Chapter 7

Chapter

Seven

Darcy wason a high after winning the day against Jagger, but she was concerned that things were progressing too quickly with Nick. How could she explain she'd been devasted by a flirtatious player, she instinctively couldn't trust him because he was too charming and handsome, and she wasn't the type to have a fling? She'd impulsively kissed him after their challenge, but he'd started it by kissing her first.

She couldn't get either kiss out of her mind. Incredible. The kisses alone made her want to forget her concerns and pursue Nick. The fact that he'd rescued her and made her feel safe and as if he'd be there for her was even more enticing than his perfect lips.

The rest of the day was fun, and she pushed the concerns to the back burner. It wasn't as if she could talk with Nick alone anyway. She didn't even really know him, but with the way they'd been thrust together and how nobly he'd acted rescuing her twice now, it was hard not to trust him and want to date him.

She and Nick snorkeled, the other men far below them in the ocean. Her mask didn't leak this time. Nick held her hand, making her feel safe. Facedown in the water, she floated easily and with Nick guiding her, she barely had to kick her legs.

She loved viewing the underwater world, without the stress of the challenge, the pressure of the deep water, and her mask leaking. They saw brilliantly colored fish, manta rays, an eel, a tiger shark, and turtles. The turtles were her favorite. Well, holding Nick's hand was her favorite, but she kept reminding herself she couldn't let him into her heart.

After snorkeling, they all showered on the yacht, and Paul and Raoul motored them to a private dock where they had a van waiting. They drove them to the town square. Lunch was delicious, and the shopping was fun. Mostly it was fun teasing Jagger because he grumbled and hated shopping so much. They bought floral shirts and cowboy hats for the men, which Darcy made them put on. They should've looked hilarious, but they were too tough and good-looking. The shirts flattered their broad shoulders and trim waists, especially Nick.

They entered a small square filled with stores. All kinds of clothing, hats, leather goods, knives, jewelry, toys, and trinkets spilled out and were displayed inside and out of the too-packed shops.

Jagger and Hays got distracted looking at knives while Nick stayed right by her side. Paul and Raoul followed, chatting in Spanish with each friendly shopkeeper. The shopkeepers did not like them walking away, telling them they had the ‘best cheap souvenirs', ‘most beautiful dresses', or ‘real jewelry not fake'.

As they sauntered along, Nick stopped and pointed to a row of dresses displayed on the outside of a little shop. "Darcy. That one is perfect."

She followed his finger and saw a white dress trimmed with red and turquoise lace. It had a scooped neck, short sleeves, and would probably hit just below her knees.

"I love it," she said.

Glancing back at Nick, their gazes met and she couldn't look away. In his deep-brown gaze, she saw longing and vulnerability. She wanted to throw caution to the wind and kiss him again.

The shopkeeper bustled out. "You like? For pretty lady?"

"Si, por favor."

The shopkeeper brought a rod and lifted it down. He held it up next to Darcy. "Ah, muy hermosa. Si, si?" He gestured to the dress.

"Yes, gracias," Darcy said.

He and Paul quickly discussed price, then Paul handed over some cash.

"Un momento." The man bustled into the shop.

Darcy smiled at Nick. "Does muy hermosa mean …" She trailed off. She'd heard the term and thought it was beautiful. She didn't want to be fishing for a compliment.

"Very beautiful," Nick said in a husky tone that shot warmth clear through her. She felt very beautiful in his eyes.

The man bustled back out with the dress in a bag, presenting it with a slight bow to Darcy. "Gracias, bella dama."

"De nada." At least she remembered that much. She mostly stayed at home and focused on her little ones. The children who could talk spoke fluent English and rarely threw Spanish terms in.

"Wait a minute." Jagger was suddenly at her shoulder. "You made us get all dressed up. You have to put the dress on."

Nick's gaze said he'd love to see her wear it.

"How about I put it on for dinner?" she suggested. "I don't want to spill my gelato on it."

"Gelato?" Jagger asked.

"Finally!" Hays cheered.

The rich ice cream was delicious, and they savored it on a bench by the clock tower in the warm late afternoon. When they returned to the yacht, they thanked Paul and Raoul, said their goodbyes, and waved as they watched them motor off.

"Dinner time?" Jagger asked.

Darcy laughed. "Did we not just eat ice cream?"

"Ice cream doesn't count. It seeps into all the holes."

"You can eat my dinner," she told him.

"Yes! Thank you, sister." He bowed slightly to her.

Darcy absolutely loved that. "I've never had a brother."

Jagger suddenly looked uncomfortable. "Well, now you have three. Let's go eat."

"Do you want to change into your beautiful dress?" Nick asked.

"Oh, sure."

"I'll walk you to your suite."

"Thank you."

Jagger pumped his eyebrows obnoxiously as they walked past.

"Stop it." She shoved at his thick shoulder. "I pushed you away in the water. I can push you into it."

"Try it." He folded his brawny arms across his chest.

"Nick, will you help me? He really is like the annoying older brother I never wanted."

"He's worse," Hays countered.

The captain walked up to them. "Good evening. I trust your day went well."

"Very well, for all of us but Jagger," Darcy answered, giggling as Jagger protested.

"We'll be under way to our next destination in a moment." He gave a slight smile. "So possibly hold off on dunking Captain Lemuel and making his day even worse."

"Ruin all my fun," Darcy said.

She grinned at the captain and the three men. She was having fun. There wasn't a lot of time for fun in her daily life. The babies made her happy and the toddlers, especially Samuel, made her smile and laugh a lot, but she was mostly very, very busy. ‘Running around like a chicken with your head cut off,' she heard from May quite often.

She liked the fun of this day, but she loved the human connection even more. She worked with Gary and May and some local ladies rotated through their Tecate house. They were all great, but …

Brothers. Tough brothers who would watch out for her. She had to remember it was only for the next few days. Especially when she wanted to fall for Nick and make him much more than a brother.

"Have a nice dinner." The captain nodded to each of them and turned, walking crisply up the rear staircase.

"We'll meet you at dinner," Jagger offered, giving Nick a sly wink.

"Don't wait for us," Nick teased back.

Darcy's stomach pitched in a very pleasant way. Don't wait. Was he going to kiss her before dinner? What if they went and sat in the hot tub up on the top deck and watched the sunset after dinner?

Stop it, she commanded her brain. She wasn't getting involved, especially not with a flirtatious man who would break her heart sooner or later. Nick would be gone from her life soon. Johnny had lied to her and promised her the world and made her feel like she was special. She didn't think Nick could ever lie to her, but he would disappear and it would hurt even worse if she kept letting down her guard.

Nick placed his warm palm on the small of her back and escorted her to the steps leading down. She glanced up at him as they stopped outside her suite door, and he turned to face her. Not even Johnny had made her want to swoon with one glance of his powerful, sultry deep brown eyes.

That only meant she needed to be more careful.

"Darcy." Nick's voice was low and husky. He rested his hand on the doorframe next to her head.

Darcy clutched the shopping bag to her chest like a shield between them. Unfortunately, some cloth and lace wouldn't be enough to keep her safe from the likes of Nick Jacobs' charm. What was she going to do?

She blinked up at him, wondering what she should say when he propositioned her. He was going to proposition her, right?

"Yes?" She licked her lips. His gaze dropped to her lips, then met hers again. She was hot all over.

"Would you …" He paused as if not sure how to proposition her properly. She hated that. "Like to sit in the hot tub with me after dinner? Alone?"

Ah, that was how it would be. Hot tub. Alone. She'd had similar thoughts a moment ago but now she realized she could not give in to those ploys. She had to be smarter and not fall so easily.

"Nick. I can't do any kind of serious relationship. My focus is my babies and toddlers and traveling around to make certain they're all safe, well-fed, and loved."

"I could …" He paused again, brow furrowed.

"What? Follow me around to my children's homes after knowing me for five days?" She raised a challenging eyebrow. Part of her wondered if she was making a complete fool of herself. Nick had asked her to sit in the hot tub, not marry him, but part of her knew she had to shut the player down. No matter how he made her feel, she couldn't be special to someone like Nick. She was simply the only female around this week.

He straightened away from her, and his dark eyes were troubled. Once again, she sensed there was something he wasn't telling her. That scared her as much as him being a charming flirt. "You're right. I don't … a relationship wouldn't … you're right."

Darcy's gut churned. He agreed. She'd instigated this conversation, and he had agreed. It still hurt.

"Darcy." Nick placed his palm on her bare arm, and heat shot through her.

She gazed into those deep-brown eyes and almost threw herself at him.

"I'm sorry," he murmured.

He was sorry. Because he couldn't see a relationship working? He was too busy with work? He was a confirmed player? She didn't know.

Darcy managed to nod, slip into her room, and quickly shut the door behind her. Leaning back against it, she was annoyed when moisture built behind her eyelids. She wasn't crying over some guy she hardly knew. Just because his kisses were incredible. Because he was incredible. He'd taken care of her and rescued her and been fabulous to her.

She touched her lips. Maybe it had just been too long since she'd kissed an attractive man.

She didn't believe that.

The really disturbing thing was she didn't remember a single kiss with her husband of four years that had been close to as good as the impulsive kisses with Nick that hadn't lasted more than a few moments. What would that man to do her if he kissed her while they were alone and he had the time to really decimate her defenses?

"No!" she yelled at herself.

Shaking her head resolutely, she headed for the closet to hang up her new dress. Maybe she'd wear it tomorrow night.