Deadly Race (17 page)

Slade chose the plushest hotel on the exclusive strip of beach in San Carlos. He insisted on the best suite available and ignored the strange stares they received as they went to their room, with several paper bags and one dirty duffel bag that had seen better days but no “real” luggage. His lavish tip received a beaming smile from the bellhop and a quick departure.

Then Ellie was alone with Slade, in a hotel suite with two bedrooms connected by a living room. Suddenly she wasn’t sure what to do, where to place her shopping bags of clothes and various female sundries that she had dreamed about while trudging through the jungle.

Her indecision must have been written all over her face, because Slade said, “It’ll be your call, Ellie.” And she knew he meant she would be the one to decide if they shared a bedroom.

After the fifth move as a child, she had learned to withdraw into herself when she felt herself getting too close. That didn’t change when she finally went to live with her grandmother. And it didn’t change when she became engaged. She stared at Slade and realized that if she gave anymore of herself to him, she wouldn’t be able to mend the pieces of her heart. “You can have the larger of the bedrooms. All I want is a bath and a bed.”

“Okay,” he said, his expression masked as he picked up his duffel bag and his sack. “I’ll meet you back here in three hours for dinner.”

Ellie watched him walk toward the larger bedroom and started to say something. Her throat closed as he shut the door. She swallowed several times, then took a breath that wasn’t nearly enough air. She was just doing what she always did, protecting herself, but then why did her chest ache?

Because she loved him and that wasn’t going to change, whether she stayed in her own bedroom and slept alone tonight or not. But if she gave herself to him, that would change everything. She took a step toward her room, then another one. She hesitated, glancing back at his door, closed.

That’s best for both of us. We live in two different worlds. Before long this will be a dream. That’s all.

* * *

A pounding sound penetrated her sleep, and Ellie felt herself being drawn toward wakefulness. Nestling against the softness of the bed, she resisted the lure to open her eyes, wanting to remain in the world of sleep where her dreams were of Slade. The noise continued, and she eased one eyelid up, the sound of Slade grumbling in the living room of the suite.

Ellie knew she was way too curious for her own good. After all, her listening to the conversation between Mr. Martinez and the police chief was what got her into this situation in the first place. Even if she hadn’t intended to listen in on the conversation, she should have covered her ears and gotten herself out of that hallway as fast as her feet could carry her. Now, when she heard loud voices coming from the other room, she felt the tug of curiosity again and slipped from the bed, shrugging into her robe as she went to her bedroom door and eased it open a few inches.

“But, Mr. Calvert, people want to know about your ordeal. Everyone thought you were dead. I’m the first one to arrive here, but others will follow soon. Your fiancée is beside herself and is flying down as we speak.”

Fiancée?
He never said anything about one while kissing her. Ellie tensed, gripping the lapels of the robe together as she huddled closer to the crack in the door.

“Fiancée?”

“Have you forgotten Elizabeth Hanson so soon? Of course, from what I heard you checked in with a woman. Is that true, Mr. Calvert? Who is she?”

“I’ll give you two seconds to remove yourself from this room or I will.”

The steel thread in Slade’s voice spoke of a man who would definitely carry out his threat. Obviously the other man thought so, too, because the next thing Ellie heard was the door slamming shut. She scrambled back from the ajar door.

Slade was engaged? No, he couldn’t be. But then she had been betrayed once before. What did she really know about Slade Calvert? Certainly he hadn’t mentioned this Elizabeth Hanson—not once. Hurt began to fester in a wound she’d thought had scarred over.

After Slade knocked on her door, it gently swung open. He entered the bedroom, a frown carving lines deep into his face. “You overheard?”

Was he upset because he had a guilty conscience? Or, was he upset because he had been found out? “Who was that?” Ellie managed to keep her voice from shaking with her building anger.

“No one of importance.”

“Well, he has you frowning. I would say you let him get to you.”

“He was only a reporter looking for a story. I told him there wasn’t one here.”

“And you think he’ll go away?”

“No. That’s why I’m frowning.”

Ellie wadded up the ends of her terry cloth belt in her hands, but even through the material she could feel the bite of her nails as they dug into her palms. “Are you sure it wasn’t something else? Who is Elizabeth Hanson?”

The lines in his face deepened. “You heard everything?”

She nodded. “Kinda hard not to. You two were practically shouting at each other.”

“She’s a woman I’ve dated from time to time.”

“Don’t you think it is more than that?”

“She is
not
my fiancée.”

“Does she know that?”

“Yes. I don’t know why that reporter said that. Maybe to get a rise out of me.”

“We knew it was only a matter of time before the real world intruded. Today you’ll go back to your old life--and friends, and so will I.” Now that it was morning, she could get the first mode of transportation out of San Carlos.

Ellie stomped toward the bathroom to escape Slade. Anger knotted her stomach. Of course, she had to pass Slade, and he wouldn’t allow her to leave so easily. He reached out and blocked her, tugging her into his arms. A smile lit his eyes, and she tried to pull away from him, enraged that he would be happy at a time like this when she felt her world crashing down around her. She felt as if she was reliving a scene from her past, when her fiancé had told her he was already married.

“You’re jealous, Ellie.”

“I am not.” She had to acknowledge she was dreaming of more with Slade than she’d let on during their time in the jungle and mountains. The news this morning of another woman cut deep.

He tightened his arms about her. “I promise you I am not engaged to be married. Elizabeth and I have gone out together occasionally, but I made it plain to her from the beginning that I didn’t intend to marry again and it didn’t seem to bother her one bit.”

The words hurt, even more than the fact that he might have already been engaged, and Ellie couldn’t deny their effect on her. He’d made the same thing plain to her on several occasions. She loved him even though they were from two different worlds. When had she started wanting marriage from Slade? Wanting any kind of relationship with him? The situation was far worse than she originally thought. She wanted the whole nine yards. Everything--a ring, a wedding, a house with a white picket fence, a baby, several babies. Because she didn’t have affairs. That wasn’t her.

She tugged herself free from his hold. “Then I think you’d better clear up this mess, or no telling what that reporter will write about you, about us.”

His smile touched his mouth. “You’re right. I’ll arrange for a press conference, then we can have the rest of the day to ourselves. Frankly, I don’t want the world to encroach on us just yet.”

He tried to pull her close again, but she backed away. “But they have.”

“What do you want?”

That was a loaded question she had no intention of answering truthfully. “I want to get back to my life as soon as possible.”

“Very well. I’ll order breakfast from room service then make a few calls about the press conference. We can leave after that. Okay?”

* * *

“What time is your press conference?” Ellie asked as she sat across from Slade, having finished what she could manage to eat. She couldn’t believe that had only been half an omelet. Even that hadn’t settled well on her stomach.

“Eleven.”

“I didn’t realize you were that important, but when the President of the United States called earlier, I figure you carry a lot of weight.”

“It’s nothing. My company does work with different governments. I’ve gotten to know a few people.”

“A few? After our president called, didn’t the President of Bella Isla call and offer his apologies for what happened to you? I didn’t notice him saying anything to me. You know, when we first met I wondered who you were. You seemed more than you appeared. You knew so many survival things. Now I’m wondering again.”

“I’m simply a businessman.”

“How big is your company?”

“I employ several thousand people.”

“How many thousand?” Ellie clasped her hand about the orange juice, in hopes the action would steady her hand, give herself something to do.

“Ten.” He took his last piece of toast and popped it into his mouth.

“That explains things.”

“What?”

“All the calls you’ve received, the people coming to the room.”

He frowned. “I’m sorry. If I had known my reappearance would cause this much commotion, I would have registered under another name.”

Ellie looked at Slade. He really didn’t realize how influential and powerful he was. He had a business to run and that was all he cared about. “When does Elizabeth Hanson arrive?”

“This afternoon.”

“What are you going to do about her?”

“Set her and the world straight. I am not engaged to be married to Elizabeth Hanson, or anyone.”

Ellie felt sorry for Elizabeth even though Ellie knew the woman had brought the situation on herself. In that moment Ellie decided she would make her escape without Slade’s knowledge. She didn’t want anyone, including the band of reporters staying at the hotel, to know when she was leaving to return home. She would ride off into the sunset, alone, and disappear from his life before he had a chance to tell her good-bye. To break her heart anymore. She couldn’t bear that, had always hated farewells. In all her moving around, she had never gotten used to telling a person goodbye. She stopped doing that a long time ago.

“Be gentle with her,” Ellie murmured, watching the sunlight streaming through the balcony doors, cutting a path across the table as though separating them.

“Don’t worry about Elizabeth. She doesn’t love me. She’s using this opportunity to get her name in the paper. I’m a means of publicity for her.”

His cynicism darkened the color of his eyes and made the lines about his mouth deeper. Ellie had always known Slade’s world was very different from hers, but not how much. He moved in the fast lane, knew a lot of wealthy, powerful people. She’d known the real world would intrude on them, but she hadn’t wanted it to happen this quickly. She would be gone before he was finished with his press conference later this morning.

She rose, needing some distance from him. Moving out onto the large balcony that overlooked the water, she relished the gently cooling breeze. She strolled to the railing, grasped it and closed her eyes. She wanted to remember this--not the madcap escape through the jungle. She had to forget that and Slade. Somehow.

He approached her at the railing and wrapped his arms around her, tugging her back against him. “You’re beautiful, Ellie. I haven’t had the chance to tell you how much I like you in that skirt and blouse.” He trailed kisses from her ear down her neck to where her skin lay bare from the off-the-shoulder blouse she wore.

She squeezed her eyes closed and surrendered to his kisses that always stirred her beyond reason.

“I think we should have a little celebration tonight that we made it out alive.”

She wouldn’t be here to do that. But her pounding heart protested that decision. She had to change the subject. “There was a moment or two on that mountain when I didn’t think I would. It was your positive attitude that made the difference to me.”

“There were a few moments when I had my doubts, too. I’m glad they didn’t show.”

Ellie twisted about to look at him. “When?”

“When the plane crashed to the ground, missing us by inches. When the helicopter full of soldiers turned around and came back up the river. When you fell.” He faced her, his expression intense, a tic in his jaw twitching. “I thought I had lost you, even after I saw you on the ledge.”

The protective fierceness in his voice touched her, and for a few seconds she felt hope that he might love her a little bit. Then she realized Slade would feel that way about any human being. After all, he had been a stranger who had come to her rescue in the hotel bar, had offered her his protection and a ride out of Bella Isla.

Her hope died. She smiled sadly, reaching up to brush her fingers across his mouth. “I knew mountain climbing would never become one of my hobbies.”

He took her hand and fit his fingers through hers, forming a tactile link with her. “But you did it because you had to. You conquered your fear and won. I admire that, Ellie. Not everyone can do that.”

The phone ringing in the suite saved her from having to say anything. He glanced back at the balcony door, hesitant. “You’d better answer that. It might be someone important.”