Key West Wild (The Florida Keys Series) (3 page)

The two left arm in arm out the front door and Sara just sat in her seat, amazed at what just took place. She looked up to see Josh leaning against the counter, still in the same spot he was earlier, watching her in between taking drinks of his beer.

“I can’t believe this just happened.” Sara placed both hands on her face, leaning elbows on the table, in shock. “I am the manager of a place called Inn With No Name. By the way, who named this place? That sounds so unsettled.”

“Not sure, but there’s a story there somewhere. It’s kind of cool.”

“I guess so. I’m exhausted. This has been a day to remember.” She picked up her cup, noticing it empty. “I don’t know how to run a B&B.”

“Jake filled me in. Like anything else, just jump in, do what needs done. Don’t worry, I’ll help. At least you have a bed for now. That will help some.”

Sara glanced at her watch and jumped up. “Oh my, I’ve got to get moving. It’s almost sundown!” She rinsed out her coffee cup and placed it in the dishwasher. “Which way is Mallory Square? I’ve got to get there in eight minutes.”

Josh pushed himself away from the counter. “Come on, I’ll get you there. I’m assuming you want to see the sunset.” He held out his hand and she took it. This was the only thing that mattered other than finding her brother.

They ran down the steps and out the gate, walking up the street towards the square. Sara, surprised at how fast Josh moved, hurried to keep up, even if he had to tug her along a bit. His hand hung onto hers as they moved through the crowd. Then they were there. They walked underneath a sign in bold bold letters that hung across an archway at the entrance. Welcome to Mallory Square. Sara stopped dead in her tracks, staring, causing Josh’s arm to jerk a bit.

He turned. “If you want to get to the pier in time, you’ll have to keep moving.”

“I’ve been waiting for this moment forever, it seems.” Her voice became soft and emotional as her eyes filled with tears of joy. “Just imagining I’d see this in person some day kept me moving forward.”

“Sara,” Josh said, giving her hand a gentle tug.

She snapped out of it and let him guide her through the crowd of people milling about. Vendors set up their tables in various spots around the pier. They skirted the ones who focused on drawing people in to see their products. Sara wanted to see the sunset. There was time for browsing later, she thought to herself.

“Do you have a camera?” he asked. “Most people want to get a photo of the sunset.”

She shook her head. “No. I want to experience this moment.” Without realizing, Sara tightened her hold on Josh’s hand, watching in nervous anticipation as daylight began to dissipate.

The sky around the bright, white sun filled with brilliant colors of red and orange, bleeding into a kaleidoscope of amazing beauty. The buzz of people’s voices talking and laughing could be heard all around, but she stood beside Josh at the water’s edge mesmerized by the subtle waves rippling across the ocean. Three boats drifted in the water, their tall sails crossing over the sun, blocking out light for a moment. Then, once again the bright, roundness could be seen, sinking on the horizon. All of a sudden, the sun disappeared into the gulf of Mexico.

The crowd began to clap and whistle. Sara looked up to find Josh looking out over the horizon. “It’s something I’ll never get tired of witnessing, or want to,” he told her.

She turned to him. “Thank you. It’s much more meaningful to share moments like this with someone, even a stranger.”

He let go of her hand and faced her. “I don’t feel as if we are strangers.”

Sara closed her eyes. She wanted him to kiss her and opened her mouth just a tiny bit, her tongue slaking out in that familiar nervous way. She licked her lips.

“Don’t do that,” he groaned and then bent his head and touched her mouth with his. Their arms at their sides, the only thing touching was their lips as she explored his taste. It was as magical as the sunset she just witnessed.

When he broke away, she smiled, her eyes closed. “Thank you,” she whispered. He picked up her hand, turned it over and placed a soft kiss on the inside, making her sigh.

Her eyes flew open. He stood there grinning, which made her laugh out loud. “I am so sorry, I tend to live for the moment at times. This is one thing I’ve never experienced before.”

“A kiss or the sunset?”

“A kiss at sunset,” she answered.

Chapter 2

She could now cross off a Key West sunset from her list. Sara never expected the bonus of meeting a man to share it with. She smiled to herself, adding the kiss as an extra-double bonus.

When Josh tugged on her hand again, she followed along to the crowd of bystanders watching a performer and his dog. A circle of spectators roared with laughter when someone held a dollar bill to have the Golden Lab take it from with his mouth. The dog would deposit the bill into a tin can. A small biscuit flew through the air as the lab caught the treat. The crowd clapped and hollered.

“That’s one way to get a tip,” Josh mumbled.

She yawned. “I think I’m ready to head back. I want to try to call my brother again before I go to bed.”

Josh and Sara strolled across the brick-lined square towards the gate, taking in the spectacular circus-like performers. One lone man sat beside the wrought iron fence on a white bucket turned over. He wore a simple red shirt, dark shorts and ragged sandals. Long, dark hair, pushed back in a careless pony tail, hung down his back as he strummed on a guitar. A small dog lay by his side, along with a rickety tip basket.

Sara reached in her pocket and pulled out a few bills. She knelt down and placed them into the basket, smiling at the performer. As she turned to leave, he looked up and said, “This is for you, pretty lady.” He began a different tune, a slow ballad that had Sara mesmerized, as his talented fingers moved over the strings. Her hips began to sway from side to side. What she wanted to do was dance barefoot across Mallory Square, but she was too shy.

Instead, she closed her eyes and let the music touch her heart. Josh’s hands wrapped around her waist and all of a sudden swung her around. “Open your eyes,” he demanded, his voice like a soft caress whispering through the night air.

She did. He placed an arm around her waist and folded her other hand into his. “If this song is for you, make it memorable,” he murmured, the soft wisp of his warm breath so close if she moved a tiny bit, his mouth would be on hers. Which was not a bad thing, but Sara didn’t want to be too bold, not in front of all these people.

Even this slow dance on Mallory Square was a big step and it was all because of her fears of her ex-husband. He was a mean drunk and would shame her in public. She let him get away with it for eight years until she put a stop to the abuse. Even though she was free from the bondage of his cruel world, she still let fear sometimes keep her from living life, so she worked even harder to shake it off. Whenever fear tried to take over, she would conquer it by doing something spontaneous and bold. Moving forward in tiny steps was the only way she would live.

She didn’t want to remember her past any more so she moved a little further into Joshua’s arms. He tightened his grip as they danced, moving as one across the square. What was it about him that drew her in? He was an intimidating man, tall and muscular with dark brown hair and a chiselled nose that gave him a bit of a rouge appearance. She smiled against his shoulder.

“Sara? The music is over,” he mumbled, even though he made no move to stop. They swayed together back and forth.

“I want to stay like this,” she whispered.

“We could be together tonight,” he said, his gentle words more of a statement than a question.

She smiled against his chest.

“Sara?”

She moved her head, enough to raise her cheek close to his. Was she ready to move on with her life in this way? It was moments like this that she wanted what life had to offer, because things had been way too depressing for so long. She was in Key West and she promised herself to live it up. His breath feathered her skin. “Are you going to kiss me?” she asked.

“No. I want your answer with a kiss. Do you want to be with me tonight?” His dark eyes danced with hunger. “I’ll leave it up to you.” Sara reached up and touched his mouth with her fingertips at first and shook her head. He tensed then took in a long, deep breath of air.

“We better get back,” she said, breaking the spell. “It’s better this way.” Sara wasn’t one to jump into bed with the first guy who came along, even though her body was telling her something altogether different.

Sara flinched at first when she heard his sharp intake of breath and eyed him closely for anger to storm his eyes. He reacted the opposite of her ex, who most days proved to be a monster. She wasn’t sure how to deal with acceptance. If she refused her ex, he got loud and obnoxious, his verbal abuse scaring her into a corner. Until she had enough and began to plan her way out.

He held out his arm to her. She hesitated at first before reaching up and tucking her arm in his.They walked back to the hotel in silence. Taken by surprise at his gentle move, Sara wasn’t sure what to make of Joshua Eden.

The streets were filling up with the merriment of those who had too much to drink. Tourists wandered from bar to bar, clutching their bags filled with souvenirs and looking for the next big thrill. They didn’t have far to go, there were more than enough places to drink along Duval.

Josh slowed his steps. He turned to her. “Who hurt you Sara?” he asked.

She kept her secret life hidden, especially from her brother. Morgan hated her ex but she never told him how she lived. She sighed. “Am I that transparent?”

“I’m good at reading people and I saw raw fear flash across your face. Most people can’t tell.”

“I try to hide that part of me. It’s in the past.”

“Do you want to get a drink?”

She nodded, a bit shook up that he saw right through her. “Perhaps one.” She followed him into a small bar, where it wasn’t quite so wild. She didn’t know what road she was going down with Joshua Eden, but from the first moment their eyes connected, Sara sensed that he was going to be a big part of her life.

The question was, did she want him to be?

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Josh found a table by the window, where he had access to all exits. After seating Sara, he went to the bar to order drinks. He needed a few moments alone, to collect his thoughts. He didn’t want her to see how angry he was because he didn’t want to scare her. It seemed she had been frightened enough.

He tried to play the scene in his head again. They both stood there and he waited for her lips to find his, to make the decision. If she made the first move they would spend the night together. He was certain it was a go, he wanted her more than anything at that moment. But she backed down, to his disappointment.

The flash of raw fear in her eyes at the moment when she assumed he would be angry at her was discerning. Someone made her flinch like that before and it brought back too many memories from a time long ago for Josh. That life was the reason he chose a career with the agency. It soothed his soul whenever he remembered all the years of terror when his step dad abused his Mom. His work at the agency helped him forget his own pain and brought justice to others who considered themselves above and beyond any law.

Josh ordered a shot along with the drinks. He downed it and picked up the two glasses. As he turned towards their table, what he saw made him grin. Sara already ordered her own quick shot from a passing server and he watched in fascination as she downed the tiny glass in one gulp. Her whole body shook in tiny spasms as she set it down and threw a bill on to the tray.

He turned back to the bartender. “I’ll have two shots to go with these,” he ordered. His step was a bit lighter as he headed back to the table. He was trying to be kind, thinking she needed to be treated gentle. He watched her sling back that whiskey like a woman on a mission. If she wanted a drinking partner, he could certainly oblige.

When he reached their table, he set the fruity drink and shot in front of her.

She stared at the drinks wide eyed. “Oh my, I don’t do shots,” she told him. Josh laughed out loud, a deep, strong sound that came from within. He bent close to her.

“Is that a fact?”

She laughed, ending her outburst with a tiny giggle and a short gasp of breath. “I’m busted, aren’t I?” He was so close, he wanted to gather her in his arms and kiss her sweet mouth. Her eyes, wide and innocent, yet filled with a deep yearning drew him in so deep that he had to look away. It was good he did, because at that moment his gaze caught a man across the street trying to get his attention. He turned back to her, before she noticed anything strange.

Relief flooded over him when she got up from the table. “I’m going to use the ladies room,” Sara said, excusing herself. His attention went back to the man waiting on the corner.

Josh slid out the side door, crossing over in a matter of seconds. He didn’t have much time before Sara returned from the ladies room. “Morgan, what are you doing?”

“I can’t talk long man, but listen to me. This happened so fast and I’m in deep. We had to move on this case right away. I had to slip back and make sure Sara’s okay and I see you already found her. Guard her life, no one can know she’s my sister. It’s better if she thinks I’m away, just keep her occupied. She keeps trying to call me even after I warned her not to. I don’t want anyone to find out about her. Tell her anything, this should be over soon.” He wiped at the perspiration dripping down his brow. “I told them I had to settle a feud with someone down here on Duval. Looks like it’s going to be you.” Morgan swung a hard right into Josh’s jaw. It knocked him back a bit. “Sorry man, their watching me.”

Josh raised his arm too late in defense. He ran a hand over his jaw. “I didn’t find her, she found me and has no idea we work for the same agency. I’m laying one on you next.” Josh sucker punched him on the side of the head, causing Morgan to jerk back and fall against the side of a white privacy fence. Josh smiled to himself, he still knew how to street fight with these young pups. The two wrestled around a bit, causing people walking on the side walk to step out into the street. “She’s staying at Jake’s place. I’ll keep my eye on her.”