Love & Marry (3 page)

Allen laughed. “Don’t forget your camera and good pair of walking shoes.”

She looked down at her silver thong sandals with the two-inch heels. “Oh, I guess I’d better change shoes,” she said.

She stepped back inside, and changed to the comfy Bass sandals she’d worn for the flight down.
He was next door to her. On the other side of the wall.
She pulled her hair into a ponytail and swiped on some dark mauve lipstick. She went to close the sliding door to the balcony and couldn’t help taking a peek to see if he was still there. He was gone. It was just as well. She only had enough time to stop by the bistro in the lobby and pick up a sandwich for her lunch before the bus came.

When she boarded the bus, she found it only half-full, so she had her choice of window seats. The driver closed the door, and she relaxed against the seat for what she hoped would be a leisurely ride. Instead, the bus went a few feet and stopped again. She heard the doors open but couldn’t see over the top of the seat in front of her, so she turned to look out the window again.

“Excuse me, is this seat taken?”

Her head whipped around. “What are
you
doing here?”

Allen grinned while taking the empty seat next to hers. He’d only had time to dress in a pair jeans and a polo shirt and hadn’t shaved, but he looked…
sexy
.

“I couldn’t let you go off to
Jardin Botánico
by yourself. You might get lost.”

“Getting lost might have been my intention,” she said. “Don’t you have seminars to conduct today?”

He shook his head. “That’s tomorrow and Thursday. Then, on Friday, I broadcast my weekly radio show from the hotel ballroom, but I’m free until tonight when I M.C. the bachelor auction.”

“Lucky me,” she said while trying to muster some irritation in her voice.

Deep down, she was glad for the company—not that this crazy, impulsive man was wearing her down. Visiting a place like
Jardin Botánico
was more enjoyable with another person rather than wandering around alone.

“If you like nature and learning about the culture of the island, you’ll love this place,” he said. “Lots of photo ops.”

“So you’ve been there before,” she said.

“This is my fourth year doing the La Luna gig. I’ve seen a lot of Puerto Rico,” he said.

“Any other recommendations for what I can do this week?” she asked.

Allen looked at her for a moment and a smile worked its way across his mouth. “I can think of a one or two things,” he said.

There eyes locked and for a split-second she was drawn into the depth of his. She turned away and reached into her tote to get her water bottle.

“Other than spending time with you,” she said.

“Oh, well, you should go to Arecibo. You would probably enjoy the lighthouse and historical park. There are replicas of Spanish galleons that you can board and a recreated village showing how the natives lived in the pre-Columbian era. Oh, and the park also has replicas of the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria.”

“I like history,” she said. “And I think I have a brochure for it.”

His knee brushed hers when he turned in his seat. She swallowed hard. The sensation rekindled feelings in her that had been dormant for too long. She shook it off and moved as far as away from him as she could in the confined space.

“What exactly do you talk about in your seminars?” she asked. “How to chase and trap a mate?”

“Far from it, Marry,” he said. “It goes much deeper than that. My hope is that the people who attend my seminars will leave with the tools to create lasting relationships.”

She turned her head to look at the passing scenery and cars zipping by on the busy, four-lane highway.

“For someone who’s in the marriage business,” he said. “You certainly are cynical about it.”

Her head snapped around toward him. “I’m not cynical about marriage. I believe there are people who’ve found true love and made it last.”

“But you don’t believe
you
can,” he said.

Marry could picture the wheels turning in his brain, itching to psychoanalyze her. She wagged her finger at him.

“Oh, no, Dr. Love, you’re not sucking me into that conversation.”

He leaned back against the seat and yawned.

“I hope that very large lizards don’t scare you,” he said.

Her eyes widened. “What?”

“They’re all over
Jardin Botánico.
Iguanas mostly
.
Last time I was here I took a great picture of one about two-feet long.” He spread his hands to show the length. “Just sitting on the handrail of one of the bridges.”

“Thanks for the warning,” she said while unease gripped her. She’d never been fond of reptiles.

“Oh, don’t worry,” he said. “They won’t bother you unless you poke them with a stick or something.”

“That wouldn’t be my first instinct,” she said.

The bus slowed and turned into the entrance. They disembarked in front of a waterfall fountain cascading from the roof of a modern architectural structure topped with a stained-glass bird and butterfly. They followed the line of tourists through the entrance to the garden where Allen insisted on paying for her. Not wanting to make a scene, she allowed him the privilege. They took the path that led through the ruins of the old sugar plantation.

“Since you’re a wedding planner, you might be interested to know that they have a lot of weddings here,” he said.

“Oh? Well, it’s a beautiful setting,” she said. “I can imagine any number of scenarios.”

“What made you decide to go into that line of work?” he asked.

She strolled out ahead of him to photograph the sugar mill. He came and stood next to her.

“I helped my best friend plan her wedding a few years ago,” she said. “And I enjoyed all of it—the details that went into arranging everything. I decided that if I was ever going to get out of my boring job and do something for myself that would be it.”

“Stand in front of the chimney and let me take your picture,” he said.

She handed him her camera and moved into the best photographic vantage point. She smiled at his urging.

“Perfect,” he said. “You have a beautiful smile, Marry. Of course, there’s not much about you that isn’t beautiful. Auburn hair and eyes the color of chocolate. Even the freckles on your nose are beautiful.”

Heat filled her cheeks. She’d spent most of her life focusing on her flaws, and if she ever forgot about them, her mother would remind her.

“You’re very kind,” she said.

He came close to her and placed the camera strap around her neck. He was close enough to kiss.
Did she want to kiss him
?

“It’s not kindness,” he said. “It’s the truth.”

His eyes softened, and he bent his head as if to kiss her. At once, panic settled into her core. She backed away.

“You’ve asked me a lot of questions about myself,” she said. “But I know very little about you.”

Allen inhaled a deep breath through parted lips and pushed his hands into the pockets of his nice-fitting jeans. She averted his eyes to the bright orange bird of paradise blooming along the walkway.

“You said that you’re a widower. Do you have children?” she asked.

“No, we had only been married a little over two years when she was killed, so we hadn’t made the decision yet to start a family.”

“Have you had many relationships since your wife died?”

He nodded and shrugged. “I’ve dated a few women but haven’t had a serious relationship. I’m very picky.”

A chuckle escaped from her mouth before she could stop it.

“Why do you find that funny?” he asked.

Marry looked off into the distance and debated with herself as to whether to answer him truthfully.

“Okay, here’s the thing,” she said. “You’ve known
me
less than twenty-four hours. Yet, here you are tagging along after me.”

“You really don’t know how incredibly attractive you are, do you?”

His question stung like the opening of old wounds.

“Have I ever looked at myself in the mirror and said, ‘Hey there, beautiful’? No. I haven’t.” She paused and swallowed back the lump in her throat. “And if I’m so beautiful why are men always dumping me for other women?”

“Maybe the problem is that you’ve been choosing the wrong men,” he said.

She turned and marched off toward the footbridge. “Oh, here we go,” she said.

He jogged up behind her. “Marry, wait. I’m not talking to you as a psychologist.” He grasped her shoulders and spun her around to face him. “I’m speaking as a man who thinks you’re pretty, smart and funny—not to mention brave enough to start your own business and make it a success.”

His face was only inches away from hers, and she stared into those gorgeous eyes.

“And one other thing, I think,” she said. “I’m a challenge. You like a challenge, don’t you?”

He grinned and nodded before claiming her mouth with his own. She melted into the warmth of his kiss, feeling as if she belonged in his embrace. It had been too long since she’d allowed herself to feel
anything
, much less passion. Before she could go too far, her cautious side took over. She pulled back, placing her hands against his chest.

“And add good kisser to the list, too,” Allen said.

Marry disentangled herself from his arms and started across the bridge. “Come on,” she said. “We have a lot more territory to explore.”

“We sure do,” he said.

* * *

When she heard his door open and close, she typed “goodnight” in the chat box and signed off of Facebook. After their kiss on the bridge, they’d had a wonderful day exploring the remainder of the garden. She’d even let him talk her into a paddleboat ride. It had taken them a few minutes to get in sync, but once they did, she found herself having more fun than she’d had in a long time.

She slipped her robe on over her pajamas and went out onto the balcony. The pools were still alive with activity, and there seemed to be a party going on in the large hot tub. She turned her head when she heard his balcony door open. He stepped out wearing his tuxedo shirt with the tie undone. She released the breath she was holding.
Was there anything he could wear that didn’t make him look ravishing
?

“How did the bachelor auction go?” she asked.

“Great,” he said. “I don’t subscribe to that way of meeting a mate, but it’s a fun diversion for the participants.”

They both looked down at the sound of a big splash following by hysterical laughter.

“They’re having a good time,” she said.

“Where did you have dinner tonight?” he asked.

“I went to El Club de las Estrellas,” she said. “I figured with all the single guys participating in the bachelor auction I was safe from predators.”

Allen laughed. “Predators, huh? Is that the way you see me?”

She scrunched her face. “No, you’re like a little puppy that followed me home.”

“I can live with that,” he said. “Instead of talking across the balcony, why don’t you come over here?”

She cinched her robe a little tighter. “Oh, I-I don’t know about that,” she said.

He rolled eyes and pointed toward his balcony door. “I have a suite, Marry. That’s my living room in there. I’m not asking you to come to my bedroom.”

“Well…okay,” she said. “But I’m in my pajamas. I’ll be over after I dress.”

Before she closed her door, she heard him say, “Don’t change on my account.”

The black slacks and ivory silk top she’d worn to dinner were still laying across the small sofa next to the bed. She changed quickly and stepped into her flip flops but didn’t bother with makeup.

When he opened the door for her, he’d changed out of his tuxedo and into a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. She suddenly felt overdressed.

“Come into my home away home,” he said.

If her room was
The Sunshine Room
; then his was
The Jungle Room
in all different shades of greens and browns. The upholstery on his sofa and matching recliner looked like fern leaves.

He motioned toward the sofa. “Please sit down,” he said. “Can I get you something from my mini-bar?”

She waved her hand. “No, thank you. I don’t want anything to drink.”

“I have soft drinks, too,” he said.

“In that case a diet Coke,” she said. “I like your suite. When I used to work as a district sales manager, my company would always put me up in the cheapest places. I hated coming back to the motel at night and doing follow-up reports at those tiny desks and sitting in uncomfortable chairs.”

“Believe it or not,” he said. “I’ve stayed in some of those places, too.”

He handed her drink to her and sat down on the other end of the sofa. He propped his bare feet on the coffee table. “La Luna always puts me up in this suite when I do seminars for them.”

Marry leaned back against the comfy sofa cushions. “I was chatting with my mother on Facebook a while ago,” she said. “She wanted to know if I’d met anyone yet. I reminded her that I’d only been here two days.”

“So you didn’t tell her about the psychologist who’s been chasing you all over the island? I’m hurt, Marry.”

“I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction,” she said.

He squeezed his lips together, turned an imaginary key and tossed it over his shoulder.

Marry laughed. “You could make a whole practice out of psychoanalyzing my relationship with Mom.”

Allen sipped his drink and made a face. “I don’t think that’s a project I want to tackle,” he said. “Is she still married to her third husband?”

“They were divorced about ten years ago. Now she’s with a guy she met at her senior citizens club. I don’t think they’ll ever get married, though.”

“Why is that?”

“He’s rich as all get out, and Mom says she’ll never sign a pre-nup,” she said. “He owns a lot of real estate in Tampa. Mom moved there to a ritzy retirement community after she sold her home in Orlando.”

“Small world,” he said. “I live in Tampa.”

Marry’s thoughts raced.
This could put a whole new spin on things.

“Mom wanted to get away from all the tourists, but I love Orlando, and it isn’t so far from Tampa that I can’t drive over for a visit when I want to.”