Love to Believe: Fireflies ~ Book 2

by Lisa Ricard Claro

  “She’s a beauty, sir.” The young man eyed the vehicle like it was Marilyn Monroe come to life. “We’ll take good care of her.”

  They checked in and went straight to their room, a full suite on the upper floor with a separate sitting area and a bathroom done in creamy marble with a whirlpool tub and double-headed clear-glass shower. The balcony, accessible through French doors from both the sitting room and the bedroom, faced the beach. A bistro table and two chairs invited sitting to enjoy the view. The plush rooms were decorated in soothing shades of sea-foam green, teal blues and muted grays, and the heavy four-poster bed with its cushy mattress and down coverings promised comfort. A basket of fruit and cheese sat alongside a bottle of Riesling on the sofa table in the sitting area with an embossed white card that read, “Welcome, and thank you for sharing our big day! Love Andrea and Josh.”

  Rebecca stepped onto the balcony to enjoy the fresh air and the view, and leaned back against Sean when he stepped behind her, sliding his arms around her waist and resting his cheek against her head. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the warmth from his body, reveled in the cool breeze and the tangy scent of salt air, and thought there was nowhere on Earth she’d rather be than here with him in that moment.

  No strings, no drama, no questions. Just goodbye.

  She ignored the whisper of words and turned her head just enough to meet Sean’s mouth with hers. Warm, soft, his lips moved to her cheek, her temple. He kissed her closed eyes, a brush of silk, and returned to her mouth with gentle purpose. And when he led her inside, she followed her heart.

  ***

  “Omigod! Rebecca Walker, right?”

  Rebecca turned toward the voice and broke into a smile. She accepted the embrace of a chubby woman with highlighted blonde hair whose face and blue eyes she recalled in detail but whose name she did not.

  “Look at you! You always did rock a little black dress, right? So good to see you! And how about this dinner buffet. What a fancy spread. This is amazing, right?” The woman held Rebecca at arm’s length and shook her head. “You haven’t aged a day. Still gorgeous. All that martial arts stuff, keeping you fit.” She frowned and her eyes radiated sympathy. “And who could blame you, after that horrible experience? Never again, right? You were so brave.” She nodded and brightened her expression again. “And who is this handsome guy? Is this your husband? Hi there!” She grabbed Sean’s hand with an enthusiastic shake. “I’m Dana Spraynor.” She smiled at Rebecca. “Kept my maiden name. How about you? Did you take your husband’s name or keep your own? These days you never know, right?”

  “Dana,” Rebecca smiled, relieved when the name brought forth memories. She turned to Sean. “Dana and I had a physics class together. We were study buddies one semester. Actually, Dana, Sean isn’t my—”

  “Hey, have you seen Andrea yet? I’ve hunted all over the place but haven’t found her. I guess everyone wants to give her a hug, right?” Dana swiveled her head. “Listen, Becca, find me later and we’ll catch up, okay? Great to see you again, and nice to meet you.” She winked at Rebecca and whispered, “Good job! He’s a hottie!”

  Over the next thirty minutes the banquet hall filled, and Rebecca struggled to recall names and faces. As people trickled in they gravitated toward those they recognized, and it wasn’t long before small groups formed. Waiters meandered about the room offering flutes of pink and white champagne from silver trays. Rebecca declined. Champagne gave her a headache, and she didn’t want anything to mar the evening.

  Sean touched her elbow, said, “Be right back,” and disappeared into the crowd. She watched him go and caught one of her sorority sisters, a dark-eyed Latina named Alanza, watching her with a smirk.

  “What?” Rebecca asked.

  “You’re looking at him like he’s prime rib,” Alanza said.

  Yvonne, another sorority sister, nudged Alanza with her elbow. “Well, he kind of is, don’t you think?” She tugged on a dangling earring the size of a golf ball. “Where’d you find him, Becca? He’s gorgeous, girl, like movie-star handsome.”

  Rebecca smiled. “Yeah, he is, but I’m not going to tell him you said that. He’s confident enough without all the reinforcement.”

  “So where did you meet?”

  “My brother introduced us.”

  “Nice brother.” Yvonne tugged on her earring again.

  “Stop that.” Alanza made a face and smacked Yvonne’s hand. “That disco ball you’re wearing looks like it’s going to rip right through your earlobe.”

  Yvonne released the earring as her eyes lit on Rebecca with speculation. “Hey, wait, I remember your brother. Great big guy, good-looking. I don’t suppose he’s—”

  “Single? No. He’s getting married in June.”

  Alanza rolled her eyes. “Ever since her divorce Yvonne’s been a bit of a man eater. She cut off all that long hair, bleached her new crop, and joined a gym. Watch your handsome man around her. She’s not to be trusted.”

  Yvonne blanched. “Well, I like that.” She fingered her earring again and made a face at Alanza. “You’re lucky I like you or I’d have to tell all about that weekend in Destin—”

  “Play nice,” Alanza said. She smiled at Rebecca. “I better quit picking on her or she’ll blab all my secrets.”

  Sean wended his way toward Rebecca with two martini glasses. She widened her eyes in delight and he responded with a smile. “Grey Goose, dirty, extra olives.”

  “Good memory, Counselor. Thanks.”

  “I remember everything about you.” His voice whispered warm and husky in her ear.

  Her eyes widened and he grinned.

  “Yeah, yeah,” she said, flushed with warmth. “Point to Kinkaid. I’ll get you back.”

  Dinner commenced upon arrival of the soon-to-be-married couple and, at the end of the meal, Andrea and Josh made the rounds to each table, meeting and greeting and chatting with their guests. When Andrea spotted Rebecca, she squealed like a little girl and dragged Rebecca from her seat for a swaying hug.

  “We need some major alone time before this weekend is over,” Andrea said. “God, I miss you. You need to come up to New York to visit. Hey, see that guy standing next to my mother? That’s Josh’s best man. If I didn’t have five sisters, you would’ve been my maid of honor and you’d already have met him, but no worries. I’ll fix you up. You’ll like him, I promise.”

  “Actually, I’m not flying solo.” Rebecca proceeded with introductions, glad that Sean provided a buffer.

  “Oh, Lord, Becca,” Andrea whispered before moving on to the next table. “He’s yummy times a thousand. I want details, and lots of them. I can’t believe you didn’t clue me in about him.”

  Rebecca nodded and ramped up her smile for Josh who followed along after his bride-to-be like an obedient pup. After Andrea and Josh moved on, Rebecca murmured to Sean, “Thank you for coming with me. You just saved me from an awkward fix up.”

  “Just remember that you owe me, next wedding I have to go to.”

  “Deal.”

  “Feel like hitting the bar?” The question came from Alanza. “My husband went ahead to see if he can score us a table, and Yvonne is already headed that way.”

  Sean deferred to Rebecca who shrugged. “Sure, why not? Let’s get a nightcap.”

  “Are you two part of the group going horseback riding tomorrow?” Alanza asked as they walked. “I’m asking, because Yvonne and I are hitting the spa instead, if you’re interested. No offense, Sean, but no men allowed. It’s a girls’ thing.” Her countenance brightened as they stepped into the bar, and she waved at her husband, Phil, a baldheaded man with a beaky nose who looked uncomfortable standing with Yvonne. They had scored a high-top table and three stools, and Phil’s shoulders sagged with relief when Alanza approached, leaving Rebecca to wonder if Yvonne the man-eater had tried to poach.

  The ladies slid onto the stools and a harried barmaid slowed to take their drink order. Phil grumbled about the stool shortage, but the room overflowed
with people and Rebecca thought they had done well to secure a table at all.

  “So I told Becca and Sean about our spa plans tomorrow,” Alanza announced after their drinks had arrived.

  “Yeah,” Yvonne said. “Little chica here doesn’t like horses. We thought the spa would be a good alternative.”

  “I’m hitting golf balls tomorrow morning.” Phil directed his comment to Sean. “You’re welcome to join me.”

  “Sounds good, thanks. I’ll do that.”

  Rebecca swiveled her stool to look at Sean. “Really? You golf?”

  “Of course I golf. It’s good for business.”

  “Many a client is won on the golf course,” Phil said, nodding his head. The dim light reflected off his shiny pate. “Many a client, indeed. You ever make it to Augusta for the Masters, Sean?”

  “A few times, yes.”

  Unsure why the thought of Sean playing golf amused her, Rebecca listened to him chat about the sport with Phil. She glanced over Sean’s shoulder, her attention drawn to two women entering the bar, one blonde and one brunette. She classified the longhaired blonde as attractive in a red silk jumpsuit, designer unknown, but the other woman—she was stunning. Diamonds winked from her ears and her sleek bob framed a face remarkable for its high cheekbones and eyes tawny as a tiger’s. She held her purse with one hand and toyed with a long string of pearls with her other. Her eyes roamed the bar, looking for a place to sit, no doubt. Rebecca read her demeanor as disappointed and annoyed—until those exotic eyes landed on Sean and widened by a significant margin. Her generous mouth fell open and she stopped toying with the pearls while she stood transfixed. Her companion in the jumpsuit said something and strode off, but Tiger Eyes either didn’t hear or ignored her. She took a step forward, and then another—on Louboutins, no less, that made her legs look so well-sculpted Michelangelo would take notice—until she halted within a few feet of the table where Rebecca sat watching her progress.

  “Sean?” Her voice matched her looks, refined and elegant, though tremulous. Her translucent skin had paled and those killer cheekbones accentuated the fine structure of her face with razor sharpness.

  Rebecca cut her eyes to Sean, who for once couldn’t mask his emotions. If his dead brother, Jack, had been the one to say his name, Rebecca thought he couldn’t have looked more shocked.

  “Lindsay.” He said her name before he turned around, but by the time he faced her he had schooled his expression and set his lawyer face into place.

  Lindsay and Sean stared at each other for a brief moment. Lindsay’s face became radiant with a high-wattage smile, those cheekbones flooded with color, and she flung herself into Sean’s arms.

  “Sean.” She said his name like a prayer and her arms tightened around his neck. “I thought I’d never see you again.” She pressed her face into his neck and breathed deep. Rebecca couldn’t blame her for that. The man smelled like heaven.

  Sean returned her hug, then took her by the shoulders to shift her back and look into her eyes. Her smile never faded and she shook her head as if to clear the cobwebs.

  “God, look at you.” She brought her hands up to adjust the collar of his shirt, the knot in his tie, and then she rested her palms flat over his chest, a series of fluid movements performed with grace and accepted with such nonchalance that it was obvious the woman had executed the task for him a thousand times before. Rebecca gulped down her jealousy. “Still rocking Tom Ford, I see. I never could get you to jump to Armani.”

  Sean’s lips curved in a smile, but his expression remained inscrutable. He tucked his hands in his pockets and stepped back. Lindsay sighed and her hands dropped to her sides.

  “What brings you so far South, Linds?”

  “My boss’s son, Josh, is getting married and I scored an invite. What about you?”

  “I’m here as a plus-one, same wedding.” Sean held his hand out to Rebecca. She slid her hand into his and stood, glad to be at eye level with Lindsay rather than looking up. Sean flashed a reassuring smile at Rebecca and squeezed her hand. “Rebecca Walker, meet Lindsay—” He cut himself off and met Lindsay’s gaze. “Sorry. I don’t recall your married name.”

  The hesitation lasted less than a second, but the air sizzled with…what? Lindsay recovered. “Tannen. Lindsay Tannen.” She held her hand out to Rebecca. “Nice to meet you. Are you here for Josh or Andrea?”

  “Andrea. We were college roommates.”

  “I’ve only met her once, but she’s very lovely.” Lindsay’s smile looked forced, and she dismissed Rebecca the moment the words left her mouth. “Sean, if you can find a few minutes,” she said, tucking her sleek hair behind her ears, “maybe we can have a private conversation.”

  “It’s late.”

  “Tomorrow, then.”

  “The day’s full. But it was good to see you, Lindsay. Give my best to your husband.”

  “I’m here alone, Sean.”

  Rebecca raised a brow and bristled.

  Sean squeezed Rebecca’s hand again. “Goodnight, Lindsay.”

  “Sean—”

  “Lindsay, I found us a table!” Lindsay’s friend called from several tables over, waved, and then made a come-on gesture with her fingers. “Sorry to be rude, but I don’t want to lose our spot.” She raised her voice to be heard over the din.

  “I’ll find you tomorrow,” Lindsay said to Sean before she walked off, her eyes dark and serious.

  Sean’s gaze met Rebecca’s and held. “Well, that was unexpected and uncomfortable. I’m sorry for the intrusion from my past.”

  This time she squeezed his hand. “It’s a relief to know you have one, sort of a Chocolate Man Unmasked moment.”

  Sean tugged her closer to murmur in her ear. “You’re giving me ideas, Xena.”

  Rebecca aimed to keep him smiling. “You know I can’t wear anything under this dress, right?”

  “You—what?”

  He drew away to look at her, and she tossed her head back to laugh, eyes sparkling.

  “Okay, that point’s to you, so we’re even. You always get me with the ‘going commando’ remarks. But I feel compelled to tell you that, ever since that night at Chez Eloise, I’ve fantasized about a million different ways to peel you out of that little black dress. You interested in helping me realize at least one of them?”

  “Let’s get out of here.” She grabbed her purse off the table. “Ladies, I’ll see you tomorrow morning at the spa. Phil, it was great to meet you.”

  “Eight o’clock tee time, right?” Sean said to Phil, who stood up to shake hands, nodding.

  “So, about Lindsay. You want to talk about it?” Rebecca asked when they stepped into the empty elevator.

  “No.”

  “I’m a pretty good listener.”

  “There isn’t anything to talk about. Lindsay and I were together and then we weren’t.” He shrugged. “End of story.”

  “No strings, no drama, no questions. I get it. If you don’t want to give details, that’s fine.”

  “The only detail I’m interested in is whether or not that dress has buttons or a zipper.”

  “Look, I’m not trying to pry. I just thought if you wanted to talk—”

  “I don’t.”

  The elevator pinged and the doors opened to their floor. In the suite, Rebecca kicked off her heels and tossed her purse on the sofa table. Sean removed his jacket and tie and went out to the balcony, hands in his pockets, staring at the moonlit Atlantic while the enthusiastic sea breeze ruffled his hair. Rebecca grabbed his discarded jacket, slid her arms through the still warm sleeves and wrapped it around her before joining him outside.

  She shivered in the cold but wrapped her arms around him from behind, as he had done with her earlier in the day, and breathed in the comingling scent of the sea and Sean. Her heart pounded against his back and she closed her eyes, buffered by his body from the wind. When he spoke, the vibration delivered a soft rumbling against her cheek, and she had to shift her position to catch his wor
ds above the wind and surf.

  “Lindsay and I dated in law school and ended up working at the same firm in Manhattan, got an apartment together, and eventually got engaged. Then things changed.” He turned around to face her but kept her close, and used his hands to hold her freewheeling curls back against the gusting wind. “We grew to want different things and it ended. That’s it.”

  “That’s some significant editing, Counselor.”

  “Nothing wrong with the redacted version. You get the gist.”

  “Sean, you almost married her. That’s a pretty big deal.”

  “It would be a big deal if it had happened. It didn’t.”

  “How long were you together?”

  “Five years, give or take.”

  Five years? Half a freaking decade? “Is she the reason you prefer arrangements over relationships?”

  “No.”

  “Are you still in love with her?” The question blurted out before she could stop it. Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid. She’d shown her vulnerability and made herself sound needy, and she detested being either.

  Man up.

  She patted Sean’s chest with her hands and stepped away from him. “You know what? I’m sorry I asked. That is absolutely not my business. We’re alone in a hotel room and I, for one, don’t want a third person sharing the space with us. I apologize for inviting her in after you tried to leave her out. C’mon.” She took his hand and tugged him, unresisting, into the room, and closed the French doors against the night air. “Have you seen that tub? Jetted and big enough for two. Let’s turn on the hot water, pour some wine, and get naked. What do you say, Chocolate Man?”

  Sean regarded her for a moment, those gorgeous eyes midnight blue in the lambent light and as inscrutable as deep space. The rules of their arrangement played in her mind, and Rebecca sweated the seconds, hoping she hadn’t gone too far, and that she had self-corrected before screwing things up.

  “I’d rather not,” he said.

  Her heart plummeted. Chest tight, she nodded and began to turn away. She still wore Sean’s jacket. He grabbed the lapels and drew her close, his mouth a heartbeat away from hers. “First we have the matter of indulging my get-you-out-of-that-little-black-dress fantasy.” He slid his jacket off her shoulders and tossed it on the bed.