Moonlight and Margaritas (9 page)

She knew better.

Elena followed the other divers and began to prepare her gear.  Joe joined them at the back of the boat and started pulling their air tanks out of a nearby locker.  He glanced at her several times as she slipped off her shorts, not a friendly feature on his face.  What a difference a few hours could make.  She had to admit she preferred his hot and lusty gaze to this expression. 

She scanned the faces of her fellow divers.  Thomas caught her eye and smiled.  She smiled back, hoping a little friendly flirtation might improve her mood.  As she turned, she found the older, balding guy also watching her.  She smiled at him, too, mildly regretting that she'd been rude to him on the dock.

Great.  She laughed to herself.  Leave it up to Mercedes to sign them up for the testosterone dive.
 

Then again, that would be exactly why her friend had chosen this particular activity.  She could flirt to her heart's content, all the while playing Little Miss Matchmaker.  At least it had worked out well for one of them.

The hot sun glared down on her, making the thought of diving into the water more appealing.  Maybe Joe had missed his mark, and there weren't any whale sharks in the area.  She could only hope, because there was no way she could stay on the boat now while the others dove.  Her best option was to stick with the group, keep a low profile, and try to enjoy herself.

Sitting on the edge of her seat, she pushed a foot at a time down into her wetsuit and then shimmied the fabric up her legs.  As she stood, she managed an inconspicuous tug on her bikini bottom.  From there, she squeezed into the rest of the suit, grateful that there was one discomfort she could put behind her.

Her suit was fairly snug, as it should be to keep her warm.  She tugged and pulled until the fabric fit better.  Leaning forward, she bunched the suit between her fingers, gripped the zipper and pulled.  It came halfway up her abdomen and halted an inch below her breasts, squeezing them together and emphasizing her cleavage.  She yanked the zipper again, trying to finish the job.  The damn thing was stuck.  She unzipped it a bit, trying to locate the problem.

"Need some help?"

Elena looked up and found herself face-to-face with a pair of brilliant blue eyes.  Thomas was a little better looking up close, the sun a bright halo around his thinning blonde hair.  Not a terribly handsome man, but his intense blue eyes intrigued her, and he looked pretty good in his blue swim trunks. 

"My zipper is stuck."  She jerked again.  "I think I can—"

"I've got it, Thomas."  Joe butted his way in between them.  "You need to get your gear on."

Thomas hesitated and then nodded.  "Yeah, sure."  He walked to a seat and picked up a wetsuit, his attention bouncing between getting on his suit and watching her.

"Problem here?"  Joe was still all business, but the fact that he’d run off Thomas lightened her mood considerably.  Maybe there was a chance to make amends after all.

"I can't get the zipper up."  She tugged again.

He reached in, his knuckles grazing the skin under her breasts, and Elena clamped down on a sigh.  He struggled, pulling the zipper down and up again.  "These damn things the hotel rents are worthless."

His fingers were warm against her skin, and she couldn't resist studying his face while he was so intent on her wetsuit.  A few wrinkles edged his eyes, and a light stubble covered his chin.  The same stubble that she'd noticed that morning when she'd woken up with him in her bed.  The look
so
worked for him.

"I didn't know you were a diving guide.  I thought you said you had a business back in California."

He glanced at her, giving the zipper another jerk.  Up it went.  "There are a lot of things about me you don't know, and there's only one thing I want to know about you."  He arched an eyebrow.  "Are you going to know what you're doing down there?"  He nodded toward the water.

"Yes."  She took a step back.  "I'm certified for open water."  If it weren't for the big monster whale sharks, she wouldn't be hesitant at all. 

"Good, 'cause these gentlemen here are paying for a guide, not a babysitter for someone else."

Elena blinked as Joe walked back and pulled a wetsuit from a locker.  Ouch.  The man was definitely angry, but things were starting to make sense.  She'd wounded his pride.  She'd been the one to walk away, and being the player that he was, he couldn't stand it.  The thought made her smile. 

"He wants you, chica," Mercedes taunted in her ear.

"Stay out of it, Mercedes."  

"It's true.  Look how possessive he became when Thomas approached you.  You know as well as I do he wouldn't be acting so pissy if he really didn't care anything about you.  Guys don't put effort into anything they consider unimportant.  Trust me, I know."

Mercedes's declaration intrigued her.  It was true about the guys not putting forth effort.  She'd learned that firsthand with Richard. 

Mercedes sucked in a breath.  "Mmm…delicioso."

Elena followed her friend's stare.  Joe tugged off his shirt, his pecs and abs looking golden in the bright light.  Damn.  She sighed, knowing she'd had complete access to his body the night before, and it had felt unbelievably good.  His dark hair, dark eyes, the way he moved—everything about him tempted her.

She still had five days left at the resort.  "What was I thinking?"

"You were thinking he was so yummy.  Don't tell me you regret it."  The sass in Mercedes's voice was evident, but Elena couldn't take her eyes off Joe.  He looked up, catching her watching him, and still she couldn't look away.  They stayed focused on each other for several endless seconds until he finally broke contact.

Elena exhaled.  "No, I meant, what was I thinking when I snuck out this morning?  I say I want to be this cool, liberated woman, so why should I worry if my one-night stand turns into a one-week stand?"  She turned to her friend.  "I need to grow up and get over myself."  Her heart had sustained enough damage in the past that she could be assured it wouldn't jump headfirst into a shallow affair.

Mercedes rolled her eyes.  "My point exactly."

Near the stern of the boat, Joe conversed with his assistant, his gaze slipping to her from time to time.  This was good.  Even though he was acting cool to her at the moment, she could sense this thing between them wasn't over.  Not yet.

She smiled at Joe, and his bouncing gaze stumbled on her.  He quickly looked away.    

Yes, she still wanted him, too.  Last night had been the appetizer for her.  There was the main course to look forward to…and dessert.  One should never forget dessert.

"Okay, people," Joe addressed the group.  "You've all indicated previous open water diving experience.  So you know to relax, move slowly, and stay off the bottom.  If you take time to allow the ocean to observe you, your dive will be more enjoyable.  As always, remember to watch for jellies and sea urchins.  They are in the area, but easy to avoid.  And remember, don't touch the marine life."

Elena and her companions gathered at the boat's edge, and one by one, they fell into the water.  When it was her turn, the ocean swallowed her, and she descended into its dark depths. 

The world below was a completely different reality.  One that she loved.  All of her senses but sight were diminished, and along with them went her cares.  She sucked in a breath from her regulator and exhaled, watching her air bubbles sail through the shimmery water toward the surface.  Despite the awkwardness with Joe, she looked forward to the time she'd have under the water, alone with nothing to distract her but the fascinating marine life.

Below, the others from her group headed for a sandy shelf about twenty-five feet down.  Visibility had to be a good sixty-to-seventy feet, and the water was fairly warm, both of which made for a perfect dive.  

As the group neared their destination, someone grabbed Elena's wrist, and she turned to find Joe, his dark, sexy eyes peering at her through his scuba mask.  He pointed toward the surface.  She looked up, her heartbeat quickening as three Manta Rays floated above their heads.  The large, flat-bodied fish glided past as though they hadn't a care in the world.  She watched for a moment, admiring how gracefully they navigated the waters.  When she turned back to give Joe a thumbs-up as a thanks for pointing them out to her, she was met with disappointment.  He hadn't stuck around, but had joined the others instead. 

She finished her descent into the marine canyon, enchanted by the panorama of color.  Fascinating sea fans waved with the currents, looking like pink-veined translucent leaves.  Periwinkle-colored gorgonian coral rose from the shelf, providing the perfect place for blue and yellow tropical fish to play hide and seek. 

Elena saw movement in a large grouping of gorgonian ahead and swam to investigate.  A pair of large, googly eyes peered at her from beneath the coral.  She tried to limit her movements so she wouldn't frighten the creature.  The green-hued eel poked his head out and opened its large, ugly mouth a few times.  She wondered if it normally did that, or if it was trying to scare her off.  The odd antennae-like things coming out of the front of its face didn't improve its looks, but it was still kind of a cute little guy. 

Before long, the eel swam from its hiding place, cruising along the bottom of the shelf before it darted into another patch of coral.  She couldn't help consider what it would be like to live in this habitat with nothing to occupy her time except finding something to eat and making sure she didn't get eaten by something bigger and badder.  If only her life could be so simple.

Just then, a large school of black and white striped fish swam into her view.  Their wide stripes, interspersed with bright yellow, were striking compared to the eels with the rough, olive-colored skin.  Moorish idols, if she remembered the brochure correctly.  She tried to limit her movements as the elegant, angular fish passed within two feet of her face.  She lifted a hand toward them and watched as they scattered. 

Fascinating.  If she had her way, she'd stay submerged all day.  It was hard to hold on to the worries and stresses of life when surrounded by utter beauty.

After thoroughly investigating her surroundings, Elena turned to see what occupied her dive mates and found the majority of them—Mercedes included—swimming toward a hulking body off in the distance.  Joe was the only one who stayed behind, and he was headed toward her.

They'd found their coveted whale shark, she was sure.  She shivered.  She always believed it was better to not mess with someone or something that much bigger than her. 

As Joe neared, he directed her to come to him.  She knew he wouldn't leave her to swim alone since that was a huge no-no, but this was near enough for her.  She had no desire to get up-close and personal with the largest living fish.  Even if they weren't aggressive toward humans, she didn't need to face down a swimming mountain.  The cute, colorful tropical fish and intricate coral were more her style.

He motioned again, and she shook her head. 

When he reached her, he stopped and pointed toward the huge moving mass as though somehow she'd missed it.  Again, she shook her head and pointed to a small school of bright blue angel fish.

His eyes crinkled with laughter, mischief sparkling in them.  He flapped his elbows, mimicking a chicken, and it stung her pride.

She could either be the laughing stock of her group or go with him.  Fear warred with her self-respect.  This trip was supposed to be about letting go and embracing herself as a new, fearless woman.  Ugh.

He held out a hand, encouraging her.

She caved to the peer pressure and nodded.  He smiled with his eyes as though reassuring her that he'd keep her safe, which made her feel a little better.  Together, they swam and caught up with the others.

Joe tugged her to the front of the group, forcing her to embrace her new bravery.  The group moved in slowly, swimming parallel to the lingering hulk.  The whale shark's dark body lumbered along, looking like a checkerboard with its light stripes and spots.  She'd read in the brochures that whale sharks were huge, but this sucker could knock a small fishing boat out of the water.  It intimidated and excited her at the same time.  Pictures couldn't do justice to the beauty and awe of such a magnificent creature. 

They followed the massive fish for a while, until Thomas tried to get too close and spooked it.  Joe caught the attention of the group, tapped his watch and signaled for them to ascend.

Elena slowly kicked her way upward, the dim sunlight acting like a beacon.  She broke through the surface, and Paul was there to help her back onto Joe's boat and give her a fresh towel.  Her body was drained from the exertion, but what an unbelievable experience.  To think, she'd almost missed it, and Joe was able to do this every day?  Amazing.  She could truly appreciate that kind of freedom. 

Back on deck, Elena stowed her gear and tied on a sarong she'd brought in her pack.  Paul handed out box lunches that the hotel had prepared.  She took one and retreated to a bench to eat.  Mercedes sat on the opposite side of the boat happily chatting to several of the men, seeming like her normal, flirtatious self. 

Elena opened her box to find a lovely container of crab salad, a chunk of crusty French bread, and thinly sliced pineapple, mango and melon.  Her mouth watered as she lifted the lid off the crab salad.  She was famished.