Simply Irresistible (Crescent Cove Book 2) Page 16

  Like my friend would remain a part of mine, no matter what.

  Dag poked his head out of the chapel. Roan’s friend, I’d only met him recently. “You look awesome, Cara. Roan’s a wreck, but he’s ready.”

  Something we shared. “You look great, too.” Dag wore a suit similar to what Sam and I had picked out for Roan. Funny how, when I met Lark, and then Dag, I’d thought they’d be the first to marry, not me and Roan. But fate had a way of changing plans when you least expected it. Because I didn’t want to show how nervous I was, I lifted my chin and pressed for a smile, while Dad offered me his arm.

  Dag ducked back inside the main part of the church, leaving the doors open. The murmur of voices inside stilled in anticipation.

  “Come on honey. It’s show time.” Sam, her hands on Arie’s shoulders, directed my daughter to stand in front, leading the way.

  “Ready, Mommy.” Arie’s chirpy voice took my stress level down a few notches. But my hands still trembled.

  “On one of those bridal shows,” Sam said softly. “They said it’s traditional to say good luck to the bride and congratulations to the groom.” She lifted my bouquet from where she’d left it on the table beside the doors and handed it to me. “So, good luck, soon-to-be-sister.” Leaning forward, she kissed my cheek and gave me a quick hug.

  I blinked fast and squeezed her tight. “I love that. Sister. Thank you. You’ve been wonderful.”

  “Don’t I know it.” Sam grinned and turned, facing forward.

  Dag stood inside the open doors, waiting until I indicated it was time. When I nodded, he moved quickly down the aisle to stand with Roan at the altar.

  When the music began—a guitar rendition of the traditional wedding march—Arie walked forward slowly, and Sam followed.

  Dad squeezed my hand. “All set?”

  I could only nod. My throat was choked off with emotion, excitement, mixed with a healthy dose of trepidation.

  We stepped forward and paused in the doorway. As the music built in volume, everyone rose, gazing our way.

  Ahead, on the altar, Roan stood in his dark suit decorated with a deep blue boutonnière. Turned this way, he seemed to only see me, as I could only stare at him. He’d had his hair trimmed. I’d never seen him look so fantastic.

  Mine, my heart cried.

  Our gazes met, and a lifetime of happiness flashed in front of my eyes.

  Despite the fact we’d agreed this was only temporary, and though I knew Roan saw me as just a friend, I wanted this.

  Stepping forward, I moved with confidence toward my future.

  Roan

  An angel entered the chapel and walked toward me, staring at me like I was the only man in the world.

  Cara.

  Knowing we’d be a couple soon just about crushed me.

  I wanted more, but I was determined to stick to the promise I’d made, that I’d never push her.

  This was about making sure a mom raised her own child. Not about us.

  But I ached for an us.

  Her eyes met mine, and a soft smile lit her pretty face. As she stepped closer, my heart split wide open and Cara took the place there that has always been hers.

  Arie grinned and I gave her a thumbs-up, but my gaze kept returning to Cara, like she was the brightest star in the sky, shining down solely for me.

  She reached the altar. Without prompting, Arie handed the pillow to Dag and joined Barbie in the family pew. Ken nodded to me before he released Cara’s arm. He walked over and sat between Arie and Barbie. Lark smiled from where she sat beside them, tears in her eyes.

  Cara stepped up beside me and took my hand. She squeezed tight enough, a weaker man would’ve flinched.

  I kissed her cheek, whispering, “You look gorgeous.”

  Her smile trembled, and tears tipped her lashes. “You look great, too.”

  When the reverend cleared his throat, we faced him. His smile took in both of us, and his robes swished when he opened his bible. “Dearly beloved…”

  We’d chosen traditional vows about honoring and caring, leaving out the need to obey. In no time, we were speaking to each other, putting on our rings.

  Saying I do.

  All the time, I stared into her eyes, promising her everything, if only inside my heart.

  “And now, I pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

  When I lifted Cara’s veil, her smile was only for me. Her gray eyes pulled me in. Captured me. But I went willingly, leaning toward her. “A kiss okay?”

  With a soft smile, she held onto my shoulders, rising up onto her toes.

  Our lips met in a short kiss that, to me, promised so much more.

  A commitment to each other.

  A family.

  A future.

  Cara

  Our honeymoon awaited.

  After the small reception, where we shared a light meal and multiple champagne toasts, we left Arie with Dad and headed for the airport.

  A few days ago, Sam announced her surprise honeymoon gift. She’d booked us a trip to a mountainous region in central Costa Rica. We landed in San Jose Airport and a driver took us to Baldi, our resort in La Fortuna, high in the mountains. He pulled up to the front, and we climbed out of the van.

  “This way, Cara.” Roan took my arm, leading me toward the entrance, while men brought in our luggage.

  We came to a standstill just inside. Water surrounded us.

  My laugh came out a bit giddy, no doubt due to lack of sleep, but Roan’s soft chuckle joined in. He squeezed my hand. “Sam doesn’t do anything halfway.”

  “She always has dreamed big.”

  He grabbed a brochure from a nearby rack and read the synopsis, “While Baldi is man-made, the water’s real. It erupts from the ground at well over one-hundred degrees. Volcanic. The water trickles down through a series of pools, cooling slowly until it reaches the base.” He grinned. “Think we can handle that for the next five days?”

  “We’ll suffer through it.” Wow. How had Sam known about this place? And what a wonderful gift. The big question was: would I want to leave the pools once I’d stepped into them?

  Fine mist rose off one to our right. This was no simple hot tub. This pool had to be forty, maybe fifty feet across. A swim-up bar filled the center. We could wade through the water to sit on stools and enjoy a drink. I could taste my piña colada already.

  We crossed a bridge that had been suspended over another long stretch of smaller pools and walked beyond, to the hotel portion of the compound. After checking in, the desk clerk gave us two key cards.

  “Someone will bring your bags up shortly to your room,” the woman wearing a floral print shirt said. Smiling, she attached plastic bracelets to our wrists, giving us unlimited access to the hot springs. “We hope you enjoy your stay at Baldi. Please don’t hesitate to call the desk if you have any concerns. Pura vida!”

  A common phrase in Costa Rica.

  We took the elevator to the top floor and turned right, following the directions to our number.

  My steps slowed while Roan continued down the hall. I couldn’t believe I was about to spend five days with Roan. Alone. We’d share a bedroom. What if he came out of the bathroom with only a towel looped around his waist? The towel could slip. There was no way I wouldn’t look.

  He opened the door and encouraged me to stride in ahead of him. I dropped my backpack inside the entry closet. From what I could see of the room, it looked decent-sized.

  Inside the main part of the suite, I stalled and stared. Sharing five days, a bathroom, and a bedroom with Roan might prove challenging. Let alone the chance of inadvertent towel disarray. But if the king-sized bed was any indication, things might also prove tempting.

  “Okay.” I chuckled. “At least it’s not heart-shaped and red.”

  He fingered the sheets. “Not silky, either.”

  We grinned at each other and shook our heads. Leave it to Sam to include this surprise in her gift.

  “I�
��ll call the front desk,” Roan said. “I’m sure they can find us a room with two beds.”

  I dropped my purse on the bed. “Don’t worry about it. The bed’s huge. You’ll barely know I’m beside you.” And, as long as we kept the AC down, my body wouldn’t become a Roan-seeking-missile the second I fell asleep.

  He wiggled his eyebrows. “If it helps any, I’ll behave.”

  Sadly, he was right. This wasn’t a real honeymoon. It was an arrangement to help me win the upcoming court battle over Arie. Not a true marriage.

  In so many ways, I wished it was. It was honest to admit that to myself.

  I’d do what I could to keep my heart from being broken because we’d married for an important reason. When it was over, we’d go our own ways. I needed to come out of this without shattering.

  Roan dropped his carry-on by the desk. “You want to get something to eat? I’m starved.”

  “Sure. Let me video chat with Arie and Dad first.” I pulled out my phone, glad I’d upped the service to include international calling during the trip. I couldn’t go a day without seeing my girl.

  Dad picked up. “Dearling.”

  Yeah, I kind of loved that nickname, now. Funny how time and growing up could give someone a new perspective.

  Barbie chimed in from beyond Dad. “Cara. How was the trip? Good flight?”

  “Hi, Barbie. Dad. The flight was great. Peanuts were the only thing on the menu, so the snacks Barbie packed were awesome.” I’d eaten my weight in double chocolate brownies. “How are things?’

  “Wonderful. What’s it like in Costa Rica?”

  “It’s amazing. You wouldn’t believe how gorgeous this place is.” I told them about the hot springs and the humidity in San Jose, but how, once we’d left the city behind to drive into the mountains, it had cooled off nicely. The chilly air made me look forward to sinking my body into a warm pool of water.

  From the background came, “Mommy. Mommy!”

  Dad and Barbie grinned at each other. “Looks like someone wants to see her mama. Talk again soon, dearling.”

  “Love you, Dad.”

  Gruffness filled his voice. “Love you, too, Cara.”

  “Mommy,” Arie shouted again, this time into the phone.

  Grimacing, I held it at arms-length. “How you doing, sweetie?”

  “When you comin’ home, anyway?” Her forlorn tone twisted through me, making my happy mood drop a notch.

  “In five days. But I’ll call every night, and we can talk. That’s good, isn’t it?”

  “Guess so.” She paused. “Jamal said he’s coming to my birthday party. I gave all my friends the va-va-vatations you gave me.”

  “Wonderful, sweetie.” Hard to believe we’d hold her fifth birthday party soon.

  “Aww.” Arie glanced over her shoulder. “Gramps says I have to go already.”

  “Okay. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  “Bye, Mommy.” She made kissy sounds.

  Mine joined in with hers. “Love you,” I said before I hung up.

  I sniffed, and Roan gave me a quick hug.

  We ate at the buffet then returned to the room to change into swimsuits. After picking up towels at the front desk, we headed for the hot spring pools. By now, it was fully dark out, but the area was lit up enough that I could catch the steam rising off the pools, as well as clusters of lush vegetation spiking along the sides. We stopped by a sign with a map mounted at the base of a trail winding alongside the network of pools.

  “Where should we start?” Roan asked.

  I traced my finger down the line of blue circles, tapping the temperature markings noted beside each one. Cooler water in the lower pools. Goosebumps peppered my skin. “Let’s try the top, first.”

  We strolled up a path bordered with enormous plants and a network of bamboo. Squinting around, I made out stepping stones and small, carved figurines hiding among the flowers. Through the leafy vegetation to my right, I spied pools in every shape and size imaginable. The Caribbean blue water encircled with potted plants glowed with soft lights. Stunning. Some pools looked about ten feet across, while others were huge and nestled in grottos that dropped over falls into other pools.

  The hum of insects and frogs was rarely broken by the soft murmur of voices. Most of the tourists had left for the day, and the size of the spa allowed people to spread out and enjoy privacy.

  We reached the top and found a tiered, waterfall tower, lit with red and green lights. A hot mist drifted off the water, and a wide pool with submerged stone seating waited at the base.

  “One-hundred-and-nine.” Roan pointed to the sign indicating this pool’s temperature. “Too hot, you think?”

  “Dip your foot in. If you pull out a stump, we’ll know we need to move on to a cooler one.”

  “Funny.” He pulled his tee over his head and straightened. While the lighting was dim, I couldn’t miss the muscles rippling on his torso, his shoulders.

  I peeked, of course. After all, I was his wife, even if in name only.

  Wife. The word hit me all over again, and I blinked. Being Roan’s wife felt different than being Jason’s. As if I’d come full circle. Finally found my true home.

  I was glad Roan and I found each other again, even though it would never progress past friendship.

  While he watched kids running toward a lower pool, I trailed my gaze from his tight abs to his defined pecs. I essentially eye-stroked his shoulders. His blue and white board shorts hung low. Decadently low. Bits of downy hair encouraged me to follow a path lower.

  My pulse fluttered like a thousand butterflies.

  It was past time to get into the pool. After lifting my sundress over my head, I tossed it onto a lounge chair.

  His eyes slid down my body, sending heat rushing below my belly. That look meant nothing, right? This was just casual—friendly—interest. Why then, did his attention make my insides hotter than all the pools in Costa Rica combined? Dragging out a laugh, I waved at the water. “When you going to test the temp for us?”

  “Just watch.” He sat on the edge and eased into the water. “Hell, this is hot.” He moved further into the pool, flicking water off the surface, into the air. Turning, he waded back over and stood beneath me. The heat of his gaze made my limbs tingle. “What you waiting for? An invitation?”

  “Umm.” Speaking took mental activity, and the majority of it had ground to a halt while I checked out Roan. In order to reply, I’d need to host higher brain function.

  His hands braced on the concrete surround, he pushed himself up. He straightened in front of me. Gravity pulled water droplets down his chest. He steamed. Or I steamed. Hard to tell at the moment.

  “Maybe you need a little help?” he whispered. A sneaky look blooming on his face, he bent forward and tossed me over his shoulder.

  I squealed.

  Holding me on his shoulder, he pivoted and strolled toward the steps.

  “Roan!” My hands. What was I supposed to do with my hands?

  His grabbed my legs. Damn, his fingers were awfully close to my butt. I didn’t want him to touch me there, did I?

  Could I somehow translate this into friendly? It felt more than friendly, actually. I wasn’t sure what I should think about that. I needed to remember this was a pretend honeymoon. We were not here to participate in five days of wild, monkey sex.

  A big part of me wanted wild, monkey sex.

  Roan whistled between his teeth, oblivious to my racy thoughts. Thankfully. He strode across the main part of the pool, where he eased me off his shoulder.

  I slid down his front, my breasts rubbing his chest along the way. Roan held my waist after, his fingertips teasing my exposed skin. I stared up at him, wanting to put my arms around his shoulders and wrap my legs around his hips. Which would take this well beyond friendship.

  “Okay, well.” Roan’s attention honed in on my lips, and he exhaled. “Maybe that wasn’t a great idea. Sorry I manhandled you.”

  I wanted more manhandl
ing. I wanted his manly hands handling every part of me.

  Needing to slow this down, I turned and strode toward the falls, and settled on an underwater lounger. Wow, the water almost boiled. Leaning back, I patted the seat next to mine.

  Roan dropped into the water beside me.

  We tilted our heads and took in the stars. The moon rising above the tree line. And we let the hot water soak through our bones.

  “You want a drink?” Roan asked.

  “Sure.” That piña colada still called my name.

  We toweled off and walked downhill, finding a cooler pool with a swim up bar. Climbing onto cement seats, we ordered drinks and toasted each other.

  “To marriage,” Roan said with a wink.

  “Thank you for doing this.” I toasted his drink with mine. “For giving up part of your life to give me a better chance of keeping Arie. I don’t know what I’d do if. . . Well, she’s my daughter, and I love her.”

  “And that’s why I offered. She’s a great kid. You’re a wonderful mom. You two deserve a life together.”

  I hugged Roan’s side, resting my head on his shoulder. How would I have gotten through this rough time without his friendship?

  “I like it here,” I said to lighten the mood. This was our honeymoon, even if it wasn’t the steamy kind. No need not to have fun together in paradise.

  “Me, too. I’d never considered Costa Rica for a vacation destination before.”

  “Have you gone on vacation to any other tropical locations?”

  “No.” His finger chased a bead of sweat down the side of his beer. “All my profits have been sunk back into my business.” He twisted his lips. “Or, I thought they were being sunk back into my business.”

  “Seems like a crappy thing to do to someone you love.”

  “I have a hard time believing Lainie ever loved me.”

  “I always thought she did. Back in college.”

  He shrugged. “Maybe.” After taking a long swallow of his beer, he grinned. “Seems weird to talk about my ex-wife on my honeymoon, though.”