by Lisa Hughey
Diego frowned. “She’s a reminder of last year.”
“She’s a reminder of the best day of my life.”
He raised his brow.
“Second best now.” Penny and Diego stared into each other’s eyes.
“Besides, she already did something to me.” She giggled.
“What?”
“Sherry did my makeup.” Penny cast a side glance at him. “And I know you like it. I saw your face when I walked down the aisle. She made me beautiful.”
“I beg to differ. You are always beautiful.”
Penny placed her palm along Diego’s jaw, the caress simple. “I love you.”
RJ felt like he was intruding on a private moment.
“I love you too, mi amor.”
“Then let the Sherry thing go.”
“But she—”
“I got the guy, Diego,” Penny interrupted. “Besides, people can change. Isn’t our whole relationship about forgiveness and acceptance?”
“Smart as well as beautiful.”
“Then forgive her and move on.”
“For you, anything.” Diego lifted her palm to his lips. “Everything.”
Her green eyes sparkled, as if he’d given her the most precious gift. “Let’s dance!”
The ceremony had been beautiful.
Sherry had hovered in the woods beyond the perimeter and watched. The visible love of Penny and Diego caused a hot sensation beneath her breastbone. Not greed, but envy.
She might have been watching RJ too.
The easy affection between the Ramos family and everyone at the wedding was a revelation. They really did treat their business like a family.
Which seemed great, but what did she know about family? Nothing.
Sherry quietly cleared plates with the remnants of the s’mores cake. The votives were sputtering out and the alcohol consumption seemed on par with a crazy good party.
The drunk guests were wrapped around each other on the dance floor as the DJ played a slow song, “All of Me” by John Legend.
Sherry bussed the tables, trying to be unobtrusive but most of the guests acknowledged her work with a smile and thanks. In her world, usually people ignored the help, barely glancing at their servers, but most of the Ramos employees and Diego and Penny’s friends all made a point to say thank you.
Zinnia Ramos was sloppy drunk, but Sherry could hardly blame her. She’d helped pull off the surprise wedding of the summer.
If Sherry wasn’t working, chances were she’d also be a little tipsy.
Sherry placed more plates in the bussing station and turned to go pick up more. Zinnia Ramos stood right behind her. “Oh.”
“I’ve seen you looking at my brother.” There was something in her gaze that twisted Sherry’s stomach. “There’s a bunch of rich young dudes here. Why not go after them and leave my brother alone?”
Her snide sneer and sheer disdain were the final straw. Sherry snapped. Quietly. “What did I ever do to you?”
Zinnia looked taken aback. “Pfft. Whatever.”
But Sherry really had no idea.
RJ came up to his sister. “Hey, Zin, come dance with me.” He winked at Sherry when no one could see.
Winked. As if it was a joke that for some reason his sister hated her.
But what did it matter? This was a weekend fling. After tomorrow, she’d never see him again. They certainly didn’t travel in the same circles. She was a soon-to-be-unemployed assistant. He was the up-and-coming CEO of a successful company.
The real miracle was that they’d gotten together in the first place.
The wedding reception was winding down, but the music played on. Sherry was headed back to grab another bin full of dirty dishes when arms wrapped around her in the dark.
“Hey.” Alcohol wafted from RJ as he whispered in her ear.
Sherry thought she heard the click of a camera, but when she squirmed out from his drunken embrace and looked around she didn’t see anyone. “I’ve got to work.”
“Dance with me.” He caught her hands in his and pulled her against his body. “Pretty please, pretty girl.”
“I’m working.”
“I’ve got an in with the boss. I’ll vouch for you.”
Hurt bubbled up. He wasn’t any better than her former lovers, expecting her to drop everything when they commanded.
“Look, I get that I’m just a weekend fling before you go back to looking for your perfect trophy girlfriend, but I still deserve respect.”
“Don’t be like that. I respect you. Lots. I think you’re amazing.” He tugged her into his body again. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to do dirty, nasty things with you. To you.”
Her body tingled at the heated sensuous whisper. She should say no. Go back to her camp staff cabin and forget about Raul Ramos Jr., but she wouldn’t. Because if one more night was all she was going to get, she was going to take it without regrets.
He nuzzled her neck. Inhaled. “You smell so good.”
“You smell like a distillery.” She should push him away, get back to work. But he was actually kind of cute. She curled her arms around his waist and snuggled against his chest.
The DJ announced to the crowd. “All right, folks. This is the last dance, so grab your secret, or not-so-secret, crush and cuddle up for this romantic finale.”
In the shadows, RJ began rocking back and forth, his body plastered against hers, his big palm holding her hand as if she were precious. As if she mattered.
He hummed softly to the song. Shivers skittered over her skin, sensitizing all her nerve endings. “Come back to my cabin with me.” He dipped her and kissed his way from the open collar of her polo and up her chin. “Please.”
Then he didn’t give her a chance to answer. He whirled her back to standing and lay a hot, sexy kiss on her.
She shouldn’t but she couldn’t seem to resist that sweet smile. And even though odds were this weekend was going to end in heartache—hers—she found herself saying, “Have some coffee while I finish and then I’ll consider it.” She shouldn’t cave, but she probably was going to.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Sit by the fire and sober up a little.”
“I’m actually only buzzed.” RJ grinned at her. “Someone spilled a drink on me, so I only smell like I’m tanked.”
That grin slayed her. Lightened her heart and had her finishing her cleanup duties with a bounce in her step.
Penny and Diego showed that there was room for many kinds of love in the world. She might only have the weekend, but she was going to grasp on to this last night with RJ and be thankful for the opportunity.
Sherry grabbed another bin of dirty glasses and headed toward the kitchen. There was a rustling in the bushes that stopped her. “Hello?” she called out.
Sherry strained to hear something. A low heated whisper barely audible came from near the ground.
“Everything okay?” she asked loudly. Because that muted muttering sounded upset.
“God damn, backwards ass, country bumfuck cell service.” The voice was distinctively male. But at his words, Sherry froze. Cell service?
It could be nothing. But she didn’t think so. The bride and groom had specifically requested that no one share details about the wedding. Why else would someone be hiding and trying to get cell service?
She clutched the bin with the glasses. She could leave, go get RJ since this was clearly Ramos business. But then if the guy left, she wouldn’t know who he was.
“Are you sure I can’t help you, sir?” She set the bin down and edged closer.
The annoyed muttering seemed to be coming from behind a tree just off the path. Sherry finally pinpointed the tree and the man.
The employee looked familiar. White guy, mid-thirties, his brown hair disheveled, as he stabbed at the screen on his phone. Then she realized that he had been one of the people with RJ at the climbing wall.
She walked closer. “Is everything okay?”
&nb
sp; His head whipped up, eyes glassy, clearly drunk. He shoved his phone behind his back. “What do you want, bitch?”
Oh hell no. Now she knew what he looked like, Sherry backed away from him slowly.
“What’s going on here?” RJ came up behind her.
The guy slurred his words. “She was coming on to me.”
For a moment, a sliver of fear wiggled through her. What if RJ believed him?
Chapter 13
RJ listened to Chad spew lies. She was coming on to me.
Bull. Shit.
Fortunately, RJ had decided to go after Sherry when he’d heard her calling out. But when he glanced at her to make sure she was okay, he could tell she was afraid that he’d believe Chad. The asshole.
“He put his phone in his back pocket when he saw me,” she whispered to RJ. Her expression was fierce. “And he was bitching about the cell service.”
“Well Chad seems unlikely that Ms. Washington would come on to you,” RJ said pleasantly. RJ nodded then jerked his chin toward the path, silently telling Sherry to step away.
The look of relief on her face ramped up his annoyance at Chad, but since he needed to get to the bottom of this, RJ continued in that nonthreatening and pleasant tone. “Since she is already spoken for.”
Chad sneered at him. “I’ll bet.” So clearly, he’d seen them.
“How about I help you up and we’ll get you back to your cabin?” RJ’s tone didn’t change, as he kept his growing fury in check.
Chad shook his head and seemed to shake off whatever he was feeling. “Uh, yeah, sure,” he smirked at RJ.
“Aren’t you going to check his phone?” she hissed.
He shot her a look, eyebrows raised.
“Right. I’ll shush now.”
RJ reached out his hand so he could pull Chad to his feet. He yanked hard and Chad fell into RJ. With a smooth move, he slid Chad’s phone from his back pocket.
“Hey!” Chad made a stumbling grab for the phone. “Give that back.”
“What’cha sending to Twitter, Chad?”
Twitter. The wedding would be all over their little slice of the industry and fodder for local gossip hounds if Chad had managed to post something about the wedding. Shit.
“Nothing.” He sounded like a petulant kid.
RJ clipped out. “What’s your password?”
“I don’ have to tell you.”
“You’re right,” RJ said. “But if you don’t, you’ll be fired with cause which means no severance.”
He kept his tone even but what he really wanted to do was punch Chad in the face.
“Fired!” Chad swayed on his feet. “Over this bitch?”
RJ clenched his fist. The temptation was strong. Until Sherry placed her hand over his. “Let it go.”
Chad said, “Yeah, let it go.”
“Go ahead and finish your work,” RJ said to Sherry. “I’ve got this.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah. Thanks.”
Chad leered at Sherry’s butt as she lifted the dish bin and walked away. “Can I get my phone back now?”
Not a chance in hell. The guy really didn’t get that RJ had a precarious hold on his temper.
“Let’s get you back to your cabin.” Because RJ had no intention of causing any more of a scene. This was Diego and Penny’s night.
Once they got to Chad’s cabin, RJ opened the door. Chad shuffled through the open door and staggered to the bed.
“Did the tweet go through?”
“No,” Chad said sullenly.
Well, that was something. “Give me your password.”
Chad shook his head.
“Fine.” RJ pivoted and headed out.
“Wait.” Finally, the guy rattled off six digits.
RJ pressed the photo icon and looked at what Chad had on his phone. Several pictures of Penny and Diego during the ceremony. The last pic on the roll was one of him and Sherry dancing in the shadows. His mouth tightened as he sent all the pictures to the garbage can on the screen.
Then he accessed Twitter and made sure Chad’s tweets with pics of the wedding hadn’t gone through. Thank God for spotty camp internet. RJ deleted those as well.
“You happy now?” Chad narrowed his gaze and reached for his phone.
RJ stepped back from him. “Not quite.”
“I’ll keep quiet about you and your girlfriend.” For a price, was left unsaid. “I recognize her, you know.”
RJ hesitated, just for a second. But it was time to be CEO. “Nope.”
“Whaddya mean, no?” Chad shrieked.
“You’re fired.”
“You never should have been named CEO.” Chad jerked to his feet. “I was more qualified.”
“Good bye, Chad.” RJ closed the door in his face.
Tomorrow he’d deal with the fallout. But right now, he headed toward his own cabin.
After two cups of coffee, RJ sat in the wicker loveseat on his porch and waited for Sherry to come back to him. The altercation with Chad had left him pretty much sober and exhausted. It had been a long fucking day. But a bright spot was coming. He hoped.
RJ yawned. Tomorrow was going to be an even longer day. The rest of the company employees would be here by around eleven. And there was still so much to do.
The air had chilled and most of the guests had wandered down to the lake to continue partying. The bride and groom had retired to their honeymoon cabin. He couldn’t wait until they saw the tin cans he’d tied to the back of Penny’s Charger. Just thinking about the horror on Diego’s face had him laughing out loud.
“What’s so funny?” Sherry asked tiredly as she plodded up the steps.
He tugged her down onto his lap. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
“That would be why I asked,” she said drily.
He laughed again. He liked that she didn’t take shit from him. “Lean closer and I’ll tell you.”
“I’m on to your tricks.”
“Whispering is a trick?”
“It is the way you do it.” She rested her head in the crook of his neck. “I should probably get off your lap now.”
Her eyes drifted closed.
He squeezed her tightly to his chest. “Long day, huh?”
“You have no idea.”
“I’m sorry about Chad.”
“You don’t need to apologize for that idiot.”
“I knew he resented the fact that I was promoted to CEO over him, but I had no idea that animosity was still festering.” That fucker had taken pictures of him and Sherry as well as the wedding. “Thank you for figuring out he was up to no good.”
She yawned, her mouth open wide and her eyes closed again. “No problem.”
“I’m sorry,” he said again.
She tilted her head. “For what?”
“If I were nicer, I’d let you go to bed alone.”
“You are nice.”
“Not that nice. I have no intention of letting you sleep. Yet.” He’d been sitting there daydreaming of all the things he wanted to do to her. With her.
She shivered. He scooped her in his arms and stood.
“What are you doing?”
“Taking you to bed.”
“Shh, someone might hear.”
RJ shifted her weight and carried her easily toward the door.
“Put me down before you drop me.”
“I’d never drop such precious cargo.” He kissed the spot below her ear, and her moan was like a sweet song.
“Let me walk.”
In case someone sees us was the message RJ was getting loud and clear. He’d thought that keeping their hookup secret was for him, but now he wasn’t so sure.
He put her down gently. But he found he couldn’t completely let go of her, so he threaded his fingers through hers.
He didn’t like that she wanted to hide their association, it bothered him, left a bad ache in his heart. One he wanted to obliterate, so he set about showing her that she might dismiss him in public,
but he wasn’t about to let her off the hook in private.
Completely irrational but he intended to give her a night she would never forget.
RJ closed the door gently, then spun Sherry around and pressed her against the unforgiving wood. Her breath caught as he cupped her face in his palms and tilted her mouth up to receive his kiss.
“I want to worship you,” he murmured against her mouth before taking her in a possessive, hungry kiss.
Her hands came up to grip his wrists, holding him in place.
He wanted to show her how much he appreciated her help tonight. She understood how much this weekend and making this retreat a success meant to him. Probably more than it should. But she could have walked away. Could have ignored Chad.
Instead she’d managed to help RJ catch him.
“I can’t wait to eat you up.” He kissed his way down the column of her neck, licking a path down her breastbone before sucking on her hard nipple right through the polo shirt.
She moaned, loudly and scraped her fingernails over his scalp, tugging him closer with every pull of his mouth. “RJ.”
He tugged her shirt over her head and tossed the shirt behind him.
Today’s bra was a lemon-yellow lace. Her pink nipples budded against the delicate fabric. RJ pushed her breasts up and together, then sucked both tight buds into his mouth.
“Take off your shorts,” he begged, keeping his hands full of her luscious curves.
She fumbled a bit with the button, the backs of her fingers brushing against his already hard cock. Finally she wriggled her shorts down her hips.
Then she went to work on his pants. She reached inside and curled her fingers around him.
RJ moaned. “Stroke me.”
She pumped him slowly. “Harder,” he murmured against her soft, plump flesh.
He toed off his docksiders and kicked his shorts across the floor without lifting his mouth from her body. She’d gotten the hang of the hand job and his eyes were about to roll back in his head.
Her head was tilted back against the door, the long line of her neck exposed.
“You’re so big,” she said breathily.
He licked a path up her neck and nipped at her earlobe. “Pretty much what every guy wants to hear.”