His Perfect Match (17 page)

Liz said nothing, knowing the truth would only make matters worse.

“Oh, I get it now. While I was making love, you were having sex,” he snapped.

Liz didn't say a word, despite the fact that he was far from the truth. She'd wanted only to have sex. She'd fully intended only to have sex. But she now understood that was impossible with Darius. They had too much history, there were too many conflicting memories and too much raw emotion between them ever to just be occasional lovers.

His dark eyes narrowed on her face. “Fine, if that's how you want to play it.”

He turned to the car and opened the door quickly, lifting Marc into his arms. Liz followed him through the hotel lobby and out the back toward their bungalow. But
with every step his easy capitulation troubled her more and more. By the time they had reached the bungalow she was sure something had gone terribly wrong between them. Once again, their relationship had taken another ineradicable turn.

She used the key to open the door and Darius carried Marc to his bedroom and laid him down. Hearing the commotion Dee came out of her room, with her knitting project still clutched in her hands.

“Oh, you're back.”

Liz looked at her aunt, more than a little suspicious of her sudden recovery over the course of a few hours.

“You look much better, Dee,” Darius said, coming back into the living room.

“Yes, much better,” Liz muttered, her suspicions growing.

“I feel better.” She smiled innocently. “Did you all have a good time?”

Darius and Liz looked at each other, but neither answered the question.

“Well, I'd better get going.” Darius headed toward the door. “Liz, may I talk to you for a moment?”

Glancing at her aunt, Liz reluctantly followed him out the door. As soon as it was closed behind her he turned on her.

“After your family is asleep, I expect you at my bungalow tonight.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Some women can't appreciate love, they only understand being used. I never thought you were one of those woman. But the way you went chasing after Darren like a bitch in heat—”

The cracking sound of flesh connecting with flesh re
sounded on the air, as they both stood stock-still. Liz was as surprised that she'd slapped him as Darius was to be slapped.

He reached up and touched his tender cheek. “I expect you at my bungalow by midnight—don't be late.” He turned and started down the walk.

“Like hell!” she called to his retreating back.

At the end of the walk he turned to her and she saw pure fire and brimstone reflected in his brown eyes. “We have an agreement, remember?”

Liz gasped at the pure disgust that dripped from every word. “That
agreement
is null and void.”

He turned away, and for a moment Liz thought he might concede, then he turned back. “You have two choices. At midnight tonight you come to my bungalow, or I come to yours. The choice is up to you.” He turned and walked back toward the lobby, never looking back.

A
s Liz reentered the suite her head was still spinning. It always amazed her how quickly good things could go bad.

“What was all that commotion about?” Dee asked, her face showing serious concern, and Liz suspected Dee had heard more than she pretended.

“Nothing, Aunt Dee.” Liz went into her bedroom and closed the door. She stretched out across the bed and closed her eyes and finally confronted the truth. Maybe Darius was right. Maybe she just didn't know what she wanted. No, that was not true, because she knew exactly what she wanted. She wanted him. She wanted just what Darius was offering her—a chance to be his wife. Only she could see the handwriting on the wall that apparently he was oblivious to.

She knew that every time a good-looking guest
smiled at her too long, Darius would suspect. She knew that every time she announced an impending pregnancy, Darius would wonder. She knew that every time she was late coming home from work, or was away from him for any length of time, Darius would think back to the last time she did not show up. He would remember it because her betrayal was one of the major events that had shaped his current life. He'd ended up in New Zealand because of her. Was he really so naive as to believe they could just pick up the pieces as if nothing had happened and go on?

Well, she was not so naive. She knew that the most she could ever hope for with Darius was stolen weeks here and there, like the one they were sharing. Or a life of misery, for her at least.

She wiped her eyes on the blanket that no longer smelled like Darius. Housekeeping had come while she was out and taken away all the remnants of their night together. The perfect symbolism, she thought.

All she would ever have were faded memories of Darius, pieces of time that she had no way of holding onto or protecting. Except Marc. She would always have that wonderful, that best part of him no matter whatever else happened between them.

She pulled herself together and went in search of her aunt. She found Dee in her bedroom, sitting knitting in a side chair that she had positioned near the window for best light.

Dee was so involved in her craft Liz realized she went unnoticed, so she leaned against the doorway and just enjoyed being in the presence of the only mother figure in her life anymore.

Several minutes later, Dee glanced up and jumped
slightly. “Oh! You scared me. What are you doing just standing there?”

Liz shrugged. “Just standing here.” She came into the room and took a seat on the end of the bed. “What are you making?”

“A sweater for that nice young man that works with Darius. He was so thoughtful today, coming around every hour to check on me. I know he was told to look in on me, but he did a lot more than he had to.”

Liz thought about the fact that Alika lived on a tropical island and probably had no need of a sweater, but decided to keep the thought to herself.
Who knows, maybe one day he'll travel.

“So, what were you and Darius arguing about outside?”

“I think you already know.”

Dee shrugged and continued her knitting, but something about the shrug struck Liz as more knowing than not.

“Were you really sick this morning?”

Dee's agile fingers paused over her project and then in a blink they were going once more. “What makes you think I was not?”

“You seemed to have recovered awfully fast considering all the moaning and groaning you were doing this morning.”

“Well, dear, everyone heals differently. Those antacid tablets were just what I needed.”

“You played sick so Marc and I could have some time alone with Darius, didn't you?”

Dee sighed. “For all the good it did.” She frowned at Liz. “Were you two arguing like that all day?”

“No, actually, most of the day was pretty terrific. He took us all over the area. It really is beautiful here.”

“So what went wrong?”

“When we got back to the hotel, he asked me to marry him.”

Dee's eyes widened. “And what was your answer?”

Liz bit her lip trying to remember the exact sequence of events. “I don't think I did.”

“What?”

“Everything kinda fell apart so fast, I don't think I said yes or no.” She picked at the blanket, seeking some outlet for her nervous energy. “Although I'm quite sure he believes my answer is no.”

“I don't understand. How do you go from marriage proposals one moment to arguments the next?”

Liz shook her head. “I don't know, Aunt Dee. I don't know anything when it comes to this man.”

“Do you want to marry him?”

“
Want
has nothing to do with it.”

“How did you come to that conclusion?”

Liz tilted her head at her aunt. “Do you honestly think he and I could have anything approaching a normal marriage?”

Dee huffed. “Well, first we'd have to define what a normal marriage is, but that's a conversation for another day. As for you and Darius, I think you can have a good marriage if you both desire to make it so.”

“After everything we've been through?”

“Sweetheart.” Dee leaned forward in her seat. “You're sitting here with your heart breaking at the thought of not being with him for the rest of your life…after everything you've been through. You're working out the complicated relationship of trying to raise a child together…after everything you've been through. And—” Dee returned her attention to her knitting “—you allowed him back in your bed, the first
man in ten years…after everything you've been through.” She glanced at Liz and quickly looked away. “So, I don't really see your point.”

Liz's mouth twisted in an annoyed expression.
After hearing it put like that neither do I.

“I just don't want to spend my life living like some kind of rehabilitated cheater.”

“Are you sure that's how he would treat you?”

“How could he not? I left him for his brother.”

“I think you're making a lot of assumptions.” Dee nodded thoughtfully, her busy fingers moving deftly over the yarn. “It's understandable. You're frightened out of your mind, and assuming the worse and avoiding the risk is always easier than the alternative.”

“And what's that?”

“Isn't it obvious? Putting your heart in jeopardy. And forgiving yourself.”

 

Later that evening, Darius watched the stairs constantly, expecting Liz to appear for dinner, but when only Dee and Marc arrived he knew he would not be seeing her that evening.

“Hi, Uncle Darius!” Marc charged at him with the same enthusiasm as always, and Darius welcomed the weight of his son as he caught the boy in his arms. If only his mother were able to love and trust so easily, Darius thought.

“Where's Liz?” he asked Dee.

“I think she may have caught what I had,” Dee said, trying to infuse just the right amount of sympathy in her voice.

“I see,” he said, not knowing what else to say. “Well, I guess it's just us then tonight.”

Marc immediately began to squirm to get out of his father's hold. “I see my friends.”

Darius dropped him and he took off to the other end of the beach.

“So do I,” Dee said as she spotted the McKinseys gesturing for her to join them. “Why don't you join us?” she asked, and he knew it was out of her guilt in abandoning him.

“No, I've got too much to do, but thanks anyway.” Darius spent most of the evening moving among the guests and answering questions about the surrounding area's attractions and activities.

He kept looking up the stairs hoping to see Liz at the top, but by ten-thirty he knew she would not be coming. He'd threatened to go to her, but he wasn't at all sure he could do that. It would be too painful to make love to her—for that was all he knew how to do when it came to Liz—knowing she didn't feel the same.

He found an empty table and took a seat. That was the most confusing part of all because he was almost certain she loved him, too. So, what exactly was the hang-up? What did she mean when she said he didn't trust her? He wouldn't have asked her to be his wife if he didn't trust her.

What did she want from him? He was tempted to climb the stairs and ask her directly.

Just then Dee appeared at his side. “Darius, have you seen Marc? I haven't seen him in the last hour.”

Darius looked around the group and realized the group of children Marc had been playing with were all missing. Wherever they were, they were together and there was some small comfort in that.

“Don't worry, I'll find him.”

Darius notified his security staff of the missing children. He and the others split in different directions. One went west down the beach, the other went east up the beach and Darius took the stairs going up to check the hotel complex.

He searched all the nooks and crannies he knew were catnip to the children of his guests. He tried to stay calm, tried to tell himself they were children and probably just off somewhere making that mischief his mother had insisted he never made. But it was hard when all he could think about was how close he'd come to not even knowing Marc, and then almost losing him.

Darius knew nothing in the world was guaranteed, not even the life of a nine-year-old boy. In the lobby, he picked up one of the walkie-talkies so he could communicate with the other two searchers. Both men checked in and neither had found any of the children.

Darius was already considering what to do next. He would have to tell Liz and then call in the local authorities. He started out toward the front lobby door when he noticed a group of lumpy shadows in the back of the lobby where a group of chairs had been pushed together around a table.

As he approached the group, he knew at once it was the missing children. First he breathed a sigh of relief, then he notified security and asked one of the guards to let Dee know Marc was okay.

The kids were all huddled together around a small side table, and they all seemed completely engrossed by whatever was going on on the table. He was close enough now to see that Marc was in the center of the group with a small colorful rag in his hand. The children were all staring at the rag while Marc tried to pour water over it.

Then the rag moved, shivering and releasing a pitiful chirp, and Darius discovered to his amazement the colorful rag was actually an injured bird. “Marc, what are you doing?”

The children jumped in collective startled surprise as Marc turned tearful eyes up to his father. “He's going to die and I don't know how to save him.” He lifted his bundle up to Darius. “You gotta help him, Uncle Darius, or he'll die.” His little face was completely coated in his misery, as his eyes poured tears and his nose ran uncontrollably.

The other children just watched in their own sorrowful way. None seemed to be taking it as hard as Marc, but it was quite obvious they were all concerned for the bird.

Looking down at the helpless animal, Darius felt helpless himself. He had no idea what to do for an injured wild bird. But, he decided, it was times like this when it was good to have a little pull.

As gently as he could, Darius took the tiny, fragile thing from his son's hands, amazed that Marc had not crushed it by accident. He quickly walked to the lobby desk with the entourage of children following, and was more than relieved to see it was Alika behind the desk.

“Alika, I need something to put this in.”

Alika frowned down at the dying bird. “What is that?”

“Just give me a box or something!”

Alika reached beneath the counter and emptied a small cardboard box they used to hold lost and found keys and other odd items.

“Punch some small holes in the top of it,” Darius said as Alika attempted to give him the box.

After the holes were in place, Darius gently lowered the animal into the box. “Okay, now I need you to help me find a twenty-four-hour vet clinic in the area.”

“Boss, I don't know if such a thing exists.”

“Just look it up on the Internet, Alika. There has to be at least one pet hospital in this area.”

Alika's eyes widened as he looked at the computer screen. “Uh, no pet hospital in this area, but there is one in Christchurch and the doctor who owns it is named Elton McGillicutty.”

“A vet in Christchurch is not going to help this bird, Alika! Find something local!”

“Boss, what I'm saying is that we have a Dr. Elton McGillicutty staying with us this week. How many Dr. Elton McGillicuttys can there be in New Zealand?”

If he weren't holding a half-dead bird in a box, Darius thought he just might kiss Alika at that moment. “Where is his bungalow?”

“He's in the Karora suite.”

“Great, I'm headed there. Call down to the beach and ask security to check the guests at dinner and see if he's there as well. And after that, call the suite and see if anyone answers.”