provide the basis for the negotiations and peace talks this country needs so very badly.” He drew in a deep breath and looked from Cal to Kayla, his gaze steady and filled with quiet determination. “We must begin to heal this country’s wounds by trusting one another.”
8
Cal knew the moment he stepped into his room that someone had been in there while he was out.
The shirts he had used to cover the video camera had been moved. They were neatly folded now and lying on top of the dresser, leaving the camera lens unobstructed. His cowboy hat had been delivered from the front desk—it lay on top of the neatly tidied bed along with several thick white towels.
“Oh, good, the maid’s been here,” Kayla said, coming into the room behind him, meeting his eyes just long enough to let him know that she, too, was aware they were being watched.
She sat down on the edge of the bed and picked up his hat. “I’m exhausted. I know you wanted to go out for dinner, but I’m ready to turn in early. My stomach’s still upset from lunch, and…”
Cal knew what she was doing. She was giving them an excuse to spend tonight in their separate rooms without arousing suspicion on the part of the people watching and listening in. That was good. That was
very
good. He wasn’t sure he could handle pretending to be intimate with Kayla right now.
He sat down next to her on the bed, but he couldn’t bring himself to touch her for the sake of the cameras. Not this time. “If that’s what you want…” He gazed into her eyes, knowing she was thinking about their recent conversation with Tomás Vásquez, and about the question Cal had asked her on the beach after the man had left.
Do you trust him?
“Why don’t you order room service?” There had been such hope in her eyes as Vásquez had walked to his car and driven away from the beach. There was hope there still.
I don’t know. Do you?
I don’t know
. He hadn’t answered truthfully. No, he didn’t trust Vásquez. He didn’t trust
any-
one. But he couldn’t bear to see the hope in her eyes replaced by disappointment.
He nodded now. “Okay. Can I get something for you?”
“No. Thanks. If I want something to eat, I’ll call myself.” She stood up, moving toward the balcony doors. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“I’ll be right here if you need me.”
Kayla stopped and looked back at him, meeting his eyes and smiling very slightly. “I know.”
She stepped through the billowing curtain and disappeared into the deepening twilight.
Cal lay back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. He’d be here if she needed him.
But what about if he needed her? And he did. God, he needed her. Desperately.
It wasn’t just about sex. It was about the way Kayla could make him smile. It was about the way his entire being felt lighter when she was around. It was about the way he felt something was suddenly missing when she wasn’t there.
Something like his heart.
Cal sat up quickly, pushing his thoughts away. He couldn’t go in that direction. He
refused
to go in that direction.
He pulled off his boots and shirt. He didn’t bother to cover the camera lens before he stepped out of his jeans and shorts and headed, naked, toward the shower. Let ’em look. He didn’t give a damn about himself.
He turned on the water and stepped under the warm spray, letting it pound down on his head and pour over his face. He rolled his shoulders, trying to force himself to relax. But the tension wouldn’t go away.
Sweet Jesus, today had been hard. And tomorrow was looking to be even harder.
“Which way?” Cal glanced over his shoulder at Kayla as he slowed the motorcycle to a stop at a fork in the narrow mountain road.
She loosened her hold around his waist and took the tourist map out of her fanny pack, comparing it one more time with the crudely hand-drawn map the San Salustiano woman had given her back in Boston.
The island was
8
Cal knew the moment he stepped into his room that someone had been in there while he was out.
The shirts he had used to cover the video camera had been moved. They were neatly folded now and lying on top of the dresser, leaving the camera lens unobstructed. His cowboy hat had been delivered from the front desk—it lay on top of the neatly tidied bed along with several thick white towels.
“Oh, good, the maid’s been here,” Kayla said, coming into the room behind him, meeting his eyes just long enough to let him know that she, too, was aware they were being watched.
She sat down on the edge of the bed and picked up his hat. “I’m exhausted. I know you wanted to go out for dinner, but I’m ready to turn in early. My stomach’s still upset from lunch, and…”
Cal knew what she was doing. She was giving them an excuse to spend tonight in their separate rooms without arousing suspicion on the part of the people watching and listening in. That was good. That was
very
good. He wasn’t sure he could handle pretending to be intimate with Kayla right now.
He sat down next to her on the bed, but he couldn’t bring himself to touch her for the sake of the cameras. Not this time. “If that’s what you want…” He gazed into her eyes, knowing she was thinking about their recent conversation with Tomás Vásquez, and about the question Cal had asked her on the beach after the man had left.
Do you trust him?
“Why don’t you order room service?” There had been such hope in her eyes as Vásquez had walked to his car and driven away from the beach. There was hope there still.
I don’t know. Do you?
I don’t know
. He hadn’t answered truthfully. No, he didn’t trust Vásquez. He didn’t trust
any-
one. But he couldn’t bear to see the hope in her eyes replaced by disappointment.
He nodded now. “Okay. Can I get something for you?”
“No. Thanks. If I want something to eat, I’ll call myself.” She stood up, moving toward the balcony doors. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
“I’ll be right here if you need me.”
Kayla stopped and looked back at him, meeting his eyes and smiling very slightly. “I know.”
She stepped through the billowing curtain and disappeared into the deepening twilight.
Cal lay back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. He’d be here if she needed him.
But what about if he needed her? And he did. God, he needed her. Desperately.
It wasn’t just about sex. It was about the way Kayla could make him smile. It was about the way his entire being felt lighter when she was around. It was about the way he felt something was suddenly missing when she wasn’t there.
Something like his heart.
Cal sat up quickly, pushing his thoughts away. He couldn’t go in that direction. He
refused
to go in that direction.
He pulled off his boots and shirt. He didn’t bother to cover the camera lens before he stepped out of his jeans and shorts and headed, naked, toward the shower. Let ’em look. He didn’t give a damn about himself.
He turned on the water and stepped under the warm spray, letting it pound down on his head and pour over his face. He rolled his shoulders, trying to force himself to relax. But the tension wouldn’t go away.
Sweet Jesus, today had been hard. And tomorrow was looking to be even harder.
“Which way?” Cal glanced over his shoulder at Kayla as he slowed the motorcycle to a stop at a fork in the narrow mountain road.
She loosened her hold around his waist and took the tourist map out of her fanny pack, comparing it one more time with the crudely hand-drawn map the San Salustiano woman had given her back in Boston.
The island was
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