Delicious Do-Over (9 page)

She’d worn her bikini under her thigh-length gauzy cover-up, though she had no intention of getting in the pool. It was close to three, the sun was weaker and she hoped to get about thirty minutes of sunbathing on each side. She left the elevator, stopped briefly to check her legs. To her delight the self-bronzing lotion looked as if it had worked a bit.

The pool area wasn’t too crowded. A few kids paddled around in the water, and mostly couples sat on the deck or at the outdoor bar. It took her a few seconds to locate Rick. He’d claimed a pair of chaise lounges in a semi-shady alcove near one of the two big rock waterfalls. She had to smile. Leave it to him to find the most private spot available.

He signaled that he’d already picked up beach towels from the hotel attendant, and she skirted the shallow end of the enormous pool to join him. His hair was slicked back, he wore sunglasses, red swim trunks and, darn it, a brown shirt. As soon as she reached him, he stood, and she got the same silly flutter inside that seemed to kick in whenever he got close.

She also realized his hair wasn’t slicked back, but rather tied into a short ponytail. Funny, she’d thought she hated ponytails on men.

“Hmm, you smell good…vanilla,” he said near her ear, and kissed her as if he hadn’t seen her just two hours ago.

She pulled away. “Down, boy. We’ve got kiddies watching us,” she said, only half-teasing, the imprint of his lips making her want more.

“Lucky for you,” he murmured, one side of his mouth inching up. “This spot okay?”

“Perfect.” She moved the chaise so that only her legs would be exposed to the sun while her upper body and face would be in shade. She dropped her bag onto the deck, then sprawled out on the beach towel he’d spread on the chair for her.

Chuckling, Rick scooted his lounger closer.

“What?”

He trailed the back of his fingers up the outside of her thigh until they disappeared under the cover-up. “You gonna let me see that bikini you’re wearing?”

The featherlike touch made her tingly. “Are you gonna let me see what’s under that shirt?”

He let out a hearty laugh. “No problem, sweetheart.” He grabbed the neckline, remembered at the last second to take off his sunglasses and then jerked the T-shirt over his head. “Your turn.”

A four-letter word Lindsey had never said in her life, never even considered allowing to pass her lips, popped into her head. She tried not to stare. She tried to breathe. The reaction her flushed body was having to his chest and flat, muscle-ridged stomach astounded her. These were six-pack abs. She totally got it now. Holy crap.

“Lindsey?”

She forced herself to take a breath. “Yeah.”

“Hey.”

She lifted her gaze. No, she hadn’t done the lifting after all. She’d had help. His fingers were hooked under her chin, and he slowly forced her to meet his eyes.

“Take that off,” he said, his hazel gaze dark and sexy, indicating the cover-up. “Now.”

She didn’t bother with the buttons. She yanked up the hem, pulled the gauzy fabric over her head. And forgot about the sunglasses sitting on top of her head. She sensed them flying through the air, and then heard them bounce on the stone deck.

With a rueful smile, Rick pushed off the chaise and retrieved them for her. “They look okay,” he said, reclaiming his seat and examining the lenses. “Not even a scratch.” He passed them to her, his gaze flickering to her breasts.

“Thanks.” The turquoise-and-white bikini was a tad skimpier than she might have chosen had it not been on sale.

His gaze roamed her chest, thoroughly surveyed her belly and hips, drew down her legs and then returned to linger on the swell of her breasts before he slid his dark glasses back on.

She couldn’t be annoyed. Not after the way she’d ogled him. She watched him toss his shirt over the back of his chair. And noticed a long brown leather strip fall onto the deck. She bent to pick it up. “Is this yours?”

He shook out his tousled hair, combed it back with his fingers and then used the strip to redo his ponytail.

With his arms raised, every muscle in his chest, shoulders, arms and belly clearly defined, her mouth went so dry she could barely swallow. She forced herself to lie back, keep her focus on the kids splashing around in the pool, until she saw him fiddle with the back of his lounger.

That’s when she saw the tattoo. It was small, high on his upper arm, some kind of squiggly design. She squinted, but couldn’t make it out. Rick hadn’t seemed the type. “You have a tattoo.”

“Yep.” He glanced wryly at his arm. “The one on my back was on purpose.”

She hadn’t seen it. Not even when he picked up her sunglasses, so it couldn’t be too big and awful. She was about to ask him about it when her phone rang. It was Shelby. Lindsey thought briefly about letting the call go to voice mail, or hold out for a text, but Rick knew she’d been waiting to talk to them about tonight and he was eyeing her with curiosity.

She answered, wishing it were Mia on the other end. Shelby would have a dozen questions, and she’d be merciless. Normally, it wasn’t a problem. Lindsey had little to hide. But she wanted Rick to herself for as long as she could have him. Selfish, yes, but this was her magical week, and she gave herself permission to be as selfish as she wanted.

“I have a confession to make,” she said, and he brought his head up. “On my way down here I remembered that my friends and I had planned a dinner tonight.”

“Ah. Good thing I have a room.” He didn’t seem mad, or even disappointed. Which scored him major points. A lot of guys she knew would be sulking.

“The reason I didn’t bring it up to them is because I honestly hoped they’d forgotten all about it.”

He smiled. “Not because of me…”

“Totally because of you.” She laughed softly. “I’m going to see them for the rest of my life. I only get to be with you for a week.” She sighed when he reached over and closed a hand over hers. “Anyway, the dinner isn’t a big deal. Our birthdays are three months in a row, and we’ve always made it a point to do a joint celebration once a year since we were living in different cities.”

“When’s your birthday?”

“The end of February. It was three weeks ago.”

“That’s right. You’d just had a birthday when we met. We’re close. Mine is the beginning of April.”

“Are you an Aries or a Taurus?”

“Aries.” He shrugged. “Whatever that means.”

“I don’t know much about it myself, except my friend Shelby is an Aries, too.”

“Is that good or bad?” he asked, a teasing note in his voice.

“Well, Shelby is gorgeous, smart, charming, witty, always the life of the party. Oh, did I say gorgeous?”

“I think so.” Rick leaned over, closing the short distance between their chairs.

He didn’t have to touch her, show her what he was after. She leaned in for the kiss, and this time when he lingered, she didn’t resist. In fact, she was sorely tempted to suggest they go to his room.

She felt the tip of his tongue at the corner of her mouth, and parted her lips in invitation. He didn’t accept right away, but took his time molding his lips to hers, changing the slant of his mouth, using more pressure, then less. When he finally entered her mouth, he swept his tongue inside with a devastating thoroughness that left her hot and prickling with anticipation.

Then he drew away and smoothed back the fall of her hair, exposing her fevered cheeks. “Later,” he whispered. “After you see your friends, after dinner. Come to my room.”

“Yes.” She sighed. And caught a glimpse of Mia and Shelby on the other side of the pool.

Oh, crap. Had they seen her?

“How about a drink?” Rick squeezed her hand, and then let go to signal the waitress.

“Sure.” She smiled, while furtively keeping track of Mia and Shelby as they signed out beach towels from the pool attendant. “A cola?”

“Mai tai.”

He chuckled. “Man, when the gloves come off—”

The waitress stopped, tray in hand, and crouched beside Rick to take his order.

Lindsey saw then that her friends had spotted her. It was Shelby, of course, who clarified that fact by comically ogling Rick and making oh-my-God faces. In spite of herself, Lindsey laughed.

The waitress had just walked away, and Rick turned to her. “What?”

“You’re about to meet my friends. Prepare yourself.”

He followed her gaze. “Am I gonna get the third degree, or what?”

“Possibly. Mia’s the lawyer, but she won’t do the grilling. Shelby’s wearing the pink bikini and sarong. She’s the one you have to watch out for.” And looking sexy as usual, Lindsey thought grudgingly.

“This should be good.” Rick touched her face. “You’re already blushing.”

Lindsey shook her head in resignation, then pushed her sunglasses up, using them as a hair-band. She lifted her brows in warning as they approached.

Naturally Shelby ignored her. Why had Lindsey foolishly thought she’d do otherwise?

“So you’re Rick,” Shelby began, blatantly sizing him up, her gaze lingering on the arm tattoo. “Kept our Lindsey out late last night, didn’t you?”

Rick politely removed his sunglasses. “Late?” he said, frowning thoughtfully, amusement glittering in his hazel eyes. “More like all night.”

“I like you.” Shelby grinned at Lindsey. “You can keep him.”

“You’re so kind,” Lindsey said sarcastically, then gestured to Mia. “This is Mia, my more mature friend.”

In the middle of the introductions, Rick got to his feet. “Here. Take this. I’ll get a couple more chairs.”

“We aren’t staying,” Mia said, and Lindsey quickly agreed.

Shelby laughed, and then her gaze went in the direction of the beach and she sobered, her brows puckering. With her eyes, she communicated something to Mia, and then said, “We’ll see you later, Linds.”

A couple more pleasantries were exchanged, and then they quickly moved toward the bar.

Lindsey turned her head, curious as to what Shelby had been looking at. Some kids were building a sand castle on the beach, a pair of teenagers were horsing around, but nothing out of the ordinary.

“See, that wasn’t too painful.”

Her gaze drew back to Rick, who’d sunk back down onto the chaise. “You weren’t there when I told them I’d given you a fake name.”

He smiled. “I vaguely remember them that night we met. They came to the party with you, right?”

“You vaguely remember Shelby? Seriously?”

He slid another look at her retreating form. “She’s pretty. So is Mia. But you,” he said, taking possession of her arm and kissing her hand, “are in a whole different league.”

She smiled, leaned close and whispered, “You are so getting laid.”

He barked out a surprised laugh. Then stared at her, clearly as startled as she was.

She had to have somehow channeled Shelby. That was not something Lindsey would say. Except that she had, and now she didn’t know what to do with it.

Relieved, she spied the waitress headed toward them with her tray full.

“Our drinks,” she warned, when she saw a wicked gleam enter his eye. “They’re coming.”

Rick grabbed his T-shirt and slid his feet into his leather flip-flops. “Screw the drinks,” he said a moment before the waitress approached. He took the check from her and scribbled his name, a tip and room number across the bottom. “We can order room service.”

Lindsey blinked, and managed a weak, “Right.”