LITMIR.BIZ

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though they’d heard his remark, the birds looked at them disdainfully, then turned and began stalking away deeper into the jungle.

      “So much for the wildlife,” she said.

      Dev caught her around the waist. “I’ll show you some wildlife.”

      “I bet you will, you—”

      “Hola, amigos,” said a voice behind them. Taylor turned to see Dev’s crony from the restaurant the night before walking down the trail toward them. He was dressed this time in the royal-blue polo shirt and shorts of the Nova Friends, the resort’s entertainment and recreation crew.

      “Hola, Raoul,” Dev said. “I don’t think you two met properly last night. This is Taylor. Taylor, this is Raoul. He’s a Nova Friend.”

      “But I thought you were working in the restaurant last night,” she said in puzzlement.

      He nodded. “Sometimes, when I am doing a favor, I will do that.”

      She looked at them suspiciously, wondering exactly who he’d been doing the favor for.

      As though reading her mind, Dev smiled easily. “Raoul and I have done a little fishing and sailing while I’ve been here.”

      “Si, we are amigos. But you, señorita, are much prettier company than I am. I am afraid I will not see so much of Señor Dev before he leaves.”

      “Don’t talk about leaving yet,” Taylor protested. “I just got here. I don’t ever want to go.”

      “But once you spend time in Mexico, you carry always a little piece of him with you. You can look at the pictures and return.”

      “Speaking of which, here’s that camera,” Dev said, pulling it out of his pocket and handing it to her. “Don’t forget to finish it off.”

      “Ah, a camera.” Raoul’s eyes lit up and he reached out his hand. “If you will allow me, I will take a photo of you.”

      “Well, I don’t think…” Taylor began.

      Raoul took the camera neatly from her hands and stepped back. “Ah, now, in such a romantic place, my friends, you must be romantic also.”

      She felt Dev’s arms go around her from behind. “We don’t need this,” she said.

      “Ah, you must be romantic,” Dev murmured. “Say ‘wild sex,’” he added, making her giggle just as Raoul snapped the shutter.

      “It will be a beautiful picture,” Raoul said, handing Dev the camera. “Do you go now to the beach? That is where I go, too. I will be starting a game of horseshoes, if you wish to join.”

      “It sounds fun, but I have a date with a book and a sun couch,” Taylor said.

      “Ah, you break my heart, señorita. Perhaps I will see you tonight at the show, though. We are having a dating game show. You could enter, maybe, if you are not already preoccupied.” He grinned, his teeth very white against his skin. “Enjoy your day.”

      TAYLOR LAY ON HER LOUNGER, reading a novel.

      “Hey baby,” said a lounge lizard voice, “can I buy you a drink?”

      She glanced up to see Dev standing by the sun couch, holding two plastic glasses. He leaned down to give her a quick, hard kiss that stretched into long minutes. Then an icy drop of condensation from one of the glasses dripped onto her bare breast and she gasped and jumped.

      “Chilly?” he asked, reaching out with a fingertip to wipe the cool water away from where it trembled on her skin, just above her aureole.

      She caught a breath at the brush of his finger. That was all it took, she marveled. Even after making love all night and all morning, it took just the merest touch to send her pulse thumping. She made a stab at a reproving look and reached for her glass. “No groping me on the beach, you.”

      “I bring you offerings of boat drinks and you scold me?” Dev stretched out on the lounger next to her and gave her a long, leisurely look. “I thought the rule was no rules.”

      “Not for us, but there might be Iberonova rules,” she said, nodding toward the guard standing twenty yards away in his blue trousers and white tunic.

      “You’re cute.” He leaned over to kiss her shoulder. “Trust me, Jorge is more interested in looking good for Marisa than in harassing an innocent guest brushing water off his lover.”

      She glanced over to where the guard brushed at his gold braid and preened for the barmaid. “You may have a point. In that case…” She moved her glass and let a bit more water drip on her breasts and shrugged enough to send a drop rolling toward her nipple.

      “Now you’re being cruel,” he said, running the tip of his tongue across his lips.

      “What do you mean?” she asked innocently, brushing the water away, watching his eyes darken.

      “You’re so bad,” he said, shaking his head.

      She took a sip of her margarita and settled back. “I’m just sitting here reading my book.”

      “Whatcha reading?”

      “Find out for yourself,” she suggested, handing over her book of erotic short stories. She watched as he read, his brows rising. After a few minutes, he handed it back to her and gave her a speculative glance. “Your mama know you read stuff like this?”

      Taylor pushed her sunglasses down her nose and gave him a wink. “I read at least two books off the New York Times notable books list each year. I chat with my mother about those and she’s satisfied I’m looking after my intellect. The rest of the time I read to please me.”

      “Makes my Robert Parker look a whole lot less interesting.” He paged back a little more. “No wonder you just wanted to lie on the beach and read.”

      “I always have my reasons for everything,” she purred.

      “So I see. Don’t suppose I could get you to read me a bedtime story one of these nights, could I?”

      “Only if you’re really good.”

      “That sounds like a challenge to me,” he said, stroking a hand up her leg.

      A horn sounded as the dive boat came in to dock. With a hollow clanging, a pair of assistants from the dive shop trundled a small cart full of air tanks out to meet it. A straggling line of guests in wet suits, clutching masks and regulators followed.

      Dev stared at the boat speculatively as it settled in at the dock to exchange old passengers for new, then turned to Taylor. “You sure I can’t lure you out for a snorkeling trip?”

      She adjusted her sunglasses. “Tanks and wet suits make me claustrophobic.”

      He reached out to encircle her ankle with his thumb and forefinger. “You don’t need that for snorkeling. All you need is fins and a mask. And a bikini top, of course.”

      “I just want to lie here and relax.”

      “Look, it’s only a half-day trip. You’ll love it, I promise you.”

      “I don’t know about this.” She pushed her sunglasses down her nose to look at him, laughter in her eyes. “What if I do it and I don’t like it? What do I get?”

      Dev stroked her calf. “The trip will be my treat.”

      “Not good enough. You’re asking me to give up a half day out of my vacation.”

      He nodded to her book. “I’ll read you page 132, in glorious Sensaround.”

      “Promise?”

      “Sure, if the Iberonova has a trapeze.”

      THE DIVE BOAT BOBBED in the blue water off the coast of the island, near the Columbia Shallows. It didn’t bother Taylor to be in open water.

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