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She smiled up at him, hoping her lip didn’t wobble.
“That’s perfect. No one will ever question that you’re completely smitten with me. I mean, of course they wouldn’t. Have you looked at me?”
She found herself actually laughing, which surprised her. A few minutes ago, she’d wondered if she would ever laugh again. “Has anyone ever told you that you have an overinflated ego?”
He chuckled. “No. They’re too busy telling me how astonishingly perfect I am.”
They passed the other couple as she sputtered out another laugh.
“The beach is closed right now due to a jellyfish outbreak,” her rescuer told the couple. “I’d stay on the sidewalk path to avoid that painful sting.”
“Thank you,” the man said, nodding to them.
Picking up their speed, he directed Chalisa onto the lit path just past the pool area. This sidewalk was surrounded by greenery and flowers. On each side of the meandering sidewalk, paths led to four-story buildings that housed beautiful guest suites with balconies overlooking either the green space or the pools, beach, and ocean.
“How did you get around that man’s guards?” she asked, out of breath because of her near miss with assault and certain death. How ‘astonishingly perfect’ and appealing her rescuer was might account for some of her breathing troubles too. She felt safe with him, exhilarated by his touch, and she wanted to tease and laugh with him for a long time, sweep his sunglasses off and see his eyes, and above all give him a sweet kiss of gratitude.
“I knocked them both out, zip-tied their hands, and duct taped their mouths a few moments before I knocked Jorge out. None of them saw me coming.” He grinned smugly. “And luckily, none of them saw me.”
They left the green space and passed several glass-front restaurants. Elegant water features lined the now black marble walkway. Before she knew it, they were in the front lobby of one of the resorts. There were five resorts in total that made up the Barcelo. She couldn’t keep them all straight and had gotten lost several times in the past few days.
The spacious and open area wasn’t crowded this time of night, but her protector bowed his head closer to hers and said, “Cameras. If I blow my cover and don’t get the information I need on Jorge to Interpol and approval to bring him in, my associate and idol Sutton Smith will be ‘barmy disappointed’ in me.”
“Sutton Smith? Interpol? Who are you? Do you work for Sutton?” He’d said associates. Was he a name-dropper? It didn’t make sense that he would give her information like that.
“Hold the questions for a moment, love.” He walked her out through the front doors and nodded to the greeter. “Taxi for two. Cancun Mall, por favor.”
“Si, senor.”
Chalisa let herself lean into him as they waited for a taxi. He pulled out his phone with his right hand and tapped out a text and then pocketed it. Suddenly, his body tensed and he glanced over his shoulder.
“Everything all right?”
“Oh, of course, love. You’re with me. Nothing could possibly be wrong.” His charismatic grin made her knees weak. He leaned in closer and his warm breath touched her ear, soft as a caress. “Act natural. We need to get out of here before any of those idiots wake up and get free of their bonds, or someone discovers them and sounds the alarm.”
Her stomach turned over, his words bringing her back to the danger she was in. Act natural? Nothing about tonight was natural. If the guards or that jerk Jorge awakened, they’d sound an alarm? Or if someone found them?
She should be the one sounding an alarm. Was this resort loyal to her attacker? Why had Kingston thought it was safe? If Kingston was here, he’d bash some heads together. She’d love to see her brother-in-law and her rescuer take on every bad guy out there, but right now she desperately wanted to escape the resort and any chance of Jorge finding her again.
Kingston would also tell her to be cautious with another unknown man. Was her rescuer a good guy? Should she be leaving the bright, previously safe, fancy resort and getting into a taxi with a stranger?
She instinctively trusted him. Because he’d saved her, his name-dropping of the infamous billionaire protector Sutton Smith, or her rescuer’s innate confidence that he wore like a second skin? She wasn’t certain, but all she knew was she would rather stay with him than risk Jorge finding her again.
A taxi pulled up, and the resort employee opened the back door and gestured. “Senor. Your taxi to Cancun Mall.”
Her rescuer slipped him a tip as he ushered Chalisa inside and then slid in after her. The greeter shut the door and the taxi immediately eased away from the front doors, winding through the roads of the large resort. The fact that they were headed to a large, busy mall in a legitimate taxi reassured her that this man meant her no harm.
The man gently secured her into the middle seat belt, brushing against her and smiling knowingly. Did he realize unfamiliar tingles erupted at his touch? She could only imagine her hero was a charismatic womanizer to the hundredth degree—the exact type of man she usually stayed far away from. A lot of men like him hit on her because they thought she was physically attractive, but she was too awkward and shy to flirt with them and they quickly lost interest.
She didn’t want a suave man who’d been with hundreds of women. She wanted someone loyal and steady, like Kingston.
Yet this man drew her in like flies to honey. Because of her shock and terror over being attacked, she’d spoken naturally and easily with him. Maybe even flirted a bit. Her mom, Reagan, and Jenn would all be proud.
Her self-appointed protector fastened his own seat belt, then slid his arm around her upper back, his hand cupping her shoulder. He cuddled her in close, taking her other hand in his. The position was intimate, as if they knew each other well and savored being close. She was savoring it, but she probably shouldn’t admit that to him. He didn’t need any more confidence with women. He was absolutely irresistible.
“You are doing fabulous,” he whispered against her forehead. “Soon you’ll be home safe and this will all be a faint memory. Except of course how you’ll never forget me. Captain Aiden Porter, retired Marine and famed security specialist.”
Aiden. Captain Aiden Porter. A retired Marine? He was impressive and enticing. She didn’t want to remember anything about her attack on the beach, but he was right that she wouldn’t forget him. She didn’t want to. Even if he was an innate womanizer like she suspected.
