Читать книгу Island Fantasy - Kayla Perrin - Страница 9

People stared at Shayna as she got out of the limo in front of her building. Of course they did. They all had to be wondering why a girl with great hair and makeup but dressed in casual clothes was getting out of a Hummer limo—alone. Especially one that had clearly been decked out for a wedding. Shayna had ripped off the “Just Married” sign at the back of the limo, but tissue-paper flowers and streamers still adorned the sides and front.

Shayna didn’t meet any of the curious gazes. She just hustled into her building and up to her apartment. Once there, she turned off her cell phone and yanked the plugs of her two home phones out of the wall. She knew her parents and others would be calling, but she didn’t want to talk to any of them. She stripped off her clothes and took a hot bubble bath, surprised that she no longer felt like crying.

Somehow, she had been truly able to put Vince behind her, and she had him to thank for that. If he’d stuck to apologizing profusely, Shayna might still feel some sadness over the end of their relationship. But that bald-faced lie about thinking he was with her…Vince simply didn’t deserve her tears.

Later that night, after she had repacked her suitcase to include a myriad of books she would now get the chance to read, Shayna called her parents. She got pretty much the same protest from her mother about going to Jamaica alone that she’d gotten from her sister. Her mother didn’t want Shayna alone during this difficult time. She wanted her eldest daughter surrounded by supportive family. Shayna assured her mother that she’d be fine and needed this time to herself.

“You’re sure I can’t change your mind?” Shayna’s mother asked.

“I’ll be fine, Mom. I’ll call every day.”

A beat passed. “Vince says you’re mistaken,” her mother said softly. “That what you saw was him trying to fight off that woman in the car. Granted, he shouldn’t have allowed her in the car in the first place—”

“Funny,” Shayna said, interrupting her mother. “Because he told me that he thought that stripper was me.” Shayna let the words settle over her mother. “He’s lying, Mom. Trying any story that will stick.”

“He says he loves you, dear. With all his heart. He’s so torn up over what’s happened.”

And Shayna’s mother was torn up over the fact that her daughter wouldn’t be marrying a doctor. Her dream had come true when Shayna had started dating Vince, whom she’d met by chance at a coffee shop when she’d been there working on her latest historical romance novel. And Shayna thought her dream of finding her real-life perfect hero had come true, as well.

Clearly, she’d been mistaken.

“You don’t actually think I should forgive him?” Shayna asked her mother.

“No,” Alice Kenyon said softly. “It’s just…such a disappointment.”

“I know it is. But the fact remains that Vince betrayed me. The night before our wedding. Nothing he says will ever explain away what he did. I would have far more respect for him if he could admit what he’d done, take ownership of his very bad behavior.”

“All right, sweetheart. You go on your trip alone if you need to. But be careful. Take care of yourself.”

“Like I told Brianne, I’m going to a five-star resort in Jamaica. I’ll be in good hands, so please don’t worry. I love you, Mom.”

“I love you, too.”

Shayna ended the call with her mother, finished packing the last of her things for her trip and headed to bed in her apartment—all too aware that it was a far cry from the posh honeymoon suite she and Vince had booked for the night.

About five hours later, Shayna was up in the middle of the night and driving to Toronto, where she and Vince were scheduled to fly to Jamaica on a charter plane.

She turned the radio on as she drove, hoping music would block out her thoughts. But within minutes, she was no longer focusing on the lyrics of Kanye West, but the reality that the last thirty hours hadn’t been an awful dream.

Shayna had often taken playful ribbing from her friends about her single status. Especially when she’d hit thirty and still hadn’t found her true love. They had teased her about the fact that she could come up with the best heroes in her novels, yet couldn’t find one in her real life.

“Writing the perfect hero has taught me that the last thing I want to do is settle,” Shayna always explained. It had become her mantra.

Shortly before her thirty-first birthday, she’d met Vince. And her life had changed. He was successful. Charming. Attractive. Finally, the man she’d been waiting for had come into her life.

Was he always a cheater? Shayna wondered. Or did alcohol truly make him lose his mind on Friday night?

A moment after the question popped into her mind, Shayna knew that it didn’t matter. If he’d always been a cheater, then good riddance. If the alcohol had clouded his morality, then good riddance.

Gripping the steering wheel, she drew in a deep, calming breath. But she felt anything but calm. She felt anxious and hurt and relieved all in one.

Which was to be expected. Her mind might know better, but her heart was still reeling from shock.

She hoped that after a week in Jamaica she could return home with her mind, body and spirit refreshed, able to truly consider Vince a part of her past. Because it wasn’t so much Vince she was grieving now as the loss of the dreams she’d had about her future with him.

She’d told herself that she wouldn’t shed another tear over Vince. If he could so easily sleep with one of the strippers from the bachelor party in the backseat of his car on the night before their wedding, then he wasn’t worth her tears. Yes, the life she’d been planning and hoping for had been taken away from her in the blink of an eye, but it was far better that Vince betrayed her now, before they said their I do’s. Shayna’s good friend, Christine, was still reeling from her husband’s decision to leave her for another woman, and after six years of marriage, Christine was now a single mother.

No, if Vince was going to cheat, this was the time.

But as much as Shayna knew she needed to move on, she still felt pain deep in her soul. She wished she could turn her emotions off the way one did a light switch, but that simply wasn’t realistic.

Hopefully one week in Jamaica would go a long way toward helping her heal.

After an hour and forty-five minutes of driving, Shayna arrived at the Pearson International Airport. She parked, caught the train to Terminal One and dutifully lined up at the counter. A pleasant young woman greeted her with a warm smile. Shayna handed over the paperwork she’d downloaded from the travel agent, along with her passport.

The airline representative punched in Shayna’s information, then promptly raised her eyes to hers. “According to your reservation, you’re traveling with a Vince Danbury.”

“The plan has changed,” Shayna said. “I’m traveling alone.”

“Oh.” The woman’s gaze immediately lowered to Shayna’s ringless left hand. The impression of the ring that had once been there was visible.

“Let’s just say I’m thanking my lucky stars that I learned the truth about him before we said I do,” Shayna told the woman.

“I’m sorry,” the woman said.

“Don’t be. Better now than five years and a couple of kids later.”

“This is true.” The woman printed off a ticket and handed it to Shayna. “Seat 6F. Gate B27. Boarding begins in an hour and fifteen minutes. You have plenty of time.”

Shayna took her time heading to the gate, stopping to get a light breakfast—a banana and a yogurt. She also stopped to buy a murder mystery. She tried to act like a woman going on a happy trip, instead of a person going on her supposed honeymoon alone.

At least on the plane she didn’t have to worry about making small talk with a stranger. The seat beside her—the one that should have been for Vince—remained unoccupied.

Shayna closed her eyes and tried to sleep as the plane headed for Jamaica.

An hour after arriving at Sangster International Airport in Montego Bay, the chartered bus taking the passengers to the hotel slowed down, then began turning left. Shayna’s eyes widened, her spirits soaring when she saw the exterior of the resort.

The Gran Bahia Principe in Runaway Bay, Jamaica, could not have been more beautiful. The grounds were lush with palm trees, well-manicured lawns, and neatly trimmed bushes. An array of colorful flowers added to the hotel’s beauty. She broke out in an ear-to-ear grin when she caught a glimpse of the turquoise-blue sea in the distance. This was her first time in the Caribbean, and so far, the landscape was everything she’d dreamed of.

So was the hotel. To put it simply, it was gorgeous. The large columns at the front made it look like a Roman structure—grand and elegant.

Shayna had been sitting alone at the back of the bus, not wanting to engage in small talk, and she waited until everyone had filed off before getting up to exit. The digital clock at the front of the bus read 3:32 p.m.

Outside, the sun was shining in a perfect blue sky. Perhaps the first thing Shayna would do was head to her room, get changed and then find a restaurant where she could have a late lunch. After that, she’d find a spot under a palm tree and continue reading the novel she’d started on the plane.

Shayna got off the bus and stood to the side, knowing it would take a few more minutes for all of the luggage to be unloaded. On the right side of the wide lobby, near the front desk, a woman in a black skirt and white blouse was offering welcome cocktails to the newcomers. Shayna would be sure to get one as soon as she retrieved her luggage.

After a few minutes, she turned back toward the bus and joined the people searching for their suitcases. Hers was navy blue and she would recognize it anywhere, even among a mountain of navy blue suitcases. She wasn’t like people who mistakenly took another person’s luggage because they all looked so similar.

But she didn’t see her suitcase anywhere. It had been with her when she’d gotten off the plane. She’d taken it to the bus. It had to be somewhere.

She approached the bus driver. “My suitcase,” she began. “I don’t see it anywhere.”

“No worries, lovely lady.” The man’s eyes roamed over her face appreciatively. “The suitcases are being taken into the main lobby.” He gestured up the few steps to the left side of the large open foyer.

“Oh. I see.” How had she missed that?

“You’re beautiful,” he told her, letting his eyes roam a little lower. “You here by yourself?”

“Um, no. I’m meeting friends.” She handed the man a couple dollars in tip. “Thank you.”

Before he could say anything else, she turned and climbed the few steps into the lobby.

The smiling woman with the tray of cocktails approached her, and Shayna took one. The nonalcoholic beverage tasted like a mix of papaya and pineapple. It was refreshing, especially in the island heat, which was a heck of a lot warmer than the weather she’d left in Buffalo.

As Shayna took another sip, she spotted her suitcase, but before she could retrieve it, she was assured by a bellman that he would watch all the luggage until people had checked in. Then someone would help her get her luggage to the room.

“It’s only one piece,” Shayna said. “I’ll be fine with it on my own.”

When she retracted the handle, the man said, “You can leave it with me until you’re checked in. Is all right?”

Slowly, she nodded, though she didn’t fully meet the man’s eyes. She saw that he, too, was checking her out. Maybe he figured her for a tourist who had come to the island to get lucky.

He was cute, but she wasn’t interested—even if she did like the sound of his Jamaican accent.

Shayna went to the line at the front desk and waited for her turn to check in. As she did, her eyes roamed. There was a huge stone structure in the middle of the lobby, surrounded by a fountain and foliage. The structure sort of resembled a giant teardrop. Sort of. The floors were a cream-colored marble. The place was elegantly decorated, no doubt about it. The perfect place to spend a honeymoon.

Or a solitary vacation.

Pushing the thought aside, Shayna turned, seeing for the first time that there was a massive terrace on the far left side of the lobby. Happy people sat at tables outside, drinking and enjoying the view. Perhaps that would be a good place to get a bite to eat and read her novel, with the beach and Caribbean Sea as the idyllic backdrop.

Hearing a sudden burst of laughter, she turned and saw a group of people entering the lobby from a hallway near the front steps. It was an extended family by the looks of it, with at least a few women, two men and handful of kids. They were nicely dressed, as though they were heading to an early dinner. One of the men was holding a young girl who had fallen asleep.

Shayna had told her sister that if she never saw another man it would be too soon, but the one carrying the girl was quite something to look at. In fact, she couldn’t tear her eyes from him as he strolled across the lobby. He was tall, a little over six feet, with wide shoulders and muscular biceps. Shayna loved football, and this guy had the build of a wide receiver.

The man must have sensed Shayna was staring, because his gaze suddenly turned from his happy family and found hers. His brown eyes sent a jolt of electricity right through her.

Shayna immediately glanced away, uncomfortable. Her heart was beating a little bit faster and she couldn’t help wondering why. Guilt that she’d been caught staring?

Or something else?

The man was certainly attractive. He had skin the color of milk chocolate; a strong, chiseled jaw and a seriously nice body evident even beneath the loose white shirt that hung over his black pants. But he was carrying his daughter and was obviously married.

After a few seconds, knowing the man and his family must have passed her by now, she turned to steal another glimpse of him.

Ooh, Lord. What a behind. And those muscular thighs…He was just as attractive from behind.

The man angled his head over his shoulder in her direction, almost as if he sensed her staring again. Her face flaming, Shayna quickly turned her attention back toward the front desk, embarrassed that he would think she’d been checking him out.

But she had been checking him out. The realization startled her.

How long had it been since she’d fled the altar? Barely over twenty-four hours. Shayna didn’t think she’d be checking anyone out for many months, maybe even years.

As her pulse returned to normal, she cut herself some slack. As the saying went, she wasn’t dead. It wasn’t a crime to check out a sexy brother, even if she didn’t plan to date ever again.

And there was one reason she’d allowed herself to shamelessly ogle the sexy stranger.

He was safe territory. He was married.

Ten minutes later, Shayna was checked in and had her room key and room number, which the woman at the front desk had told her a bellman would help her find. The same bellman she’d spoken to earlier smiled warmly when she approached him again.

“What room, lovely lady?”

“18326,” Shayna said, frowning. The building certainly wasn’t eighteen stories high. “You can just direct me, and I’ll be fine.”

“No worries, mon. I’ll take you.”

Shayna decided not to argue. There was no point coming across as uptight when the man was only offering help.

The walk to the room went on and on. Every time she thought they were reaching the end, they simply rounded a corner and another corridor came into view. Shayna passed rooms that began with fourteen, fifteen, sixteen—and wondered if they’d reach her room before sunset. The walk seemed to take hours.

But finally, the bellman slowed when he got to the end of what turned out to be the absolute last hallway. “It’s a long walk,” he explained. “But you have the best view.”

The man opened the door for her, inserted the electronic key into a slot on the wall, and flicked on the lights. “When you’re in this room, you need to keep this key in the slot to get the lights and air-conditioning working.”

The room was warm, but the balcony door was open, sending in some fresh air. It smelled of the sea and also a slightly spicy scent that Shayna figured came from the flowers.

“If the balcony door is open, the air-conditioning shuts off immediately,” the man continued.

The room was beautiful. In the middle was a four-poster king-size bed. A dresser was on the opposite wall, beside which was a minifridge. There was a sofa near the balcony window. Across from the sofa was a small round table—upon which was a carafe with a bottle of champagne.

Shayna’s heart fluttered. Honeymoon. Of course.

“You also have the best balcony. It’s on the corner, so it’s much larger than the rooms beside you. They usually give this room to honeymooners.”

Shayna’s pulse began to race. This was the room where she and Vince were supposed to spend the next seven days and nights in wedded bliss.

Instead…

She stopped the thought before it could finish and reached into her purse. She pulled a few bills out of her wallet and passed them to the man. “Thanks for your help.”

He caught her hand as he accepted the money. Caught and held it. Shayna looked at him in surprise.

“You really are a lovely lady,” he said softly. “Where’s your husband?”

Shayna pulled her hand free, thinking suddenly of her family’s concern about her going on this trip alone. She hoped this man wasn’t going to be a problem.

“Thanks again for your help,” she said in a firm tone, the kind that said she wasn’t interested in any more small talk.

The man nodded and headed to the door. “Have a good vacation, pretty lady.”

Before he left, Shayna made note of his name. His tag read “Garth.” She would file the information away, but she hoped he knew she wasn’t interested. If he showed up at her door unannounced, she would be able to tell the front desk who he was.

Shayna closed and locked the door, then slowly strolled through the room. She made her way onto the balcony, which was, as Garth had said, huge. There was a round plastic table in its center, with two plastic chairs. It would be a nice place to eat breakfast in the morning.

The woman at the front desk had explained that Shayna’s room was three stories high, even though the third level was directly accessible from the lobby level. Here, the room was at a nice height to see everything around her. Moving forward to the railing, she looked out at the incredible view below. Garth had been right. The walk had been long but worth it. Shayna had never seen water so many shades of blue. To the left there was a large bay populated with sunseekers along the beach and in the water. A number of people were a good fifty yards into the sea, and yet the water only reached to their waists. Clearly, that was a very shallow beach.

Directly below her was a green building. A restaurant, perhaps? Beside that was another building beside a marina where people in bathing suits were eating at plastic tables. That had to be one of the resort’s casual eateries.

Shayna’s gaze wandered to the right. There she saw a rocky inlet with a smaller beach, at the end of which was a gazebo. No doubt it was a spot where the resort’s weddings were held.

In fact, there were people down there now. Some children, some adults.

Wait a minute, Shayna thought, her gaze narrowing. The next instant, she felt a jolt of shock.

The sexy stranger. He was in the gazebo along with his family.

No wonder they’d been nicely dressed. They’d been heading to the gazebo for a wedding.

And when the man turned, Shayna felt another jolt. Out of all the rooms in the hotel, had his gaze landed on her?

She quickly hurried into her room, away from the man’s gaze. And then she felt stupid.

What was she going to do—run every time she saw him? Stay in her hotel room the entire week to avoid crossing his path?

“It’s not like you’re about to try and steal another woman’s husband,” she said to herself. “It’s okay to look.”

And maybe that’s exactly what she needed on this trip. Some eye candy to help soothe the memory of what Vince had done to her.

An attractive man she could admire from afar without any fear that it would lead somewhere.

After all, he was married. Therefore unavailable.

It was perfect.