Legendary Loves Volume 1

Chapter 2-1

Chapter 2

Light attacked Ryker’s eyes relentlessly and finally he rolled over to escape it, then slowly opened his eyes. Reaching for his cellphone, he checked the time.

“f**k. It’s nearly lunchtime.” As he lay there, he tried to make sense of his fragmented memories of arriving at the hotel. When he remembered the hotel worker escorting them to the treehouse, a flush of embarrassment started at his toes and incinerated his entire body. “What a great way to make his acquaintance. At least I won’t have to see him, again.”

For some reason that notion only made Ryker feel worse. With a grunt, he sat up and texted Mitch. A few seconds later, his friend’s reply came back, along with a picture with Mitch’s tanned feet, white sand, and blue ocean.

“Fifteen minutes to meet by the restaurant. Perfect.” Ryker got out of bed and shuffled his way to the bathroom. He stood in the doorway and smiled. “f*****g perfect. Worth every extra cent I had to pay.”

After taking care of a sudden and insistent twinge, Ryker switched on the rain shower and stood there. With a moan of pleasure, Ryker let the water cascade over his face and down his body, hedonistically luxuriating in the shower’s heat and power, and finally feel being clean.

Dried and dressed in shorts and T-shirt, Ryker strolled to the restaurant. The hotel is everything the brochure promised so far. Let’s hope the food is, too. I’m famished.

“Hey, bro. Nice to see you escaped the pit.” Mitch ambled through from the main entrance to envelop Ryker in a bear hug, slapping his back.

“Finally.” Ryker laughed, then jerked a thumb toward the restaurant. “Looks good.”

“Breakfast was good.” Mitch grinned and slapped his stomach. “You’ll find that out for yourself tomorrow. Very easy to overindulge, but I’ll work it off. One way or another.”

“Don’t tell me you’ve found someone already.” Ryker shook his head, but Mitch only laughed out loud.

“Nah. All good, bro.” Mitch’s laughter had several guests glance their way. “I meant between swimming, surfing, and bodyboarding.” Mitch waggled his eyebrows. “But I’m open to offers.”

“Not from me.” Ryker waved a hand at Mitch. “Let’s eat.”

“Yeah. There’s a hotel presentation afterward that I want to go to. You’ll be interested, too. Tells us all about the trails and walks they have. You can even opt to have a guided walk.”

“Depends on the guide.” Ryker meant the comment as a flippant response, but something about the smothered laugh from Mitch made Ryker glance over his shoulder at his friend.

“What?”

Mitch’s shrug and feigned expression of innocence only made Ryker frown, but there was no time to press him any more as a waiter came over to escort them to a table. By the time they were seated, Ryker’s attention was solely devoted to the amazing food on offer.

A lazy indulgent lunch later, and Ryker sat back with a contented sigh.

“The food is excellent. I can hardly wait to see what they come up with for dinner.”

“It’s an amazing place all round.” Mitch nodded. “Great beach, good surf, I can even go snorkeling if I want. Plus, plenty of history and walks for you. Speaking of which, we need to make a move.”

“Why?” Ryker felt more inclined to just sit and let his lunch go down.

“Remember I said there’s a presentation about the place. I wanna go, and you’re coming with me.”

“Ah, for f**k’s sake…” With a heavy sigh, Ryker got slowly to his feet and slouched along behind Mitch. He’s not normally so keen to attend these things. We usually just work it out from leaflets and chatting to the reception desk staff.

However, when they entered the room where the talk was being given, Ryker understood immediately. At the far side of the room was the handsome stranger who’d helped them get to their treehouse. Mitch must like the look of the guy, and I have to say, he is very good looking.

Then Ryker’s blood supply pooled south as the man saw him and smiled.

“He didn’t smile like that at me this morning.” Mitch leaned in and whispered directly into Ryker’s ear.

“What?” Ryker stared at Mitch.

“You heard.” Mitch’s expression was insufferably smug, but somehow, Ryker didn’t care. “He said hello, asked if I’d slept okay, then wanted to know if you were all right, when you were getting up, would he see us later. Us,” Mitch snorted. “Yeah. Right. I’m hedging my bets on which one of you will drool first.”

“He might be worth getting to know.” Ryker tried to sound casual, but Mitch just snorted again.

“If we were outside, I’d laugh out loud, bro. But don’t push me too far. I can only keep it in for so long.”

A woman in the hotel uniform came around with a tray of drinks, followed by a tray of canapes. With the alcohol in their veins, people began to talk to one another and relax. After a few minutes, the sound of a pen on glass rang out.

“If I may have everybody’s attention.” The man held up his hands and the general hubbub died down. “My name is Alejandro. If you need anything, just leave a message for me at the reception. I will get back to you as soon as possible.”

“Go on, admit it. You like the look of him. Has he got that spark?” Mitch nudged Ryker with his elbow.

“You know I don’t do casual.” Ryker stood a little taller, although Mitch was right. Broad shouldered and with an athletic build, Alejandro looked as if he worked out every day. His dark hair was piled up into a manbun, which Ryker normally disliked, but somehow, it suited Alejandro.

“First of all, a little bit of local history for you.” Alejandro flashed Ryker a smile. “The rainforest was revered as a sacred site for over a thousand years by the prehistoric Taino natives. They believed that Yuquiyú, the God of light and life, dwelled on Yuqué, which translates as The White Land, which is the cloud-covered peak now known as El Yunque. The word Yuquiyú also meant a natural place so beautiful they could feel the presence of their God. In that spirit, we have spent more than a decade creating a three-acre garden with amazing vistas.”

“I’m looking forward to exploring.” Mitch nodded. “Sounds amazing. I believe you grow most of your restaurant’s food here, too.”

“Yes, quite right. The property’s century-old agricultural terraces are now an organic farm. Through our chef’s alchemy, he creates foods such as papaya smoothies for breakfast or appetizers of home-made hummus, followed by traditional, Puerto Rican pasteles cooked in a banana leaf, and a salad of just-picked vegetables.”

“I’m hungry already. How long do I have to wait for dinner?” Mitch clutched at his stomach and Ryker snorted.

“When are you not hungry when you hear about food?”

“Never.” Mitch snickered and Ryker jabbed him with his elbow.

“Shh. Listen.” Ryker gazed at Alejandro as the man continued with his presentation. Ryker had to admit, the talk was informative, with a well-illustrated slide show. Alejandro seemed very knowledgeable both about the island as a whole, as well as what the guests from the hotel could do and the best places to visit.

At a break in the presentation, a waiter came around with more drinks and canapes and the group of guests milled around Alejandro.

“Bit like bees around a honey pot.” Mitch jerked his head over at the crowd, the pointed to a map of the area on the wall. “Let’s go over there. That lot will thin out soon enough.”

“Then what?” The notion had struck Ryker, but he feigned innocence, only for Mitch to laugh out loud as he walked away.

To Ryker’s relief, the crowd were more interested in Alejandro than Mitch, although a long-haired blonde glanced around, her gaze flitting over Mitch before she pushed her way toward the front of the group.

While sipping at his drink, Ryker became engrossed in studying the map. Several trails piqued his attention and he began to follow each one in turn with a fingertip as he decided on which to try first.

“You’re a walker, then? I had you and your friend pegged as ardent surfers. I owe you an apology.”

“I’m sure Ry will forgive you.” Mitch poked his head over Ryker’s shoulder. “Just point out a few decent trails for him and he’ll be like putty in your hands. If you need me, bro, I’ll be just over there.” Mitch winked at Ryker and swaggered away whistling tunelessly.

“Sorry about that.” Ryker ignored the way his cheeks burned.

“Don’t be. I like your friend. Very forthright.” Alejandro held out his hand. “Alejandro Jimenez, holiday planner, walking trail recommender, and guide, at your service.

“Guide?” The word came out on more of a squeak and Ryker coughed before shaking Alejandro’s hand firmly. “Ryker Holland. My friends call me Ry. You do guided walks?”

“Yes. Depending on the trail, of course. Some are very simple, ideal for those not used to walking. I wouldn’t accompany anyone on something so easy. However, trails with a degree of difficulty, or someone who I think would appreciate my company, well that’s different of course.”

“Appreciate.” The word came out before Ry could stop it. “I mean difficult. I like difficult trails.”

“Excellent. Then I have the perfect one. Here.” Alejandro indicated a trail on the map, his finger moving across the laminated paper like a caress, and Ryker imagined how it would feel moving across his skin. “If you choose this one, there’s a waterfall and a pool. Perfect for playing in.”

“Play? In a waterfall?” Ryker’s groin did a happy dance at the thought of a wet, near-naked Alejandro frolicking in water.

“Doesn’t playing in a waterfall in the rainforest sound wonderful?” Alejandro’s smile was devilish, as if reading Ryker’s X-rated thoughts. “El Yunque has a few waterfalls that are very popular. But I’m about to let you in on another; Juan Diego Falls. You can’t see them from the road, the trail is not paved, and you need to do a good hike to get there, but the waterfall is worth it.”

“How difficult is the walk?” Ryker liked walking and was more than happy to take on a challenge, but Alejandro knew the terrain. And I like hearing him talk.

“It is uneven, can be muddy and slippery, with rocks to negotiate. There are a couple of small waterfalls with little pools to sit in and cool down along the way. The rocks there are also interesting, more like vertical walls. There’s a picnic area at the end of the trail and, of course, the waterfall. You can walk right into the pool and sit or stand under the waterfall. What do you say?”

“I say, yes. With a capital y.”

“Excellent.” Alejandro laughed, then looked at Ryker with a narrow-eyed gaze. “If you are a more adventurous hiker, there are a few more trails on the north side of the forest. For a view from a peak, there’s the El Toro trail. Now this is unmaintained, muddy, steep, and strenuous. I consider it a nice hike through the woods. It goes through the Tabonuco forest, then the sierra palms area, and finally, closer to the peak, the cloud forest with its stunted trees and shrubs.”

“Now that sounds awesome.” Ryker punched the air, then rubbed his hands. “When do we go?”

“We? So, I am invited, too?” Alejandro’s voice dropped to a deep, seductive purr. And he openly batted his long dark lashes.

“I don’t think I can do it without you.” Ryker smirked as Alejandro’s smile widened.

“Excellent. Oh, and by the way.” Alejandro leaned in so close that Ryker felt his breath against his cheek. “Swimwear is optional.”

With a sway of his hips, Alejandro resumed his place and continued his talk.

“Allow me to give you a little information on where we are and what you can expect.” Alejandro smiled and looked around the gathered group. Ryker felt a thrill as Alejandro’s ebony gaze seemed to settle on him a little longer than anyone else.

“El Yunque Peak is the Caribbean National Forest, and these are the last twenty-eight thousand acres that remain of a rainforest that once covered much of the island, and in fact, much of the entire northern Caribbean. More than one hundred billion gallons, yes, billions, of rain fall here each year, creating a lush forest with plants of incredible proportions and variety.”

There was a group gasp at the revelation of volumes of rainfall, most people glancing toward the nearest window as if expecting the water to come deluging through at any second.

“Hard to believe, yes?” Alejandro smiled. “But true none the less. As you may already know, Puerto Rico has no large wild mammals. The mongoose was introduced to control rats on sugar cane plantations. We have iguanas, many small lizards, and bats. A few animals, native to the island, are found almost nowhere else in the world, the tiny coquí frog, whose name comes from his cricket-like ko-kee chirp, is considered to be the national mascot and the Puerto Rican parrot lives only in a few hidden areas of the Caribbean National Forest.”

“Ooh, I love parrots.” The young blonde woman, whose legs seemed to go up to her armpits, clutched her hands to her ample chest dramatically. “Will we see them? What do they look like?”

“These are bright green, about a foot in length, with red forehead, blue primary wing feathers, and flesh-colored bill and feet.” Alejandro shrugged. “If you go walking in the forest, you may be lucky.”

“Oh, I hope so.” There were a couple of stifled snickers from the group as the blonde cooed, her gaze fixed on Alejandro.

The wave of irritation that swept through Ryker surprised him, but it was quickly tempered by Mitch. Suitably hidden from sight, he rolled his eyes, jabbed two fingers toward his mouth, and pretended to puke.

The gesture was enough to relax Ryker and make him realize that Alejandro had barely glanced at the woman. He probably has to deal with this kind of behavior all the time. It must get really wearing after a while.

“What about lakes?” Someone in the group called out, and Alejandro shook his head.

“You may be surprised to hear that Puerto Rico does not have natural lakes. But we do have fifteen reservoirs, which we commonly refer to as lakes, formed by damming the main rivers to produce hydroelectric power and water for irrigation.

“What about El Chupacabra?” The same person asked and this time when Alejandro smiled, Ryker thought it a little forced. Not surprising. They’re getting on my nerves, too.

“Yes, we are home to El Chupacabra. But I doubt you’ll be bothered by him.” Alejandro started to turn, but the blonde woman wasn’t letting him off so easily.

“Oh, but you must tell us more. It’s like ghost stories around the campfire.”

“Without the campfire.” At the called-out comment most laughed, and the blonde pouted.

“Very well,” Alejandro held up his hands to regain order before continuing, “the Chupacabra is a legendary creature in folklore from parts of the Americas. The name comes from the animal’s reported habit of attacking and drinking the blood of livestock, including goats. The name Chupacabra comes from chupar, to suck, and cabra, goats. Physical descriptions vary. It is purportedly a heavy creature, the size of a small bear, with a row of spines reaching from the neck to the base of the tail. Unlike conventional predators, it is said to drain all the animal’s blood, and sometimes organs, through a trio of holes in the shape of a downward-pointing triangle. While El Chupacabra is not reported to attack people, that’s not to say it wouldn’t. Better that you all stay close to your accommodations and the hotel at night. We do not recommend anyone be outside after dark.”

“Or El Chupacabra will bite you,” someone spoke in a deep, creepy voice, and the blonde gave a shrill scream.

“Who the f**k did that? It wasn’t funny.” She looked around, rubbing at her hip where Ryker guessed someone had most likely pinched her while the group laughed to break the tension in the air.

“Believe, or not, as you wish.” Alejandro indicated the group with a wave of his hand. “However, we will not tolerate our rules being disobeyed. They’re for your safety as well as that of the complex. There have been sightings of wild dogs roaming nearby and they would attack if hungry or scared. Anyone found violating the after dark rule will be asked to leave. Irrespective of how long you still have booked. Is that understood?”

A general murmur of assent followed, and Mitch nudged Ryker.

“He does dark and moody well, doesn’t he? Very dramatic. I was half expecting the full nine yards. You know, thunder, lightning, glowing eyes.”

“Can it.” Ryker growled at Mitch, but there was no venom in his tone and Mitch just laughed out loud. But in all honesty, Mitch is right. Alejandro does do mean and moody well.

“If you wanna get booked with him, you’d best get in there quick, bro.” Mitch jerked his head in Alejandro’s direction, but even as Ryker looked over at the other man, he smiled and, gently extraditing himself from the crowd, walked directly to Ryker.

“Before the others claim too much of my attention, we were discussing the hike tomorrow. Can you be at the reception desk by seven? If you let them know you’re doing a trail with me, they’ll organize an early breakfast of your choice and I’ll organize the packed lunch. Any allergies, foods you don’t or won’t eat?”

“No. Nothing at all.” Ryker shook his head and there was a distinct mischievous glint in Alejandro’s eyes as he leaned forward and dropped his voice.

“I like a man who’s versatile.”

“Me too.” Ryker was surprised how quickly the response came to his lips, but Alejandro only smiled.

“Perfect. I shall see you tomorrow. Bright and early. Now, I have to pay penance, and deal with the hoards. Enjoy your evening.”

“I shall.” Ryker smiled at Alejandro’s back as he returned to the rest of the group. But I think I’ll enjoy tomorrow even more.