Free In Too Deep by Cherry Adair Page B

around the world forever.
    It was a twist of fate that they'd bumped into each other at all. The adventurer and the homebody. Oh, yeah. Now there's a scenario with a future.
     
    At seven, she applied makeup—the whole enchilada: foundation, blush, eye shadow, and mascara. It wasn't a case of gilding the lily. She'd never be a beauty, but a girl did what a girl had to do to look at least halfway attractive. Thank God for makeup. She spent some time with a curling iron straightening the natural curls out of her hair, then took out her travel iron and ironed a pair of oatmeal-colored linen slacks and the matching blouse, ironed his fluorescent shorts and plain white T-shirt and folded them neatly at the foot of the bed to return to him later, and sat in the chair by the window.
    He was going to burn to a crisp. Silly man.
    The ocean stretched to infinity. Teal and turquoise. Calm. Benign. The storm, and her near-death experience, just a chilling memory. Tally shivered and rose to put the finishing touches on her attire before going down to dinner.
    Gold earrings, discreet gold chain, crocodile belt, matching flats. Classy armor. Clothes made the woman. She was as ready as she'd ever be.
    Auntie served dinner between eight and ten. Tally always ate dinner on the dot at six, and her stomach was growling by the time she ventured down to the bar at 8:05.
    The sliding shutters that made up the entire front wall of the room had been opened to the evening air and trade winds, giving an incredible vista of the masts of the boats bobbing in the marina, and the faint shimmer of the starry skies on the ocean. The scent of evening blooming jasmine and other exotic fragrances vied with the yeasty smell of beer.
    The mingled aromas were as intoxicating as champagne on an empty stomach.
    The tiny bar was crowded as Tally stepped through the door at the foot of the steep cement stairs. Every head turned. Silence descended as the door closed slowly behind her. There were a few women about, but most of the patrons were male.
    It would have made an interesting picture—that open-mouthed curiosity—if she hadn't been the focus of their gawking attention. Tally kept her spine straight and looked around for a vacant table. There wasn't one.
    Auntie padded around from behind the bar, a big welcoming smile on her face. "Hoo-ee!" She gave Tally an up-and-down look and clasped her hands over her monstrous tummy cloaked in a searing orange print muumuu. "You lookin' A-okay, baby. Ua poia anei oe ?"
    "Starving. But there's no—"
    "You come with Auntie, quick, quick. Fixed nice, special place for you on lanai. Come on. Hey! Henri? You go on, get behind the bar, Ethan needs a beer. Go on, you. Come."
    Tally followed. She felt a little leap of her juices when she saw who was waiting for her outside at a romantic, candlelit table for two under the stars. Ye gods and little fishes . Did the man never wear clothes?
    "Ah, wearing your formal black shorts this evening, I see," Tally teased.
    "You bet." Michael looked her up and down. "You're looking particularly… hot."
    "I'm quite comfy." Seeing him half-naked, "hot" didn't begin to cover it.
    Talk about hot… She paused to collect her thoughts. Did she need to say this? Yes. She did. "About last night—"
    "Movie. 1986, I think…"
    " '85," she corrected just to tease him, and he gave her a surprise grin that punched at her with the force of a closed fist. Oh, boy. "Look, Michael, the sex last night was great." She paused, thought about it for a few seconds, and amended, "Okay, really great. But it was a onetime thing. Okay? It's not my style to have one-night stands, even on vacation. It was terrific. But not something I'm going to repeat." Oh man, she was babbling. Not a good sign. She hated when she babbled.
    "I just wanted to make that clear so we weren't awkward with each other for the duration. I mean, not that you would be awkward or anything, but I would, and this way I won't and, besides, it's