Jamaica Dreaming (Caribbean Heat) (5 page)

“It’s good of you to take time off to show me around,” she said, pushing her sunglasses back up on her head.

“It’s my pleasure.”

“I feel, you know, as if I’ve met you before.” She gave a little embarrassed laugh. “It’s silly. I couldn’t have, but the thought keeps gnawing at me.”

“You know, I didn’t tell you everything yesterday. We
have
met before.” He said it quietly, in an as a matter–of–fact tone as he could muster.

“We have?” She frowned as if she half–thought he was pulling her leg.

“About one and a half years ago, I went to visit a friend of mine in Chicago and he took me to Coq d’Or. You and the River North Quartet were the second act that night.” Talking about it brought the memories back – the tendrils of cigarette smoke curling through the air, the mingled smells of perfume, cologne and bodies, the sight of her in a strappy red dress, her black hair piled up on top of her head. Back then, she wore it straightened.

“I saw you and the Quartet again at Green Mills when you got the regular gig there,” he said. “That was when we met. Your second Saturday performance at Green Mills.”

“But that was weeks after I was at Coq d’Or. Were you in Chicago that whole time?”

“No.” He paused. If he admitted it now there would be no going back. There was no way he could continue pretending he was being anything but a courteous host. “I went back up from here. To see you.” His eyes scanned her face but he couldn’t read her expression. Surprise, yes, growing surprise but he couldn’t tell if she was pleased or not. He continued talking to cover his nervousness. “My friend, Benjamin, didn’t even know you’d become a regular at Green Mills. I found out and told him I wanted to meet you.” Her eyes widened further. “He had a friend who had a friend who worked some magic and got us backstage.”

She leaned forward. He felt her hands grip his and whatever he was going to say died in his throat.

“I remember now,” she whispered. “You’d brought me a bouquet of the most gorgeous yellow flowers. Heliconias. I hadn’t seen anything like them before. They were like shards of frozen sunshine.”

He nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He’d chosen those flowers especially because they were uncommon. He’d wanted her to remember him.

“You gave me your card and I said—”

“‘But you’ll be in Jamaica,’” he finished for her. “Do you remember what I replied? I told you that wherever I was, I’d answer.”

“Yes,” she breathed. “Yes. My God.” She released his hands and leaned back, staring at him. “You said you had roaming so you could get calls anywhere in the world.”

But she’d had the accident two days later and she’d never called.

“I probably wouldn’t have gotten in touch, you know,” she said gently. “I was…” She corrected herself. “I
am
engaged.” She held out her hand with the rock on it.

He nodded. “You were wearing it the night I first saw you.” And he’d begged Benjamin to find out everything he could about Julissa and specially about her fiancée, but he had no intention of letting her know that. Not yet, anyway.

“And you still wanted to meet me?”

“My dad always says, ‘nothing ventured, nothing gained.’”

“Is that why you’ve brought me here?” She gave a strangled half–chuckle. “I must really have––” She broke off and looked confused.

“What?” He tried for a light tone. “Made an impression? Rocked my world?” He felt his voice about to break, paused, took a sip of wine. “Yes. You did.”

Different expressions flashed across her face – confusion, fear, and shock were among them but he thought he also saw something unfurl deep in the depths of those sparkling brown eyes, something very like hopeful pleasure. It was gone almost as quickly as it arrived. She lowered her gaze to her plate, veiling her eyes with her lashes.

“You should try the Pinot Noir,” he told her, striving to keep his tone light. He desperately wanted to know what she was thinking and feeling but he understood that if he asked her now he might not get the answers he wanted. Being with her was something he’d spent the last eighteen months thinking about. There wasn’t a day that he hadn’t wondered how she was, and what she was doing. He’d had time, nothing but time, to come to grips with his feelings for her and now he needed to give her time, too. Maybe she’d give him the answers he sought before she left, maybe she’d leave with her feelings unspoken, but the ball was in her court.

They ate the rest of their meal in silence, but it was a companionable silence. Sebastian understood that while he might have startled her with his confession, he had not alarmed or offended her. This was good, better than good. The way he figured it, it meant she wasn’t entirely averse to him. At least, he didn’t think so, though, he wondered at the fear he’d seen on her face. For a minute, she’d looked like a doe startled by an unexpected sound.

***

About an hour later, Julissa followed Sebastian onto the beach which stretched enticingly in a wide curve before her. Gentle waves lapped the shore, their power having been broken on what appeared to be a reef far in the distance. Children shrieked and laughed in the shallows while adults chatted to each other as they sat on the sand. A reggae song boomed out from loudspeakers in front of a row of booths lining the beach.

Sebastian led her to an area shaded by squat trees with palm–sized leaves. At first, it seemed that all the tables were taken but, just as Sebastian was about to turn away, a man waved to them.

“We’re going just now,” he said as they made their way to him. “You can sit here.”

“Thanks, man.”

Julissa exchanged smiles with the man’s wife and winked at his two small children, a boy and a girl, who dissolved into shy giggles. They cleared out in minutes.

“What’s this beach called?” Julissa asked. The bathers looked strictly local. There were no pale tourists lying on the sand doing their best to toast themselves into another color.

“Hellshire. One of Jamaica’s most famous. Would you like to go in now?”

It was the question she’d dreaded from the time she accepted his invitation, but she hadn’t seen how she could say ‘no.’ She’d never in all her life been to a Caribbean beach. And, if she was entirely honest with herself, she wanted to spend more time with the intriguing Mr. Chin, too.

“Maybe another time,” she said evasively. Another
life
time. Not in this one. Not when she had hideous scars running down her right leg from her hip to her knee. She was frightened of seeing the horror on his face when he caught sight of them and she didn’t need his pity, but she left all of that unsaid.

“Can’t you swim?”

“Actually, no.” Let him think that was the reason for her refusal because, as bad as seeing his shock at her disfigurement would be, seeing his sympathy would be ten times worse. “My parents sent me to music lessons, instead.”

“Never mind. I’ll be at your side. You won’t drown.” The look he gave her made her glance away quickly. “Can you float?”

She shook her head and he looked incredulous.

“Well, you can’t leave Jamaica without, at least, learning how to float. I’ll teach you. It’s simple.”

It was tempting. Further down the beach a woman in knee–length denim shorts and a t–shirt waded into the water. Julissa glanced around and saw a few other women in the water fully clothed. She glanced down at her linen pants. She could keep them on. He wouldn’t have to see. Julissa took another look at the blue and inviting water. “All right,” she said quickly before she could change her mind. “I’m going in as I am, though.”

“You mean––.”

“Yes, with all my clothes on.”

Surprise flashed across his face, followed by a quick grin.

“In that case, I’ll keep mine on, too.”

“What? You don’t have to do that.”

“I know, but I think it’s only fair.” He winked at her. “If I can’t see your body, then you shouldn’t see mine, either.”

Julissa laughed. She hadn’t expected that response and she didn’t know exactly what to make of it. Earle would have torn off his clothes without thinking twice.

“Ready?” Sebastian stood up and held his hand out to her. The gesture had become so natural that she didn’t think twice before slipping hers in his. They walked into the blue Caribbean Sea together. Sebastian drew her out until the warm water rose to above her waist. Julissa was thrilled to her bones and sighed with happiness as, still holding on to him, she dipped her knees and ducked her head under. She rose again, gasping and laughing, her hair plastered to her shoulders. Thank God she’d decided to go natural after The Event and didn’t have to worry about the effect of salt water on her hair.

“That was wonderful. The water feels great.”

“Ready for your first lesson?”

“Yes, sir.”

“All right, watch me.” He let go of her hand, pushed his head back and reclined on the gentle waves as easily as if he were lying on a couch. “The important thing,” he said, watching her, “is to keep your chin up. Doesn’t matter so much what your arms and legs do. See.” He bent first one knee below him and then another, and moved his arms lazily. Julissa watched the way his shirt clung to his pecs and abs, and swallowed audibly. As if he knew what she was thinking, he flashed her a smile. Julissa’s tummy clenched and her cheeks heated in a way that had nothing to do with the bright Caribbean sun, blazing away in the sky.
Behave, girl, just behave
, she warned herself. It was actually more of a plea than a warning.

“Okay, now.” Sebastian got gracefully to his feet. “Your turn.”

His shirt clung to his chest and Julissa caught herself wondering how he’d look bare–chested. With his clothes on and dry, you could tell he had a nice build but, with them stuck to his body, any woman could tell “nice” was an understatement. Sebastian was ripped.

“Come on,” he coaxed. She looked into his eyes and saw an amused gleam. Had he guessed her thoughts? He must have. Deej always said she didn’t need to do much talking because her expression always spoke for her. Julissa pushed herself back in the water like she’d seen him do and spluttered when water went up her nose. Shocked and gasping, she struggled to her feet, grateful for Sebastian’s steadying hands at her waist.

“Swimming is free, but we charge for drinking,” he said, his delivery dead–pan. It took her a minute to process what he said, but when she did, she splashed him in retaliation.

“More sympathy would be appreciated,” she said, waving a mock fist. “I was drowning!” she was exaggerating, but suppose the lessons brought on one of her attacks? She looked longingly back at the sand.

“Julissa, you could never drown with me beside you.” Sebastian’s fingers gripped her chin, forcing her eyes to meet his. “Never,” he repeated for emphasis. “Ready to try again?”

She nodded, so flustered by his nearness and the intensity of his dark eyes, that she felt light–headed.

“Okay, watch me. Slowly, slowly. Knees dip, head goes back, and just allow your legs to come up naturally.”

She did better that time.

“Good.”

Julissa practiced a while longer, getting better and better and trying not to like the feel of Sebastian’s hand at the small of her back, supporting her. When she was able to stay afloat for at least a couple minutes he took his hand away. Instantly, she panicked. Her head went under and she snorted in more water before he jerked her to her feet.

“It’s okay,” he whispered, pulling her into his chest. “Shush.” He patted her back as she took great gulping breaths.

“I’m sorry. You must think I’m being really silly.”
Please, dear Lord
, she thought,
don’t let me have a panic attack now
.
Not now of all times.

“You’re trying something new. A lot of people get comfortable with the same–old, same–old and don’t try to break out of it. You could’ve stayed on the beach without coming in the water but here you are. You’re trying to learn. I think you’re wonderful.” His fingers caressed her scalp. “Relax. Just relax, and we’ll try again.”

Julissa liked how he’d said “we” and she couldn’t lie, she liked being in his arms, too. She felt safe and protected there. With her head pressed against him, all that separated her from his bare chest was the thin cotton of his shirt. If she undid a button and licked his skin it would taste salty. Tendrils of heat flared through her hips. She wanted to do it, she wanted to kiss and lick him. And he wanted her, too. Julissa became suddenly aware of the hardness pressing into her stomach. She shifted to make enough space to hold him in her hand but, shocked at herself, jerked away, instead.

“I… Oh, my God.” She didn’t know what to say. She couldn’t believe what she’d just been about to do. Had she gone mad?

“I want you and you want me. Why are you fighting it?” He took a step toward her, but stopped when she retreated further away.

“I’m engaged. I told you I was engaged.”

“All right, so you’re engaged.” His tone softened. “That doesn’t mean what we’re feeling isn’t real.”

“No,” she panted. “But, it
does
mean it’s not right.”

“It certainly
felt
right.”