Moonlight and Margaritas (27 page)

He pictured her pouting her lips with disappointment.  "I'm rethinking that suggestion."  He chuckled.  "At this point, all I'm getting is frustrated.  For someone who intends to behave like a gentleman, that's a dangerous road."

She laughed then.  "Oh, really?  No sex?"

"Not on the first date."  The Cabo playboy was going celibate.  Knowing that he'd even consider it, told him exactly how bad he had it for her.  "How am I going to get you to respect me if all we do is sleep together?"  It might sound crazy, but he needed to prove to her that there was something between them besides sex.  He wanted her to see their lives could blend.  That it would be okay for her to love him.

"What if I want to make love with you?"  Her voice grew sultrier.  "What if I want you to hold me and touch me?  Won't you?"

He groaned.  "Elena."  This was going to take every bit of his willpower.  "I'm trying to be a gentleman."

"I don't want a gentleman.  I want you, and I'll want you even more tomorrow.  Think about that while you're lying alone in bed tonight.  Goodnight," she said with a sing-song voice.

The line went dead.

Damn.  He'd be hard-pressed to resist her.  Would it count if he satisfied his frustrations by making love with her one more time, and then started courting her like a gentleman?

He sighed as he headed for the shower.  Probably not.

Elena stood in her driveway, careful not to get her purple floral skirt dirty as she bent down to clip some spent blooms off a coreopsis that had lost its sunny glow while she waited for Joe to arrive for their dinner date.  She'd been ready for the past thirty minutes and needed something to do to keep from self-combusting.  Her nerves sparked like exposed wires on an electrical cord, charged and ready to zap at the slightest touch. 

She put the dead heads in her basket and moved farther down the small rock wall that lined her paved driveway.  This was the only section of her property that caught the afternoon sun, and she made the most of it, cramming in all her sun-loving favorite plants.

She snipped another dead flower, her anxiety snapping along with her shears.  She'd barely been able to sleep the previous night with too many emotional and sexual thoughts ransacking her brain.  She'd tossed back and forth, considering her options.  Somewhere close to dawn, she'd managed to comfortably accept her decision to date Joe.  After all, she was a different woman than she'd been in the past.  She'd moved beyond Richard's scars for the most part, and she was confident that she could maintain her independence while enjoying a casual relationship with Joe.

Despite being anxious at the moment, she'd even gone so far as to convince herself this could be a good thing.  It was a dangerous game, knowing she was deeply attracted to Joe and knowing of his intention to make her fall in love.  But now that he was back in her life, she admitted she couldn't let him go.  She could, however, keep things on the lighthearted side, and they both could enjoy a friends-with-benefits relationship.

She wasn't sure what the long-term effects would be, but this was the best solution she could come up with for now.

She pulled out a stray weed that had tried to hide beneath a plant's leaves.  Now that she'd decided to take Joe as her lover, she intended to make full use of her opportunities.  Only one small problem.  He meant to resist.

Which was not a brilliant idea on his part. 
Snip
.  She clipped another faded bloom.  That was the one area where she knew she'd have power over him. 
Snip
.  He might be able to hold out for a while.  A secret smile curved her lips.  But not for long. 
Snip
.

Behind her, the quiet rumble of an engine nudged her from her strategic planning, and she turned as Joe pulled into the driveway.  He climbed out of a newer-model black Landrover, looking tantalizing in jeans and a khaki green button-down shirt with the sleeves rolled up. 

He exited his car and sauntered toward her, giving her a quick peck on the lips.  "Hello."  He smiled as he raked his gaze over her.  Intense attraction snapped between them.

"Hi."  She'd purposefully worn a low-cut sweater that hugged her curves.  She leaned over and picked up her basket full of beheaded blooms.  "I need to put my things away.  Would you like to come in for a minute?"

He shook his head.  "Nah, I think I'll wait out here if you don't mind and enjoy your beautiful garden."

She shrugged, laughing on the inside.  He was afraid she'd try to seduce him again, just like she had when they'd first met.  She loved that he was worried.  He should be.  She had no doubt she'd have her way with him by the end of the day.  "Okay.  I'll only be a minute."

She deposited the gardening items in the garage before gathering her purse.  Outside, she found him leaning against his car, looking around.

"Nice house."  He gestured toward the tall cypress trees that made a canopy over her roof.  "I like the way the trees and bushes give it a feeling of seclusion."

"Me, too.  It's nice to have privacy."  She let her lips tilt into a slow grin, teasing him on purpose. 

An interested glint flickered in his eyes, but he shook his head.  "We'd better get going.  We have a dinner reservation in fifteen minutes."

She walked up to him, stopping when their bodies were inches apart and placed a hand on his chest.  "I've decided I'm glad you came looking for me.  I believe I can be comfortable with a casual relationship played on my terms."  She studied his gaze, unable to keep from smiling at the wary look on his face.  She stood on tiptoes, placing her lips on his. 

The moment her insides began to sizzle, he pulled away, arching a brow in consternation.  "Not fair, Ms. Porter.  I've tipped my hand, and now you're going to use it against me."  He moved to open the car door for her.

She paused before getting in.  "Don't you know?  All's fair in love and war." 

Elena and Joe walked hand in hand down a brightly lit alley paved with cobblestones.  Pots filled with gold chrysanthemums and fragrant lavender lined the narrow strip of businesses.  He'd treated her to a dinner of king salmon at one of the nicer restaurants in town, and then they'd spent the past few hours browsing the shops of downtown Carmel.  Warm fall air carried the scent of the ocean, leaving her feeling carefree. 

They'd just come out of a gallery where she'd selected a beautiful watercolor of the famous Tor Cottage surrounded by the pinks and purples of spring.  It would cost her six month's worth of free flowers for the gallery, but she'd been eyeing it for weeks, and she hoped she'd never notice the small loss in profits spread over that many months.  She'd go back on Monday to pick up the painting.

"What a perfect day."  She inhaled a deep breath.  "Don't you love the smell of the ocean?"

He nodded.  "It smells different here though, don't you think?  From Mexico?"

She thought for a moment and then agreed.  "It must be the scent of the pines mingling with the breeze or something, but it's definitely different.  Better."

"Yeah.  I've missed being home."  He pulled her into a small shop enhanced with polished wood and numerous bottles of wine.  "I told my sister I'd bring her a bottle of her favorite Chardonnay."

"Tell me about her."  Elena selected a bottle for herself.  "Renee, right?  Is it just the two of you?"

He nodded, lifting a bottle and checking the label.  "She's great.  A couple of years younger than me.  She used to drive me crazy when we were kids, trying to do everything I did."  He laughed.  "I guess she's still doing that since she took over the family business while I was gone."

"Shipping, right?"

"Yep, and my sister absolutely loves running it."

Mercedes had been the closest thing she'd had to a sibling while in high school, and she'd often wondered what it would have been like to rival with a brother or sister.  "Is she happy that you're back?" 

"Yeah, she loves me," he said as he headed for the cashier.  "But she'd be happier if I left the business to her and found something else to do." 

That didn't sound too amicable to Elena.  She waited until they were back outside to continue the conversation.  "Doesn't that cause hard feelings between you?"

He took her hand again, and the simple gesture warmed her insides.

"Actually, no."  He smiled at her questioning gaze.  "She knows it's what I want, too."  He glanced toward the ocean, and then back at her.  "I've been thinking…"  He tilted his head as though weighing his options.  "I've considered opening a diving business here along the coast.  There's a decent demand for skilled divers, and I might operate a diving school and offer guided tours on the side, too."

The excitement in his voice was almost palpable.  She remembered that feeling, the exhilaration and satisfaction of following her dreams.  She'd experienced that same rush the first day she'd opened her shop for business.  And even though she'd gone through some rough and uncertain times, she wouldn't change a thing.  "You should do it.  There's nothing like following your dream." 

"Yeah."  He seemed surprised.  "That's what my gut keeps telling me, but my brain has a problem with it.  I'm just not sure now is the time."

"Why not?"  Better now than never in her opinion.  "You didn't have a problem leaving the business to go to Cabo.  Plus, I seem to recall you spouting some nonsense about how there's never a perfect time, and that you need to take a chance now."

"I was talking about our relationship, then, Elena, not business."

"I don't see the difference."  She shrugged, trying to keep the conversation from getting too serious.  "They're both about passion."

They stopped near the doggie Fountain of Woof where a cute black Border Collie lapped at the fresh water.  Elena smiled as the dog finished his drink and wet-nosed her hand before walking away with its owner.  "You know, one of these days, I'm going to get me a dog just like that."  She looked back at Joe to find his smile had been replaced by a thoughtful stare.

"He's cute."  He gave the pup another glance before turning to her.  "Cabo was temporary.  This would be permanent." 

"Oh, I see.  You have a problem with commitment, do you?"  She raised a brow.

A quick smile brightened his face.  "Uh…maybe." 

"Now look at who's the hesitant one."  Relationships she didn't want to talk about, but business?  That was comfortable ground for her.  "You said yourself that your sister was more than capable of handling the business, and that she loves it, so why are you keeping both of you from living your dreams?"

She didn't give him a chance to respond.  "Do you have the capital to get it started?  Can you keep a roof over your head while you get your business on its feet?"

He nodded, staring intently at her.  "I've got the money."

"Then why not do it?  Why not spend your time doing something you love?  Your sister sounds more than capable of filling your shoes.  So, here's the chance you've both been waiting for."

He nodded.  "I'll think about it."  Looping his arm around her shoulders, he pulled her to him for a quick kiss.  "Thanks for being my sounding board."

An hour later, Joe parked the car and walked Elena to her doorstep.  A cooling breeze wafted through the trees, leaving a chill in the air. 

"Thanks for a nice evening."  The creases in his cheeks appeared as he smiled.  "I'm glad you've decided to give us a chance."

"A friends-with-benefits chance."  He needed to understand that was as much as she could give right now.

"Whatever.  I'm just happy to have spent time with you."

"I had a great time, too."  She always did when she was with him.  She unlocked the door and gestured inside.  "Would you like to come in for a bit?" 

His eyes sparkled.  "I should be getting back.  I promised Renee I'd be in the office early in the morning."

"What?  Are you afraid I might seduce you?  Get you to agree to a purely physical relationship?"  She tickled her fingers over his ear and down along his jaw line.  His pulse slammed against her touch, giving her a sense of the influence she had over him.  "I've missed you, you know."  She turned his face in her hands and kissed him.

A groan rumbled from deep in his chest, and he took a step back.  "You're not going to make this easy, are you?"

"Make what easy?"  She was aware of his agenda, but she had one of her own.  "It's like you said.  I just want to spend a little more time with you."

He released a pent-up breath and gave her a frustrated smile.  "My point exactly.  The only difference is, you want a few stolen moments, and I want something more substantial."

Her insides clenched.  "I told you—"

"I know what you said.  Nothing serious."  He tilted her chin up with his forefinger and stared into her eyes.  "But you should know, for me, making love with you is extremely serious business."

The moisture in her mouth evaporated.  Her nerves tightened again, but for a totally different reason.  She wanted him, desperately.  "It doesn't have to be."

"Hmm…"  He settled his lips on hers, igniting the molten sensations flowing through her.  She slid her fingers around the back of his neck, holding him to her.  He captured her hands and removed them as he ended the kiss.