Page 7 of Come Sail Away

The woman twisted her lips to one side. “Hmm.”

Harper watched as the clerk went through the motions of checking, but her expression said she already knew they were full. Most likely she’d been asked the same thing by numerous people over the course of the day.

“I’m sorry, sir. We don’t have a single room.”

Sully tensed, and Harper placed a palm on his arm. “It’s okay. I can find another place, or even look on the mainland.”

Sully glanced over his shoulder at the clerk, thanked her, and guided Harper off to the side of the lobby. She was thankful he didn’t make a scene. Which was exactly what the younger Sully would have done.

“Look,” he said in a low tone, “I have a three-bedroom villa. You’re welcome to room there.”

“Three bedrooms for one person?” Harper inquired, not really expecting a response, but at the same time wondering why he would need so much space. She shook her head. “No, I don’t want to impose.”

“I didn’t suggest it earlier because I didn’t want it to seem like a come on,” he explained. “But under the circumstances, I think it’s the practical thing to do.”

She skipped right over the “practical” comment and circled back to his “come on” remark. A flush crept up into her cheeks. She couldn’t recall anyone ever using that term in connection with her. She angled her head back and stared at the gorgeous three-story-high lobby ceiling. An image of him tossing her on the bed and making passionate love to her flickered through her mind. Harper gasped audibly. She couldn’t believe the outlandish detour her thoughts had just taken. She brought her chin down, looking off to the right and avoiding eye contact with Sully. She could tell he was looking at her funny, though. She did, after all, just gasp for no apparent purpose.

“You’re right, of course,” she said. “Reason dictates you have a perfectly good room I can make use of.”

“Exactly.”

She finally looked at him. Their eyes met. “Thank you,” she said, her voice sounding husky even to her own ears.

He made a soft throat-clearing sound. “Good. Now that that’s settled, shall we go?”

His beachfront villa was tucked in the back of the resort, a ways from the main building. Once inside, Sully gave her a quick once around the stunning space, including the private screened pool.

“Oh my gosh, this place is unbelievable. A perfect getaway.”

He showed her to her bedroom, then disappeared out the door saying, “I have to do some work. Go ahead and make yourself comfortable, order room service, whatever you’d like. I’ll catch up with you later.”

A little dumbfounded, she nodded. Much to her embarrassment, she realized they hadn’t spoken much about him at all today. He kept turning the conversation back to her. She didn’t even know what his occupation was or if and where he went to college. She promised herself she’d find out.

In the meantime, food sounded good. But a shower seemed even better. She stood beneath the forceful spray for what felt like hours. Afterward, she dressed in a loose shift. It went to the ankles but was more like something she’d wear over a swimsuit than anything else. But she hadn’t planned on being in public—or anyone’s company, for that matter.

She walked over to the bed and let herself fall back against the plush mattress. She was exhausted. Maybe she’d close her eyes just for a few minutes…

* * *

Harper awoke and glanced at the bedside clock. She’d been asleep for an hour. Good heavens. Slowly, she rose and padded through the suite, realizing Sully wasn’t there. With a shrug, she put on a dab of lipstick and mascara, grabbed her purse and headed out the door. Ordering room service would take a while, so she decided to forgo that and check out the dining room.

She had a spring in her step as she made her way to the main building. The nap had revived her, even if it was accidental. She entered the dining room, and music immediately found her ears. Someone was singing, and he had an absolutely fabulous voice. It sounded like it was coming from the bar. Unable to resist, she headed toward it and found a table near the small stage. As she sat, the performer seemed to be between numbers. Good, she didn’t interrupt his performance. With a flick of her hand, she snagged a waiter to quickly order some chicken fingers and fries, and a martini. A meal she rarely got at home in Baja.

Then the music came up, the lights came on, and the singer moved center stage. He began to sing again, and Harper turned to follow the magnificent voice. When her eyes settled on the singer, she inhaled sharply.

Sully occupied the stage with the command and presence of a seasoned performer. Her heart fluttered and raced. My God, he was terrific—handsome, charming, and his voice could melt a girl’s heart.

Her mind raced back to high school. He’d been talented then, but nowhere near this good. But she hadn’treallyknown him. She’d had a few classes with him, and yes, they had taken chorus during the same class period, but the infatuation she’d once had with him had been mere puppy love. She’d only known him from afar. And she’d been hurt and angry when he never noticed her. But why would he? He was popular. She was a geek.

She watched him onstage now. Every note, every expression was full of passion. This was what he was meant to do.

The selection of songs he chose was all over the place, from Bon Jovi to Elton John to old Frank Sinatra ballads. Maybe some original work because she didn’t recognize some pieces. But given the way she didn’t keep up with today’s music, she wasn’t sure.

When the waiter brought her food, she jumped as he set it on the table. She’d been so enthralled she hadn’t even noticed the man approach. She munched on her food as she listened, grateful she hadn’t ordered anything complicated. Nothing to draw her attention from Sully.

When she’d finished and relaxed back with a fresh martini, Sully launched into the intro of a new song. This time he traveled in her direction. As she sipped her drink, his eyes met hers over the rim of her glass. He winked. She gasped and then coughed as liquid slid down the wrong way. Her face warmed as she recovered.

His tenor voice was rich and full as he sang a remake of an old classic, “Dream A Little Dream Of Me.”