“We were waiting? I thought you’d lost your nerve and forfeited,” Jeff said.
“Dude, you are so going down.” Matt rolled his finger through the air. “Rack ’em up.”
Jeff broke first and sent two balls into the holes at opposite ends of the table.
“Damn, you did learn a thing or two out there in New York.” Matt laughed. “Glad I didn’t put any money on this game.”
Jeff bent over and took his next shot. “Left pocket.” The ball did as it was told.
Matt wrapped his arm around Julia. “Good thing I have you to keep me company. Looks like I’m not going to get to play this game.”
“Did you ask Jeff about the snowy plovers?” she asked.
Jeff looked up. “The what?” The next ball was an impossible hook shot that he easily sank.
“Julia thinks RW is going to build on the sand and wipe out endangered birds. Have you heard anything about his building plans for the resort or know how we can get our hands on them?”
Jeff straightened. “I told Dad I’d hook him up with a project contractor. The guy is coming in tomorrow afternoon. I’ll see what information I can get from him and let you know.”
“That’s great, Jeff. Thanks.”
“And if Dad’s plans do include that section where the endangered birds are? What then?” Jeff asked.
“Then I nail him to the wall. Threat of jail time, fines, public humiliation. I won’t quit until he does.” Julia’s smile was triumphant. “Couldn’t happen to a more deserving guy.”
Matt kissed her cheek. “That’s my girl.”
Fourteen
“Rematch!” Jeff called out the second after Matt sank the winning ball.
“You always were a competitive little squirt.” Matt socked Jeff in the shoulder while winking at Julia. That man was clearly proud of his pool skills.
She blew him a kiss.
“And you need glasses, old man.” Jeff returned the punch to Matt’s biceps, only harder. “I haven’t been a little squirt for years.”
“Old man? I’m only fifteen months older than you. But I agree, I am way wiser.”
Jeff snorted. “Really? Who got in trouble for breaking Mom’s Ming vase?”
Matt crossed his arms. “You broke that thing? I thought Chloe did it.”
Jeff leaned against the pool table. “We both did. I was teaching her how to throw a curveball down the hallway and bam!” He smashed his fist into his palm. “Sorry you got busted for it.”
Matt played with the black ball, ricocheting it across the table. “No biggie.”
Suddenly, Jeff’s voice seemed to thicken. “You said that all the time, Matt. But you’re wrong.”
Matt cocked his head. “About?”
“It was big stuff. I deserved far more than I got. Unless they caught me red-handed, you took it on yourself to protect me. You stepped into the fire for Chloe, too. Especially when Mom was on the warpath. You were—are—a great big brother. I never told you...oh, screw it.” Jeff pulled Matt into a bear hug and muttered against Matt’s shoulder, “Thank you, man.”
Julia could see Matt’s expression shift from cocky pool winner to being touched by his brother’s words. Patting Jeff’s back in that way men did, he mumbled, “Yeah, no problem.” But she could see the emotion in his eyes. “You’re a good brother, too. Don’t beat yourself up over the past. It’s not worth it.”
All these years they’d never told each other how they felt? Tears welled in her eyes. She was witnessing an intensely private moment between brothers and was honored they’d let her see it.
She stole around the counter, snagged Matt’s cell phone and snapped a picture of the two brothers hugging. Memories. She wanted Matt to keep this one forever.
“What do you say? Another game?” Jeff asked. His voice cracked with emotion.
“Depends on Julia. Do we have other plans?”
Like taking him in the back room? That would be her choice, especially after seeing the way he responded to his brother’s words. The vulnerable side of such a strong man was one of the sexiest things she’d ever seen. Matt was a good brother and had been a protector. Wouldn’t he do the same thing for his own son?
If she told him.
But the two brothers were having a moment and she didn’t want to ruin this opportunity for bonding between them. “One more game. I don’t know how to play, but I like watching.”
Matt racked the balls, giving her plenty to watch. His behind was perfection in those board shorts.
“I bet no one taught you the correct way to play.” Jeff pointed his comment toward his brother. “I call Julia on my team.”
“What?” Matt growled. “No one calls my girl.”
Jeff shrugged. “Just did.”
“Oh, no, Jeff. I’ll make you lose,” Julia said.
“You are my secret weapon.” Jeff’s grin was smug as he chalked his stick. “Go ahead, gorgeous, you go first.”
“Um, okay.” She took the pool cue, aimed, and shot the tip of the stick up and over the white ball. “Oops.”
“Let me show you.” Matt came up behind her, put his hands on her hips and adjusted her stance. She felt those big hands through her capris and her body started to hum. She shot him a look over her shoulder that meant, “After this game, I’m going to love you so hard.”
He uncurled her fingers from the cue and kissed her palm. Gentle. Sweet.
Oh, wow, I’m not going to make it through this game.
“Make a little bridge with your hand like this. Push your fingers gently into the cloth. Good. Head straight. Don’t favor your dominant eye or you will be looking at the shot sideways. Nope. You’re still tilting your head.” He put his hands on her cheeks, straightening her head for her. The warmth of his palms felt so good on her skin. Too good. She was starting to ache again. How would she be able to think straight let alone hit the silly ball?
“And relax,” he whispered in her ear.
Sure, easy for you to say, sexy man.
He was too close. She’d never be able to concentrate with him touching her like that. And he wasn’t moving away, either. She could feel Matt’s breath on the back of her neck, lifting the hairs that had come loose from her ponytail. She really would make Jeff lose. “Back up, Matt. You’re impeding her shot,” Jeff said.
“I’m helping her,” Matt said confidently. “Right, sweetheart?”
Helping me to combust. “Sure. Helping.”
Only one thing to do...she bent at the waist a little more and wiggled her fanny against him.
His sharp intake of breath told her she’d hit her mark. She rolled her hips from side to side and took her shot. Miracle of miracles, the ball went in the hole.
“Woohoo! Did you see that?” She spun around to face him and he grabbed her. He backed her hips into the edge of the pool table and kissed the thoughts out of her brain. Those lips of his made her feel like she was floating. But Matt had her pinned so she wouldn’t fall. One hand was on her low back, pressing her to him, the other had started to run through her hair.
“Stop distracting my teammate.” Jeff’s voice pierced the wet, hot haze she was flying in. “It’s still her turn.”
She pulled the corner of her lips away from Matt’s and mumbled for him to take the shot.
“If you say so.” Jeff laughed. She heard the crack of balls dispersing across the table and the distinctive clunk of one going in the hole. Followed by another shot. Another clunk. Matt’s lips lifted her higher again until she lost count of how many balls Jeff had sunk. She soon forgot Jeff was in the room.
Matt pulled his lips away but kept his hands on her. “My turn yet?” He gave her a slow, hot look.
“I won!” Jeff called out. “I mean, we won. I knew you’d be my secret weapon, Julia.”
Matt narrowed his eyes.
“You used a sexy woman to distract me? That’s dirty pool.”
“Ah, no. That’s what you two were doing. Get a room already.” Jeff grinned.
“I have one. You’re in it,” Matt said.
“Yeah, okay, I’m outta here. Nice playing with you, Julia.” He gave her a high five.
“That was fun.” She kissed Jeff’s cheek. “Thanks for being a good brother.”
His lips quirked and his ears turned pink. He didn’t say anything as he put his pool cue away. But on his way out the sliding-glass door he said, “Matt, don’t be an idiot. Don’t let go. Fight.”
The door closed and she was alone with Matt again. Her heart pounded in her chest.
“Don’t let go?” she asked.
For a brief moment she saw a flash of anguish twist in the depths of his blue eyes. He pressed his forehead to hers and cupped her cheek. The muscle in his jaw flexed. He exhaled slowly. “Julia—”
Just then a cheerful tune played in Matt’s bedroom. She startled. “Where’s my cell phone? That’s Henry’s ringtone.”
She scrambled to find her phone while two questions played in her head.
What had Matt been about to say? Was he letting her go already?
She found her phone and checked the message. Matt leaned against the door frame with his arms crossed, watching her.
“Everything okay?”
She bit her lip. “I’m sorry, I have to go. Henry is on his way home now and I don’t like him to be home alone.”
“Okay, let’s go. We can come back here after dinner. We have time.”
Sadness swirled in her chest. Time was the one thing they didn’t have. They had the past and a little bit of the present. Tomorrow was coming much too quickly and she didn’t know what to do about it.
* * *
Several hours later, with Henry fed and occupied with his favorite TV show, Julia had showered, cleaned up and was now standing in her bedroom in her robe.
Her cousins sat on her bed, braiding each other’s hair.
“What am I going to wear?” She wanted to dress up for Matt. If this was one of their last nights together, she wanted to wear something he would remember.
“The red dress, chica.” Linda said. “It will slay him. I’m not kidding. My Jorge was so smitten when he saw me in it last night, I think we made another kid.”
“Your ex is back?”
“Not really, just...you know, benefits.”
Julia shivered. “You had the dress cleaned?”
“Clean and sparkly. Not one sequin fell off. Trust me, you will kill Matt right where he stands.”
“I don’t want to kill him,” she said.
No, I want to seduce him and make all of his dreams come true. Maybe then he won’t leave.
She swallowed the dryness in her throat. Where had that thought come from? She fought against it.
“I just want one fun weekend. You know, fun, just like you two are constantly harping on? ‘Let the stress go, Julia. Have fun, Julia.’ Tonight is about fun. It’s not about asking Matt to stay. I have plans. Big plans. I’m going to be a lawyer, dammit. I will make RW pay for what he did to me, to you, to Matt, to all of us.”
Her cousins were staring at her like she’d completely flipped.
Maybe she had. Her boyfriend had returned from the dead and introduced her to the best orgasms she’d ever had without even getting undressed and now he was leaving. What part of that made any sense?
“Don’t you mean you’re going to be a lawyer to save the birds?” Maria said softly.
Julia opened her mouth. Closed it. Her cheeks were suddenly very warm.
“Yeah, chica. Isn’t your law degree about saving the planet? Tell me you are not on some vendetta to crush RW. You’ll never win that battle,” Linda said.
“Well, of course it’s about saving the birds!” she huffed.
But was it? Her college education was for her and her son’s futures. It wasn’t about RW; it couldn’t be. He had no power in her life. She wouldn’t allow it.
And yet retribution sounded so sweet...
“So...? Are you wearing the dress or not?” Linda asked.
Julia blinked. “You really think he’ll like it on me?”
They both nodded.
“Maybe it will be enough to get him to stay,” Linda said softly, echoing the words Julia hadn’t meant to say out loud.
She swallowed hard. Yes, Matt Harper was a flight risk. She’d be a fool to hope that he would drop roots in Plunder Cove.
“I see it in your eyes. I will snap him in two if he breaks your heart again,” Maria proclaimed. “I swear I will.”
“There will be no violence.” Julia shook her finger, pulling herself together, tamping down her emotions. “I just want to enjoy him while he’s here. Whatever happens, happens.”
Maria grinned. “There it is. Did you see it?”
“Bright as day. Ay ay ay! She’s done the nasty with him already. Maybe you don’t need the red dress.”
Julia could feel her cheeks burn. She tossed her hair out of her eyes. “How could you tell what we did just by looking at me?”
Maria shook her head. “We couldn’t. Until now. We knew you wouldn’t talk unless we tricked you into spilling the beans.”
Linda laughed. “Totally busted. Good thing Tía Nona didn’t catch you. That woman scares the crap out of me.”
Julia crossed her arms. She and Matt were adults who were fully capable of doing...adult things. Tía Nona would simply have to accept that Julia was in charge of her own sexuality. It wasn’t like she hadn’t had sex before. Obviously. She had a child, for heaven’s sake. “Tía Nona isn’t the boss of me.”
“I heard my name.” Tía Nona came into the room. “Catch you doing what?”
Julia gulped.
Her cousins laughed so hard that they nearly fell off her bed. Julia shot them both a dirty look.
“You look nice, Tía Nona. Are you going out?”
“You think you’re the only one invited for dinner tonight? I can’t wait to talk to your ‘Captain’ to find out what he’s been up to.”
Oh, no. No, that can’t be.
Julia had been planning to slip out with Matt after dinner. Linda was keeping Henry for the night, so Julia and Matt could pick up where they’d left off this afternoon. How would she slip away under her aunt’s watchful eagle eyes?
“You’re going, too?” Julia’s voice skipped up an octave at the end. Like a kid caught stealing. Linda and Maria heard the squeak and covered their mouths to keep from laughing harder.
“I am going to slay both of you,” Julia huffed and walked out of her own bedroom.
Fifteen
RW sat at his desk in the den studying the Harper Industries’ quarterly report. So far, so good. The stocks were up, crude oil was holding its own and no one had figured out that he was a complete fraud.
Good news, all things considered.
There was a rap on the door. He rose quickly, hoping Angel had returned. “Come in.”
He couldn’t hide his disappointment when his bodyguard stepped into the room. “I have news, sir. The private investigator in Los Angeles has located a mole inside the gang. Someone who should be able to give us more information.”
“That is excellent news. Who is it?”
“A woman named Cristina Sanchez. She came forward because Angel saved her life long ago, keeping her safe on the streets.”
RW smiled. Of course Angel had saved her. His sweet, gentle Angel had a way of protecting and healing strays. Wasn’t he living proof of that?
“Cristina says the gang is agitated again. She doesn’t know why, but fears they have a new lead on Angel’s whereabouts. The PI also noted that they’ve been packing up and getting ready to move. Should I tell Angel, sir?”
> “No. Absolutely not.”
If Angel thought her ex was coming for her, she’d flee again. RW might never find her. She needed his protection now. One way or another, he would save the woman who’d saved him.
“I want you to beef up the security around Plunder Cove. Men on boats monitoring the coast. Two in the lookout. Teams north and south. If anyone suspicious comes anywhere near Plunder Cove, you stop them. Hear me? No one gets within a mile of Angel. No one. If that bastard sends his entire gang after her, we will be ready. Understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. Let’s hope the mole will give us something we can use.”
It was about time something went his way. He was going to do everything in his power to make Angel feel safe here in his home and maybe, just maybe, she would agree to stay.
* * *
Matt wandered into the kitchen and opened the massive double-doored refrigerator to peek inside. There were cheeses, fruits, spreads—it was like a mini grocery store in there.
“Matthew! Whatcha looking for?” Donna, the cook, called out.
She was standing over the stove, stirring a large pot of something that smelled good. That same short white bob still curled under her chin like it used to. Pushing seventy now, she wore red-rimmed glasses and orthopedic shoes, but she still had a youthful spunk to her steps. She was a kind and generous woman with a round, cherublike face and an infectious smile.
He closed the doors and went to her. Wrapping his arm around her shoulder, he peeked into the pot. “Mmm. This! What is it? It smells good.”
“Wild boar stew. Sit. It’s almost ready. I’ll give you a bowl in a few minutes.”
“Great. I’m starved.” He hitched himself up onto the countertop and swung his legs like a kid.
“What else is new? I was told you were going out to dinner tonight.”
“I am. But I can’t wait until then.” He held his stomach. “I’m dying here, Donna.”
She walked to the fridge and pulled out a bowl. “I’ve got hard-boiled eggs, too. Want one?”
“How about two?”
“Growing boy.” She smiled, handing him the whole bowl, and went back to stirring the stew. “Just like old times, huh? So good to have you back.”
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