Page 15 of Escape to the Sun

She doubted that.

“Are you ready to go? I think Sherri was going to put out some food.”

The mention of food made her stomach grumble. She could eat. “Sounds good.” Besides, she probably shouldn’t spend too much more time alone with Ash. Not that she didn’t want to. She did. She really did. That was the entire problem.

* * *

“You were gone awhile.”

Ash looked directly at Sherri, who stared at him pointedly when they walked back into the big house.

“Not long enough, Sher,” he said just loud enough for her to hear. He didn’t want to make Heather feel any more uncomfortable than she clearly already did. That was never his intention. In a different situation, he might think he’d read her wrong, but the way she’d kissed him left no room for doubt.

No, he’d certainly not read that wrong.

“Something smells fantastic.” Ash left the women and went directly to the kitchen and the source of the delicious smells that were coming out of it.

He was greeted by a beautiful smile. “Gracias, Ash.” Camila, the young woman Sherri had hired to help out with the cooking and cleaning, stood in front of the stove. Her apron was tight across her chest and the heat of the kitchen had left a sexy sheen on her skin. “Would you like a taste?” She tipped her head and parted her lips, making it clear that the only taste Camila was offering would be a taste of her lips.

Any other day, he wouldn’t have hesitated, but the familiar attraction he usually felt with Camila wasn’t there. The girl was gorgeous and he knew exactly what she had to offer, having been the lucky recipient of her affections on more than one occasion. But today was different.

“I’ll wait to eat with the ladies,” he said smoothly. He tried not to notice the disappointment on her face. She was a nice girl, but he’d never made her any promises.

He never made anyone any promises.

Not anymore.

He spied a platter of tamales and crossed the room. “Are these ready?” Without waiting for an answer, Ash grabbed the tray and headed back out into the main room and away from Camila’s questioning stare.

“Looks like dinner’s ready.” When he walked in, Sherri and Heather lifted their heads from their discussion. “Am I interrupting anything?”

Sherri shook her head. “Of course not, honey. You’re never an interruption.”

He knew he wasn’t but the wink Heather gave him helped to reassure him.

Sherri stood and gestured to the table. “Set it down, Ash. I’ll get wine. We need to celebrate.”

“Celebrate?” Heather looked between them. “What are we celebrating?”

“You, silly girl.” Sherri put a decanter of wine on the table next to the tamales. “You’re here at Casa del Sol and I just know you’re going to be perfect.”

Ash poured the wine. They raised it in a toast to Heather and drank deeply before they tucked into the homemade tamales and the locally famous salad Sherri liked to make with local ingredients. Ash refilled their glasses at least twice more before they were done eating and he cleared the dishes, ducking them into the kitchen quickly before Camila saw him. On his way back to the table, he stopped at the bar to refill the wine.

Heather had been fairly quiet during the meal, but that was probably to be expected considering Sherri was filling her in on everything there was to know about Casa del Sol and the gardens, including the crop of sea grapes that could be accessed across the channel with a quick snorkel and dive. Ash was only half listening to Sherri talk about the food options, it was nothing he hadn’t heard before. It was more interesting to watch Heather.

She definitely had a history. Sherri’s description of every woman having a story replayed in his head. But despite a few well-placed questions about her past, all he could figure was she’d been in Panama for five years but had never been to Bocas. She was single. That much he could tell from her ring finger and the fact that she was there alone. And of course, the kiss.

Damn, that kiss.

To say Ash had kissed his share of women would be a ridiculous understatement. But as many kisses as he’d had, kissing Heather earlier had been different. Very different.

He knew exactly how long it had been since he’d had that kind of reaction from a simple kiss. It was a lifetime ago.

Watching her across the room, listening closely to everything Sherri was telling her, it took all the self-control he had to keep from crossing the floor and pulling her back into his arms for a second round.

He hadn’t realized he was staring until Sherri looked up and caught his eye. Her mouth was set in a firm line. She shook her head once, but Ash caught it. Sherri was the only one who knew the details of Ash’s past. They’d talked about it one time and by unspoken agreement, it had never come up again.

Not once during their friendship had Sherri ever said a word in judgment about his personal life. Except to tell him to stay away from her guests, a fact Ash had always respected. It was no secret that he enjoyed the company of women. In fact, he and Sherri had enjoyed long conversations about the benefits of exploring one’s sexuality and embracing a free love style of life. Granted, those conversations had often been after a few bottles of wine but that didn’t make them any less valid. It had been a lifestyle that had worked well for him for the last four years.

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