Once Upon A Night At Sea by Barbara Longley Read Free Book Online

Marin raised her camera and crept closer to get a better shot. Suddenly, an arm wrapped around her waist, and she found herself suspended in air. Jason’s grunt filled her ear as he swung her around and set her down again.
    “Fire ants,” he whispered, nodding his head toward the teeming mound she’d almost stepped into.
    His arms encircled her shoulders and he hugged her close for a moment before letting her go. His voice held no harshness this time, and his touch was… tender. Her heart melted. “Thanks, Jason.”
    “Anytime.” He placed his hands on her shoulders. “Look, Marin. There’s the baby.”
    Leaning back against him, she gazed up into the canopy of leaves just in time to catch a glimpse of the tiny howler clinging to his mama’s belly. She snapped a picture. The dominant male continued to howl. “That really is loud.”
    “They’re not aggressive,” the tour guide said beside them. “It’s all bluster.”
    Marin milled around with the others in their group, snapping pictures, but her mind was filled with thoughts of Jason. He hadn’t scolded her for not watching where she was going. Nope. He’d simply moved her, with a whisper and a caress.
    A different experience for her. Her brothers and previous boyfriends had been impatient with her tendency to step into things, spill drinks, trip. Perhaps she’d misjudged Jason after their first unfortunate meeting. Now he seemed sweet, considerate. She enjoyed spending time with him, and his kisses left her breathless and weak-kneed. Would that all change once he got to know her better? Would he too eventually lose patience with her clumsiness?
    Rain splattered the leaves overhead as the tour came to an end. She didn’t mind getting wet. The day was warm and the rain soft. You could almost run your hand through the mist and come away feeling as if you’d been brushed by velvet. On the way back to the bus, Marin stopped at the table where two old men sat behind a row of bottles and animal effigies carved out of wood. She read the handwritten labels on the old Coke bottles filled with cashew wine. “How much for one bottle?”
    “Five dollars.” One of the men leaned forward.
    Expensive, but she really did want to try some. Besides, her purchase would support the local economy. She fished five dollars from her purse just as Jason joined her. “We can share,” she offered.
    “Great idea. I did want to give cashew wine a try.”
    “Me too.” She smiled at him. “We’ll have to finish this on the bus. They’ll never let us take it onto the ship.”
    “I think we can handle it. We’re stopping for lunch on the way back. I hear they’re serving green chicken.”
    She shot him a puzzled look.
    “Iguana.”
    “Yeah, right.” She laughed. “That joke is getting old, buddy.” Marin unscrewed the cap on the bottle of cashew wine and took a taste. “Mmm. It’s sweet, with just a hint of the nutty flavor,” she said, passing the bottle to Jason.
    He took a swallow, his eyes staring into hers. “Like cashews and fruit. I’d like to kiss you now, just to taste the wine on your lips.”
    A flutter kicked up low in her belly. She just might be falling for Jason Doherty. Scary. Exhilarating. Motion at the edge of the building that housed the museum caught her eye. “Hey, look.” She pointed. “It’s the same animal I saw in the ravine in Playa del Carmen. They’re called agouti pacas, or gibnuts.” The small animals had reddish-brown coats with white spots like fawns, and their feet were tiny and delicate. “They’re rodents,” she informed him. “I looked them up after our excursion to Tulum.”
    “Of course you did.” Jason reached out and tucked an errant strand of her hair behind her ear. “I like that about you, Marin. You have an inquisitive nature.”
    The flutter in her belly started up again, along with an echoing sensation in her heart. Yep. She was falling for Jason.

4. Coral Reefs, White Sand Beaches, Starlit Nights and