Trapped in Paradise (2 page)

“But what if your Mrs. Right is on the cruise, and you miss her because you’ve stayed hidden in your cabin under a pile of books?”

He tapped the romance book setting on her desk. “I’m not the only one who’s been reading, I see. Life isn’t like in your romance books.” He picked up the novel. “I’m not interested in some little girl who just left home. I want a strong, independent woman. Unfortunately, the type of woman I’m interested in has been put through hell and is fed up with giving a man a fair chance. Don’t get me wrong. I partially blame myself. I know I helped push many a woman to the brink, but now that I’m ready to settle down…” He hunched his shoulders. “All I’m saying is my ‘Mrs. Right’ wouldn’t see me for who I am. She’d see the pain and disappointment the men before me have put her through.”

“And all I’m saying is you know your Mrs. Right has been hurt. Be understanding and patient. If you give her time, she’ll see you for who you are.” Nathan had pushed Saundra past the brink, but Miranda knew Jeremy could bring her back.

He stared at her.

“What?” she asked.

“It’s just… Are you up to something?”

Ashley broke out in a hacking-laughing fit. She quickly excused herself and rushed out the room.

“What are you up to, Miranda?” he said firmly.

Mouth agape and eyes wide, she drew her hands to her chest. “Me? I am so hurt. Why is everyone always accusing me of being up to something?”

“Because you
always
are.”

“Well, I’m not this time,” she said hotly. “You’re my friend. I just want to make sure you don’t close your eyes to what’s right in front of you.” She saw herself as a conduit of sorts. If she had to tell a little white lie here and there, so be it.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions.” He set the book on her desk.

“No, you keep it. Evelyn Palfrey is one of my favorite romance authors.”

“I don’t read romance.”

“Well start. Her characters are marvelously mature and have been through a lot of what your Mrs. Right has gone through. You may actually learn a little something.”

Chapter Two

“I’m kicking myself for not flying first class,” Saundra re-adjusted her cell phone earpiece.

“Why, what happened?” Miranda asked.

“As I was boarding the plane, I saw the only man who could make me reconsider one night stands.” Giggling, she fanned herself and continued along the tunnel from the plane into the busy airport. “And wouldn’t you know the seat beside him was empty. I’ll bet it was mine.”

“That’s what you get for being cheap. What did he look like? What was he doing? Did he see you?”

“Slow your roll.” She glanced up at the signs for the baggage area. “Whew howdy, his wavy, salt-and-pepper hair called to my fingers.”

Miranda giggled. “You and your old men.”

“He wasn’t old, but mature, and his hair was more pepper than salt.”

“Whatever. How tall was he?”

“Leg’s look to be about fifty feet long.”

“Fifty feet?” Miranda laughed. “You should switch from writing non-fiction to fiction.”

“Okay, maybe not fifty.” In no hurry, she strolled toward the baggage claim area. “But he was well over six feet. He definitely needed the extra room of first class.”

“Woman, you ain’t but about two foot tall! What is up with you and tall men?”

“I don’t know. Let me ask my sister who is shorter than me and whose husband is at least six feet what’s the deal with her and tall, dark, and all too fine men.” She stopped in front of one of the many gift shops and debated purchasing her nephews a few Miami T-shirts and shipping them off before she left for her cruise. She had promised them she would pick them a little something up on each leg of her trip. “This man fits your heroes in the romance books: tall, dark, and handsome. Make that: tall, dark, and all too fine.”

With a giggle in her voice, Miranda said, “I’m just glad you are finally reconsidering the one night stand. It’s been eight years. How can you go so long?”

“For one thing, it hasn’t been eight. It’s been five.”

Miranda broke out in another fit of laughter. “Like that’s better. You’d better corner the market on condoms, because Jamaica is full of tall, dark and all too fine men waiting on you.”

“My name ain’t Stella, and I sure don’t need to get back my groove.”

“Says who? Five years. You need a whole lot more than to get your groove back. And I’m not saying you have to marry the man… men! Shoooot, the one night stand is a beautiful thing.”

“You’re married. What do you know about one night stands?” She selected Florida Marlin’s T-shirts for the boys and a “Too Hot To Trot” T-Shirt for Miranda. She wouldn’t tell her sister, but instead of reading on the flight, she had daydreamed about making love with the handsome stranger. Never in her life had she been so attracted to a man. It was frightening. Yesterday after she’d finished packing, she read one of the romance novels Miranda had given her. The Beverly Jenkins’ novel had turned out to be surprisingly good, but now Saundra was having second thoughts, thinking her reaction to this man had been too “romance novel.”

“I know you could use one, two… hell make it three.”

“You are out of your mind.” She set her selections on the counter.

“You know I’m only playing with you. I’m just glad to see someone has set a spark in you. It’s not about the sex.” Miranda paused. “It’s not only about the sex. You’re a passionate person, but since you’re divorce, you’ve shut down.”

“I have not.” She keyed in her pin number to pay for her purchases. “I’m doing quite well for myself.”

“You know that’s not what I mean. That spark. Please do me a favor and allow that spark to grow. I’m not saying you have to become promiscuous. That’s not you. But neither is this woman who refuses to allow a man close enough to love her as she should be loved. I’m so afraid you’ll miss out on your king.”

“My
king
?” She giggled. “You’re reading way too many romance novels.”

“I’m serious.”

“Okay… I’ll pay along. I thought Nathan was my king, and he turned out to be a cruel dictator.”

“Well, you thought wrong. You were only twenty when you married. You’re older and wiser now. But you’re also scared. Don’t let fear keep you from your king. I need to get going. The boys are being entirely too quiet. Love you.”

“Love you, too. Kiss the babies for me.”

Thinking about what Miranda had said, she headed over to baggage claim. Truth be told, she wanted a king. Not to save or protect her. She didn’t need saving or protecting. She wanted to share her life with someone special. She wanted what her sister had.

The conveyor belt lurched to a start and broke her out of musing. A few minutes later, the red and black scarf she had tied onto the handle of her large suitcase caught her attention.

“Excuse me.” She squeezed through the people gathered around. Just as she reached for her bag, another passenger bumped her out of the way to grab his suitcase.

“Hey, I’m standing here,” she said to the rude man.

“Allow me,” came a deep, melodic voice that took her breath away. Tall, dark and all too fine himself reached over and easily grabbed her bag off the conveyor belt and set it before her.

Rude man completely forgotten, along with her voice, all Saundra could do was stand there and pray she didn’t look as flustered as she felt.

“Is that one yours also?”
All too fine
motioned toward her medium sized southwestern print bag that had a black and red scarf tied on the handle.

Wanting to slap the silly schoolgirl jitters into oblivion, she managed a weak, “Yes.”

 “Here you go, little lady.” His bright dimpled smile finished her off.

“Thank you. That was really nice of you.”

“It was nothing.” He glanced toward the belt, then back to her. “Don’t move.”

Jeans had never looked as good as they did hugging his firm behind when he bent to reach his luggage. Objectifying this man into body parts was wrong on so many levels, but damn. Miranda was right. Five years was too long to go without some good loving.

Before she realized what was happening, he had led her away from the crowd.
Snap out of it,
she chastised herself. He was only a man. Granted, the epitome of drop-dread gorgeous, but a man.

“I guess I should properly introduce myself.” She held out her hand. “Saundra, Saundra Write.”

Amusement flickered in his eyes. “As in Mrs. Right?”

The reaction to her name was odd, yet intriguing at the same time. “Miss Write, actually.”

“I’m sorry. I’m not making fun of your name. It’s just a friend of mine and I were discussing…” He shook his head. “Let’s start over.” He held out his hand. “Jeremy, Jeremy King.”

“King?”
As in my king? This is straight up out of the “Twilight Zone.” Wait until I tell Miranda. She’ll never believe me.
She accepted his hand, and the moment they touched she felt something…
magnetic…
holding them together. Thinking she had only read one romance novel and was all ready turning into a mush head, she did her best to gather her faculties.

“Yes, King.”

She caught him peeking at her left hand. Probably doing the same as she had done him—checking for a ring.

“I don’t want to sound forward, but I didn’t eat before the flight. Would you like to have lunch with me?”

He released her hand. The loss of contact was much more than their touching ending, which scared and excited the mess out of her.
This is all Miranda’s fault. Her and her stupid romance novels.

Hands up slightly, he continued, “No strings attached, just lunch.”

“Do you usually pick up women in the airport?”

A full, robust chuckle erupted from him. If she didn’t know better, she’d say there was a hint of nervousness mixed in there also.

“This is my first time. How is it going for me?”

“How could I say no to the man who saved my bags?” The flight had left entirely too early for her, and she hadn’t eaten. So besides being tired, she was starving.

 “Excellent. I need to drop my luggage at the hotel. Would you like to meet somewhere,” he checked the time on his cell phone, “around one?”

“I’d love to, except I have no idea what’s around here. I’ve never been to Miami in my life. I eat just about anything, so wherever you’d like to go works for me.”