Isle of Sensuality (11 page)

Now Jake did feel like an ass. When she came storming into his villa, madder than a hatter, he’d been certain she was just like Sarah, kicking off when things didn’t go her way. He could see the love shining from her gem-like eyes when she spoke of her sister and knew it would hurt her, if not Amanda, if she missed the show. And all because of him.

“You’ll make it to the show. I promise.” Jake would make sure he didn’t miss any more time and, dodgy weather permitting, would work day and night to make sure they finished filming on schedule. He couldn’t give her a relationship, but he could give her this. And, hopefully, the best three month fling she’d ever have.

Today he hadn’t wanted to meet with Bill. Hell, hadn’t wanted to go anywhere near the guy, but now that he’d met the man and had the contract signed, he felt a sense of accomplishment. Even when Jake was eighteen, he’d thrived on the challenge of winning over a hard bugger—and Bill had certainly been that. Caitlyn had pushed him to go and the old sense of fulfillment flared inside him. He’d return the favor the only way he knew how—make the rest of their time on the island the best he could.

“Hey.” Caitlyn’s gaze went to the window on his side of the car and she frowned. “Where are we going?”

“Patience, Caity.” Jake tutted. “Good things come to those who wait.”

She beamed at him then, before relaxing back into the tobacco scented upholstery. He slid his arm behind her and pulled her against his side. Caitlyn rested her head on his shoulder, and he inhaled the tropical scent of her shampoo. His blood simmered and arousal hit him square in the groin. He wondered if she was still sore after last night, or if she had healed enough to spend the night in his bed.

“Look.” Jake pointed out the window as Corcovado Mountain came into view. Caitlyn’s gaze followed his finger and her mouth dropped open with an audible pop.

Christ the Redeemer rose up from the huge hill, surrounded by Tijuca Forest National Park. The statue faced away from them, its arms spread wide. Jake was struck with wonder as the taxi brought them closer to the edge of the park. He’d traveled to lots of countries, shooting movies, but never before had he ever seen something so unique. He could see now why the magnificent sculpture was declared one of the seven wonders of the world.

Caitlyn gasped. “We’re going up there?”

Jake dragged his gaze away from the view and back to Caitlyn. He could see every inch of his wonder mirrored in her glittering, green eyes. “Yes.”

* * * *

Caitlyn had never been a fan of exercise. Ever. In fact, she did her best to avoid gym, running, or anything else which threatened to make her gasp unbecomingly and sweat. But standing at the foot of the most amazing sculpture she had ever seen created by man, she knew the long trek up the hill had been worth it.

The sheer size of the statue was breathtaking. Even the base was taller than her. Standing next to Christ the Redeemer made her feel tiny, but she didn’t mind. Quite the opposite in fact. Caitlyn had always known there were things in this world far bigger than herself. But at the time she’d thought those things were fear, pain, and anguish. It was a welcome feeling to be freed from that, if only just while she stood next to Jake, hand in hand, gazing up at the masterpiece before her.

“I’ve never seen anything this…this…” Words failed her. Caitlyn had no idea how to describe it.

Jake didn’t laugh. “I know.” His voice was full of awe, and she turned to look at him.

He wasn’t looking at the statue, he was watching her closely and taking in her reaction. Caitlyn blushed. He grinned, lifted their joined hands, and brushed the back of his palm against her cheek before bringing them to his lips. He pressed a kiss along her knuckles, and Caitlyn’s breath whooshed out.

She dimly noted that the lights at the base of the statue had flicked on and the sun was setting over the ocean. God, even the tourists bustling around, taking pictures of the wonder a few feet away, couldn’t drag her attention away from Jake.

He was looking at her with an awe-struck expression, the same way she’d seen him gaze at the statue. Rather than feel uncomfortable under his appraisal, she felt a warm glow spread out from her chest and heat her all the way down to her toes.

“What are you thinking?” Jake barely whispered the question.

I’m thinking that I’m not sure how I’ll cope when these three months end.
Caitlyn turned away from his all-seeing eyes. What on earth was the matter with her? Silly thoughts like that could only end badly. For her, anyway.

“I’m thinking I’ve never seen something so beautiful.” It wasn’t a lie, just not what she’d been thinking about
that
second. Caitlyn turned back and looked up into his eyes. “Thank you for bringing me here.”

Jake dipped his head and brushed his mouth against hers, soft as a whisper. “Thank you for coming with me.” He chuckled. “I’ve traveled the world filming, but I’ve never had a chance to stop and see the sights.” Turning back to look up at the magnificent statue, Jake draped an arm over her shoulder and pulled her close.

She snuggled into his silk shirt. His suit jacket was slung over his other arm along with hers. The walk up had been a challenge in her heels and pencil skirt, but the thought of seeing something so beautiful up close had kept her moving. The minute they’d reached the top, Caitlyn had slipped off her stilettos and let the warm brick floor soothe her aching feet.

“Why did you wait so long, Caitlyn?” Jake asked, his eyes never leaving the statue.

“What do you mean?”

Jake looked down at her, one golden eyebrow raised. “Why did you wait all this time to sleep with someone? I don’t get it. I’d have thought at least this many guys…” Jake swept an arm around to indicate the tourists. “…would have tried to court you. Why me?”

Caitlyn waited a second for the doubt, the uneasiness, to creep in. Nothing did. She decided she might as well tell him. After all, the time she spent with Archie—although horrible—wasn’t exactly a secret she meant to keep.

“The first man I was with was…impatient. When I didn’t sleep with him quick enough, he wasn’t very nice. In fact, he called me a selfish prude.”

Caitlyn’s stomach twisted with the memory. He’d made her think there was something wrong with her, just because she didn’t feel comfortable enough to be with him.

It was strange to think that she thought Archie had been her Mr. Right, even though he hadn’t given a hoot about her feelings. In the end, she’d felt comfortable with Jake, her Mr. Wrong. Too comfortable, actually.

Jake’s hand curled into a fist at her shoulder. “You’re the least selfish person I know, and definitely not a prude. Don’t let what that bastard said get to you.”

The anger in his eyes made her chest feel warm. “I’m not.” That wasn’t entirely true. “I won’t, not anymore.”

She tilted her head to look up into Christ the Redeemer’s face. The sun was setting over the horizon and the sky became darker.

“Do you want to get back to the island?” Jake asked.

She nodded and picked up her shoes. She’d put them on when they got back to the dirt track.

* * * *

The next few weeks went by far too quickly for Caitlyn’s liking. She and Jake spent long days together on set, then every evening in his villa or hers, making love until they both collapsed. Jake had also insisted the crew worked Saturdays so Caitlyn could make it to Amanda’s show. Why had she ever thought he was self-centered?

Jake not only gave her more pleasure than she’d imagined existed, he also gave his time, his warm smiles, touches, and gestures she’d never experienced before. Even though she reminded herself every day that it was just a fling and not to get too attached, she knew she was falling into uncharted territory. Although this should scare her, Caitlyn felt more alive than she ever had.

They were filming on another island today, this one was larger and the forest covered the land. Her skin was unbearably sticky and when Sean called a break, she was more than glad to stop and take off the stuffy costume. She slipped out of her clothes, leaving nothing but a bikini.

“Are you trying to kill me?”

Caitlyn spun around to see Jake standing less than a foot away. He’d also ditched his dark costume and changed into a pair of shorts. She never tired of seeing his bare chest, even after all these weeks. It was as addictive as the rest of him.

“Why would I want to do that?” she asked and tried to stifle a grin. The way he looked at her, like he wouldn’t mind throwing her down in the grass covered clearing and having his wicked way with her, made Caitlyn unbelievably happy.

He smiled, flashing his white, even teeth. Caitlyn’s heart stuttered. “You know,” Jake said, his voice barely a whisper, “seeing you almost naked and not being able to touch you makes me wonder why we decided to keep our relationship a secret in the first place.”

Caitlyn turned away from him and busied herself by folding her costume. The word ‘relationship’ caused a fierce longing she didn’t want to think about. Nor did she want him to see it and she was pretty sure her eyes would betray her emotions.

She tried to keep her response light, and failed. “You know why. It’s better this way. No press, no pressure. We agreed, Jake.”

Honestly, she still didn’t understand why he would want to broadcast their ‘fling’. Caitlyn had put her foot down on their second night together. In public they would appear as friends and co-stars, nothing else. It was better that way, it meant the press wouldn’t hound her for interviews and there would never be any attention on her to remind her father of her existence.

She knew the movie would draw attention if it ever made its way into the UK. But all they would be able to say was that she was the star. If rumors got out about her affair with Jake, the press would have it all over the tabloids in a flash. If her father was low on funds, she wouldn’t put it past him to sell a story about her. Or worse, tell them how she broke the law.

No, it was better that they stayed a secret. There was too much to lose.

“Guys.” Sean waved them over to one of the fold-out picnic benches the crew had brought.

Today, there were no extras. Only her, Jake, Sean, and a few cameramen. Caitlyn preferred filming this way. There were less people to rely on and they got through filming quicker. She made her way over to Sean with Jake by her side. She risked a look at his face and wished she hadn’t. His jaw was clenched and he wore a slight frown. She guessed he hadn’t liked her answer.

Sean had set up his fold-out table right next to the stream that ran through the center of the island. At one end there was a waterfall, framed on either side by rocks covered in tropical flowers in every shade. This island was deserted and still had its natural beauty intact. Caitlyn thought it looked like something fresh out of a fairy tale.

Jake lowered himself onto the chair next to Sean, and then slapped him on the back. “What have we got today?”

Caitlyn settled into the chair opposite as Sean pulled out a salad tray, some sandwiches and wraps from the cool box next to him. Caitlyn reached for the salad, knowing Sean had brought it for her. From what Caitlyn had learned over the last two weeks, the two men preferred meat over vegetables. Sean handed her a bottle of water.

“I wanted to talk to you both,” Sean announced before taking a huge bite out of a sandwich filled to the brim with ham, beef, and what looked like chicken. Caitlyn frowned at him. She’d have to dislocate her jaw to take a bite out of that.

A sinking feeling knotted her gut. Had Sean figured out that she and Jake were sleeping together? Before she could go into full-scale panic mode, the voice of logic kicked in.
Even if he did, he’s Jake’s friend. He’s not going to say anything to the press.
Feeling better, she picked up a plastic fork, stabbed a slice of tomato, and popped it into her mouth.

Sean washed the humongous mouthful down with a gulp of water. “I’ve been thinking about changing the chase scene tomorrow. The stunt double we have for you, Caitlyn, doesn’t look all that much like you. What would you say to doing more of the scene yourself? Say, up to the point you get shot and then we can switch to the stunt double to fall into the water?”

Caitlyn considered Sean’s suggestion while she chewed a mouthful of crisp leaves. Honestly, she liked the idea of getting to do one of her own stunts. Jake didn’t have a stunt double for this movie and, how bad could falling off the side of a speedboat be? Other crew members would be in boats close by, so she wouldn’t be in the water for long.

Plus, with the low budget, surely it would benefit them if they didn’t have to pay a stunt double to do what she could do herself?

“I’ll do the scene. Don’t worry about getting me a stunt double,” she said.

Sean gave her one of his rare smiles.

She saw Jake’s hands fist on the table. “Don’t be ridiculous. It’s too dangerous. You’re not doing it.”

Caitlynturned toward him. His jaw was clenched and his brow was pulled down over eyes that burned with undisguised anger. She’d never seen him like this before.

It seemed to snap something inside of her, igniting her own anger. “Ridiculous? I’m not being ridiculous. I’m doing it. End of story.”

Sean laughed while Jake glared at her.

“Cheers, Caitlyn.” Sean dug into the remainder of his sandwich.

She tried to keep her gaze on her plate, but felt Jake’s glare burn a hole right through her. Somehow, she didn’t think this was the end of it at all.

Chapter 8

It seemed to take forever for the sun to set that evening. Jake paced the living room while he waited for Caitlyn. Not seeing each other until night was her idea, one that made him feel like a teenage boy, sneaking a girlfriend into his home.

He didn’t give a damn who knew they were seeing each other. Hell, he was proud to have someone as sweet-natured and beautiful as Caitlyn on his arm, even if it was only for a short time.

But underneath the sweet, she hid a core of steel and a fiery temper. He’d glimpsed it twice. The first time was justified. Now though, Jake wondered if she was going mad.