Tropical Heat Read online

  But then a dozen doubts rose to tarnish those wonderful images. She had a demanding job. She’d already lost a relationship because of it. Could this idyllic relationship survive once they were back in their real lives?

  Jesse was staring at her with an expression she hadn’t seen before. Open, hopeful.

  “I’d like that, too.” She drew a breath to voice those doubts. Best to get it all out in the open now, rather than getting their hopes up too soon. Rather than continuing on the way Ethan and Gracie had and letting those doubts fester. “But we’ve only known each other a few days.”

  “Then we’ll get to know each other better.” He drew her close again and brushed a feather-light kiss across her lips. “I love everything about your so far. I’m sure I’m only going to love you more.”

  Did he just say the L-word?

  She could see it. She could picture it. “I believe I’ll only grow to love you more too.”

  A wry smile quirked his lips. “Why do I feel there’s a giant but coming?”

  She struggled for the right words and decided to go with the blunt truth. “I want to get everything out in the open, right at the beginning. I don’t want to end up like Gracie and Ethan.”

  His smile faded. “Neither do I. I’ve made that mistake before too. So hit me with your doubts.”

  “You haven’t even asked me where I live.”

  “Doesn’t matter where you live. We’ll work it out.”

  “What if we can’t?”

  “We will.” He pulled her close. “There’s nothing we can’t work out if we’re willing to be open and honest with each other. If we work on all those doubts before they become issues.”

  He painted an alluring picture. One she very much wanted. Still, once they returned home, things would be different. “It would be like starting over again once we get back. We’ll be back in our real lives. What if they don’t merge so well together?”

  “They may not. I’m not saying things will be perfect. I’m just saying I’m willing to try. That you’re worth trying for. And if I go away from this week without telling you how I feel, I will regret it forever.”

  She’d regret it forever too. More than anything, she realized she wanted a future with Jesse.

  “Am I worth it?” he asked in a quiet voice. She could barely hear him over the snatches of conversation and the beat of the music. “Are you willing to try too?”

  Sydney stood on tiptoe and gave him a kiss that left no doubt as to her intentions. Reluctantly, she pulled away long enough to say, “You’re definitely worth it. And, yes, I’m willing to try too.”

  He gave her one of his rare, true smiles. The knee-weakening smile with the dimples. She almost told him she was willing to be rude and leave the party before Gracie and Ethan’s arrival. But then a hush came over the crowd.

  It seemed the bride and groom had arrived. Only they weren’t bride and groom.

  No one spoke. Everyone waited to see how Gracie and Ethan would conduct themselves.

  They walked onto the patio together, hand in hand.

  Sydney couldn’t help imagining that if this had really been their wedding reception, this would be the moment they’d be introduced as husband and wife. The bride would still be wearing her dress and the groom in his finery as well.

  Instead, Gracie wore a bright-pink lace dress. A dress she’d probably packed to wear on her honeymoon. She’d left her hair loose and it curled around her face in the humid air. She wore only the minimum of makeup, but the effect was fresh and pleasing. For the first time, she appeared relaxed.

  Ethan had dressed more casually in a pair of khakis and a navy shirt. He looked, if not happy, at least content.

  They stepped into the middle of the party. Everyone waited to hear what they had to say.

  Ethan took a deep breath. “Gracie and I regret that we gathered you all here for a wedding. There isn’t going to be a wedding, but we want to thank all of you for your support. The kindness and understanding of our friends means a great deal to us and we want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts. There may not be a wedding, but we can still have a party.”

  A cheer rippled through the crowd.

  Gracie raised her hands. “So let’s have a party!”

  Wedding or not, the night truly was magical, Sydney thought as Jesse whirled her across the impromptu dance floor. Stars glittered overhead. Beyond the patio railing, the dark water rushed toward the shore in silver-capped waves. Once the shock of the wedding-that-wasn’t had passed, the wedding party began to enjoy themselves in earnest. She caught glimpses of Brittany and Josh dancing off on the edge of the patio together, lost in their own world. Lucas was busy chatting up the other bridesmaids over by the bar. There was no first dance, no throwing of the bouquet and garter, but Gracie and Ethan danced together and then with others. It was a great party.

  In a short time, they’d be returning to their real lives. And she had her new relationship with Jesse to look forward to. This vacation had had an unexpected, but happy ending for both of them.

  She gazed up into his eyes. “Is it too early to leave?”

  Jesse smiled back at her. “Not too early for me. Let’s go.”

  They rode back to the resort entangled in each other’s arms, the cab driver giving them nervous glances in the rearview mirror. They pulled apart long enough to pay the fare and tip the driver. He offered them a lecherous grin as he pulled away.

  The resort rushed by in a blur as they headed to their room for one last night together. One last night before they were forced to deal with the realities of their real lives. Tomorrow their budding relationship would be only one of their priorities as they juggled work and family demands and tried to accommodate a sudden new relationship into already full lives.

  Things were already changing between them. Sydney could tell by Jesse’s fervent kisses. They were up against the door beside their room, neither of them willing to part long enough to find their key.

  Finally, Jesse freed a hand and shoved it into his pocket, coming up with the key. She took it from him and jammed it into the lock. They danced across the floor, shedding clothes as they went.

  The tumbled across the four-poster bed, still entangled in each other. Jesse had shed his shirt. His trousers caught around his knees. She helped him kick them off and turned her attention to helping him shed his boxers as well. Her top and bra were long gone, her trousers tangled around her hips. Jesse rose up on one arm and undid the tie that held them there. With one movement, he hooked his fingers through the waistband of her trousers and pulled them off, taking the elastic of her panties with them.

  Once they were completely bared to each other, Jesse seemed content to take his time. Their last night, she realized. Despite the promises they’d made to each other, would their relationship survive once they were back home?

  With his touch, he made more promises as they joined together and began to move in a slow, steady rhythm. Each longing kiss, each pulling away and coming together embodied the longing of their parting and the promise of coming back together. Until their passion crested and their cries mingled together.

  They lay together, letting the air conditioner dry the sweat from their bodies, until the chill became too much. Jesse maneuvered them properly onto the bed and pulled the blanket up around them.

  It was only then that reality of their parting really caught up with her.

  Sydney rose to sit against the headboard. “I should pack.”

  He reached for her and pulled back beneath the covers. “Do it tomorrow,” he said and began kissing her again.

  Chapter Thirteen

  What seemed like only a moment later, the hammering on the door started.

  Sydney opened her eyes. Brilliant tropical sunlight splashed across the room. They’d slept far later than they intended.

  “Jesse!” Lucas’s voice was muffled by the door. He pounded again. “Jesse, hurry up, man. The bus is waiting.”

  Sydney shook his
shoulder. “Jesse.”

  He came awake all at once, taking in the disheveled room in one glance. Leaping out of the bed, he looked around wildly.

  “I’m coming,” he called back through the door. “Tell them to wait for me. I’ll be right there.”

  Jesse regarded her solemnly, regret showing in his expression. “I can’t miss my flight. I have to be at work tomorrow.”

  This was hardly how she wanted to say goodbye, Sydney thought. Her flight was later in the day on a different airline. She longed to beg him to take a different flight. To call in sick if he had to. Anything to spend a few more hours together.

  But their real lives had reached into this tropical paradise and yanked them back to reality. It didn’t matter if they spent a few more hours together. Sooner or later, they were going to have to face it anyway.

  She got out of bed and began gathering up the multitude of white t-shirts Jesse had left strewn around the room. Quickly, he stuffed them into his duffle bag. Going to the closet, he found one last pair of cargo shorts and a fresh t-shirt and put them on. She found his sandals in two different places on opposite sides of the room.

  “I had a totally different idea about how we were going to spend this morning,” he said regretfully. He grasped her tightly and gave her a kiss that showed how much he was going to miss her.

  As they pulled apart, she noticed one more t-shirt peeking out from under the bed. Picking it up, she shoved it into his duffle bag. Pulling her with him, he moved toward the door.

  “I have to go.” He ground out the words in a tortured voice.

  “I know.” She stood on tiptoe to give him one more kiss.

  He put his hand on the door handle.

  “Wait! How will we get in contact?” She couldn’t believe they hadn’t worked out the details last night. But last night their minds had been on the present, not the future.

  Jesse looked completely panicked. He rummaged in a pocket on the outside of his duffle bag and came up with a used boarding pass and a pen. He scribbled something on the paper and handed it to her. “My email address. Email me when you get home.”

  Sydney tore the piece of paper in half, wrote down her contact information and handed it back to him. “Here’s mine too.”

  For a moment, he gazed down at her, as if memorizing every detail of her face. As much as she wanted to keep him there, he couldn’t miss his flight.

  Somehow, she found the strength to move past him and push down on the door handle, opening the door. “Go,” she tried to sound upbeat and hopeful, even though she could feel tears already stinging her eyes. “Go catch your flight. We’ll talk soon.”

  “Soon,” he agreed.

  With one last kiss, he was gone.

  Sydney sat on the bed in their empty room. Aside from the disarray they’d left the bedcovers in, it appeared almost neat with Jesse’s mountain of clothing gone. But gone also, was the comfort of his body and the warmth of his smile. He needed to catch his flight. He wouldn’t be coming back through the door, as much as she wanted him to. Finally, she let the tears fall.

  “It’ll be all right,” Jesse had said. She forced herself to believe that.

  She had a few hours before her flight. Time to pack. Time for a leisurely breakfast and maybe even a few last moments at the beach. Sitting here in their room alone was only going to make her feel worse.

  Climbing into the shower, Sydney let the last of her tears flow.

  When she emerged from the shower, she resolved to enjoy this last day in paradise. No matter how quick his departure, Jesse had given her his email address and promised to talk when they got home.

  She pulled her damp hair back into a ponytail and put on her bikini and cover-up. With a long sigh, she tossed her suitcase onto the bed and began filling it with clothes. Every piece of clothing she put into the suitcase came with a memory of all she’d hoped for this holiday. And it had delivered so much more. She thought back through the days, meeting Jesse, Gracie and Ethan’s wedding that wasn’t. It seemed like far too much had happened in the span of a few days. Almost a lifetime of events. It was going to take some time to process it all.

  Leaving the clothes she intended to wear on the plane still hanging in the closet, she surveyed the room. With everything put away, it almost looked like no one had been there. Her gaze darted to the mess of bed covers. A smile quirked her lips. Well, it was all going to make a great story once she was back home. The parts of it she could tell.

  Grabbing her beach towel and a book, Sydney headed for the lunch buffet and then the beach.

  Josh and Lucas had departed with Jesse. And Gracie and Ethan were staying at the resort next door. The buffet appeared practically deserted without Ethan and his posse occupying the table on the patio with their seemingly never-ending party. The parties were over. It seemed a number of other guests had left on early planes as well. She imagined theirs hadn’t been the only rushed and tearful departure that morning.

  After a leisurely lunch, Sydney picked up her book and towel and headed for the beach. As she walked along the meandering path through the resort grounds, she saw Brittany lugging a heavy suitcase toward the hotel lobby. She waved. Brittany waved back, but hurried on. Sydney couldn’t help smiling. Everyone appeared to be delaying their departures until the last minute, trying to pack in as much holiday as they could.

  The beach was deserted except for a couple sharing a lounge chair at the far end. Sydney squinted against the bright light. Was that Haden? She couldn’t help smiling. Singles Week, it seemed, had been a big success.

  She selected a beach chair and lay back to enjoy her book, but after reading a few pages, she put it aside, content to watch the sun sparkle on the water and feel the warm breeze caress her skin.

  When the sun had begun to dip in the sky, she headed back to pick up her suitcase and change. She donned her traveling clothes and zipped her bikini and cover-up into the outside pocket of her suitcase. Bending to put on her sandals, she found another of Jesse’s t-shirts under the bed. With a smile, she picked it up and zipped it into her suitcase as well.

  Taking one last look at the room, she hefted her suitcase and headed to catch the bus to take her to the airport.

  Chaos reigned at the check-in desk. The flight was late, the luggage conveyer had jammed. Lines snaked across the departures level in a knot of fraying tempers. The lines inched forward at a snail’s pace, which didn’t help the moods of the airport staff or the passengers.

  After what felt like hours later, she was finally on the plane. Her window seat looked out over the runway. A row of palm trees waved in the setting sun. One last glimpse of paradise. She couldn’t help thinking about the bare trees and gray skies that awaited her back home.

  It wouldn’t be so bad, she thought. She still had her growing relationship with Jesse to look forward to. He’d given her his email address. They still had a connection.

  A sudden thought had her rummaging through her purse. His email address. Where had she put the scrap of paper with his email address on it?

  She searched the pockets of her trousers and came up empty. She pulled her purse from beneath the seat in front of her and mined its depths, even though they’d been sternly instructed by the flight crew to stow their bags. She came up with the crinkly wrapper of an old mint, but no scrap of paper.

  It’s in my suitcase, she thought as the plane began to taxi down the runway. It had to be in her suitcase.

  Chapter Fourteen

  After an exhausting flight and a long wait for a taxi, Sydney arrived home to find Jesse’s email address wasn’t in her suitcase. She thought back through his hurried departure. Vividly, she remembered him zipping her contact info into the pocket of his duffle bag. She remembered taking the crumpled remnants of a used boarding pass from him with its precious information on it. What she didn’t remember was what she’d done with it next.

  She dumped her suitcase out onto the floor, not caring when her living room began to resemble their ho
tel room with clothes strewn everywhere. She shook out every item of clothing she owned. She checked every pocket of her trousers, every nook in her suitcase. She upended the contents of her purse. But no torn piece of used boarding pass tumbled out.

  A glance at the clock made her groan. It was well past midnight and she had to be up early. Everything that had happened at the office while she was away would be waiting on her desk for her to attend to. She’d need to be well-rested if she was going to survive her first day back at work tomorrow.

  She gathered up the clothing on the floor and dumped it into the hamper. Laundry was something else that would have to be taken care of tomorrow, the endless post-holiday chores. As she put the contents of her purse back in order, she tried to tell herself losing Jesse’s email address was no big deal. He still had hers. He’d get in touch, wouldn’t he? He’d promised he would. And yet, she glanced around her quiet apartment, being home did put a different spin on things. Merely being in her apartment reminded her of all the responsibilities she’d left behind. She’d only just gotten off the plane a few hours ago, but already her vivid holiday memories were sinking into the past.

  Was that happening with Jesse as well? Had she slipped already on his list of priorities? Was her memory already fading into the past?

  And if he didn’t get in touch, what did it really mean? He might merely be busy. She could still find a way to contact him. A little detective work ought to root him out. A few Internet searches, a look through social media. She could start now…

  A large yawn rippled through her. She was beyond tired. The hours before she had to be at work were dwindling. She’d do it tomorrow. With that thought in mind, Sydney headed for her bedroom to sleep alone.

  ****

  Nothing like the first day back at work to take away his holiday glow. Jesse dumped his keys on the table by the door to his apartment and headed for the fridge to see if its scant contents might turn up a beer. He pulled a bottle from the back of the bottom shelf and examined it dubiously. He had no idea how long it had been there. With a shrug, he popped the top and took a cautious sip. It seemed fine, so he took a longer pull before circling back into his living room.