‘I feel as though I’ve landed in paradise,’ she said, sighing with contentment. ‘The island is incredible, fantastic. And as for this house, it’s so lovely—the owner must be very trusting to allow your friends to throw a party here while he’s away.’
‘I suppose so.’ Ben frowned, as though he hadn’t thought about it before now. ‘Anyway, Zach and Eric said they had his blessing. But, then, we’ve been renovating the place for him for the last couple of weeks—he let us have the keys so we could come and go as we pleased. I think he probably knows by now that we can be trusted.’
‘I guess so.’ She was puzzled. ‘Is that how long you’ve worked for him—a couple of weeks?’ It didn’t seem long enough for a man to decide he could safely leave his home in the hands of strangers.
‘Yes. I had to find work quickly after Dad kicked me out, and they needed an extra man on the team to do the labouring. Dr Benitez—the owner—already knew me because I’ve been helping out with the diving for the coral reef study alongside him in my spare time, so he set me on. He said I could do some work on his other properties when the renovations here were finished. He has a building company and rents out the properties once they’ve been brought up to a good standard.’
‘It’s good you were able to find something so soon.’ It sounded as though his new employer, Dr Benitez, was a wealthy, powerful individual—some kind of marine biologist who also had a property portfolio. It was good that Ben had landed on his feet.
She looked at her brother. He was barely nineteen, well muscled and fit from working out, but his appearance disguised the fact that he was young for his years and was still racked by the legacy of a troubled childhood. Of course, they’d both been affected by the break-up of their parents’ marriage, but Ben had only been eleven when it had happened, and his whole world had been turned upside down. Perhaps Jessie, being a few years older, had managed to handle the situation better.
Their mother had been devastated by the divorce, and had retreated into a world of her own, leaving Jessie, seventeen years old at the time, to do what she could to take care of her brother and support him emotionally. She’d carried on doing that while she’d been at medical school, being able to go on living at home to care for him and her mother, but for a long time Ben had struggled. He’d tried desperately to hold on to the image of a father figure, but it had all been in vain. In the end his hopes had been dashed, leaving him confused and more than a little rebellious. This latest attempt to bond with his father by coming out to the Caribbean had also turned sour.
Now, though, the fact that Jessie was here with him had obviously lifted his spirits and had allowed him to put his troubles behind him for a while.
‘You should try this rum punch, Jessie,’ he said cheerfully. There was an ice bucket on the white-painted ornamental garden table and he lifted the lid and used tongs to scoop out some ice cubes, dropping them into a tall glass. Then he picked up a jug and poured bright amber-coloured liquid over the ice. ‘I’m sure you’ll like it.’ He handed her the glass. ‘It’s a favourite round here.’ He watched her, his youthful, handsome face expectant.
‘Thanks …’ Her mouth curved. ‘Though I think I may be getting near to my limit already. There was the wine, earlier … and—oh—the mojitos …’ She rolled her eyes in recollection of a great experience. But perhaps she’d overdone the alcohol a bit?
All the same, Jessie put the glass to her lips and sipped slowly, savouring the flavours on her tongue and trying to pick out the different ingredients. There was rum, of course, a dash of lime juice, sweet syrup and orange … and maybe a hint of Angostura bitters.
‘Mmm … you’re right,’ she murmured. ‘This is just what I needed.’ Warmth slowly curled and settled in her abdomen and she smiled up at him. ‘I think this is the first time I’ve been able to truly unwind since I stepped off the plane yesterday.’
Ben nodded, pleased, and leaned back in his chair. ‘You’ll love it here. The change will do you good.’
‘Yes … I hope so.’
She looked around, sipping her drink as she absorbed the flawless, landscaped surroundings. The heady, sweet scent of frangipani filled the air, and in the pools of light spread by the torches she could see exotic blooms of bougainvillea, their magenta bracts circling tiny white flowers and next to them a mass of bright pink hibiscus.
He smiled. ‘It’s a great party, isn’t it? It’s amazing what you can pull together at the last minute … and the food’s fantastic. Would you like me to get you some more of those jerk chicken wraps that you liked earlier—and maybe some rice?’
‘That sounds lovely—but I can get them for myself,’ she said with a smile, starting to get to her feet.
‘No, no … you stay there and relax. You’re probably still suffering from jet lag. Enjoy the scenery.’
He left her, walking towards the open patio doors, and Jessie subsided back into her chair, watching the moonlit waves of the Caribbean breaking over smooth white sand. Palm fronds bent in the gentle breeze, outlined against the clear night sky.
She stretched lazily, crossing one palely bronzed leg over the other. The warm tropical air caressed her bare shoulders and she sighed contentedly. This was true bliss. Perhaps she should have done this long ago, put the house up for rental and left all her cares behind her.
‘Perhaps I could get you another drink?’ Coming from close by, the male voice startled her. It was faintly accented—a Spanish inflection, perhaps?—deep and husky, wrapping itself around her senses and sending an unexpected thrill of anticipation to run up and down her spine. She sat up, alert, her skin prickling.
‘I … um …’ She looked up at the man who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere and who was now standing by her side. Her heartbeat quickened. He was dark and mysterious in the shadowy light, tall and immaculately dressed in beautifully tailored trousers and a midnight-blue linen shirt. ‘Thanks, but … er … I’m not sure if I should. I think I might have had enough to drink already.’ Her head felt warm and fuzzy, a sure sign the alcohol was hitting the spot.
He smiled. ‘Maybe one more won’t hurt if you eat some food. Your friend has gone to fetch it, I think.’
‘Your friend,’ he’d said. She pondered that for a moment and he must have taken her silence for acquiescence because he started to top up her glass.
‘He—uh—he’s—’ She broke off, wondering how long he’d been standing there. ‘I didn’t see you come out onto the terrace,’ she murmured, ‘or hear you, for that matter.’
He gave a wry smile. ‘That’s not surprising really, with the music going at full blast in there.’ He nodded towards the house. ‘But actually I came from around the side of the building.’
‘Oh, I see.’ She frowned. That would explain why she hadn’t seen him before this. He hadn’t been at the party until now. ‘Are you a neighbour?’ A sudden thought struck her. ‘Have you come to complain about the noise?’ The beach houses were some distance apart, but sound probably carried quite a way out here in the tropics. ‘I’m sorry if it’s been disturbing you.’
His expression was wry. ‘It certainly caught my attention.’
‘Oh … yes … of course. Well, I’m sure we can get them to turn it down a few notches, though I imagine things will be winding up here before too long.’ She made a face. ‘It’s very late and some of us have places to be in the morning.’
‘That’s very true.’ He looked at her thoughtfully, an appreciative glint sparking in his blue eyes. ‘Though I must say there are some things that are definitely worth staying up for.’ His glance drifted over her, making her hotly aware of the clothes she was wearing, party clothes, very different from what she might have worn back in London. Her strapless top clung to her curves like a second skin and her short sarong-style skirt wrapped itself lovingly