Authors: Cassandra Cole
CHAPTER FOUR
They retreated back into the kitchen and sat around a rustic wooden table that dominated the room. Bowls of rice, steamed vegetables, seafood, sauces, and fruit, enough for a dozen people, were set in the middle of the table. Eve served herself a bowl piled high with rice and topped with a king prawn curry.
"That was delicious, Frank," she said, mopping up the remains with Burmese style naan bread.
"I have a wonderful cook,” he said, clearing the bowls. “And the shrimp here are cheap as chips back in England.”
Eve smiled at him. "Do you always speak in British-isms?"
"Irish-isms when you're here, lass," he said in a very bad Irish-Scottish accent. He passed behind her and placed a friendly hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. She sighed happily. She had always felt incredibly comfortable with Frank.
It was her fifth visit in four years and was to be her longest stay. The first time Oxford University had arranged the trip on the behalf of her and nine other undergraduates whose studies specialized in Southeast Asian culture.
It was little more than a glorified field trip. And while her colleagues all took two days to party on the beaches of Vietnam with British tourists and ex-pats, Eve had stayed in the beachfront cabin with Frank, reading and talking and lounging on the beach.
There was never a romantic chemistry between them. Frank was old enough to be her father and quite possibly gay, given his lack of interest in not only her, but in all other women.
He’d never hinted at an interest in men, either, but Eve had always wondered. No matter, there was a comfortable camaraderie between them that Eve relished, and she had come back year after year, under the guise of academic studies, but mainly to visit her friend.
Her trips were nearly always fully subsidized by the university, but even if they weren't Eve knew she would come anyway. If not for what she learned while she was here, then for the food and the company.
Tonight she felt settled and secure, but with a slight nagging anxiety about Cooper. While chatting with Frank, she occasionally glanced at the dark doorway Cooper had retreated through. He hadn't come out to eat, and Eve suspected that she wouldn’t see him again until tomorrow.
Finally, when her eyes wouldn't stay open any longer, Frank pointed toward the hallway and said her usual room was made up and ready.
As she made her way down the darkened hallway, she saw a light coming from beneath the door next to hers. She assumed it was Cooper's room, and wondered what he is still doing awake.
She thought he would have been asleep hours ago since he disappeared from the kitchen long before dinner was ready.
She paused for a minute and listened, but his room was quiet. Perhaps he fell asleep with the light on. She lifted her hand and thought about knocking, but decided against it.
Whether it was something about her, or something Cooper was fighting within himself, he didn’t seem interested in her company. Only when they were in the air did he seem to relax and enjoy himself. The minute they landed his mood seemed to darken the closer they got to Frank’s.
Maybe there’s more to their relationship than I thought…
She lowered her hand and quietly slipped into her room. She undressed quickly and tucked herself between the clean, cool sheets on her bed.
As she drifted into a deep sleep, her thoughts turned to the memory of Cooper's hand in hers.
In her dreams, his hands moved to other places. As did hers.
CHAPTER FIVE
The next morning the weather was beautiful and clear, the sky a solid light blue occasionally stamped by high fluffy white clouds. Eve took a deep breath as she sat outside sipping her morning tea.
Last night she had awoken once to use the bathroom and as she stepped into the hall saw that Cooper’s bedroom light was still on, even though it was well past 3 am. On the way back to her room, however, the light had been turned off.
After a few minutes alone on the back porch watching the waves lick the white sand, Cooper appeared through the patio doors carrying a mug of coffee so strong that Eve could smell if from six feet away.
“Morning,” he grunted, carefully toting the mug between both hands.
"Morning,” she replied, watching him sit down across from her. “Did you sleep well?"
"Well enough," he replied. He had a newspaper with him, and Eve wondered where on earth he had gotten it on this isolated island. She studied him over her steaming mug of tea.
His hair was messy from sleep, and his golden skin glowed in the morning sun. She couldn’t make out what the tattoos on his arms were, but one of them looked like the bottom of a military insignia. Another was something written in Brahmic script that she couldn’t decipher, but the swoops and curls peered out from under the sleeve of his t-shirt, their joined top hidden beneath the white fabric.
He seemed to only wear white and black, but at least today he wasn’t wearing the Kevlar vest. A chain around his neck was tucked into his shirt and Eve guessed it contained his dog tags and perhaps something else, because there was a slight bulge in the fabric where the chain ended on his chest.
Suddenly, he folded the paper and looked up. Eve looked away quickly, but her cheeks reddened at being caught staring at him. She looked away for a moment, then glanced back at him with an innocent smile. She thought she saw a hint of a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
"I'm gonna grab a shower,” he said, picking up the coffee mug, but leaving the paper. “Be ready to leave in an hour.”
“Aye aye, cap’n,” she said, exasperated. She finished her tea and scanned the paper. She could hear him showering in the only bathroom through the second story window just above her. When she could no longer hear the water running, she took her tea cup to the kitchen, then went upstairs to shower and dress.
Cooper was waiting in the SUV when she came downstairs. He was behind the wheel with the motor running and the passenger door open. She climbed in and off they went, retracing the route from last night back to the airport.
Other than occasional chit chat, they rode in silence, both seemingly lost in thought, though Eve’s thoughts were focused on the strange man sitting next to her. She wanted to ask what his problem was, but she’d gotten the impression from Frank that Cooper’s problems were best left alone. She barely knew the man and in a day or two she’d probably never see him again.
The flight to the Andaman Islands was only an hour, and like the car ride, it was spent in relative silence. Cooper's jovial mood from the day before was gone. Today, he seemed to be all business.
His voice was clipped as he interacted with air traffic control, and although he offered a hand to Eve to help her up into the cockpit, this time his grip ended quickly.
Eve tried to distract herself by looking down at the brilliantly blue ocean. Islands covered in trees rose out of the water, some round and gentle, others rocky and precipitous with sheer grey cliffs dropping straight into the sea. Birds danced and weaved among the cliffs, and at one point when the plane was low and preparing to land, Eve saw a group of sea turtles, their silhouettes dark blue against the shallow aqua shoreline.
They landed in Port Blair and went through immigration with ease. Outside the midday sun was high in the sky. They rented a car and drove the short distance into the city centre, then set out on foot.
"Are you hungry?" Eve asked when she spotted a street vendor selling modak, a sweet Indian dumpling filled with cane sugar and coconut, fragrantly spiced with nutmeg and saffron.
“I could eat,” he said with an apathetic shrug.
“OK, come on.”
She chatted with the vendor for a moment, then pointed out four modak that she liked; their intricately folded tops woven into a spiral. She explained to Cooper how they were made as the vendor slid the treats into a thin white paper bag.
Eve took the bag and handed over a few coins. They stepped away from the vendor and Eve held out one of the pastries for Cooper to take, but after studying her eyes for a moment he smiled and leaned forward, taking the sweet from her fingers with his mouth. His lips closed around her fingers, delicately, tenderly, and Eve's breath caught in her throat. She had to focus all of her attention on keeping her knees from giving out beneath her. Finally, Cooper pulled away, chewing with a smug grin on his face.
"Thanks," he said, holding up his hands and wiggling his fingers at her. “I hate sticky fingers.”
"You're welcome," she said breathlessly. She couldn’t figure this man out. One minute, he’s brooding without a word to say. The next minute he’s smiling and sucking pastry from her fingers. Was he totally schizophrenic or just playing with her? Eve was determined to find out.
She watched Cooper wander down the sidewalk ahead of her. She was fascinated by the easy fluidity with which he moved, like a man completely comfortable in his own skin. Comfortable in his skin, perhaps, but not in his mind
Eve remembered Frank saying the night before that Cooper was a good man, but a complicated soul. She shook the thought from her head and called after him. He stopped and waited for her to catch up.
“You have one more,” she said. She thought his soft lips against her fingertips again so soon might completely unhinge her, so she held out the bag and shook it at him. “And you can feed yourself.”
He took the bag and devoured the dumpling in one bite. He wadded the bag into a ball and tossed it in a nearby trash can. He wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and said, “So, what now? Shall we find a Krispy Kreme and have donuts?”
"We should probably go to the museum," she said, trying to compose herself. It was hard to do while looking into his eyes.
"Sure," he said, extending a hand to let her pass. “Lead the way."
As she passed him to head in the direction of the museum she felt his hand graze the small of her back for just a moment. She looked around at him and smiled. He smiled back. Great, she thought, the happy Cooper is back. Christ, could this man be any more confusing?
She thought about suddenly stopping in her tracks, forcing him to grab for her to steady himself, to feel his broad muscular chest pressed against her back and his strong arms wrapping around her, keeping her safe. She dismissed the thought when the Port Blair Antiquities Museum came into view.
Cooper followed her inside and waited patiently while she checked in at the small reception desk, handing over the letter of introduction she had brought from Piers Cameron. Thinking of him made her feel guilty, though she wasn't entirely sure why.
She could feel Cooper behind her even though he was six feet away, examining the items on display in the foyer. The receptionist, a young Indian man wearing rimless glasses and a red bowtie, read the letter and gave her a welcoming smile.
"Ah, yes, Miss Cavanaugh, Mr. Cameron has been expecting you," he said with a broad smile.
She frowned at him, unsure she had heard correctly. “Wait, Piers Cameron is here?”
The receptionist had already picked up the telephone and punched a number. He held up a finger as he spoke. Eve leaned in, but couldn’t hear what he was saying. She could feel her pulse in her ears. Why the devil is Piers here?
She turned and looked desperately at Cooper, wishing him out of the room so she could face Piers on her own. She knew Piers would probably be wholly inappropriate, he almost always was.
Her greatest fear was that Cooper might get the wrong impression of her relationship with Piers. She knew it was silly and more than a little premature, given that she barely knew Cooper and clearly he was a man with many demons, but she felt a spark of attraction for the former SEAL and believed he felt it, too.
She found herself wanting to pull on that tightening thread that has been entwining the two of them since she landed in India. Despite his change in moods, despite his apparently tortured soul, and despite their completely different lives, she wanted to knot that thread until the two of them were undeniably tangled together.
"Niamh!" Piers called as he bounded down the stair case and into the foyer with his arms outstretched. Never one to make a quiet entrance, his voice was loud and dominating, like his presence, and it bounced off the walls and ceilings of the room.
"Piers, what are you doing here?" she asked, hugging him awkwardly with one arm.
“I wanted to surprise you,” he said brightly.
“Wonderful,” she muttered. She glanced at Cooper, who had taken a few steps back and was watching from just inside the door.
“Here it is, safe and sound,” she said, holding the clay pot between herself and Piers like a shield, hoping he would take the pot and present it to the Port Blair Director, Mr. Sengupta, who had followed him down the stairs.
As always, Piers had his own agenda. He reached an arm around her and pulled her in tightly, lowering his face to plant a kiss so low on her neck that it made Mr. Sengupta look away uncomfortably.
Piers finally released his hold on her and introduced her to Mr. Sengupta, who bowed and extended his hand. There was an uncomfortable look in his eyes.
Piers took the pot and presented it to Mr. Sengupta, adding that his beautiful protégé would soon have a position at the museum under him once she graduated. Mr. Sengupta took the pot graciously and ignored the innuendo in Piers’ remark.
As he said it, Piers turned and winked at Eve, then gave Cooper a knowing smile. Any other time she would have tolerated Piers’ harassment and might have been ecstatic at the prospect of a position -- even if it meant reporting directly to such an arrogant asshole; but at that moment she felt a choking desperation to leave.
She turned to see Cooper standing at the door watching it all. He had his hands stuffed into the pockets of his khaki pants, but it was the expression on his face that tore at Eve's heart. It wasn't a look of betrayal, as such, because the only thing between the two of them was a mutual attraction. However, it was an expression of complete disappointment. He shook his head and opened the door to leave.
"Cooper, wait..." she called after him. The door closed behind him and she saw him through the window going up the street. She turned back to Pier and said, "I have to go.”
Piers put out a hand, firmly gripping her arm. "I thought I could give you a tour the museum. Then perhaps, we can have dinner and...”
"I'm sorry, but I have a flight to catch," Eve said, pulling away from him. "I'm going to Pulomilo, remember?"
The island of Pulomilo had been devastated during the 2004 earthquake and tsunami. An archaeological dig had been undertaken on the island to find artifacts from Andaman's all but faded aboriginal peoples.
In truth, she wasn’t thinking about the trek to the archaeological dig. Her only thought was of catching up to Cooper to explain the situation with Piers.
“Pulomilo can wait,” Piers said, the humor leaving his voice.
“I’m afraid that I can’t,” Eve said. She stuck out her hand to Sengupta, who just seemed embarrassed by it all. "I'm sorry Mr. Sengupta, thank you so much for having me, but I must be going."
She hurried through the door with Piers at her heals. He grabbed her arm and spun her around. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?” he barked, his voice loud, angry. “Do you have any idea how much you just embarrassed me in there?”
“You embarrassed yourself,” she said, reflecting his anger, amplifying it. She shoved a stiff finger in his chest, forcing him back. “And don’t you ever touch me again, do you understand? I am not some artifact that you can manhandle any way you want.”
“What, you love it,” he said.
“If you ever touch me again – or use this against me in any way -- I will slap a sexual harassment suit on you so fast it will make your head spin! Do you understand? I will make such a spectacle of you that you’ll be lucky to get a job at the Ripley’s Museum at Dollywood!”
He took a step back and fiddled with his bowtie. “I think you’re overreacting. I haven’t harassed you in any way and I--”
“Miss Cavanaugh,” Mr. Sengupta appeared from inside the museum. He extended two fingers. Between them was a business card. “Here is my card. When you graduate please feel free to use me as a reference.” He cut Piers a scolding look. “And if you need my support in any other way, I am at your service.”
Eve took the card and gave Mr. Sengupta a quick hug, which made him clear his throat and blush. She gave Piers a look of disgust, then turned to hurry down the sidewalk in search of Cooper.