Their Festive Island Escape

“You look none worse for the wear,” he said in a rather lame attempt at conversation.

Lord, he could use some of the rum punch this place was known for. Unfortunately, the next leg of this particular package happened to involve driving an ATV.

The waitress appeared with two loaded plates and a couple bottles of water before Celeste had a chance to respond.

“Hope you like hot and spicy.”

She shrugged. “Depends on the heat level. Too much makes me uncomfortable.”

He really couldn’t read anything into that statement. Though he was sorely tempted to ask her if they were still speaking about the jerk chicken.

“I’ll have a write-up ready for you before the morning. I made sure to dictate some notes into my phone before showering just now,” she said.

She had turned all business.

Probably for the best anyway. But he found he’d lost some of his appetite. For her part, Celeste was barely picking at her own plate.

Reid took another bite and relished the punishing heat of the scotch bonnet pepper on his tongue. The silence between them grew. Finally, he threw his napkin down on his plate. Shameful waste of authentic jerk chicken but he didn’t want any more.

“Something the matter?” Celeste asked.

This was ridiculous. They were both mature adults. Maybe it was time to address the proverbial elephant in the room. Yet another one.

“Yeah, I happen to have something on my mind,” he admitted.

She raised an eyebrow in question.

“About what happened back there,” he continued. “After we were done climbing.”

Her eyes grew wide.

“Maybe we should talk about it,” he added.

“Maybe we should. What would you like to say?” Her question sounded like a dare.

Well, he could play the game as well anyone. “I think we got caught up in an exciting moment. What about you?”

Her lips tightened into a thin line before she answered him. “I see. That’s the conclusion you came to then?”

He nodded. “I’m interested in your opinion, however.”

A glimmer sparked in her eyes before she leaned in closer to him over the table. “By that you mean you’d like me to confirm your convenient take on the matter so that you can rest easy.”

“What?”

“Don’t worry, Reid. We can forget the moment even happened. And ignore everything else too, for that matter. We’ll play our roles as contract employee and boss man. That’s the way you want things, isn’t it?”

“Yes!” he said without taking the time to think. “I mean, no,” he then corrected after a beat. “I mean, I don’t know.”

They were starting to attract the attention of the other diners.

The waitress approached, a look of concern as she eyed their still-full plates. “Is the food not to your liking, sir? Madam?”

“It’s very good,” he answered, not taking his eyes off the woman who had him so vexed at the moment.

“It’s delicious, thank you,” Celeste answered, somehow summoning a smile.

He’d been wrong. This was not the time or place to try to have this conversation. What did she want him to say anyway? It wasn’t as if he could admit there was some kind of attraction there.

What good would that do either of them?

“Unfortunately, we’re short on time,” he explained to the waitress who didn’t look any less concerned after their exchange. “If we could settle the bill. We’ll be sure to come back another time,” he lied. The chances of him coming back here with Celeste seemed slim to none right about now.

In fact, he’d be lucky if she didn’t ditch the whole idea of his proposal and leave him to his own devices. That thought settled like a brick of disappointment in his chest. And though he was loath to admit it, the feeling had nothing to do with his professional goals.

* * *

At least the next activity would be on dry land.

Celeste followed Reid through the tree line down the dirt path where they were to meet their ATV driving guide. At least out of the water she wouldn’t be tempted to look at Reid’s chiseled chest and tanned, muscular arms. And she wouldn’t notice how strikingly dark his sandy blond hair turned when it was wet. Nor the way his tanned skin glistened when wet.