Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

"Are two ice cream cones too many?" Liddy asked as she leaned against the glass counter, looking at the flavors displayed.

"Not in my book," Callum said with a shrug. "Life's too short to skip ice cream."

Today had been a day of doing whatever she damn well wanted. "I'll take both," Liddy said, her fist enclosing over the sample spoons as she turned to meet Callum's awaiting stare.

Callum smiled, then translated her order for the woman working behind the ice cream counter.

She tried not to stare at him as he spoke in Spanish. He's so sexy. Something about seeing him talk so effortlessly in another language was incredibly alluring.

And he kissed me.

That tongue had been stroking hers. Those lips had been soft and pliant as they'd ravaged her mouth.

Ravaged. Now I sound like I'm in a regency romance.

But still. It had felt like ravaging. She'd had sex that had been less intimate than those kisses.

And she wanted more. So much more.

He'd backed off after the resort worker had given them that gentle warning, so they'd spent the rest of the time indulging in the offerings of the resort—hanging out in the thermal pools for a while, enjoying the swim-up bar, and spoiling themselves with an incredible dinner at the restaurant. After, they'd walked to La Fortuna to an ice cream shop named POPS that Callum had recalled from childhood as being his favorite.

They finished ordering, and Callum paid while the woman behind the counter handed Liddy two ice cream cones—she'd opted for a sorbet called a nieve that was soursop flavored and incredible. And she'd also gotten a flavored bright pink one that was Callum's favorite— kolita —which he'd explained was named after a red syrup used to make snow cones.

"I think I've died and gone to ice cream heaven," Liddy said with a grin.

"If heaven is double-fisting ice cream, I'm in." Callum carried his banana split away from the register.

"You and your banana split. You're such an old man. I swear that's what my father orders when he gets ice cream."

"Don't knock it, it's amazing. Also, I'm not the one holding two ice creams like a toddler."

That's true. "I might go back for one more." She grinned, then slowly licked the side of the ice cream cone. "I love ice cream."

He groaned slightly. "That's ridiculously unfair."

She smiled, feeling daring.

This is fun.

Teasing him seductively was quickly becoming her favorite activity.

She'd always been so much more restrained with men, but she'd gotten used to expressing her thoughts with Callum and no longer felt that hesitation.

I really like him, too.

"So you ready for that nighttime hike?"

"A nighttime hunt for tree frogs at the base of a volcano? Who wouldn't be excited?" she said in a teasing voice. Then she grinned. "I have to admit, we probably did everything in the wrong order. Because I'm not sure a night hike will top the rest of the day."

Truthfully, she'd built up more anticipation for what would come after the hike anyway—when they'd both go back to the hotel room tonight.

After their kiss at the spa, she couldn't help thinking that tumbling into a bed with him tonight might lead to something.

She wanted to see where it went, but her stomach was a knot of nerves.

More than anything, she wished she could talk to Elle about him. I need my sister's advice.

Thoughts of Elle made her gut roil. She'd fully intended to call Quinn all day and give him an update on the change in their plans again—but then she'd held off. If Elle or anyone else wasn't thrilled with her absence, she didn't want to know about it. Not right now. She couldn't go anywhere until she got her passport back anyway.

But even if she couldn't talk to Elle, she needed to talk to someone. Miranda or Kyle would both help her figure out her thoughts. But without her phone, she couldn't do either.

"We definitely did it in the wrong order. I think I'm ready for a nap. Or it's jet lag."

She held his gaze. "We could just ditch the nighttime trek and go back to the room."

He raised a brow. "Is that what you want?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty tired." And way too interested in finding out where this might go to hike at night looking for tree frogs, no matter how cute they are.

"I'm up for whatever you want to do," Callum said in a tone that gave nothing away.

They finished the ice cream, then headed outside, where dusk had given way to the night. "It's crazy to me," Liddy said as they started toward the car. "All the people who live around here are just totally chill living at the base of a volcano. Maybe I read too much about Pompeii when I was a kid, but that would terrify me."

"Arenal was active when I was younger. At night, especially, you used to get amazing pictures of the lava trails. And honestly, living near volcanoes is just a way of life down here. There are six active ones and several dozen dormant ones. My grandmother used to talk about the year that Irazú in the Central Valley erupted. Said ash fell from the sky for months, ruining crops—but my grandmother focused mainly on the effect it had on her hair and clothes."

Every time Callum spoke about his knowledge of the country—or the food—he got a slightly different expression on his face. The first time, he'd been so pessimistic that Liddy had glossed over it, but the negativity had been disappearing. And in its place seemed to be something else she couldn't quite put her finger on.

"You know, for someone who hasn't visited in years, and who seems a little cynical about the country, you sure know a lot."

The corners of his mouth turned up just slightly. "I'd forgotten how much I knew about Costa Rica. I spent my whole life visiting every summer. Some of that experience was bound to rub off on me."

"Including your love of soccer?" She glanced at him cautiously. He'd brought that part of his life up so quickly, leaving no room for questions, but she couldn't help but wonder about it and who'd he'd been. The idea of Callum as an athlete rather than a businessman was strange. Of course, he has the body of an athlete instead of a businessman.

Callum was silent, as though considering what he should say. "The thing abou?—"

"Liddy?" a deep male voice called.

What the hell?

Only a few feet away and coming toward them was Sergio.

Liddy's gut dropped, and she stepped back. Callum set a hand across her, blocking her ever so slightly with his body.

Sergio looked from Liddy to Callum, then back again, and smiled excitedly. "Liddy, this is maravilloso . I tried to call you for days. But it looks como si el destino brought us together again, verdad ?

"How dare you?" Liddy managed, barely finding her voice. "I've been looking for you! You stole my sister's wedding dress. And now you're, what? Pretending that the last time I saw you it wasn't when I asked you to watch something valuable to me? I-I don't even know how you can stand there?—"

"Stole it?" Confusion filled Sergio's face, and he stepped back. "No, no, no. What?"

What?

Is he really going to play it like this?

Revulsion filled her throat.

Callum approached him, and Liddy felt the relief of not only his presence but his stature, too. He was taller than Sergio by several inches and physically intimidating. "Where's the damn dress, Sergio?"

Sergio raised his hands but checked over his shoulder as though looking for an escape. "Let me explain?—"

Grabbing him by the shirtfront, Callum backed Sergio against the closest building with force. "Yeah, you better explain. You have no idea what you did to Liddy by taking that dress from her?—"

"I didn't take anything!" Sergio's voice was choked. He appealed to Liddy with wide eyes. "I thought airport security would contact you. Get the dress back to you. And I am not the person who was trying to bring marijuana into the country."

Uh . . . what?

Liddy marched up to him. "What are you talking about?"

"The dogs. They came up to me when you were in the bathroom." Sergio breathed heavily, sweat beading on his forehead.

If she wasn't so angry, she'd almost find his reaction comical. He looked terrified. Not the flirtatious man I met on the plane.

"Security took me away, held me for hours," he continued. "They found a bag of marijuana in the dress bag."

Blinking at him, Liddy tried to process what he was saying. She set a hand on Callum's forearm, urging him to back off. "I'm not sure I'm understanding?—"

Callum's hold on Sergio released somewhat, but not entirely. "He's lying to you, Liddy. Why would he admit the truth now?"

"I'm not lying." Sergio appealed to Liddy with a helpless look. "I tried to call you and make sure you had gotten your dress back since you were gone by the time security released me. It was many, many hours. I left voicemail messages."

"Howler monkeys stole my cell right after I got to the hotel." Liddy stared at him, unblinking. As unbelievable as it sounded . . . a part of me wants to believe him. Not just because she had really liked this guy. She was past that now.

But because—why would he approach her here in La Fortuna?

. . . or give me his real name and job?

And something like voicemail messages could be easily confirmed—if she'd had her phone. She turned toward Callum. "Can I borrow your cell phone?"

"Why?"

"I'm going to call my voicemail. See if he's lying."

Callum gave her a disbelieving look. "You're not seriously buying this load of rubbish, are you?"

She almost smiled to herself. For whatever reason, she loved his British accent right now.

Focus, Liddy.

Getting distracted by how much she liked Callum was not ideal right now. "I think it would be a good idea to check."

Callum backed off from Sergio and pulled his phone out, unlocking it. He kept his gaze firmly fixed on Sergio and handed the phone to her. "Don't even think about going anywhere."

"I'm not," Sergio said, adjusting his collar. "I've done nothing wrong, though."

Liddy's fingertips shook as she dialed her number, noting almost immediately that Callum didn't have her as a contact. Why would he, though? It's not like he's ever had a reason to text or call me.

She punched into her voicemail, feeling sick.

Her voicemail was full.

She had messages from Elle. From her mother. Miranda. Rebecca. Two from Kyle.

And three missed messages from Sergio, as well as someone from the airline, letting her know her bag had been found and was at the airport waiting for her to pick it up.

Liddy squeezed her eyes shut, trying to process everything. "Let him go," she said in a nearly breathless whisper to Callum. "He's telling the truth."

Callum's brow furrowed. "What are you saying?"

"The airline called. My bag is at the airport."

"I told you I did not take it."

Callum ignored Sergio and searched her gaze, stepping closer to her. "But . . . you don't smoke, do you?"

Because I'm too much of a Goody Two-shoes, is that it? She shook her head. "No, it's not mine. I have no idea how pot ended up in my bag. I mean, I barely even had the bag. I picked it up from Logan on . . ."

Logan.

Her eyes darted to Callum, and he seemed to reach the same conclusion as her, his eyebrow quirking.

"I'm going to kill Logan," Liddy breathed, massaging her temple.

Logan had stashed pot in the garment bag?

Oh my God.

No wonder he wanted to see the dress.

That little prick.

And if Sergio hadn't been caught with the bag, Liddy would have ended up in security for hours, trying to explain why she was coming into the country with illegal drugs.

"I'm going to call Logan," Callum said, his voice rough as gravel. He's seriously annoyed.

As Callum took a step away to call Logan, she turned to Sergio. "I am so sorry." She came closer to him, seeing a red mark on his neck from where Callum had shoved him. "So, so sorry. I don't even know how to begin to apologize to you."

Sergio held his hands up. "It's okay, it's okay." He set a hand on her forearm, his light brown eyes searching hers. "Were you here looking for me? You were supposed to be in Samara, no?"

She nearly squirmed. Not only had she caused him to be detained by security, then she'd basically stalked him, and Callum had handled him roughly. "I?—"

The corners of his mouth turned up in a smile. "I can't believe you found me here. That's impressive. And monkeys stole your phone?" He chuckled. "I should have warned you. They will take anything in those areas near the beaches. Sneak into sodas and bars and steal food, too."

How is he not angrier?

"You're not mad at me?" Liddy asked, baffled by his response.

"No, no, of course not. I mean, it was . . . eh, inconvienente . . . what happened at the airport, but mostly I was worried because you said it was your sister's expensive wedding dress. Although, did you think I would then take it on a tour with me? That thing weighed more than my overnight pack, Liddy." He laughed at his own joke.

"No, no. I just thought if I found you, maybe I could convince you to give it back. I didn't think you would have it with you. "

He smiled. "You thought I might be a nice thief?"

Yes, I stupidly had thought that. Which now seems insane.

His hand slid down her forearm and squeezed hers. "I'm really glad you found me again."

"Yeah, it was Logan," Callum said, coming back to Liddy's side. "He says he'd forgotten he put it there—gave me some nonsense about how he'd picked up the dress from the tailor and then stopped by his friend's for the marijuana and left it in the garment bag."

Liddy's cheeks warmed.

She released Sergio's hand, her palm breaking out in a clammy sweat. This is so awkward. Avoiding Callum's gaze, she cleared her throat. "I don't even know what to say, Sergio. Yes—um, I was looking for you. Because I assumed you stole the dress since I came out of the bathroom, and you were gone. Which I'm so sorry for. Again."

"I think you said that already," Callum said in a low voice.

Maybe you should apologize, too, Callum, she wanted to say. But Callum was still staring at Sergio with disdain.

"It's fine. Relax. You're here for a vacation, yes? This is the land of Pura Vida." Sergio glanced over his shoulder. "Listen, I'm taking a tour group back to San Jose tomorrow, but after that, I have a few days off. Why don't I come to Samara and take you to see some things?"

Liddy felt the weight of both men's stares on her.

Yikes. After everything I accused Sergio of, turning him down seems awful.

But Elle, Mom, Kyle, and everyone else had sounded . . . annoyed in their messages. And those messages were sent before she'd told Quinn she'd lost her phone. It'd already been another day since then.

"I-I've spent a lot of time away from my family already," Liddy explained. "I don't know how much more time I can take away from them. I want to make things up to you, and I know we talked about meeting up, but?—"

"Okay, well, how about I just come and take you to dinner? There's a good bar in Samara for dancing, too." Sergio winked. "You know, to make things up to me."

Liddy searched Sergio's handsome face.

He would come all the way to Samara just to take me to dinner?

She felt terrible saying no.

He'd been put through, frankly, a lot on her behalf. Not to mention her unjust hatred toward him. And if Logan hadn't left a fucking bag of marijuana in the dress bag, she would have probably made plans to meet up with Sergio during this trip. She never would have spent this time with Callum.

She felt equally terrible saying yes.

Because she had spent this time with Callum. And something had started that she hadn't expected.

If she said yes to Sergio, how on earth would she explain going out with Sergio when she'd already told her family that she was dating Callum?

And how can I accept a date from Sergio after that kiss with Callum?

Feeling as though she would buckle under the pressure, she blurted out, "All right, that would be good. I'm at La Hacienda Tropical."

"Perfect." Sergio smiled again, not bothering to look at Callum. "I'll find you there. Let's say Wednesday night? I can call La Hacienda and leave a message."

"Make it Tuesday. I have the rehearsal dinner on Wednesday."

He nodded and gave her a wink. "I have to go, bella . Buenas noches."

She watched him go, her stomach feeling like lead. Surely, she could think of a way to get out of the date. Then she turned toward Callum, breathing out as her face flamed. "I didn't know how to tell him no," she said, still unable to look him in the eyes.

"I noticed," Callum said flatly.

Oh no. Callum is going to think I still like him.

"Callum, I don't actually intend to go out with him."

Callum's jaw was set in anger, his expression stony. "You know what, Liddy? It really doesn't matter. You're free to do whatever you want."

"But—"

Callum stepped back. "I'm serious. It's fine. Sergio is right. You should enjoy yourself right now. That's what today was all about. Just enjoyment, nothing serious. I'm just relieved we know where that dress is and are done chasing Sergio." He cleared his throat. "I think jet lag is catching up with me, though, so are you ready to head back to the room?"

Liddy searched his face.

He's already closing himself off.

Moreover, he'd implied that he hadn't seen their flirtation and kissing as anything real. He may as well have said they'd just been messing around.

And maybe that's all it was to him.

He flirted with me once in London, then turned it all off like a spigot.

Maybe Callum was just that capable of emotional detachment. He'd proven over the years how indifferent he could be.

Hurt ebbed near her heart. "Yeah, I think so."