She beamed up at John who was looking more embarrassed than amused. He gracefully removed his arm from her grasping hand with its long curved fingernails painted scarlet with gold tips. He cleared his throat and acted like the perfect gentleman he was. “Lola, it’s good to see you again after all these years. I don’t think you’ve met Nina Whitney,” he said, moving to Nina’s side and putting his arm around her waist.
He may as well have been speaking to the birds in the trees for all the attention Lola paid to Nina. For the rest of the afternoon, while they moved around chatting with family, while they sat down to eat, while Nina was being shown all kinds of family pictures by Tia Maria, Lola was right there, showing all of her teeth and much of her anatomy to John. Maria was mortified and let Nina know it. The two women were in the cool living room of the house looking at photo albums. Maria looked at Nina appraisingly before speaking.
“I apologize again for my headstrong niece, Nina. She’s the only girl in her family and very spoiled . Since she started entering those beauty contests all she thinks about is how she looks and which man is going to take her someplace and buy her something pretty. She’s lost her mind, I tell you. And as for this obsession with John, please just ignore it. She always had a little crush on her cousin and now that she thinks she’s Miss Puerto Rico, well, she’s just out of control,” Maria said sadly.
“But you? You’re the perfect woman for him. John’s parents Nestor and Consuela would have adored you, Nina. I’ve seen John with his share of pretty ladies but I’ve never seen him so happy and content, the way he is with you. You two are going to make a lovely couple and you’ll have lots of babies,” Maria said confidently, and then gasped as Nina dropped the album she was perusing. “Are you all right, dear?”
“I’m fine, Tia Maria. I just need a little water,” Nina said quickly. In a few minutes she was seated on the patio again, with John’s long arm around her shoulder as she sipped a glass of sparkling water. John smiled at her and pressed his lips to her temple.
“Are you ready to leave, Nina? We can go anytime you like.” Nina nodded and told him a tiny white lie. “I am a little tired, John. We can leave now if you’re ready.”
“Let me say a few quick good-byes and we’re gone.”
Nina nodded again and continued to sip her drink, trying to ignore the fact that Lola was staring daggers in her direction. Nina hmmphed to herself and prayed that Lola would stay out of her way. In the mood she was suddenly in Lola was the one who needed to watch her back.
***
Nina was quite prepared to forget the whole thing the next day. It was another glorious day with blue skies and brilliant sunshine. She and John had made love all night like giddy rabbits and they’d had an excellent breakfast, which they were now digesting next to the pool. At the moment, neither of them had enough energy to head for the beach although they decided they would spend the next day there. For the moment they were perfectly content to lie on the big chaise lounges by the pool and sip passion fruit juice over crushed ice. They had already rubbed each other with lotion to repel the rays of the sun and now they were just talking softly and enjoying each other’s company.
It was a great revelation and turning point for Nina when she realized she was actually jealous on John’s behalf. When that over-endowed skank started making moves on John, Nina wanted nothing more than to rip the woman’s meticulously placed false lashes right off her head and feed them to her. She wanted to plant her foot square in the woman’s butt and kick her until her leg fell off. Who did she think she was, trying to push up on her John? If the woman had called him “Johnnie” in that syrupy voice one more time, Nina wouldn’t have been responsible for her actions. The whole thing was surreal to Nina, who’d never had a reaction like this in her life.
Of course, that was because she’d never been in love like this before. As soon as Nina realized what she just acknowledged, she began to panic. Her hands got wet and clammy, her breathing became labored and she turned ice cold. Her old friend, the little voice in her head had some pithy comments to make about her condition. Girl, you need to quit. Why do you do this to yourself? You knew you were in love with the man way before this and here you go acting like a schoolgirl. That man loves you like you’re the only woman he ever met in his life and you feel the same way so it’s a good thing. Quit being simple, girl, you’re gettin’ on my last good nerve.
Nina had to laugh, she wasn’t getting any sympathy from her inner voice, it seemed. She was on her own for this one. She sipped her fruit juice and looked over at John, relaxing next to her without a care in the world. Nina forced herself to look at the sparkling aqua of the pool as she relived the morning before she and John arrived poolside.
She’d just finished brushing her teeth and was looking in the mirror to see if her duplicity and scheming was evident to the casual observer. How could I let myself get so caught up? This is wrong, it’s just wrong. But it feels so good and so right, she thought miserably. Just as she was trying to decide if a good cry in the shower was the best way to relieve her angst a knock came on the bathroom door. It was John, wearing a beautiful smile and nothing else. “Care for some company in the shower?” His deep, sexy voice never failed to give her a thrill. And the prospect of one of those long showers with his soapy hands all over her body touching her with such adoring love made her warm all over. Her fears dissipated at once and she happily joined John for loving and lathering . Her dire thoughts were cast aside and she let herself be happy in his arms once more.
They had dried each other off and fed each other the breakfast John had ordered from room service while having a wonderful conversation. All her anxiety and guilt was forgotten as they just reveled in each other’s company. Now everything was just marvelous. She looked at John, so sexy and bronzed and was pleased to find him looking at her as though she was the most captivating woman in the world.
“What are you staring at? It’s this dumpy little suit, isn’t it?” she said with an overdone sigh.
True to his word, John had brought her a bathing suit at the hotel. It was a one-piece maillot in a deep turquoise with a subtle gold shimmer to it. It was too modest, in Nina’s opinion, but John thought it was perfect. It had high-cut legs and was deeply cut in the back, although not quit as scandalously low as her chocolate brown dress. The front was cut into a very deep V but it was intersected by a flat bow just under her breasts, which prevented it from showing anything John didn’t want some other man seeing. He’d explained it to her before she allowed him to purchase the suit.
“Nina, this is just how I was raised, something that’s been ingrained in me since I was a child. Latin men, even quasi-Latin like me,” he said with a short laugh, “just don’t like to see their women out on display like so much meat. It’s fine to be sexy and fashionable but when it comes to extra short, extra sheer and really low-cut things, it’s just not how you want your woman to be seen in public. At home, that’s one thing; you want to see your woman looking hot for you, just for you. But out in public, never. To be honest, it used to be that a woman who dressed like that was considered to be a puta, a woman who sold her body for a living,” John said, frowning. He rubbed his finger over his moustache and admitted, “I don’t think it’s that way anymore for some men, but I still don’t like the idea of too much exposure.”
After purchasing the bathing suit, a matching cover-up and a pair of sandals with beads on the thong, they returned to the suite and Nina tried the suit on again for John. He told her once more how sexy she looked. “But modest and elegant, the way a lady should,” he’d added, ignoring the fact that Nina rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at hm.
He’d crossed the room the where Nina was standing and came up behind her so they were both looking into the mirror. “I’m being old-fashioned and ridiculous, aren’t I? Does that make me a big macho chump?” he whispered into her neck.
Nina turned her head so John could access her soft skin more easily. “Yes, it does
, but you’re my big macho chump, don’t forget that.”
The suit was very sexy and it accented Nina’s slender form perfectly. In truth, she’d never had a suit so becoming and certainly not one as expensive, but she had to keep up her little pretense with John for a while. Now as they reclined under the hot sun and talked about nothing in particular, she felt somehow cherished and desired. She was about to say this to John when a shadow fell across them.
‘There you are! We figured you might be out here and we were right,” trilled a voice Nina hoped never to hear again in her life. She squinted her eyes and shielded them with her hand to look up into the painted face of Lola, who was standing over John like a hungry dog eying a thick juicy steak. Hovering next to Nina’s chaise was John’s friend Alejandro, wearing a frighteningly tight pair of bikini briefs and looking just a little bit too glad to see her. And for once Nina’s little voice had nothing clever to say.
In the years to come Nina would remember that day as the one where she exercised more restraint than she’d ever used in her life. She’d been calm and polite all day, even when the sight of Lola wearing her microscopic lime green bikini and hanging all over John made her want to throw up. Lola and Alejandro had come up with the brilliant idea of renting a suite at the Wyndham so they could hang out with John and Nina. Why they thought their presence was a welcome one, Nina couldn’t fathom. Then she realized it was just about Lola making a bold play for John. She had to say one thing about Lola; the woman was single-minded in the extreme. Nothing, including the fact that John was obviously involved with someone else, was about to deter Lola from her goal, which was to get John at all costs.
Lola followed John around like a poodle in heat all afternoon. She kept trying to get him alone and Nina could hear snatches of her fevered conversations in Spanish. She’s going to start humping his leg any second, Nina thought angrily. To his credit, John was cordial but distant, putting himself next to Nina at every opportunity, using even more endearments than usual, and keeping his hands on her as much as possible. Anyone else would have gotten the message, but not Lola. Like a slutty version of the Energizer Bunny, she just kept on coming.
Alejandro, John’s friend, finally apologized to Nina for her behavior. “Nina, don’t concern yourself with Lola. I’m afraid she’s been allowed to become spoiled and selfish, it’s sometimes that way with very pretty children.”
She ain’t hardly a child, Nina thought as she tried to listen to what Alejandro was saying. He was a virile and handsome man, about an inch over six feet with golden brown skin and curly black hair. He had kind and merry eyes and a nice muscular body, although he was hardly in John’s class physique-wise. Nina’s eyes went over to John who was apparently explaining to Lola he already had some lotion on his body. She had two sloppy handfuls of highly scented goo, which she was trying to slather on him. Bless his heart, he wasn’t having it.
“You see, Nina? She’s still a child, with so much to learn. You, on the other hand, are a real woman,” he said softly. “A woman and a lady,” he praised. “You look so beautiful, modest yet enticing, the way any man wants his lady to look.”
Nina’s face froze as she tried to assimilate his words. Is this joker trying to hit on me or is this just some kind of corny, macho Latin charm? Luckily, Jon came unwittingly to her rescue.
“Nina, I think you’ve had enough sun, mi corazon. You’re looking a little flushed. Why don’t we go in?”
She agreed immediately and started to gather up her magazines and her tote bag. Alejandro’s eyes followed her movements and he gave John a leering grin of approval. “That’s a beautiful lady you have there, John. Not only is she beautiful, but elegant and intelligent. You’re a lucky man. You’ve always been lucky, haven’t you?”
John wasn’t really listening to Alejandro, he was too impatient to be rid of Lola and to be alone with Nina. “I’ve worked very hard for everything I have, but I guess I’ve also had some very good fortune.” He aimed a mock punch at his old friend and said, “It’s my reward for clean living and a pure heart. I hear you’ve had more than a little good luck yourself. Your restaurants are doing quite well these days, Alejandro, I’m proud of you.”
“I’m ready, John. Nice to see you two, maybe we can do this again,” Nina said in a voice only John knew was totally false in its friendliness. She’d put on the matching cover-up to her suit and stood closer than usual to John’s side. John draped his arm around her shoulders and they almost made a clean break when Lola chimed in with the last word.
“Oh, you can’t get rid of us that easily,” she chirped. “We’re going to dinner and to the casino tonight, doesn’t that sound like fun?”
No, it actually sounds just like the ninth level of Hell. Nina only hoped her dismay didn’t show on her face.
John couldn’t remember Nina looking lovelier than she did right now. She always looked wonderful, but tonight her pure natural beauty stood out in sharp contrast to Lola, who looked even more scandalous than she had by the pool. The microscopic bikini was embarrassing enough but now she had on an alarmingly short gold outfit that put everything she possessed on vulgar display. She looked to John like a hostess in a third-rate Vegas club.
Nina, on the other hand, looked understated and elegant in an ivory outfit of wide-legged pants and a short jacket with a lace camisole underneath. Her hair was freshly shampooed and conditioned and she was wearing her wavy ponytail with her new diamond studs and her gold bracelet. She looked sophisticated but sexy and desirable in the nicest way. John was so proud to be seen with Nina. And from the looks she was getting from the other men, there were several dozen who’d like nothing better than to take his place. He deliberately pulled her closer to him and the look on his face dared anyone to try to come between them. It was a look that every man in the place knew to obey, but to John’s intense irritation, Lola had no such intention.
They’d enjoyed an excellent dinner in the hotel’s main restaurant, at least three of them had; Lola was the kind who claimed to always be dieting and she merely picked at her food. Now, according to Lola, it was time to hit the casino. “This will be so much fun,” she gushed for the tenth time. “You all like a little game of chance, don’t you?”
Nina felt compelled to speak up. “That’s when you take your hard-earned money and put it on a table so the casino can take it away from you, right? No thanks, I prefer to keep my money in my pocket.”
She had an unexpected ally in Alejandro who agreed that he wasn’t in the mood for gambling. “Would you like to dance, Nina? There’s an excellent dance club right here in the hotel.”
As much as she loved to dance, Nina wasn’t about to go anywhere with Alejandro. He might be a friend of John’s but there was something about him she didn’t quite trust. “Thanks, but no, I’ll just watch,” she said with a tight little smile.
Lola insisted on dragging John off to the blackjack table, which gave her an opportunity to plead her case.
“John, you have to know I have feelings for you,” she began. John decided to pretend he had no clue what she was talking about, hoping it would save some her almost non-existent dignity.
“Of course you do, I’m your cousin, part of our family.”
“But that’s just it, John, you’re not really my cousin. You’re adopted so that means we’re not truly related,” she said breathlessly. John doggedly studied his cards and refused to look at her, but when she put her hand on his thigh, he had to act.
“Lola, you can’t just set aside my family relationship because we’re not blood kin. Nestor and Consuela were my parents, the only parents I knew and they considered me their son. My aunts and uncles, who include your parents, also consider me family. So it’s pretty hard for me to blithely say we’re not related after all these years,” he said gently but firmly. She had to know he meant business and stop all of her foolishness. “And besides, you have to realize I’m involved with someone else.”
Lola tossed her hair back, not real
izing she loosened a track in her weave when she did so. “That little bird woman? Oh please, Johnnie, she’s not woman enough for you. If she’s your woman, why isn’t she over here fighting for you?” Lola said hotly.
The ice in John’s voice finally penetrated Lola’s stubborn head when he said, “Because she’s a lady, my lady and she knows she doesn’t have to fight for my heart, it belongs to her.”
Meanwhile, Nina and Alejandro were seated at the bar where he was trying to ply her with alcohol. After refusing several drinks, Nina finally had to give him her stare of death.
“I do not drink alcohol.” She enunciated each word perfectly and very slowly, as though speaking to a hearing impaired person who didn’t know much English. “Is there another language I might use to get that message across to you?”
Alejandro burst into laughter, apparently tickled to death by her stern demeanor. “Nina, you are indeed a treasure. I love a woman with spirit. You know, my dear,” he said, lowering his voice to a lecherous whisper, “I have means. Ample means, so you will never have to work again. I can take care of you in the style to which you should become accustomed. I can take you places and give you things you’ve never dreamed of, Nina.”
Nina was so stunned she didn’t trust herself to say a word; she just got off her stool and started walking in the direction she’d seen John heading with Lola the Limpet clinging to his side. She finally saw him looking at Lola with a horrified expression and she caught the last few words of Lola’s impassioned speech, something about her having womanly needs only John could fulfill. Nina put her hand on John’s arm just as Alejandro arrived after chasing Nina though the crowded casino. She looked at John, then at Lola and Alejandro and all she could do was shake her head.
A Fool for You (The Cochran/Deveraux Series Book 7) Page 12