In Love and Rescue: When love is the perfect rescue... by K. Alex Walker Page B

back towards the boat. Pulling out his phone, he placed a call to his wife.
    He couldn’t even begin to imagine what Desmond was going through and fortunately, he didn’t have to.

     
 
 
     
    Chapter Six
     
     
    Lights peppered the island of St. Thomas’ lush landscape and dozens of cars lined the streets as the downtown square bustled with festive activity.
    Agent Huang circled the area briefly before landing in another secluded clearing on the eastern tip of the island, then helped Larke out of the helicopter and said a few words to Desmond before pointing off in one direction. Desmond nodded, they shook hands, and with a tip of his hat, he was gone.
    “Where is he off to?” she asked once the noise from the chopper disappeared.
    “He has other tasks,” Desmond replied. “You’d be surprised how many people come knocking on our door for help before going to the federal government.”
    They began walking in the direction that Timothy had indicated.
    “And what ab out us? Where is our next stop?”
    “ That’s a surprise.”
    Her eyebrows went up. “A surprise?”
    “Yes ,” he replied with a laugh. “I don’t just have caves and old boats for shelter. I have access to some pretty nice digs myself.”
    They trekked for a few miles before climbing a small hill and rounding a corner, which brought an immaculate pavilion-styled villa into view. Vibrant red hibiscus plants lined the dirt pathway leading up to two arched, wooden red doors, and the soft glow of hanging paper lanterns illuminated an entrance surrounded in blue-gray natural stone.
    Desmond slipped his hands into a space behind the flowers and the doors opened, inviting them up a white-stone path that led to the villa’s solid oak front doors. Inside, cathedral ceilings made the living area appear endless. Mahogany doors stood open, separating the living room from a patio which overlooked a rippling infinity pool, and welcomed a gentle breeze to flow throughout the space. Larke followed Desmond upstairs where a master suite covered nearly the entire area of the lower level.
    “This will be your room,” he announced, sitting at the edge of a king-sized bed which seemed miniature against the size of the room. “I’ll be in the suite downstairs. The closets and bathrooms are stocked with whatever you might need so, take some time to unwind from all that’s been going on. I’m going to take a shower and then whip us up some dinner.”
    Larke, overwhelmed with gratitude for everything that he had done up to that point, couldn’t imagine him doing anything else. He’d saved her life, on more than one occasion, and hadn’t even asked for anything in return. For that, she would be eternally indebted to him.
    “Take your time,” she told him. “I’ll make dinner. You’ve done enough already.”
    She started towards the bathroom, but he grabbed her around the waist and tugged her back towards him. Out of all the things that she’d remembered, one of them unfortunately hadn’t been that she couldn’t cook.
    “You want to make us dinner?” He asked.
    She faced him. “Yes. I do.”
    “ Can you cook?”
    “I think so.”
    “You think so?”
    S he nodded. “I think so, as in, I’ve never killed anybody.”
    “ Allegedly,” he teased and she punched him in the arm. He resisted the urge to press a kiss against her ripe mouth.
    “It’s okay. I’ll do it, ” he offered.
    “Can you cook?”
    “Oh, I can throw down, woman.”
    Laughing, she stepped closer until she stood between his knees. “I don’t know, Des. You don’t seem like the type of man than can throw down . You seem more like the peanut butter and jelly sandwich type.”
    He laughed, a deep rumble that started in his stomach. “I can make a mean one of those too, if that’s want you want.”
    What s he’d really wanted to tell him was that he seemed like the type that could make a woman scream his name while she gripped tufts of bed sheets between her fingers. The