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She didn’t want to think about him diving into the water in nothing but a bathing suit, but her imagination went haywire just the same. No doubt his naturally bronzed body would be a sight to behold.
Attempting to make a graceful exit, she said, “I’ll see you when it’s time for the party.”
“I’ll see you, too.”
He didn’t turn away and neither did she. They just stood there, immersed in each other. So much for a graceful exit.
Finally, she ended the connection and headed to her room, closing and locking the door on her side that separated their living quarters. She heard him close the door on his side, too, and turn the bolt.
Carol breathed a heavy sigh of relief, then glanced around at the glamorous antique furnishings and four-poster bed. Jake’s room more or less mimicked hers, which didn’t make it any easier, knowing he was on the other end of those adjoining doors.
She warned herself to stay away from her veranda in case he did go for a swim. Fantasizing about him was bad enough. She didn’t need to watch him and become a voyeur, too.
* * *
As the evening progressed, Jake was more than ready to blow off some steam. After his swim, he’d eaten dinner. Then he’d fallen asleep, rumpled and naked. From there, he’d dragged his ass out of bed and taken a long, hot shower.
And now he was standing in front of the mirror in a designer suit, his hair styled in its usual way.
If he knew Carol, she’d probably been ready for hours. His assistant was an early bird, whereas Jake waited right up to the end to dash off to wherever he was going.
As if on cue, his phone beeped with a text. No doubt it was Carol, telling him it was time to leave. She always sent him reminders for everything.
He checked. Sure enough it was her. They agreed to meet in the hallway, outside their rooms.
She got there first, and as soon as Jake saw her, he marveled at her beauty. Her dress was wrapped in a stylish yet sultry way, complementing her voluptuous figure. It wouldn’t take much to untie the sarong, either. A pull here, a tug there. The body veil that went with it was incorporated into the design, flowing softly, making her ensemble even sexier.
Her makeup was light and elegant, and her shoulder-length, blunt-cut hair was straight and shiny. The starfish earrings twinkled next to her face, and the bracelet shone at her wrist. Her skin had just the slightest hint of shimmer, too, especially around the swell of her cleavage. Or maybe that was where he noticed it most. He assumed it was from some sort of glittery lotion. Her strappy evening bag was small and delicate—the kind women carried when they danced.
“You look hot,” he said. He stepped back to take another admiring glance. “Seriously, you could be a siren who roams the island, tempting guys like me to come out to play.”
She flushed accordingly. “Thank you. But I’m not trying to tempt anyone, and you’re always ready to play with some pretty young thing.”
Not the way he wanted to play with her. “Don’t worry. Tonight I’m going to be good.”
Her gaze roamed over him. “Then I guess it’s all right to tell you that you look rather hot yourself?”
Hell, yes, it was all right. He liked being in her sights, even if nothing was going to happen between them. “Millie brought a bunch of stuff to my house, too, and this is what I picked.” Suddenly he realized his shirt was the same minty green color as Carol’s eyes. He hadn’t chosen it for that reason, at least not deliberately. But who knew what tricks his attraction to her was playing on his subconscious?
“Are you ready?” he asked.
“As ready as I’m ever going to be.”
Was she still worried about fitting in with his crowd?
“Just hold on tight and have a good time.”
“Hold on to what?”
“Me.” He took her hand. “It’s a couples-only theme, remember?”
She threaded her fingers through his. “I still can’t believe I agreed to come here with you.”
“It’s too late to back out.” He squeezed her hand. For now she was his plus-one, and he wasn’t letting her go.
They took the staircase to the main ballroom on the first floor. Already, they could hear the thumping base of music from a DJ’s turntable.
The white-pillared ballroom exploded with color and flair. The couples-only theme was expressed in enormous paintings and life-size statues that had been commissioned specifically for the party, with depictions of legendary lovers, throughout the ages, entwined in a variety of emotional embraces.
A huge flat-screen monitor projected images that complemented the music, and scattered throughout the marble dance floor were gilded cages big enough for two, where couples could go inside and dance with each other. Jake thought it was intriguing. He didn’t know if Carol would agree to do that with him, but it wouldn’t hurt to ask when the moment felt right. It was just a bit of fun, after all. They were supposed to enjoy the festivities, and those cages were part of it.
The birthday girl wasn’t there yet. Clearly, Lena wasn’t quite ready to splash onto the scene and make her debut. Most of the guests had arrived and were partaking of food, drink and dance. A gourmet buffet offered lavish hors d’oeuvres and frothy desserts. Although Jake was still full from dinner, the pastries sure looked good.
“Good grief,” Carol said. “This is something else.”
Jake continued to hold her hand, giving her time to settle into the environment. A three-tiered fountain filled with ice was large enough to bathe in, with pink lemonade spilling from the spigots. Champagne was being served as well, delivered by waitstaff garbed in French Colonial attire to match the mansion. There was a huge aquarium bar, too, stocked with angelfish and tended by bikini-clad bartenders wearing blue wigs and fluffy white wings. Indoor and outdoor tables were available, with figurine candles shaped into historic couples as the centerpieces. The party was an eclectic mix of whatever appealed to Lena’s imagination.
After Jake and Carol took the champagne that was offered to them, she said, “I don’t know where to begin.”
“Anywhere you want.”
She sipped her drink. “I think I’d like a pastry to go with this.”
“That sounds good to me.” He escorted her to the buffet and grabbed a treat for himself, too.
She wanted to eat outside, so they went onto the courtyard and sat with a few other couples who’d also decided to start their evening off outdoors. Jake introduced Carol to them. He knew most of the people in attendance.
While Carol chatted with Lena’s songwriting partner and his wife, Jake studied the Napoleon and Josephine matchbooks that were on the table. The candle was a likeness of them, too, with their names scrolled across the bottom of the stand. He went ahead and struck a match and lit the wick. The wax emitted a rose scent.
Carol turned toward him, and they watched it burn together. Then she said, “Did you know that Josephine’s birth name was Marie-Josèphe-Rose? And that she went by Rose until Napoleon started calling her Josephine?”
“No, I wasn’t aware of that.” But the rose scent was making a bigger impact now, getting stronger as the candle burned.
“She was born in the Caribbean on the island of Martinique. I came across references to that area when I was researching the islands around here, too.”
He smiled. “And now we’re sitting at Napoleon and Josephine’s table, with you sharing your research with me.”
She returned his smile. “Sometimes I overdo things like that.”
“Yes, but what an interesting conversation it’s turning out to be.” He was fascinated by the details she’d provided. She looked beautiful in the candlelight, too, against the backdrop of sand and surf on the other side of the courtyard.
The songwriter interrupted, announcing to the entire group, “We should all go inside now. Lena will be appearing shortly.”
“Do you know how she’ll be making her entrance?” Jake asked.
“Yes, but she’d kill me if I spilled the beans.” The other man took his wife’s arm. “We’ll see you in there.”
“Sure.” Jake wished he could stay where he was. He was enjoying being out here with Carol.
“I guess we better head in, too,” she said after everyone else was gone.
“Yeah. I guess we better.” They’d lingered long enough.
“Should we blow out Napoleon and Josephine?” she asked.
“You can do it.”
She pursed her lips, and he watched her extinguish the flame, the candle’s floral scent still drifting softly through the air.
* * *
Word got around that Lena was due to arrive, and the party buzzed with anticipation. Carol compared it to waiting for the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve. Or a fireworks show on the Fourth of July.
Speaking of fireworks...
Jake stood beside her, his arm just barely grazing hers. She wanted to reach for his hand and hold it the way she’d done earlier, letting the excitement of touching him course through her veins. But she refrained.
Suddenly the blinds were closed on the French doors. A moment later, the chandeliers went out, the ballroom going pitch-black. Carol moved closer to Jake, not wanting to lose him in the dark.
When the lights returned, it was in the form of spinning strobes and black lights, creating shimmering effects and completely changing the atmosphere.
The DJ’s clothing and equipment shone brightly. Clearly, he was part of the show. Carol held her breath as one of the cages began to ascend from the dance floor, its cylindrical base rising on a hydraulic platform above the crowd. A man and woman were inside it, standing like statues. Their skintight jumpsuits glowed with graffiti-type artwork. They also had fluorescent streaks in their hair and makeup that illuminated their faces.
The DJ announced the caged duo, and the crowd cheered and clapped. It was Lena and her current boyfriend, Mark, who was one of her backup dancers.
Lena’s “Couples Only” song began to play, and more cheers and clapping erupted.
Lena and Mark danced, moving rhythmically in a magical performance. Along with everyone else, Carol was riveted by the way they interacted with each other. Jake stared up at them, too.
As the song ended, the cage was lowered back down to the ground. The door swung open and Lena and Mark emerged, rushing into the crowd, where they were greeted with hugs and kisses.
The DJ played another of Lena’s songs and everyone was encouraged to dance, with the black lights and strobes remaining on. Jake swung Carol into his arms, pulling her into the heat and passion of the dance.
She’d never experienced anything like this before. Her heart pounded in time to the music. The lyrics of the song were sexy, the beat feverish, with Jake’s big broad body bumping against hers.
This was his world. This was the kind of fast-paced party he was used to attending. She felt like a newly sprouted flower that was about to be crushed. But God help her, she liked it, too.
Because of how much she liked Jake. Everything about him thrilled her. Scared her.
Jake was singing to the song while he danced.
She shouldn’t have come here. She shouldn’t be swaying like the siren he’d accused her of being.
Holy island hell. Some of the couples on the dance floor were kissing, tongues and all—mimicking Lena and Mark, who were making a rowdy spectacle of themselves.
Carol’s skin went hot. She hoped that Jake didn’t notice the sensual activity.
Unfortunately, he did. She could tell the very moment he became aware of what was happening. He stopped singing and actually bit down on his bottom lip. Carol was doing that, too, fighting the urge to join in and press herself against Jake and kiss the living hell out of him.
Finally, the provocative song ended. The next one wasn’t so bad, even if the beat was still quick and thumping.
Carol didn’t know how long they danced. They didn’t stop until the lights returned to normal and the ballroom settled down a bit. Guests headed for the buffet or outside to catch some air.
Jake and Carol got two frosty glasses and filled them with lemonade from the fountain. She desperately needed to quench her thirst. So did Jake apparently. He practically guzzled his.
“We should go say hello to Lena,” he said.
“Yes, of course.” They hadn’t wished her a happy birthday yet. “Where is she?”
“I think she and Mark are over there.” He motioned toward the bar.
Yep, that’s where Lena and her boyfriend were. As soon as Jake and Carol approached them, Lena dived straight into Jake’s arms and gave him a sisterly hug. Mark, with his fluorescent-streaked blond hair and colorfully lined eyes, grinned at Carol and said hello. Up close, she saw that he was younger than Lena, by about five years or so. Lena was blonde as well, with a long, leggy figure and doll-like features, her eyes wide and her lips bowed. She came from a showbiz family. Her parents were well-known movie stars, albeit divorced now. Even her grandmother had been a go-go dancer in the sixties, which was where the cage inspiration had probably come from.
The pop star released Jake and shifted her attention to Carol. “Do I know you?” she asked. “You seem really familiar.”
“We’ve met briefly a few times. I’m Carol Lawrence, Jake’s assistant.”
“Oh, that’s right. Wow. You look spectacular.”
“Thank you.” Carol appreciated the compliment and how genuine it sounded. “So do you. It’s a wonderful party, and your entrance was magnificent.”
“It was fun. A girl only turns thirty once.”
Carol nodded, and after a second of silence, Lena tugged her away from the earshot of the men. But by now, the guys were already engaged in conversation, so it didn’t seem to matter, anyway.
“When did you and Jake start seeing each other?” Lena asked.
Carol quickly clarified, “We’re not dating.”
“Yet he brought you here? On a couples-only weekend?” Lena made a curious face. “Oh, come on. Who’s he trying to kid?”
“Really, it’s no big deal.” Carol downplayed her answer, especially with how badly she’d wanted to kiss him on the dance floor. “He needed a date for the party, and I was accessible because I work for him.”
“Mark works for me, too. And now we’re messing around.”
Carol didn’t know what to say. The comparison was making her terribly nervous. So she settled on, “Things happen.”
“Do they ever.” Lena leaned in close. “I am rather crazy about Mark. But who knows how long it will last? I do have a reputation for being fickle.”
Carol wagged her finger, a little playfully, a little seriously. “So I’ve heard.”
The birthday girl laughed, making no apologies. “Life is too short not to go after what you want. So whatever you do, just have a good time this weekend. You might even end up being crazy about Jake, too.”
It was already too late for that. But still, Carol needed to be careful not to go overboard. She didn’t live by Lena’s free-spirited standards.
Their private discussion ended, and Lena went back to her beau. Carol returned to Jake and he asked her to dance again. Only now, the music was a little slower, a little softer.
And more tempting than ever.
Four
As Jake led Carol toward the dance floor, he said, “How about if we go into one of the cages this time?” He wanted to give it a whirl.
She blinked at him. “You want to dance inside of one of those?”
“Sure. Why not? The cage Lena and Mark were in is free.”
“I guess that would be okay.” Carol sounded intrigued but tentative. “As long as it doesn’t elevate like when they performed.”
“That was just part of a show. They won’t do that to us.” He took her hand as they neared the cage. “But just in case, you’re not afraid of heights, are you?”
“No, but you better be kidding about the ‘just in case’ part.”
“I was.” He shot her a teasing smile. He couldn’t seem to get enough of her this evening.
When they reached the cage, she entered first, and he held back to study her. She looked like an exotic bird who’d just been captured, the beads on her dress winking in the light.
“What are you waiting for?” she asked.
“Nothing.” He joined her inside and closed the gate.
Now that they were in there together, the space seemed tighter than he’d expected. Or maybe it just felt that way. But since the song was a ballad, it made sense for them to stand so close.
Jake took Carol in his arms, and they moved in unison, naturally compatible. They had chemistry, he thought. On and off the dance floor. In and out of the cage. She fit perfectly against him, making him want to hold her even closer.
He glanced at the big flat-screen monitor. Carol’s gaze flickered to it, too. The video was a montage of movie star couples, from early Hollywood until now.
“It’s funny how most of them didn’t stay together,” he said.
“Some of them lasted a lifetime,” she replied, without missing a beat.
The lights in the ballroom went low. Even the images on the screen turned gentler, with famous wedding photos. Big frothy cakes. Long white dresses. Elegant brides and dashing grooms.
“This is beautiful,” Carol said.
Was it? Jake wasn’t sure. But in an oddly disturbing way, he was intrigued by the stimuli, too. It was exciting to feel what she was feeling, even if he didn’t understand it.
“Maybe we shouldn’t stay in here for too long,” he said. The cage was starting to feel like a romantic prison, with no release in sight.
“Maybe you’re right. This is getting...”
Her words drifted off, but he knew what she meant. By now, their bodies were so close they were plastered together like animals who were about to mate.
But worse yet was how the video had begun to change, morphing into film clips of love scenes, some sweet and pure, some iconic and classic, some offbeat and erotic.
“Yikes,” Carol said as a bondage scene appeared.
Yeah, Jake thought. Yikes. It actually involved a cage. And blindfolds and all sorts of unexpected things. Trust Lena, he thought, to toss something kinky into the lovey-dovey mix.
“Let’s go,” he said.
Carol avoided the video, looking straight at him instead. “Where to?”
“Anywhere but here.” He pushed open the gate, and they dashed out of their shiny gold confinement. They kept moving until they were outside breathing the cool night air.
But once they were in the courtyard, they both just stood there, trapped within their own private hell.
“Now what do we do?” she asked.
“I don’t know.” He paused to think about it. “Maybe we could go for a walk on the beach. I could really use some time away from the party.”
“So could I.”
He got another idea. “How about this? We can grab some food and drinks to take with us.”
“That sounds nice. But how are we going to haul everything out to the beach?”
“I’ll tip a waiter to pack it up for us. I’ll ask him to supply a blanket or some towels or something, too.” He flashed a silly grin. “Then again, maybe we can just use your dress.”
She smacked his shoulder, and they both burst out laughing. It felt good to laugh. It felt good to be preparing for a picnic, too. Even if it was at night. On a tropical island.
With no one else around.
* * *
Carol walked along the beach, carrying her shoes and enjoying the sand between her toes. She looked over at Jake. His pant legs were rolled up, and he was carrying his shoes and a big square basket, filled to the brim. The waiter had even tossed in a candle from one of the tables.
“How far out are we going to go?” she asked.
“How about here?” Jake chose a spot on the other side of the estate, close enough to provide light from the mansion, but still far enough away so that the party didn’t interfere.
“It’s perfect.” Being around so many other people, with all of that sexy activity, had been taking its toll. She was grateful for the reprieve.
Jake spread out a big fluffy beach towel and placed the basket beside it. He removed the candle, stuck it in the sand and lit the wick.
Carol sat on the towel. He joined her and handed her a champagne glass. He uncorked the Dom Pérignon and poured it.
“To peace and quiet,” he said.
“The solitude is wonderful.” She sipped her drink and glanced at the wax figurines. “Who was that candle fashioned after?”
“I don’t know, but it smells like vanilla.”
“Yes, I noticed that, too.” It was a nice, pleasant aroma, mixed with the sea.
“Let’s find out who they are.” He lifted it up and squinted at the names across the bottom of it. “Oh, here we go. It’s Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett Browning. I don’t know much about them, do you?”
“Not really. Other than he was a playwright and they were both poets. Oh, and that they were married. I think they met through letters they exchanged.”
“That’s more than I knew.”
“I took an English literature class in college, and I guess some of it stuck with me.” Carol had a business degree from a state college that she’d funded with student loans. “It was weird, being a foster kid and trying to figure out my education. As soon as I turned eighteen, I didn’t even have a place to live. But thank goodness the laws are changing now and some kids are able to stay in their foster homes until they’re twenty-one.”
“That’s definitely a change that needed to happen. But it only involves a handful of states. Lots of foster youth are still homeless at eighteen. But I was lucky in that I was able to crash on Garrett’s couch. He was back with his mom by then.”
Carol nodded. Garrett wasn’t orphaned like her and Jake. He’d bounced in and out of foster care because his single mother had gotten terribly ill from an infectious disease and wasn’t able to care for him. At the time, she’d already been struggling with an autoimmune disorder. Although she recovered from the infection, the chronic illness continued to plague her, even now.
Jake added, “Without Garrett and his mom, I would have been totally displaced, graduating from high school with nowhere to go.”
“Where was Max?”
“He was still in foster care.”
“Oh, that’s right. He’s a little younger than you and Garrett. But you’ve all come a long way.”
“That’s for sure. Max made it first, though, being the nerd that he is.”
Carol smiled, amused by Jake’s description of his foster brother. Max was a self-taught software designer and internet entrepreneur who’d become a billionaire in his early twenties. But even so, she thought he was too handsome to be called a nerd. Then again, he did seem a bit socially awkward at times.
Jake said, “Max loaned Garrett and me the money to get our businesses off the ground. We couldn’t have done it without him.”
“The bond between the three of you is amazing.” Max’s childhood had been especially troubling, from what she understood. “Where is he? I haven’t seen him around lately.”
“He went on a long holiday or sabbatical or whatever he’s choosing to call it. I guess he needed some time alone. He can be elusive when he wants to be.”
Unlike Jake, she thought, who lived his life out in the open.
“Are you cold?” he asked as a breeze kicked up. “I can give you my jacket.”
She wasn’t freezing by any means, but there was a bit of a chill in the air. “That would be great. Thank you.”
He removed the garment and draped it around her shoulders.
Then he unpacked the food and made up a plate for her. “This looks good, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, it does.” She balanced the china on her lap, feeling warm and cozy with his jacket against her body.
Jake filled his plate, too, and they nibbled on an assortment of fancy appetizers and decadent desserts.
“It’s a yummy combination,” she said.
He met her gaze. “And we couldn’t ask for a nicer setting, surrounded by the moon and the stars. You sure look pretty out here. But you’ve looked pretty all night.”