me to talk to,
cheri
.”

Carm reluctantly turned her attention to him and said, her voice dripping censure, “You are a child, Marek Stokes, you know that?  How on earth have you managed to run a successful business?”

Marek flashed a grin and started the engine, “Pure talent, sweetheart.”

He heard Carmen snort with disbelief and laughed.  Oh, she was a joy to rile.

Making their way out of the airport, Marek turned his mind to the business ahead.  He’d made some calls last night once he’d arrived back at the resort about the person up on the mountain.  He knew it could have been a lost hiker or something equally innocent, but the fact that his fields were on the far side of Mt. Liamuiga far away from hiking trails raised a red flag.  He’d contacted his field manager for the heads up and hoped to hear something later today.

But first they needed to go have a chat with Big Bubba.  Marek sighed and glanced over at Carm as she stared out the window before turning his eyes back to the narrow road.  This mess just kept getting more and more complicated.  And he didn’t do complicated.

Breaking the silence, Marek punched on the radio and turned up the volume.  Lively calypso music blared from the speakers and Marek sang along when he recognized the song.  He grinned when Carm gripped her flying hair with her hands and glared at him.  He loved the way she frowned with her nose all wrinkled like that. 

As they rounded the bend along the rocky coastline and reached the outside of Road Town, Marek slowed the jeep and glided into town.  In the past years some real prosperity had come to Tortola, turning the B.V.I’s into one of the most affluent Caribbean nations.  As Marek made his way through town they passed new buildings in pastel stucco and caught a glimpse of the new government building with its brick walk and palm trees.  The red metal roof of the ferry terminal came into view and Marek waved at a couple standing in front of it on the sidewalk. 

He continued down the road until he came to Big Bubbas and pulled into the crowd of cars in the parking lot.  Squeezing between two rental cars, Marek shifted the jeep in park and pulled the key out of the ignition.

Carm gained his attention before he could hop out when she reached over and gripped his forearm.  With an eyebrow raised in question he turned to her.  Her face had gone pale.  Concern etched his brow and Marek asked, “What it is, Carmen?  Are you ill?”

Shaking her head no, Carm waved her hand toward the bright green building.  “I don’t want to go in there, Marek.  It’s humiliating enough knowing what I did, I can’t go in there and look those people in the eye knowing that they know.”

Marek replied, his voice quiet, “Carmen look at me.  No one knows what we did, ok?”

“Marek, you told me we were married in there in the back office.”

Damn, she remembered that detail. 
“Ok, well then that’s all they know, Carmen.  But if you’d like I’ll go in and question everyone while you wait here.”

Carm nodded in agreement and leaned her head back against the seat.  “I’ll wait here.”