Captivated in Cancun

by KaLyn Cooper

  Josh could feel Lilly’s tension, practically see her fume, but she managed to control her tone. “First of all, you have no right to call me darling or sweetheart. You lost that privilege when you cheated on our marriage vows. My heart is anything but sweet when it comes to you.”

  That was good news for Josh. No chance she was still stuck on this man, not that it mattered. He wasn’t interested in anything long term, but he didn’t like his women tied to any other man, in any way whether legally or emotionally, while he was...dating them.

  “Dar—” The dickhead on the phone caught himself before he stepped into it deeper. “I’ve moved on and you should, too. I know what we had will be hard for you to replace but trust me, you can find that spark of love again. I did.” Female giggling could be heard over the line followed by what Josh swore was a smacking kiss. “Annabelle and I really want the boys with us when we get married. Mother is bringing Kalista and Dalton with her, so I’ll have all my children here when we become a new family.” More giggling.

  What an ass, was all Josh could think. Lilly rolled her eyes.

  “Sorry, darling, but we have to go. The cruise ship captain is meeting us for a nightcap and you know how expensive these ship-to-shore calls are. Mother will call you and let you know what time to have the boys ready.”

  Josh couldn’t understand the female whispering on the other end of the line. Then the jerk said, “Oh, yes, Annabelle would like them to wear khaki trousers, a brown belt, pink button-down long sleeve shirts and brown loafers.” In an agitated voice, he added, “With socks, for Christ sake. And please do something with Greyson’s hair. I want him to look presentable in the pictures. Annabelle has hairspray in case we need it.” Then the man demanded, “Make sure the boys are ready on time.”

  Okay. Upgrade that to asshole. Lilly must have agreed with Josh’s assessment because the air surrounding her had gone from crackling anger to bursting fireworks.

  “The boys have always been ready on time,” she snapped out.

  Before she could utter her next sentence, he sighed. “Yes, yes. It was you who could never seem to be on schedule. At least I don’t have to worry about that ever again.”

  Josh watched Lilly tamp down the explosion that would have knocked the man on the other end onto his ass if it could have traveled through space and bounced off the satellite to reach the bastard. Hell, it would probably have rocked the whole cruise ship.

  “Lilly. Are you still there?”

  Her eyes were closed as she took in a breath and let it out. Then another. “The boys will be ready when your mother arrives. They’ll be happy to spend some time with their grandmother.” She swiped the red X to disconnect the call.

  She spun away from Josh and with her head down, paced four long strides in one direction. “How dare he?” She deepened the tone of her voice and matched the man’s cadence. “I’ll never have to worry about that again.” She turned. Then took four paces back. Changing back to her normal voice, anger woven through each word, she spouted, “He’s the one who never approved of the dress I would pick out and suggested I might look better in another. Even when he’d picked out the first one.”

  She turned and repeated the four steps. “How I ever let him take that much control of my life, I don’t know. Ugh. Never again.” Turn and repeat. “Never will I let a man have that much control over me.”

  Josh could picture her doing that, talking things out, out loud, with herself, as she worked her way through a tough case, reasoning every point. She was so focused on the phone call she ignored the gentle bounce of her bare breasts with every step.

  Josh didn’t. He couldn’t. She was magnificent.

  To have an open door to her inner thoughts about her ex...Josh wasn’t sure he should listen. He almost interrupted her but then she said, “Hell, what am I talking about?” Lilly threw up her hands and stopped. “I don’t need a man in my life. Well, certainly not forever.” She raised her face to the night sky. For two heartbeats she stared at the stars above.

  Then she lowered her shaking head to the beige bricks and the pacing began again. “Christ, I miss sex, though. But not sex with him.” Four steps then turn. “The man had no imagination and God forbid I suggest something different, like doggy style or female superior—”

  Josh’s brain instantly pictured Lilly on hands and knees in front of him, her smooth round ass up in the air as he drove into her. She wanted to ride him? He could cowboy up for that. And anything else she wanted, too. He could be very creative in the bedroom.

  “Who the hell am I kidding?” Lilly asked of no one as she walked away from Josh. “I’m nearly thirty-five years old, far from the body of a model, or ballerina, my work takes up too much of my time, and I give my boys every free minute I have. There’s no room in my life for a man.”

  He’d had enough of her self-deprecation. Her personal needs and wants aligned perfectly with his. This meant they could return to the moments before the rude interruption and be in total agreement. He’d held those luscious breasts in his hands, tasted her taut nipples. He wanted to continue his exploration of her body, then satisfy them both. Then do it all again.

  Josh moved into her path. Mumbling, head down, Lilly ran straight into his chest...and froze. When she looked up, her eyes were wide, shocked to see him.

  Priceless. And so beautiful with the moon splashing light on her high Mayan cheeks and eyes as dark as the sky above. Those eyes glinted with the reflection of stars.

  “You heard me?” Her voice was quiet.

  “Yes, And your conversation with your ex. Hard to miss since you were in my arms.”

  Lilly dropped her forehead to his shoulder and buried her face. “I’m sorry you had to hear all that.”

  “I’m not. Your ex is an emotionally abusive ass, and you should be happy to be free of him.” Josh picked up her chin and brushed his lips over hers. “But I think you and I are looking for the same thing. I don’t do long term, and you already know I’m temporary.”

  He cupped her bare breast in one hand. Her gaze shot to where he ran his thumb over her nipple. They both watched it harden. He took the other breast in his other hand and repeated the caress with the same result. Her chest rose and fell more rapidly as he rolled the stiff point between his thumb and forefinger, both of them unable to stop staring.

  Josh leaned in, his lips right next to her ear, his hands in constant but slow motion. “Tell me what you want, Lilly. I’m very good at taking orders.”

  Gradually she turned her head so her warm moist lips were right next to his ear. “I want...” There was a long pause before she sighed. “I’m just not sure.” The insecurity in her voice snapped his resolve. He had to respect her wishes and would never force any woman to do anything she didn’t want to do. She wasn’t ready. At least not tonight.

  Josh gently tucked each breast back into her bra then brought his hands to her face. He brushed his thumbs over her freckled cheeks. “A few nights of pleasure...any way you want it...are yours.”

  His lips barely touched hers.

  He stepped far enough away so he wouldn’t be tempted to sweep her up in his arms and carry her to his room to give her every fantasy she'd mentioned and maybe a few more. “You know where I’m sleeping.”

  He did an about face and walked to his room.

  Although it about killed him, he didn’t look back, even when he shut the sliding glass door and pulled the blackout curtains closed.

  He’d walked away from what could have been a wonderful night of fulfilling Lilly’s every fantasy. That would have made it the best day ever in Josh’s entire life.

  But she wasn’t ready for that. She wasn’t ready for him.

  Yet.

  Chapter 7

  Lilly glanced around the empty quad where she’d spent the night.

  She stirred the oatmeal laced with maple sugar and butter in the middle of the bright orange place mat, then sampled less than a teaspoon. Cardboard. Maybe her taste buds hadn’t awak
ened yet. But they would’ve had to sleep in order to wake up. Perhaps they were as exhausted as she.

  Her head still reeled with everything that had happened last night. She’d spent hours mulling over her situation, Brighton, their sons, his new wife and new life. Lilly’s future wove through every thought. By three, she’d vented all her anger and had paced miles around the quad by the light of the moon once the pool lights automatically shut off at midnight.

  She’d finally decided to resume her original path of rebuilding her self-esteem and let life happen. She’d have to deal with he-who-would-not-be-named-once-again until Greyson was eighteen years old, so she’d better get used to his unwanted calls and outrageous demands. Next time she’d handle it better, with a few demands of her own.

  That course resolved, she’d moved on.

  Josh. What the hell was she doing with him? They had just met and she’d allowed the man to strip her...in the quad...where any member of her growing family could have walked in on them. Around four, she’d realized the danger had actually amped her sexual excitement.

  Her ex had adhered to antiquated rules of public displays of affection. He’d touched her back as they entered and exited venues, held her hand occasionally to assist her in and out of a vehicle and rarely kissed her unless they were behind a locked door. He’d held her six inches away as they danced, to slow songs only, and had adamantly refused to go to her cousin Kuk’s night club. For far too many years, she’d stayed away.

  Lilly had loved the way Josh had held her as they’d danced at Mayan Nites. And when she’d lost her usually controlled demeanor over a whale shark, he’d ignored her family and held her to his warm body, rubbing her back. Damn, that had felt wonderful. It had been ages since a man, other than her brothers, had comforted her like that.

  Several times through the night, she’d tried to head to bed, but she couldn’t force herself to the seclusion of her dark, oppressive bedroom. It reminded her too much of her previous life. Thank God that would change today.

  A local charity was scheduled for nine to remove all the furniture, and the painters were expected around noon. Tomorrow, her new bedroom set—a tall, white wicker with a huge oval in the middle of the headboard and matching dressers—would arrive along with the whitewashed coffee table and two matching end tables. The two overstuffed chairs and coordinating love seat she selected for the sitting area, predominantly aqua, blended so well with the picture that would remain in place. A splash of orange in the throw pillows and throughout the entire room was the perfect touch. Zal was a genius.

  What Lilly had thought was a whim the day before in the furniture store, she now realized was her subconscious predicting her future. She’d ordered a beautiful hand-carved desk in white and an ergonomic chair. Sometime in the long night, she’d decided to spend most of the summer in Cancun, telecommuting to work and enjoying her sons.

  Around five o’clock, she’d abandoned the idea of sleep and dressed for her morning yoga practice. Unfortunately, even that hadn’t cleared her mind as usual. Unable to fully concentrate, she’d cut it short.

  After showering, she’d thrown on another sundress and invaded the sanctity of the kitchen in search of much-needed coffee.

  “Querida, I make you an omelet.” Mateo had opened the fridge and started pulling out food. “You still too thin. Men like women with a little meat on their bones.”

  “Not all men,” Lilly countered.

  “Your ex, he not a man. Him a bully.” Mateo laughed and his large belly shook. “He full of mierda de toro.”

  Shocked because the family cook had never sworn in front of her before, she had to agree that he was full of bull shit. “Oh, Mateo, I love you.”

  “Don’t tell my wife,” he stared at her with big eyes. “She’s very jealous woman and the kitchen knives at home are as sharp as the ones I keep here.”

  Lilly corrected her sentence, “Okay then, I love you like an uncle. Usted es la familia.” Mateo was family as far as she was concerned. The man had been in her life for over thirty years.

  “Take the oatmeal to outside dining area, and I’ll bring to you best omelet you ever had. Your momma find you in here, we both pay.” It was his way of forcing her to face the morning.

  Jack, along with Jillian and Addison, appeared from the pool house at the same time her boys arrived in swim trunks and t-shirts.

  “Ready to swim?” Greyson asked Addi as the boys settled on either side of Lilly.

  “Momma says we gotta eat breakfast first and let it set before we swim,” Addison replied. “But then we can play in the pool.” Jack slid the little girl into the high chair and he and Jillian each took a side, passing the coffee pot between them.

  Lilly poured juice for her boys, but Greyson protested. “I don’t like orange juice.” Too tired to argue, she downed the cold citrus and set the empty glass in front of her youngest son.

  “Morning, sis.” Jack gestured to the coffee carafe but Lilly lifted the full cup she’d nabbed from the kitchen. “You’re up early.” He took a good look at her. “You look like shit. What happened?”

  “Please watch your language.” Jillian looked at Lilly. “Rough night? Want me to watch the boys for a little while this morning?”

  Normally, Lilly would have also commented on her brother’s swearing but the slide of the large glass door to his old bedroom stole her attention...and any words she could manage to say.

  Josh stepped into the quad in a custom tailored charcoal suit, expertly cut to mold his broad shoulders and narrow waist. A silver gray dress shirt brought out the gray at his temples and a deep blue tie matched his eyes. He seemed at ease in what might be considered overdressed in this part of the world, but he wore it as the mantle of authority. While Lilly dealt with men in suits every day, she’d never thought of a suit as sexy. Until now.

  “Sorry I’m late.” Josh slid into the empty seat beside Jack, across from Lilly.

  Jack quirked his brow. “I know mother can be a little pompous at times, but here in Cancun we don’t require suits at breakfast,” Jack chided. “We don’t even encourage wearing a suit, ever. What’s up?”

  “This is a working vacation,” Josh replied. “I have to go play nice with the Policía Federal Ministerial, the Mexican version of the FBI. Special Agent Edgar Chel is picking me up in about fifteen minutes. He seemed to know where you lived. Is he another cousin?”

  “Yes.” Jack smiled. “So little Eddie is coming by. I haven’t seen him since the New Year’s Eve party.”

  Mother Girard took her seat at the end if the table. “It’ll be nice to see young Edgar again.”

  “Mother, Ed and I are the same age.” Levi poured her a cup of coffee. “So if he’s young, so am I.”

  “Of course, you’re young,” she insisted. “But you need to work harder on finding a woman and settling down. Your father and I already had four children by the time we were your age.”

  “Let me get my violin.” Levi pretended to play the instrument as he walked to his seat at the other end of the table. “Not going there, Mom, least of all before I’ve had my second cup of coffee.”

  “The right woman is out there,” the elder Girard stated. “You just have to look harder.”

  “I guarantee I’m working hard at trying them all out.” Levi’s smirk wasn’t missed by any adult at the table, including their mother.

  Calita and Mateo arrived carrying large trays full of breakfast plates and began distributing food around the table. The cook removed Lilly’s now-cold, barely touched oatmeal and replaced it with an omelet, stuffed with mouthwatering ham and cheddar cheese oozing from its fold with fresh tomatoes chopped on top, just the way she liked. He gave her boys smaller cheese omelets and silver dollar pancakes with dollops of whipped cream and cherries for eyes and a row of chocolate chips turned up in a smile instead of the toast on her plate.

  “Lilly, are you ill?” her mother asked as she nodded yes to Jack’s unspoken question of a coffee refill. “Should I
call Dr. Stan? He’d come to the house if you don’t want to go to his clinic.”

  Her mother’s maternal gaze bore down on her. She would always be a child to her mother.

  No. Thank. You. Stan was the last man she wanted to see. He’d been her rebound man who turned out to be another cheating doctor, but she had been the other woman. She hated him for his deception. “No need, Mom. I’m fine.” Lilly glanced away then back at her mother and saw the true concern. “I’m just tired. I didn’t sleep well last night.” At all, but she wasn’t going to admit that to anyone.

  Josh stared at her from across the table. His head nodded slightly as though encouraging her to tell her family about the phone call that had her so upset.

  “Brighton called last night—”

  “Dad called?” Preston’s excited tone made Lilly even more irritated with his father, who hadn’t shown the slightest interest in talking with his son during the call. “Why didn’t you wake us up?”

  Lilly took a deep breath and ignored the question. She looked around at each waiting face. When she reached Josh, he gave her a small smile of reassurance.

  She looked at her boys, one on each side of her. “Your father wants you in Cozumel for his wedding. Tomorrow.”

  “Cool,” Greyson exuded enthusiasm. “We get to be in two weddings in one week.”

  Preston didn’t look as thrilled. “That will be nice.” He stuffed a piece of pancake into his mouth.

  Levi burst out. “He expects you to drop everything you’re doing and take the boys over to the island and what...” Anger seethed in every word he snarled. “You’re just supposed to hang out and wait for them?”

  Her mother interrupted, incredulity written all over her face. “He doesn’t expect you at the wedding?”

  “No. No.” Lilly went on to explain the arrangements involving her former mother-in-law flying in. She hoped Betsy Carlisle would call her soon with more details. “But I do need to take the boys into Cancun this morning and buy them...uh hem...” She gave the others at the table a get-this look. “Pink. Long-sleeved. Button-down, collared shirts.”