Not three minutes later he emerged from the bedroom. The moment she saw him wearing the blue-and-tan tropical shirt and khaki shorts, she knew she’d blown it. He had something in his hand and laid it on the bar in front of her. It was her airline ticket.
“The concierge should be able to help you get the next flight.” Emotionless words and a shuttered face, and then he gave her a reluctant smile, full of weariness, disappointment and resignation. “Have a safe trip.”
When he kissed her lightly on the cheek, he might as well have slapped her.
NORMALLY TONY APPRECIATED reggae music. Not now. Half the tables were taken, couples mostly, talking and laughing, some of them too loud. He wished the band would disappear and everyone would shut up. Though he was the idiot who had chosen a bar for him to wallow in misery. He could’ve walked the beach. But it was drizzling and he didn’t feel like getting wet again.
Hell.
He probably couldn’t splash his face again without thinking of Dakota. Naked. Water streaming down her incredible body. Her perfect pink nipples glistening with moisture. Hell, all he’d have to do was picture her in her office, behind her big important desk, doing whatever important things she did. That would cool him off real quick.
“You want another one of those?” the stocky bartender asked.
“Sure, why not?” Tony pushed the empty bottle toward him, and squinted at his name tag. Edward. He liked calling people by name and normally would have learned the bartender’s name right off the bat. But a certain pain-in-the-ass woman had him in a tailspin.
“Thanks.” Tony brought the new bottle to his lips.
“Sure you don’t want a mug.” Edward wiped his hands on the yellow towel he kept thrown over his shoulder. “I keep ’em nice and frosty.”
“No, thank you.” Tony snorted, and then muttered, “I left something pretty frosty upstairs.”
The bartender chuckled, his black eyes sparkling as he leaned his short beefy forearms on the bar. “You have a problem, you talk to Uncle Eddie. He’s heard everything.”
“Me? Nah. No problem at all.” This time he took a long drink of beer and then reached for a handful of pretzels from a wooden bowl sitting on the polished mahogany bar.
“You like nuts?” Eddie asked in a whisper. “I save them for my favorite customers.” He brought out another bowl, this one with peanuts and cashews. After setting it in front of Tony, Eddie helped himself to some. “You don’t look so good, buddy. You sure you don’t wanna talk.”
“That customer is trying to get your attention.” Tony motioned with his chin toward the balding guy wearing a loud Hawaiian shirt and holding up an empty glass.
“Be right back.” Eddie grabbed another handful of nuts and moved to the other end of the bar.
Tony hoped he’d stay there. Eddie seemed like a nice enough guy, but sometimes—times like these especially—a person just wanted to be left alone. Amen. The guy was slick, bringing out the nuts, giving Tony that favorite customer crap. He didn’t blame Eddie, bucking for a good tip. And Tony would give him one, if he left Tony the hell alone.
Chuckling, Tony took another pull of beer and then stared at his wet napkin.
His stomach growled and he went for the nuts. Tilting his head back, he dropped some into his mouth through an opening from his fist. Nice and salty. He dropped in a few more. No use saving room for lunch. Or dinner. After Dakota left, he’d probably fly back, too.
Damn her.
He sighed. Why’d she have to go and ruin the weekend? Everything was going so well, and then pow! He’d felt as if she’d hit him with a two-by-four upside the head.
To be fair, she was right about having been at a disadvantage last night. Dallas shouldn’t have waited until Dakota had had so much to drink before she explained about the honeymoon decoy thing. And maybe when he’d seen how out of it she was, he shouldn’t have let her get on the plane.
Still, none of that mattered. What she’d brought up in that annoying lawyer tone of hers had nothing to do with today. Or tomorrow. She was worried about what might happen when they got back. Like maybe he wasn’t good enough to socialize with. That stung.
“Hi.”
At the soft feminine voice he looked up, his heart thudding. He knew it wasn’t Dakota’s slightly husky timbre, so why the disappointment?
“This seat taken?” This unfamiliar woman was blond, petite and young. Real young. Like someone-should-card-her young.
“It’s all yours.”
She hiked a hip onto the bar stool beside him and then wriggled her way against the rattan back. Her already short dress rode up alarmingly high, which didn’t seem to bother her.
“My name is Celine.” She put out her hand. “Like the singer.” She had one of those soft limp handshakes that he despised. But she was young. Maybe she’d learn that if you offer your hand you should act as if you mean it.
“My name’s Tony. Like the tiger.”
She giggled. Not the sexy throaty kind of giggle Dakota made in the surf. But an annoying girlish sound.
“Did you just make that up?” she asked.
“All by myself.”
“Celine, your usual?” Eddie called to her from the other end of the bar.
She nodded and cocked her head toward Tony. “Give him one, too.”
Tony held up a hand. “Nope. I’ve had enough, thanks.”
“Oh.” She sighed, her lips forming a disappointed pout. “Are you on vacation?”
“Sort of.” Small talk wasn’t his thing but he didn’t want to be rude. “You?”
“Sort of.” She grinned and then picked up the fruity-looking umbrella drink Eddie set down for her. “Although I practically live here. On the island, not the hotel.”
“What is that?”
“A piña colada.” She removed the pineapple wedge from the rim. “Want some?”
He glanced at Eddie, but he’d already moved on to another customer. Tony frowned at her. “Are you old enough to be drinking that?”
She giggled again, and he made a mental note not to encourage that sound anymore. Not that he’d said anything funny.
“I’m twenty-two,” she said, leaning toward him far enough to show some lethal cleavage. “Totally legal.”
“When did you get in, Celine?” Eddie joined them, taking the towel from over his shoulder and wiping down the area around their drinks.
“This morning. Daddy wanted to dock by yesterday afternoon but one of the deck hands got sick, and then we got caught in that rainstorm.”
“You ought to show him your yacht,” he said to her, and winked at Tony when she wasn’t looking.
“Sure.” She perked up. “Would you like to come see it?”
“Uh, well—”
Something brushed his right shoulder. He turned to find Dakota sliding into the bar stool on the other side of him.
“Hey.” She had on a strappy red sundress, low cut, short and tight.
“Hey,” he said back. “You’re still here.”
She nodded, and in a low voice asked, “Is that okay with you?”
He shrugged. “Not my call.”
“Are you staying?”
“I don’t know yet.”
She sighed. “I know you’re angry and I don’t blame you.” She moistened her lips. “I was wrong.”
Eddie showed up. “Good afternoon, pretty lady, what can I get you?”
“I, um, I—” Her eyes filled with uncertainty, she looked at Tony and then darted a look at Celine.
“She’ll have a white wine. Chardonnay,” he added, by way of telling her she was welcome to stay.
“Thank you.”
Tony really didn’t want to stick around and talk here, but he didn’t want to scare her off either. Better to scare off the other two. He turned back to Celine and smiled. “Excuse us. We’re on our honeymoon.”
The young woman’s brows shot up. “Oh, sorry. I didn’t know.”
“No problem. You didn’t do anything wron
g.” He couldn’t wait to get a look at Dakota’s face. Probably sitting there all prickly over his lying about the honeymoon part. Tough.
He slid her a look. Surprisingly, a smile tugged at her lips.
“Did you say you guys are on your honeymoon?” Eddie set down the chardonnay in front of Dakota. “For my favorite customers I have some very special champagne.”
Dakota winced. “Um, thanks, but I think I’ll have to pass on that. Too much at the wedding last night.”
“Yeah, she had way too much. Dancing on the tables, the whole bit. I had to step in when she started to strip.”
Everyone laughed, even the couple sitting at a nearby table.
She glared at him. “I did not.”
“That’s okay, honey.” He squeezed her hand. “I know you don’t remember and I shouldn’t have brought it up.”
She glanced around. “He’s lying.”
“She’s right.” Tony nodded condescendingly. “Yeah, I made it up.”
Eddie gave him a you’re-asking-for-it look, and shaking his head, ambled toward the other end of the bar.
Dakota’s mouth tightened and then her lips slowly curved in a forced smile. “Okay, I guess I deserved that,” she said softly.
Tony scoffed. “First of all, I wasn’t taking jabs at you. Going for payback. I wouldn’t do something that juvenile. Secondly, you need to lighten up. I was teasing. Couldn’t you tell?”
“This was a mistake. You’re hurt and angry and I should—”
He caught her hand before she got all the way off the stool. “I’m not hurt! Why would I be hurt? What irritated me was you’re acting like a damn lawyer.”
“I am a lawyer.”
“Not upstairs in that bedroom you aren’t.”
She blushed and glanced to her left.
He was certain no one heard. He’d been careful to speak softly.
“Well, it was nice meeting you, Tony,” Celine said from behind him. He’d forgotten about her sitting there.
“Same here.”
“I’ve gotta go find my father.” She smiled at Dakota. “Maybe I’ll see you guys around.”
After she was out of earshot, Dakota’s gaze followed her. “Is she old enough to be in here?”
“Her?” He shrugged casually. “Sure.”
“She looks so young.”
“The older you get, the younger they start looking.”
She turned to him with one brow lifted. “I get it. You’re teasing, right? Ha. Ha.”
“Don’t be so touchy.”
“I’m not,” she said with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Now if I were over thirty I might be a little sensitive.”
“I wouldn’t know.” Close to thirty-four, he hadn’t grown up yet so it didn’t count.
“Right.” She sipped her wine, and then picked a cashew out of the bowl.
“Hey, you have to ask me for those. I got them because I’m a special customer. Just ask Eddie.”
“May I?”
She gave him such an oddly affectionate smile he got the sinking feeling he was about to get the let’s be friends speech. “Knock yourself out.”
He waited but she just scooped up a couple more nuts and put them in her mouth one at a time and chewed. Something he totally didn’t get. How could anyone eat one nut at a time? “How old are you?”
She looked startled. “Where did that come from?”
“We were talking about age. It’s not a stretch.”
“I’m twenty-eight.”
He let out a low whistle.
“What? Too old for you?” She glanced at Celine’s vacated seat. “I notice you like them pretty young.”
“Yeah, like twenty-eight is so old. I thought you were older.”
Her eyes widened.
“Not because you look it. I did the math. College, law school, successful career, looking to be a judge already. All at twenty-eight. Pretty ambitious.”
“To become a judge you have to look ahead and map out your career.”
“Don’t get defensive. I’m not criticizing you. Everyone should be able to live how they want.”
She looked at him for a long moment, a sad smile on her lips as she switched her gaze to the napkin under her glass.
He couldn’t help himself, he had to ask. “What?”
She sighed. “Some people think my parents have pushed me into a law career, that it’s my father’s ambition I become a judge and not mine. I think maybe even Dallas believes that. But it’s not true. I loved law school. I loved learning so much about our justice system.” She laughed. “I don’t always appreciate the way it works. But I love it. I can’t explain it.”
“You don’t have to. Not to me. I get it. I love what I do. I love working with my hands.” He decided he wanted another beer after all and signaled for Eddie. “I just don’t like working as many hours as you do.”
“I don’t always like it.” She shook her head, a wistful expression on her face. “I have to. Having a father that’s a prominent judge isn’t easy. It doesn’t mean I’ll get a break. It means I’d better really measure up.”
Eddie brought Tony’s beer and while Dakota asked the bartender about one of the tropical drinks he’d prepared for someone else, Tony stared thoughtfully at her profile. He’d thought he understood, but he hadn’t. Until now. Dakota had to work twice as hard—Being a Shea took its toll.
9
DAKOTA CHOSE a pretty pink fruity drink, minus the alcohol. Drinking hard liquor after wine was a bad idea. Besides, she had plans for tonight. Big plans that could hopefully last all night. And she needed her strength.
She felt the weight of Tony’s stare, and purposely crossed one leg over the other, her red toenails peeking out of the sandals and pointing at him. That got his immediate attention. Thank goodness men were so easy.
“Have you eaten yet?” she asked, swinging her calf a little, watching him reluctantly drag his gaze away.
“Uh, no. Just pretzels and nuts.”
“Would you like to have dinner with me?” The lack of a quick response made her stomach tighten. Her confidence vanished. Had she totally blown it? Here was this great guy who’d wanted nothing from her but a consensual weekend of fun.
Earlier, when she’d gotten on her high horse and started dictating terms, he could have gone along, agreed to anything just to get to the sex. But he’d stood up for his principles. He wasn’t like so many of those guys in college and law school who couldn’t see past her looks.
She cringed just thinking about how she must have sounded. As if he were only good enough for a weekend fling. But not good enough to be in her life. That he could never fit into her world. The sad part was, to her utter shame, the thought had crossed her mind. Not that he wasn’t good enough, but that she’d be burdened trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. And that her career might suffer.
Revisiting the thought shamed her all over again. When had she become so damn arrogant? Tony was too full of fun and life and self-confidence. He wouldn’t even be interested in her narrow, pathetic world. “I guess I should have asked if you’re planning on staying,” she said finally.
“I doubt I could get a flight out at this point.”
“Oh.”
“Not that I would.” He smiled and winked. “I’d have to be crazy to give up our honeymoon.”
Hope fluttered in her chest. “May I assume I’m forgiven?”
He gave her a heart-melting look and then leaned forward to kiss her briefly. “I’m glad you stayed.”
“Me, too.”
“No more talk about later. One day at a time. Okay?”
“Agreed.”
“Now, about dinner?”
“There are three potential restaurants; casual, fancy and one with Indonesian food. You choose.”
“Indonesian?”
She shrugged. “Go figure.”
“There is another possibility.” He picked up her hand and kissed the back, his eyes dark with meaning. “We could h
ave room service.”
“Even better. Good plan.” She moved her leg so that her foot touched his calf, and then ran her big toe up as far as she could. “I like it.”
His dark brows went up. “Except it’s too early for dinner.”
“True. Any ideas?”
He smiled. “One.”
THE ELEVATOR DOORS OPENED and Tony let out a low growl. “Damn it.”
“What?” She looked to see what had gotten him upset. One side of the double doors to their suite was open and parked in front of them was the maid’s cart. “Oh. No way.”
He held the elevator doors open and then followed her out to the corridor. “Maybe she’s almost done. If not we’ll kick her out.”
“Nice.”
“Would you like to invite her to stay for tea?”
She jabbed him with an elbow to the ribs, and he grunted. “Wise guys don’t get laid,” she whispered.
He laughed loud enough for the maid to hear and stick her head out.
A big smile lit her round brown face. “Come, come. I make ready.” She motioned with her plump hand and then pushed the cart to give them room to squeeze by.
Dakota took the lead into the parlor. Something in the dining room caught her eye. On the table was a huge bouquet of red roses, white carnations and baby’s breath sitting next to a silver bucket holding a bottle of champagne. Chocolates and petit fours arranged on a white lace doily topped a rattan tray.
“Wow, look.”
Tony came up behind her and put a hand at the small of her back left bare by the sundress. She could feel his touch all the way to her thighs. She turned her face toward his and his gaze dropped to her mouth.
“Excuse me.” Dressed in a crisp black-and-white uniform, the maid hurried by with folded cream-coloured towels, and headed for the bathroom.
Tony sighed, and then went straight for the chocolates.
“Is there a card?” Dakota asked.
“Screw the card. Check this out. White-chocolate covered macadamia nuts, English toffee, almond clusters…Oh, baby.”
“You like chocolate. Just a wild guess.” She plucked the small white envelope from the bouquet of flowers.
“Not to would be un-American.”
“I thought that was mom and apple pie.”
The Honeymoon That Wasn't Page 9
