Temptation in Paradise

Their mother had been devastated by the divorce, and had retreated into a world of her own, leaving Jessie, seventeen years old at the time, to do what she could to take care of her brother and support him emotionally. She’d carried on doing that while she’d been at medical school, being able to go on living at home to care for him and her mother, but for a long time Ben had struggled. He’d tried desperately to hold on to the image of a father figure, but it had all been in vain. In the end his hopes had been dashed, leaving him confused and more than a little rebellious. This latest attempt to bond with his father by coming out to the Caribbean had also turned sour.

Now, though, the fact that Jessie was here with him had obviously lifted his spirits and had allowed him to put his troubles behind him for a while.

‘You should try this rum punch, Jessie,’ he said cheerfully. There was an ice bucket on the white-painted ornamental garden table and he lifted the lid and used tongs to scoop out some ice cubes, dropping them into a tall glass. Then he picked up a jug and poured bright amber-coloured liquid over the ice. ‘I’m sure you’ll like it.’ He handed her the glass. ‘It’s a favourite round here.’ He watched her, his youthful, handsome face expectant.

‘Thanks …’ Her mouth curved. ‘Though I think I may be getting near to my limit already. There was the wine, earlier … and—oh—the mojitos …’ She rolled her eyes in recollection of a great experience. But perhaps she’d overdone the alcohol a bit?

All the same, Jessie put the glass to her lips and sipped slowly, savouring the flavours on her tongue and trying to pick out the different ingredients. There was rum, of course, a dash of lime juice, sweet syrup and orange … and maybe a hint of Angostura bitters.

‘Mmm … you’re right,’ she murmured. ‘This is just what I needed.’ Warmth slowly curled and settled in her abdomen and she smiled up at him. ‘I think this is the first time I’ve been able to truly unwind since I stepped off the plane yesterday.’

Ben nodded, pleased, and leaned back in his chair. ‘You’ll love it here. The change will do you good.’

‘Yes … I hope so.’

She looked around, sipping her drink as she absorbed the flawless, landscaped surroundings. The heady, sweet scent of frangipani filled the air, and in the pools of light spread by the torches she could see exotic blooms of bougainvillea, their magenta bracts circling tiny white flowers and next to them a mass of bright pink hibiscus.

He smiled. ‘It’s a great party, isn’t it? It’s amazing what you can pull together at the last minute … and the food’s fantastic. Would you like me to get you some more of those jerk chicken wraps that you liked earlier—and maybe some rice?’

‘That sounds lovely—but I can get them for myself,’ she said with a smile, starting to get to her feet.

‘No, no … you stay there and relax. You’re probably still suffering from jet lag. Enjoy the scenery.’

He left her, walking towards the open patio doors, and Jessie subsided back into her chair, watching the moonlit waves of the Caribbean breaking over smooth white sand. Palm fronds bent in the gentle breeze, outlined against the clear night sky.

She stretched lazily, crossing one palely bronzed leg over the other. The warm tropical air caressed her bare shoulders and she sighed contentedly. This was true bliss. Perhaps she should have done this long ago, put the house up for rental and left all her cares behind her.

‘Perhaps I could get you another drink?’ Coming from close by, the male voice startled her. It was faintly accented—a Spanish inflection, perhaps?—deep and husky, wrapping itself around her senses and sending an unexpected thrill of anticipation to run up and down her spine. She sat up, alert, her skin prickling.

‘I … um …’ She looked up at the man who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere and who was now standing by her side. Her heartbeat quickened. He was dark and mysterious in the shadowy light, tall and immaculately dressed in beautifully tailored trousers and a midnight-blue linen shirt. ‘Thanks, but … er … I’m not sure if I should. I think I might have had enough to drink already.’ Her head felt warm and fuzzy, a sure sign the alcohol was hitting the spot.

He smiled. ‘Maybe one more won’t hurt if you eat some food. Your friend has gone to fetch it, I think.’

‘Your friend,’ he’d said. She pondered that for a moment and he must have taken her silence for acquiescence because he started to top up her glass.

‘He—uh—he’s—’ She broke off, wondering how long he’d been standing there. ‘I didn’t see you come out onto the terrace,’ she murmured, ‘or hear you, for that matter.’

He gave a wry smile. ‘That’s not surprising really, with the music going at full blast in there.’ He nodded towards the house. ‘But actually I came from around the side of the building.’

‘Oh, I see.’ She frowned. That would explain why she hadn’t seen him before this. He hadn’t been at the party until now. ‘Are you a neighbour?’ A sudden thought struck her. ‘Have you come to complain about the noise?’ The beach houses were some distance apart, but sound probably carried quite a way out here in the tropics. ‘I’m sorry if it’s been disturbing you.’

His expression was wry. ‘It certainly caught my attention.’

‘Oh … yes … of course. Well, I’m sure we can get them to turn it down a few notches, though I imagine things will be winding up here before too long.’ She made a face. ‘It’s very late and some of us have places to be in the morning.’

‘That’s very true.’ He looked at her thoughtfully, an appreciative glint sparking in his blue eyes. ‘Though I must say there are some things that are definitely worth staying up for.’ His glance drifted over her, making her hotly aware of the clothes she was wearing, party clothes, very different from what she might have worn back in London. Her strapless top clung to her curves like a second skin and her short sarong-style skirt wrapped itself lovingly around her hips and left a good deal of bare leg on show.

‘I … uh …’ Unsettled by his intent scrutiny, she stood up. ‘Perhaps I should go and see about quietening things down a bit?’

He shook his head. ‘Leave it to me—I’ll sort it out.’ There was a slight edge to his voice as he added, ‘There are certain people I need to see.’ But then he relaxed and said softly, ‘For the moment, I’d much sooner have you stay here and talk to me.’

He studied her once more, his gaze moving slowly over her as though he couldn’t quite tear himself away. His glance lingered for a moment or two on the burnished chestnut hair falling in silky waves below her shoulders, and then his gaze wandered over her slender figure, leaving a trail of heat in its wake.

Colour rose in her cheeks. ‘I suppose that would be all right.’

‘I’m glad.’ He moved a little closer to her and all her senses erupted and began to clamour for attention. Warning bells sounded dimly in her head, but she ignored them. After all, what could be the harm in talking to him? ‘I didn’t mean to eavesdrop,’ he said, ‘but I couldn’t help overhearing that you might be suffering from jet lag. Have you come far? Are you here for a holiday?’

‘Not a holiday, no … though I’ll admit I wouldn’t mind a few days soaking up the sun and exploring the island. I’m usually a hard worker, always on the go, but I have to say, as soon as I arrived here something made me want to give up on the idea of doing anything strenuous. Everyone’s so laid back … the pace is so relaxed.’ She smiled. ‘From the little I’ve seen, it’s beautiful here … very different from London, where I’ve been living.’

‘It is.’ He sent her a quizzical look. ‘So, if you’re not here for a holiday …?’

She shook her head, causing her silky chestnut curls to ripple and settle once more over her bare shoulders. ‘I managed to organise some temporary work—I’ll be over here for three months, working as a doctor in the paediatric emergency unit at the hospital. It isn’t a full-time position, so I might need to look for something else to keep me going, but it was too good an opportunity to miss.’ There would be some on-call work outside the hospital, as she understood it, and that suited her perfectly.

She shrugged lightly and his glance flicked to the creamy softness of her skin. ‘It … uh … it suited me to leave the UK right now,’ she went on. ‘I wanted to gain a bit more experience before I decide what specialty I want to follow.’

He raised a dark brow. ‘You’ve travelled a long way to do that.’

‘Yes, that’s true.’ Her mouth moved awkwardly. ‘Actually, I have family over here—my father has a stake in a rum distillery on the island. We haven’t seen a lot of each other over the years and I thought this would give me a chance to spend some time with him.’

He frowned. ‘And your mother? Is she not living here?’

She pulled in a quick breath before answering him. ‘No. My parents haven’t been together for quite some time. My mother died back in the UK a couple of years ago.’

‘I’m sorry.’ Again there was that deep Spanish inflection. His eyes darkened with compassion. ‘That must have been hard for you.’

She nodded and sought to change the subject before her emotions got the better of her. Her feelings about her mother’s death were still quite raw, and as for her father—their relationship was difficult, and somehow she had to sort out a way for them to get along better.

‘And you?’ she asked. ‘Do you live here on Saint Helene, or are you just visiting?’ She picked up her glass and began to sip the rum punch he’d poured for her. Perhaps it was all in her mind, but it seemed as though the kick from the alcohol was giving her confidence.

‘Oh, I live here,’ he said, his mouth curving. ‘My family made their home here several generations ago. Originally they were Spanish, but with a good deal of intermingling over the decades we’ve been left with a Spanish-American heritage.’

‘Ah … that would explain your accent. I couldn’t quite work it out at first. It’s faint, but definitely there.’ No matter how hard she tried to convince herself she was immune to any kind of male charm, his voice held a sexy, vibrant timbre that made her insides quiver. It was disturbing the way she responded to him, to say the least.

He inclined his head briefly, still holding Jessie’s gaze. She was mesmerised by those dark eyes, finding it hard to break away from the intoxicating heat glinting in their depths, until a sound broke the spell and she became aware of Ben walking towards them. She didn’t know whether to feel glad or let down by the interruption.

‘Sorry I’ve been gone for so long,’ Ben said, concentrating on placing a tray, laden with food, down on the table. ‘I was caught up, talking to a friend from the distillery.’

‘That’s okay.’ She put down her glass. ‘I’ve had someone to keep me company.’

Ben straightened and for the first time looked properly at the man standing beside her. He drew in a quick breath. ‘Dr Benitez …’ He seemed stunned. ‘I … We weren’t expecting you back here for a few days. I thought your business would keep you in Florida until the end of the week.’

‘I managed to complete it ahead of schedule.’ The doctor’s handsome sculpted features were rigid as he looked at Ben and it dawned on Jessie that something wasn’t quite right here.

So this was her brother’s new employer? ‘You already know each other,’ she said, looking from one to the other.

Ben was still caught in the searchlight of that unflinching stare. ‘We do.’ He gave himself a shake and made an effort to pull himself together. ‘Jessie, I should introduce you … This is Dr Benitez—like I said, I’ve been doing some work for him this last couple of weeks.’

Jessie nodded and looked back at the doctor. ‘Ben told me about the renovations he’s been doing for you.’ Her green eyes widened. ‘Am I right in thinking this is your house?’