by Elle James
Blade chose a red wine to go with the meal and it was perfect. Everything was perfect. Throughout the meal, they talked about sports and their favorite football teams.
“I can’t believe you live in Texas and your favorite team is not the Dallas Cowboys,” Blade said.
“I prefer college football more than the NFL, but if you’re talking the NFL, I’m all for the Denver Broncos.”
“Why the Broncos?”
She laughed. “I like their mascot. I’ve always wanted a horse.”
“That’s the only reason?”
“And their colors. The colors are cool.” She grinned. “But I admit I do root for the Cowboys when they aren’t playing the Broncos.”
Blade leaned back in his chair. “What about college football?”
“I always root for the Aggies,” she said. “But I also like to watch Alabama play. What about you? And it’s a tough choice when the service academies are playing. I usually root for Army.”
Blade nodded. “You’re in luck. I’m an Aggies fan. A couple of my favorite commanders were Aggies. I figured if they were good enough to put out a good leader, they were worth rooting for. And you can’t go wrong cheering for Army.”
“Okay, here’s a good question,” Sophia started. “You’re so against marriage, have you ever been married?”
Blade blinked a couple times. “Okay, that’s a little bit off the topic of sports.”
Sophia leaned back. “Not that I’m interested. I’m just curious.”
“Besides the fact that I’m Delta Force, I watched my parents during their miserable marriage.” He lifted his wine glass and stared at it rather than into Sophia’s eyes. “They stayed married even though they didn’t really love each other. They argued a lot. It didn’t make me want to commit matrimony.”
Sophia laughed. “Commit matrimony? Is that like committing murder?”
His lips quirked up at the corners. “Sometimes, it felt like it between my parents.”
“You know it’s not always that way,” Sophia said. “My parents were happily married. They loved each other until the day they died.”
He looked across the table into her eyes. “Then you were lucky.”
“Yes, I was,” she said.
Blade set his empty wine glass on the table and looked around for the waiter. “Are you still hungry? Do you want some dessert?”
Sophia shook her head. “I’m so full. The meal was excellent.”
Blade let the waiter know they were finished. A few minutes later, the waiter was back with the bill.
“Let me pay for my half,” Sophia said.
“No way,” Blade said, shaking his head. “You gave me a free ride down here and free lodging. The least I can do is pay for a meal.”
“Yeah, but I won that free ride. It’s not coming out of my pocket.” She lifted her chin. “Besides, we’re friends, and friends split the bill.”
“You’re right. We are friends. But this time, I’m going to pull rank on you, because if I’d known you’d insist on splitting the bill, I would’ve gone to a place that wasn’t as expensive.”
Sophia grimaced. “That much?” Sophia reached across the table for the bill. “Let me see.”
He held the check away from her. “No, just trust me. I’ll get it this time.”
Sophia frowned. “Then I’m getting the next meal.”
“Whatever.” Blade opened his wallet and laid a couple of one-hundred-dollar bills in the folder with the bill.
Sophia’s stomach clenched. That was a lot of money. At least a couple night’s worth of tips. “Promise me we won’t eat somewhere this expensive again.”
He nodded. “Okay, but it was nice to celebrate one night.”
She nodded. “Thank you.”
He stood and held her chair while she rose to her feet. “By the way, you look stunning in that dress.”
Sophia chuckled. “I think you said that already but thank you again.”
“I can’t wait to see it shimmering in the disco light.”
“Disco?” She met his gaze. “Really?”
He laughed. “It’s disco night at the bar with the dance floor.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
He laughed. “Yes, I am. They have a bar that caters to classical music or big band era music. I thought we’d start there. And then if you feel like it, we can go to the disco bar.”
“Sounds good,” she said with a smile. Then her brow dipped. “Only now, I’m a little intimidated.”
“Intimidated?” Blade’s head tilted. “Why?”
“You’ve already proven that you can salsa dance. You were raised in an affluent home. I can only imagine that you know all the dances.” She stared up into his blue eyes. “Am I right?”
He shrugged. “Maybe.”
“Well, at least tell me you know them well enough to lead somebody who doesn’t know any of them.”
He smiled confidently. “We’ll manage.”
“Now, I’m really intimidated.” Sophia chewed on her bottom lip.
“Relax. We’ll have fun.” Instead of offering his arm, he took her hand and held it all the way through the winding halls of the resort to the bar where a band had set up. They played classic songs from the nineteen-forties and fifties.
True to his word, Blade made certain Sophia had fun. He led her through the dances like a professional. She learned how to do the fox trot and the swing. Fortunately, she already knew how to waltz; she’d learned that on a country and western dance floor.
It was like living a fairytale, dancing in Blade’s arms. The way he looked, the way he danced, the way he treated her, he could have been a prince. After several sets the band took a break.
“Thank goodness,” Sophia said. “My feet were beginning to hurt.”
“Are your shoes not comfortable?”
She laughed. “Anything with heels is uncomfortable, but they look good.”
“You could kick them off and dance barefoot,” he suggested.
She nodded. “And I might, but I’m not sure how sticky the floor is. If it were the Salty Dog, I’m sure it would be layered with spilled beer. And the thought of dancing on sticky beer isn’t something I relish.”
He nodded. “Can’t blame you there.”
After they found seats, a waiter came by and took their orders for fresh drinks. Sophia ordered a glass of red wine, Blade a whiskey on the rocks.
As he settled back and waited for the drinks to appear, Blade nodded toward a point over her shoulder. “Turn your head slowly.”
Sophia frowned. “Why?”
“Just do it…slowly.”
Sophia turned as directed.
“See that man standing there in the far corner?” Blade asked, his voice soft and low so only she could hear.
Sophia noted a man wearing a white guayabera shirt.
He leaned against the wall, his arms crossed over his thick chest.
“What about him?” Sophia returned her attention to her table.
Blade lifted his glass and tossed back the remainder of his cocktail. “He came in shortly after we did, and he’s been there the entire time.”
Sophia’s lips pursed. “Could he be a bouncer?”
Blade glanced around the room filled mostly with an older crowd. “I doubt they have much need for a bouncer in this bar. Maybe in the disco bar they might. I gave him the benefit of the doubt…until the other one showed up.”
Sophia’s eyes widened. “What other one?”
He tilted his head to the left. “Other corner.”
Sophia spotted a man standing in the shadowy corner to the left of the other one. He wore a black T-shirt. Barrel-chested, the man had heavy black eyebrows and probably ate nails for breakfast. And he was looking directly at them. As soon as Sophia spotted him, his gaze shifted to where the band had vacated the stage.
“Okay,” Sophia said. “Now, you’ve got me spooked.”
“I didn’t mean to worry you. I just wanted you
to be aware. I’ve had my eye on them all evening. We might take a different route back to the bungalow.”
“Like maybe the one past hotel security?” Sophia suggested.
He smiled. “Yes. Hopefully, the security personnel are for more than just show.”
Sophia glanced again at the two men standing guard in the corners. “Maybe these guys are part of that security team.”
“We can ask on our way through,” Blade said. “Do you want to stay for another set?”
Sophia shook her head. “No. I’ve had enough for tonight. After playing out in the sun all day, I am pretty tired.”
They sat for a while longer and drank the drinks that the waiter brought. When they were finished, they stood. Sophia reached for Blade’s hand. He held it in a firm grip as he led her through the maze of corridors zig-zagging through the resort. At one point he climbed stairs they didn’t need to climb, just to break it up. They came back down in an elevator that brought them out to the lobby where the security guard sat at the front desk with the receptionist and clerks.
Blade approached the guard and spoke to him in Spanish. The man shook his head, and Blade nodded. “Gracias.” Blade led them toward the door that would take them out to the walkway that led to their bungalow.
The security guard left his desk and followed them.
“Why is he following us?” Sophia asked beneath her breath.
“I asked him to,” Blade said. “He said that they don’t station bouncers in that particular lounge.”
Sophia’s brow wrinkled. “If they were working for Calderón, why didn’t they make a move while we were dancing?”
“I don’t know, and I still can’t be certain that they’re working for Calderón.”
“What about the security guard? Do you think that he could be in with drug cartel?”
“I don’t think so. I mentioned Maria.” Blade grinned. “He said that she was his cousin, and he’d heard about our situation.”
They made it all the way back to their bungalow without incident, though Sophia jumped at every shifting shadow. There were a lot because the breeze tossed the palm trees overhead and the lights pointed up at them danced.
The security guard opened their door for them and went inside first. When he came out, he gave a nod. “Buenas noches, señor y señorita.”
“Gracias,” Sophia said.
After the guard left, Blade led Sophia into the bungalow. The lights were all on. Blade locked the door and pulled the curtains closed. Then he performed his own inspection of the premises. When he came out of the bedroom and bathroom area, he nodded. “All clear.”
“Good.” Sophia kicked off her heels. “I hated the thought of having to run in these.”
“You could have worn tennis shoes with your outfit.”
She laughed. “Hah! No way. Beth would never forgive me. She helped me choose the dress.”
“You both did good.” His gaze swept over her. “It was worth whatever you spent on it.”
Her cheeks warmed, the heat spreading throughout her body and coiling at her core. “Thank you again. It was a wonderful evening. I could almost forget for a few moments that we may be targeted by a drug cartel. All in all, it was a beautiful day. I enjoyed it thoroughly.”
“And so did I,” Blade said with a smile. “Would you like a drink before bed?”
“Do we have anything to drink?”
Blade chuckled. “I had Maria stock the refrigerator with beer and wine, and I also had her bring in a bottle of whiskey. I had to guess at what kind of wine you might like. Fortunately, it’s red like you drank at dinner tonight.”
“Then yes, I would like a glass of wine. Let me get out of this dress. Feels like overkill in this bungalow.” She hurried into the bedroom, slipped the straps of her dress off her shoulders, and let it fall to her feet.
She’d worn nothing but a pair of thong panties beneath. What would Blade think if she walked out in nothing but her thong and her high heels? It would be worth putting those heels back on just to see his reaction. For a moment she considered doing that, and then she remembered how he’d reacted after he’d kissed her. She didn’t want him to feel uncomfortable if she forced herself on him.
Sophia slipped a T-shirt over her head and pulled on a pair of soft, jersey shorts. She entered the bathroom, grabbed a brush and considered running it through her wild curls. Knowing it would be fruitless, she laid the brush on the counter and pulled her hair up into a ponytail on top of her head.
No. Just no. It made her look like a twelve-year-old.
The last thing she wanted was to look like a twelve-year-old in front of Blade. It was bad enough wearing a T-shirt and shorts. She didn’t have the nerve to wear the baby doll nightgown Beth had helped her pack. Maybe, just maybe, by the time they left, she’d have the nerve to wear it in front of him.
If the kiss was any indication, he wasn’t completely immune to her. She had six more days to break down those walls. But tonight, she’d just get comfortable with him.
Sophia finger-combed her hair in an attempt to fluff the curls into some semblance of order. Finally, she gave up.
Sophia shot one more glance in the mirror before she left the bathroom. Tomorrow night, she would take the time to straighten her hair. Or not. The humidity in Cancún would keep her hair frizzy. So, for tonight, it was curls. How sexy could a woman be with a red, curly head of hair and freckles over just about every inch of her body? It was just as well that she was wearing her T-shirt and shorts. It wasn’t like she was anywhere close to being a vamp. She chuckled as she wondered if anybody ever used that word anymore. She was still smiling as she left the bathroom and bedroom.
“What’s so funny?” Blade asked handing her a glass of wine.
“Nothing,” she said, “Everything. From curly red hair to cartel members in guayabera shirts. When things seem rough, you just have to laugh.”
He gave her a quizzical smile. “I’m not quite sure how curls and cartels are connected, but I’m sure there’s something that ties them together.”
She touched a hand to her hair. “They’re the bane of my existence at this point.”
After handing her a wine glass, Blade reached out to touch one of her curls. “I happen to like your curls. You don’t wear it like this at the bar.”
She smiled. “It’s dry enough in Texas, I can use a straightening iron to keep the curls at bay. The humidity here keeps me from straightening it. I just have to let the curls go.”
He rolled one of the curls around his fingers. “I’m glad you did. I get to see a very different side of you, at least where your hair’s concerned. I like it.”
Once again, her body warmed from the point where he touched her hair all the way to her core. “If you keep saying nice things, I might begin to think that you like me.” She touched the glass to her lips and looked over the rim into his eyes.
“Well, there’s no doubt in my mind that I like you. You’re the best waitress and bartender at the Salty Dog Saloon, and you hooked me up with my house. You’re also an awesome neighbor. The fact that you like to drink beer and watch football makes you even more amazing.”
“Like one of the guys?” she asked, wrinkling her nose.
“Better. You have bright, coppery hair.”
She shook her head and drank a long drink of her wine.
“None of my guy friends have pretty red curls.” He winked.
The way he touched her hair, made her want to lean into his hand. Sophia had to step away or she’d make a fool of herself. “It’s too bad we can’t take a walk on the beach in the moonlight.” Sophia turned away and strode into the living room, pacing the length of it.
“If nothing happens within the next day or so, we might consider doing that before we leave,” Blade said from behind her.
She spun toward him. “I’d like that. I haven’t walked on the beach in the moonlight since I was a teenager down at South Padre. I imagine it’s quite a bit different here in Cancún.”
Blade sat on the sofa and patted the seat beside him. “Come sit down. Those feet have to be killing you.”
Part of her wanted to take that seat beside him and try to convince him that she was more than just a friend. The other part of her was almost afraid to sit beside him and get her hopes up.
That first part of her won. She settled on the sofa beside Blade. How was she going to make him see her as anything other than a friend, unless she pushed the envelope?
Chapter 7
As soon as Sophia sat down beside him, Blade realized his mistake.
Already having a tough time of maintaining the line between friends and lovers, having her beside him in her short shorts and T-shirt, with no bra beneath it, was tempting fate. What he needed was a willing woman to take to bed to slake his desires, but he couldn’t imagine any other woman than the one he was with.
Curious about her freckles, Blade wondered if the soft dots of color were everywhere on her body? How he’d like to explore and find out.
He closed his eyes. No, he wasn’t there to explore Sophia’s body. He was there to protect it. Blade needed to remind himself of that more and more every day. The woman had no idea how tempting she was.
He downed his glass of whiskey and considered getting up to get another, but over the course of the evening, he had already had three and that was plenty, even with the food they’d eaten. Any more alcohol would dull his senses. And that night he’d be sleeping again with one eye open. Thankfully, he was a light sleeper, and sleep would be even harder to come by because he planned on doing it on the couch that night. He didn’t dare sleep with Sophia. It was too hard. He was too hard. Every time she moved, every time she touched him, she stole his breath away. She made him want to crush her to him and kiss her.
He figured if the two guys in the bar were truly cartel thugs, they might make their move at night. They could be spying on them, waiting to inform the cartel of Sophia and Blade’s whereabouts. In which case, they could have followed them and the hotel guard all the way to the bungalow.
Blade had half a mind to sleep on the floor that night and convince Sophia to do the same. Cartels had automatic weapons. If they decided to unload on the bungalow, it wouldn’t take long before a bullet hit one of them.