Chapter 15
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
‘Refuel and wait’ wasn’t supposed to mean all day. But mother nature had other ideas and surrounded Isla Rosa with storms.
“Checking into some hotel rooms makes sense.” Sierra announced after researching the storm reports. “If we can pull out later this evening, we will, in the meantime, we might as well get some rest and stretch out.”
The hotel clerk working in the reception of The Bird of Paradise stares at me, a weirdly blank expression on his face. He’s frozen like that for a good thirty seconds.
I wave my hand to refocus him, again. “Hey, can we get three rooms?”
He tries to steal a glimpse of Kate, but I step in the way. She’s outside the lobby by a row of tropical plants, wearing a big sun hat, and her Nan’s gigantic pink sunglasses, but he could have an idea of who she is. I have a strong sense that the fewer people who know, the better.
“Oh. Um. Sure. What name will those be under?”
“Mr. & Mrs. Gray.”
His fingers move over the keyboard, but he’s sneaking glances the whole time. I cross my arms and make sure he can plainly see my weapon.
That fixes his eyeball problem. A few seconds later, he produces a spread of key cards. “Here you go, sir, rooms 12, 13, and 14. They’re right next to the pool.”
I snatch the keys and give him a withering look. “Make sure we are not disturbed.”
The man’s gulps as he nods. “But of course, sir.”
Kate tucks in beside me as we cross the grounds to a vine covered walkway that leads to the rooms. “Any trouble?”
“He was looking hard.”
“I’m sure he knows who I am. I mean, there are only about a thousand people on this island. You go to the grocery store and you see fourteen people you know in a span of ten minutes.”
“Give me a bloody city any day. I like being able to blend in.”
She laughs and glances up at me. “You, blend in?”
“I’m a master at disappearing.”
Smiling, she says, “I’ll remember that.”
When we reach the trio of rooms, I hold out a key. “We’re taking the last room. Fourteen.”
“We?”
“Married people share a room.”
She glances at me again. Was that a nervous shiver? “I guess it is best for appearances sake.”
Sensing her nerves make me tense up. Maybe she’s having second thoughts about getting intimate with me. Truth is, that would be the best thing for both of us. Only I’m apparently not strong enough to resist her draw to be able to do it.
Regardless. We’ve got to play the part of man and wife. “If you don’t want to be stuck here, then we don’t want your father having any suspicions. I’m not particularly interested in landing in some jail in a foreign country today.”
“Our jail isn’t bad.”
I glance at her with a raised brow. “Have you ever been locked up in it?”
“Okay, so you have a point.” She slides the key, I take her hand in mine and push open the door. “I’m not leaving you out here while I clear the room.”
She grumbles but moves along with me as I check the bathroom and the spacious bedroom. “Satisfied?”
My sixth sense is jangling again. Hell, last time that happened, we had our plane searched, I got married to a stranger, and I had a wild almost-romp in the boss’s corporate jet. So, you better believe I’m paying attention. “Not really. I won’t be satisfied until we’re off this island.”
“That makes two of us.”
“After what you told me about your country’s rules about women, I’m feeling more than a little twitchy about being back here. You getting married on the fly could possibly be contested.”
A tiny crease forms between her pale blond brows. “Hopefully, no one will hassle us.”
Kate pushes open the curtain to a wide patio door that has a nice view of the pool while I stretch out on the big king size bed. “It’s best we be careful. Remember the cop’s threat? They could make waves. That’s why I told Cole and Sierra to take your Nan to get lunch for us.”
Kate joins me, but perches on the edge, twisting her hands together. I, on the other hand, sprawl out like a starfish across the coverlet. It feels good as hell to stretch out after being cramped in the plane for hours.
“I know he told you not to come back, but don’t you think he’d realize that bad weather is beyond our control?”
“I think he’d be happy if I wore a pair of concrete slippers to the bottom of the ocean.”
Kate’s eyes go wide. “That’s morbid.”
“That’s reality.”
She grimaces and covers her eyes. “Oh brother. Here we go again.”