Rules of Engagement

Rules of Engagement Page 3

by Tawny Weber

  She wasn’t what he wanted.

  But his body insisted she was what he needed.

  He didn’t plan to let her go.

  Chapter Six

  Even as she collapsed against the hard strength of Rico’s body, Gina’s heart still raced. Only now, it wasn’t passion pounding through her.

  It was fear.

  Nothing should feel that good. Nothing should make her want so much. She was going to cry. And this time it had nothing to do with ecstasy.

  She’d always wondered about Rico. She’d told herself that he couldn’t be nearly as good as he seemed. She’d held tight to the comfort of knowing that even though he was hot, he wasn’t her kind of guy.

  Now she knew better.

  He was even better than he seemed, and he was everything she’d ever want in a guy.

  And for just a second, lying naked against his body while sexual delight shivered through her, she let herself wonder if maybe, just maybe, she might be what he wanted, too.

  She could try and be a little more normal. Tone down her looks, try for a chill attitude. He obviously had no issue with her job, given that she worked for his sister, so maybe...

  Could she make herself into the kind of woman he always seemed to go for?

  She’d vowed never to do that. She’d watched her mom make herself over, and over and over and over, while growing up. Whichever guy her mom was with, she’d morphed into his perfect woman. Gina had promised herself that when she found her dream guy, he’d accept her for who she was.

  As the sexual haze started to fade, Gina snuggled into the warmth of Rico’s arms. This felt perfect. It felt right. So if she had to change a few things to keep it, well, hey, the dream was worth it.

  “I said it before, I’ll say it again,” Rico murmured against her hair. “I like the way you move.”

  It was like he’d read her mind.

  Joy, glowing and bubbly, filled her. Gina gave a soft laugh.

  But before she could suggest they go back to her place and try a few other moves, she heard the unmistakable clatter of high heels on the cobblestone walkway.

  “Rico?” a woman’s voice called out. An upscale voice.

  There went all her joy bubbles, burst by reality.

  Gina jumped up from Rico’s arms, grabbing for her dress. Pantiless, she held the fabric against her breasts as she bent low and peeked through a hole in the bushes.

  Reality took the form of one of Rico’s pretty, perfect dance partners from earlier. Blonde, busty and normal. The epitome of everything he went for. Everything Gina wasn’t.

  Blinking back tears, Gina shot a look at Rico, who didn’t seem to be in any hurry as he stood and zipped his slacks. Or maybe he was just worried about damaging the merchandise.

  “Stay quiet,” he instructed in low tones. “Otherwise she’ll find us.”

  It was like he’d dumped ice water over her head, snapping her back to reality. Obviously he didn’t want to get busted with his pants down doing the goth-girl. If word got out, who knew what it’d do to his perfect little woman hunt.

  Gina’s jaw clenched even tighter when she saw he was right. After calling once again and giving a cursory glance at the garden, the pretty blonde turned on her very expensive, very perfect heel and headed back to the reception.

  “Now where were we?” Rico asked slowly.

  Her stomach tight, Gina turned back from glaring through the bushes to focus her rush of emotions on Rico.

  Time to put this little fantasy to an end before she did something crazy. Like beg. Or worse, cry.

  Or to use lingo Rico would understand, make a preemptive strike. That was better than falling apart. Definitely smarter. Push him away first, pretend she’d had no expectations. Make believe her heart wasn’t breaking as she sent him on his way.

  When a girl had no chance at making an impossible dream come true, saving face was all she had left.

  “We were done,” she dismissed with a shrug and a stiff smile. She hated the jealousy clawing at her gut. She’d known better. She and Rico had laid out the rules before they’d gotten naked. So she had no right to feel possessive.

  But dammit, just a few minutes ago he’d been hers. All hers.

  And she’d loved it.

  She looked around, desperately scanning the dark ground trying to find her underwear. Not that she minded sneaking out of the reception commando, but this was Sophia’s mother-in-law’s house. Leaving her undies just screamed bad manners, and Tabby St. James was a stickler about things like that.

  “I’m young. I’m fit. We can go again in a few minutes,” Rico teased.

  Gina turned to glare at him. He was dangling her panties from one finger. She held her hand out for them, but he gestured with a c’mere wave of his fingers.

  “Don’t you need to get back?” Gina prodded.

  Despite the chilly air blowing down her naked back where her still unzipped dress gaped, all the way around her equally bare, but still tingling privates, she stayed where she was. She wasn’t about to take a single step closer to temptation. She knew she wasn’t strong enough to resist him.

  “Nah. The happy couple took off before I came out to find you. Nobody’s gonna miss me. Besides,” he said with a shrug, “I’d rather be here. With you.”

  “Right.” Giving up on the underwear, she twisted in a pretzel-worthy move to try and catch the zipper at the back of her dress.

  “Don’t take this the wrong way,” Rico said slowly. Obviously catching a clue from her oh-so-subtle signals that playtime was over, he snatched his shirt off a bush where it’d been thrown and pulled it on. “But are you always this grumpy after sex? I mean, if I did something wrong, speak up. I’m willing to do it again and again until I leave you with a smile instead of a frown.”

  Her body twisted half-backward as she struggled with her zipper, Gina sent him a sardonic eye-roll.

  “What?” he asked.

  He wanted to go again? With her? Gina’s heart raced, even as her mind screamed caution.

  “Maybe you should get dressed,” she said, sidestepping all the confusing emotions battling through her. “Hurry back to the reception before your admirer gets away.”

  Rico gave her a knowing look, then gave one of those manly smirks that inspired even the mellowest of women to violence. “You’re jealous?”

  “Me? Jealous? Of you and little Miss Perfect?”

  Hell, yeah.

  Gina finally managed to maneuver her zipper all the way up and started looking around for her shoes. She had to get the hell out of here. Fast. Before she did something insane, like tell Rico that she was head-over-heels crazy for him.

  Rico surreptitiously slid Gina’s shoes under the hibiscus to his right. Sure the minute she found them, he knew she’d hightail it out of here.

  And he wasn’t ready to let her go.

  He didn’t know why. But he figured he had about five minutes to figure it out before she took off.

  “So what was this?” he asked, buying time. “A little Valentine’s fun?”

  “If this was Cupid’s idea of target practice, I’d say he needs to get his eyes checked,” Gina muttered, her butt high in the air as she peered under bushes.

  Rico tore his eyes off the most excellent view to scowl.

  Why was she calling Cupid a failure?

  Because she wasn’t interested in Rico? The hell with that, he’d seen her interest when she thought he wasn’t looking. Those sexy glances, the curiosity in her big eyes. He’d felt her interest when her mouth surrendered to his, when she’d exploded beneath his body.

  It’d be a crime to push her on this just because he couldn’t handle rejection. But a quick ego check put him in the clear. The tightening of his gut, the feeling of impending loss, those were his ego whining.

  That was his heart wanting.

  So what did he do about it?

  Toss aside his rules? Change the picture in his head?

  Rico frowned, realizing that the only pic

ture in his head now was Gina. Gina under him. Gina over him. Gina beside him.

  It was the beside him part that was scary as hell.

  “There they are.”

  “What?” Rico blinked as Gina rushed him, a surge of gratitude pouring through that she’d taken the first move, eliminating his need to make a decision. All he had to do was open his arms, welcome her in and hey, good times could be had by all.

  He didn’t even get his arms halfway out when she flew past.

  Shit. She was going for the shoes.

  Putting his military training and stellar reflexes to the test, Rico reached and grabbed.

  Not Gina, like he wanted. But her shoes.

  She wasn’t leaving until they’d settled this.

  Cupid hadn’t made any damned mistakes. The mistake would be walking way from what they had here.

  Chapter Seven

  “That woman isn’t my type, you know.” Rico said as he handed her one strappy sandal, then held out his hand for her to hold while she put on her shoe.

  She snagged her other shoe and slipped it on, ignoring his offer of assistance.

  “Oh, please. She’s totally your type. She’s exactly the type you always date. She’s exactly the type you’re looking to marry.”

  It was all Gina could do not to slap her hand over her mouth. Confirming her jealousy was bad enough. But outing her knowledge of his marriage quest totally betrayed Sophia and the worries she’d shared about her brother’s plan.

  “You think you’ve got it all figured out?” No longer amused, Rico’s face shifted, hardened. “You think you know me better than I know myself?”

  “I think you’re a gentleman through and through, and this,” she gestured to the small patch of lawn they’d used to climb all over each other, “was totally off the rails for you.”

  “You think I regret this?”

  “Oh, please. You always go out with Betty Crocker types. Perfect PTA debutantes. The kind who can cook. I burn water. You want the kind who play house in a perfectly decorated home. I live in a loft with cement walls. You always go for demure perfection.” Gina pointed her thumb toward her chest and laid it all on the line. “I’m a Technicolor mess, and I like it.”

  For three seconds, Rico just stared. The sound of crickets and the music from the ballroom filled the air like a buzz saw. Finally, he gave a slow nod of his head.

  “Okay. So that’s the type I thought I wanted. But I was wrong.”

  Before Gina could do more than gape, he continued.

  “I’d question your assessment of being a mess, but you’re right about the rest. You are definitely Technicolor. You are true to your beliefs, a loyal friend and crazy smart. You’re cute and sassy. Sexy as hell and anything but average.”

  Frowning, she hugged her arms around herself against the sudden chill. He was agreeing that she was all wrong for him, but he made it sound like a compliment.

  “So you keep track of my life?” he asked.

  Of course she kept track. She was obsessed with the guy, wasn’t she? Since she couldn’t confess that, nor could she lie, she opted for only answer left.

  She shrugged.

  “Because I keep track of you.”

  Gina shook her head, sure the buzzing in her ears had affected her hearing.

  “You keep track of me?”

  “Yeah. I didn’t realize I was until tonight. Until I was bored to death in there with those women. I kept thinking about you. I can remember every time we’ve talked. I’ve memorized all the things Sophia said about you in her letters. I thought about your smart mouth and your pretty smile. About how you keep me on my toes. And how much I wanted you.”

  Her heart raced and her mind spun. Tears blurred her eyes for just a second before Gina blinked them away.

  “I’m not your type,” she said, her voice shaky.

  “But you’re exactly what I want.”

  She wanted to believe him.

  “What about this,” she gestured between them, indicating their little garden tryst. “This was only supposed to be a one time thing. Wasn’t it?”

  “One time?” He gave her a look that said he thought she might be a little loco. “I just said that to get you to agree. Guys do that, you know.”

  Gina’s lips twitched but she pressed them together. She was so afraid that she was hearing what she wanted to hear, not what he was really saying.

  She was almost afraid to ask, but had to know. “Then it isn’t just this once?”

  “Hell no, sweetheart. This is just the beginning.”

  The beginning?

  “Of...?” She needed the words. She’d never had a guy give her words. Had never wanted them. But from Rico, she desperately needed them.

  “The beginning of giving it a shot.” He shrugged, looking like she’d just asked him to put on a dress and play girl. “I don’t know where it’s going. I just know I want to find out.”

  She stared up at his dark, intense eyes and sighed. He really meant it. He wanted her. Rico Santiago didn’t bullshit around. This was her shot at having her dream guy.

  At having her dream.

  All of a sudden, she wanted to run away.

  Girls like her, they didn’t get to live out their dream.

  Did they?

  Fear curled around her, making Gina shiver in the cool evening air. What if it wasn’t all those guys who were wrong. What if it was her? What if she didn’t have what it took to be in a solid, healthy committed relationship?

  “C’mon,” Rico said quietly. “Give us a shot.”

  Gina took a deep breath, not at all surprised that he could read her thoughts. She looked closer, realizing that she could read his, too.

  There was desire in his dark eyes as well as his usual cocky assurance. But she saw the need there, and the doubt.

  It was the doubt that did it for her.

  Suddenly her nerves fled, fears fading. Joy and a giddy sort of peace took their place.

  If he wanted to give them a shot, even though he had doubts, she knew he’d do everything he could to make it work. That he’d be hell-bent on proving that they had a chance.

  How could he do any less?

  Gina stepped closer, close enough to slide her hands up his chest and curl her fingers around the back of his neck.

  Relief flitted over his face, but Rico still stared, intent while he waited for her response. Leave it to him, he was going to make her say it out loud.

  Yeah, this whole thing probably was the heat of the moment. And yeah, they didn’t know each other well enough yet for crazy promises of happy ever after.

  But a beginning? Delight and excitement filled her. He wanted her enough, cared about her enough, to believe they had a future.

  “A beginning it is.” She brushed the softest promise of a kiss over his full lips, then challenged, “Now let’s see what other wild things you’re willing to do.”

  Wasn’t this the perfect Valentine’s thrill? The promise of so many possibilities.

  You can see more of Rico and Gina in BREAKING THE RULES—Sophia and Max’s story.

  Breaking The Rules

  ISBN: 978-0-373-79596-3

  Subject: Max St. James, U.S. Army Sergeant First Class

  Current Status: On leave after a year in Afghanistan.

  Mission: Take some R & R. Check up on a buddy’s little sister.

  Obstacle: Sophia Castillo. Independent, stubborn…

  and hot enough to make him forget she’s anybody’s “little sister”!

  Max may be off duty, but he still has one last job to do. He’s promised To look in on—but not fool around with!—his best friend’s kid sister. Only once he meets Sophia, all thought of keeping his hands to himself go out the window.

  Sophia, however, has different ideas. A recent widow, the last thing she needs is another man telling her what to do. Even if that gorgeous man leaves her drooling in a puddle of lust....

  It’s a battle of wills. Who will end up on top?