Shadow Chasing, page 4
“What’s the matter with running? I thought you’d be into physical fitness.”
She laughed softly. “I swim, and that’s the entire repertoire of my athletic abilities.”
“You mean you weren’t in track? With those long legs of yours, I’d think you’d be a natural.”
“So did my high school coach—until the first practice. He had to time me with a calendar. Running’s out.”
“Walking?” Philip suggested.
“Good grief, if we can’t find a carriage, what’s the matter with those golf-cart things that we’ve been taking lately?”
“You mean the pulmonías?” His gray eyes were dancing with amusement, and Carla struggled not to succumb to the invitation in their smoky depths.
“Whatever,” she replied, pleased with herself now for agreeing to this crazy relationship. She honestly enjoyed this zany man.
“If you insist,” Philip said blandly, and flagged down a passing taxi when it became obvious that finding a cabriolet would take longer than they were willing to wait.
Back at the hotel, Carla mentally chastised herself for being so easily swayed by Philip’s direct approach. She really ought to have played harder to get.
“There’s a band playing at the—”
“I love to dance,” she interrupted enthusiastically. “My feet are itching already.”
Philip smoothed the hair at the side of his head. “Tell me, why was I expecting an argument?” He was regarding her with a look of amused surprise.
“I don’t know.” Carla laughed gaily, happiness bubbling over.
“If you’re not into sports, what kinds of things do you like to do?” With his hand at her elbow, he escorted her toward the lively sounds of the mariachi band.
“Play checkers,” Carla responded immediately. “I’ve won the King County Parks and Recreation Checker Championship three years running. It’s a nice, friendly game, and I’ve got a terrific coach I’ll tell you about sometime.”
Carla felt relaxed and happy as they stood in line outside the lounge. They seemed to be waiting in a lot of lines tonight, not that she minded.
Philip studied her intently; his eyes narrowed slightly, as if he had trouble believing the fact that she was nonathletic.
“No sports, you say?”
“Just checkers.” Carla’s gleaming eyes didn’t leave his. “Knowing that I’m a champion, Philip, would you have any trouble jumping me?” She was teasing, but the responding look in Philip’s eyes was serious.
“I’d consider it,” he murmured, “but I think I’d probably wait until after the game.”
Chapter 3
Golden moonbeams softly lighted a path along the beach. The gentle whisper of the ocean breeze was broken only by the sound of the waves crashing against the smooth white shore.
Philip slipped his arm around Carla’s shoulders, and she brought her hand up so that they could lace their fingers together.
“Why didn’t you tell me you could dance like that?” he murmured against her hair. “I’ve seen card sharps with slower moves.”
Enjoying his surprise, Carla smiled softly to herself. “All I do is swing my hips a little.”
“Yes, but I felt the least I could do was try to keep up with you. I’m dead.”
“And I thought you police officers had to be in top physical condition.” Not for a minute would she admit that she was as exhausted as Philip was.
“I’m in great shape,” he argued, “but three hours on the dance floor with you is above and beyond the call of duty. Next time I think I’ll suggest checkers.”
“You’ll lose,” Carla returned confidently.
“Maybe, but I have a feeling my feet won’t hurt nearly as much.”
Philip had been the one to suggest this stroll. But it wasn’t a walk in the moonlight that interested him; Carla was convinced of that. He was seeking a few stolen kisses against the backdrop of a tropical night. And for that matter, so was she. Every time they met, Philip astonished her. One look the day on the plane and she’d instantly sized him up as dull and introspective. But he was warm, caring, and witty. There wasn’t any man who could make her laugh the way Philip did.
“I enjoyed myself tonight. You’re a lot of fun.” She felt compelled to tell him that.
“You sound surprised.” Philip moved his chin so it brushed against the crown of her head. The action was strangely comforting and erotic.
“Surprised is the wrong word,” she said softly, struggling to express herself. “Leery, maybe. I don’t want to like you too much. That would only complicate a nice, serene relationship. We’re having a good time, and I don’t want to ruin it.”
“In other words, you don’t want to fall in love with me?”
“Exactly.” Carla hated the heartless way this made her sound. Already she recognized that falling for Philip wouldn’t be difficult. He was many of the things she wanted in a man. And everything she didn’t.
He expelled his breath in a half-angry sigh, but it was the only indication he gave that she had displeased him.
Closing her eyes, Carla felt an unexpected rush of regret settle over her. One evening together and she was already doubting that this arrangement was going to work. Spending time with Philip might not be a good idea if they were both going to end up taking it seriously. All she wanted was a good time. And he’d claimed that was all he was looking for, too. This was a holiday fling, after all, not a husband hunt.
“Don’t you think you’re overreacting just a little to the fact I’m a policeman?” Philip asked, his voice restrained and searching.
“Haven’t we already been over this?” she answered hastily. “Besides, you have your own dating quirk. What if I’d been a flight attendant? You said yourself you prefer not to go out with them.”
“But in your case I’d have made an exception.”
“Why?”
“It’s those lovely eyes of yours—”
“No,” she interrupted brusquely, reacting with more than simple curiosity. “Why don’t you like flight attendants?”
“It’s a long story, and there are other things I have in mind.” Clearly, he wasn’t interested in relaying the details of his experience, and Carla decided she wouldn’t push him. When he was ready to tell her, if he ever was, she’d be pleased to listen. She found it interesting that after only a few hours’ acquaintance with Philip she had released a lifetime full of bitterness about her father and his occupation. Apparently, she hadn’t generated the same kind of response in him. It troubled her a little.
“You’re quiet all of a sudden.” His lips found her temple, and he kissed her there lightly. “What are you thinking?”
Tilting her head back, she smiled into those appealing smoky-gray eyes of his. “To be honest, I was mulling over the fact that you’ll tell me about your bang-ups in time. But then it occurred to me that you might not.”
“And that bothers you?” He studied her with amused patience.
“Yes and no.” In a way that she didn’t understand, Carla suddenly decided she didn’t want to know. Obviously Philip had loved and presumably lost, and Carla wasn’t sure she wanted the particulars.
“The curious side of you is eager to hear the gory details—”
“But my sensitive side doesn’t want to have you dredge up unhappy memories,” she finished for him.
“It was a long time ago.”
Carla slipped an arm around his waist and laid her head against his shoulder. “And best forgotten.”
They continued walking along the moonlit beach in silence. Carla felt warm and comfortable having this man at her side. The realization wasn’t something she wanted to explore; for now, she was content.
“It’s been six years since I broke up with Nicole,” Philip said after a time.
Twisting in his embrace, Carla turned and pressed the tips of her fingers against his lips. “Don’t,” she whispered, afraid of how she’d react if she saw pain in his eyes. “It isn’t necessary. There isn’t a reason in the world for you to tell me.”
His jaw tightened, and memories played across his face. Some revealed the pleasant aspects of his relationship with Nicole, but others weren’t as easily deciphered.
“I think you should know,” he said, and his eyes narrowed to hard points of steel.
Carla wasn’t sure which was troubling him more: the past or the sudden need to tell her about his lost love.
“Let me simplify things by saying that I loved her and asked her to marry me. But apparently she didn’t care as deeply for me as I thought.”
“She turned you down?” Carla murmured.
“No.” His short laugh was filled with bitter sarcasm. “That’s the crazy part. She accepted my ring, but she refused to move out on the guy she was living with. Naturally, neither one of us knew about the other.”
Carla struggled not to laugh. “If you want my opinion, I think you made a lucky escape. This Nicole sounds a bit foolish to me.”
Philip relaxed against her. His hands found the small of her back, arching her closer to him. “I don’t know, there’s something about me that attracts the weird ones. Just yesterday some oddball approached me in the bar with a lunatic story about me being her date for the night because I ordered a margarita.”
“A real weirdo, no doubt.” she said mockingly.
“That’s not the half of it.” His head lowered with every word, so that by the time he finished, his lips hovered over hers.
“Oh?” Breathlessly, she anticipated his kiss.
“Yes.” His low voice was as caressing as his look. “The thing is, I’d been watching her from the moment I walked into the lounge, trying to come up with a way of approaching her.”
Before she could react to this startling bit of news, Philip brought her into his embrace. Slowly his mouth opened over hers, taking in the softness of her trembling lips in a soul-stirring, devouring kiss. Carla stood on the tips of her toes and clung to him, devastated by the intensity of her reaction. This had happened the first time he’d kissed her. If Philip’s lovemaking had been hard or urgent, maybe she could have withstood it. But he was incredibly gentle, as if she were of exquisite worth and as fragile as a rosebud, and that was irresistible.
When his tongue outlined the fullness of her mouth, Carla’s willpower melted, and she couldn’t pull herself away from the fiery kiss. Desire shot through her, and when she broke away, her breathing was irregular and deep.
“I…I think we should put a limit on these kisses,” she proposed shakily.
Philip didn’t look any more in control of himself than she felt. His eyes were closed as he drew in a husky breath and nodded in agreement. Only a short space separated them, but he continued to hold her, his hands running the length of her bare arms.
“Let’s get you back to your hotel room.”
“Yes.”
But they didn’t move.
Unable to resist, Carla rested her head against his muscular chest, weak with the wonder of his kiss. “I don’t understand.” She was surprised to hear the words, not realizing she’d spoken out loud.
“What?” Philip questioned softly.
She shrugged, flustered for a moment. “You. Me. If you had come up to me yesterday and asked to buy me a drink, I probably would have refused.”
He flashed a crooked grin. “I know. Why do you think I didn’t?”
“Obviously you recognized that I was about to take the initiative,” she said jokingly, to hide her discomfort.
Together they turned and headed toward the hotel, taking leisurely steps. Carla’s bare toes kicked up the sand.
“What would you like to do tomorrow?” she asked, not because she was especially interested in their itinerary, but because knowing she would be seeing him in the morning would surely enhance her dreams tonight.
“Shall we get together for breakfast?”
“I’d like that.”
Outside her door, Philip set a time and place for them to meet in the morning, then kissed her gently and left.
Carla walked slowly inside the room and released a long, drawn-out sigh. For such a rotten beginning, the day had turned out wonderfully well.
“Is that you, Carla?” The question came from the darkened interior of the room.
“No, it’s the bogeyman,” Carla teased.
“I take it you met someone?” Nancy’s voice was soft and curious.
“Yup.”
“Tell me about your day.” The moonlight silhouetted her roommate against the wall. Nancy was sitting on the side of the mattress.
“It’s the guy I met yesterday.” Carla couldn’t disguise the wistful note in her voice.
“What happened? When I asked this morning, the looks you gave me said you didn’t want to have anything to do with him.”
“That was this morning.”
Fluffing up her pillow, Nancy positioned it against the headboard, leaned against it, and put her hands behind her head. “I’m glad things worked out.”
“Me, too.” Carla moved into the room and began to undress.
“I can’t believe how much I like Eduardo,” Nancy said pensively as she stared dreamily at the ceiling. “I can’t even begin to tell you what a marvelous day we had.”
Carla slipped the silk nightie over her head. “The funny part was, I had no intention of seeing Philip again.”
Nancy sighed unevenly and slid down so her head rested in the thick of the pillow. “He gave me a tour of Mazatlán that will hold memories to last a lifetime. And later tonight when he kissed me I could have cried, it was so incredibly beautiful.”
“But then Philip was there, and I’d been so miserable all day, and he suggested we have dinner, and not for the life of me could I refuse.”
“I’ve never felt this strongly about a man. And I’ve barely known Eduardo more than twenty-four hours.”
Carla pulled back the bedcovers and paused, holding the pillow to her stomach. “I’m meeting Philip first thing in the morning.”
“Eduardo says he can’t believe that someone as beautiful as I would be interested in him. And just because he broke his leg. He keeps assuring me he really isn’t a klutz. As if I’d ever think such a thing.”
“I don’t know if I’ll be able to sleep. Every time I close my eyes I know Philip will be there. I don’t know how to explain it. To look at him, you’d be unimpressed. But he’s the most gentle man. Tender.”
“I can’t sleep. Every time I try, my heart hammers and I wonder if I’m going crazy to feel like this.”
The sheets felt cool against Carla’s legs as she slipped between the covers and yawned. “I guess I should get some sleep. Night, Nance.”
“Night,” Nancy answered with a yawn of her own.
“By the way,” Carla asked absently, “how’d your day go?”
“Fantastic. How about you?”
“Wonderful.”
“I’m glad. Good night.”
“Night.”
* * *
—
Philip was already seated in the hotel restaurant when Carla arrived. Her gaze met his, and she smiled. She enjoyed the way he was watching her. The sleeveless pink-and-blue crinkle-cotton sundress was her favorite, and she knew she looked good. She’d spent extra time with her makeup, and one glance from him confirmed that the effort had been well spent.
“Morning.” Philip stood and pulled out her chair.
“Did you sleep well?”
He leaned forward and kissed her cheek lightly. “Like a baby. How about you?”
Setting her large-brimmed straw hat on the empty seat beside her, Carla nodded. “Great.”
The waiter appeared and handed them each a menu, but they didn’t look at them. “What would you like to do today?”
“Explore,” Carla replied immediately. “Would you mind if I dragged you to the arts-and-crafts center?”
Philip reached for her hand and squeezed it gently. “Not at all. And tomorrow I thought we’d take an excursion to Palmito de la Virgen.”
Carla blinked. “Where?”
“An island near here. It’s a bird-watcher’s paradise.”
The only bird Carla was interested in watching was Philip, but she didn’t say as much.
“And Thursday I thought we might try our hand at deep-sea fishing.”
“I’m game,” she said, and giggled. “No pun intended.”
“My, my, you’re agreeable. Are you always like this in the mornings?”
Carla reached for the ice water, keeping her eyes lowered. “Most of the time.”
“I’d like to discover that for myself.”
The waiter arrived with his pen and pad, and Carla glanced up at him guiltily, realizing she hadn’t even looked at the menu.
* * *
—
After breakfast they rode a pulmonía to the Mazatlán Arts and Crafts Center, and Philip insisted on buying her a lovely turquoise ring. Carla felt more comfortable purchasing her souvenirs from these people and not from the beach vendors. Here the price was set and there wasn’t any haggling.
Tucking their purchases into a giant straw bag, Carla took off her hat and waved it in front of her face. Most of the shopping areas were air-conditioned, but once they stepped outside, the heat was stifling.
“Would you like something cool to drink?” Philip asked solicitously.
Smiling up at him, Carla placed a hand over her breast. “You, my dear man, know the path to my heart.”
Unexpectedly, Philip’s hand tightened on the back of her neck until his grip was almost painful. He dropped his hand and took a step forward as if he’d forgotten her completely. Surprised but not alarmed, Carla reached for his arm. “What’s wrong?”
