Temptation Island (7 page)

Uncomfortable under his close scrutiny and feeling that it was not completely deserved, Carm closed her eyes and began counting to ten.  She had to get herself out of this mess and away from him, she had a meeting to attend.

Oh no!  The meeting.

Muttering an oath Carm looked around frantically for a clock.  Pushing her way past Marek she glanced at the bedside table on the far side of the bed.  No luck.

“What?  What is it Carmen?”

Stopping directly in front of him she tilted her head back and looked him in the eye.  “I need to know what time it is.  Do you have a watch?”

“Why, you have a hot date sweetheart?”

“Ugh, no you big jerk.  I have a very important meeting at two.  I can’t miss it.  As much as I’d love to stay here and fret over this fiasco, I can’t.  I made a promise and I’m going to keep it.  So, do you have a watch or am I going to have to go searching for one?”

Marek lowered his head until his lips were mere inches from hers and stopped.  Her heart leapt into her throat at his nearness and Carm swallowed hard.  The man was potent as all get out.

“Just so happens I do have a watch, cupcake.”

Shifting her eyes to his wrist, Carm let out a low whistle at the shiny timepiece.  No way would a hotel employee/musician be able to afford a Submariner Rolex.  

Who was this man she’d married?

“The time is currently 11:55 a.m. Carmen.  You’ve got plenty of time to make your appointment.  But now that you mention it, I have a previous engagement as well.  One I too can’t miss.”

Carm beamed a smile. “Great. Wonderful.  Well then, why don’t you go do your thing and I’ll do mine.  We can meet back here at say, six o’clock?  That should give us plenty of time to remember last night and to figure a way out of this.”

Carm waited, her heart hammering, for Marek to agree.  She couldn’t miss her meeting.  Kate would kill her.  Her own personal crisis would just have to wait.  Kate was relying on her.  She had to get her crap together and suck it up for her sister’s sake, no matter how shaken she might feel at the moment.

Marek reached out and swept a hand over her hair in a soft caress and Carm shivered at the intimate touch.  Before temptation could rear its’ ugly head again, Carm stepped away from his magnetic presence.

She watched as Marek dropped his hand to his side out of the corner of her eye.  With a small shake of his head Marek finally spoke.  “Fine, Carmen if that’s what you want.  If you don’t mind I’m going to take the marriage document with me.  I’ll leave my cell number here on the desk in case you need to reach me before six.  If you think of anything or need anything, call me.”

Carm nodded her head and slipped back to the window on the far side of the room.  It was safer to put some distance between them.

Marek strode to the door and stopped.  Staring hard at her, he said with a firm voice, “Remember we’re in this together.  Whatever other shit we’ve got going on, whatever personal feelings or turmoil, we’re both in this.”

Marek stood and waited until Carm nodded her head in agreement.  “Good.  I’ll see you at six then,
wife
.”

Carm stared at the door long after Marek had slammed it shut.

Wife
.  She was in some very deep doodoo.

CHAPTER FIVE

Marek thumped his hand on the steering wheel of his Jeep Wrangler. 
Merde
!  What had he been thinking last night?

Oh, he knew what he’d been feeling, definitely.  Marek had wanted Carmen in his bed like he’d wanted nothing before.  He just didn’t think he’d stoop so low to get her there.

He’d married the poor girl for Pete’s sake.  And she was a virgin, no less.  Marek usually had very strict rules about sex and virginity, not having a wish to mix the two, but he’d gone and done it.  And damned if he didn’t find himself feeling almost grateful about it this morning. Grateful that he’d been the first man to touch her. 

It was an odd feeling for a man who thoroughly enjoyed casual sex without all the trappings.  Yet, he couldn’t help it.  He felt decidedly grateful, thankful and humbled.

I’ll be damned
.

When Carm had looked at him in her hotel room with such sad blue eyes, it had felt like someone had barreled into him with a Mac truck.  He’d been torn between comforting her and fleeing from the room.  He wasn’t good with female tears.

Not that they scared him, only that they usually forced him to do something incredibly stupid to get them to stop.  And Marek had not only wanted Carm to stop crying but he’d had an overwhelming desire to apologize for causing her distress.

Marek snorted into the cab of his jeep and adjusted his aviator style sunglasses
.  Yeah, like I could just give her back her virginity.  Hell, I didn’t know I’d stolen it, how could I give it back?

Winding his way along the sharp, curvy one lane road, Marek made his way toward Smuggler’s Cove and his home.  Enjoying the open air his topless jeep provided Marek inhaled a deep breath of ocean air and admired the sun glinting off crystal clear sea.  All nasty business aside it was a beautiful day, as were most days on his island.

It was one of the things he’d missed the most during his stint in U.S.  New York City and all its’ excitement had quickly worn thin.  He’d done what he had to and stuck it out for as long as he’d needed.  Now there was no way in hell he’d ever leave his beautiful island paradise again.

Passing a couple of young boys peddling their bikes Marek honked and waved then turned his yellow Wrangler down an unmarked paved road.  Foliage grew so dense and thick that it butted right up against the narrow drive and cast dappling shadows across his face.  Forced to crawl along at a snail pace Marek reached out a hand and snatched a hot pink flower off a passing shrub. 

Twirling the bright petals between his fingers Marek slowly made his way up the hill.  He could hear the bird calls and laughed out loud when a wild Cockatoo dashed overhead. 

Mon he loved this place.  He loved every single thing about it. 

The road suddenly opened up before him revealing an expanse of deep green manicured lawn.  In the middle of the sea of grass stood Marek’s home.  The grand old plantation mansion sprawled along the ground, proud and beautiful.  A long, covered double front porch stretched the length of the house and sides shiny with new white paint.

Marek pulled to a stop in the circular drive and shifted his jeep into park.  He remained seated in his car and surveyed his surroundings.  There wasn’t a more perfectly situated house on the whole island.  Most of the homes were built on hills since the island was so steep, but Marek’s home rested on a large, flat hill.  The large lawn reached out on all sides from the house flat for many yards before slowly sloping downward in the front and butting up against a steep hill in the back.

The old plantation house had the lovely added benefit of facing the water.  Marek could stand at any window in the front of the house and gaze down to the aqua water and white sandy beach.

Smiling to himself Marek stepped out of his car and stretched his arms high overhead, lifting his shirt.  His hard, lean abs were exposed by the movement.  Glancing at the cloudless sky Marek lowered his arms and walked down the old brick path to the house, touching the flowering shrubs that bordered the walkway as he went.

When he’d purchased the house after his return from New York City his mother had hounded him mercilessly to plant flowers.  She’d demanded that the proud old lady be given something beautiful to lie at her feet.  It was just like his mother to sentimentalize everything.

When he’d first bought the house it had been nothing more than a dilapidated old has-been.  But Marek had seen her potential and had spent the next year gutting and renovating until she stood solid once again. He’d painted her a strong yellow to stand out against the surrounding green and had rebuilt the double layered porches that had been crumbling to the ground.

A rustling in a nearby palm tree caught his attention.  Curious, Marek stopped and waited.  Soon a brilliant blue and red colored parrot flew from the feathery fronds and dashed away. 

Where else could he ever enjoy such splendor?

Marek stepped onto the front porch and opened his large double door.  Stepping through and shutting the door behind him Mark sighed in appreciation as the cool air hit him
.  Gotta love air conditioning.

He kicked off his flip flops and stood in the two story entryway for a moment enjoying the sensation of the cool terra cotta tiles against his bare feet.  Dusky pale peach walls surrounded him in the foyer. Vibrant paintings danced along the softly colored surface suffusing the room with energy and life.  Light shimmered through the large window above the front door, emphasizing the open feel.  A balcony wrapped around the second floor landing, open to the room below. And a wide, long staircase split in opposite directions halfway to the second floor landing with the railing painted a glossy cream.

Padding his way down the open entryway, Marek ignored the wide staircase and headed toward the kitchen at the back of the house.  If he didn’t down some aspirin soon he was afraid his head would explode.

He made his way along the clear coated hardwood floors through the living room and down a wide, open hallway until he reached a set of French doors.  Pushing through Marek stepped once again onto large, rich terracotta tiles.  He wasted no time in heading to the maple cabinets in search of relief.

Just as he’d opened the bottle of aspirin the phone on the wall rang.  Marek swore under his breath and marched over to the phone.  He wanted a few minutes of peace and quiet.  Was that too much to ask?  To be left alone for a freaking moment so that he could sort through the mess he was in?

Ripping the phone off the hook Marek growled into the mouthpiece, “
Oui?
  What do you want, mon?”

“Is that any way to speak to your best man?  I’m hurt Marek, deeply hurt.”

“Oh,
fous le camp
Landon.  You have some explaining to do, mon.  I saw your signature on the certificate, on the witness line.  What the hell, mon?  What were you thinking letting me get married?”

Marek reached for a glass, pulled it down and filled it with tap water.  Landon had better have a damned good explanation.

“Whoa, back up the truck dude.  I was just as inebriated as you.  If you’ll recall, last night after we finished our set I met with Rachel.  You know how she likes to party.  I was shit-faced before you, Bro.  Besides, who am I to stand in the way of true love?”

It was a very good thing Marek’d already swallowed the water, otherwise he would have spit it out.  “What do you mean true love?  I was only looking to get laid mon.”

Landon spoke firmly into the phone, “It was more than that Bro and you know it.  I saw the way you two were gobbling each other up.  You two are made for each other.  And aren’t you the one always spouting that fate and destiny bullshit?”

Yeah, he was.

“Screw you
Bro.
You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.  We aren’t made for each other, so don’t go down that path.  If there was any fate last night it was only there to get her in my bed.  I’m sure as shit not ready to settle down into marriage.  I’m going to find a way out of this so that I can send the girl back home where she’s far, far away.  I’ve got enough crap going on in my life right now, mon.  Now, are you going to help me out of this or not?”

Landon was silent for a moment.  Marek rolled his eyes toward the ceiling as he waited for his best fried to step up to the plate.

“Alright.  What do you want me to do man?”

“Tell me everything you remember about last night.  Every little detail.  I woke up in bed with her this morning and we were both naked, so I need to know everything.”

“Oh yeah, you two were naked?  Right on.  How’d see look?  I bet she looks damn fine with nothin’ on.”

Marek made a menacing sound in the back of his throat. 

“Ok, ok.  I don’t remember much other than watching Big Bubba marry you two in the back of the bar in his office. Man, I’d forgotten that he’d gotten himself ordained through the internet.  Funny thing, that.  Anyway, you two made out after your vows then grabbed a taxi back to her place.  That’s all I remember Bro, I swear.”

Marek sighed and raked a hand through his wild hair.  He’d been hoping for a whole lot more information than that.  “Alright, thanks mon.  If you think of anything else give me a ring.  I’ve a meeting here in about an hour so I’d better go. 
Au revoir
.”