evasively.
Maya was listening, barely taking a breath and with her back straightening, waiting to see what Connor would say.
He didn’t hesitate to respond. “You can stay with us while you sort it out. Free room and board.”
He didn’t make it a suggestion. He was telling her what she would do.
“I have a reservation at the resort. I’m sure you and Maya had other plans until I came along. That will give you a chance to do whatever it was that you wanted to do. That will give you time to enjoy the rest of your vacation plans.”
“No,” Connor said flatly.
Her back stiffened.
“Since you never showed up for your reservation, the management at the resort will have given your room to someone else.” He shifted his gaze from watching where he was walking to her again. His golden eyes had taken on a darker cast. From the shadows of the trees or something else? “We didn’t have other plans anyway, so you’ll be welcome company.”
Why was he making this stuff up? No way would he consider her welcome company. Not after what he had said to Maya during what they had assumed was their private conversation.
She didn’t feel she had the strength to argue with him right now. She would politely pretend to acquiesce for now, but she wasn’t stopping off at their place. She wasn’t sure she would make the trip to see them later, either. Let them work out their problems on their own. Or maybe she could correspond with Maya, and when Kat had settled down somewhere, she could ask Maya to visit her instead. Sure. That’s exactly what Kat would do.
When Kat didn’t agree with Connor right away, he said, “We’ll talk about it later.” But he didn’t sound cheerful about the prospect. More grumpily resigned than anything else.
Worse, he didn’t sound like he meant for her to have a choice.
She smiled a little at that. She was the only one who made decisions about what she was going to do with her life. Ever since she was old enough to leave foster care, no one else told her what to do. Well, except for work, but she had been paid to be told what to do. Connor didn’t have any right.
They reached a nearly black, deep pool of water, and she eyed it warily. Except for a tree trunk that had fallen over the width of it, there was no way to cross it. The pond looked like it could be filled with crocodiles or anacondas waiting for the unsuspecting.
The tree trunk was mossy, wet, and slick as Connor carefully carried her over it. He slipped twice, and she clung to him with all her might, although he had instinctively tightened his hold on her. The heat of his body, the feel of his hard muscles, and the way his arms held her so close raised her own thermostat to hotter than blue blazes.
Once they had made it across the tree trunk and Connor’s boots had hit firm ground again, she sighed with heartfelt relief. Connor gave her a conceited smile as if he hadn’t been worried in the least that he would get them safely across.
The path narrowed even further, and she heard the water rushing over the waterfall long before she saw it. The path looked as though they would soon reach a dead end, but the falls beckoned to her from somewhere through the dense foliage, sounding like a river rushing over a mountain. Her concern about where she was going next evaporated as they came to the edge of a pool of water and she finally saw the beauty of the waterfall spilling over ancient rock walls. Nearly every inch of rock was covered in moss and dripping with ferns and vines on three sides, while trees towered high above, making the waterfall like an enchanted, hidden shower spot just for them.
The large pool of water was brown and muddy, but the stream pouring over the top of the rock face from high above looked clean and white. She wanted to shed her clothes at once and stand beneath the falls and scrub her skin and hair clean. She stared at the tropical paradise and was so glad Connor had brought her here now.
“A cave is
Maya was listening, barely taking a breath and with her back straightening, waiting to see what Connor would say.
He didn’t hesitate to respond. “You can stay with us while you sort it out. Free room and board.”
He didn’t make it a suggestion. He was telling her what she would do.
“I have a reservation at the resort. I’m sure you and Maya had other plans until I came along. That will give you a chance to do whatever it was that you wanted to do. That will give you time to enjoy the rest of your vacation plans.”
“No,” Connor said flatly.
Her back stiffened.
“Since you never showed up for your reservation, the management at the resort will have given your room to someone else.” He shifted his gaze from watching where he was walking to her again. His golden eyes had taken on a darker cast. From the shadows of the trees or something else? “We didn’t have other plans anyway, so you’ll be welcome company.”
Why was he making this stuff up? No way would he consider her welcome company. Not after what he had said to Maya during what they had assumed was their private conversation.
She didn’t feel she had the strength to argue with him right now. She would politely pretend to acquiesce for now, but she wasn’t stopping off at their place. She wasn’t sure she would make the trip to see them later, either. Let them work out their problems on their own. Or maybe she could correspond with Maya, and when Kat had settled down somewhere, she could ask Maya to visit her instead. Sure. That’s exactly what Kat would do.
When Kat didn’t agree with Connor right away, he said, “We’ll talk about it later.” But he didn’t sound cheerful about the prospect. More grumpily resigned than anything else.
Worse, he didn’t sound like he meant for her to have a choice.
She smiled a little at that. She was the only one who made decisions about what she was going to do with her life. Ever since she was old enough to leave foster care, no one else told her what to do. Well, except for work, but she had been paid to be told what to do. Connor didn’t have any right.
They reached a nearly black, deep pool of water, and she eyed it warily. Except for a tree trunk that had fallen over the width of it, there was no way to cross it. The pond looked like it could be filled with crocodiles or anacondas waiting for the unsuspecting.
The tree trunk was mossy, wet, and slick as Connor carefully carried her over it. He slipped twice, and she clung to him with all her might, although he had instinctively tightened his hold on her. The heat of his body, the feel of his hard muscles, and the way his arms held her so close raised her own thermostat to hotter than blue blazes.
Once they had made it across the tree trunk and Connor’s boots had hit firm ground again, she sighed with heartfelt relief. Connor gave her a conceited smile as if he hadn’t been worried in the least that he would get them safely across.
The path narrowed even further, and she heard the water rushing over the waterfall long before she saw it. The path looked as though they would soon reach a dead end, but the falls beckoned to her from somewhere through the dense foliage, sounding like a river rushing over a mountain. Her concern about where she was going next evaporated as they came to the edge of a pool of water and she finally saw the beauty of the waterfall spilling over ancient rock walls. Nearly every inch of rock was covered in moss and dripping with ferns and vines on three sides, while trees towered high above, making the waterfall like an enchanted, hidden shower spot just for them.
The large pool of water was brown and muddy, but the stream pouring over the top of the rock face from high above looked clean and white. She wanted to shed her clothes at once and stand beneath the falls and scrub her skin and hair clean. She stared at the tropical paradise and was so glad Connor had brought her here now.
“A cave is
Similar Books
