She was offering a hellova meal.
He swallowed. He didn’t want to offend her, but he certainly didn’t want to encourage her either. “Not today. Thanks, though.”
“No problem. A rain check?” she asked, dropping her eyes to his chest.
He wished he’d worn his T-shirt to bed. “Listen, Brittany, you’re a nice girl, but you’re about half my age.” He hoped that was an exaggeration, but he certainly felt more like eighty than forty.
“I’m old enough,” she answered. “If you’re interested, you be sure to let me know.” The back of her hand skimmed his cheek. “You’re cute.”
“So are you, but I won’t change my mind.”
“Your loss, in that case.” She tossed her head and stood up. “I’ll be back in half an hour and escort you to the pool.”
“No need to do that.”
“I know, but I want to.” She laughed and blew him a kiss.
He watched her leave, and breathed a sigh of relief. She was a gorgeous gal, but his interest was zero. Now, Kayla was a different matter. If she came down here offering sweet temptations he might not so easily resist.
Not that she would. He didn’t figure her the type who’d be interested in cheap gratification or a casual hook up. He didn’t know why after only a few hours in her company, he had decided that she was an honest woman with integrity and strength.
The kind of woman that he would have been attracted to, once upon a time.
He’d have loved some more sleep, but now that he was awake he might as well get himself cleaned up. After all, Kayla would be waiting for him down at the pool and he still owed her an apology or two.
* * *
Kayla took a quick shower and dressed, trying to push her negative thoughts away. It irked her no end that Brittany had ignored her plea to let Sean rest, and had gone and taken the lasagna to him. As much as she loved her sister and wanted her to be happy, she wished she’d leave Sean well alone. She wasn’t interested in him, or about the fact that he had come to their door seeking quiet, a haven to heal. Brit only wanted to get it on with somebody, and he was certainly the most attractive man around. Perhaps, the only one.
Her beautiful baby sister could be a spoiled brat once in awhile. Like taking things that didn’t belong to her. Not that Kayla thought for one minute that Sean was hers. She had no idea if he belonged to anyone, but the point was—he was a guest, a mystery to them all.
Kayla chose a light blue halter dress that left her back bare. The fit and flare of the polyester spandex material was ideal for the hot night. Her long hair was blown out, and drifted past her shoulders in soft waves. She applied her make-up quickly in the mirror over the dresser she shared with Taylor.
Her mother and Brittany shared the second bedroom. It was tight quarters, but they’d agreed to give this a trial run for a year and make a business decision based on the bottom line. Of course it took money to make money, but if business was good, they might be able to pay the small bank loan off which they’d taken out for the improvements they had planned.
She gazed at herself in the mirror, then turned so she could see herself from all angles. Taylor stood at the bedroom door with a big grin on her face. “Nice dress,” she said. “You wearing that down to the pool?”
“A little much?” she asked, feeling slightly foolish.
“Not if you want to catch a certain man’s eye,” her sister said with a grin. “And don’t you dare take it off.”
“It is over-the-top. I don’t want him to think I wore this because of him.”
Taylor winked, her long, dark lashes natural. “He’d be flattered. And wait ’til you see what Brittany has on.”
“Why?” Kayla’s spine stiffened. “What is she wearing?”
“A one-piece snakeskin jumpsuit. Fits like a second skin.”
Kayla almost cringed with embarrassment. “I’m going to change. No way am I competing with my sister for any man’s attention. That is so not going to happen.”
Taylor gave her a push. “Off you go.” Then she quickly shut the bedroom door and locked it from inside.
Fuming, Kayla stood there staring at the closed door. “Open up, Tay. Right now!”
“I can’t hear you,” she answered in a sing-song voice.
“I’m going to kill you when I get my hands on you. Did you hear that?”
“Nope. Have fun. See you soon. Bye-bye.”
Humiliated, pink in the cheeks, Kayla grabbed a full bottle of rum and marched down to the pool. The guests mingled—the only two missing were Brittany and Sean.
The honeymooners chatted with the Ohio couple, Jeff and Mary, and her mother. The four of them cheered when they saw the bottle she carried. Jeff jumped up to take it out of her hands. Pushing away unwanted thoughts of her sister and Sean, she smiled, blew her hair out of her eyes, and greeted them all. “Hi everyone! Sorry I’m late. Hope you all had a great day.”
Making herself useful, she passed around the tray of Saganaki. The plate was beautifully decorated with cherry tomatoes and tiny purple flowers, yet the cheese looked untouched. She knew Taylor would be disappointed if they didn’t at least try the appetizer.
“Here we go, folks. It’s a Greek dish, but basically it’s fried cheese. Delicious.” She handed a napkin to the two couples and waited for them to take one from the tray.
Mary sampled it first. “Mmm. This is fabulous. Try it, honey,” she told her husband. “I swear, we are never going to want to leave.”
Kayla laughed. “Well, just make sure you tell all your friends about us, back in Ohio.” She used a napkin to mop the perspiration from her forehead and looked toward Rhapsody. What were they doing? Having the lasagna together? She could picture Brittany in that skin-tight one-piece outfit, smiling and teasing Sean, playing footsie with him under the table.
What man could resist a temptation like that?
Her mother took the tray out of her hands. “I was filling our guests in about Sean and the great rescue at sea. Why don’t you go down there, and bring him back with you? He’s quite the hero, and our guests want to hear what happened first hand.”
Kayla remained standing where she was. “Go,” her mother urged, and bumped her hip.
“No. Brittany’s there,” she whispered, her eyes on the cabin. “She took the lasagna down to him.”
“She was here a little while ago.” Her mother glanced around. “Why, where did that girl go?” She glanced toward Rhapsody then met Kayla’s eyes. “If you don’t go down there and rescue him, then you only have yourself to blame.”
“Oh, Mom. I can’t.” Sean knew where she was. If he wanted to see her all he had to do was walk out that door.
“In that case, have a mojito. Might as well get happy with the rest of us.”
“Yes. I think I earned it today.” She snagged a Saganaki and poured a big drink.
Kayla heard the laughter first, and turned her head to see Brittany arm in arm with Sean as she led him toward the pool.
The sight of them together, his fair hair mingling with Brittany’s dark curls as he leaned toward her and whispered something in her ear, stopped her mid-swallow. She gagged on the bite of feta cheese and choked, her eyes tearing up.
Kayla tried to sip on her drink, but her air supply was cut off. Panic set in.
Brittany and Sean entered through the gate and headed toward her. They were both smiling, and Sean winked, his eyes on hers.
Kayla gagged again, pointed to her mouth and was horribly afraid that she might throw up. Her distress must have been apparent, for Sean rushed across the pool deck, grabbed her by the waist, put his arms under her breasts and did the Heimlich maneuver.
Her bottom was pulled into his thighs as she doubled over, and even though she was damn near choking to death she was aware of the fact he was in shorts. She could feel the warmth of his legs through the thin material of her dress and knew her butt was lodged up against his fly.
Forgetting that for the moment, she put her h
ands over his and lifted them slightly higher, under her ribcage.
He gave her several deep thrusts and then she felt the cheese bite dislodge from her windpipe. It flew out of her mouth and landed in a bush next to one of the lawn chairs.
The honeymooners cheered, and embarrassed to death, Kayla made a waving motion with her hands, but didn’t turn to face them. She held on to the railing and sucked in several breaths. Sean kept one hand on her bare back as she gathered herself together.
“Breathe slowly,” he said gently. “You’re okay now.”
Brittany stepped forward, offering her a napkin. “Holy cow! What happened?”
“I took a breath when I swallowed the cheese. Damn thing went down my windpipe.” She’d never been so humiliated, she thought, wiping her mouth.
“Ouch.” Brit studied her face, wanting to make sure Big Sister was all right before slipping away.
Kayla turned to Sean. “Thank you.” She blinked rapidly, afraid that tears would come next. “That was embarrassing.”
He smiled, brushing her hair over her shoulder. “No, it’s not. It happens, and when it does, it’s very frightening. Good thing you weren’t alone.”
“Good thing you were here to save me,” she countered, gazing into his handsome face. How had she every thought his features were ordinary? There was nothing ordinary about this man. He had nice shaped lips, a straight, perfect-sized nose, a firm jaw and dark chocolate brown eyes that carried a world of sadness.
He chuckled. “I wouldn’t go that far. But yes, I’m glad I was here too.” His eyes held hers for a long moment. “You want some water?”
She nodded, and he went to the makeshift bar and brought back an iced bottle. He uncapped it before handing it to her. “There you go. Drink slowly.”
Brittany returned with two frosted flutes in her hands. “She’s all right now. Here, Sean. Have a drink.” She smacked her glass against his. “Cheers.”
Kayla nodded. “I’m fine. Really. I might just sit down for a few minutes and catch my breath.” She fanned her face. “You two go ahead. Mingle.”
He took a sip from the drink, and turned to thank Brittany. “Appreciate the drink, Brit, but I’m going to sit with Kayla for a moment. We have things to discuss.”
Brittany glanced at her sister, a question in her eyes. Kayla shrugged, but couldn’t help her lips from lifting in a pleased smile. She wondered how her little sis would take this, but she should have known Brittany would never let a man come between them.
“Enjoy yourselves,” she said with a genuine smile, then gave Kayla a wink and saluted her silently with her drink before sashaying over to sit with her other sister.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Kayla put her feet up on the chaise lounge and sipped her iced water. Sean moved his chair closer to hers, placed his drink on a small table on the opposite side, and settled into the chaise. Her heart beat wildly, and she doubted that it was due to the choking incident.
“Mom told our guests about you rescuing the Hernandez family. Everyone is calling you a hero. And now you saved me,” she smiled shyly, still embarrassed by upchucking in front of him. “Quite a reputation you’re building.”
He rubbed a hand over his face. “Me, a hero? Hardly. Hell, I can’t even save myself.”
“Don’t say that!” She tentatively touched his hand. “Whatever it is you’re going through, you don’t have to do it alone. I’m here if you ever want to talk.”
“I don’t. Not about that.”
They didn’t say anything for a few minutes and an uncomfortable silence grew. She shifted her legs to the ground, getting ready to stand.
He stopped her. “Stay a little longer.”
Kayla sat back down, studying him. His face was creased with concern, and his eyes full of despair. She wished she could reach deep inside him and pull out whatever it was that was eating him alive. “So what would you like to talk about?”
“Something pleasant. Unimportant details. It doesn’t matter.”
“All right then.” She thought for a moment. “This afternoon at the hospital I told you all about my past and how I ended up here. So it’s your turn to talk.” She smiled, to show him the conversation wouldn’t get serious. “Tell me. What made you become a doctor?”
His shoulders relaxed. “My father was an ophthalmologist and my mother worked as a nurse. Guess it seemed like a natural fit for me. I have a sister who’s four years older. She’s a radiologist. It’s the family business.”
“Where does your family live?” she asked, eager to know more about this mystery man.
“California. San Diego, to be exact. Dad used to be with the Navy before he went into private practice.”
“I see. Does your sister live there as well?”
“No. She married and moved to Atlanta.”
“Children?”
“Two. A boy and a girl. They’re in middle school.”
“Nice. Are you both close?”
“Not anymore. We lead such busy lives that it’s hard to get together.”
She looked away from him for a moment, so full of questions that had nothing to do with his family, but were all about him. Questions she didn’t dare ask.
“Any word from the hospital? About Juanita?”
“No, but I didn’t expect anything this soon. I spoke to a doctor friend of mine from Boston and his wife is in pediatrics. They’ll put her on medications to slow her labor and give the baby time to develop. She could be bed-ridden for the next two months.”
“That sounds awful. Maybe they’d let her rest here? Hospital beds are needed for more urgent cases, I’d think, and the cost would be prohibitive.”
“I agree. You’d be willing to help that much, Kayla?”
She nodded and glanced toward her mother. “We discussed it, and we’re glad to help. Maybe we can even pay Miguel to help with the paintwork,” she said with a small laugh to keep things light.
They were silent for a few minutes, both lost in their thoughts. “You want a drink?” he asked. “And a bite to eat?”
“Sure. I think I can handle it now.”
He brought her the drink and a large plate of snacks to share. She felt ridiculously happy that he was staying to have some food with her instead of making an excuse to leave. It didn’t mean anything, of course.
“Thanks for the lasagna,” he said. “It was sweet of you both to think of me.”
“I fell asleep while it was in the oven,” she confessed. “When I woke up the dish was gone. So was Brit.”
“It’s sitting on the counter. I decided to save it, and share it with you,” he said quietly.
“You did?” Her heart raced. Not Brit, but with her. His sitting here did mean something. A very small part of him was opening up. She felt like pumping her fists in the air and letting out a whoop. Instead she played it cool. “I’m not the best of cooks. You might be better off eating here.” Saying that, she dipped a slice of pita into the Tzatziki sauce. She licked her lips after finishing the piece, and noticed him watching her.
“What?”
“I like you in dresses.”
“You do?” She glanced down and saw the hem of her dress had risen to above her knee. When she leaned forward the halter top exposed the plumpness of her breasts. She sat up a little straighter, and pulled the hem down. She was not a shy woman but her stomach was doing a butterfly hop. “You don’t think I look ridiculous? Over-dressed for a pool party?”
“Not in the slightest. I think you look…well, pretty. Stunning, actually.”
“Stunning?” she laughed, but now the butterflies were doing a Highland fling. “Me? Hardly. I’m fat compared to my two beautiful sisters.”
“Don’t say that. You are not at all fat. You have a gorgeous body.” His gaze raked over her, then slid away. “If I were looking for a woman, I wouldn’t look any further.”
Her heart hammered. “But you’re not.” She held her breath, hoping he might deny it. Not that she wanted romance
either. Heck, she’d only recently ended a two-year dead affair. And she was committed to making this resort work. She had a lot of work to do to ensure that happened. But still. She wanted him to kiss her. She didn’t know why, but she did.
“No, I’m not.” He swallowed hard, and looked past the pool, out to the dark, choppy sea. “You deserve someone a whole lot better than me.”
She glanced around, as if really looking. “Really? You see anyone better out there?”
A smile lit up his face and made it to his eyes. “You might have to look inland.”
“I’m not looking period. Mom would like to see us girls happily married, but we all have a different agenda right now. I’m sure one day we’ll meet Mr. Right, but we have this business to run, and it’s very important to me. I want to stay here! Then there’s Brittany. She wants to dance with the stars, and Taylor wants to start her own restaurant. So, you see, you’re not the only one who doesn’t want romance. We don’t either.”
Before she knew what was happening, he reached out a hand and pulled her head forward. His face was inches from hers, his mouth a millimeter away.
“What are you doing?’ she asked breathlessly.
“I’m going to kiss you.”
His mouth covered hers before she could think of a proper response, and then she couldn’t think at all. Sean was kissing her. Gently, and then with just a little more pressure, as if he didn’t want to take his mouth away. As if he didn’t want to break this between them anymore than she—as if he didn’t want to be alone and needed her.
Kayla didn’t move. The other couples, her mother and sisters, ceased to exist. She was alone in the twilight hour with a mysterious stranger that touched her in ways she’d never known before. Sure she’d had boyfriends, and been in love once or twice. But this was a different connection. With him she felt a deep compassion, a compelling need to find a way into this man and make him whole. He needed her, whether he knew it or not. And yes, there was a bruised part of her heart that also could use a little tenderness and the love of a good man.
He pulled back and gave her an apologetic smile. “Sorry about that. Don’t know what got into me.” Sean glanced around and saw the amused faces from the other guests. “Guess that will give them something new to talk about this cocktail hour.”
PARADISE COVE - 3 BOOK SET: PARADISE COVE SERIES Page 9
