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Morgan laughed. "Of course you are! I didn't think otherwise. But I'm also a little worried that maybe you've been drugged."
"Drugged? What do you mean?"
Tapping a long fingernail on the lacquered table, Morgan said, "You know, those drugs they give women sometimes to make them forget."
"You mean date rape drugs?"
"Yes."
Isabelle laughed at that. "I didn't even have anything to drink before the dive yesterday. And I was alone in the bungalow. So that's just not possible."
"What about after the dive?"
"I don't remember anything after the dive. I don't remember anything past finding some sleeping sea turtles on the bottom of the ocean floor." Hell, for all she knew Morgan could be right. She could have come to the resort and had cocktails after the dive and just didn't remember it.
"Well, it's doubtful you were around here last night. Tony and I had dinner here and I'd have remembered seeing you."
So much for that theory. "I think it's more stress and fatigue than anything out of the ordinary, Morgan. But I do appreciate your concern."
Morgan reached out and squeezed Isabelle's hand. "I like to take care of my guests. And with you being almost completely alone on the other side of the island, I can't help but worry."
"That's because you're a mother at heart, gorgeous."
Isabelle looked up to see Morgan's husband, Tony, standing at the table and smiling warmly at his wife.
"I am not," Morgan replied with a blush.
"Well, soon you will be."
Isabelle looked to Morgan. "A baby?"
She nodded and grinned. "Yes. Hadn't planned on it happening so soon, but we're very happy."
Tony leaned over and brushed his lips over his wife's, then squeezed her hand. "So soon? I wanted to get you pregnant from the first moment I saw you."
"Well it was damn close to that," Morgan said.
Tony shrugged and grinned. "What can I say? I'm a stud."
Isabelle laughed. "Congratulations to both of you. You must be thrilled."
"Thank you, we are," Morgan replied, wrapping her fingers around Tony's. "Hard to keep my Italian Stallion here from wanting to use me as a brood mare. He's made up some ludicrous number of children he'd like to have. How many kids were we suppose to have?"
Tony arched a brow. "Six, I think."
Morgan snorted and caressed Tony's cheek. "Only if you're going to birth at least three of them yourself."
The love and affection between the two of them was obvious. They hung out with her for awhile, then Morgan excused herself to attend to some resort details and Tony followed, saying he had a writing deadline to meet. She watched them walk away, hand in hand. Tony stopped in the lobby and pulled his wife into a passionate embrace that even had Isabelle's heart pounding.
So that was love. Real love. The kind she'd never witnessed growing up, the kind she'd never experienced herself.
Funny, she'd never thought that love, a husband and family were things she wanted. In fact, she'd purposely lived her life with her career coming first and no intention of ever wanting or needing that elusive thing called love.
Then why, after watching the way Morgan and Tony were together did her heart ache so badly? Why did she feel a craving so strong it made her entire body tremble and tears well in her eyes? Why did she suddenly think she wanted to be loved by someone? Why did the thought of children running about fill her with a longing she'd never felt before?
Why? Why? Why? The whys of her life were driving her crazy lately.
Probably lack of sleep and the weird dreams she'd had. Plus the loss of a part of yesterday that frustrated her beyond belief. Stress like that would make anyone act irrationally. And wanting love and marriage was about as irrational as she could get.
Her life had been happy before she'd arrived at Paradise Resort. But the past few days she'd begun to question her so-called-satisfying life, had begun to feel that maybe something integral was missing, but she couldn't put her finger on what that missing piece was.
It sure as hell wasn't love. Love was for the foolish, for people who didn't know the disastrous consequences of giving your heart blindly to someone. She wasn't like that. She knew better.
This was all Dax's fault. His mysterious ways, her inability to get her questions answered, all of it had led to her infatuation with him. He was a mystery and she loved mysteries. Which didn't mean she loved Dax.
And she still had no answers, but at this point she wasn't sure she even cared. She'd gotten too wrapped up with him too quickly and it was beginning to affect her reasoning. Paradise Resort was like a fairytale wonderland and she'd allowed herself to get caught up in the fantasy and romance of the place. Clearly it was distorting her vision and her goals. She needed to get her head on straight and focus on her job.
Starting right now. She waved the waiter off, signed the check for her meal and headed back to the bungalow, determined to keep her distance from Dax and concentrate only on work for the remainder of her time at the resort.
Isabelle's resolve lasted as long as it took to drive back to the other side of the island, where she found Dax waiting on the beach for her. His blue shorts matched the turquoise of his eyes, his tanned body glittering with sweat as he stood out in the open sun.
He smiled and her heart skipped a beat. She ignored the pulsing awareness of him and calmly exited the golf cart and swept past him to her bungalow to change for a dive.
Dax followed her inside. "Hey, beautiful. I've been looking for you."
"I was at the resort having lunch." She busied herself gathering her gear, camera and notebook, then went into her bathroom to change in to her swimsuit, making sure she closed and locked the door. The last thing she needed was Dax coming in and making her forget her new resolve. Taking a few minutes to catch her breath and calm her emotions, she came out, smiled politely at Dax then walked toward the beach. Dax walked with her, as silent as she was.
She couldn't look at him, afraid she'd melt if she glanced into his eyes. Her body was completely in tune to him--his clean, crisp scent, the husky tone to his voice, the way he smiled at her, touched her, kissed her--no! Not this time, not ever again.
Quickly fastening her dive gear, she headed toward the water. Dax grabbed her arm but she looked straight ahead, focusing on the sun glinting off the ocean's waves.
"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing. I'm just behind schedule."
"You going for a dive?"
"Yes."
"Still cataloguing turtles and coral?"
"Yes."
"I'll go with you."
"No!" She chanced a look in his direction, only to catch his confused frown. She quickly averted her gaze and stared out over the water. "I mean, I'm really busy here, Dax. I need to get down there and finish notating the sea life in this area. My time is almost up and if you don't mind I'd like to finish this alone."
"Why alone? I can help you and you'll get it finished faster."
She had to do it, despite the fact she knew it was going to cause pain, both to herself and to him. "I appreciate the offer, Dax, but no. Having you along is really a distraction that I can't afford right now."
Dax clenched his jaw, but she saw the pain on his face. An ache like she'd never felt before enveloped her heart. She knew she'd hurt him, but couldn't help it. It was either that or she'd lose herself in him completely, and she couldn't, wouldn't allow herself to become like her mother. Because Dax would leave her eventually, that much she already knew. Better now than later when she wasn't certain she'd survive it.
"I see," he said, his voice softening to a near whisper.
She bent down to grab her flippers, thankful for menial tasks that prevented her from looking at him. "Good. I'll catch you later, then?"
"Maybe. Maybe not. I've got some work of my own to do and I need to be leaving soon."
A sharp pain stabbed her stomach and spread out, nearly paralyzing her. "Okay. When
are you leaving?"
"Now, I guess. There's really nothing to keep me here anymore, is there?"
