She turned around and glared at him.
“Listen Briana—”
“No, you listen, Fitzgerald.” She jabbed a finger in his direction. “I’m pregnant and don’t have the energy to pretend I’m stealing you from Kara to protect her. She doesn’t need that crap from me anymore. So just leave.”
Steal him from Kara? She could hope. Obviously the kiss between him and Kara hadn’t served its purpose. Baron moved closer to Briana even as her eyes narrowed with each step he took.
“I’m not married, okay?”
“Please.” She made a face.
“I don’t know what your mother told you. I’m not nor have I ever been married. And I’m sure as hell not using your sister.”
Briana continued to glower.
Baron rubbed his nape. He was tempted to ignore her and her crazy assumptions, but seeing the way Kara had dropped everything and run to her side, the two sisters were close. Antagonizing Briana would be counterproductive.
“Allow me to explain,” he said.
***
Kara twisted in front of the vanity mirror and smiled. The teal and green dress was worth its exorbitant price. She knew exactly the right accessory for the outfit, her favorite tan walking sandals with vintage accents and the matching tote bag. Inching closer to her reflection, she studied her face.
The makeup was minimal but it couldn’t cover her puffy, just-been-kissed lips or the fact that her eyes glowed with pent up desire. Her heart refused to settle into a normal rhythm since she’d kissed Baron. Even worse, she could still taste him.
What’s he doing here? Kara wasn’t buying his explanation of stopping to check on her and Briana. The sneaky eye candy was pushing for an answer about their Idaho trip by being ultra-charming and attentive. Like challenging her to a kiss then letting her take the lead. Was that a prelude for what was to come? Would he be that accommodating in bed? Her past lovers never allowed her to initiate or direct their lovemaking. Truth be told, she’d never felt the urge. But with a willing Baron…an illicit zing shot through Kara at the possibilities.
Pushing aside her wicked thoughts, Kara pinned up her hair with hair clips, leaving a few strands to frame her face. One look at her watch and she hurried out of her bedroom.
No one was on the pool deck when she stepped outside, but a deep male voice followed by her sister’s high-pitched giggle emanated from the closed curtains of the cabana. A chill settled under Kara’s skin, killing her euphoric mood and freezing her in place.
Anger, jealousy, and disappointment slammed into her. The past rushed back with a vengeance, bringing with it the insecurities, the hurt, and the humiliation.
Kara didn’t know how long she stood still, feeling as if smoke was coming out of her nose and ears. It seemed like eternity before her mind let go of the past and her eyes focused on the cabana. She redirected her anger where it belonged, at herself.
This must stop. She was a grown woman with an A-list of clients who valued her expertise as an art conservator. Her looks might not stop traffic but she was known to turn a head or two when she made an effort to showcase her God-given attributes. And just because Briana’s M.O. used to start with trysts at a secluded place didn’t necessarily mean she was with Baron.
Kara took a calming breath, lifted her chin and started around the pool. She’d seen grown men act like idiots around Briana. It wasn’t easy to resist her sister, especially when she turned on the charm.
Kara whipped the curtains back when she got to the cabana and blinked, the fight whooshing out of her so fast she felt light-headed.
Briana dragged her eyes from the high-def T.V. screen where some soap opera eye candy was plotting someone’s demise. “Still here?”
“Yeah. Where’s Baron?”
“He left to find you.” Briana sat up and angled her head, her eyes twinkling. “I like him.”
Kara frowned. “Why?”
“Because he’s perfect…for you, which is why I’ve decided not to be a third wheel. Go have fun with your man.”
Kara made a play of glancing around. “Okay, where’s the alien space ship and what have you done with my sister?”
Briana chuckled. “Oh, quit.”
“Seriously, you usually don’t have anything nice to say about my boyfriends.” Yet Briana would go out with them for a few weeks then dump them.
Briana made a face and gracefully reclined on the daybed, propping herself on a plump pillow. “Then enjoy it while it lasts. Now go. I’ve a manicurist coming this afternoon and I need my beauty rest before I can deal with my mother-in-law.” She narrowed her eyes at a point above Kara’s right shoulder. “Just so you know…hurt her and I’ll make your life hell.”
Before Kara could turn around, Baron slid an arm across her waist then splayed his fingers over her stomach and drew her to his chest. He was bold, but she wasn’t going to give him a hard time over it, not when she was enjoying the attention so much.
Kara covered his hand with hers, reveling in the way he made her feel small and feminine against his larger frame. His hardness complemented her softness, his scent, musky and appetizing, sent a primitive thrill through her. What would he do if she turned and burrowed against him?
As though reading her thoughts he nuzzled the soft space between her shoulder and neck. “Mmm, you smell heavenly.”
His warm breath teased her sensitive skin and combined with the gentle caresses of his hand on her stomach through her dress, she might as well be naked. In a sensory overload, her mind went foggy.
“It’s just soap,” was the best she could come up with.
“Yeah, eighty bucks an ounce,” Briana muttered, referring to the perfume she religiously bought Kara on her birthdays. “When are you two lovebirds getting out of here? You’re taking up my soap time.”
“You’re sure you don’t want to join us?” Kara asked. When Briana gave her a do-you-really-want-me-to-come look, she added, “Call if you need me.”
Briana dismissed her comment with a curt wave.
“It was nice visiting with you, Briana,” Baron said then his arm tightened around Kara’s waist. “Come on, let’s go.”
Kara allowed him to lead her toward the house, his hand shifting to the small of her back. For a beat, she was silent as the intense energy hummed between them, unnerving yet stimulating. She glanced up at him just before they stepped inside the house and he met her gaze with eyes glistening with desire. No, this thing between them could never go away.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked, slowing his steps once they entered the foyer.
She studied his face, loving the way the corners of his eyes crinkled when he squinted. “This and that. Why?”
“You’re looking at me with a frown and I hate to think I put it there.”
She reached up to briefly trace the scar on his chin. It was interesting how it added character to his handsome face. “There’s absolutely nothing frown-worthy about you, Baron Fitzgerald. So, are you going to feed me or what?”
He laughed. “Only if you promise to show me all your favorite places. I want to know everything about you.”
“Everything?”
“Damn right…down to your first boyfriend.”
Kara’s jaw dropped but before she could utter a word, Baron grabbed her hand and rushed her through the front door. A silver rental SUV was parked in the driveway. He made sure she was settled in the front passenger seat before he sauntered around to the driver’s door. She still couldn’t wrap her brain around his request. Somehow she knew it had something to do with his ‘visit’ with Briana.
Kara waited until he was behind the wheel before she spoke. “So? What did you and my sister talk about?”
He threw her a sexy grin. “This and that, but we now have an understanding. She knows I’m crazy about you, and I know she’s all bark and no bite.”
“Crazy is such a strong word.”
“Not when it’s true.” He didn’t explain but instead asked, “So
where are we going to start this tour?”
“Old Town. Get us off the island and head north on I-5. What do you mean it’s true? Since when?”
He chuckled. “Since the day you walked into my office wearing that burgundy pantsuit that hugged every curve on your body and fresh-out-of-college optimism on your face. I don’t think I listened to anything you said the first five minutes. Why do you think I kept…keep coming to your workroom?”
For a moment, Kara was speechless. It was sweet he remembered what she wore at their first meeting. But why had he waited all these years if he liked her that much?
“I thought you came to discuss my work,” she said lamely.
“You and I both know you’re good at what you do and don’t need me looking over your shoulder. Let’s just say I’ve been plotting the last five years.”
Except for the kiss they exchanged a year ago, Baron never gave any indication he was attracted to her. On the other hand, he was a meticulous planner, probably had a schedule with when and where he would make his first move. Was the trip to Idaho part of an elaborate scheme? Not that it mattered. She was so in.
They were approaching Old Town Avenue when Kara spoke. “What if things don’t go according to your plan?”
“They won’t.”
Kara cocked her brow. “What?”
“Don’t misunderstand.” He gave her a glance from the corner of his eye. “I’d love for everything to fall perfectly in place, but when it comes to you, planning means jack. We’ve wanted each other for a very long time, baby. What counts is we’re finally doing something about it.”
Kara made a face and frowned at the oncoming traffic. “Five years is too damn long to plot anything.”
“Ah, but some things are worth waiting for and savoring.” Without taking his eyes off the road, Baron picked up her hand and kissed the palm. “I mean to make up for lost time.”
His deep, rumbling voice caressed every nerve in her body, the promise in his words eliciting wicked and wild images in her head. Having private erotic fantasies in the middle of traffic was wrong on so many levels, especially when the object of her desire was a breath away and willing.
Kara wanted to snatch her hand from under his, she really did, but she couldn’t summon enough energy to fan her irritation. It fizzled out faster than champagne in a brandy snifter. She would love to say, “me too” but bit her tongue. A woman must keep a few secrets.
She directed Baron to a place to park once they hit Seventh Avenue. “Let’s start with the Clermont Hotel and Harlem of the West.”
He raised his eyebrow in question, which she knew had everything to do with their previous discussion but chose to misinterpret it. “That’s a tour of the jazz and blues scenes, including popular hang-outs for legendary singers.”
He kissed her palm again but this time he let her hand go. “Okay. I’m all yours.”
If only. “Come on, let’s go.”
The relentless California heat, laden with seawater, packed quite a punch after the cool interior of Baron’s rental SUV. The strands of hair framing Kara’s face frizzled and went limp. She should have known the curls wouldn’t last. Thoughts of hair were forgotten when Baron’s hand took her hand in his as they skirted around shoppers. They encountered tourists loaded with cameras and school children with their frazzled teachers just as they were about to enter the Clermont Hotel.
“Just our luck,” Kara whispered to Baron as they waited. “Except for Saturday when they give tours, I’ve never seen this many people in here.” But inside, only a handful of people milled around.
Baron studied his surroundings with interest. “It’s funny how often I come down here yet I’ve never really toured Old Town. I remember reading somewhere that the city was demolishing buildings worth preserving because there was no proof of their historic significance.”
“No proof? Please.” She filled him in on the fight by locals to prove the building deserved to be declared a historic site. “It’s going to be a museum.”
Baron leaned down to ask, “Can I ask you a question?”
Kara nodded.
“Why are you whispering?”
She gave him a sheepish grin. “I consider historic places sacred. Something about the aura gets to me.” When she realized Baron was staring at her, Kara couldn’t resist saying, “Can’t you hear the crowd? The music? Jazz…blues…”
Baron imitated her gesture, his expression serious. “No sweetheart, not a thing.”
Kara suppressed a smile. She was teasing him, yet the sweet man had taken her seriously. Keeping her expression bland became difficult. “Then imagine the place packed. Ms. Holliday’s belting a tune on stage. Louis Armstrong’s doing his thing. Now can you hear them?”
Baron frowned. “How come I can’t hear them and you can?”
Since their arms were locked, she nudged him with her shoulder and chuckled. “Because you lack imagination, that’s why.”
Baron leaned back and gave her a languid once over, an irresistible grin dancing on his lips. “I have plenty of imagination.”
She rolled her eyes. “What you have is a one track mind, you letch. Come on, we have the rest of Old Town to see.”
Baron dropped a kiss on her forehead. “Tell me more about the hotel. When was it built? Why did they call San Diego Harlem of the West?”
Kara grinned. Finally, a man who shared her interests in art and history. “I hope I won’t bore you. When I start, I’m like an Energizer battery.”
“I had no idea you were a history buff.”
“Guilty…ancient history, world, American, art, you name it, I’m in. If I hadn’t gone into art, I would have majored in history and become a teacher.”
“You would have made a wonderful teacher,” he said.
“You think so?”
“Absolutely. You have a way of making things sound interesting.”
Where have you been all my life? “Okay, no more compliments. My head is beginning to swell. Come on, we have a lot to cover. I’ll start with the history of Clermont hotel then the history and culture of the city.”
For the rest of the walk, Kara talked Baron’s ears off. He added funny anecdotes, flirted outrageously, and teased her mercilessly at every opportunity.
“What do you want for lunch?” she asked at the end of their walk.
“I’ll let you decide.”
Kara shook her head. “No, you’re the guest and I’m the host, so what you want goes.” When a teasing smile spread over his handsome face, she quickly added, “for the duration of our tour.”
Baron chuckled. “That’s like going to the beach and being ordered not to swim in the ocean.”
“Oh, that would be tragic, especially since I was hoping we would take Old Town Trolley to Del Mar and have a picnic on the beach. Sorry, we didn’t bring swim suits.”
He leaned back to peer into her face. “Are you teasing me?”
“I wouldn’t dare.” She opened her eyes wide and gave him an innocent stare.
He tweaked her nose. “You’d dare just about anything. A picnic sounds wonderful. Let’s go for Mexican… spicy chicken quesadillas, taco salad, the whole works.”
Once they got their lunch, they bought tickets, and hopped on a trolley. Wrapped in their little world, Kara hardly paid attention to the tour guide explaining San Diego attractions to the rest of the passengers. At Del Mar, they found a secluded picnic spot with a breathtaking view of the ocean.
“This is a favorite place of yours,” Baron said.
She smiled at him as she settled on the ground. “How can you tell?”
He inclined his head toward the families picnicking in the grassy area above the beach. “Look at the crowd out there yet you knew exactly where to go.”
“It’s one of the few places my parents would bring us on weekends and holidays.”
Baron helped her remove their lunch. He’d bought pop while she preferred bottled water, but they ended up sharing the drinks. The quesadil
las were yummy, the stuffed fries hot, and the conversation stimulating. Watching his eyes light up and the sexy curve of his lips as he laughed over shared college anecdotes filled her with a longing that went beyond wanting to be lovers for two weeks. It was five years ago all over again, laughing and flirting, never getting bored in his presence. He was weaving a spell with his smile, his eyes, and his hands. This time, she didn’t fight it. She welcomed every touch, look, and smile he threw her way.
After lunch, they hopped on another trolley and headed to Balboa Park. Armed with passports to the park and pamphlets of museum exhibits, they took off from the Visitor’s Center, starting at the Museum of Photography.
“I practically lived here,” Kara said when they got to the San Diego Art Institute/Museum of the Living Artist. “By the time my art teacher started bringing us here, I was already taking lessons from one of their artists. They have wonderful outreach and educational programs.”
“It’s good your parents supported you. A lot of parents tend to think no one can make a living as an artist.”
He sounded almost sad and Kara wondered if his family hadn’t approved of his interest in art. Could that be the reason he got a masters degree in business?
“Actually, my mother thought it was a waste of time and money to enroll me in the program. Dad, on the other hand, understood artistic creativity.”
“He’s quite a man, your father.” The respect in Baron’s voice was unmistakable. “I enjoy the conversations he and I have whenever he visits L.A.”
Kara smiled, remembering everything that made her father so special. “Yeah, he’s pretty unique.”
Halfway through their tour, they stopped for drinks then finished with a walk through the Japanese Friendship Garden. “If I don’t sit down and rest my feet, you’ll have to carry me home.”
He led her to an empty table in the courtyard of the Tea Pavilion and started to rub her back once they sat. When she dropped her head, he massaged her shoulders. “You’re tense.”
“These past few days have been crazy. I think I’ll make an appointment for a massage as soon as I get back home. My body is killing me, especially my poor feet.”
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