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The drinks arrived, and after quickly scanning the menus, Trent ordered for both of them. He exchanged words and a chuckle with the waiter and slid a sexy glance in her direction. Nikki refused to be intimidated, though her stomach was churning nervously. She thought of the camera in her purse and bit her lip. She couldn’t very well develop the film with Trent around, and yet she saw no way of getting away from him today.
Placing her napkin over her skirt, she heard snatches of conversation from tables tucked between the pots overflowing with flowers. Quiet conversation and the clink of glasses were punctuated with soft bursts of laughter. People enjoying themselves, relaxed and happy, on a tropical island for a vacation.
“So you think you’re ready to take on the town,” he said, eyeing her.
“The whole island, if I have to.”
He took a swallow from his beer, then picked at the label of his long-necked bottle. He scanned the garden slowly, as if gathering his thoughts, but his gaze was wary, his lips a little too tight over his teeth.
“How’d things go at the airport?”
“Not great. We got reservations out of here, but not for a few days.”
Her heart sank a little. It was crazy, of course, and she wanted to return to her home and her life, but she felt cheated, as if she’d come to this Caribbean island with a purpose not yet served. Even if her plan had simply been to sightsee, she’d been robbed. And if this trip were truly her honeymoon, then it had become a disaster, because she and the man seated across from her were at odds, more enemies than lovers.
The waiter returned with steaming bowls of a thick fish chowder, which burned all the way down Nikki’s throat. Her conversation with Trent lagged and she sipped her wine throughout the meal of swordfish, a spicy rice dish and sautéed vegetables.
She was nearly finished with her second glass of wine when the waiter returned with a dessert cart. She shook her head. “I can’t,” she insisted, and Trent grinned widely.
“I was beginning to think you were a bottomless pit.”
“After watery gelatin, gooey oatmeal and wilted, tasteless vegetables at that hospital for the past week, everything looks good.”
“Except dessert.”
She grinned and finished her wine. “Maybe later.”
“In bed?” he asked, his gaze locking with hers. She couldn’t move for a second and unconsciously she licked a final drop of wine from her lips. She thought of the film hidden in a pocket of her purse. Would it develop into snapshots of Trent, smiling and carefree on his honeymoon? Bare-chested and incredibly sexy, with the wind in his hair and desire burning bright in his eyes? Suddenly the ring around her finger seemed heavy and tight.
Trent paid the bill, then helped her from her chair.
“I—I don’t want to go upstairs yet,” she admitted.
“You’re not tired?”
“It’s barely eight,” she pointed out. “Besides, it seems like I’ve been in bed forever.”
“Not with me,” he said, and her pulse leapt wildly. He took her arm, and she wondered if he was being helpful, or making sure that she wouldn’t bolt, that he wouldn’t lose her.
Through the opening in the rail, they walked along a sandy path that wound through the grounds of the hotel. They crossed a wide flagstone patio and passed clusters of umbrella tables. Hurricane lanterns were lit, their flames warm and steady with the coming dusk.
“I tried to call my mother and my sisters today,” Nikki admitted as they strolled past the pool. Children were still splashing in the water, but the sunbathers had left for the day, the chaise lounges empty.
“And?”
“No luck. The phone lines were jammed.”
He nodded. “My guess is telephone service here isn’t all that great to begin with, and now, with the airline fiasco, it’s nearly impossible to call out. We were lucky to get through to your dad.”
The night closed in around them. Insects droned and flitted around the lanterns and a million stars glimmered in the purple sky. Stuffing her hands in the pockets of her skirt, she said, “Tell me exactly how we met.”
He slid her a glance. “It’s not all that exciting.”
“I don’t care.”
“
I was working on a claim for Connie Benson. Her car had been stolen and I had some questions for her. You were with her when I showed up and we were introduced. Later in the week we ran into each other at a restaurant on the waterfront. We started talking and didn’t stop until the place closed down. From that point on, we saw a lot of each other.” He slid her a sly glance. “You practically moved into my place that first week.”
