Eternally Yours - Brenda Jackson [9]
Syneda took a long, deep breath before answering. She met his inquiring gaze. “As far as I’m concerned, falling in love means becoming dependent on that person for your happiness. I did that once and will never do it again.”
She stood. “I think I’ll go unpack and turn in early. Our flight wore me out. What would you like to do tomorrow?”
Clayton set his glass on the table next to hers and also stood. “How about if we go on one of those sightseeing tours around town.”
“That sounds like fun. Well, good night, Clayton. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Good night, Syneda.”
Clayton watched as she walked off through the living room and toward the bedroom she had chosen to use. He couldn’t help wondering about the man who had evidently hurt Syneda to make her feel the way she felt about falling in love.
Leaning against the balcony Clayton took his first sip of morning coffee and then released a satisfied sigh. “Ahh, good stuff,” he commented as he looked out at the ocean to enjoy the early-morning sunrise. He had gotten up before dawn to make coffee, and had tried to be quiet while moving around in the kitchen. He hadn’t wanted to awaken Syneda.
Rest, unwind a bit, have some fun and clear his overworked mind were the only things on his agenda this week. He turned and was about to go back inside when his gaze caught sight of a lone figure walking along the beach. The first thing he thought was that the woman, dressed in running shorts and a halter top, probably had the best body he’d ever seen. He couldn’t make out her face because she was wearing a big straw hat and sunglasses, but he suspected any woman with a body like that had to have a terrific face to go along with it.
He stood transfixed, mesmerized, as she strolled along the beach apparently looking for seashells. A fragment of something teased at his consciousness. Had he met her before somewhere? There was something about her walk that was familiar to him for some reason.
He momentarily closed his eyes thinking his mind was playing tricks on him. There was no way he could ever have met this woman and not remember it. He reopened his eyes in time to watch her lean down to pick up a seashell and put it in the basket she was carrying. From his position high on the balcony, he could see the shorts she was wearing, which were already cut close to her hip bone, had ridden higher and showed a very good-looking backside.
Clayton drummed his fingers against the railing. Perspiration began forming on his forehead. For crying out loud, he was on vacation to unwind and just looking at the woman had him all wound up. He wiped his forehead thinking this wasn’t good. Women were supposed to be off limits to him this week.
He was just about to leave when the woman turned and looked up in his direction and waved. He frowned, not understanding the friendly gesture. He had not known she had seen him watching her and had definitely not expected her to acknowledge it. Not knowing what else to do, he waved back.
Only after she’d taken off her sunglasses and removed the big straw hat from her head did he recognize her.
The woman was Syneda.
Clayton turned and whispered in Syneda’s ear. “Our tour guide has the hots for you. He’s been checking you out ever since we boarded this train.”
Syneda ungraciously shoved a handful of popcorn into her mouth, followed by a big gulp of cola before responding. “You’re imagining things.”
“No, I’m not. I know when a man is interested in a woman.”
Syneda giggled. “I guess you would, being an expert in womanizing and all.”
Clayton frowned. “It’s not funny, Syneda.”
“Yes, it is. Men have been girl watching for ages. Will you stop being so uptight? What’s wrong with you?”
Clayton took a deep breath. He was asking himself that same question. It had all begun that morning when he had seen her on the beach. Then later, things had gotten worse when they had decided to take an early-morning swim before breakfast. She had joined him by the pool wearing the sexiest bikini he had