CHAPTER THREE
Zane
“No?”
I couldn’t understand why she was acting so cold. She was clearly attracted to me. She didn’t answer the question about being in a relationship, but why would she be in paradise alone if she was?
“Glad to see that all those giggles from the girls at your place hasn’t affected your hearing.” She put her hand on her hip, and I got it. I understood the animosity. This wasn’t the type of woman who put up with shit like that.
Feeling instantly defeated, I nearly turned to leave, but couldn’t make myself walk away. This woman was the big fish I wanted. Of course, she wouldn’t be easy to reel in. “It’s just a drink. Didn’t you come here to relax?”
She sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I did, and I’ll do so on my own terms. Right now, I have jet lag and I also need to change, unpack, and settle in. I appreciate the invitation though. Have a good day.”
“I can help. Besides, champagne cures all ills and reduces the boredom of unpacking.”
Did a small smile play at her mouth?
I decided to tackle the elephant in the room. “I know you must think I’m a lothario. I know you saw those girls at my place.”
“Yes, I did.” She looked pointedly at the watch on her slim wrist. “Less than a half hour ago, in fact. I’m not judging you for it, but I’m also not interested in joining your harem either.”
“Harem?” She was funny, and every second I spent in her company, I liked her more. “You’re way off. Come on, let’s go have a drink and get to know one another. I’m not the kind of man that little scene made me appear to be. Just like I’m sure you’re not really the woman you appear to be right now.”
She blinked, her lips formed a straight line, and her left brow arched. “And how do I appear, Mr. Boyd?”
“Uptight.”
Her jaw clenched, and she shifted her weight, making the top of her lacy white bra peek out from her shirt.
Poor choice of words, Zane. Way to go.
“Uptight, huh?”
I held up the peace sign. “Okay, let’s start over, shall we? I can see we’ve started out on the wrong foot.” I held out my hand to shake hers. “Hello, I’m Zane Boyd, your next-door neighbor. And you are?”
She exhaled a long breath and shook my hand. “I’m Sloane Anderson. It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Boyd.”
“Please call me Zane. Where are you from, Sloane?” I held her hand for a bit, keeping the shake going. Her hand felt good in mine. It felt right. And there was a current that seemed to pass from her to me. I watched her closely, wanting to know if she felt the same.
She licked her lips. “Queens, New York.” The words were like a soft escape of air. She blinked, then looked at our hands before pulling hers away from mine.
Yeah, she felt it too.
I stuffed my hand in my pocket so I wouldn’t reach for her again. “Are you here alone?”
Her eyes narrowed, and I wondered where I was landing on her creep radar. I could feel myself being pushy, but I was fascinated by her and really wanted to know.
“Yes. I prefer to travel alone. That way I can meet new people.” She nearly smiled at me then seemed to catch herself and held her stoic expression.
“So, you’re here to meet new people. I’m a new person who happens to enjoy meeting new people too. Can I be your first new friend in paradise?”
There was a long pause, and I wasn’t sure if I should be hopeful or preparing for rejection. And I wasn’t sure why I cared so damn much. What I did know was that my lungs were starting to burn from holding my breath.
“Sure.”
The air left me in a rush. “Terrific.”
With one step backward, she gestured for me to come inside. “You’ll have to give me a few minutes to change.”
Moving past her, I caught her unique scent and inhaled deeply. “Take your time. Island time moves a lot slower than it does on the mainland, and I know I caught you off guard.”
Her gaze fell to my feet before crawling back up. When our eyes met again, I felt pretty secure about how things would play out. She was as interested in me as I was in her. Maybe she wouldn’t be so hard to catch after all. But then again, I kind of hoped she would be. I was enjoying the challenge.
Releasing a long sigh, she turned to walk into the living area. “I do need to relax, and I apologize for being rude earlier.” The first hint of a real smile appeared, and it was stunning. “Make yourself at home. I’ll just be a minute.”
I was still reeling from the smile and imagining ways to be blessed with more of them when I realized she was looking at me expectedly. “No apologies needed. I’ll be right here whenever you’re ready.”
I watched her walk through the double doors to the bedroom. Without looking at me, she closed them and the blinds that covered them. The bungalows were all set up the same way. The bedroom was just behind the living room, separated by sliding glass doors. That way you could lay in bed and look out at the beautiful Indian Ocean through the expansive glass.
I wondered how long it would take for the two of us to be cuddled up in one of our beds and watching the sun set over the water. I hoped not too long. I couldn’t ignore the strong attraction I had for her. And I had to admit, I found her interesting as well.
Walking to the doors that led out onto the deck, I stopped when I saw something curious on the table. A set of binoculars, a notepad, and pencil.
Very curious indeed. A bird watcher? Why have these unpacked before anything else?
Before I could investigate further, she reappeared. “I forgot that I left my bag out here.” She gave me a puzzled look. “You okay?”
I sat down the bottle of champagne and stuffed my hands in my pockets. Noticing the one piece of luggage, I used that as an excuse. “Absolutely. Just couldn’t help but notice that you only have one bag. Does that mean you won’t be staying long?”
She licked her lips and pushed a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. “Yeah. I travel light.”
“You’re a rare breed of woman, then,” I teased.
A small smile played on one corner of her lovely mouth. “I guess I’m not your typical woman. I’ll be dressed shortly.” She spun on her heel and went back into the room with her one bag in tow.
One bag? What kind of woman is she?
Sloane was becoming more and more intriguing with each passing moment. And I was growing eager to get to know everything about her. Maybe after a few drinks, she’d join me for dinner if I played my cards right.
I wasn’t fool enough to think I’d get a woman like her into bed that very night. It was evident that she wasn’t the type who played life like that. No, I’d have to go slow and easy with Sloane.
Eyeing the binoculars once more, I picked them up and walked onto the deck. Holding them to my eyes, I looked around a bit. Bathing beauties to the right and some guys playing in the water to the left. Maybe the woman was a voyeur.
That would be weird.
“I’m ready.”
I turned around to find her wearing a little white sundress and sandals. While simple in design, it made her look gorgeous. “Wow, you look beautiful.”
I was surprised when the tiniest hint of pink stained her cheeks. “No need to exaggerate.”
The blush she wore changed her completely, making her look demure and sweet. The exact opposite of the woman who’d answered the door. There were many layers to her, I wanted to know them all. Beginning with the need for binoculars.
“I’m not exaggerating. You’re stunning in a natural way that’s refreshing. I’ll be the envy of all the men at the bar.” I set the binoculars back down on the table where I found them. “I guess you came prepared to watch the beachgoers. Men use these things to look at unsuspecting women. Are you more into looking at men rather than interacting with them?”
The pink in her cheeks drained away and all amusement left her features. “You couldn’t be more wrong. I’m sure you noticed the pen and paper too?”
“Hard to miss.” I chuckled as I ran my fingers over the paper. “I thought you might be jotting down the nicknames you give the men you spy on.”
“I use the binoculars to spot dolphins, not men. And I try to find out what pod they belong to and jot that down. It’s a little hobby of mine.” Her brow lifted as her hand moved to her hip. “But your immediate assumption that I’m a Peeping Tom is bothersome. Maybe it’s best if I stay here and dolphin watch after all.”
I pissed her off. I was getting good at that, even though it hadn’t been my intention. “Sorry. I joke when I’m nervous.”
She lifted a brow. “Why are you nervous?”
It was a good question. I didn’t have a good answer, so I gave her an honest one. “I don’t know.”
One corner of her mouth lifted into a smirk so sexy I wanted to lick it off her face. She knew what she was doing to me, that much was clear. “It’s nice to get an honest answer from you.”
“What are you? A human lie detector?”
The smirk grew into a smile that sucked all the oxygen from the room. “What? First I’m a nasty little spy then a lie detector? You sure do know how to woo a lady.”
“I never said a nasty little spy, Sloane. I’m sorry. I really am. Let’s put that behind us. Start over again.”
The smile fell away, and the silence stretched between us for so long, I was certain she was about to kick me out. Then she softened. “Just don’t do something stupid like re-introduce yourself all over again. Let’s move forward.” She grabbed her purse and headed out of the door, waiting until I’d joined her on the deck to lock the door.
She had me flustered, that was for sure. I’d never met a woman who could do that to me. I was a smooth dude with all the right moves. But with her, I was a dolt who blurted out inappropriate things.
I had to get myself under control.
After she tucked away her key, I placed a hand at the small of her back, careful not to be inappropriate. “The island has about anything you could want,” I offered, pointing toward the main building. “Their workout facilities are impressive. I workout every morning if you’d like to join me.”
She slid a look my way. “I normally workout in the evenings, but mornings might not be bad, if it isn’t too early. I don’t plan on setting an alarm while on vacation.”
I could be her alarm. I’d wake her up with my tongue on her clit, my fingers working deep inside her.
My cock twitched, and I forced my mind back to neutral territory. “I don’t have a set time either. We can play it by ear.”
She shot me a genuine-looking smile. “Sounds fun. You and I might end up being friends after all.”
I wanted to be more than just her friend, but I’d take what I could get for the time being.
After all, fishing took patience, and so far, I’d managed to get the bait into the water. Now, all I had to do was wait for her to bite.