Moonlight and Margaritas (16 page)

He nearly chuckled at the direction his thoughts had taken.  The other women he'd slept with had nothing to complain about.  But with Elena, maybe because of the way her ex had treated her when they'd been married, Joe wanted to make sure he treated her special.  He wanted to erase that prick from her mind and let her know she deserved absolute happiness.

He tugged her closer, as a huge yawn overtook him.  "Do you care if we hang out here for a while?  After our quick ascension earlier today combined with tangling with you tonight, I'm not sure I have it in me to swim back to the boat quite yet."

She snuggled her thigh between his.  "Me, either.  If the sand's not bothering you too much, I'd like to lay here and watch the stars."

"Mmm..."  He felt her relax against him, listening to her breathing grow more even, feeling sated and a bit sleepy himself. 

Joe woke with a start.  Elena lay naked, her exquisite body curled against him.  The waves continued to move in and roll out in a lazy fashion, and he had no idea how long they'd been asleep.  His back hurt from being stretched out against the hard sand, and suddenly, the feel of grit on his body was no longer welcome. 

He nudged Elena, who seemed content to doze.  "Hey.  Wake up."  He shifted until her face was close to his, enjoying the feel of her skin moving against him.  He ran a hand over her breast, cupping her and circling her nipple with his thumb.  Even in her sleep, her body responded to him, tempting him to take her again.  "Wake up."

She woke, her gaze moving from him to their surroundings.  "Did I fall asleep?" 

"We both did."  He wrestled his arm around her head and pushed the light on his watch.  "Wow.  We've been here for a couple of hours.  Probably ought to head back."  The full moon had moved farther across the sky and no longer provided as much light. 

He shifted up on his elbows, looking at the water.  The tide was out, and they'd gained a lot of beach.  "On the bright side, it looks like we won't have to swim far to the boat."  

She swiveled her head and sucked in a breath.  "Oh, oops.  I guess it's a good thing the tide didn't come in on us instead."  She rolled off him, brushing sand from her hip.  "Is the low tide going to cause any problems with your boat?" 

He stood and held out a hand to her.  "Nah.  It's still far enough out there.  Should be fine."

It took them very little time to make it back to the boat and climb aboard.  Joe pulled towels out of a locker and handed one to Elena.  It was a shame to cover up such a beautiful body, he thought as she wrapped it around her. 

He led the way below deck and allowed himself a measure of pride as he watched her glance around the room.  He'd taken considerable time, invested a chunk of money to get his boat exactly how he wanted it.  Granted, there wasn't a lot he could do about the limited space, except buy a bigger vessel, but he liked the creamy leather seats surrounding the small cherry wood table with a state-of-the-art kitchenette off to the side.  It might be cramped, but it was well-appointed. 

"This is very nice."  She turned a circle, checking out the room.

Agreed
.  He admired her curves as she circled, remembering how she'd felt under him, on top of him.  It would be even nicer when he had her in his bed.

"Head's in the back, there."  He nodded to the doorway between the table and kitchen area as he headed for the fridge.  The Baja Desert had to have more moisture than his throat after all the swimming and sex.

"Excuse me?  Head?"

He turned to find Elena staring at him with a puzzled look.  "Uh, sorry.  I meant shower.  It's there in the back." 

"A shower sounds wonderful."  Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she lowered her gaze and gave him a heated perusal.  "Like I said, nice."  She left him grinning as she walked through the door.

His high-class lady with questionable family roots intrigued the hell out of him.  One minute she was prim and proper, and then with a flash of her bright green eyes, she turned seductress. 

Now that he'd learned he didn't need to fear her wanting an eventual commitment from him, he could relax and appreciate what a catch he'd made when he'd met her.  He hadn't had this good of a time in…forever. 

Sure, he'd decided tonight would be all he'd need of her, and maybe by the time the morning rolled around, he'd still think that way.  If so, he could easily walk away.  He'd done it with every woman before her.  Granted, he might have had a few fleeting thoughts about Elena being different from the other women who'd passed through his life, but now he understood that she
was
different.  She was a free spirit, just like him.

Besides, he hadn't left home to come to Cabo to be bored.  He'd come for the pleasure and the excitement.  He'd be a fool if he didn't take advantage of what had conveniently landed in his lap. 

Another passionate night with Elena wouldn't change his goals for the coming year.  He'd worked damned hard, pleasing everyone else in his life, especially his family.  Now, he intended to please himself. 

He slugged down a bottle of water, happy with the recent turn of events.

Elena grinned as she walked into Joe's cozy bedroom, liking the comfortable feel it emanated.  With a red and blue quilt gracing the bed and light wood paneling warming the room, it was welcoming, if small.  Her overnight bag sat on the bed, waiting for her.  He must have put it there when he'd left her piloting the boat.

She pulled out her necessities and headed for the bathroom.  The hot water warmed her chilled body.  There was a significant difference between diving in a wetsuit and swimming naked in the Sea of Cortez, although the cool water had certainly helped to take her mind off her itchy arm.  So had making love with Joe.

A smile took up residence on her lips as she lathered jasmine-scented shampoo into her hair.  She had actually skinny-dipped with a virtual stranger. 
Her
.  The girl who'd been so timid in high school that she'd run off when a boy had tried to ask her out.

Here she was on the coast of Mexico, escaping her inhibitions and responsibilities.  Obviously being on a boat with a man she barely knew had its risks, but she'd needed a little danger in her life to remind her she was alive.

Everyone should be allowed a complete getaway vacation at least once in his or her life, she decided.  A time to escape from their everyday stresses.  It would be hard for her to go home, back to the realities of life, after living so carefree.

She would be happy to see Cassie, though.  Her earlier conversation made her miss her daughter's sweet smile.  Tomorrow morning meant another phone call with Cassie targeted toward covering her clandestine actions.  

A small price to pay.  Tonight had been and would be worth every ounce of guilt she'd feel when talking to Cassie in the morning.

An hour later, Joe lay in his bed.  Elena lay next to him with her head on his chest, his arm draped across her waist, with the light from a soft lamp illuminating her skin.  The waves gently rocked the boat as moonlight poured through the window.  She traced a lazy circle on his stomach with her finger, another round of exhilarating lovemaking only moments in the past.  Still, he could not get enough of her. 

He pulled her closer, wanting to burn this night in his memory forever.  The feel of her velvet skin beneath his fingertips infused him with pleasure.  She sighed, a sound of contentment, and he kissed the top of her head.  Damn, she felt good.  Felt right…for now anyway.

"Joe?"

"Hmm…?"

"Tell me more about you.  Like what do you do when you're not giving guided tours?  What's your passion?"

"Besides messing around with you?"

She nudged him with her hip.  "Come on.  The only things I know are you have a boat and a former girlfriend.  Other than that, you're a blank canvas."

"Good.  I like being a blank canvas, not knowing what colors life will splash at me next."

"You moved here from California, right?"

He didn't correct her assumption.  "I sailed down here six weeks ago."  Eventually, he'd have to resume the reigns of Stephens Shipping, but for now, this was his only home.  "I've been living on my boat, but someday I'd like to buy a place somewhere tropical."  He inhaled the sweet scent of her shampoo, trying to memorize it as well.  "If not here, then maybe Hawaii."

He'd really love to open his own diving business someplace like Hawaii, but he couldn't disappoint his mother forever.  At some point, he'd have to go home.  She needed him to run the business, and though his sister loved being in charge, he couldn't, in good conscience, dump all his responsibilities on her.  She had her own family and kids. 

"I love Kauai."  She kissed him, a soft, friendly kiss that took his breath away.  They'd made love twice that night, and he was already thinking about the next round.  "How about kids?  Do
you
have any?"

How the hell was he supposed to think about kids with her warm body so intimately pressed against him?  "Almost." 

She pulled back.  "Almost?  What does that mean?  Not one on the way, I hope."

"No, no, no."  He glanced out the window, trying to concentrate on the moon instead of her, hoping to keep his head clear so he could answer.  "Back when I was eighteen, I got a girl pregnant.  Talk about being a scared kid.  Two scared kids actually.  She was as upset as I was.  I was prepared to do the honorable thing, might even say part of me was excited, but she lost it a couple of weeks later."

Elena exhaled.  She'd only been one year older than Joe had been at that point when she'd married Richard and then nine months later had Cassie.  Wow, she'd been so young.  No wonder she hadn't made the best choices.  "I bet you were terrified."  She ran a hand across his chest and then hugged him.  "I'm sorry for the part of you that was excited." 

"Nah, it was for the best.  Since then, I've realized I probably wouldn't be quality father material anyway."

"Why not?"

"I don't know.  Too restless, I guess.  I always have this urge to be on the go, looking for a new adventure."

"Maybe if you met the right person that would change."  She laid her head on his chest, her fingers tickling his neck.

He'd sometimes wondered that himself.  "I doubt it.  I don't think I have a settled bone in my body, much to my family's dismay." 

"They pressure you to settle down?"

"My mother does.  She wants grandchildren from me."  Renee's three boys should be enough offspring for his mom.   

Elena smiled.  "I don't blame her.  I'm looking forward to grandchildren, too."  She paused.  "When I'm older, much, much older."

He chuckled.  "Yeah, grandkids might not be so bad someday."  But that would be impossible without him having his own children.  Unless he wound up with step-kids, which might be a nice thing.  "Even so, I'm glad things didn't work out back then.  I know now that it would have been a huge mistake for me to marry that girl.  Other than enjoying sex, we had nothing in common."

"I know what you mean.  Of course, I didn't realize my mistake, or at least I didn't acknowledge it, until my daughter was older.  That's a lot of wasted years." 

"And now you're done wasting time?"  He wrapped both arms around her, bending his knee so that it nestled farther between her legs. 

"I am."  Her voice held the slightest hint of a laugh.  "That's why being here with you is so great.  I'm really starting to enjoy your 'no expectations' lifestyle.  I might adopt it as my own when I get home.  It's liberating." 

He didn't appreciate the image of her lying in another man's arms while he had her tangled in his.  "It's not always blue skies and breezy days." 

"I don't see why not.  Why commit to one person who will ultimately let you down?"

"Not every marriage is like that."  He wasn't sure why he felt the need to defend the institution.  "There are some good relationships out there."

"I'm sorry, but I don't see them.  I see relationships where one person sacrifices his or her happiness for the sake of the marriage."

"Not with my sister.  Or my parents when my dad was alive.  They treated each other with love and respect."

"They're rare.  Too rare to count on."

"I don't agree.  I think every couple can be that way if they put the effort into it.  If I ever get married, I'd do every damn thing possible to make it good."

She lifted her head off his chest and scrutinized him as though she was checking to see if he was joking.  "Wow.  And this coming from the man who's a poster boy for bachelorhood."  She snickered.

"I'm just saying." 

"I'm disagreeing."  She slid her leg over his and straddled him.  She leaned forward and singed his lips with a kiss.  "Do you really think we'd be having this much fun if we were married?" she whispered against his mouth.

"I don't know.  Maybe."  He couldn't say it, but
yes
, he was pretty damn sure he'd never get tired of having Elena in his bed.

"I say otherwise."

"You were married to a jerk."

"True, but everywhere I look, people are bound and unhappy.  This is
so
much better."  She reached between them and stroked him, making him hard.  Again.