*~*Chapter 15*~*

Eve followed Chris through the dense underbrush while the sunlight peaked 
in and out through the trees.  She watched Chris ahead of her as he moved 
powerfully down the trail.  He paused and glanced back to her.

"Are you getting slow in your old age?" Chris asked with a smile as he 
crossed his arms.

"Old age?  I am not old," She defended as she caught up to him.

He met her eyes with a grin, "Then what?  Were you enjoying the view of my 
backside?"

"Oh get over yourself," Eve stated harshly as she shoved him back a 
bit.  She groaned as she walked by him and continued on.

Chris smiled as he followed her, "I, for one, like this side of you, Eve."

"Chris," She stopped and glared at him, "You think you're so damn funny, 
don't you?"

"Of course I do," He smiled, "Because I am," He tapped the tip of her nose 
before continuing along the path.

She groaned to herself before following after him, "Okay, talk to me, 
Chris.  Tell me about yourself."

"You already know about me, Eve.  What is there to tell?"

"Okay, how about telling me the real reason you left Port Charles?  I know 
you haven't told me everything," She challenged as she followed him.

"And why would you think something like that?" He countered.

"Because you said it yourself, Chris.  I know you.  You could tell me the 
truth, you know."

"I left because I had opportunities elsewhere."

"What kind of opportunities?"

"Business."

Eve sighed, "Does that mean another hospital made you an offer?"

"Yeah I suppose," Chris shrugged as he continued walking down the path.

"You suppose?  Chris, you could at least give me a straight answer.  What 
hospital?"

"Why is this so important to you?" He asked as he turned back towards her.

"Because you acted as if your life had been invaded when Gabi, Karen, and I 
arrived in the village.  You acted as if we'd stumbled into some secret 
life that you didn't want anyone to know about.  So what's the big 
secret?  That you actually have a heart under all that darkness?"

"What?" He asked in shock.

"Why would you want to hide that you're a really good guy?  Why would you 
want to keep that such a secret?  I always knew you had it in you, 
Chris.  So why all the mystery?"

"Eve, it's not what you think," He groaned softly as he shook his head and 
walked away.

"Then what is it?  Why don't you tell me?"

"Because it's not important.  It's in the past.  It's all in the 
past.  None of it matters."

"It does matter, Chris.  I just want a simple answer.  Is it really so hard 
for you to tell me why you left Port Charles?"

"You want to know?" He asked as he spun on his heel and met her eyes, "Do 
you really want to know?"

"Yes, I want to know.  I asked, didn't I?"

"Are you really prepared for the answer, Eve?  Do you really think that you 
can handle whatever it is that I have to say?" He challenged her.

"Hit me with your best shot, Ramsey," Eve demanded.

Chris stared deeply into her eyes and took a deep breath as he began, 
"Fine, you wanted it.  You've got it.  The real reason I left Port 
Charles," He paused, "Is because I am in love with you.  I left Port 
Charles to get away from watching you live your perfect, happy little life 
with another man.  I left so I could try to forget about you because I love 
you too damn much."

Eve felt as if the air had been knocked out of her as Chris turned and 
walked down the path.  Her eyes followed him, wondering what exactly had 
just happened and why it felt as if her entire life had just changed.

Eve watched him as his back became more distant.  Had he really just said 
what she thought he said?  Could it be possible that he really had been in 
love with her?  Or had she just dreamt those last few moments?

"Chris, you wait just a minute!" She ordered as she began walking towards 
him, "You can't just tell me something like that and then walk off."

"I think I can do anything I damn well please," Chris said firmly as he 
walked further down the road.

"Chris," She stopped as she glared at the back of his form, "You coward!"

He stopped and turned where he stood, "Excuse me?"

"You're a damn coward.  That's what this all about," She challenged as she 
made her way towards him, "You're too big a chicken to face what you feel."

"No, I'm just not a glutton for punishment, Eve," He countered, "I stayed 
in Port Charles for four years and I watched you with Scott, then Kevin, 
and then Ian.  I watched you talk about how perfect your life was and how 
you'd found your soul mate.  Was I just suppose to smile and bare it?  I 
don't think so," He shook his head and tried to turn from her.

Eve reached out to him and seized his arm, "Don't you dare walk away from 
me.  You owe me more than that."

"I owe you?" Chris questioned, "Since when?"

"Since you didn't bother to give me the benefit of the doubt.  You owe me 
because you didn't tell me that you loved me back in Port Charles.  You 
know, I would have listened.  I would have listened if you had just given 
me the chance to listen."

"Really?" He questioned, "Would you really?  I don't seem to remember you 
wanting to listen, Eve.  You didn't want to listen to anything I had to 
say, much less a declaration of love from me.  You just wanted to live your 
life, and you made it abundantly clear that I was not going to be a part of 
that life."

"And while you would impose upon everyone else, you wouldn't do it with 
me?" She asked with doubt.

"Because you were special.  You deserved better.  I loved you so much that 
I would rather leave your life than to force my twisted soul into 
it.  Don't you understand?" He paused as he shook his head, "I don't know 
why I'm even bothering.  Why couldn't you just leave this alone, Eve?  Why 
not just leave it in the past?"

"I can't leave this alone because it's the here and the now," Eve demanded 
as she touched his arm, "I'm here, Chris, and I'm not going anywhere."

"So what exactly do you want from me?  Do you want me to fall to my knees 
and tell you everything that I wanted to tell you all those years 
ago?  Well, I can't do that.  Too many years have passed, and I just don't 
have it in me to do that."

"You're lying, Chris," She spoke bluntly, "You wouldn't have been so upset 
when I arrived in town if you didn't still have some of that feeling left 
inside you.  You wouldn't have fought so damn hard to get me out of your 
life again if you didn't still have me in your heart.  So I want you to 
tell me, Chris.  Tell me the truth!"

He shook his head and took a deep breath.  He raised his hands and dropped 
them in defeat, "Okay, fine.  I do love you, and I can't stop it.  No 
matter what I've tried, you're always there.  You always haunt me and I 
can't get away from you.  When you showed up in the village, I was so sure 
that I would be safe as long as I didn't run into you.  But you had to be 
demanding and curious.  When you appeared in my living room, I knew that 
all the running, all the sacrificing....none of it had done me any 
good.  I've still got you so deep in my soul that I don't think there is 
any cure for it."

Eve smiled slowly, "So you're in love with me?"

He nodded, "As pathetic as that makes me, yes.  I have been in love with 
you for so long, and I don't think I'll ever get you out of my system."

She met his eyes and smiled, "I didn't think you had it in you, Ramsey.  So 
why now?  Why are you brave enough to tell me this now?"

"Maybe because I've got nothing to lose.  I left to get away from you, and 
yet here you are.  Right in front of me.  At this point, if you stay or 
leave, I'm still going to be in love with you, and nothing's going to 
change that."

"So tell me something, Chris," Eve spoke as she met his eyes, "What are you 
going to do about it?"

Chris watched her for a moment, taking in the beauty of her face, the 
hidden mischief behind her eyes.  He studied her features and allowed a 
soft smile to grace his face as he remembered a similar moment from their 
past.  He reached out to touch her cheek, lightly breezing over her cheek 
with his fingertips before allowing his hand to drop to his side, "I'm 
going to continue this hike."

He flashed her a polite smile before walking down the trail.  Eve watched 
him walk away from her again as she let out a sigh.  She didn't know what 
exactly to do about Chris, but she was sure that she couldn't just forget 
what had happened between them. 

Eve caught up with Chris as he stood silent in a clearing.  The sunlight 
danced across his face as he looked into the distance with his eyes 
squinted.  She approached him and stopped as she followed his gaze.

As Eve scanned the valley, she saw the sight that held Chris' 
attention.  While some trees obstructed parts of the view, the rainbow 
formed in the mist of the cascading waterfalls before them.  She gasped 
softly as the view captivated her.  She smiled as the sunlight twinkled 
throughout the falling water, creating new and vibrant colors which burst 
into the sky.

"This is beautiful," Eve gasped as she took her camera from her knapsack 
and snapped several shots of the water falls.

"I knew you'd love it.  The first time I ever saw it I stood here and 
watched the water fall for hours," He replied as he sank his hands into his 
pockets, "It's quiet and peaceful here."

"It's gorgeous," She sighed in awe of the magic scene before her.  She 
paused after a moment and turned to look at him, "Do you come here often?"

"As often as I can," He replied as he looked back to her, "It helps when I 
need to get away from all the memories that haunt me."

"Are you suggesting that you need to get away from me?"

"I tried that once," He replied as he looked back to her, "So I think it's 
time I took a different approach."

"Such as?" She asked casually as she placed her camera back into her knapsack.

"Such as seizing the moment," He replied as he captured her around the 
waist and drug her body close to his.  He gazed down at her lips and 
allowed a grin to tease his lips.

"And you're going to seize the moment now?" She questioned, placing her 
hand on his chest for balance.  The moment his hand had touched her, her 
heart had started racing.  Now, not only was her heart pounding, but the 
heat of his body was engulfing hers.  She moved her fingers to the lapel of 
his shirt, lightly fingering a button while her eyes fixed upon his lips.

"You like this, don't you?" He asked as his fingers eased over her hips, 
pressing her body closer to his.

"What do you mean?" She took in an uneasy breath as their lips moved as 
close as a whisper.

"Playing games.  You like playing cat and mouse.  You always have," He 
whispered as he moved his lips above hers, his breath tingling her senses.

"Is that what we're doing?  Are we playing a game?" Eve asked as she closed 
her eyes, ready to accept his kiss.

Chris turned his lips away from Eve as he released her body and took a step 
away.  She almost lost her balance from his quick release.  She watched 
him, her eyes full of questions as she was shocked by his sudden about face.

Chris took a few steps away before he turned back towards her, casting her 
a quick smile, "You lose round one, Eve." He secured the strap of his 
knapsack on his arm before he looked back to her, "Let's go.  We have a 
long way to go still."

Eve couldn't reply.  She simply watched as he winked at her in his devilish 
way before turning down a path leading down the hill.  She blinked as she 
tried to understand exactly what Chris was up to and if she would be able 
to keep up with him.  She took a deep breath before she trudged along 
behind him, knowing that she had to play a quick game of catch up if she 
were going to understand what kind of game Chris had invited her into.

Eve followed Chris down the hillside before she caught up to him.  She neared him and secured her knapsack as she sighed, "So where are we going exactly?"

"Trust me.  You'll like it," Chris answered as he continued walking down the path.

"You expect me just to blindly follow after you with no idea about where we might end up?" 

"That seems to be the case here, doesn't it?" He asked as he moved aside the limb of a bush for the two of them to pass by.

"Chris, come on.  Give me a hint here."

Chris smiled as he continued along the path, "I like to keep you guessing."

"So I've noticed," She teased as she followed him down the last curve of pathway before them. 

He reached out to her, helping her balance as she stepped off a rock.  He caught her in his arms and smiled before he spun her around, lowering her to her feet, "If I didn't know better, I'd think you wanted to be back in my arms."

"Spare me," She groaned as she pushed away from him.  She took a few steps before she looked back to him, "Where are we?"

"We're in another village," He smiled softly as he pointed towards the buildings ahead of him, "Look."

Eve turned and spotted the small buildings ahead of them.  A cafe lined a sidewalk along one side of the street while shops and small boutiques lined the other side of the street.  Directly down the street, a white building with archways and a fountain in front stood out amongst the other buildings. 

Eve turned back towards Chris and placed her hands on her hips, "This is what you wanted to show me?"

"If you want to know what Costa Rica is really like, you have to visit the real heart of Costa Rica," He explained as he walked down the street.  Chris made his way towards the cafe and paused as he glanced back to Eve, "Are you hungry?  I thought we might catch a bite to eat."

Eve eyed Chris for a moment as he made his way towards the cafe.  He had become more of an enigma to her than he had ever been before.  How could she possibly hope to figure him out if he kept changing the rules to the game?  One minute, he was being very forthright and the next he was coy and aloof.  Was she suppose to think this was fun?  It was confusing more than anything, but still, her curiosity was running rampant. 

Was Chris really telling the truth or was he simply trying to toy with her?  Had he been in love with her all those years ago?  It was possible.  After all, they had shared more of themselves with one another than they'd shared with anyone else.  Perhaps he had put more of himself into their relationship than she'd realized...or maybe more than she'd wanted to realize.

Eve followed him to a corner table of the cafe and took her seat.  Chris smiled for a moment at her, catching her off guard.  She hated that he was now able to merely affect her with a smile and nothing more.  How had he developed this new talent?  The more she thought about it, the more she guessed that he'd probably practiced it with the women of the village.  They already thought he was a wonderful man, but if he could somehow work his Ramsey charm on them....   She didn't want to think about that.  She didn't want to think about Chris with any woman at all.  She never had if she really thought about it.

She took a deep breath as a waiter joined them.  Chris spoke to the man in Spanish before he looked to her, "Is water okay?"

"Bottled?" She asked cautiously.

"Of course," The waiter replied with a smile before he walked back towards the restaurant entrance.

"You didn't say he spoke English," Eve chastised Chris with a dirty look.

"I didn't ask," He grinned as he leaned onto the table, "So what's on your mind, Lambert?  You've been rather quiet since we got here."

"I'm just trying to figure you out, Chris, but you seem to be full of mysteries."

"I'm just a man," He shrugged, "There's nothing to figure out."

"You're a man who likes to play games."

"I've always liked to play games.  Maybe you forget."

"I haven't forgotten anything about you, Chris."

"Good," He replied as their waiter returned with two chilled bottles of water, "Because nothing has changed."

"From where I'm sitting, everything has changed."

Chris cast her a soft grin before he scanned the menu in front of him.  After looking over various choices, he ordered several selections and looked back to Eve as the waiter left, "I ordered a couple of local dishes.  I didn't know which one you might like."

"Thoughtful of you," Eve replied with a slight nod, "Though that's something I wouldn't have exactly expected from you."

"Thoughtfulness?  You didn't know me as well as you thought you did," He smiled before sipping his water, "Tell me about you and Ian.  You never did explain why you two seperated."

She peeled a small slip of paper from her bottle of water, "There's not much to tell.  We just realized that we're two very different people.  We were never really meant to be."

"It's funny that you would say that after all you went through to be together."

"We're both very stubborn.  It takes quite a lot to get through to us."

"Hmm, I've noticed," Chris teased as he glanced across at her.

"Oh shut up, Chris," Eve rolled her eyes, "So what about you?  Any tales of romance since you left Port Charles?"

"No," He answered simply, "There was never anyone I wanted except you.  And if I couldn't have you, I didn't want anyone else."

She watched him carefully as she shook her head slightly, "Careful, Chris.  I just might think you're serious."

"I am," He said with confidence, "I've never been more serious about anything in my life."

She leaned forward on the table and met his eyes as she challenged, "Now that you've told me the truth about being in love with me, what exactly are you going to do about it?"

"I haven't decided yet," He spoke with non-chalance, acting as if it were a simple matter to ponder.

"You haven't decided?  What is that suppose to mean?"

"Simply what I said," He shrugged, "I haven't decided."

She groaned as she sank back in her seat, "First you don't tell me that you love me.  You leave me behind and then years later you just burst right out with it."

"I didn't just burst right out with anything.  Your curiosity once again has gotten you in way over your head," He pointed out.

"But now you expect me to just accept it like nothing has ever happened?"

"It hasn't, has it?" He asked pointedly as he watched her, "If you'll recall, I didn't say that I would do anything to have you in my life.  I didn't say that I would keep you here and make you love me.  I didn't say anything about chasing you and making you return my feelings.  You wanted to know why I left Port Charles," He shrugged, "And I told you.  If that doesn't sit quite right with you, that's not really my problem."

"Not your problem?" She repeated, "How do you figure that one?"

"I came here to get away from you.  I've resolved what to do about my feelings for you.  You, on the other hand, have insinuated yourself back into my life.  You've demanded answers from me that I told you would might be unpleasant for you to hear.  And yet, you're the one still chasing after me.  Maybe you're the one who needs to decide what to do about this situation, Eve.  Not me."

"And it's just that simple?  I either love you or I don't?" She questioned in disbelief.

"That seems to be the situation," He nodded, "So tell me, Eve.  Can you look me in the eye right now and tell me that you love me?  I'll save you the bother.  I know that you don't.  Because you're not capable of it.  I learned that lesson the hard way.  That's why I wanted...hell, I needed to get away from you.  But here you are, and this time," Chris paused as he gazed deeply into her eyes, "This time, I'm not running away.  This time, it's up to you to do the right thing for the both of us and just leave."

"Leave?  You think I can just leave after you've told me this?"

"It's what you have to do, Eve," He said firmly, "We're friends.  You were right about that.  We were great friends in Port Charles, and I'd like to believe that there will always be a glimmer of friendship between us.  However, if you don't go back to your perfect life in Port Charles right now, there probably won't be any of that friendship left to hold onto."

"How can you say that?  Chris, this doesn't have to change anything," She attempted.

"Don't you see?  It already has," He explained, "You're sitting there with your curiosity running wild.  You want to know what I'm thinking and if I want to try to persuade you that you missed out on a life with me.  I can see it in your eyes.  You never would have had those thoughts cross your mind at all if I hadn't told you the truth today.  Our friendship is already changing, Eve.  And if everything goes par for the course, it won't change for the better."

"I'm not leaving, Chris," Eve stated firmly, "I'm not going anywhere."

"Then what do you suggest we do, Eve?"

"I suggest you stop being a coward and try your luck."

"With you?" He snorted with a roll of his eyes, "Not likely."

"And why not?  Because you're a coward?" She challenged.

"No," He answered simply, "Because I happen to like having you for a friend.  I don't want to push you away."

"You're already doing that, Chris.  So why not gamble?  Why not do what you always do best?  Why don't you go after what you want?" She dared him, wondering where exactly all this gusto had come from.

Chris searched her eyes for a moment, asking a million silent questions before he finally spoke, "There won't be any winners in this, Eve."

"Just try it, Chris.  Stop hiding behind that veil of secrets you've become accustomed to, and just try it," Eve challenged.

He paused as their food arrived.  He looked over the rice with tuna, empanadas, and tortillas with several relishes.  He turned his eyes away from the food as he weighed his options carefully, trying to make what could be the biggest decision of his life, "Fine.  You want to play?  I'll play.  But you need to remember one thing, Eve."

"What's that?" She asked with a soft smile.

Chris moved around the table and pressed his lips to hers, engaging her in a surprising kiss.  Eve could only place her hand upon his cheek to accept his kiss as he continued to ravage her mouth with his kiss.  His mouth was hot, demanding while his hands upon her cheeks were inviting and gentle.  She responded to his kiss with equal passion, finding that she'd been wanting this kiss since first seeing him at his villa.  She could taste his hunger and his unspoken desire for her.  How had she ever been able to deny this feeling before?

Chris tore his lips from hers as they both fought to regain their breath.  He dropped his fingertip to her slightly swollen bottom lip and smiled as he whispered, "I don't play fair."

Eve watched as he slowly withdrew his touch from her and returned to his seat at the table.  She let out a long overdue breath as her heart continued to race in her chest.  Her head was spinning, but she understood his meaning quite clearly.  It was one message she wasn't likely to ever forget. 

After eating their meal, Chris paid their bill and escorted Eve from the 
cafe.  They hadn't spoken much during their meal, only pausing once in a 
while to discuss the different selections upon the table.  Now, they were 
strolling along the side of the street, window shopping amongst the village 
boutiques.

Eve watched Chris and found herself still trying to recover from the kiss 
he'd bestowed upon her.  She couldn't tear her eyes away from him.  Somehow 
he'd managed to intoxicate her with just one kiss.  But what a kiss it had 
been.  He'd somehow been able to make her forget her vacation, her 
determination to find his secrets, and the idea that they had been just 
friends.  One kiss had transformed the way she regarded Chris Ramsey.

Chris paused near a shop door and smiled, "What's on your mind?"

"You," She answered honestly.

He opened the door to the little boutique and took a step back, "After you."

Eve stepped into the boutique while keeping her eyes on Chris.  She moved 
to a rack full of tourist items before she felt his presence behind 
her.  He slipped his fingers around her waist and lowered his lips to her 
ear, "See anything you like?"

She glanced out of the corner of her eye while trying to breathe 
normally.  She wet her lips before speaking, "Not here."

"Are you sure?" He asked softly before he dangled a small bracelet before her.

Eve gasped as the gold glimmered in the light starkly contrasting with the 
lush green emeralds sparkling throughout the bracelet.  She turned slowly 
as she met his eyes, "What is this?"

"A present," He said coyly before easing it around her wrist.

"Chris, I can't..." She stammered as he finished the clasp on the bracelet.

"Yes, you can," He eased his fingertips along the inside of her wrist, 
"Emeralds are one of this country's most precious resources," He paused as 
he met her eyes, "And this is a one of a kind bracelet.  The people in this 
village create jewelry, and the artisan who runs this particular boutique 
is quite talented."

"It's lovely," She replied as she looked to the bracelet.  She lifted her 
eyes to meet his, "Why would you do this?  Why would you buy this for me?"

"Because I want you to have it.  It's that simple.  There's no expectation 
behind it....other than you wear it while you remain here so I can enjoy it 
with you," He smiled touching her cheek gently before he stepped away.  He 
spoke with the owner of the boutique for a moment while Eve was left to 
look at her new bracelet.

Why would Chris buy her such an extravagant gift, especially when he said 
he didn't have any expectations?  As she examined the emeralds before her, 
she couldn't help but think that Chris was attempting to buy her loyalty or 
maybe even her love.  She stepped across the boutique and placed her hand 
upon his arm, "Chris, we really need to talk about this."

"There's nothing to talk about," Chris replied as he smiled, "You like the 
bracelet, don't you?"

"Yes, of course, but.."

"Then you should wear it with a smile," He patted her arm lightly.

Eve sighed as she watched him step outside the boutique.  She glanced back 
to the bracelet and paused.  She unclasped the bracelet and placed it upon 
the counter as she looked to the owner, "Sir, do you speak English?"

"Yes," The owner of the boutique smiled, "He likes you very much to buy 
this beautiful bracelet for you."

"It's a very beautiful bracelet, but I'm afraid I can't accept such a 
gift.  Could you please take this back and have the purchase money returned 
to him at his estate?" Eve asked softly as she studied the bracelet once more.

"But Señora, he purchased this for you.....he wants you to have it," The 
owner explained, trying to push the bracelet towards her once more.

"I can't accept it.  Please, can you do as I asked?" Eve asked again.

The owner of the boutique nodded in surrender before Eve turned and made 
her way out of the boutique.  She stepped down the side of the street 
slowly, spotting Chris ahead as he spoke with another man.  She slowly 
approached them, realizing they were speaking English.

"Ah, Eve, I thought I'd lost you.  I'd like you to meet a business 
associate of mine.  Eric Paxton, this is my good friend, Dr. Eve Lambert," 
Chris introduced the two with a smile.

"Eve Lambert," Eric smiled, "I've heard about you."

"You have?" Eve asked with surprised eyes.

"Hmm, Chris had mentioned you every now and then," Eric shrugged with a smile.

"I did?" Chris repeated and then shrugged with a modest grin, "I guess I did."

"It's very nice to meet you," Eve smiled, "It's fortunate that you two have 
good timing to run into one another like this."

"Good timing?" Chris smiled, "I actually asked Eric to meet us here.  I 
wanted to speak with him and this is the only way to protect us both."

"I see," She replied as she studied Eric for a moment, "Does this mean our 
tour is on hold?"

"Not at all," Eric replied as he shook Chris' hand, "We've said what needed 
to be said.  I'll see to the matters we discussed."

"Thank you," Chris replied as he watched Eric walk down the street.

Eve crossed her arms as she looked to Chris, "How long is it going to take 
you to tell me what is really going on with this...business of yours?"

Chris cast a small grin in her direction, "Come on.  We need to get moving 
if we're going to make it to our destination by sunset."

Eve watched as Chris stepped down the street towards the fountain.  He 
turned and extended a hand towards her to join him.  She took a deep breath 
and walked towards him, wondering just what he was going to do and what 
this business of his truly was.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Chapter 1-4	Chapter 5-9	Chapter 10-14	Chapter 15-19
Chapter 20-23