He looked down at her slim hand on his arm, then at her. She blushed and released him.
“Fine.” He nodded. “Let’s do this, then.”
They went through customs and baggage claim, where their bags were some of the first out, before heading into the arrivals hall. The warmth hit him as soon as they stepped out of the airport’s air conditioning, as did a faint smell of diesel and food. Lucas scanned the waiting drivers for a sign with Kendra’s name, but he didn’t spot anyone.
“Over here.” Kendra nodded to a young man with a printed sign that readMr. and Mrs. Louis.
“Mrs. Louis?” Lucas muttered. He’d seen the engagement ring, but he hadn’t thought she was married. And she’d said her name was Kendra Moran, not Kendra Louis. Lucas’s eyes widened and he turned to her. “Was this supposed to be?—”
“Shut up,” she said under her breath. Turning to the man with the sign, she smiled.
“Hi! We’re the Louis couple — although my name is actually Kendra Moran. I think this was a joke from my darling husband.” She nudged Lucas with her shoulder, and he blinked.
“Right, I’m very funny like that.”
“Welcome to Cabo,” the man with the sign said in a light Mexican accent, smiling at them. His teeth were very white. “My name is Juan, and I’ll be driving you back to the Sol Y Estrellas resort. Can I take your bags?”
“That’s all right,” Lucas said at the same time that Kendra said, “No need.”
“Follow me, then.” Juan led them out of the airport, across the street into a parking area, and to a large, luxurious car with the Sol Y Estrellas logo on it — a bright sun surrounded by several pinpoint stars. Kendra and Lucas got into the back seat while Juan loaded their bags into the trunk, and Juan drove them out of the lot.
As they headed toward the resort, Lucas couldn’t stop stealing glances at Kendra. He’d known that she was supposed to come with a significant other of some kind, since the resort was couples-only, but he hadn’t guessed that she was supposed to be on her honeymoon. Was her wedding what she was running away from?
His gaze went to her hand, but she’d slipped the engagement ring off. She was looking out the window, almost pointedly, as though reminding Lucas not to ask her any questions. Usually, he wouldn’t have. It was better for them not to get to know eachother. But he was curious about why she was here alone instead of with her husband.
After a forty-minute drive, they pulled into the resort. Lucas had gotten used to luxury over the last decade, but he still found his mouth falling open at the size of the sprawling resort. The hotel buildings were built in a colonial style, with enormous balconies for every room, and columns in the front. He saw signs for swimming pools, golf courses, a spa, the beach, and in-house restaurants. This place had everything.
Juan stopped the car in front of the hotel and got out with them, flashing his bright smile again. Lucas gave him a tip and a “thanks” before grabbing his bag and following Kendra inside. The lobby was spacious and gleaming, with marble floors and high ceilings. At the far end stood a counter, so Lucas and Kendra made their way over.
“You must be Mr. and Mrs. Louis,” the pretty woman behind the counter said. She beamed at them, flashing another set of very white teeth, and smoothed her hair back into its long braid. Lucas glanced at Kendra, his eyebrows raised. He could pretend to be here with her, but he couldn’t pretend to be her would-be husband. Eventually, he’d have to show his passport with his own name.
“Well, almost.” Kendra smiled. “See, Maria,” she said, looking at the woman’s nametag, “we booked this vacation through a travel agent, and I think something might have gone wrong with our names.”
“Is that so?” Maria smiled understandingly. “What seems to be the trouble?”
“Well, first of all, our last names aren’tLouis,” Kendra explained. “But my husband’s first name is Lucas, which is probably where the confusion came from. And I kept my last name. So, I’m Kendra Moran, and my husband’s name is Lucas Chambers.”
“I see.” Maria’s brow furrowed. “That is most unusual. Why didn’t you check the names on the reservation beforehand?”
“I would have liked to,” Kendra said with a strained laugh. “But all the wedding planning had me absolutely run off my feet.”
Maria still didn’t look convinced. She looked between Lucas and Kendra, and Lucas realized she was about to say something that would ruin all their plans. Taking a deep breath, he put his arm around Kendra and pulled her to his side. She stiffened momentarily, then melted against him, warm and soft.
“Actually…” He smiled self-deprecatingly. “This is all my fault. Kendra gave me one task in the whole wedding, and I couldn’t manage it. I feel awful.”
Maria looked back and forth between them. Then her face softened. Apparently, she believed that Lucas was enough of an idiot to have messed up the names, but that Kendra wasn’t. Lucas would try not to take that personally.
“Let’s get your names all sorted out, then,” she said. “Can I get your passports?”
Lucas and Kendra handed over their passports. Lucas still had his arm around her, and he was very aware of her warmth beside him. Her soft, floral scent enveloped him, and one of her hairs tickled his neck.
After a few minutes, Maria handed their passports back, along with two key cards.
“Keep track of these,” she said, with a wink at Lucas. “You need them for everything — from getting into your room to ordering meals to going out for activities. You’re staying in our honeymoon suite on the top floor. I’ll show you where it is in just a minute.”
“That’s okay,” Lucas said quickly. “I mean, we can find it ourselves. We’ve been around people all day and want a little time on our own. Don’t we… sweetie?”
“We sure do, honey.” Kendra gave him a look before smiling at Maria. “Thank you so much.”
