by Katie Reus
Feeling her body heat up with a seemingly unquenchable need for him, she slid her hands up his chest. The sight and feel of his naked body never failed to get her turned on.
He was looking at her strangely, kind of intently as he slid one hand into her wet hair, cupping the back of her head. He opened that wicked mouth of his and had started to say something when the water turned cold, making her yelp and try to scramble out of it.
Tucker just laughed and moved them so that he was under the stream, blocking her body while the water returned to normal. The random changes in the temperature made her crazy, but it was apparently something that happened because of the piping. Whatever it was, it certainly woke her up better than coffee.
She wondered about that look he’d just given her, but he kissed her as the water went from cold to hot—and so did her body. Then she didn’t think about anything else other than his kisses for a long time.
“I’m seriously thinking about quitting my job and becoming a beach bum,” Karen murmured, leaning into Tucker as they strode up to the front door of his parents’ place. After the seafood dinner they’d just had, she was ready to jump him and then get some sleep.
“You’d be bored in a month.” He opened the door for her but wrapped an arm around her waist from behind and pulled her close.
She heard the door shut behind them as he leaned down to nuzzle her neck. A shiver went through her body, her nipples automatically tightening in response to his kisses, but she nudged him with her elbow. “Your parents are here,” she whispered, knowing he was likely to want to get physical right up against the front door. She and Tucker had gone out to dinner and his parents had declined to go with them, so she knew they would still be up.
His grip on her tightened for a moment, and then just as quickly he let go, coming to stand next to her. When he looked down at her, that same intense look he’d given her in the shower this morning was on his face. He linked his fingers with hers and silently tugged her down the hallway toward the kitchen.
She was surprised they weren’t making a beeline for the stairs but didn’t question him as they continued to the French doors that led to the back porch.
When he opened them, she stared in surprise. White twinkle lights had been strung up across the lattice covering most of the deck and hot tub area. At least a dozen no-flame candles were placed around one of the mosaic-tiled tables, and in the middle was a silver tray with a bottle of champagne and two flutes on it.
Blinking, she turned to Tucker just as he went down on one knee.
She nearly jolted at the sight and her eyes grew wet as it finally registered what was happening. His parents must have set all this up while she and Tucker were out.
When he took her left hand and slid a diamond ring onto her ring finger, she still couldn’t find her voice. Her heart beat out of control with so much joy, but her throat had seized as she tried to fight back happy tears.
“Will you make me the happiest man on this planet and marry me?”
She’d never seen him looking so serious. Or nervous.
As if there was ever any doubt what her answer would be. “Yes.” She wanted to shout it, but all she could manage to get out through her emotion-clogged throat was that one word. The only one that mattered.
Relief and a healthy dose of lust covered his face as he stood, crushing his mouth to hers. He moved them until the backs of her knees collided with one of the cushioned lounge chairs.
Then he was on top of her, his kisses more frantic, but she pushed against his chest, taking a moment to admire the way the diamond sparkled under all the twinkle lights and moonlight before she met his gaze. “Your parents—”
“Are gone for the next few hours.” Again with the knee-weakening, wicked grin that made her glad she was already flat on her back.
She wrapped her legs tighter around his hips. “I want to try some of that champagne.”
He rolled his hips against her, his need evident. “After.” The word was a hungry growl.
She grinned, her body already primed for him. “Definitely after.” Before he could move, she closed the short distance between their mouths, taking his bottom lip between her teeth and tugging on it playfully. She loved Tucker so much it was scary and wonderful at the same time. She couldn’t wait to spend the rest of her life with the man who’d completely stolen her heart.
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Deadly Ops series by Katie Reus
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Amelia Rios took the tulip-shaped champagne glass from her date, Iker Mercado, with a smile. At forty-five, he was seventeen years older than her and definitely the oldest man she’d ever been on a date with. Not that she dated much, not with her schedule. But Mercado was interesting, charming, handsome and didn’t have a reputation as a manwhore. If he had, she would have declined his invitation. In her experience, playboy types tended to have little respect for her gender. No, thank you.
If anything, the man had practically lived like a saint for the last twenty-five years. She knew from gossip that his wife had died at nineteen during childbirth. He’d only been twenty, yet had raised his daughter and never taken another wife or really even dated. If gossip was to be believed, of course. In this case, she did.
“You look beautiful tonight,” he murmured, his gaze raking over her appreciatively. But not in a creepy way. Everything about him was so polished, from his tailored tuxedo to his genuine smile. When he looked at people or talked to them, he was always engaged and none of it seemed forced.
“You look pretty good yourself.” She smiled, pasting on the brightest one she could muster. She rarely came to events such as the auction Mercado was putting on. She always felt like an impostor at things like this. While no one could say she didn’t look the part, with her sleek black dress, new manicure and pedicure, and thanks to a friend, an intricate hairstyle that looked as if she’d paid a fortune to have it done, she still felt like a fraud. It was her own insecurities, something she was well aware of. Didn’t change the fact that she felt like a big fake standing around with so many women of Miami’s high society, all of whom were decked out in glittering, blinding jewelry. Part of her wondered why Mercado had even asked her to this thing. He’d pursued her decently enough too, asking her out three times before she’d agreed. She was pretty—she knew that—but so many of the women were wealthy and elegant with the right pedigree. She was none of those things.
“So, how do you think it’s going? Or is it too soon to tell?” she continued, taking advantage of it just being the two of them. Considering he was the one putting on the silent auction for charity and was a well-respected man, they’d barely had more than a minute of alone time tonight. Oddly, she wasn’t that disappointed. The man was perfect on paper and incredibly nice, but she didn’t feel much of a spark.
“Well, I believe.” He stepped a fraction closer, letting his hand settle on one of her hips in a loose but somehow still possessive gesture. It didn’t make her uncomfortable, but it was surprising. “Though I now see that asking you to this for our first date was a mistake.”
Shock rippled through her at his words. Did he not think she was the right kind of woman to bring to this? “Was it?” Her words came out icier than she’d intended.
He blinked in surprise, a small frown pulling at his mouth. “We’ve had no private time. I’d like to take you out again soon, just the two of us. Maybe I’ll cook for you.”
Oh, God, she felt like an idiot. She wanted to crush all of her insecurities, but sometimes they just flared to the surface with no warning. The clenching in her gut dissipated when it registered he hadn’t been insulting her. “I—”
“Iker!” A female voice cut off the rest of what Amelia had been about to say.
Which was maybe a good thing. She wasn’t certain she wanted to go on another date with him anyway. If the spark wasn’t there, she doubted it would magically appear during another date. Deep down she wondered if she’d ever
feel that “thing” with anyone. She had once, but that was so long ago. Over a decade. And she was pretty certain she’d just built up the combustible attraction in her mind. No one could have been that sexy, that intense, that—
She realized that Mercado was introducing her to someone. Naomi Baronet. A beautiful woman with bright red hair swept up into a simple twist. She was likely in her forties. Her features were sharp, defined, and elegant. Amelia smiled and shook the hand the woman was offering. Thank God she didn’t have to do the air-kiss thing so many people had been doing tonight. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“You as well, Miss Rios.” Her eyes glinted with something that made Amelia feel uneasy. The woman watched her like she was a bug under a microscope.
But she kept her smile in place. “Please call me Amelia.”
“And you must call me Naomi. I’ve been wanting to meet you for a while now.” Her smile was easy, her teeth a brilliant white, but there was no warmth in her eyes.
“You have?” She couldn’t imagine why. Amelia had never even heard of this woman.
Naomi nodded, her eyes narrowing just a fraction as Iker slid his arm around Amelia’s waist, holding her loosely, but still close. It felt as if he was being protective. “Yes, I know you’ve been working in tandem with Maria and all those . . . unfortunate women.” Disdain laced the last two words, even as she tried to mask it. “I know Maria’s father disapproves of all the time she spends at that center, but she’s such a giving woman. I don’t know how she does it.”
Unfortunate women? “That” center? This woman was like a cartoon character. Amelia forced herself to keep her voice even. Sometimes her temper got away from her, and tonight was not the time for that. “She does a great service to our community. And those ‘unfortunate’ women are basically young girls who had nothing growing up and simply want a better life for themselves. And they’re not afraid to work hard for it.” Ice coated her voice even as she tried to order herself to keep that facade in place. But people like Naomi, who wore entitlement around themselves like a silk wrap, annoyed her.
The woman blinked in surprise, but before she could respond, Iker’s grip on Amelia tightened. “Naomi, I see someone I need to speak to, but save me a dance.” As he steered Amelia away, she inwardly cringed.
“Ah, sorry if I was—”
“Don’t apologize,” he said through a smile. “She is . . . an unlikable individual. And if you see me dancing with her later, I beg you to come rescue me.” The light humor in his voice eased the tightness in her chest.
“You’re not friends with her?”
“No. I’ve done business with her brother, but that’s the extent of our relationship. She’s here because she wants to show off her jewelry and be seen. She doesn’t care about our community.” It was clear he did care.
Amelia wondered what was wrong with herself. Why she didn’t feel more of a spark for him. The setting tonight was perfectly romantic. Afro-Cuban jazz played in the background, the band he’d hired nothing less than spectacular. The music—along with the servers walking around wearing fedoras and the birds-of-paradise centerpieces—gave the auction a vintage, glamorous Old Havana feel.
“There’s something I need to tell you,” he continued, pulling her closer to the dance floor, expertly maneuvering through the throng of people. “I had you checked out before asking you on a date.”
Gathering her thoughts, she took a sip of her champagne before responding. “You mean, like, investigated?”
He nodded. “Yes. I don’t date much, and I’m careful when I do.”
Whoa, he must be wealthier than she’d realized, something that made her incredibly uncomfortable. “Okay.” She wasn’t even certain how to respond.
He rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, seemingly uncomfortable as well, which was at odds with the polished man. “I wanted to be up front with you. I should probably apologize, but I’m not sorry. I’ve gotten burned in the past by women who wanted only one thing from me.”
A ghost of a smile touched her lips. It was refreshing that he was being so honest, but also a little unnerving. “I Googled you,” she admitted. Definitely not the same thing as having her investigated though.
He smiled, the charming man perfectly back in place. His hair was a honey brown with just a few faint hints of gray peeking through. “And?”
“And you seem pretty decent.”
He laughed at that. “You do wonders for my ego.”
Shrugging, she took another sip of her champagne. “So what did you find out about me that I probably wouldn’t have shared on a first date?” She couldn’t help but wonder what he’d discovered in his investigation. Probably that she’d changed her last name. Maybe he’d figured out why, maybe not. She wasn’t going to offer up the information, not until they got to know each other better. It was too hard to talk about.
“You’re the owner of two successful restaurants, something I already knew anyway.”
“How do you know they’re successful?”
Now he shrugged, all casual innocence. “About a year ago I looked into buying commercial property near La Cocina de Amelia. I checked out the surrounding businesses to see how profitable they were.”
Smart. “Did you buy the property?”
A brief nod. “I did. I wish I’d gone into one of your restaurants back then, though. Maybe we would have met sooner.” His eyes darkened at that, undeniable heat simmering there.
She felt her cheeks warm up just a bit at the boldness in his gaze. She still wasn’t sure she felt anything for him and loathed herself for it. Loathed that after a decade she still had lingering feelings for a man she knew she’d never see again. It was her own fault, but it didn’t lessen the emotions one iota. Glancing away, she nearly dropped her glass when she spotted Nathan freaking Ortiz moving around the edge of the dance floor, headed her way.
Nathan. Ortiz.
Had she lost her ever-loving mind? She gave herself a hard mental shake and looked away. When she found her gaze drawn directly back to the man again, she realized that, no, she hadn’t lost her mind.
Taller than her—but who wasn’t?—muscular, yet lean, he filled out his tuxedo with absolute perfection. He had the sleek lines of a graceful predator. Though he wasn’t looking at her, there was no doubt in her mind that he’d seen her and was making his way over. He was moving with far too much purpose. What was he doing here? Was he living in Miami again? The last she knew, he’d joined the Marine Corps, but that had been twelve years ago. She guessed he could be on social media, but she only had accounts for her business, not herself, so she didn’t know. She’d been tempted a time or two to look him up, but had never followed through.
Just watching him move was like watching— Gah, she couldn’t even think of a good analogy, but a low-grade heat started building inside her, her nipples tightening almost painfully in awareness. The man was even sexier than she remembered, but there was nothing boyish about him anymore. He’d been eighteen the last time she’d seen him, so he’d be almost thirty now. He had a bit of scruff on his face, not a full-on beard, but oh sweet Lord, he was gorgeous. She absolutely hated that her body just seemed to flare to life at the mere sight of him. Like a switch flipping, she didn’t even feel like herself right now. She wanted to crawl out of her skin to escape this surreal sensation of watching the man whom she’d never gotten over make his way toward her and her date.
Amelia tore her gaze from Nathan as he disappeared behind a cluster of people and focused on Iker, who was still smiling at her. Guilt suffused her, but thank God he couldn’t read her mind. She wanted to ask him to dance, to drag him out onto the gleaming wood floor and get away from Nathan. If that made her a coward, she didn’t care. When Iker plucked a new champagne glass for her from one of the passing servers, she didn’t protest.
“I’d like you to meet an associate of mine,” Iker murmured, slipping his arm around her waist in the same way he’d done around Naomi, only this time his grip w
as tighter, less casual. Definitely a male-territorial thing, if she had to guess.
When she turned in his arm, looking up to meet his associate, she shouldn’t have been surprised to see Nathan. But the shock of seeing him up close was a punch to her senses. Blood rushed to her face, and she inwardly cursed her reaction.
“Amelia, this is Miguel Ortiz.”
Miguel? Nathan’s eyes were the same dark espresso she remembered. She didn’t know what to make of the name Miguel, but didn’t comment on that. If he was using another name, she figured he didn’t want to admit they knew each other. So she didn’t acknowledge that she knew him and instead smiled politely as she held out a hand.
He took it, shook her hand almost stiffly, formally. It was weird touching him again after so long. Just feeling his skin against her brought up far too many memories. Ones that should stay buried. The man had always been so talented with his fingers and mouth. So, so talented. Something she shouldn’t be thinking about.
“A pleasure to meet you.” His words were raspy, but it was clear he didn’t plan to acknowledge her either. Okay, so he was definitely using an alias.
She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t curious why. No matter what, she certainly wasn’t going to call him out in front of anyone else. She swallowed hard, forcing her throat to work. “You too.” Two words—she was a freaking rock star. She swallowed again, this time subtly. “Are you in antiquities too?” she asked, looking between the two men, thankful that she seemed to have herself under control.
Nathan looked at Iker, something dark in his gaze. “Something like that.”
She wasn’t sure what passed between them, but Iker seemed annoyed. He was still all charm, but something had shifted.
“Would it offend you if I asked your date for a dance?” Nathan asked, his gaze perfectly placid and polite. But there was something in his eyes she couldn’t get a handle on.