Absolute Love: A Hot, Romantic Suspense Series, Book 3 (The Carlisle Sisters) (3 page)

He pulled the umbrella out of the sand and closed it.
 
It gave him the perfect excuse to see her again and he already knew where she was staying.
 
She may have gotten away from him this time but he wasn't the kind of guy who gave up so easily.
 
Jennifer Carlisle would be seeing him again--very soon.

*****
 

Jennifer ran into the bungalow and continued into the luxurious bathroom.
 
She looked at the huge, inviting spa tub but knew that she needed more.
 
It was going to take the thundering onslaught of the multi-head shower to calm her rattled nerves.

She turned on the water, set the temperature then stripped the wet bathing suit from her body.
 
Stepping into the shower, she allowed the spray to hit her from every angle.
 
The gushing warm water drenched every inch of her slender body.
 
She just wished it could ease the agitation of her mind.
 

London had flustered her and she didn't like it.
 
Not one bit.
 
His questions were too intrusive and probing.
 
Although he was eerily on point, he still had no right to ask.
 
They were strangers and it was none of his business.
 
And attractive or not, for once in her life Jennifer did not want the company of a man.
 

She knew that something had to be wrong with her to have an attitude like that but there it was.
 
She just wasn't interested in London.
 
Or in anyone, for that matter.
 
Maybe Tracy's advice had finally kicked in and she was finally being more selective and cautious; more aware of what she
needed
and not only of what she
wanted
.
 

After the Jarod fiasco she certainly needed to be more careful.
 
And as nice as London Fairchild had seemed, he was still a man and she just wasn't ready to trust another man.
 
It didn't matter who he was.

By the time she'd washed and conditioned her hair she was beginning to feel better again.
 
She wasn't going to let anyone ruin her vacation, least of all herself, and she had made the decision to forget about ever meeting London.
 
The timing just wasn't right and while, perhaps, they may have been something more had they met on another occasion, it just wasn't meant to be.
 

She was stepping out of the shower when she heard a knock on her door.
 
Unsure who it could be, she quickly slipped into the robe and flip-flops provided by the hotel and shuffled through the bungalow.
 
Looking through the peephole she saw that it was a resort staff member.
 
She opened the door.

"Yes?"
 
she asked.

The deeply tanned, young Fijian man stood smiling broadly.

"Hello, Miss Carlisle.
 
I've come to invite you to a big beach party that will take place tonight," he said happily.
 
"It will be lots of fun and you can meet many people."

He handed her a flyer that stated the party details.
 

"Thank you.
 
I will think about attending," Jennifer smiled.

"You
must
come," he insisted, genuinely excited, "It will change your life!"

Jen smiled wryly at his enthusiasm.

"I promise I'll think about it.
 
Thanks again," she said and closed the door.

She read the flyer.
 
The event did sound like fun and that was exactly what she needed.
 
Was there a bette way to get out of the funk she'd started to slip into?
 
She shrugged and decided to attend.
 
It was time to get back to the light, happy vacation she had hoped for.
 

She went into the bedroom to decide what she would wear.
 
After an aggressive debate with herself, she decided to keep it simple and chose a red mini-shift dress with thin shoulder straps.
 
It was casual yet chic; exuding a sophisticated flair.
 
The colorful, beaded thong sandals she had purchased specifically for the trip completed the ensemble perfectly, showing off her freshly-pedicured toes.
 

She moved to the mirror and brushed her thick, brunette hair until the red and light-brown highlights shone brightly.
 
Then she tied it up with a red ribbon that matched her dress.
 
After applying light makeup she grabbed a cream-colored sweater in case the nights were chilly and headed down the steps of her bungalow toward the path that led to the beach.
 

The sun was setting and people were hurrying along the beach to the event site.
 
Jennifer could see Tiki torches and Chinese lanterns surrounding the designated area.
 
She could also smell the wonderful food that had been prepared.
 
She hadn't eaten since morning and the delicious aromas were making her stomach rumble with anticipation.
 

When she arrived people were scurrying in every direction in their attempts to secure enough seats for everyone in their parties.
 
Luckily, she found a single beach chair with a small table beside it right in the thick of the action.
 
She sat down before anyone else could snatch it, well aware that she was only so lucky because she was alone.

The atmosphere was electric and Jennifer didn't feel lonely for long.
 
Musicians sat on an elevated stage, energetically playing the instruments of their native land including ukuleles, various sized drums, flutes and other wind instruments.
 
The music was loud, vibrant and infectious and it made Jennifer want to move her body.
 

As the music continued and the organizers prepared to begin the night's festivities, people continued pouring in droves; talking, laughing, singing and dancing.
 
Jennifer felt relaxed and exhilarated at the same time and was making fast friends with the people around her.
 
She settled in and allowed herself to go with the flow.

Chapter 2

"Would you like a Margarita, Vahine?"

Jen smiled at the use of the Tahitian name for a lady.

"Yes. Thank--"

She looked up, assuming it was a server who had spoken, and was disconcerted when she discovered the truth.

"Oh, it's you," she grumbled.

"Is that any way to treat someone who is offering you a sinfully delicious drink?"
 
London chuckled.

"I'll take the Margarita then you can go," she said dismissively, not even sure why she was being so cold.

She extended her handed for the drink.
 
He pulled the glass back, away from her grasp.

"You're not getting rid of me that easily.
 
I come with the drink," he laughed.

She rolled her lovely eyes at him while, at the same time, marveling once again at how gorgeous he was.

"Fine," she muttered.

He set the drink on the small table then grabbed the first vacant chair he saw, unconcerned whether or not it had been claimed.
 
He set it next to hers and sat down.

"This is a fun shindig," he said conversationally.

"Have you attended one of these before?"
 
she asked curiously.
 

"Sure!
 
Tahiti is one of my favorite spots.
 
I come here as often as I can," he said.
 
"I'd be happy to show you around."

It was a statement rather than a question.
 
He acted as though he knew her well despite being a stranger.
 
That piqued her.

"It's arrogant of you to assume this is my first visit," she said testily.

"Are you saying that it's not?"
 
he asked with a raised eyebrow.

Jennifer watched the people dancing, refusing to answer.
 
She thought he was insufferable and wished he would go away.
 
And she was fairly sure that she meant it.

London looked at her stubbornly set chin and sighed.
 
He had tried to be cute and clever and, instead, had gotten off on the wrong foot with her once again.
 
Now he needed to make amends while continuing to try and figure her out.

"I didn't mean to upset you, Jennifer.
 
I am sorry.
 
Please forgive me," he said contritely.
 
He waited for her response.
 
None came.
 
"Jen, will you forgive me?"

She stiffened.
 
He'd used her nickname despite knowing nothing about her.
 
The man was impossibly presumptuous.
 
Yet she had to admit that there was something about him that inexorably drew her to him.
 
She looked at him coolly and nodded once.

"Thank you," he smiled. "I don't know about you but I'm starved.
 
How about some food?"

"Yes. I'm hungry, as well," she agreed.

She grasped the hand London held out for her and he helped her to her feet.
 
In an effort to protect them from other chair-thieves like him, she carefully draped her sweater across their two seats before heading to the buffet table.
 
London appreciated the inclusion and felt the gesture was a good sign.

They arrived at the heavily laden table that was filled to capacity with popular Tahitian dishes.
 
The dish she couldn't wait to try, poisson cru, was present and she zeroed in on it immediately.
 
She also accepted the offers of the papaya chicken, suckling pig, marinated steak and grilled shrimp made by the servers.
 
Her plate was overflowing by the time she'd even made it past the entrees.

The variety of fruit in the next section was staggering including pineapples, mangos,
lynchee, rambutans, and huge grapefruits called pamplemousses.
 
London, amused and curious as to whether Jennifer was going to be able to eat everything she'd sampled, had offered to hold her first plate so she could get to work on a second; a gesture she'd jumped at.
 
She had an adventurous palate and wasn't afraid to try even the most foreign of cuisine.
 
Not even in front of a new man friend.

"Which plate are you going to dig in on first?"
 
he joked as they headed back to their seats.

"I love good food," she said with just the slightest bit of defensiveness in her tone.
 

She had gotten so good at being a bitch lately that she realized she was going to have to intentionally turn it off.

"It's funny," she continued.
 
"My sister is the chef and yet I don't think I've ever seen her eat.
 
I mean,
really
eat!
 
Me, on the other hand, I can be an outright pig!"

She picked up a piece of the poisson cru that she had been dreaming about all day and eased it into her mouth, taking the time to really experience it.
 
It was even more delicious than she had imagined.

"So, you have a sister?"
 
London asked, not realizing how close he was to ruining her experience.

She opened her eyes and gave him a look that said it all.

"Sorry," he laughed.
 
"You brought her up.
 
Never mind."

"No," she replied, dabbing her lips with her napkin.
 
"I'm sorry.
 
You're right.
 
But I shouldn't have brought her up.
 
Or
them
up, I should say.
 
I have two sisters.
 
And right now we are not getting along very well.
 
Let's leave it at that."

"Done," London agreed.

They chatted about simple things as they enjoyed their amazing meal together.
 
London was easy to talk to and their words flowed as freely as the tropical drinks they ordered one after another.
 
And as the evening wore on, Jen realized that London not only held her gaze longer but that his hand seemed to linger against hers just a bit longer each time they happened to reach for their drinks at the same time.
 

Similarly, London noticed that Jen's laugh became louder and more frequent as time passed.
 
She no longer seemed to mind his company and he was even willing to suggest that she was enjoying their time together.
 
He certainly was.
 
Jen was alluring and enticing and her deceptively sexy dress was doing exactly what it was designed to do--give him very erotic ideas.
 

But he would take it slowly with her.
 
Clearly she was struggling with some sort of inner demons and he needed to allow her to work through them in her own way.
 
As long as she realized that he would be there to lend a hand if she wanted it.