Buch lesen: «Temptation In Paradise»

CHAPTER ONE

‘I’M REALLY GLAD you decided to come out to the Caribbean, Jessie.’

Ben raised his voice above the sound of merrymaking going on inside the house immediately behind them, and for a moment or two his expression was solemn.

‘I didn’t expect you to come, you know—it must have taken a lot of sorting out and I feel really bad about pouring out my troubles to you and putting pressure on you that way. I shouldn’t have done it.’

He pressed his lips together in a rueful grimace.

‘You had enough on your plate back in London, and I know I ought to have kept things to myself, but I wasn’t thinking properly. I just needed to talk to you. Somehow, you always manage to make me feel better when I’m at my lowest.’

Jessie reached for his hand. ‘You’re my brother,’ she said softly. ‘I’ll always be there for you. You can depend on it.’

He gave her fingers an answering squeeze. ‘I’ll do the same for you, Jessie. You’ll see.’

‘I know you will,’ she said.

They were sitting on the terrace of a beautiful house, facing the sea, the darkness lit by flickering golden light from tiki torches planted at intervals along the paths and among the shrubbery. French doors opened out on to the patio to let the balmy tropical air circulate through the house, and in the background the heavy, rhythmic sound of steel drums beat out a lively calypso melody.

Inside the house, people were dancing, just as Jessie had been doing a short while ago with a number of eager partners. She hadn’t taken any of them up on their pleas for future romantic dates. Having her fingers burned back home had been warning enough and she wasn’t looking to get caught out that way again. As for the rest of the partygoers, they were chatting or helping themselves to the delicious food that had been set out on the island bar in the kitchen.

For now, though, Jessie just wanted to breathe in the night air and spend some time with her brother.

‘I feel as though I’ve landed in paradise,’ she said, sighing with contentment. ‘The island is incredible, fantastic. And as for this house, it’s so lovely—the owner must be very trusting to allow your friends to throw a party here while he’s away.’

‘I suppose so.’ Ben frowned, as though he hadn’t thought about it before now. ‘Anyway, Zach and Eric said they had his blessing. But, then, we’ve been renovating the place for him for the last couple of weeks—he let us have the keys so we could come and go as we pleased. I think he probably knows by now that we can be trusted.’

‘I guess so.’ She was puzzled. ‘Is that how long you’ve worked for him—a couple of weeks?’ It didn’t seem long enough for a man to decide he could safely leave his home in the hands of strangers.

‘Yes. I had to find work quickly after Dad kicked me out, and they needed an extra man on the team to do the labouring. Dr Benitez—the owner—already knew me because I’ve been helping out with the diving for the coral reef study alongside him in my spare time, so he set me on. He said I could do some work on his other properties when the renovations here were finished. He has a building company and rents out the properties once they’ve been brought up to a good standard.’

‘It’s good you were able to find something so soon.’ It sounded as though his new employer, Dr Benitez, was a wealthy, powerful individual—some kind of marine biologist who also had a property portfolio. It was good that Ben had landed on his feet.

She looked at her brother. He was barely nineteen, well muscled and fit from working out, but his appearance disguised the fact that he was young for his years and was still racked by the legacy of a troubled childhood. Of course, they’d both been affected by the break-up of their parents’ marriage, but Ben had only been eleven when it had happened, and his whole world had been turned upside down. Perhaps Jessie, being a few years older, had managed to handle the situation better.

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?’

He nodded. ‘You are.’

‘Ah.’ She faltered momentarily, feeling like an unwitting intruder. ‘Ben told me he and his friends have been working here. It’s such a lovely house—what I’ve seen of it so far, anyway. Which isn’t a great deal,’ she added hastily. ‘Just the living room and kitchen and the terrace.’ She didn’t want him to think she’d been inspecting every nook and cranny in his absence.

‘I’ll be more than glad to show you the rest,’ he said. His gaze was intense, heat flaring in the depths of his eyes, and her heart gave a small, involuntary leap.

‘Thank you, Dr Benitez, I’d like that.’

His expression softened briefly as he looked at her. ‘José … you must call me José, chica.’

‘José.’ She lowered her gaze for a second or two, a little overwhelmed by his full-on manner towards her.

‘Good.’

He turned to look at Ben, and she was dismayed to see that his demeanour changed. He was entirely different in his dealings with Ben. He seemed almost hostile towards him and straight away her system went on red alert. She had to get to the root of what was wrong. ‘Do you and Ben have a problem with one another?’ she asked.

‘I’m afraid it would seem so.’ He ran his hand lightly over her elbow, sending tremors of tingling sensation to run along the length of her arm. ‘Perhaps you would like to go back to the party for a few minutes?’ he suggested softly. ‘I need to talk to Ben in private for a moment.’

Jessie shook her head. ‘I don’t think so. You can say what needs to be said in front of me. I want to know what’s going on.’ She looked at Ben for confirmation and her brother nodded slowly, awkwardly.

‘I am sorry for that,’ José said. He stiffened, and turned an icy stare on Ben. ‘I want to know why he thought it would be all right to hold a party in my house while I was away.’ He sent her an oblique, smoky glance. ‘The only point in his favour is that he brought along with him the most beautiful girl in all of Saint Helene.’

‘Oh …’ She was too bewildered by his condemnation of Ben to take any notice of his smooth flattery. ‘You must be mistaken. I’m sure Ben wasn’t the one who—’

‘It’s all right, Jessie. I can speak for myself.’ Ben drew himself up to his full height, ready to stand up to José. ‘It’s not what you think, Dr Benitez. I didn’t set this up.’

Jessie was floundering. Her brother couldn’t have been so reckless as to arrange this party, could he? Hadn’t he told her his friends, Zach and Eric, had done all the organising?

‘Is that so? Really?’ José raised a dark, sceptical brow. ‘You’re the one who has the house keys. I trusted you. Obviously I was wrong to do that.’

‘But I gave the keys to Zach so we could work on the house,’ Ben protested. ‘He had to bring back some light fittings and cable and so on from the wholesaler when I wasn’t here.’

‘And you weren’t here because …?’

Ben’s cheeks flushed with warm colour and he averted his eyes briefly. ‘I … um … Zach’s an early riser but I’m never too good first thing in the morning … It just seemed better to let him do the wholesaler run. And you had given him the keys one time before you went away, so I didn’t think it would matter.’

José’s jaw flexed. ‘What you mean to say is that you drink too much and can’t get up for work on time.’ His eyes were like flint. ‘So Zach has the keys now?’

‘Well, no … he gave them back to me tonight, just a short time ago. We’ve finished the work here, so he didn’t need to hold on to them any more.’

Jessie’s spirits sank with every word he uttered. Her brother wouldn’t have organised this party, she was sure of it, but he had believed his friend when he’d said it was all right with their boss to use the house. Ben was so naive, so gullible … and now, from the look of sheer disbelief on his employer’s face, she knew he was in trouble because José clearly didn’t know him the way she did.

‘I’ll have the keys back,’ José said, holding out his hand, palm upwards. ‘I shall be changing the locks, of course, and installing a security system.’

Ben handed over the keys. His face was pale. ‘I’m sorry, Dr Benitez,’ he said. ‘Really, I am. Please believe me, I didn’t do this. Honestly, I thought you’d agreed to let us use the house just for tonight.’

‘You seriously think I would do that?’ José’s stare was frosty. ‘You need to start looking around for some other kind of work, Ben. I won’t be needing you any more.’

Ben gave a short gasp, as though he’d been landed a blow in his midriff. ‘But I didn’t—honestly, I didn’t do this … I wouldn’t. I was wrong to let Zach have the keys, I know, but it won’t happen again, I promise. I’ll sort myself out. I’ll be on time—I will, if you’ll just give me another chance …’

José shook his head. ‘You let me down and I’ve no wish to have my trust abused once more.’

Jessie couldn’t bear to see this happening. She had to do what she could to plead her brother’s case.

‘José, please, won’t you reconsider?’ she said quietly. ‘He said he didn’t do this … and I believe him. Won’t you give him a chance to show you that he can be trusted?’

José’s features remained etched as though in stone. ‘He’s your novio, yes? You care so much for him that you would plead for him? I’m afraid your feelings for him are misplaced, mi chica bella.’

‘No, no … you have it all wrong,’ she said anxiously. ‘He isn’t my boyfriend—he’s my brother. I know him. I understand him and I’m certain he’s telling you the truth.’

José pulled in a quick breath, his eyes glittering, and for a second or two as he studied her, she dared to think that he might relent. But instead he shook his head. ‘It’s good that you care for your brother, Jessie, but he let me down and I believe you’re letting your emotions colour your judgement. He can’t be trusted to turn up for work on time and he gave my keys to a third party. He doesn’t deserve your sympathy.’

‘I think that’s for me to decide.’ Her chin jerked upwards. ‘So let me get this straight … if the situation were reversed you would turn your back on a brother or a sister who needed your help?’

‘I didn’t say that.’

She sent him a scathing look. He had been charm itself just a short time ago, yet now he was ready to dismiss her brother without a second glance. How could she have any regard for a man who would treat her brother that way? His swift condemnation had brought all her protective instincts to the fore, and inside she was seething with resentment.

She’d been right to be wary of him. So much for any expectation of good old-fashioned chivalry or plain and simple justice.

‘You haven’t even bothered to check his story,’ she said tartly. ‘How do you know Zach and his friend didn’t organise this?’

‘Perhaps they were all in on it together. I shall have to find out.’

His answer did nothing to appease her. She’d had enough of this. She picked up her clutch bag from the table and turned towards her brother. ‘Come on, Ben. We should go. We’re through here. There’s nothing more to say.’

José’s gaze moved over her. ‘I have no argument with you, Jessie. I would very much like you to stay.’

‘And I would prefer to leave.’

Ben looked anxious, sending her a worried glance. He bent his head towards her and said in a whisper, ‘Don’t you think I should stay and help with the clearing up? I mean, we can’t leave the place like this, can we?’

‘I wouldn’t fret yourself about that,’ she said tersely, fully aware that José was watching them, a host of conflicting emotions written across his face. She was still upset by his perfunctory treatment of her brother. ‘Zach and Eric can see to all that.’

‘But they left half an hour ago,’ Ben muttered under his breath.

‘Did they?’ She gave a short laugh. ‘That was convenient, wasn’t it? I expect they found out that Dr Benitez had turned up. They knew they’d done wrong and they didn’t want to stay and face the consequences.’

She started to walk towards the side of the house and after a moment’s hesitation and a hasty glance in José’s direction Ben hurried after her.

‘Are you sure we’re doing the right thing?’ he persisted anxiously.

‘Of course,’ she said. She wouldn’t be seeing Dr José Benitez again, so what did it matter? The fact that his brooding stare was burning a hole in her back only served to stiffen her resolve all the more.