AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The sun was waning in the sky, vivid colors crisscrossing the horizon. If only I could feel at peace. At this point, it was impossible. I had far too many questions racing in the back of my mind.
“Here you go, beautiful lady. Please let me know if I can offer any additional services.”
I tossed my head over my shoulder, giving him a heated look, the mischief in his eyes creating a smile. “I certainly will.” I pulled the drink closer, taking several deep breaths. I’d been unable to rid myself of ugly thoughts, although I’d done everything in my power to ignore the nagging little voice inside my head.
Something was off, although I couldn’t put my finger on what that was. As I took a sip through the colorful straw, I shifted my seat toward the water lapping at the rocks lining the shore. I couldn’t wait to dig my toes into the sand. I’d forgone vacations or even short getaways over the years all in a need to advance my career. What the hell did I have to show for it?
I continued sipping on my drink, finally encouraged to take a walk toward the water’s edge. There was nothing like the waning sun cresting across the water, the sound of seagulls calling from the distance. I’d always wanted to live on a beach somewhere, the Caribbean the location of choice. Maybe I could set up a little office somewhere, selling my services to islanders. The thought was ridiculous but gave me a smile.
The island music continued to filter into my ears, the steel drums meant for the tourists. I shifted my gaze, admiring the hammocks lining the water’s shoreline, all strategically placed only feet outside the various hotel rooms. I’d been lucky enough to secure a room inside one of the stone buildings, the arched passageways reminding me of Scottish castles. I planned on purchasing a bottle of wine and a loaf of French bread at one of the local establishments, indulging in catching up on a sinful novel or two over the next few days.
A few days of peace and quiet, without interruption.
No one would dare call me on my cell phone, unless they wanted to face my wrath.
After all, I was supposed to be on my honeymoon.
As I laughed bitterly, male voices caught my attention, their almost heated exchange contrary to the happy voices I’d heard since landing on the island. I turned my head, curious as to why one of the two men was dressed in a beautifully tailored suit. The temperature was at least eighty-five degrees, the humidity adding five more. While the second man appeared more casual, the fact he was in dark jeans and a tight black tee shirt certainly didn’t fit the usual island attire.
I found myself inching closer, walking the shoreline in an effort to find out more about them. Perhaps the spidey sense of the prosecutor inside of me had raised a red flag. The drug activity in the Caribbean was more active than normal, various law enforcement agencies unable to curtail the ruthless offenders. There was even increased activity with arms dealers, making seafaring travelers wary of venturing into certain waters.
There was no reason for me to think such egregious thoughts, except my instinct was almost never wrong.
Almost.
Plus, the call from Amelia had kept me on edge, my mind still questioning how and why the mystery man had ended up in my room.
As I inched closer, I couldn’t help but notice both men were insanely gorgeous. I was forced to press my hand against my mouth to keep from laughing. Suddenly, I’d allowed the bad girl side of me to rise to the surface.
Then a shudder trickled down my spine.
Both men were speaking Russian.
Their voices filtered through the light breeze toward the water, the deep tones and accents impossible to ignore. However, there was no doubt one of the two was the man I’d spent hours with engaging in passion.
Oh, my God.
Several tingles drifted through me, creating a wave of heat just as I’d experienced before. Dozens of visions floated in the back of my mind. I hated the hard thudding of my heart because of a single man, but the experience had been one I’d remember for a long time.
My reaction was also based on fear.
I turned abruptly, trying to catch my breath. There wasn’t a chance in hell it was a coincidence. Not one. I closed my eyes briefly, taking a deep breath then trying to make my way back to the bar. What the hell was this about? Was I overthinking it? Maybe the man in the suit was someone else.
No. Not possible. What the hell was I supposed to do?
He’d followed me here. No, that also couldn’t be the case. Unless he’d remained at the hotel, stalking me. Watching me check out. A single bead of perspiration trickled down the side of my face. I threw another look over my shoulder. Jesus. The two men were no longer on the patio.
As I bit down on my lower lip, I made my way to the same barstool, taking several gasping breaths as I gripped the edge of the bar, remaining standing. My reaction was twofold. One was the insanity around my crazy attraction to the man and the other was because I couldn’t believe we’d landed on the same island at the same time.
My throat was tight, almost to the suffocating point. While I thought about returning to my room, I realized I was being ridiculous. However, the last thing I needed at this point was complications.
A sudden wave of anger rushed into my system. If he had followed me, then he would understand that I wasn’t the kind of woman to accept any bullshit. I slammed my glass on the bar, turning around swiftly.
“Baby. Where you going so fast?” The man’s voice highlighted his level of intoxication. He grabbed both my arms, whistling as he looked me up and down.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
“I’m not. Why don’t you and I get a little better acquainted? It is the islands after all. Paradise. Anything goes.”
