The cool custard landed on the tip of her tongue.
“I’ll have that for breakfast,” she groaned, staying poised over the table to share another bite.
The breeze coming off the ocean lifted her hair away from her face. She wrapped the warm, soft shawl around her shoulders, slipped the last bite of flan between her tongue and the roof of her mouth, and sank into the wide back of the rattan chair.
“Is there anything else you desire?” Daniel asked. Anna could find no hint of anything suggestive in his tone. She indicated she was fine, and he waved at their waiter, mimed signing. He returned his attention to her once the waiter had cleared the dessert dish and waited for Daniel to sign the bill.
“Would you like to come up to my room?” she asked, keeping her voice light. “Jorge promised to start a fire, and I’d love to talk some more.”
There were those waves of emotion again, playing across Daniel’s face, down his arms, and into his hands as they squeezed the armrests. Anna turned away, sought comfort in the long line of white foam where the ocean broke against the rocks below. Her dinner partner’s seeming indecisiveness pained her. Their meal had gone so well she’d been lulled into thinking they might find a place to continue reconnecting, perhaps adding physical intimacy to the menu.
“I’ll go up with you,” he said, “but I think I’ll be more fun tomorrow if I get to bed soon. I’m still on East Coast time.”
“Oh, I’m sorry!” Anna had forgotten that detail. She let the time difference assuage her discomfort. Their waiter appeared again and drew out Anna’s chair so she could stand.
“Gracias. Me gustó mucho la comida.”
Jorge had helped her rehearse a few phrases. The waiter seemed pleased at her effort.
“Con mucho gusto, señora,” he said, bowing slightly. “You may take the shawl with you. Jorge will pick it up from your room in the morning.”
“Your accent is quite good,” Daniel complimented, offering her his arm. “A little exercise before bed?”
He guided her toward the wide path meandering through the resort, taking them between freshwater pools and outdoor seating areas. The breeze coming off the ocean picked up the long fronds of the palm trees and swished the strands over their heads. Anna’s ears picked up the dull thud of a coconut hitting the ground.
She pointed to a cluster of tall trees leaning away from the beach. “Good thing they hang over the gardens and not the walkway. Makes you wonder if a guest has ever been hit.”
Daniel laughed and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “I feel like I’ve been hit.”
“What do you mean?” She took hold of both sides of her shawl with one hand and slid her freed arm around his waist. The sensitive skin of her inner arm tingled.
“Years of searching for you, wondering what I would do if I ever found you. And here we are. I’m used to feeling in control of my universe, and right now, I’m not.” He rubbed both hands over her upper back, up and down and across, squeezing to emphasize his words. In the distance, another coconut hit the ground.
“I think the trees are telling us to stay on the path,” she said.
He released from their embrace and threaded his fingers through hers, tugging her toward the main building. “I think we should head back.”
They took the open-air stairs and arrived at the fourth floor without further conversation. Daniel waited while Anna found her key card. She hesitated before opening her door, long enough for him to cup her face in his palms.
“I’d like to kiss you,” he whispered. His thumbs traced her cheekbones.
He brought his mouth to hers, and Anna gave in. She’d been waiting for this kiss, practicing for this kiss. She was inwardly hoping a kiss or two would provide her with a stronger indication of what might be going on underneath Daniel’s meticulously maintained exterior.
Daniel took her bottom lip between his and shifted the angle of his head. His tongue followed, probing, their mingled breath tasting of earthy red wine and sweet caramel. Her mouth responded, closing over his upper lip. Her hands found his waist, tried to draw him into her body. His resistance was slight, lasting for half a heartbeat, but she felt it.
Anna sank her heels to the cool tile of the floor and broke away.
“Sleep well,” she said, pushing down on the handle to the door to her room.
Flickering light on the balcony welcomed her in, drew her past her bed and onto the outdoor sitting area ceilinged with stars. She resisted the urge to fling herself on the expansive mattress and beat at the covers in frustration. Instead, she dropped her dress to the floor, slipped off her underwear, and lowered her body into the warm waters of her dipping pool.
Her attentive personal attendant had prepared a tray. On it, a bottle of mescal wore an intriguing label. Two shot glasses nestled at its side. Jorge also provided an unopened glass bottle of mineral water, a bowl of lime slices, two tall glasses, and a full ice bucket ready for her and any company.
If she used only one glass, he might observe she’d spent the night alone and not with the man who was paying for this trip.
Anna soaked, watching the sky for shooting stars and airplane lights. Ocean waves rhythmically crashing against the beach provided the loudest sound coming from below. Under the watery susurration, a low murmur of voices layered one over the other. She caught a whiff of tobacco and the occasional burst of music from a neighboring hotel. Lifting herself to the edge of the pool, she tried to peer into the balcony directly below.
Daniel’s room was dark.
Liam was probably in his tent, bundled in a sleeping bag with his knit hat pulled to his eyebrows. If he were here, he’d
