Dating the Enemy Read online

  This time the grin lit up her entire face. “Oh, I tend to have a lot of whims. I prefer not to pay for most of them, though.”

  “This cabana boy has happily volunteered his time.”

  “In that case, I think I’ll have a little fun.”

  Jessie slid a little further down in the booth, wiggling her feet until her toes touched the rapidly lengthening bulge in his jeans. He took a sharp breath in, not sure whether he should encourage her or stop her.

  Before he could decide, José arrived again. “Your guacamole. Jessie, I made sure to put an extra squirt of lime juice in it, so it should be just the way you like it.”

  “You’re a mind-reader, José. Thank you.”

  He smiled at her, his eyes soft. José wanted her—no doubt about it. But Nick could hardly blame him.

  “Should we have some of that chicken mole you were telling me about, Jessie?”

  Jessie nodded. “Yep. Oh, and José? Can you bring some of those quesadillas I love so much?”

  “Of course,” he answered, bowing a little as he backed away from the table.

  “José asked me to marry him, you know.”

  Jealousy roared to life in Nick’s veins. “Really?”

  “Yep. He said that with my marketing skills and his mama’s cooking we could build an empire.”

  “That’s why he wanted to marry you?”

  “That and his mama wanted some redheaded grandbabies. They would have been pretty, with that caramel skin …”

  “Uh-huh. And I’m sure it had nothing to do with him wanting to get you into bed.”

  She waved carelessly at him. “Oh, no. We’ve already been there, done that. Wasn’t good enough to send a postcard home.”

  Nick couldn’t help but laugh. “You are something else—you know that?”

  “Something incredible?”

  “Drink your margarita, Jessie.”

  She smiled and took a long drag on her straw. “What’s your favorite beach?”

  “I don’t know that I have a favorite. I tend to like the ones that have palm trees and bikini-clad girls, though.”

  “That’s too bad.”

  “You have a favorite, I take it?”

  “Mmm-hmm. It’s on an island in South Florida. The sand is white, the water is blue, and at night you can see a galaxy’s worth of stars.”

  “Sounds nice.”

  “It’s more than nice. It’s paradise. Would you like to go?”

  “Absolutely. Anytime you want.” A vacation alone with a mostly naked Jessie sounded like a fantastic idea.

  She looked at him and smiled.

  Their chicken mole and quesadillas arrived, along with another round of margaritas—this time on the rocks. He looked down at his glass and was shocked to see he’d actually finished his first one.

  “Cheers,” Jessie said, raising her new glass. He clinked his with hers, glad that at least this one was a little smaller.

  “I made the toast last night. Now it’s your turn.”

  “Oh …” He thought for a second. “To new adventures.”

  “I like that.”

  She went quiet and he applied himself to the food. It was delicious. Rich and tender with the perfect amount of spice.

  “This is amazing. You did the right thing by saving them, Jessie.”

  “I know.” He noticed she was toying with her food, not eating much.

  “Is something wrong?”

  “No. Just wondering … Are you busy this weekend?”

  “Well, I should get some work done, but not particularly.”

  Although he did hope that he’d be spending at least one night with Jessie. Last night had merely whetted his appetite for her. It would take another romp or two to get her out of his system.

  At least, he hoped that would do the trick.

  “Will you come to Paradise with me?”

  He felt his crotch twitch as desire coiled deep in his stomach. “I’d love to take you to paradise, baby. In fact, we can leave right now if you want.”

  She smiled. “That’s not what I meant. I mean, yes, I totally want to get naked with you—but I want to take you to Paradise first. As in Paradise, Florida. My favorite beach.”

  He blinked. “You want to go to Florida? Tonight?”

  “Yes.” She bit her lip. “Actually, I already booked us plane tickets.”

  Nick shook his head, trying to wrap his head around the situation. He was usually the one surprising his date with a spontaneous trip. It felt odd to be on the receiving end.

  “You bought plane tickets? When?”

  “This afternoon.”

  “Why the sudden desire to go to Florida? And why do you want to go with me?”

  “I like you. I like the beach. And it’s been far too long since I saw the stars,” she answered, looking everywhere but at him.

  Nick saw the tension in her shoulders. The tightness of her jaw. And, if he wasn’t mistaken, there were tears in her eyes. Something was wrong.

  “I’m guessing there’s more to it than that.”

  She shook her head. “Can you just let it go at that, Nick? I need to see the stars. And I don’t want to go alone. Please come with me?”

  Her voice cracked and he could tell she was having a hard time holding it together. He wanted to gather her in his arms and let her know that whatever it was it would be all right. But he couldn’t promise that. So instead he grabbed her hand and kissed it.

  “All right. Let’s go to the beach.”

  She smiled, and the brightness of it took his breath away.

  “Thank you, Nick.” Then her smile faded. “I don’t want you to get the wrong idea about this. About us.”

  He blinked. “What do you mean?”

  “I’m not looking for a relationship. I want to spend the weekend together, but after that we can’t be together.”

  Nick ignored the sharp pang in his stomach and smiled. “Don’t worry, babe. We’re on the same page there. One week is pretty much my max as far as relationships go.”

  Her shoulders sagged with relief. “Okay. Good. I just didn’t want to lead you on.”

  “Don’t worry about it.” His brain kicked in, and he thought about what she’d said before. “Listen, I know you said you bought tickets, but wouldn’t you rather take the Thornton plane? If I call the pilot he can be here in less than an hour.”

  She pulled back and shook her head. “No. This is my adventure. We’re doing this my way. You, my friend, are flying commercial.”

  His phone trilled. Not sure whether he should be mad, or glad of the distraction, he picked it up and looked at the number.

  “It’s Bob.”

  She pulled her hand back and bounced up from the table. “Great! Now we can go!”

  “Wait. How did you know he was on his way?”

  “Oh, he gave me his number this morning, when he dropped me off. In case I ever needed a ride. So this afternoon I called him and asked him to help me surprise you. He thought it was a grand idea—he even volunteered to pack a suitcase for you.”

  Nick couldn’t remember ever feeling so out-maneuvered. The better he got to know Jessie, the easier it was to understand how she’d made her agency so successful so fast. The woman was a force of nature.

  Grinning, he got up from the table. “All right then, I guess we’d better be on our way! Paradise awaits!”

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  AS JESSIE INHALED the warm salt air through the open car windows she felt her body start to relax. This was what she needed. A couple of days here and she’d be ready for whatever the world could throw at her. Even cancer.

  “Isn’t this great?”

  Nick glared at her from the passenger seat. His big body looked even larger in the minuscule space the compact car she’d rented offered its passengers. He was clearly uncomfortable.

  “Next time you want to go on an adventure, I’m in charge of transportation.”

  “You’ve got a deal,” she said, trying not to c
are that he thought there would be a next time.

  Instead of examining the flutter in her heart, she concentrated on driving. The signs were hard to read in the dark, and she wasn’t sure if she’d remember the turn-off. They had passed Shell Way, so Paradise Drive had to be … there! The wooden pelican that guarded the private road shone brightly in her headlights.

  As she bumped down the sandy track the sky disappeared beneath a canopy of palm trees, leaving them in a tunnel of black.

  “Are you sure this is the right way?” Nick asked.

  “Positive. In fact …” The canopy dropped away, revealing the stilted beach house she loved. Although it looked a lot rougher around the edges than she remembered, its exterior was the same cheery pink. “We’re here. Welcome to Paradise!”

  “Thank goodness,” he groaned, unfolding himself from the cramped space.

  “The view is worth it, I promise,” she said as she hopped out of the car.

  Grabbing his hand, she pulled him past the house to the beach that waited on the other side. Seconds later the crashing of waves filled her ears and the sea wind blew through her hair.

  Jessie found herself remembering the last time she’d been here. She and her mother had made the same race to the beach when they’d arrived. When they’d reached the surf, her mom had grabbed her hands and spun her in a circle.

  “Isn’t this amazing?” she’d shouted. “Jessie, this is what life is all about. I’m so glad to be here with you!”

  That had been just two months before her mom had got her cancer diagnosis. Which meant it had been eating away at her at that very moment. Just as it was doing to her now.

  Jessie couldn’t bite back the sob that worked its way out of her throat. Life was so unfair. Why was this happening to her?

  Nick walked up and put his arm around her shoulders. “Hey! What’s wrong?”

  Jessie tried to quiet the sobs, but couldn’t get control. “I just … It’s not fair … I miss her so much,” she wailed.

  “Oh, Jessie, I’m so sorry.” Nick pulled her toward him until her head was resting against his chest. “You’re talking about your mom, aren’t you?”

  Jessie nodded from her place inside his arms, letting his warmth chase away the pain. Her tears slowed, then stopped as he slowly swayed back and forth. Time stopped as she rested there, listening to his heartbeat, feeling strangely safe.

  Eventually she forced herself to pull back. “Thank you,” she said, unable to meet his eyes.

  He gently pulled up on her chin. “No thanks necessary. I’m glad I was here for you.”

  His gaze was so tender the tears threatened to begin again. That would never do. She smiled and pulled away. “Ready for some star-gazing?”

  He looked up at the sky. “Of course. That’s what we came here to do, isn’t it?”

  “That’s not real star-gazing.” She pulled him down and gently pushed him backward until his head was pillowed on the sand. Then she flopped down next to him. “This is the only way to see them properly.”

  He sighed. “Ah. I see what you mean.”

  Jessie lost herself in the night sky as her body basked in the heat from the still sun-warmed sand. There were layers and layers of swirling stars, some shining brightly, some less so, and they combined to look like some sort of pepper-studded cosmic soup.

  “Wow,” Nick said.

  “That’s just about the only word for it.”

  “I’ve never seen so many stars. I had no idea there were so many.”

  “It makes you feel small, doesn’t it?”

  He nodded silently and reached for her hand.

  “I used to sit out here with my mother, and we’d make up stories about all the things going on up there.”

  “What do you mean?” he asked, stroking her fingers.

  “Well, when you see all those thousands and thousands of stars, doesn’t it seem difficult to believe that ours is the only planet in the entire universe to have life on it?”

  “I never really thought about it.”

  “We used to pick a star—any star. Like that one.” She pointed up at the sky. “The bluish one over there to the left. And we’d spin stories about the people living on the planets around it. Sometimes they were blue, sometimes they had six legs, but usually they were people just like us, looking up at the sky, wondering what was out there.”

  Nick squeezed her hand. “She sounds like a wonderful woman.”

  “She was.”

  “And this house? It belongs to your family?”

  “No. It belongs to a very dear friend of my mother’s. I grew up calling her Aunt Mimi. We used to vacation here with her every spring, and in the fall we had it to ourselves for a week. I haven’t been here since my mom died, but she’s always telling me I’m welcome to use it any time.”

  “And is she here now?”

  “No. It’s just us. I called her this afternoon and she said she hasn’t been down in a couple of months. And, according to Aunt Mimi, none of the neighbors are around either. Which means we can do something I’ve always wanted to do.”

  His teeth gleamed in the moonlight as he grinned. “Have sex on the beach?”

  She shook her head. “Maybe later. Right now I want to go skinny-dipping.”

  “Skinny-dipping?”

  “Yeah. Come on!”

  She stood up and quickly stripped off her shirt and jeans. Nick didn’t move.

  “What are you waiting for?”

  He pointed at her bra. “For you to be completely naked.”

  She thought about the bandage covering the needle marks from her biopsy. “I think I’ll leave my bra on. Just in case somebody walks by.”

  “Chicken.”

  She snorted. “Said the man who’s still fully clothed. Besides, I have every intention of taking my underwear off. No one can see my bottom half in the water. Are you coming with me?”

  He frowned. “I haven’t decided yet.”

  “Fine. But I’m taking these in the water with me,” she said, cupping her breasts. Then she turned her back to him and slowly shimmied out of her thong underwear. “And if you want to get any closer to this,” she said, caressing her butt, “you’ll need to get off the beach.”

  She gave him one last meaningful look and then sprinted out into the surf, diving underneath the waves as soon as the water reached her upper thighs.

  The shock of the cool water took her breath away. But soon her body adjusted and she reveled in the feeling of weightlessness.

  She flipped on to her back and opened her eyes to stare at the heavens above. Floating like this, she could almost believe she was in space, one with the stars. For a moment she wondered if her mother was up there, looking down at her and wishing they could see each other again. She tried to imagine what her mom would say if she could see her now. Probably something like, Stop star-gazing and go pay attention to that man meat you brought with you.

  Just then strong arms circled her waist and shoulders, and she jumped. “Nick, that better be you …”

  “It is,” he rumbled in her ear. “Although I can pretend to be someone else if you like.”

  She pretended to think about it while her heart-rate settled down. “Hmm. I’ve always had a thing about pirates.”

  “Arrrggghhh, pretty lady. Would you like to walk my plank?”

  She erupted in giggles.

  “Is it long enough to sit on?”

  “Yes, definitely.”

  “Is it strong enough to hold my weight?”

  “There’s only one way to find out.”

  Still laughing, she spun herself around in the water until her arms settled around his neck and her legs straddled his waist. She felt something deep inside her roar with hunger when she sensed his penis pulsing against her entrance.

  “God, Nick. I don’t know what it is about you, but all I can think of when you’re around is getting down and dirty with you.”

  “Good. Then you won’t mind if I do this …” he said, movi
ng his hand over her until one finger found the hardening bunch of nerves at her center.

  “Not at all.”

  “And if I do this …?” he asked, gently flicking his finger back and forth.

  Her brain short-circuited, leaving her unable to think of the right thing to say, so she just nodded.

  “And what if I said I wanted all of you?”

  The waves of pleasure he was creating with his finger melded with the cool lick of the surf passing back and forth across her, driving her crazy with need. Unable to speak, she shifted until he was almost inside her.

  “Take me,” she whispered. She knew she was being even more impulsive than usual, but she needed to know she was still alive and strong.

  “It’s safe?”

  “Yeah. I’m on the Pill.”

  Growling wordlessly, he grabbed her butt in both hands and slammed all the way into her. She threw her head back and gave herself to his rhythm, rejoicing in the sensations his movement stirred up. Surely a body that could feel all this wasn’t dying? She trembled on the precipice for longer than she would have thought possible, gasping and hungering for more of his touch. Then, with one final twist of his hips and a flick of his thumb, he sent her tumbling over the cliff.

  She screamed with pleasure, her cries disappearing into the roar of the surf.

  Seconds later he followed her over the edge. For a few long moments afterward they clung to each other, swaying with the tide. Eventually she unlocked her legs from around his waist and let go, forcing her own feet to hold her weight.

  She looked down at the water and for a moment couldn’t believe her eyes.

  “Nick? Is the water glowing?”

  His eyes snapped open, then widened with wonder. “It certainly is.”

  As far as the eye could see the water sparkled with tiny green dots of phosphorescence. The lights fluttered and swirled in the waves, almost seeming to move to a choreographed dance.

  Her heart thrilled. Maybe her mom really was trying to talk to her. “The fairies followed us, Nick.”

  “Either that or we attracted a whole new batch.”

  She smiled and leaned back against him, letting her feet float in front of her. “I could stay out here forever.”

  “Not me. My fingers are turning into prunes.”