Chapter Sixteen
When I arrive at the truck, Dexter is standing with his back against the rear door, texting. In profile, he is just as devilishly handsome. His tanned legs are encased in those ever-present khaki shorts and he has changed into a sea-green T-shirt. Rugged. Dishevelled. Sexy. I lick my lips, which have suddenly become drier than the Mojave Desert.
How did he get a chance to change? And where are we going that he felt it necessary? He didn’t give me a heads-up about changing. I look down at my khaki sanctuary uniform. It’s not exactly doing me any favours. Not that I expect to be attired like a supermodel, but hey, some civvies would’ve been good.
Dexter turns when he sees me and a languorous smile crosses his lips. Good start. I try but fail to drag my eyes away from those lips, until they stop smiling and Dexter’s ‘Ahem’ breaks into my thoughts.
‘Ready?’ I say, overbrightly.
He nods, for a second his eyes not leaving mine. If only I could read his thoughts.
Once in the truck, he puts on some music. At least that’ll help with any awkward silences, although I am wondering now why we needed to take a drive. Does he have something to show me, somewhere we need to go, or does he want to talk?
It’s not long before he sighs then says, ‘Kat, I like you, a lot.’
After hesitating for a millisecond, as that’s so not where I thought this conversation was going, I reply, ‘I like you too.’
Then I hold my breath, anxious about what’s coming next.
‘But I don’t want to get in the middle of something.’ When I frown he goes on, ‘Your ex-boyfriend calling?’
Relief mixed with anger at Aidan once again messing with my life courses through me before I say, ‘No. You’ve nothing to worry about there. Definitely ex. Emphasis on the ex.’
His eyes crinkle at the corners as his smile lights up his face. ‘That’s very good news.’ Then he pauses as if steeling himself. ‘So, now can we address what happened today?’ He pauses again, then says, ‘That was careless with Nimble.’
I say nothing, because I’m not admitting to something that wasn’t my fault.
‘I don’t want you to stay at the sanctuary solely because I like you like you, but because I genuinely think you’re a valuable addition to the team. I have good intuition about these things and I can see how much you love it here, both the place itself and being with the sloths. You glow, Kat.’ He pauses at a junction and gives me a long look. Again, I wish I knew what was going through his mind.
‘And I’ve never stuck my neck out like that for anyone– and I know you didn’t ask me to– but I felt it was the right thing to do. So all I’m asking is, please be ultra careful. These animals are so precious to us, not just to Carlos, but to all of us. When something happens to one of them, it’s like a personal loss, like losing a family member.’
All the blood drains from my face and my body starts to tremble.
Dexter looks at me, concern written all over his face before realisation dawns. ‘Oh my God, Kat, I can’t believe I said that to you. I’m so sorry.’ He jerks the truck over to the side of the road and gets out, striding round to my side.
When he opens the door and puts his arms out, I almost collapse into them. I know what he meant, but it’s nothing like losing your father, nothing like losing the person you were closest to in the world, who you looked up to, who was on the same wavelength as you, who got you.
Tears roll down my cheeks, probably wetting his shirt, but he holds me close until I stop trembling.
He holds me away from him slightly and peers into my eyes. ‘It hasn’t been a good day, has it?’
Mutely, I shake my head as the tears continue to fall. He wipes them away with his fingertips, then gently kisses me on the cheek, which almost has me breaking down again.
‘Kat, I think we need some time out.’
My heart plummets. Does he mean time apart? We’ve only just got together, if you can call it that. My back goes rigid and I tense beneath his hands.
‘Sorry, let me clarify, I meant we need time away from the sanctuary and the stresses there. You’ve been thrown into all this so quickly. Let’s go back to the park, but this time in the daytime. It’s hard to feel sad when you see all the monkeys playing.’
I smile and nod before finally mumbling, ‘Sounds like a plan.’
Just as I’m about to get back into the truck, Dexter lowers his lips to mine in the sweetest of kisses. It doesn’t stay that way for long, though, and by the time we get back in the truck, I think both of us are all hot and bothered, and more than a little turned-on.
It doesn’t help when some seductive salsa music comes on the radio, with rather risqué lyrics. I glance at Dexter and discover that his chest is heaving with laughter. The sight sends me into fits of the giggles, and as we arrive at Manuel Antonio National Park, I’m still laughing.
What a wonderful end to a terrible day. After we saw so many monkeys at the park– I failed to keep track of the numbers– Dexter insisted on texting the sanctuary to tell them we wouldn’t be back for dinner and that he was taking me out to show me the sights. We had ceviche on the seafront of Espadilla beach. The sea bass was so fresh it almost took my breath away, and the saltiness made me wonder if I was tasting the salt from the ceviche or because it was in the air. The zesty lemon, the sweetness of the red bell pepper and the onion made for sensory overload. I do like my food.
We walked on the beach whilst it was still light, holding hands and shrieking as the waves covered our sandals and threatened to drench us. It felt so right being with Dexter. I know we were in a little bubble, far from the sanctuary and the stress of today, and the unknown to all but me stress of Roisin and her antics, but I was happy to just be today with him. I’ve never been with someone who after knowing me for such a short amount of time was prepared to put his reputation on the line to protect me.
When we return to the sanctuary, Dexter parks the truck, then takes me by the hand and steers me away from the main rear entrance to a door I’ve never even noticed before. It leads into the back of the accommodation blocks, but bypasses the firepit arena.
‘I fancied some more time alone,’ he says, meaningfully. ‘Does that work for you?’
As his kisses graze my neck, I try not to moan. Does that work for me? Does it ever. If I don’t get to touch this man sometime soon, I will combust.
Mumbling, a lustful ‘Uh-huh,’ I allow him to lead me by the hand round the side of the accommodation block.
‘Your place or mine?’ He waggles his eyebrows.
I try not to burst out laughing. Can’t have it spoiling the mood, which I have to say is red-hot at the moment.
‘Which is more likely to have fewer occupants?’
With no hesitation, Dexter says, ‘Yours. The girls are always chatting at the firepit late into the night.’
‘Let’s go then.’
We tiptoe round to the entrance to the women’s block, using the trees as cover.
As we slip inside undetected, a whoosh of air goes out of me, then adrenalin kicks in. We’ve made it. Giggling like naughty teenagers, we kiss once before I manage to get the key in my door, which I promptly lock behind me. Don’t want to be interrupted, do we?
And then we’re kissing and touching and shedding clothes, and I gasp at the delicious sensation of Dexter’s skin on mine. This feels so right. I haven’t felt like this before. Is this what it’s meant to be like? I’m not even talking about sex, or the potential of it, but just this general air of wonderfulness. I can’t think how else to describe it. As we topple over onto the bed, giggling some more, I’m sure of only one thing– I don’t want this feeling ever to end.