pink-painted toes to the top of her head.
Alex wrapped his towel around her shoulders. “You’re cold.”
Still weak with desire, she managed a tremulous smile. “Too much sun for the first day.” She scooped up her beach bag. “I’ll meet you two at the bar around nine. You guys go ahead and have your steak.”
“Where are you going for dinner?” His voice was unsteady.
“Makana’s media-relations officer invited me out.”
Tim waved. “See ya later, Mads.”
Alex, seemingly himself again, bid her goodbye. “Enjoy dinner.”
“Yeah,” she muttered to herself, darting to her room, “soon as I un-harden my nipples.”
Chapter Five
“Lead me not into temptation ¾ I can find the way myself.”
—Rita Mae Brown
Later that evening, Alex gaped in disbelief at the scanty black silk dress draped over Maddie as she sashayed up the stairs to the front door of the Mad Monkey Bar. “What are you wearing?”
“A dress.” She twirled around slowly. “You like?”
“Who calls that scarf a dress?”
“Dolce and Gabbana.” She laughed. “Come on, Tim’s waving at us.”
They walked toward Tim, seated by the stage. Alex put his hand on the small of her back to guide her, as he so often had in the past, but now the gesture sent electrical shock waves up his arm.
Potted ginger plants and orange blossoms permeated the air with their fragrance. They didn’t overpower Maddie’s sweet, feminine scent as she strolled close to him.
The servers, dressed in black shorts and orange Mad Monkey T-shirts, carried trays of chi chis ¾ vodka and pineapple concoctions served in coconut shells. Two karaoke enthusiasts were already on the stage, performing a Bon Jovi number.
Alex sat next to Maddie, nursed his rum and Coke and listened to her tease Tim without mercy about his romantic conquests. She deserved the gold medal in the rattling-Tim’s-chain category. Glad he wasn’t on the receiving end of that conversation, he leaned back and enjoyed the view.
“Why are you still single?” Maddie asked Tim.
“I escape before slipping into the brunch-with-the-parents vortex.”
“Wouldn’t you like to go home to a nice home-cooked meal?”
“Hey, I never get that hungry.” Tim picked up the menu, scanned it with ostentatious indifference and gave Alex a quick sideways glance.
Alex shrugged his shoulders.
“By the way, do you like Reece’s comic strip?” she asked.
“Oh no, you don’t, Saunders.” Tim turned to Alex. “Help me out here.”
Alex shrugged again. “I got nothing.”
“Hang up your matchmaker hat,” Tim said. “Okay, her comic strip is funny, especially when she takes the piss out of Donovan. She’s nice. Okay, she’s hot, but she definitely has looking-for-a-serious-relationship written all over her.” He sighed. “Hey, what’s with the eye rolling? I answered your questions.” He leaned over and retrieved his beer, which Maddie had taken.
As Maddie continued to badger Tim, Alex examined her features. Was it the relaxed atmosphere, or did she look exceptionally radiant tonight?
In her typical style, she wore minimal makeup. Not much was needed to improve her oval face. Her ivory cheeks had turned pinkish beige, probably a result of her day in the sun. Alex found the heightened color and even the freckles splashed across her upturned nose a turn on. The heat in his gut intensified as he watched her pucker her full lips to sip her mandarin cosmopolitan.
He shifted in his seat, took a long swig of his drink and studied the way her short dress ¾ Mother of God, that dress was short ¾ exposed her shapely thighs. If his stare emitted heat, her dress would have melted right off of her by now.
He had always considered himself a breast man, but since arriving on the island, his taste now veered south of the border.
Damn, she had great legs.
He wondered if the bartender had added more rum than necessary to his drink, or maybe it was what she’d hit him with the day
Alex wrapped his towel around her shoulders. “You’re cold.”
Still weak with desire, she managed a tremulous smile. “Too much sun for the first day.” She scooped up her beach bag. “I’ll meet you two at the bar around nine. You guys go ahead and have your steak.”
“Where are you going for dinner?” His voice was unsteady.
“Makana’s media-relations officer invited me out.”
Tim waved. “See ya later, Mads.”
Alex, seemingly himself again, bid her goodbye. “Enjoy dinner.”
“Yeah,” she muttered to herself, darting to her room, “soon as I un-harden my nipples.”
Chapter Five
“Lead me not into temptation ¾ I can find the way myself.”
—Rita Mae Brown
Later that evening, Alex gaped in disbelief at the scanty black silk dress draped over Maddie as she sashayed up the stairs to the front door of the Mad Monkey Bar. “What are you wearing?”
“A dress.” She twirled around slowly. “You like?”
“Who calls that scarf a dress?”
“Dolce and Gabbana.” She laughed. “Come on, Tim’s waving at us.”
They walked toward Tim, seated by the stage. Alex put his hand on the small of her back to guide her, as he so often had in the past, but now the gesture sent electrical shock waves up his arm.
Potted ginger plants and orange blossoms permeated the air with their fragrance. They didn’t overpower Maddie’s sweet, feminine scent as she strolled close to him.
The servers, dressed in black shorts and orange Mad Monkey T-shirts, carried trays of chi chis ¾ vodka and pineapple concoctions served in coconut shells. Two karaoke enthusiasts were already on the stage, performing a Bon Jovi number.
Alex sat next to Maddie, nursed his rum and Coke and listened to her tease Tim without mercy about his romantic conquests. She deserved the gold medal in the rattling-Tim’s-chain category. Glad he wasn’t on the receiving end of that conversation, he leaned back and enjoyed the view.
“Why are you still single?” Maddie asked Tim.
“I escape before slipping into the brunch-with-the-parents vortex.”
“Wouldn’t you like to go home to a nice home-cooked meal?”
“Hey, I never get that hungry.” Tim picked up the menu, scanned it with ostentatious indifference and gave Alex a quick sideways glance.
Alex shrugged his shoulders.
“By the way, do you like Reece’s comic strip?” she asked.
“Oh no, you don’t, Saunders.” Tim turned to Alex. “Help me out here.”
Alex shrugged again. “I got nothing.”
“Hang up your matchmaker hat,” Tim said. “Okay, her comic strip is funny, especially when she takes the piss out of Donovan. She’s nice. Okay, she’s hot, but she definitely has looking-for-a-serious-relationship written all over her.” He sighed. “Hey, what’s with the eye rolling? I answered your questions.” He leaned over and retrieved his beer, which Maddie had taken.
As Maddie continued to badger Tim, Alex examined her features. Was it the relaxed atmosphere, or did she look exceptionally radiant tonight?
In her typical style, she wore minimal makeup. Not much was needed to improve her oval face. Her ivory cheeks had turned pinkish beige, probably a result of her day in the sun. Alex found the heightened color and even the freckles splashed across her upturned nose a turn on. The heat in his gut intensified as he watched her pucker her full lips to sip her mandarin cosmopolitan.
He shifted in his seat, took a long swig of his drink and studied the way her short dress ¾ Mother of God, that dress was short ¾ exposed her shapely thighs. If his stare emitted heat, her dress would have melted right off of her by now.
He had always considered himself a breast man, but since arriving on the island, his taste now veered south of the border.
Damn, she had great legs.
He wondered if the bartender had added more rum than necessary to his drink, or maybe it was what she’d hit him with the day
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