Moonlight and Margaritas (13 page)

That had to be it.

He wasn't used to women reacting that way.  She'd left him off-balance.  That was all.  She had no great mysterious power that would tether him.  In fact, he'd be better off if he
did
see her again.  That way he could recognize she was nothing more than great in bed, and he'd be able to forget her once she left Cabo.  

He left his barstool and headed for the door, more than a little relieved that he'd figured things out.

At dinner, Elena dined on lobster.  She skipped the oysters that Mercedes was probably feeding to her latest lover.  She hadn't seen her since their group had emptied out of the hotel's van, and Elena hoped more than anything her friend was okay.  Mercedes had offered to cancel her date, but Elena couldn't ask her to do that, not after their earlier exchange.  Elena would let her have her wild night, but tomorrow, they were going to have a serious discussion and intervention if necessary.

Elena had dressed carefully for the evening, wearing a black tank top with a bright tropical skirt that stopped just above her knees.  She'd thrown on a chunky silver necklace and a pair of flat silver sandals, so she could walk along the beach after dinner. 

Not that her choice of clothes mattered.  Joe hadn't shown. 

She'd sipped on two margaritas and waited until 7:30 before she'd ordered dinner, wishing that he would come.  He hadn't.  Deep down, she'd known he wouldn't.  As much as they were
friends
, something was off between them.  She didn't need anyone to tell her there was a reason one-night stands only lasted one night.

That was okay.  She was fine being alone.  Since the beginning of her second life, as she liked to call it, she'd come to find solitude had its advantages.  Like eating what she preferred, when she preferred.  Or having the whole bed to herself.  The quiet gave her a chance to reflect on past choices and future decisions. 

But, sometimes she did get lonely.  There were moments she'd willingly trade half the bed for someone to listen to her at the end of her day.  Even so, Joe would never be that person.  He'd been her island fling.  That was all.

She paid her dinner bill and headed out toward the beach.  The breeze was a little stronger than the previous night, the air heavy with the smell of brine.  A few thin clouds glided across the big moon, leaving the atmosphere with a feeling of expectation, like a storm might move in.  Or maybe it was just the heat of the day moving out.

Still, it was a lovely evening.  Perfect for strolling in the sand as the sun bowed to the coming night.

When they'd planned their trip, Elena had laughed and gone along with Mercedes's idea of a wild, tropical vacation, but honestly, this was what she craved.  Peace, tranquility, something to soothe her restless soul.  Though her divorce had been the right choice for her, it had taken its toll.  Several years had passed before she'd found and appreciated the peace inside her. 

She wished Mercedes might find a similar peace.  At one point, Elena had hoped her friend might take an interest in her flower delivery guy, Emilio.  He was a sweetheart and had a huge crush on her friend.  Of course, with him being ten years older than Mercedes, he'd confided to Elena that he didn't expect that he'd have a chance to win Mercedes's affection.  Elena didn't vocalize it, but she pretty much agreed.  Mercedes liked her men young, ripped and rich, not salt and pepper-haired with a kind smile.  Still, Mercedes and Emilio seemed pretty friendly whenever they'd come across each other at her flower shop.

But after Mercedes's current actions, there would be no way she'd encourage that relationship.  Emilio was too nice, and he'd end up hurt.  As much as she loved her friend, Mercedes could be a piranha when it came to men.  More so now than ever, apparently.

Elena passed a young couple holding hands as she neared the end of the walkway.  Her thoughts drifted back to the previous night, and she couldn't help missing Joe, wishing he was there to share her evening.  She removed her sandals and strolled through the cooling sand toward the water.

The sound of waves rushing toward the shore fed her spirit.  The warm breeze blew her skirt around her knees and teased her hair across her shoulders.  This was truly paradise.

She made her way along the beach, her feet splashing in the shallow water.  In some aspects, this vacation had been a wonderful idea.  It would be completely perfect if not for the awkwardness with Joe and for Mercedes's meltdown. 

Elena had needed to get away, to get her bearings without life crashing all around her.  Life had been very transitory during the past several years.  So many changes.  Most of them for the better.  Still, the stress had taken its toll.

Now, she felt like maybe she could breathe again.  Could live again.  Could look forward to the future again.  It was great.  She inhaled and then blew out her breath, loving the way the fresh air cleaned the murky cobwebs from her spirit.

She'd been certain she'd never want a man again, too, but something about being with Joe last night made her question that.  For one thing, she missed sex…and companionship. 

Not that she and Richard had been great companions, but perhaps it was possible she might meet someone to share a few laughs with.  Another marriage was too great of a mountain for her to consider.  She'd barely gained her independence and couldn't, no, make that wouldn't, lose herself again in a marriage, but a friend with benefits wasn't out of the question.  In order to do that though, she had to be willing to trust another man, at least a little bit.

When she pulled herself from her thoughts, she realized she'd traveled a far distance down the beach.  Darkness surrounded her, with only the moon to light her way.  A perfect example of when it might be nice to have a man around.  She smiled.  Instead of feeling a bit nervous because she was alone, she would have enjoyed the privacy.  She turned back toward the more populated area of the beach.

Several minutes passed before she spied another lone figure walking her way.  Someone else enjoying the beautiful solitude of the Cabo beach after hours. 

As she got closer, her senses heightened.  She'd only known Joe twenty-four hours, but she'd studied him plenty, and she was almost positive he was the someone heading toward her.  Her pulse leapt.  Was it coincidence or had he come looking for her?  She quickened her steps.

When Joe caught sight of Elena, he slowed.  He knew the minute she recognized him because her pace increased, but he liked watching her, and he wanted to savor the sweetness of her coming to him, hopefully with a smile on her face.  He liked that about her, the way her lips would tilt, and how it heated him from the inside out. 

Now that he'd figured things out and knew he could handle himself, he could relax around her.  Just because she was the most tempting thing to enter his life in a damn long time, didn't mean anything.  He'd been tempted many times before and had always been able to walk away if he'd chosen to.

If he were lucky, maybe he'd find himself in her arms again that night, and he'd be able to prove his point the following morning when they parted.

Elena reached him, an uncertain look in her eye, her shoes dangling from her fingers.  He inhaled as need slammed into him full force.  Twilight cascaded over her bare shoulders, her soft, pink lips hovering close to a smile.  She stole his breath and left him aching for her.

What the hell had he been thinking when he'd compared Elena to the woman he'd met earlier at Mojitos?  That was like saying an incandescent light held the splendor of a Cabo sunset.

"Hello."  She searched his face with cool green eyes, but he kept his demeanor composed. 

"Hey." 
See
?
  Self-control
, despite the need raging inside him.

She nipped her bottom lip, then took a breath.  "Taking a walk, too?"

"I was actually looking for you."

"Oh?"  She seemed surprised.  "I didn't expect to see you again when you didn't make it for dinner." 

"Yeah, sorry about that."  Of course, now he felt like a total ass for letting her dine alone.  "I got held up.  By the time I did arrive at the restaurant, you'd already left.  The maître d' said you'd mentioned a walk on the beach, so I came looking for you.  How's the arm doing?"

She scrunched her nose.  "Itches.  Thanks for reminding me."

"I feel bad you got stung on my watch."  If he could take her pain, he would.

"I should have paid better attention to what was in front of me." 

They walked for a few moments in silence before she tilted her head, looking up at him.  "What made you change your mind about seeing me again?" 

Shit.  Had he been so easy to read?  "What makes you think I didn't want to see you?"

Her eyes twinkled when she gave him a look that said she didn't believe a word he said.

"Okay, fine.  I
was
hesitant about seeing you again."  Nothing like honesty to ruin his chances with a woman.  "I'm not really sure why.  I don't like complicated situations.  I just…keep getting this feeling that whatever's between us isn't over yet."  Shit again, had he really said that?  That was
not
why he'd sought her out.

She kept her gaze pinned to his, and he could feel her tugging at his emotions.  "It doesn't have to be complicated."

"You sure about that?"  He laughed then to break the tension because at the moment, he was positive his dick was functioning at a higher level than his brain.  "In my experience, the more two people are together, the more convoluted things become.  I learned that the hard way with my last girlfriend." 

She started walking again, and he fell in beside her.  "What happened?"  Concern settled on her face.  "If you don't mind talking about it, that is."

He didn't know if he minded or not.  Up until that point, he hadn't said much about it to anyone, not even his sister.  "Our relationship lasted off and on for almost two years.  We didn't want kids, so there was no reason to get married.  Should have been an easy relationship, right?  I found out the opposite was true when she left me for another guy.  They married after dating for a month."  He shrugged, trying to pretend it didn't hurt.  "One month.  Guess I waited too long, huh?"

"Did you love her?"

Good question.  "I don't know.  I must have.  I stuck with her for two years."

"That doesn't mean you love someone.  I was with my ex for sixteen years.  I'm not sure he ever loved me."

"Did you love him?"

She blew out a breath.  "I did.  At first, anyway.  I'd married him expecting we'd raise a family and grow old together.  You know the fairytale, the happily-ever-after."  She looked up at him, a sad expression on her face.  "He had other ideas.  He wanted someone to control, someone to push around, someone to cater to his whims."  He could hear the pain hiding between her words.

Joe swallowed.  "Did he hurt you?"  He wasn't sure he could handle the idea of someone being cruel to Elena.

She shrugged.  "Not so much."

"What the hell does that mean?"  Either the bastard did or he didn't.

"He smacked me a couple of times.  Mostly, it was emotional abuse, though."  She paused.  "Sometimes that's worse.  People don't see the scars, so it's easier for them to pretend they don't exist.  A woman leaving for emotional reasons doesn't always find a lot of support."

He exhaled a weighty breath.  "I'm sorry."  He didn't know what else to say.

She smiled, adding a little bounce to her step.  "It's done.  It took me a few years, but I finally found the courage to leave.  Things are
much
better now."  She squeezed his hand.  "And now you can see why
I'm
not looking for complicated, either."

Out of the two of them, she certainly had stronger reasons to be leery of jumping into another relationship.  No wonder she attracted him.  "So where do we go from here?" 

A wicked glint formed in her eye.  "Wherever we want.  No commitments, no obligations.  I'm only interested in glorious sun-filled days and sultry nights." 

That was
exactly
what he'd come to Cabo for.  "Can I play, too?"  He grinned, and she matched it.

"Absolutely."

One more thing.  "Promise you won't leave without saying goodbye tomorrow morning?"  That would be his job.  Despite the fact that he felt a whole lot better about being with Elena, he still had a point to prove.

She looked properly chastised even though that hadn't been the reason he'd brought it up.  "Sorry about that."

He lifted his brow higher, loving the way she nipped her bottom lip.  He'd let her off the hook in a minute, and then he'd take her in his arms and kiss her like there was no tomorrow.  Which, of course, for them was true.  "Forget about it.  We're in Mexico.  No one has expectations around here." 

They both laughed, and a weight lifted from Joe's shoulders.  He liked the idea of hanging out with her for a while longer.  No strings, no worries.  Just fun.  "Are you up for a moonlight sail?"

"Really?"  Her face lit up.  "Tonight?  As in being out on open water at night?"

"Scared?" he teased.

"I don't know."  She laughed.  "Alone, in the dark, with you?  What could possibly happen?"