Deadly Trouble
by J.L. Hammer
Copyright © 2015 by J.L. Hammer. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce, distribute, or transmit in any form or by any means. For information regarding subsidiary rights, please contact the Publisher.
Chapter One
Las Vegas, Nevada
Lily Sanborn adjusted the towel to cover the lower portion of Sal’s unclad body and refocused on massaging the stiffness from her client’s massive shoulders. “For an old guy, you sure are built. I bet you used to be a weight lifter.” She thought for a moment and ventured, “No wait, make that a linebacker in college football.”
She tossed back her waist-length ponytail threatening to slip over her shoulder and leaned the weight of her petite body into him to apply more pressure. Air expelled from his throat and created a deep moaning sound. Without missing a beat, her fingers kneaded one ham-sized arm then the other. Exhaustion from way too much overtime hovered nearby, and she blinked away the blur threatening to impede her vision. Sometimes she worked for so many hours straight that the bland walls of the ten-by-twenty room started to close in on her.
Although the rhythmic pace of her hands never ceased, her mind drifted outside of these walls to a white stretch of sandy beach that met a cloudless blue sky. She could almost taste the fruity, alcoholic beverage against her lips and feel the salty, warm breeze touching her skin. Time to work, not to daydream. “Your wife will arrive later this afternoon. We need to get you dressed.”
Sal didn’t respond, but she hardly expected him to. Finally his muscles relaxed enough, and she brushed her hand over the bulk of his bicep. His skin held a rosy hue and felt firm to the touch. Perfect. She glanced over her shoulder at the gauge in the glass cylinder of the embalming machine, the level of pinkish-red fluid barely noticeable. “Almost done.”
Lily always liked to think of her clients as alive rather than corpses lying on cold slabs. Peaceful Memories Mortuary was their last stop, and she wanted to send them off looking their best. Their souls had either taken a one-way ticket to Heaven or went the opposite route to go pop and sizzle in Hell’s eternal wok. “No devil for you, Sal; you were a good man. You have a wife and grown children who are eager to kiss you good-bye.”
Unlike my own father whose roaming eye left only bitterness, and nobody, not even his children, would bother to kiss him good-bye. An American gigolo, her maternal Chinese grandmother called him, with his handsome, Anglo features. She shook her head at the unwanted thoughts. After removing the embalming fluid tube, she dried off and powdered the nearby skin. Once the incision was sutured, she flexed her cramping, gloved hands. Lily’s stomach growled, but at this point, her schedule was far too busy for a lunch break. Maybe after Mr. Salazar left.
“Ms. Viv, you’re up.” She strolled over to another client on a hydraulic, stainless-steel table, her protective scrubs swishing with her movements. She maneuvered the freshly washed body into a floral dress. The ventilator that hovered above her head whispered as it removed the toxic fumes and provided clean air.
The double doors opened, and Rae, the receptionist, stepped in. Her black, shoulder-length hair—almost as dark as Lily’s—gleamed from the overhead light. “Is Ms. Vivian Thorndike ready?” Her bold gaze assessed the bodies.
“Almost, I just need to finish makeup and hair, and she’ll be ready for the casket.”
“Good, I’ll relate that to the director.” Rae’s pert nose scrunched up. “I don’t know how you can work in here. It smells.”
“Part of the job.” Lily shrugged her shoulder.
“So, how’d your date go with Mr. Bow Tie?”
“You just had to be nosy and introduce yourself.”
“Of course, I did.” Mischief danced in Rae’s green eyes. In her late twenties like Lily, Rae lived in the same mobile home park and had conveniently strolled over when Lily’s date had driven up.
“You should take a more active role in your own dating life and keep your nose out of mine.” Lily’s brows lowered. “You’ve had like what, one date since I’ve known you…and it’s not due to the lack of men asking.”
Six months ago Rae had moved to Vegas. Lily found it very odd that her friend never talked about family, never had visitors, and in the time it took to boil water, Rae’s belongings could be packed up, and it would look like she’d never occupied her trailer.
Rae looked away and shrugged. Then she smirked, which appeared a bit forced. “It’s more fun to hear about dates than experience them, so stop dodging the question. Spill it, and I want details.”
“It was boring.” Just thinking about dinner last night made Lily sleepy.
Rae laughed. “Well that’s a shocker. Why did you turn down that hunky guy last week and agree to a date with a nerd who had the personality of cardboard? No offense, but after one minute, I figured out an evening with him would be a flatline.”
“What’s with all the questions? My date’s looks were acceptable, and that hunky guy, as you called him, was just a flirt. He had a tan line where he’d taken off his wedding ring.” A cheater just like her father. More than one stupid woman had shown up at Lily’s childhood home unwilling to accept they had been dumped after falling for Father’s charm. Mother had never gotten mad, just patted the sobbing lady on the shoulder and offered her hot tea. Lily’s mouth tightened as she rolled a squeaking metal cart next to Ms. Viv. She inventoried the makeup and grooming items.
“Hmmm. Good catch. Didn’t even look for a tan line,” Rae said. “So, I’m on grandmother duty tomorrow, right?”
“Yes, and thanks again.” Lily wouldn’t have even considered going on vacation if she wasn’t convinced her grandmother, who’d helped raise her, would be looked after. Not only did Lily resemble her grandmother in her youth, with the same fair skin, high cheekbones, and almond shaped eyes, but she’d become her caregiver of sorts. Lily missed her plush condo, but G-ma refused to leave her friends at the park and for some odd reason wasn’t bothered by the rattling trailer as airplanes landed at the neighboring airport. Maybe after her vacation to Belize, Lily would stop clenching her teeth.
“Don’t mention it.” Rae straightened the sleeve of her blouse to cover more of her sun-kissed skin. “I still can’t believe your friend called off her wedding and is taking you on the honeymoon.”
Lily shrugged. “Frankie still insists Wes doesn’t want to marry her. People in love act dumb. It’s obvious Wes is crazy about Frankie.” He did save her from a ruthless loan shark—or was it Frankie who saved Wes? Lily had heard so many versions of the event she couldn’t remember.
“You think she’ll really carry out her threat?”
“She already refunded Wes’s ticket, and I purchased mine. I don’t know what’s up with those two, but that’s their problem. Right now, I just want to get a tan and down some cheap umbrella drinks.” Lily lifted her hand in the air. “And do whatever else you do in Belize.” Maybe the fresh air would chase away the smell of formaldehyde that seemed to follow her like an aura.
“Don’t blame you one bit, but be careful. I watched a documentary about how Belize isn’t just paradise for tourists, but also for drug dealers.”
“Well, I guess they need a vacation, too.” Lily brushed a layer of foundation onto Ms. Viv’s discolored skin.
“That’s not what I mean.” Rae lowered her voice as if the corpses might overhear. “It has a dark side. The police can’t adequately patrol all those jungles, and the drug cartels are moving in.”
“I’m not going there to buy crack. I’m going to relax, hopefully on a beach.”
“Were the final words of the American tourist.”
Lily paused from applying makeup and peered over. “Would you like to be my next client?”
Rae laughed and planted a hand on her curvy hip, making Lily’s straight figure seem almost boyish. “You hate working overtime. Well, be sure to keep your cell phone handy, because your grandmother doesn’t like me. Do you know the last time I came over, she hit me with a broom?”
“Your crow tattoo is bad luck. It would be just as bad if you’d strolled into her living room arm in arm with the Grim Reaper.” All G-ma’s quirks took some getting used to.
“That’s weird. It’s just ink on my skin.”
“Weird or not, you can’t win over G-ma if you’ve been added to her evil list.” Lily flipped a dismissive hand in the air. But the good news was that G-ma would be so busy trying to keep the bad out of the house, she wouldn’t have time to miss Lily.
“My favorite band’s The Black Crowes.” Rae’s brows furrowed. “Can’t you just tell her that?”
“Won’t make a difference.” Lily studied the photo of Ms. Viv. With gentle strokes, she styled her client’s wispy, gray hair. “Just let her whack you with the broom. It makes her feel better.”
“I’m not letting her hit me, and I’m not getting the tattoo taken off. If I’m supposed to keep an eye on her for the next two weeks, what should I do about her carrying a broom?”
Lily stared at Rae. Sometimes people were clueless. “Simple. Duck.”
The low ring from the wall phone diverted their attention. Lily removed her gloves and tossed them in the trash. With a few short strides, she snatched up the handset and gave her token greeting. “Embalming, Lily.”
Rae waved and walked back out the doors.
“Hey, it’s Frankie,” a familiar feminine voice announced.
“Your ears must have been ringing. I was just talking about you.”
Silence stretched over the line before Frankie said, “Wes and I made up.”
“I knew you would.” A smile lifted the corners of Lily’s mouth only to drop as she envisioned her vacation slipping away. “So the wedding’s back on?”
“Err…not exactly. You know Wes, he’s still nervous about marrying again, so we decided to wait six more months. I guess I pushed too hard about the marriage thing.”
Lily shifted the phone. “So what’s the plan? Want me to bow out so you two can go together?”
A long pause followed. “No, it would cost too much now to buy his ticket. Um, I feel really bad about this, but I can’t go without him…so, Lily, you’ll have to go on my honeymoon solo.”
…
Mountain Pine Ridge, Belize
Cooper Deforest shifted in his cushioned chair and tried his best to pretend he wasn’t having iced tea on the balcony of a drug lord’s two-story mansion. Birds chattered amongst the palm fronds as moisture from the May humidity made Cooper’s dirt-streaked clothes stick to him, which was a complete contrast to Maximo, who looked like an aristocrat in a crisp, white suit. Neither man had touched the two plates of fruit that rested on the tempered glass of the patio table.
“Belize is paradise, wouldn’t you say?” Maximo rested against the chair and scanned his vast empire guarded by a dozen armed militia and a high-voltage fence.
Cooper had heard the rumors circulating about how Maximo had assassinated his rival and fed his remains to the jaguars at the local reserve. Now at age thirty, just five years younger than Cooper, he’d become the youngest and most feared drug lord in the country. And what was astonishing, at least in Cooper’s mind, was that Maximo had graduated from a university in Spain only to return to his native country to build a criminal empire.
Before Cooper could speak, Maximo continued. “Belize is a land for the people, without all the brainwashing you get from governments like your own.”
Cooper seriously doubted Maximo had sent two armed men to the village for the suggested meeting to get his opinion on government. “I agree. Belize is a beautiful country.”
Standing off to the side, Maximo’s head of security known as the Samoan crossed his meaty arms, his expression: impassive. The scar slashed down the man’s bronze cheek, along with his shaved head, added to his intimidation factor.
Maximo’s scrutinizing gaze raked over Cooper. “If I had to make a guess, I’d say you’re from California.”
“I am.” Cooper wasn’t too impressed, given he had tan skin, blond hair to his shoulders, and more often than not people thought he should be brandishing a surfboard rather than a doctorate.
“Doctor, do you know why you’re my guest this afternoon?”
“Can’t say I do.”
“We have a problem. Your research is getting too close to my land holdings.”
Cooper adjusted his wire-rimmed glasses and tried his best to ignore the rapid pounding of his pulse. Without a doubt his research was important, lifesaving even, but he was wise enough to know not to taunt death. “Well, I think we can find an easy solution.”
“You Americans do consider yourselves the solvers of the world’s problems. Please. Enlighten me.” Maximo propped an elbow on the table and rested the three remaining fingers on his left hand against the temple of his close-cut brown hair.
Although Maximo spoke calmly, his posture had tensed. Cooper fought to keep his nerves from showing. He’d lived most of his life in third world countries, and although he’d been in stickier situations than this—with a gun pointed to his head and an ultimatum to leave the country or die, or as a teenager barely escaping his house that had intentionally been burned to the ground—that didn’t stop a trickle of sweat from sliding a serpentine path down his back. “I could really use your advice on the best places to conduct my research. If an area is dangerous, maybe steep terrain or predators, I won’t go there.” Cooper held his breath.
A smirk spread across Maximo’s clean-shaven jaw. “You are correct. There are lots of dangerous places, and I wouldn’t want you or one of those villagers you trained to get hurt.”
Cooper’s hands flexed at the thought of one of the villagers being injured. This man held too much power. People shouldn’t have to live in fear, but from experience he knew it happened all the time. Cooper listed off seven areas where he’d planned to conduct research. He gained approval on three.
Maximo gestured toward the acres of jungle that rose and fell with the curves of the hilly terrain. “Doctor, I didn’t gain my empire by showing kindness, and I don’t give second chances.”
Cooper decided then and there that he would stop using the villagers to assist with his research. Too risky.
Maximo removed an orange slice from the plate closest to Cooper and placed it near a spider monkey perched on the railing. It snatched the food, flipped its furry tail in the air, and turned away. “The only reason you weren’t just shot and left for the jaguars is because I am aware of who your father is…but don’t test my kindness.”
“I’m just here to do my research, and then I’ll be on my way.”
The monkey on the rail staggered, capturing Cooper’s attention. A strange guttural sound emitted from its furry body, and it pitched forward over the balcony. A piece of the orange rind plopped on the slate floor. Cooper slid his gaze to the remaining fruit on his plate and then to Maximo’s bland stare.
A tense moment stretched out. Cooper kept his expression neutral, not wanting his real reactions of fear and anger to fuel a power trip for this sick-ass who’d killed a helpless animal and could have killed him as well.
“Fate was on your side, Doctor. How easily you could have been tempted by the decadent fruit and died a painful death.”
Cooper couldn’t respond. He hadn’t been tempted by the fruit, but with the high humidity, he’d almost taken a drink of the iced tea.
“You’re cool under pressure. I could use a man like you to get things out of the country.”
Great, a job offer from a drug dealer. The cascading water from the sculpted fountain now sounded as loud as a roaring waterfall. “My research leaves time for nothing else,” Cooper said.
Maximo lowered his thick slash of brows and Cooper tensed, waiting for a knife to plunge into his chest or a bullet to plow into him. The Samoan widened his stance.
With a snap of Maximo’s fingers, Cooper would be dead and everyone knew it. Maximo stood, the chair scraping across the floor. “Do you think you have a choice?”
Maximo walked through the French doors, opened for him before he broke stride. Cooper stood. The Samoan approached and tossed a white envelope.
It bounced off Cooper’s chest and hit the table. “I’m not interested.”
In a fluid motion, the Samoan unsheathed a hunting knife from the waistband of his trousers. The razor-sharp blade glinted from the rays of the morning sun. “Exactly what I was hoping you’d say. Either take the envelope, and get in the vehicle, or I’ll gut you, keeping you on the verge of consciousness, and then bury you alive.”
Shit. Not in the mood to die today, Cooper snatched the envelope and strode toward the outside staircase in the direction he’d come. The envelope seared like a hot coal into his hand. He needed to finish his research and get out. Once in the vehicle with the two bodyguards who’d brought him, Cooper bounced around in the backseat as they drove down a dirt road etched through the jungle. Overhead, the canopy blocked out most of the sunlight. Cooper knew one thing for sure: after what he’d just endured, he needed a strong drink and sure could use the distraction of female company. Sometimes a man just had to celebrate life.
…
After a grueling twelve-hour flight with two stops and another ninety minutes traveling from Belize City inland to Mountain Pine Ridge on an unpaved road, Lily reached the resort in the dead of night. Flanked by palm trees, the spotlighted Hidden Paradise Lodge sign greeted her. This place was a lot smaller than she’d expected and very quiet for close to midnight on a Saturday. She stepped out of the rear door of the taxi. Inhaling a deep breath of the muggy air, she peeled her moist shirt off her back.
The gap-toothed driver with a heavy Spanish accent set down her luggage. “Here, pretty lady.”
After handing him money, she marched down the stone walkway past a pair of hammocks swaying in the warm breeze. She veered onto an inclined plank walkway toward the tucked-away office. Animal sounds emitted from the jungle. A high-pitched screech followed a guttural snarl. Is a wild cat enjoying a monkey dinner? Lily shot a nervous glance to her left into the darkness of vine-infested trees and picked up her pace. She was not getting eaten by some creature before she even had a cheap umbrella drink. Even in the darkness, the lodge, elevated on stilts about five feet off the jungle floor, was charming, with its little silhouetted cabanas and lush vegetation, but she couldn’t care less. She smelled, and her stiff body ached. A cold shower. Sleep. That’s all she wanted.
She swatted away a mosquito and stepped into a bamboo-framed office exposed to the elements.
“Ah, our last guests. I’m Xavier. I was afraid you had gotten lost,” announced a flat-faced older man with coffee-colored skin, a white mustache, and a big smile.
Behind the counter, a rifle hung on the wall above a painting of a woman weaving a basket. He followed her gaze. “Not to worry.” His accent sounded like a blend of Spanish and Jamaican. “I keep my grandfather’s—God rest his soul—rifle handy for the rare occasion a jaguar roams onto the grounds. Just the sound of a gunshot, and it runs away.”
“Wonderful.” Leave it to Frankie to book a vacation where you could tangle with a jaguar.
“Only one of you?” Xavier asked, a puzzled expression on his face.
She gave the man a leveled gaze from her five-foot-three frame. “Yes, Frankie Delenski couldn’t make it. I’m Lily Sanborn. It’s been a long trip, and I’m ready to drop.”
The man looked alarmed for a moment and then laughed. “No, no that will not do. Best get you to your room. You can have a cabana with one big bed.”
He snagged a key and took her bag. She followed, every step heavier than the last. After taking a maze of walkways, Xavier veered down a long, planked ramp to a private patio and stopped at a cabana with a tall, mahogany door and a hammock under the large, slatted window. A space of about twenty feet, jam-packed with palm and banana trees, separated her from the neighboring units. Lily noted if someone wanted to get to a neighboring cabana they had to walk to the main walkway and head down another ramp. At least I’ll have some privacy.
“My wife, Yesenia, prepares all the meals,” Xavier said. “She is the best cook. You will see. Breakfast starts at six a.m.”
Lily nodded and then frowned. “Six a.m.? And when does breakfast end?”
He pushed open the door and placed her suitcase inside. “For the late sleepers we keep it going ’til eight thirty.”
“I’ll be a late sleeper. Does this place have AC?” She walked inside.
He laughed. “Oh, no. The cold air would just escape out of the thatched roof.”
She forced a smile. If this place felt like a sauna at night, what would the day be like? After mumbling good-night, she closed and locked the door. Suspended from a thick beam above, the ceiling fan’s wide palm blades rotated in a lazy cycle. She passed the bamboo-frame bed with its pastel bedspread. The place looked cute and tropical. Nothing fancy but kept up and clean. No TV, not that it mattered. She planned to explore the ruins and go on hikes. After removing her clothes, she squeezed into the miniature shower. She sighed in relief once the cold spray hit her sticky flesh. In no time, she climbed into bed, not bothering with PJs, and let sleep take her.
It felt as if her head had just hit the pillow when an annoying chirping sound started.
“Shush,” she grumbled and turned over. The chirps grew louder.
“Quiet!” She covered her head with the pillow, inhaling the freshly laundered scent.
Finally, she gave up and rolled out of bed, surprised to see rays of sunshine slanting across the floor through the wooden blinds. She rubbed her eyes and listened to the chatter of birds outside. Where had Frankie booked their room? An aviary? In no time, Lily slipped on worn jean shorts and an ivory eyelet tank top. After scooping her hair into a ponytail, brushing her teeth, and washing her face, she decided to hunt down the owner. Did they warn their potential customers about all this racket?
How could she last thirteen more days listening to these stupid birds? She stalked past groundskeepers pruning ferns and stepped into the open-air office.
The growl started to roll off her tongue as Xavier approached, his face splitting into a wide grin. “Miss Sanborn, did you sleep well?”
“No, actually—”
“I am so glad.” He gripped her elbow and escorted her around the corner to an older woman with a round face and heavy lines of fatigue under her eyes. “Yesenia will give you breakfast.”
“Yes, of course.” The woman dished up items from food warmers perched on the wooden table behind her.
Lily blinked at the plate thrust into her hands, hoping it held a cooked bird. No such luck. The plate was stacked high with pineapple, mangos, and an omelet garnished with slices of avocado and a yellow flower blossom.
Xavier released her elbow. “You will never want to leave, for she is the best cook in Belize.”
“Just in Belize?” Yesenia smiled and planted a hand on her hip.
“Oh, my dear wife, of course also the best in Guatemala.” Xavier cupped his hand near his mouth and said in a whisper, “We have to go across the border a few times a year. Her cousin’s food tastes like burned cat fur.”
Yesenia giggled.
These old people are too cute to yell at. “Um. Thanks for breakfast.” Lily plastered on a smile and strolled outside. The dining balcony consisted of eight tables overlooking the jungle. A mass of birds ate from feeders hanging from tree limbs. Wonderful, now she was front and center for the bird orchestra. Her eye started to twitch. She stopped at the breakfast bar to get a napkin and silverware. A man and child, sitting on stools at the bar eating breakfast, glanced her way.
Lily smiled down at the little Hispanic boy in a Mickey Mouse T-shirt as he sucked on a chunk of pineapple. “Hi,” she said.
The boy, about four years old with unruly, brown curls, pointed into the jungle, worry riddling his expression. “Bird.” His golden eyes settled on Lily.
As if struck, she staggered back. Those eyes. Pain stabbed into her chest. In her mind another little boy materialized. Philip. His golden eyes filled with mischief as he planted slobbery kisses on her face. Philip had trusted her unconditionally—trust she hadn’t deserved.
“Bird.”
She blinked back the moisture and pushed the haunting image out of her head. She focused on the child before her and smiled. “Yes. Lots of them.”
A toucan landed on the rail. The boy jerked back, dropping his pineapple. The bird swooped down and devoured the fruit.
“He eat me?”
“Yes, Jaime.” The father laughed. “It eats little toes.”
Jaime lifted his thin legs and huddled in the chair. Lily glared at the scrawny man with the same unruly hair as his son but with eyes the color of swamp mud. She shifted her gaze back to the boy, who stared in horror at the bird.
“No, sweetie,” she reassured. “The bird won’t eat you.” She stepped closer to the bird, and it flew away. “See? It’s harmless. Do you like Froot Loops cereal?”
The boy nodded.
“It’s like the bird on the commercials, and it definitely likes kids.”
“It sings and flies like this.” A smile lit up his face as he lifted both hands in the air.
Just watching him made her heart hurt. Just leave! Stop doing this to yourself. “Yes. That’s right. So remember, you’re bigger, and when you move, the birds will fly away.” Lily tore her gaze off the little boy and drilled the father with a look daring him to contradict her, which he didn’t, since he appeared too absorbed in staring at her bare legs. Creep. Balancing the plate in one hand, she spoke to the boy. “See you later.” She grabbed utensils, pivoted on a heel, and debated which of the three empty tables to occupy.
Jaime announced, “I have to pee.”
She started walking away as the father replied, “Hurry, and you’d better not wet yourself.” Then came the sound of little retreating footsteps.
A hand grabbed her arm, halting her progress. Shifting her plate to the other hand, she shook her arm loose. She faced the father, who now stood before her.
“Don’t touch me again,” she said, through tightened lips.
“Come on, honey. I just wanted to ask how you doin’?” The father grinned, revealing crooked teeth.
“If you must know, I’m tired. You see I’m an embalmer. You know, I prepare dead bodies. Before the flight, I had a long day draining the blood from a corpse and replacing it with embalming fluid. It took forever to get the eyelids pried open to place the plastic covers in.”
The man stopped grinning and took a sideways step. “My son is callin’ me.”
Never fails. Lily eyed him as he retreated, hating the tension stiffening her shoulders. After she made it to a table next to the rail, she picked at her lukewarm omelet. A zing from spices met her tongue. Xavier was right; Yesenia was one fine cook. Lily inhaled the heavy scent of flora warmed by the sunshine and allowed herself to enjoy the view. Bland-looking, brown birds chirped away. Hummingbirds hovered above clusters of pollen-covered flowers while a monkey scaled the tree branches.
She started to relax just as a pair of parrots began to squabble. Green and red feathers flew, and their high-pitched screeches caught everyone’s and everything’s attention. Why couldn’t Frankie have booked a lodge on a quiet, white, sandy beach? With a huff, Lily snatched a palm-sized piece of pineapple from her plate and pitched it at the obnoxious birds. All the birds scattered.
“You know,” a deep voice—unmistakably American—said from behind her. “The clay-colored robins will stay and sing you a pretty song if you feed them the fruit rather than pelting them on the head.” A devilishly handsome man, skin tanned from the sun and clad in a white-linen shirt and khaki shorts, approached.
“I was aiming for the parrots. Anyway, who said I wanted them to sing?” She kept her expression blank as she peered up into his hooded, blue eyes. Instantly attraction sizzled through her. Without a doubt, her body betrayed her effort to be indifferent as her breathing grew rapid and her traitorous tongue moistened her lips.
“I take it you’re not a birder.” Amusement laced his words.
She struggled to focus on the conversation, growing more annoyed with herself by each passing second. “No. The only bird I like is one roasted on my dinner plate.”
He unleashed a million-dollar smile.
Inwardly, Lily groaned—he even had perfectly straight, white teeth and dimples. This guy oozed sexy and had “flirt” stamped on his tan, wide forehead. Then and there she decided he was probably a little more than she wanted to deal with. It would be like going fishing and catching a marlin. You’re going to want to keep it, polish it with oil, stare at it constantly, unable to believe your good luck, and place it on the trailer wall to show off to all your friends, but in retrospect, you’re going to realize you really just needed a Red Snapper: something less time consuming and pretty good in the fish tacos department.
A stooped woman with the waist of her shorts pulled almost to her armpits ambled by with binoculars and a camera dangling from her neck.
“You better watch out,” he said, in a mock whisper. “These people might throw down if they hear talk like that. Bird lovers travel from great distances to see the six hundred eighteen species of resident and migratory birds.”
Lily shrugged, feigning disinterest. “And people drive from all over the U.S. to see the largest ball of yarn. You can’t account for people’s tastes.”
He laughed and shook his head. “Wow, your tongue is razor sharp.” A gentle breeze ruffled his sun-streaked, dark blond hair, which he wore shoved back from his forehead. With hair long enough to rest against his shoulders and a casual demeanor, he looked like he should be carrying a surfboard. “May I join you?”
She blinked at him. “Suit yourself.”
“Not the warmest invite, but I’ll take it.” He sat across from her. As he rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, she couldn’t help but appreciate the play of the corded muscles on his arms.
Of their own accord, her eyes glanced down at his left index finger. No ring, or tan line for that matter. Still not interested. With more force than necessary, she speared a piece of fruit. Lily studied his face as she bit into a juicy piece of mango. There was something familiar about him. Then it dawned on her. “Matthew McConaughey.”
His brows lifted skyward, and he extended a hand. “No, actually I’m Cooper.”
She rolled her eyes and shook his hand. “I know you aren’t Matthew McConaughey, but you look like him.”
“If you say so.” He winked at her. “You have a thing for the actor? I’d be happy to make your fantasies come true.”
Oh, I’ll just bet you would. “Well, my husband, Bull, should be back from our cabana any moment. Why don’t you ask him if he’s interested?”
Mr. Dimple Man threw back his head and laughed “Bull, huh?”
“Yes.”
“Sounds like a basketball player or a bouncer.”
“Both.”
Apparently he didn’t believe her, because he kept grinning. “Nice try.” He leaned closer. “But you came here solo. I got that information from a good source.”
She scowled and glanced over her shoulder. With his usual wide grin, Xavier waved from near the doorway of the office. Did the older man understand the word privacy?
“Brilliant. Nothing like pinning a target on me as a single woman.”
“Nah. It’s not like that.” Cooper gestured with his head. “Xavier and I go way back. He just mentioned it on the down low.”
“And why, may I ask, did he do that?”
Cooper, aka too-sexy-for-his-own-good, with his first two buttons undone showing off his smooth chest, reclined in the bistro chair far enough it balanced on two legs.
“You’re a lovely lady. I have a weakness for petite Asian gals who don’t think twice about ripping a man to—”
Oh brother. “Please.” Lily held up a hand. “You could probably talk a monkey right out of its fur, but your words are useless on me…so save them.”
He burst out laughing and settled the bistro chair back on the ground. “Well, heck, the last thing I want is a bunch of naked monkeys climbing around.”
The corners of Lily’s mouth twitched. “Okay, you’re charming, I’ll give you that. But I am not sleeping with you.”
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