The Sea of Aaron by Kymberly Hunt Page A

be a good idea if you would drop the machismo a notch and move a little slower,” Valerie said as he pulled the shirt over his head. “It must have been excruciating for you yesterday, flinging my suitcase around like you did.”
    She was definitely in full nurse mode, until she tugged the shirt down in place, even though she knew full well that he could do it himself. And there was nothing strictly professional or Christian about the way her hands brushed—no, stroked the area just below his ribs as she did this. The woman was toying with him.
    â€œYou mentioned tranquilizer darts earlier,” he said, his voice even thicker than usual. “Unlike you , I actually do own such a gun, but you may borrow it if you like.”
    â€œSweet,” Valerie said. “When I’m in the mood for stalking, I’ll let you know, but right now I’d rather you be my charming tour guide.”
    ***
    They spent the day wandering all over the tiny island. No one on Caye Caulker seemed to be aware of time. Valerie and Aaron strolled the sandy roads, occasionally passing by barefoot people, young and old, riding bicycles or walking. Everyone smiled. Everyone relaxed.
    Valerie enjoyed browsing in several small novelty shops, something she rarely did back home, and she especially loved the quirky art galleries featuring works by local artists. In one such place, she spotted a beautiful acrylic painting that depicted the Caye Caulker shoreline, the blue Caribbean fringed by pink, violet, and lime-green houses.
    â€œAaron, this one is gorgeous,” she exclaimed, pointing. “Look, there’s Annie’s Inn.”
    â€œYou like that one, do you?” Aaron said, somewhat sardonically.
    She nudged him. “Oh, stop. I think it’s beautiful. As a matter of fact, I might buy it.”
    He glanced at the price. “Save your money. You might be able to bargain with the gallery owner. As it is, it’s too expensive.”
    â€œHey, I’m the one to determine that,” she said.
    â€œTrue. But it will still be there when you come back. There are other things to do, and you don’t want to be lugging a painting around, do you?”
    His logic prevailed and after browsing some more, they left the gallery and had lunch at a popular seafood restaurant, followed by a short stroll down to a section known as the split. From that location, Aaron indulged Valerie’s curiosity by accompanying her on a guided boat tour with a bunch of chatty British tourists out to see the island’s famous manatees and other marine life.
    It was nearing evening when they returned to shore, and Valerie gave Aaron silent credit for tolerance during the course of the day, because she knew the touristy excursions must have been incredibly boring for him, but at least he hadn’t appeared restless and surly. True, he maintained his habitual aloofness, leaving most of the conversation for her to initiate, and twice he’d gotten calls on his cell phone and excused himself to seek privacy, but she didn’t mind. After all, why would she when she was thankful to God that he was recovering so well, not to mention her extreme pleasure over the advances she’d made with him earlier.
    Her real reason for being in Belize did linger at the back of her mind. What was going on with the investigation? How was it being carried out? And was there any progress? True, it was only the second day, but Aaron had to know something. As the innocent victim, Valerie felt she had a right to know some detail, and she resolved that once they got back to the hotel, she’d inquire. Right now, though, she just wanted to go slow and enjoy the island and her illusion of closeness to Aaron.

Chapter 5
    Evening found them climbing from his speedboat onto the deck of Saniyah II . Valerie sensed that this had not been part of Aaron’s plan for the day, but she had asked to see the ship and he had granted