Elusive Read online

  KACE

  It was her hair I saw first. A copper that looked like flame falling over slender shoulders. She turned and it felt like I had taken a hit to the gut. She had the greenest eyes. Then she smiled and I almost went down on my knees. Mr. Travers had said it felt like he had been hit by lightning when he saw his wife for the first time. I understood now what he meant.

  I saw the little girl and déjà vu slammed into me. I recognized hunger, desperation. I had felt that before. I waited for the beauty to turn from the little girl, or to pretend she didn’t see her. That was usually how people handled the homeless. Instead, she held out a pineapple to her. I couldn’t describe it, but I felt almost primitive watching her. I wanted her. It was that simple. She bought some fruit then headed toward the shops. She stopped in front of one as someone came running around the corner and slammed into her. I recognized a thief, one on the run from the authorities because I had been there too. What surprised me was the urge to track that fucker down and beat him senseless. Instead, I took the opportunity given to me, as if fate was stepping in, opening the door so I could walk right through.

  I hunched down next to her and helped her retrieve her lost fruit. When she looked up at me I was grateful my eyes were hidden because I wouldn’t have been able to control my reaction. There was an innocence buried in those green eyes and for someone as jaded as me, the sight was intoxicating.

  “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine, my fruit however...”

  I should have walked away. No good came from hanging with me, but I couldn’t get my feet to move. Instead, I held the door to the bookstore open. “You were going in here, right?”

  I studied her as she studied the books. The way her fingers touched things almost reverently. These old books meant something to her. She pulled out a red leather one, her expression filled with wonder. It was just an old book. Then she created a story around the book, but it was the genuine interest in the people she conjured, their stories and lives. Not famous people, not rich people, just people who had come before, who had lived their lives, who may or may not have left their mark. She cared about them. Just like she had cared about that little girl by giving her a pineapple. I had never met anyone quite like her.

  She stopped in front of a case that held a leather journal and an old compass. Longing filled her expression, like she was looking at a diamond necklace.

  “How much for this?” she asked.

  The shopkeeper was suspicious of me. He had good instincts. He rattled off some number. I saw the disappointment before she said, “Sorry, that’s too expensive for me. It’s beautiful though.”

  I had to touch her, hated seeing that look in her eyes. Later, I would wonder about my odd reaction to her, but in that moment I needed to touch her to see if she was real. My thumb brushed along her cheek and I was a goner. Before I did what I wanted to do, toss her over my shoulder and keep her, I said, “Enjoy Cancun.”

  And then I left because what I really wanted to do was stay.

  I met up with the others at a local strip bar; Snake, Zeke and the twins. After that first yacht we raided we kind of fell into a niche. Our gig was simple; we boarded as passengers on cruise ships, courtesy of the twins and their hacking skills. We targeted the richest and most cocky assholes on the cruise and then helped ourselves to their guest rooms when they disembarked at their destinations. The plan was to get our own boat someday, find a place in the Caribbean to call base and have fun raiding all those yachts anchored offshore. Yeah, we were thieves, but our targets were dicks and they were vacationing in paradise. Their lives were not hard.

  Zeke was engaged with one of the strippers, trying to convince her to break the rules. The twins were calculating how much they could make if they went into stripping. Snake and I were at the bar. He was scoping out a few ladies to share his evening. My thoughts were on the redhead. Wondering how she would react if I tracked her down and showed up in her room.

  “Why the fuck are you smiling into your beer?” Snake demanded.

  I was smiling into my beer? That was slightly alarming.

  “Seriously, what’s going on with you?”

  “There was a woman earlier.”

  Snake’s smile was sly.

  “It wasn’t like that. I’m not even sure she was real.”

  “How many beers have you had?”

  “She was beautiful, but that wasn’t even the most alluring part of her. She had this way of looking at the world.”

  I caught Snake’s expression. He thought I was losing my mind.

  “There was a little girl...hungry, homeless. She was staring at the pineapples with abject want on her face. The woman bought her one.”

  Snake’s expression changed because for us that was a rare act.

  “I walked through an old bookstore with her and the look on her face. She was awed. She made up a story about a book that had me damn near wanting to buy the fucking thing. I realize we’re jaded, but seeing someone so genuinely interested in people was fucking contagious. And when the journal she had her eyes on was too much, I swear my eyes almost burned seeing her disappointment.”

  “So why are you sitting here with me?”

  The truth was she was an innocent. I didn’t think I had ever been that innocent and I certainly wasn’t anymore. There was enough humanity in me to know she would be better off if I stayed the hell away from her. “I’m trying to be selfless. She doesn’t need to get mixed up with the likes of me.”

  A commotion pulled our attention when a man yanked one of the dancers from the stage.

  “I’ve shoved a hundred dollars down that G-string, now I want something to show for it.”

  She tried to break free; he only tightened his grip to the point where she cried out.

  “I’ll take care of this.” Snake stood.

  “Do you want help?”

  “With that guy? No.”

  Snake strolled over and they had words before Snake broke the fucker’s nose. The woman was so appreciative Snake didn’t return to his beer. I finished off mine and joined up with the twins and Zeke. However, I found my focus wasn’t on the women on stage, it was back at that little bookstore.

  WILLOW

  We were leaving tomorrow morning. I had thought about my encounter with that man more often than was healthy. I would have enjoyed his company; the reckless part of me would have enjoyed more than just his company. Missed opportunities.

  I was having lunch on the beach. I had spent the day in the sun, but was getting a reprieve under one of the grass umbrellas. My lunch had just arrived and the burger looked amazing. Before I dug in, I saw him. He wasn’t running, but he was definitely moving quickly while glancing behind him. Yesterday someone running from something had nailed me. Was it a coincidence that the man who stumbled on me right after was now acting suspiciously? My guess, they were a team of pickpockets or thieves. You couldn’t ask for a better playground.

  I studied him as he made his way in my direction. He was tall and muscled, but not overly muscled. He didn’t look much older than me. His dark hair was long, falling past his shoulders and that mustache and beard was probably done on purpose to hide his face. He had on the sunglasses again, but I really wanted to see his eyes. Danger oozed off him and yet there was something about him that I found charming. Maybe the fact that he took one for the team yesterday and made certain I was okay. I saw who was chasing him as two men in dark suits appeared. They looked around so clearly they didn’t see him, just knew what direction he ran off in. What had he gotten himself into? Be reckless, those words shouted in my head when I waved the man over. Even with the glasses on, I knew he recognized me.

  “Sit down.” I looked behind him. “They’re coming. Sit down.”

  He pulled out the chair and folded himself into it.

  I handed him an elastic. “Pull your hair back in a bun and lose the shirt.”

  “Demanding,” he replied, but he pulled his hair back and lost the shirt.
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br />   I slid my plate across the table to him and reached for my book.

  “Eat.”

  He had the weirdest reaction to that. It was like I just offered him a brand new car. “Eat. They’re coming.”

  He pulled the glasses off and lifted the burger. I expected him to eat half of it in one bite like most men I knew, but instead he took his time. I wanted to watch him because I had never seen someone eat with such a love for food, but I forced myself to look at the book. I didn’t read a single word. The men approached, stopped and looked around before continuing down the beach. As soon as they were out of sight, I looked at the man to find him staring at me. His eyes were blue, a deep blue, and seeing them looking so intently at me had my heart flipping behind my ribs.

  “Why did you do that?” he asked.

  “Because yesterday you stopped to make sure I was okay after your buddy took me out.”

  “Buddy?”

  “Tag team of pickpockets I’m guessing.”

  His smile was slow to form, but it was worth the wait.

  “He wasn’t with me. Too sloppy. I try to have more finesse.”

  It was how he said finesse that had goosebumps rising on my skin. I rallied. “So that was finesse just now? Running from those men?”

  He looked dangerous in that moment. “We are out of our element. And that was backlash from an incident last night.”

  “Out of your element?”

  “We prefer the open sea to hunt.”

  “So not pickpockets, you’re pirates.”

  “I would have said thieves, but pirates work. What’s your name?”

  “Willow.”

  “I’m Kace.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Kace.”

  “You don’t seem disturbed that you’re sitting across from a thief.”

  “A pirate. And no I’m not.”

  “Why?”

  “Because yesterday you stopped to make sure I was okay.”

  “I could have just been hoping to cop a feel.”

  “Were you?”

  “Yes.”

  “So you’re honest too.”

  He chuckled then looked down at the empty plate. “Let me pay for your lunch.”

  “No. It’s not every day I get to be an accomplice to a crime. My treat.”

  “Most people would shy away from being an accomplice.”

  “My wise granddad told me I needed to be daring and reckless. I think this fits the bill.”

  He reached for my water and drank it all then stood. “I hate to eat and run.”

  I hated that he had to eat and run too.

  I was completely unprepared for him to pull me from my chair. He pressed me up against his hard body. “I should thank you properly.” His fingers threaded through my hair, he curled his spine, his lips lingered over mine for a fraction of a second to build up the anticipation and then he was kissing me. Even with my eyes closed, they rolled into the back of my head. A moan burned in the back of my throat as my hands found their way to his sides where I held on. His lips, teeth and tongue tasted me with a thoroughness that left me weak. It was several minutes later when he ended the kiss.

  “Fuck,” he hissed as his forehead touched mine.

  I completely agreed, because that was hands down the best kiss of my life.

  “Have you seen the temples?” I wasn’t ready for him to walk away.

  “Which ones?”

  “Coba.”

  “No.”

  “Do you want to go?”

  “Are you asking me to spend the day with you, Willow?”

  “Yes.”

  “Best offer I’ve had in a really long time.”

  KACE

  Willow and I stood on the steps of the ancient ruins. It was pretty amazing, but more fascinating was Willow’s reaction to them. It wasn’t just a tourist thing for her; she was awed. It was the same expression on her face when she looked at that old journal.

  “Imagine the people who walked these steps. And not modern man, but when the Mayan culture was thriving. It’s still here. A piece of them is still here all these years later.”

  I had never looked at life the way she did. For me it was either trying to survive it or learning to conquer it. I never attempted to understand it or how my piece flowed in with what came before or what mark I would leave when I left. It made the world seem smaller and a person’s life more meaningful believing it was all a part of the whole.

  She bent down and touched the stone with her bare hand and I swear she felt something, like the souls of the past moved through her. I had never seen anything like it.

  “What do you do?” Blunt, but I was captivated by her.

  She looked up at me and for a second I think she forgot I was there. I would have been offended, but what I was competing with was so much bigger than me. “I want to be a treasure hunter.”

  Had I not had years of discipline on controlling my reactions, my jaw would have dropped. What were the odds a guy like me would meet a would-be treasure hunter? Ironic in a way.

  “My parents are the Blakeleys. I don’t know if you’ve heard of them, but they are real life Indiana Joneses. I want to follow in their footsteps but focus on the treasures in the ocean.”

  It was like she was custom-made for me.

  She turned and looked out and I followed her gaze because it was pretty spectacular. Green for as far as the eyes could see.

  “An emerald blanket,” she whispered, almost as if she was speaking to someone else.

  She turned her gaze on me and her eyes were bright with excitement. “Do you want to take a swim?”

  Naked with her, absolutely.

  We weren’t naked, but the little white bikini she wore under her clothes was better than her being naked. My imagination was going crazy. How I wanted to peel that off her, see her, taste her, fuck her. And if we had been alone, I sure as hell would have tried.

  We were swimming in one of the cenotes, a sinkhole created when the limestone collapsed...a little hidden oasis.

  She swam up next to me. “Who would have thought something so beautiful could be created from something so violent? And look...” She pointed up. “It looks like a star.” The way the limestone had collapsed it really did look like a star. She flashed me a smile. “I’ll be right back.”

  She dove, swimming to the bottom effortlessly like a mermaid. She was down there for so long I almost went down to get her. When she broke the surface I was relieved. Her red hair was slicked back from her face and she reached for my hand pressing a small rock into it.

  “Limestone. How long do you think that was down there? Do you think it was up there before it shifted and collapsed on itself?” Her lips curved into a self-deprecating smile. “Or maybe some kid tossed it in just a few minutes before we arrived.”

  Who was this woman? She looked like a goddess, like fucking Aphrodite with that flaming hair. She swam like a mermaid, like her place was under the water, and she saw the world for all its possibilities.

  “Why are you here alone?” I hadn’t meant to snarl. How the fuck could this magnificent creature be vacationing alone?

  Her smile faded a little. “My parents were supposed to join me but they had a lead on a treasure.”

  “And you didn’t bring anyone else? A girlfriend? A boyfriend?”

  She looked nervous all of a sudden. Did she have a boyfriend? I felt homicidal. “It was at the last minute so there wasn’t time to invite anyone. Besides, I don’t have a boyfriend.”

  She swam to the edge to climb out, but before she could I joined her. My cock was straining against my shorts, but it wasn’t just her physical beauty that had me so hard it hurt. Compassion and kindness, she had them in spades. I pulled her to me, her eyes widened when she felt how much I was enjoying her company. She smiled, the most sweet and innocent smile. I thrust my hand into her hair, palmed the back of her head and kissed her like I would die if I didn’t.

  I ended the kiss quickly otherwise I would have fu
cked her right there.

  Her lips were swollen and her cheeks were flushed. “I came here the first day I arrived. It was the most incredible day of my life. But today topped it.”

  Ah hell. I didn’t just want to fuck her. I wanted to keep her.

  WILLOW

  The ship was heading back to Florida in the morning. The moon was waning, so even though the skies were clear it didn’t illuminate the night very well. The stars were bright though; a few twinkled down at me. Every night after dinner there was dancing. I didn’t linger for that and usually spent the time on the deck because it felt like I had the whole ship to myself. I couldn’t stop thinking about Kace. It had been so hard to watch him walk away after the day we had shared. Granddad had said he had regrets at seventy, but I had them now because I had let Kace walk out of my life.

  My heart actually ached a little. I didn’t know the man, it was silly to have a reaction to him like I did, but it was stupid to deny it. There was a part of me that wanted to hunt him down so we could spend my last night together. I had a feeling I would never again meet someone like him. He had already claimed a piece of me after our day together, so it was probably wise that he didn’t claim any more.

  I couldn’t catch my breath and my heart pounded so hard it hurt. A sound jarred me from sleep. The room was dark and yet whatever I had been dreaming about lingered because my heart still throbbed in my chest. Anticipation rippled down my spine when the shadows at the foot of the bed moved. A scream gathered at the back of my throat until Kace stepped from the darkness. I was dreaming.

  “Invite me to your bed.”

  In real life I would have regrets when it came to this man, but not in my dreams. I lifted my arms and spread my legs. His eyes widened with heat. He reached for the back of his shirt and pulled it over his head before he dropped his jeans. I couldn’t see all of him until he was lowering himself over me. His strong arms holding him up so he could look his fill, his legs tangling with mine, his hips pressed close so that his rock hard cock dug into my stomach. My body responded as heat pooled between my legs.