by Stark, Cindy
It was obviously his loud departure that morning that had her on edge. She needed to chill. Yes, she had met him at one of the hotel's clubs, and the hotel did sponsor this excursion, but as much as she'd like to see him one more time, her lover was not their guide.
The boat powered-down as it reached the dock, bumping repeatedly against the side from the swell of the waves. She held her breath as the cabin door opened…and out appeared the man who'd invaded her every thought since she'd met him.
"No," she whispered, gripping Mercedes's arm.
"What is it, chica?"
"It's Joe. It's the guy from last night."
"What?" Mercedes peeked over the shoulder of the man in front of her. "Oh, look at that." She sounded excited as she hooked her arm firmly through Elena's, anchoring her in place. "What a coincidence."
It took her all of a second to put the pieces together. "You knew, didn't you?"
Mercedes gave her a brilliant smile, her lips the same hot pink as her bikini top. "I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about."
Elena wasn't sure if she should be mad, sick to her stomach, or excited. As much as she'd planned to see him only one time, her pulse jumped at the sight of him. "I know I agreed to 'whatever', Mercedes, but you can't interfere like this."
"I wouldn't dream of it, chica."
Elena looked back to see the hotel's van heading down the road, the bright morning sunshine reflecting off the white paint. Great. Her choices were now limited to facing the morning after awkwardness that she'd tried to avoid or trying to find a taxi to take her back to the hotel.
"I can't believe you did this, Mercedes." Elena jabbed a sharp elbow into her friend's ribs. The group of her fellow passengers picked up their bags and backpacks, preparing to board the boat. She positioned herself behind a tall man, hoping she could avoid catching Joe's attention until she figured out what to do.
"You're too young to worry so much, Elena. You need to let loose and go with the moment." Her friend seemed to take Elena's anger in stride which only irritated her further.
"Joe was supposed to have been a one-night stand," she whispered. "One night. You know, love them and leave them? Never to see them again? You of all people should understand that concept."
The smile on Mercedes's face dropped, and Elena hoped she'd gotten her point across about meddling in others' affairs. "Yes, amiga. I know all about quick sexual encounters used solely for pleasure." She held her gaze for a second and then looked away. Mercedes bit her lip, but not before Elena was sure she caught a slight tremble. Her friend forced a laugh. "Just the other day, Carmen called me The Queen of One Nighters, so yes, I guess you could say I'm an expert."
Elena faltered, surprised that she'd pierced Mercedes's armor. This was the first time ever her friend had seemed ashamed of the number of men she'd slept with, and twice that she'd acted out of character since they'd arrived in Cabo. It made her sick to think she'd hurt her. "Oh, God, Mercedes. I didn't mean it like that."
Mercedes remained silent.
"What's going on? This isn't like you."
Mercedes stared off into the distance for a moment and then tossed a strand of silky dark hair over her shoulder and grinned what seemed to be a genuine smile. "Of course, it's like me. It's exactly like me." Any trace of her momentary angst had vanished. "Stop trying to change the subject. Today is about you." She leaned close to Elena's ear. "You and Joe," she whispered.
"Ladies? Are you going to keep us waiting all day?"
CHAPTER FIVE
Elena jerked her head toward the familiar voice, although now it contained sharp edges and not the soft, sexy tones of her lover from the previous night. Joe stood at the edge of the boat, his stance rigid and tight. The other passengers had boarded, leaving only her and Mercedes on the dock. Something in her longed to go to him, to wrap her arms around his waist, to kiss a smile onto his lips…but she'd given up that right when she'd walked out on him before sunrise that morning.
Funny how a little thing like that had made them virtual strangers again.
Before Elena could change her mind, Mercedes linked an arm through hers and tugged her toward the boat. "We're coming."
When they reached the edge of the dock, Elena inhaled and met Joe's gaze. "Good morning."
"Yeah." He regarded her with a cool look and nodded in return. Gone was the heated desire from the previous night. She wasn't sure she wanted to miss it, but she did. Mercedes broke the silence by introducing herself and accepting Joe's hand as she stepped onto the boat.
Elena shifted her backpack and took a step forward, knowing she was about to enter uncomfortable territory. Joe didn't smile, but he held out a hand to steady her.
She exhaled and grasped his hand, the warmth of his fingers reminding her of all the wonderful things he'd done with those strong hands the night before. She couldn't remember anyone or anything that had ever made her feel so good.
Suddenly, she needed a quick reminder as to why she'd been in a hurry to sever their relationship. They'd had such a fun time the night before, and it wasn't like she'd see him again once she returned to Carmel. Perhaps she'd been in too big of a hurry to leave him.
No, she reminded herself as she climbed aboard. He'd said he didn't want any kind of commitment. He'd made that as crystal clear as the turquoise water around them. She'd held up her end of the bargain and had actually made things easy on him. He should be grateful.
A wave came in, making the cruiser bob up and down with more force, leaving her a little unsteady. He tightened his grip although she'd already made it safely on the boat.
"After the way you took off this morning, I didn't think I'd see you again." His voice sounded calm, but something underlying hid beneath his gaze. Anger? Irritation? She didn't know and wasn't sure she wanted to find out.
"I thought that might be easiest on both of us." The awkwardness between them had to be double what it would have been that morning if she'd stayed.
He released her hand and fixed her with a cold stare. "Then why are you here?"
She looked for Mercedes to help, but her so-called friend had conveniently found her way to the far side of the boat. Elena shifted her stance, wishing she could restart her day. For one, she wouldn't have chosen to wear her damned bikini, and two, she would have stuck around long enough for her and Joe to part as friends. As much as she'd wanted to avoid an uncomfortable morning, that would have been preferable to this. Lesson learned.
"Mercedes signed us up for this excursion. I had no idea you were the guide."
"Oh." He gave her a sardonic smile. "I thought maybe you missed me."
Damn it, she did miss him, and not a single soul would ever know that. She shrugged, trying to lighten the mood. "I did leave a note."
His gaze darkened, and she was pretty sure she'd given the wrong answer. This whole thing frustrated the hell out of her. "Look, you're the one who specifically said 'no commitment'. I thought it would be simpler if I wasn't there when you woke up."
He studied her for a moment, then shook his head. "You know what? Don't worry about it. We both got what we wanted, didn't we? I shouldn't have expected anything more." He smiled then, but it didn't warm her. This was not at all what she wanted.
"I'm sorry I handled it so poorly. I thought it would be best if we kept our memories of a beautiful night and went our separate ways."
He tilted his head, regarding her with an unreadable expression. "Yet, here you are on my boat."
She glanced at the white cabin cruiser with clean, sharp lines and a fresh coat of paint. He had a point. "Would you like me to leave?"
He paused as though considering it, then blew out a sharp breath. "Nah. At this point, it doesn't really matter what you do." He stepped away, ending their conversation.
She exhaled, too, though it didn't do much to lessen her stress. He couldn't have made her feel any worse. She'd had no idea her leaving would have affected him this way. There had to be a million sexual encounters that e
nded exactly the way she'd ended theirs. So why did it feel so wrong?
Joe headed to the aft of the boat where everyone else had gathered, and she followed behind, determined to make the best of the situation. Mercedes caught her eye, and Elena returned her look with a glare. Her friend's little matchmaking plan had exploded right in Elena's face, and Mercedes would be answering to her for it.
The smile Joe gave the rest of his clients was warm and welcoming, but he completely avoided any further looks in her direction, making her feel as insignificant as a grain of sand on Cabo's gorgeous beach. It didn't help that the excursion was scheduled for an excruciating four hours.
"This is my crewmate, Paul," Joe said, as a young man dressed only in cutoff jeans joined them on deck. "He'll be staying with the boat while we dive, but he's PADI certified as well, so if you have any questions or need help, feel free to ask him." The sun-bleached kid nodded to them as they exchanged hellos.
"Okay, then. If you'll all find a seat, we'll head out to Pelican Rock, our first destination." Joe returned to the cruiser's cabin and fired up the engine. Elena blinked away her disappointment and took a seat next to the edge.
Whatever. She hated that her beautiful island fling was tarnished, but what was done was done. She just hoped she'd be able to forget the look on Joe's face when he said it didn't matter to him what she did. She wanted to remember their night together as a wonderful adventure to be treasured.
Focusing on her surroundings helped improve her spirits. Salty sea spray clung to her skin as they sailed away from the shoreline. The beautiful blue Mexican sky dotted with fluffy white clouds came second to the rolling turquoise waters of the Sea of Cortez. She relaxed her shoulders, letting the beautiful scenery wash away her cares. If she didn't have a daughter and floral shop waiting back in Carmel, she'd be tempted to stay forever.
Mercedes, it seemed had moved beyond whatever little bump in the road she'd experienced, but Elena hoped her friend didn't think she hadn't noticed. Because she had. Later, when they were alone, Mercedes was going to talk…after she'd finished begging for forgiveness.
In the meantime, her friend sat, surrounded by five men, looking like a goddess in her pink bikini. Their diving companions were from San Francisco, visiting Cabo on a business trip. She overheard one introduce himself as Thomas and question Mercedes about "her little blonde friend". Elena rolled her eyes. It wasn't that any of the men were bad looking, but she wasn't sure she was ready to have another man flirting with her quite yet. Especially in front of Joe.
Or maybe that's exactly what she needed. If Joe didn't care what she did, then he certainly wouldn't mind her flirting with another guy.
Far too soon, the boat powered down, and Elena listened as her fellow divers' talk grew animated. It seemed all of the men were intermediate-level divers, leaving her and Mercedes as the least experienced. They were beyond the beginner stage, having dived in open water more than a handful of times, but they weren't quite at the same level as their companions. The worst part was all of them except Elena were jacked up on the idea of communing with the whale sharks.
Elena scanned the horizon, looking for anything that resembled a lumbering submarine. She couldn't see any signs of the massive creatures. Instead, gorgeous blue-green water lapped at their boat with the beaches of the Baja peninsula off in the distance. A soft breeze blew, creating small whitecaps across the ocean, but it shouldn't be enough to lessen their visibility underwater. All in all, it seemed like a perfect, peaceful day.
She knew better.
Elena followed the other divers and began to prepare her gear. Joe joined them at the back of the boat and started pulling their air tanks out of a nearby locker. He glanced at her several times as she slipped off her shorts, not a friendly feature on his face. What a difference a few hours could make. She had to admit she preferred his hot and lusty gaze to this expression.
She scanned the faces of her fellow divers. Thomas caught her eye and smiled. She smiled back, hoping a little friendly flirtation might improve her mood. As she turned, she found the older, balding guy also watching her. She smiled at him, too, mildly regretting that she'd been rude to him on the dock.
Great. She laughed to herself. Leave it up to Mercedes to sign them up for the testosterone dive.
Then again, that would be exactly why her friend had chosen this particular activity. She could flirt to her heart's content, all the while playing Little Miss Matchmaker. At least it had worked out well for one of them.
The hot sun glared down on her, making the thought of diving into the water more appealing. Maybe Joe had missed his mark, and there weren't any whale sharks in the area. She could only hope, because there was no way she could stay on the boat now while the others dove. Her best option was to stick with the group, keep a low profile, and try to enjoy herself.
Sitting on the edge of her seat, she pushed a foot at a time down into her wetsuit and then shimmied the fabric up her legs. As she stood, she managed an inconspicuous tug on her bikini bottom. From there, she squeezed into the rest of the suit, grateful that there was one discomfort she could put behind her.
Her suit was fairly snug, as it should be to keep her warm. She tugged and pulled until the fabric fit better. Leaning forward, she bunched the suit between her fingers, gripped the zipper and pulled. It came halfway up her abdomen and halted an inch below her breasts, squeezing them together and emphasizing her cleavage. She yanked the zipper again, trying to finish the job. The damn thing was stuck. She unzipped it a bit, trying to locate the problem.
"Need some help?"
Elena looked up and found herself face-to-face with a pair of brilliant blue eyes. Thomas was a little better looking up close, the sun a bright halo around his thinning blonde hair. Not a terribly handsome man, but his intense blue eyes intrigued her, and he looked pretty good in his blue swim trunks.
"My zipper is stuck." She jerked again. "I think I can—"
"I've got it, Thomas." Joe butted his way in between them. "You need to get your gear on."
Thomas hesitated and then nodded. "Yeah, sure." He walked to a seat and picked up a wetsuit, his attention bouncing between getting on his suit and watching her.
"Problem here?" Joe was still all business, but the fact that he’d run off Thomas lightened her mood considerably. Maybe there was a chance to make amends after all.
"I can't get the zipper up." She tugged again.
He reached in, his knuckles grazing the skin under her breasts, and Elena clamped down on a sigh. He struggled, pulling the zipper down and up again. "These damn things the hotel rents are worthless."
His fingers were warm against her skin, and she couldn't resist studying his face while he was so intent on her wetsuit. A few wrinkles edged his eyes, and a light stubble covered his chin. The same stubble that she'd noticed that morning when she'd woken up with him in her bed. The look so worked for him.
"I didn't know you were a diving guide. I thought you said you had a business back in California."
He glanced at her, giving the zipper another jerk. Up it went. "There are a lot of things about me you don't know, and there's only one thing I want to know about you." He arched an eyebrow. "Are you going to know what you're doing down there?" He nodded toward the water.
"Yes." She took a step back. "I'm certified for open water." If it weren't for the big monster whale sharks, she wouldn't be hesitant at all.
"Good, 'cause these gentlemen here are paying for a guide, not a babysitter for someone else."
Elena blinked as Joe walked back and pulled a wetsuit from a locker. Ouch. The man was definitely angry, but things were starting to make sense. She'd wounded his pride. She'd been the one to walk away, and being the player that he was, he couldn't stand it. The thought made her smile.
"He wants you, chica," Mercedes taunted in her ear.
"Stay out of it, Mercedes."
"It's true. Look how possessive he became when Thomas approached you. You know as well as I d
o he wouldn't be acting so pissy if he really didn't care anything about you. Guys don't put effort into anything they consider unimportant. Trust me, I know."
Mercedes's declaration intrigued her. It was true about the guys not putting forth effort. She'd learned that firsthand with Richard.
Mercedes sucked in a breath. "Mmm…delicioso."
Elena followed her friend's stare. Joe tugged off his shirt, his pecs and abs looking golden in the bright light. Damn. She sighed, knowing she'd had complete access to his body the night before, and it had felt unbelievably good. His dark hair, dark eyes, the way he moved—everything about him tempted her.
She still had five days left at the resort. "What was I thinking?"
"You were thinking he was so yummy. Don't tell me you regret it." The sass in Mercedes's voice was evident, but Elena couldn't take her eyes off Joe. He looked up, catching her watching him, and still she couldn't look away. They stayed focused on each other for several endless seconds until he finally broke contact.
Elena exhaled. "No, I meant, what was I thinking when I snuck out this morning? I say I want to be this cool, liberated woman, so why should I worry if my one-night stand turns into a one-week stand?" She turned to her friend. "I need to grow up and get over myself." Her heart had sustained enough damage in the past that she could be assured it wouldn't jump headfirst into a shallow affair.
Mercedes rolled her eyes. "My point exactly."
Near the stern of the boat, Joe conversed with his assistant, his gaze slipping to her from time to time. This was good. Even though he was acting cool to her at the moment, she could sense this thing between them wasn't over. Not yet.
She smiled at Joe, and his bouncing gaze stumbled on her. He quickly looked away.
Yes, she still wanted him, too. Last night had been the appetizer for her. There was the main course to look forward to…and dessert. One should never forget dessert.