What Tomorrow Brings (Florida Keys Series) (3 page)

She gazed right back at him. “How did you know?”

Jake winked. “Let’s go to the full moon party tonight. It’ll take us about an hour to get there. It’s quite a ride but if you’ve never rode a bike on Highway One, it’s going to be a whole new treat for you. Say yes.”

“Yes.” she whispered and laughed aloud when Jake looked surprised at her quick response. If she were going to let her hair down, really let her hair down, then Maggie McCoy was going to experience a little bit of night life in the Florida Keys. With a hunk...on a harley...during a full moon. That description alone was a novel in itself. Wouldn’t that be what her heroine would do? Maggie was about to kill two birds with one stone. She was willing to have some innocent fun with this gorgeous landlord biker and perhaps get some great ideas to open her mind to a best selling novel. With her history of never getting serious with any man, Maggie knew there was no chance of ever falling for a guy like Jake.

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Maggie clung on to Jake once again as the bike rolled up Highway One towards Islamorada. The roaring sound of the v twin engines vibrated on the paved road and at times it felt like the winds pushed the bike a bit, especially over the open bridges, but she wasn’t afraid. Jake seemed to be a good rider. He propped his feet on the foot pegs and Maggie peeked around his shoulder and looked in the side mirror. She saw her hair flapping in the wind under her helmet and laughed aloud. This was more fun than she’d had in a long time.

He took his left hand off the handlebar and reached back to pat her on the leg. “Are you enjoying the ride?” he shouted. She shook her head and actually didn’t mind on occasion if he reached back to pat her, but then he would let his hand linger for a few moments before grabbing the handle bar again.

Jaked geared down the harley as they came to the island of Islamorada. Maggie was almost sad the ride was soon over but was anticipating this full moon party he spoke about. As they made their way in and parked, she saw lots of people walking towards the beach. Jake grabbed her hand as they went in and she squeezed it gently. “What a fantabulous ride, thanks,” Maggie said and giggled. She seemed to have a case of them today for some reason, which was not her personality at all. Most who knew her, would be surprised that Maggie giggled at all.

Jake laughed. “If you enjoyed the ride, then I promise you will love this even more.” As they paid their way in and walked onto the beach it was almost dusk. Crowds of people were scattered across the beach, some in small groups, drinks in their hand and swaying and dancing to the sound of a reggae band.. Maggie looked on in amazement.

“I’ve never seen anything like this!” she gasped, taking it all in. She noticed a young couple on the beach lighting a bonfire and it’s yellow and orange flames sent a few sparks up in the air. They stretched out a blanket and sat down, a perfect place for lovers. “This is incredible,” Maggie whispered. She looked over at Jake to find him staring at her. She shivered. He was looking mighty serious and sexy right now, and although that frightened her, it also intrigued her too. Maybe it was time for Maggie McCoy to let her hair down.

She slipped her hand from his. “Come on, Jake, let’s follow this parade.” They fell in behind a Bahamian Junkaroo parade where everyone dressed in elaborate and colorful costumes. Bright varieties of colored feathers stuck out on top of the dancers heads while some of the costumes barely covered beautiful bodies tanned from the sun. Some shook their instruments and played lively music while dancing around the beach. Maggie joined in behind the dancers with others who followed along, her hips swaying and hands clapping to the reggae style music. She couldn’t help it, Maggie loved to dance.

She lifted her face up and noticed how the stars dotted the sky. How did it get so dark already, she wondered. Suddenly, his hands were on either side of her waist and he fell in step behind her. Maggie almost jumped out of her skin, then relaxed as they danced for awhile, smiling and having a good time following the crowd down the beach, swaying their hips to the incredible music. All at once, Maggie turned and stopped, separating them from the crowd of dancers.

“Thank you for bringing me Jake,” she whispered and touched his cheek with her left hand. This is incredible.” She really meant it.

Jake smiled and winked. “Let’s go let our hair down even more, shall we?” She giggled and followed him to the closest tiki bar where he ordered two drinks. Then they strolled over to where some people were gathering and saw a young, beautiful woman in a bikini with dark, exotic hair that fell below her hips. She twirled two lighted torches in the air to the sound of music, twisting and turning the fire poles around her body as she danced. A crowd of onlookers circled around her and watched in awe as she practiced her art.

“She is breathtaking Jake, isn’t she?” Maggie normally wasn’t much of a drinker but the smooth fruity drink was going down quite easily. It didn’t take much to give her a buzz.

“Want another?” Jake asked. “You did say yes to letting your hair down?”

She smiled, “Jake Hatfield, are you deliberately trying to get me drunk?”

He shrugged and actually looked offended at her remark. “Nah, Maggie. That’s not my way, but you did say you wanted to have some fun. I just thought you would want another drink as you downed that one pretty quick.”

She didn’t need to drink one drop of alcohol to be sucked into his charm. “Do you know how sexy you are Jake?” Where did that come from?

He laughed out loud and grabbed her hand drawing her closer to him. His hips started swaying to the music and he twirled her around the sandy beach in a slow, seductive dance. The night air was warm, the bonfires crackling noise filled the air and suddenly all of the voices sounded so far away as Maggie and Jake danced. It was just the two of them in the moment.

“I could dance the night away with you, Maggie McCoy,” Jake’s low, husky voice resonated in her ear. At that, she trembled and then jumped up in horror as a loud crack and bang filled the air.

The night sky lit up with a powerful burst of sparkling lights and colors. Fireworks! Maggie and Jake stood there side by side watching the display, she laughing in delight like someone who was seeing them for the first time. She could feel Jake’s eyes on her, and wanted to turn and kiss him, but didn’t. She was going to have to suck it up and take some chances if she were going to use this night as a writing tool for her novel. Does she want to make the first move or let her “hero” do it?

He moved first, just like the hero always did in most of her books, kind of. She turned to him and was going to kiss him on the cheek, just to thank him again but he shifted. Their lips touched and although startled at first suddenly his mouth devoured her, right there on the beach in the middle of the Full Moon Party! Maggie could barely breath, it was the lure of the florida keys, the night, the island drink, the full moon and seductive music that was drawing her to a man she barely knew. She ran her hands across his shoulders, digging this first kiss with hot guy.

“Jake!” a woman’s voice cried out. “Jake! Over here, how are you?” He reluctantly let her go and gave her a wink. Maggie shook her head, trying to compose herself, trying to stop the shaking inside. Deep breath, girl!

A petite blonde, barefoot and wearing a short, tight black mini grabbed Jake and gave him a big hug. “It’s so good to see you out and about,” she cried. “I can’t wait to tell Jon I saw you here.” Jake turned to Maggie.

“Maggie, this is Cari, a friend of my brothers.”

Cari barely glanced at her but just kept on talking. “Jake, you must meet some of my friends.” She then turned to Maggie. “I’m just going to borrow Jake for a few minutes and then you can have him back,” Cari said, unsmiling. She tried to steer him along, but he stood rock still.

“I’m with Maggie tonight, Cari. I don’t go unless she’s welcome too.”

Wow, oh wow, what a man, Maggie thought, impressed. She was liking this moment best of all because it was obvious that Cari was looking very uncomfortable, or furious. Cari was just like one of those demon women in her novels and who wasn’t about to include Maggie one bit. She could tell that before any words came out of the woman's mouth.

“Jake, it’s fine. I’m going to go get us another drink. I’ll be right over at the tiki bar,” and she turned and fled before he could refuse or see the disappointment in her eyes. She was having such a good time, but she wasn’t going to get in the middle of family or be somewhere she wasn’t welcome. Her first gut instincts were always right and she had a bad feeling about his brother’s friend. It was time to pull herself together anyway, she was falling in pretty deep with Jake under that moonlit sky.

Maggie made her way to the tiki bar. She really liked Jake and certainly wanted to get to know him. She was having a good time, something that hardly every happened to her and she was getting much needed research in too. Most of all, she was enjoying the lure of this place. The bar was filled with people waiting for their drinks. She watched two girls who were on the bar stools next to her, already pretty pie eyed, lick their hand, down a shot and suck on a lime slice. “What are you drinking?” Maggie asked, curious.

The two girls raised their hands in the air. “Tequila!” they shouted and the people around them hollered and clapped. They were having fun and Maggie figured she’d join in. She wanted to try some Tequila.

“I’ll have one of those,” she told the bartender. The girls introduced themselves as Faith and Charity, twin sisters who were down from Miami. Maggie chatted for awhile and they showed her how to drink Tequila like an expert.

“Body Shot! Body Shot!” someone in the crowd cried out.

Charity looked at Maggie. “Did you ever do a body shot?” She didn’t wait for Maggie to answer. “Here, I’ll show you.” She ordered a shot from the bartender and said to Maggie, “This is what you can do to that guy you keep watching over there.”

Maggie couldn’t help it. Jake seemed to be spending a long time with his brother’s friends. Perhaps it just seemed that way, she supposed. It even looked like he was trying to turn and leave a few times and then Cari would grab his arm again. Maggie actually felt sorry for him and thought perhaps she should go rescue him! But, first she wanted to find out what this body shot was all about. As a writer, curiosity always got the best of her. She may like her privacy but was always open to learning new things.

Charity said, “OK, let’s give this crowd a show,” and winked at Maggie. “Now, put the lime wedge in your mouth with the juice side out.” Charity then sprinkled some salt on Maggie’s neck and exposed shoulder.

“What are you doing?” Maggie laughed, mumbling, the fruit hanging out of her lips.

“I’m going to lick the salt, drink my shot and then suck the lime out of your mouth.” Maggie giggled, because the crowd was starting to get rowdier, clapping as Charity yelled out. “You want a body shot?”

She licked the salt from Maggie’s neck, downed the shot in her hand and then smacked her lips on Maggie and sucked on the lime while the crowd cheered.

The girls laughed and laughed. “Now you do one to me,” Charity said. “We got this crowd going and I think your mans attention too.”

“He’s so not my man,” Maggie mumbled. The bartender set them up again and the crowd started banging on the tiki bar and yelling louder. It seemed as if everyone within eyesight came over to check out what all the noise was about. Maggie doused some salt on Charity’s neck and held the shot in her hand. She placed the lime wedge in her new friend’s mouth and looked around to see everyone at the bar laughing and shouting and cheering her on.

“I can’t believe I’m doing this?” Maggie slurred. She was feeling the effects of the Tequila already.

Maggie took her tongue and quickly licked the salt from Charity’s neck, then downed the shot and leaned in to suck the lime. She almost tipped over and the two grabbed each other.

That’s what Jake saw when he appeared out of nowhere. The crowd cheered and then went about their drinking and Maggie and Charity and Faith were laughing and trying to keep Maggie from toppling over. She turned to him and laughed. “Did I tell you what a great time I’m having?”

“Tequila? Seriously?” He shook his head. “Come on.” He grabbed her hand and practically drug her away from the bar. Maggie turned and waved to her new friends.

“We’ll do this again Charity and Faith!” Maggie slurred again. Then she pointed to Jakes butt and gave the girls another thumbs up!

He walked her to the water’s edge. “How much did you drink?” he asked gently.

Maggie shrugged. “I only had a few of those little glasses. There couldn’t be possibly enough in them to hurt. Although, I do feel a bit high. I may be drunk, Jake.”

“Very much so,” he said. “I’m sorry I left you alone for so long. I couldn’t seem to get away from Cari. You didn't have to leave so quick, I didn’t want to talk with her. She’s having trouble with my brother and wanted to talk, but I told her I’m staying out of that.”

Maggie nodded. “Well, I did miss you. We were having so much fun, weren’t we?” She swayed back and forth on the beach and then kicked off her shoes. “Let’s dance on the beach Jake, just you and me.”

He grabbed her hands and placed them around him. The subtle sounds of a DJ playing soft music lingered in the background. There was so much going on around them, crowds hanging at the tiki bar, partners lying together on the beach, small gatherings of friends in little groups talking and laughing around bonfires. But to Maggie it felt as if her and Jake were the only ones there. The full moon cast shadows on the water.

They swayed to the beat of the slow rhythm and Maggie snuggled closer to him if that were possible. Then she giggled.

Jake relaxed his arms around her waist. “What’s so funny?”

“Want to do a body shot?”

“I’m afraid no more Tequila for you,” he cautioned, his breath barely touching her skin.

“Don’t need any. You just lick,” she whispered, lifting her head up and sliding her tongue across his neck and up his chin. “Then you suck,” she mumbled and found his mouth.