by Rhodes, Beth
As he hung up, that niggling doubt about this deal became a wedge. “Damn it, Dad. What did you do?”
He packed then gave Mrs. Kraus the rundown on what was going on in California. Mrs. Kraus clicked her tongue over it and promised to have everything ready for the missus when she arrived later that week.
David buried the nerves that threatened to overtake his confidence. He’d left an open-ended ticket with her. He didn’t know when she’d be better, if she’d need time to recuperate. She could be back by Friday…
Or never.
“I won’t lea—”
She’d been cut off by her not-so-graceful fall to the floor. She wouldn’t leave, she claimed. Leave what? Leave him? Or leave home? Would the draw of her family, of California, be too tempting?
Crude, grouchy father-in-law or protective, loving family. Was there even a choice?
David sat at his desk and went through the resort listing page again. He’d seen the property several times already. He’d gone over the books and met with the staff. Except for the rumor about Valiant Enterprise, he was ready to buy his third hotel in five years.
He was a success because he worked his butt off. He asked questions, got answers, and kept his word. But as he lay down on his big bed, thoughts of Maria warred with those of his coming trip. He didn’t like surprises. Not in business or his personal life. He’d had a butt-load of both in the past months, which left him wary of the coming acquisition. Had he lost his touch?
He didn’t want to believe it, but it wasn’t just work that bothered him. Maria had twisted his world around. And though his goal had been to keep his distance and prove she couldn’t hurt him, he found himself wanting her.
Needing her more than she needed him, especially.
After being back in California for those two and a half short days, his mistake was glaringly obvious. She didn’t need him. She had this family that was close…almost too close.
And she was still refusing his money, hadn’t let him buy her wedding dress and turned down his offer to take her shopping before they left for California, which really bugged him. He took care of his lovers, prided himself on being generous. Most women adored that quality in him, but she turned her nose up at it.
Thankfully, she’d been too out of it to stop him from paying for the changed flights.
David pounded a fist into his pillow, frustrated that his brain kept processing—over and over. He needed sleep. Sleep, damn it!
But everywhere he turned, he was reminded of her.
Even here, in his sanctuary, and he missed her, especially here. When she came back, he wouldn’t take no for an answer any more. She was coming to his bed, period.
When his phone rang on the nightstand, he reached for it. A California number he didn’t recognize. “Hello?”
“David. It’s Zack.”
He sat up and brought his legs around to the side of the bed so fast his covers slid off. “What is it? What happened? Is Maria okay?”
Why else would anyone from the Rodriguez family be calling him?
“She’s fine, but I took her to the hospital an hour ago.”
An explosion went off in a hidden corner of his brain, reminding him of why he’d avoided this kind of complication. He paced to the window in the corner of his room and glared through it. “The hospital is not fine.”
Zack hesitated. “She’d gotten worse through the night, been unable to keep fluids down. She was coughing so hard, I thought she’d break a rib. The doctor says she’s dehydrated. Her fever is still up around one oh two.”
“Is she— How—” How is the baby? David cleared his throat.
“She really is fine, David. She needed more than we could give her at home, and with all the warnings about the flu this year, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”
“Warnings?” He hadn’t heard of any warnings. “What kind of warnings? Is she…” He pictured her in a coma with oxygen tubing under her nose and needles in her arms.
“She wants to talk to you.”
Shit. Relief flooded through his system, and his knees gave out under him. The little corner seat caught him and he used the excuse to get his bearings. He leaned forward and rested his head on his hand, holding the phone to his ear. He massaged his temple.
What the fuck was wrong with him? She was just a woman. Just a woman he’d met and spent some time with before knocking up. Fuck. He’d always been so careful with his birth control. How? How had this happened?
She was like any other woman he’d ever been with… Wrong. The biggest lie he’d been telling himself since October.
His hands shook when her voice came over the phone. Raspy, weary…unbelievably vulnerable. “I told them not to call you, but they didn’t listen.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
Maria thought his concern didn’t reach the personal level—in sickness and health. He’d led her to believe in the business arrangement, and she’d followed that lead. She was stronger than he in that regard.
Every time she was around, he forgot all of his convictions.
“Well,” she said with a sigh. “This is no big deal. Don’t worry, okay? I’ll be fine in no time.”
“Good. That’s good. You sound better already.” He trained his voice to matter-of-fact. If she could do it, so could he. “Tell Zack I’m glad he called.”
Maria broke into a hacking cough that didn’t subside. And, okay, made him want to crawl through the phone to get to her.
“It sounds bad, but we’re taking care of her. I swear.” Zack had picked up the phone again.
“Thanks. I appreciate it. Don’t hesitate to call.”
When he hung up, he leaned back in the chair and blew out a breath. There were too many variables, too many ways to lose her. He rubbed at the tightness in his neck and stood to pace, walk off this godawful feeling sitting in the bottom of his stomach.
He didn’t want this, the ache of losing again. Not now, not ever.
***
David found the Florida sunshine was just what he needed to clear his head, get his life back in order, and keep all the worry from home at arms’ length. Work called to him, finally giving him a way to keep Maria off his brain. Liar.
“Look, March.” Donald leaned over the bar and reached for the basket of pretzels. “Valiant wants a bidding war. How can I say no?”
Of course, more money. Business was business, and he couldn’t deny the natural.
But David had inspectors and appraisers in several times already. Like hell if he was going to pay more than the establishment was worth.
Valiant was up to something, and he hated to see the place used as a bargaining chip in some game.
He sipped his scotch, wondering if a walk on the beach wouldn’t be a better way of spending his first evening on the coast. “I’m going to dig a little, see if I can figure out what’s up Valiant’s sleeve.” Swallowing the last of his drink, David stood. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Donald nodded and stood as well. “It’s good to see you, David. We’ll talk tomorrow.”
David went as far as the patio and sat at one of the glass-topped tables. The plastic chair dug into his back. When he owned the place, the chairs would be the first thing to go. He squirmed, found the worn comfortable spot and pulled his phone from his back pocket.
He searched the internet for anything on Valiant. A company out of Portland, Maine. Maine, just a short skip, hop, and jump from his own territory? Coincidence?
Maybe. David frowned. The feeling in his gut hadn’t gone away.
Something was up.
This was to have been easy, a steal.
“Well, look who it is.”
David’s gaze found red, three-inch heels and rose to slim ankles, up long, tan legs to a black mini-skirt that didn’t quite cover enough. He appreciated the smooth, tan skin of the slim bare waist, then did his best to hurry past the bikini-clad…boobs. Holy boobs.
Tammy. Shit, had she gotten a boob job? No, th
at wasn’t possible. Her brows lifted in question, and he quickly stood. “What are you doing here?”
Her gaze ate him up, from head to toe. “You look good.”
“Um, okay,” he answered. They’d just seen each other a week ago. She’d also rejected him. And they’d never, never in years of knowing each other, ever crossed the line into friends with benefits.
But everything about her in this moment screamed sex.
“You, uh, look good too,” he answered, bumbling a bit when her grin widened and she took his arm.
“Let’s walk.”
For the life of him, he wanted to decline her suggestion. Why?
“Relax. I don’t bite.” But when she said that, her gaze fell to his mouth.
David’s gut clenched on an all too familiar feeling. His frown turned to a scowl and before they hit the beach at the edge of the patio, David pulled free of her hold. “What are you doing, Tammy?”
“Just visiting with an old friend.”
“Really.” A breeze picked up and ruffled his hair, blowing it into his eyes.
Before he could run his own fingers through it, Tammy had stepped in and brushed it back. “Do you ever wonder if you’ve made a mistake?”
“No. I don’t.” His answer came without thought, yet he did. Hadn’t he been questioning since the day Maria showed up on his doorstep?
Her fingers smoothed down the lapel of his suit. “Come on. A walk, then you can get changed and we’ll take a dip, maybe get a late dinner.”
When his gut messed with him, he asked questions. Funny, how his gut hadn’t sent him any warning signals when Maria showed up. “Who told you I was coming to Tampa?”
For an instant, guilt flashed across her face and then was gone. “No one. I just heard a rumor about the deal going down. And…” She took his hand then. “I—”
“Spit it,” he demanded, perhaps a little too harshly. But she was messing with his senses. There’d been a time he would have slept with her. She was a beautiful woman, tall and beautiful, reasonable and practical—a lot like himself. They could have made a powerful team. She, with her connection in real estate— “Shit. It’s you, isn’t it?”
“What?” she asked, eyes wide.
“You’re Valiant!”
She swallowed, almost turning away, but he grabbed her elbow.
“What are you doing?” The burn of annoyance had caught flame in his heart. “This is a multi-million dollar deal you’re messing with—mine!”
Her chin rose. “I’ve done plenty of million dollar deals, thank you very much.”
“I don’t understand.”
Tammy stepped close, so close he could see her pupils closing against the light of the setting sun. They could never be friends. Not now. And this softer side of him that wanted to expose itself regretted that.
She clasped his shoulders in her hands and leaned in, taking his lips delicately. Her tongue traced the outline of his mouth, and dipped gently into the wet and brushed against the roof of his mouth. He jerked back with a frown. Nothing.
When he’d been at his lowest, he’d considered having her for the rest of his life, but now he didn’t want her at all. Had he ever really wanted her or had it always been the idea of her, of a relationship that wouldn’t cause any upheaval? “I’m a married man.”
Her eyes filled with hurt. “Yes. You are…and that’s why you’ve come up against Valiant. You said we could be great together, and you were right. We both have a head for business. In ten years we could have doubled our earnings put together.”
David shook his head, denied her words. What did she mean? “But you said no!”
“I wasn’t ready then. I had that deal in Canada I was finalizing. Besides,” she sniffed. “No woman wants a proposal that way…like a damn business deal, David.” She sighed, moved into his space again, and those damn hands were on him, tracing lines down his chest and abdomen. “Even someone like me wants the fanfare.”
Her hand reached for him, brushed against his crotch.
“Damn it!” David had her wrist. Her laugh sent a chill through him. Uncomfortable, he glanced around. A few people lounged on the patio, more were in the pool.
He held tightly to her wrist and started walking back to the lobby. He didn’t stop there, but went to the elevator, up two floors, and down the hall to his room. With one free hand, he retrieved his key and opened the door, shoving Tammy inside. “What in the hell are you doing, Tammy?”
Maria hadn’t cared about fanfare. He’d offered her nothing but business. Why had he done that? He had a lot of regrets, this trip was proving that with great success. Even Tammy had said no when offered a deal. A deal she was interested in!
“Sleep with me.”
“What?”
Like a damned wild cat, she prowled the room and came closer, tossing her phone and small purse to the table in front of the couch.
He side-stepped her pursuit and escaped into the kitchenette.
“Sleep with me, and I’ll let the deal go.” Her eyes were heavy with that look of lust and sex and need. Closer and closer she came, and he realized his mistake. He was cornered.
“No one would blame you for getting rid of her.”
His backward retreat came to an abrupt halt when his rear met the kitchen counter. She smelled of expensive perfume, with a hint of suntan lotion. Tammy leaned in this time, flattening herself to his front. Her thighs fit between his legs and her hips rested against his fly.
And all he could think was that she was too skinny, too tall. Her breasts seemed too big—was that even possible? And in an odd moment of unreality, his gaze fell to her chest, and he actually found himself looking for evidence of scarring. Maybe that boob job was a possibility.
Her lips found the pulse at his neck, but he put his hands on her shoulders and gently pushed her away. “I’m not getting rid of Maria.”
Tammy pouted. “You hardly know her. She was a fling months ago. You’ve had dozens of flings over the years. You’ve probably got at least that many illegitimate children in your wake. Now you’re going to go noble? I don’t think so.”
David frowned at her image of him. That wasn’t right… but he swallowed hard on the truth. Is that how people saw him?
“With me, you’ll get the best of both worlds. Me.” She grinned, knowing her own appeal. “And you can have whomever else you want on the side.”
Holy shit and damn it all to hell. “An open marriage,” he spoke calmly as if his entire world hadn’t just exploded all over him. She saw something in him that had never existed, and the sick feeling in his stomach was his own fault for letting her believe he didn’t care.
“Of course. We’re two extremely vital people. I wouldn’t dream of chaining you down. Hell,” she whispered against one ear as her hand played and caressed the skin of his other. Then she began at the top of his shirt, undoing first one then two buttons. “We could have some real fun, invite Maria to join us.”
Her teeth nipped at his earlobe, and like the shock of cold water on his conscience, he shook off the haze of her touch, of her…suggestions. “No.”
He ripped himself from her snake-like grip on him and propelled her to the door, opened it, and shoved her out. “I think it’s time for you to go back to Maine.”
Deal or no deal, he was done in Florida. With his stomach twisting a knot against his heart, he found his way to the bedroom and started filling his bag. His panicked movements made his efforts sloppy. He wanted a new room. He wanted…
He didn’t know what he wanted, he just knew he had to get out of there.
12
“Leave it alone, Michael,” Maria ground out, wishing David was still there. “I didn’t bother with a two-week notice. I gave a letter of resignation. Period. Done. I don’t ever have to go back.”
“But you liked it…”
“It doesn’t matter!” She whirled on him then. “Don’t you get it? I’m leaving, and I’m not coming back, except to visit.”
Pain filled her brother’s eyes, and she looked away as guilt settled on her conscience.
“Just like that, huh?”
“It’s the right thing to do, Michael, and you know it.”
But he was shaking his head. “I don’t.”
She shrugged, still tired after being sick for three days. She wasn’t better by a long shot, but she had to go. The inactivity was driving her insane. She’d managed to keep the fever down with Tylenol long enough to fool everyone into thinking she was fine. And last night, for the first time since Saturday, she’d slept through without waking.
“Stop giving her a hard time, Michael. She wants to get back to Vermont, to David.”
“It’s okay, Lena. I made my choice,” she spoke, pleading Michael with her eyes. “Please understand. I belong with him now.”
He opened his mouth to speak.
“I know. I know. If I need anything, anything at all, I should call you, right?”
He gave her a sheepish look. “Yes.”
“I’ll be okay. I promise.” She squeezed his hand. “Remember, I’m stronger than I look. This is my first time getting a chance to really be me, the me who exists outside of family. And I’m good, Mike, and strong. I can do this.”
Maria looked from Lena to Michael, and Juan in the corner. “I love him. Don’t ask me how it happened. I suppose I knew last November when he left. But seeing him again made it real. I love him.”
Lena hugged her. “I hope love is enough.”
***
After a few hours on a plane, thinking about it, Maria hoped so too.
The good-bye with her parents sent a bittersweet ache through her heart. She’d never left home for good before, not even to go to nursing school. Today, she was finally out on her own. Free, like she’d never been before.
The regret was still there, hidden under that ache, but mostly excitement vibrated through her. She was returning to her new home. To her husband where they would make a life together, as untraditional as it was. And there was no denying she would like a repeat of their love-making four nights ago. Until then, they’d barely brushed the surface of her memories from last fall. The way she’d wanted him then. A force so strong, like she’d never experienced before.