The Secret Doctor (4 page)

He showed her the bar, set up in a corner of the terrace, where a waiter was mixing cocktails for anyone who cared to try them. ‘How about a Florida Sunrise?' Jake suggested.

‘I don't think I've ever tried one,' Lacey said. ‘What is it?'

‘It's delicious… It's made by pouring a dash of grenadine into the bottom of a glass—that's a syrup made from red currants and pomegranates—then you add crushed ice, pour in Bacardi rum and top up with orange juice. I think you'll like it.'

‘Sounds good to me,' she agreed, and when she
sipped her drink a moment later she was pleasantly surprised. ‘This is really great.'

He smiled. ‘Trust me,' he said. ‘I won't steer you wrong.'

She looked into his eyes and wondered if that could be true. She simply couldn't work him out. In truth, she might be here in body and spirit, but her mind was still trying to fathom his surprise offer to buy her house. Rob had been right when he'd said that Jake was eccentric. You never knew what to expect from him.

He introduced her around, as promised, but did it en route as they explored the house. Everyone was friendly, intent on having a good time, and after a while Lacey began to relax.

She was fascinated by this glimpse into the way he lived. The kitchen was superb, richly fitted out with warm-coloured mahogany cupboards and wall units, mostly glass fronted, and the whole was finished with gleaming granite worktops. There were built-in ovens and appliances made from stainless steel and dark glass, and at one end of the room there was a corner sink unit. The opposite corner was made up of a wall of glass, looking out onto a covered deck, which in turn overlooked the sea.

‘Help yourself to something to eat,' Jake told her. ‘The least I can do is feed you up after you've been hard at work all day. Besides, I owe you for the empanadas.'

‘Thanks.' Her glance swept over the feast that had been laid out on a large island unit to one side of the kitchen. ‘But they fade into insignificance next to this. It all looks mouth-wateringly delicious.'

Among the treats on offer, there were dishes of fresh pink shrimp set out on beds of lettuce leaves, plates of rye bread garnished with pastrami, cheese and sauerkraut, and laced with salad dressing, and there were crispy tortilla chips topped with guacamole, sour cream, salsa and cheese.

‘Try a bit of everything,' he suggested, handing her a plate.

‘Okay.' She tasted several of the gourmet dishes on offer, savouring the different flavours and textures, and then when she felt she could eat no more, she glanced around. She was captivated by the understated opulence of his home. It was set out in open-plan fashion, the different areas marked out by a change in floor covering—ceramic tiles in the kitchen, and oak boards in the living and dining room areas. There were wide archways leading from one room to another, and the whole gave a feeling of spaciousness and light.

‘If you've finished eating for the moment,' he said as she put aside her plate, ‘I'll give you a tour of the rest of the house.'

‘Thanks, I'd like that. What I've seen so far is way beyond my expectations.' The furniture was upholstered in pale, luxurious fabrics, with scatter cushions adding a dash of colour here and there. Simple flower arrangements and the greenery of ferns made everything complete. ‘You have a lovely home.' Home was the operative word. Somehow the elegance and luxury faded into the background, with the overall feeling that this
was not just a beautifully furnished house. It was a place where you could live and relax and be yourself.

His smile was warm. ‘I'm glad you like it.'

She nodded, but inside she was asking herself why on earth he would want to have her house as well as this one. His talk of extending the dock and fruit groves somehow didn't ring true. ‘Let me show you around upstairs,' he murmured, placing a hand beneath her elbow and leading her through the crowded rooms to the stairs. ‘There are five bedrooms in all,' he added, as they made their way to the second floor, ‘and they've all been sited to look out over the sea.'

He pushed open a door. ‘This is the master suite. It's the biggest room, and has a deck area, so first thing in the morning I can go out there and breathe in the fresh air.'

‘I know that feeling. It's lovely to be able to do that.' She could imagine him standing out here in the early morning, half-awake, bare-chested as the sun rose and cast its glow over his golden skin, his long body lithe and tautly muscled.

‘Yes, it is.' He glanced at her. ‘Are you all right? You look very pensive all of a sudden.'

She blinked, and gave him a startled look. What was the matter with her? Heat rushed through her body in a swift wave, going straight to her head. For a moment there she had drifted off into a reverie of intoxicating dreams and wild imaginings. ‘Um…I'm fine.' She tried to rally her thoughts. ‘There must have been more rum than orange juice in that Florida Sunrise.'

He laughed. ‘The night's young. When the food
you've eaten begins to take effect, I'm sure you could risk another one.'

She wasn't so sure that it was the drink that was affecting her. The plain truth was she couldn't think straight when he was close by. He had a strange effect on her nervous system, and by now she ought to know better than to let him get under her guard.

‘Bathrooms,' he said, steering her out of the danger area. ‘There are several, but they're all pretty much alike.' He opened a door that led off from the main bedroom. ‘This is my en suite…it's lovely and cool at the height of the summer. You can just lean against those marble walls and let the heat drizzle out of you.'

She tried it, leaning back against the cool tiles and waiting for the heat to dissipate. Only it didn't happen, because Jake was standing in front of her and all at once his arms were gliding around her waist, and his long body was lightly pressuring hers.

She half closed her eyes, and when his lips brushed hers it was everything that she had dreamed of…exhilarating, intoxicating, a ripple of pleasure that started with her lips and flowed from there through every particle of her being. His hands gently caressed the curve of her hips, drawing her towards him, and a pool of heat started to grow inside her, eddying out in circles of exquisite delight.

She wasn't in control of herself any more. His hands roamed lightly over her body, and she realised he was playing her like a finely tuned instrument, stroking every quivering nerve fibre as though he knew exactly how to coax the response he wanted.

She moved against him, loving the way their bodies fitted, his hard, muscled torso against her soft, feminine curves. He groaned raggedly, deepening the kiss, and then let his lips trail over her hot skin, swooping downwards, exploring the smooth curve of her breasts.

A soft gasp escaped her. Her mind was whirling, and she was overwhelmed by these new, unbidden sensations that rocketed through her body. Why was this happening? How was he able to do this to her…how was he able to make her feel this way?

This was something she had never experienced before…not even with Nick, who had been everything to her at one time, until it had all gone wrong. Why would she even think of allowing herself to fall into that same situation all over again?

She laid her hands flatly on Jake's chest, and even that had the effect of making her weak with desire. Her fingertips moved shakily along the line of his rib cage. Why was she letting this happen?

‘Jake,' she managed at last, ‘Jake, I can't do this. I don't know what I was thinking. I'm not ready for this.'

‘You're delicious, you're beautiful,' he murmured huskily against the smooth velvet of her throat, as though he hadn't heard her. ‘You're everything I could ever want.'

She tried to draw back from him, and a faint groan rumbled in his throat, the flat of his hands supporting her spine, resisting her efforts. ‘What could be wrong about this? I know you want me,' he whispered. ‘You melted in my arms, you kissed me, you showed me how much you wanted me.'

‘Jake, no… I mean it. I'm sorry.' Determined now, she pushed against his chest until he stopped caressing her, and his body became rigid with tension. ‘I'm sorry,' she said again.

Slowly, reluctantly, he eased himself away from her. ‘You don't have anything to apologise for,' he said in a low, roughened tone. ‘I should have known better. I invited you here and you should have been safe in my home, even from the likes of me.'

He straightened. ‘Don't let it spoil your evening,' he said. ‘Go back downstairs and join the others, if you will. I just need a minute or two to get myself together.'

She looked at him and saw the lines of tension in his face. She daren't do anything other than he suggested. It was clear to see that he was struggling in the aftermath of their passionate encounter, and she didn't want to risk any repercussions by staying on.

She left him there, and went to join the rest of his guests. Perhaps she would be able to slip quietly away.

S
LIPPING
away from the party wasn't going to be quite as easy as she had imagined, Lacey discovered when she walked out onto the deck outside Jake's sitting room. Her plan was to follow the path of the deck around the house to the nearest exit and then flee into the darkness.

Instead, she was waylaid by one of the male guests. ‘Hi,' he said, coming to stand beside her. ‘I'm Ben.'

‘Hello, Ben.' She gave him a brief nod, a wave of frustration washing over her as her escape route was effectively cut off. He was around Jake's age, fair haired, good-looking, and with an athletic build.

‘You seem to be all alone,' he murmured, ‘and without a drink. We can't have that. Have you tried one of our Rum Runner cocktails?'

‘Um, no, I haven't.' Lacey frowned, trying to work out an alternative getaway strategy. Would she do better to wind her way through the crowded living room, or would that attract even more attention?

‘We can soon remedy that.' Ben's hand slid beneath
her elbow and he began to gently turn her in the direction of the bar.

‘Well, actually, I was thinking of leaving…' Lacey started to turn away. ‘I only planned on dropping by for an hour or so.'

Ben lightly sucked in his breath. ‘I doubt Jake would forgive me if I let you slip away without him being able to see you to your door. You're his neighbour, aren't you? I overheard him introducing you to people when I was over by the bar. Besides, you can't think of leaving until you've let me get you a drink.' He laid a hand lightly in the small of her back.

‘What's going on here, Ben?' Jake asked, his tone dry as he walked through the open glass doors and came towards them. ‘Are you making a play for my girl? I might have known you wouldn't be able to resist the temptation. I can't leave you alone for five minutes.'

Lacey caught her breath.
My girl?
It was difficult enough for her to get herself back on an even keel without him saying things like that. And she certainly hadn't expected to see him again this evening. Her retreat had been in motion and now all her plans were shot to pieces, thanks to Ben's intervention.

As for Jake, he seemed to be back to his normal self and he wasn't giving a hint as to what had gone on between them either by look or gesture.

The two men eyed each other like friendly adversaries, and she guessed each of them was well aware of the other's thoughts and likely moves.

‘Make a play for her? As if I would do that,' Ben
retorted with a crooked smile. ‘I was just persuading her to try one of the smugglers' specials. After all, we can't have a celebration of our activities without drinking to the felons who used to live on the Keys and ply their illegal trade, can we?'

Lacey's eyes widened a little, and Jake commented lightly, ‘See what you've done now, Ben? Her mind's ticking over and she's beginning to think we're involved in all sorts of nefarious activities.'

‘Ah, well, there's the thing…' Ben gave a wicked grin. ‘I always felt there was a dangerous excitement in diving for treasure. It kind of gets the blood racing, don't you think?'

‘It's certainly dangerous.' Jake's comment was softly spoken, his blue-grey gaze overcast as a shadow flitted over his usually cheerful expression. Lacey looked from one to the other in bewilderment.

‘I'm lost,' she said, all thoughts of escape driven from her mind. ‘What are you both talking about?'

‘Come and try a Rum Runner and I'll explain,' Jake murmured, shaking off his introspection and ushering her towards the bar.

The bartender mixed the drink, adding ice to a glass, then pouring over it equal measures of pineapple and orange juice, blackberry liqueur, banana liqueur and topping that with a generous measure of rum. Finally, he added a splash of grenadine and a slice of orange.

Jake handed Lacey the long glass, inviting her to taste the mixture. ‘This goes way back to the days of prohibition,' he murmured, ‘when smugglers used to
bring in beer and rum from Cuba to the Keys and stash it away in basement hiding places. Of course, your people, the British, weren't entirely innocent in all this… They helped us out by sending along their own contributions—whisky, rye and Scotch.'

‘I'm not having this slurring of my good name,' she said, raising a brow. ‘That was way before my time, and I'm sure we'd never do such a thing now.' She sent him a mischievous look from under her lashes. ‘Mind you, seeing all this wealth and opulence around me, I expect you'd have a hard time denying that your ancestors were involved in some way.'

He let that ride, his mouth making a rueful twist, while Lacey sipped her drink. It was deliciously fruity, and it packed quite a punch. Heat pooled in her abdomen and spread slowly throughout her body. ‘Whoo-hoo…' she said. ‘I can see why these are popular.'

Jake laughed. ‘They're especially good if you don't have to drive home.'

‘Or dive in the morning,' Ben put in. ‘I'm thinking I shall have to put it off until the weekend.'

Lacey frowned. ‘So you weren't kidding when you mentioned diving for treasure? What's that all about?'

‘You don't know?' Ben looked surprised. ‘I imagined Jake must have told you all about it. That's partly why he holds these get-togethers, to raise money for the diving expeditions…or at least, that's the reason for some of the parties. People sign up for shares in the company.'

‘Company?' She shook her head. ‘I'm still confused.
Are you saying that you dive for treasure and get to keep the proceeds? What treasure?'

‘The Keys are renowned for the number of ships that foundered in the waters around here,' Jake explained. ‘Especially Spanish galleons from the sixteenth century onwards. They sank because they were caught up in hurricanes, or were dashed against the coral reefs, or maybe simply because their captains were unaware how treacherous the waters could be around here.'

‘And many of the ships carried hoards of silver and gold—and sank to the bottom of the sea,' Ben tacked on. ‘Which is where Jake's grandfather found his fortune. He spent years searching for wrecks, and eventually his hard work paid off.'

‘Of course, the treasure is all classed as belonging to the state these days,' Jake said, ‘so you need permits for everything, and the state decides what you can keep.'

‘Except that Jake's grandfather established his claim before it became law,' Ben explained, ‘and he secured all the rights to his find. So he established a company, and now the company's divers search the wreck site and take shares in any finds they make. Of course, there will always be those people who don't like to take the legal route. They'll dive without permits and try to smuggle out anything they find. Some of the hoards are worth a small fortune.'

Lacey stared at Jake. ‘I'm lost for words,' she said. No wonder he had that wicked, devilish streak about him. It went back to the days of rumrunners and treasure hunters and ran through his blood like a rich, red wine.

‘So, do you dive at the sites of the wrecks?' she asked him. ‘Is that why I see you going out in the boats most days?'

He shook his head. ‘I used to.' His features tightened momentarily, but then he recovered himself and added, ‘Nowadays I prefer to go out and do a bit of fishing, or sometimes I'll scubadive simply for pleasure. Have you ever tried it?'

She nodded. ‘I have…when I've been on holiday sometimes, but never actually around here.'

‘Then you must let me take you. The underwater coral reefs here are beautiful and not to be missed.'

Lacey frowned. The casual invitation had caught her completely unawares. Was he trying to change the subject and divert attention from the treasure seeking?

His gaze skimmed over her as she sipped her drink. ‘How about we make a trip out there on Saturday? I'll pick you up and we'll try out my new boat.'

‘It's finished?' Her eyes widened. ‘You must have put some hours in to manage that.'

‘Yes, I have.' He smiled. ‘So, do we have a date?'

She shook her head. After the way she had fallen for temptation earlier, it would be sheer folly to ask for more of the same, wouldn't it? It would just prove that she had no common sense, and that she'd learned nothing from her break-up with Nick. Wasn't Nick the same sort of pleasure-loving individual as Jake? They were two of a kind, and she wasn't about to make the same mistake twice. ‘Sorry, but it's no deal.' She sent him a penetrating glance. ‘Anyway, unlike some, I have
a job to go to, and I'll be working on Saturday. That's my shift for the week, Tuesday to Saturday.'

It was Jake's turn to raise his brows. ‘Did I hear a criticism somewhere in there? Perhaps you don't think I earn my keep?'

‘It wasn't a criticism, just an observation.'

His gaze narrowed on her. ‘I have a notion it was a little more than that. Do you think there's something wrong in treasure hunting?'

‘Not at all. I think you're very lucky to have the opportunity to do it and succeed at the same time.'

‘But you're sceptical. I can see it in your eyes.'

She wriggled her shoulders uncomfortably. ‘I'm sure it's very exciting, and nice work for some, but it's not what you might call a regular job, is it?' She paused. ‘I know that exploring wrecks can be difficult and hazardous, and the rewards are probably tremendous, but I'm not convinced it's what you call real work.'

She glanced at Ben. ‘Sorry, Ben. I'm not having a go at you…but I can't imagine that exploring a wreck in the hope of finding treasure is going to provide anyone with a bread-and-butter income.'

Ben smiled crookedly. ‘You're right. It wouldn't do to rely on it, but when we do occasionally locate another piece of a hoard on the seabed, we find it's a very lucrative business. The rest of the time, I work from nine to five as the director of a distributing company. So, you see, I do have my feet firmly on the ground.'

‘Stop trying to impress the girl,' Jake intervened dryly, his eyes narrowing on his friend. ‘I saw her first.'

‘That doesn't mean she's falling head over heels for you,' Ben retorted. ‘She turned you down for the scubadive, remember.'

‘Okay, okay…the pair of you can stop squabbling,' Lacey put in. ‘I'm going home…to sleep and get ready for another day in Emergency. You can both stay and party your hearts out.' Her mouth curved. ‘It has been lovely seeing around your house, Jake, and meeting your friends. Thanks for bringing me along, but I really do have to go now.'

‘I'll walk you home,' he said, and as Ben made a move to go with them he threw him a hard look that said,
Back off
.

Ben took it in good part, inclining his head towards Lacey. ‘Bye, Lacey,' he said. ‘I hope I see you again soon.'

‘Me, too,' she said.

‘Not if I have anything to do with it,' Jake muttered under his breath. He wrapped a possessive arm around Lacey and went with her to the door.

‘You really don't have to see me home,' she murmured. ‘I'll be fine.'

‘Even so…I'll walk with you.' He sent her a sideways glance as they walked out on to the terrace and headed for the path. ‘You seem to be quite concerned about my laid-back lifestyle. I do have to work on company business from time to time, you know?'

‘Yes, so Rob told me.'

‘Hmm. I guessed you might have been talking to him. I think it bothers him that I don't have a nine-to-five job. It's unfortunate, but Rob and I never quite got along, for
some reason, and I suspect that's at the root of it. I used to invite him over to the house, but he wouldn't take me up on any of my offers. I had the feeling he'd written me off as some kind of rich party boy.'

‘It's possible you may be right there.' She glanced at him. She would have liked to ask him how he came to spend his days doing little of any importance, but the answer might disturb her too much. He might tell her he preferred things that way…and if he wanted her to know more, he would tell her, wouldn't he?

‘Seriously, though,' she added, ‘Rob is a very private person, and it can be difficult to get to know him. I think that's why he preferred to live out here in relative isolation. It's only now that I've decided to come and live here that he's had to think through his options, and he decided to move nearer to his family. I think the move will do him good.' She frowned. ‘Of course, he'll have to wait awhile to do that, now that he's to be fitted with an implant. He'll probably stay in the area until his medical problems have been sorted out. In fact, he'll probably come back to stay at my place for a short time. He left quite a few of his belongings with me.'

‘I expect he'll be glad to do that.'

By now they had reached her house and she halted by the door, hesitating a moment as she thought over the night's events. She was drawn to Jake in more ways than she cared to imagine, but he was a definite threat to her peace of mind. He wasn't like other men. There was something about him that set off warning bells in her head every time he was near. And tonight had been
no exception. He had plied her with food and drink until the world had taken on a rosy glow, and maybe that was why he had managed to slip through the cracks in her defences.

‘I'll say goodnight, then,' she murmured. ‘Thanks for showing me around your house, and for walking me home.'

‘You're very welcome…any time.' He moved closer to her, his voice a husky drawl. ‘If there's anything you want…help of some sort, a friendly chat…
me
…you only have to call and I'll be there in a second.' Flame darted in his eyes as his glance trailed over her, and an imp of a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

A pulse started to beat heavily in her throat, and her whole body filled with heat. ‘I'll bear it in mind,' she said in a rough-edged voice, evading him as he sought to move closer. She turned her key in the lock. ‘Bye, Jake.'