truth about
you,” Sally snarled as she gathered up her things and stalked
off.
Adam was torn between going after her to beg her to
not turn him in, and staying to talk to Hero. He sighed. There were
Jesus's testicles to consider; duty had to win out. Feeling more a
martyr than ever, he scooped up the cat from where he was making
himself at home on Hero's lap. “I'm sorry about that; he really is
a mooch when it comes to attention. I'll just take him off to my
room and let him stretch his legs.”
“I see.” She didn't look like she saw anything she
understood; she looked confused. Delightfully confused, he amended,
gnawing on a delectable lower lip as she eyed him
speculatively.
He glanced out the glass doors to the long
palm-lined walk that ran the length of the resort, knowing he
should leave, but wanting to stay. Large clusters of people were
still visible, including the retreating form of Sally. He really
needed to talk to her, to make her understand that he didn't pose
any threat to her whatsoever, and to get her to agree not to expose
him. But Hero was an irresistible lure—especially since her
hesitant expression told him she wanted to say something, but
hadn't yet mustered up the nerve.
He sighed again and gave in. He could find Sally
later. Just once he wanted to do something for himself.
“Erm…Mr. Marsh—”
“Call me Adam,” he said, uncomfortably aware once
again that she believed him to be someone he wasn't. He pushed that
thought aside. There was nothing he could do about that now.
Perhaps later…if he was allowed to have a later, that is.
“Adam, would it be possible to have a word in your
ear? Privately?”
She wanted to talk to him
privately. How fitting that he should be right there, willing to be
talked to. Privately .
“Certainly. Er…let's see…” he juggled Jesus and his
orientation packet for a moment, then set the cat down and rustled
through the papers until he found a small brass key. “I'm in cabana
seventeen. According to the map, that's just beyond the fitness
center. Where are you?”
She held out a key. “Cabana one-twenty-two, next to
the croquet court.”
“You're closer. If you don't mind stopping to let
Jesus do his business, I'll walk you there.”
“I don't mind in the least,” Hero said as they
exited the ballroom. Long walkways lined with shrubs, small palms,
and lots of flowers crisscrossed the main resort compound. Discreet
signs pointed visitors to the various amenities. Adam and Hero
turned right and headed toward the west side of the resort.
“To tell you the truth,” she admitted with a shy
smile that tugged on his heart, “I'm a bit overwhelmed by the
resort. It's lovelier than anyplace I've seen. The flowers alone
are breathtaking, and the scenery…it really is just as I imagine
the Garden of Eden to have been.”
Adam paused and discreetly turned his back when
Jesus disappeared under a low-growing shrub.
“It's a big muggy, but I expect we'll get used to
that in time.” Dirt scattered on the paving stones before Adam's
feet, kicked out from under the shrub. He shifted uncomfortably.
Hero was dreamily looking off in the distance, past a line of
coconut palms to where the roar and crash of the surf could be
heard pounding onto a rocky outcropping. More dirt splatted on the
pathway. He brushed it aside with his foot, wondering what Hero
wanted to talk to him about. A small pink and white orchid, roots
still attached, was flung out from under the shrub onto the tops of
his shoes. He tugged on the leash, smiling wolfishly at Hero as she
turned to look at him.
“He likes flowers.”
Hero looked at the orchid Adam placed on the edge of
the path.
“He does?” she asked with one eyebrow cocked in
disbelief before turning back to gaze out toward the palms.
Adam fidgeted. He hated having to make chitchat. He
never had been any good at it, and now here he was stuck with a
woman who stirred his desire more than he'd felt in years, and his
cat
you,” Sally snarled as she gathered up her things and stalked
off.
Adam was torn between going after her to beg her to
not turn him in, and staying to talk to Hero. He sighed. There were
Jesus's testicles to consider; duty had to win out. Feeling more a
martyr than ever, he scooped up the cat from where he was making
himself at home on Hero's lap. “I'm sorry about that; he really is
a mooch when it comes to attention. I'll just take him off to my
room and let him stretch his legs.”
“I see.” She didn't look like she saw anything she
understood; she looked confused. Delightfully confused, he amended,
gnawing on a delectable lower lip as she eyed him
speculatively.
He glanced out the glass doors to the long
palm-lined walk that ran the length of the resort, knowing he
should leave, but wanting to stay. Large clusters of people were
still visible, including the retreating form of Sally. He really
needed to talk to her, to make her understand that he didn't pose
any threat to her whatsoever, and to get her to agree not to expose
him. But Hero was an irresistible lure—especially since her
hesitant expression told him she wanted to say something, but
hadn't yet mustered up the nerve.
He sighed again and gave in. He could find Sally
later. Just once he wanted to do something for himself.
“Erm…Mr. Marsh—”
“Call me Adam,” he said, uncomfortably aware once
again that she believed him to be someone he wasn't. He pushed that
thought aside. There was nothing he could do about that now.
Perhaps later…if he was allowed to have a later, that is.
“Adam, would it be possible to have a word in your
ear? Privately?”
She wanted to talk to him
privately. How fitting that he should be right there, willing to be
talked to. Privately .
“Certainly. Er…let's see…” he juggled Jesus and his
orientation packet for a moment, then set the cat down and rustled
through the papers until he found a small brass key. “I'm in cabana
seventeen. According to the map, that's just beyond the fitness
center. Where are you?”
She held out a key. “Cabana one-twenty-two, next to
the croquet court.”
“You're closer. If you don't mind stopping to let
Jesus do his business, I'll walk you there.”
“I don't mind in the least,” Hero said as they
exited the ballroom. Long walkways lined with shrubs, small palms,
and lots of flowers crisscrossed the main resort compound. Discreet
signs pointed visitors to the various amenities. Adam and Hero
turned right and headed toward the west side of the resort.
“To tell you the truth,” she admitted with a shy
smile that tugged on his heart, “I'm a bit overwhelmed by the
resort. It's lovelier than anyplace I've seen. The flowers alone
are breathtaking, and the scenery…it really is just as I imagine
the Garden of Eden to have been.”
Adam paused and discreetly turned his back when
Jesus disappeared under a low-growing shrub.
“It's a big muggy, but I expect we'll get used to
that in time.” Dirt scattered on the paving stones before Adam's
feet, kicked out from under the shrub. He shifted uncomfortably.
Hero was dreamily looking off in the distance, past a line of
coconut palms to where the roar and crash of the surf could be
heard pounding onto a rocky outcropping. More dirt splatted on the
pathway. He brushed it aside with his foot, wondering what Hero
wanted to talk to him about. A small pink and white orchid, roots
still attached, was flung out from under the shrub onto the tops of
his shoes. He tugged on the leash, smiling wolfishly at Hero as she
turned to look at him.
“He likes flowers.”
Hero looked at the orchid Adam placed on the edge of
the path.
“He does?” she asked with one eyebrow cocked in
disbelief before turning back to gaze out toward the palms.
Adam fidgeted. He hated having to make chitchat. He
never had been any good at it, and now here he was stuck with a
woman who stirred his desire more than he'd felt in years, and his
cat
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