letting his feet dangle in the water.
“So why aren’t you off doing something exciting on your day off? Surely you get away from work sometimes,” she asked.
“Not as much as I would like.” He enjoyed watching her tread water. She had managed to put as much space as possible between them. For that he was grateful. He was far to attracted to her. “When I get a couple of days I like to spend them scuba diving. Hiking in the jungle.”
She moved closer. “I would love to learn to scuba dive. My father said no when I was a kid. Never took the time to learn after I started college. And hiking? After all the lectures you’ve given me about safety, you hike in the jungle?”
“I stay on the touristy trails. More than one person has gotten into trouble, venturing off too far.”
“Michael offered to take me to see a waterfall one day.” With a kick, she swam away from him again.
“I wouldn’t get too attached to Michael if I were you.” Chance didn’t like how that sounded. Like a jealous middle-schooler. “Hey, I shouldn’t have said that. It’s none of my business what you two do after hours.”
She headed for deeper water. “I’m pretty sure Michael flirts with every woman in his age group who comes down here. I don’t take anything he says seriously.”
That’s what his wife had said when he’d questioned her about her relationship with Jim. Still, coming from Ellen he wanted to believe her.
“Anyway, I’m down here to work, not play around.” She started toward the shallow end.
“But it’s always nice to have a friend.”
Could they be friends? He wasn’t so sure. This attraction would also be vibrating between them.
“Well, I think I’ll get a nap in before dinner. See you later.” Ellen took the steps out of the pool, giving him a tantalizing view of her backside that included a sexy swing of her hips.
Chance slipped into the water and began making strong, sure laps until he was exhausted.
Ellen paused in the doorway of the restaurant. Maybe she’d just eat in the main dining area tonight. She’d given thought to having her meal brought to her hut but she wasn’t going stay in such a beautiful place and hole up in her room.
She’d made it halfway to the private dining room when her name was called. She recognized that voice.
Chance sat at a table overlooking a bubbling water fixture among ferns. A candle flickered in the lantern on the table. “We have to eat out here tonight. Not enough of us to prepare the extra room for. You’re welcome to join me but I’m almost done.”
She looked around the area at all the empty tables. Hating to cause any of the staff more work, she still wasn’t sure she wanted to eat a meal with Chance in such a romantic setting. Maybe she should order her food then make an excuse to carry it back to her hut. “Okay.”
Chance half stood as she took her seat cross from him.
After feeling vulnerable at the pool in nothing but her swimsuit, she wasn’t sure she could handle more time between the two of them. Every nerve in her body had been aware of Chance watching her leave the pool. It had been exciting and terrifying at the same time.
Apparently she was worrying for no reason. Chance ate and shuffled papers he had spread out on the table without paying any notice to her. She finally asked, “So what are all these?”
“Med invoice forms. I’m expecting a shipment any day.” He didn’t look at her.
“You do work all the time.”
He glanced up. “Someone has to do the paperwork.”
“Can’t someone else do that?”
He made an exaggerated scan of the room. “You see someone else volunteering?”
“I’ll be glad to. It wouldn’t hurt you to accept help sometimes.”
He put down the paper he had been reviewing. “Do you always say what you’re thinking?”
“Not always.” She certainly didn’t where her father was concerned and kept some of her thoughts about him to herself.
A waiter showed up with her meal. They fell into silence as they both ate. For some reason she didn’t even think to ask to take her meal to the room. “You know, I could help with those. I’m a pretty good organizer. Maybe I can set up a system that’ll make it easier for you.”
“Don’t you get enough work during the day not to want more?”
She shrugged. “I want to help. That’s what I’m here for.”
He looked at her. “And why is that? Here in Honduras?”
“Because of you.” She wanted that passion and conviction she’d heard in his voice in her life.
“That’s right, you said. Where was the fund-raiser?”
“In New York about six months ago.” She’d spent the next few months trying to convince her father that her life’s calling was in Honduras. He’d spent the time fighting the idea.
“That long ago.”
“Yeah, it took me awhile but I made it.”
Chance looked at her instead of the papers. “Why not sooner?”
“Well, mostly because of my father.”
Chance lifted his chin in question. The man had a way of getting people to talk to him. He was practicing that bedside manner she’d seen him use on his patients. It was powerful when turned on someone. She was that person now. The feeling that if he turned up the charm she couldn’t resist him anything filled her. Caution was what she needed to use.
“I’m an only child with an overprotective father. Make that way overprotective.”
“I guess if I had a beautiful daughter and she wanted to come down here to work I’d be concerned also.”
He’d said she was beautiful. Other men had but for some reason she especially liked hearing it from Chance.
“I love my father but after my mother died he just couldn’t stand the thought of losing me too. He seemed to think that making all the decisions in my life was the answer to keeping me safe.”
“He wouldn’t be pleased to know what happened the other day, would he?”
“No, he wouldn’t, and I don’t plan to tell him. It would only worry him. He already thinks I take too many risks.”
“Risks?”
“Yeah, like going into medicine, working in an inner-city clinic, or like coming down here.”
“Then
