Love Over Lattes

by Diana A. Hicks

  —Sure. I’ll see you tonight.—

  The Windows screen came back on after his seemingly harmless good-bye. I stared at my computer, my mouth hanging open. Did he want to see me tonight? What did that mean? Shaking my head to chase the thoughts away, I grabbed a binder and placed it on my lap. How in the world was I supposed to convince Cole to sign his divorce papers?

  He’s going to hate me.

  Chapter Nine

  Just a Snack

  Cole

  “You’ve resorted to stalking the poor girl?” Em set a highball glass on the terrace retaining wall.

  The afternoon was perfect for what I had planned. With a bit of luck, the weather would continue to cooperate for the rest of the night too. My stomach fluttered, a feeling that hadn’t gone away since I kissed Valentina four days ago. Not seeing her all weekend had been pure torture, but I wanted to give her space. Except now I needed to apologize for not telling her about Bridget and explain the whole divorce bullshit. Was I hoping she’d also release me from my promise not to kiss her again? Hell yes, but one step at a time.

  “I live here. How is this stalking?”

  “Do you really think this is a good idea?”

  Gravel crushing under the weight of car tires was music to my ears. “I wouldn’t be doing it if I didn’t think so.” I leaned over the stairwell, craning my neck to get a better view of Valentina’s private driveway. When I spotted her, I grabbed my drink and rushed to the nearest lounge chair. A minute later, Valentina strolled along the path, past the pool. She looked beyond sexy in a high-waist pencil skirt and a sheer silk top.

  Taking a sip of my bourbon, I gave her a nonchalant wave when she looked my way. I could’ve sworn she was blushing, but from this distance it was hard to tell.

  “Em, are we all set?”

  “No.”

  “What?” I whipped around to face her. “I specifically remember being extra charming when I asked.”

  The woman stood her ground and gave me that look she reserved for when she didn’t agree with my behavior. I was familiar with the look.

  “Fine. I’ll improvise,” I said to her retreating form.

  An hour later, I knocked on Valentina’s door. She didn’t answer right away, which had me wondering if she’d maybe fallen asleep. What a sight that would be. Valentina in bed, wearing something silky and translucent. The sudden rush of desire caught me off guard. I was here to explain myself, nothing more. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea.

  “Hi,” she said, out of breath, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand.

  Instead of the nightie I’d hoped for, she wore a pair of yoga pants and a tank top. She looked just as hot, though. I felt like an asshole. She was still working on getting the cottage cleaned, and here I was concerned about nothing else but the heat pulsating in my pants.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

  “Did you need something?”

  I exhaled. She didn’t send me away. “You up for a walk? I never got to show you the rest of the property.”

  A blush covered her cheeks, and the dimple on the side of her mouth appeared a few seconds before she spoke. “Let me just grab my shoes.”

  I leaned my shoulder on the threshold. If I went inside, I didn’t think I could keep my promise to her. When she returned, she stopped a few feet away from me.

  “Let’s go.” I urged her to go on but didn’t get out of the way.

  She squeezed through the small space between the frame and me, her shoulder brushing my chest. I inhaled and held my breath. Damn. There it was again. Past the desire, deep in my soul, was the peace I felt every time she was near. I needed that as I’d never needed anything else. And for the first time ever, I didn’t know what to do to get what I wanted.

  This was a game I’d never played. For whatever infuriating reason, Valentina couldn’t make up her mind about me. She wanted me. That much was clear. But something held her back. Would she be this hesitant if she weren’t practically living in my backyard? I took my time catching up to her. The view of her backside in those tight yoga pants made me slow my pace way down.

  “Where are we going?” She turned to face me.

  “This way.” I gestured for her to follow the path behind the cottage. Shameless is what Em called it when I asked her to set up a picnic at the overlook a mile down the path. The view from the edge of the ravine was an aphrodisiac. “I owe you an explanation.”

  “You don’t have to,” she blurted out.

  “I do.” I searched her eyes. “I am married. A colossal mistake that I can’t even begin to explain. All I can tell you is it’ll be resolved in the next month or so.”

  She nodded. “Okay. You don’t have to explain yourself to me. It’s not like I’m your girlfriend or anything.”

  “Right. You’re not my girlfriend. I just didn’t want you to think I was a cheater or anything.” Great. I was rambling. This wasn’t how it all played out in my head earlier today. Valentina had a way of unhinging me. “I signed the divorce papers the other day.” Even if they hadn’t been submitted yet, I was close to having my life back. I wanted her to know, though I hadn’t figured out why. I pressed a hand to my chest and let out a breath, feeling light, lighter than I’d felt in months.

  Her eyes snapped at me, wide and dark. She shook her head twice. “I have to admit the news took me by surprise. You certainly don’t look or act married.”

  “I was only married for ten months. It wasn’t that hard to get back into the swing of things.” That came out all wrong. I wasn’t helping my case here. What the hell? I usually did way better than this.

  “Yeah, I got that.” She laughed. Then she stopped in her tracks, her mouth slightly open.

  God, I wanted to kiss those lips again.

  Following her line of sight, I turned to see what’d made her halt like that, and did a double take. One, I hadn’t realized we were already at the place. I’d lost track of time. And two, Em had lied. She’d done what I’d asked her to do—and then some.

  We still had an hour of daylight, but Em had strung lights around the pergola and the paloverde at the edge of the ravine where old saguaros dotted the land and an earthy smell lingered in the air from last night’s rain. On a coffee table next to a couple of Adirondack chairs, she’d left a cheese plate and a chilled bottle of champagne.

  The dying sunrays burned bright in the horizon, turning the sky a light shade of pink and purple I’d only seen this deep in the Sonoran Desert. The tree behind us provided decent shade and kept the area a few degrees cooler.

  “Is this for us?” She rewarded my efforts with a big smile featuring a dimple on each cheek.

  Nodding, I silently thanked Em, the weather, and the desert gods. I gestured for her to take a seat, and she obliged. Her eyes fixed on the incredible view.

  “You hungry?” I asked.

  “Starving.” Her voice was low and raspy. She stopped playing with the hem of her top and was more relaxed than she’d been when we first left her house.

  I held her gaze. Suddenly, I was hungry for something other than cheese and wine. This incessant urge to touch her made me ache all over.

  “Let me make you the perfect bite.” I inched my chair closer to the bamboo table. The intimacy of sharing my favorite snack with Valentina was more revealing than telling her I was going through a divorce. I should be scared out of my wits, but instead I grinned like a moron and smeared fig spread on a piece of toasted french bread, layered on a bit of brie, and topped it with a slice of green apple.

  Bracing an elbow on her knee, she took a plate and held it close to me. “Thank you,” she said when I placed the bruschetta on it.

  “Wait. It’s not quite done yet. Savannah honey.” I let the thick amber liquid ooze down from the honey spoon to create a zigzag pattern on the white flesh of the apple. “Mom sends me bottles of this stuff every month.”

  “Thanks.” She licked her lips.

  Our chairs were so close
her flowery perfume taunted my senses. My heart picked up the pace, and I found myself wishing she felt the same way.

  “What do you think?” I busied myself with the bottle of champagne. This would be easier if she’d already spent a night in my bed. But until then, I would have to suck it up. I kept my eyes locked on the horizon. Mostly to cool down.

  To the west, far in the distance, ominous clouds hung low in the sky. The weather had promised no rain today, but that was the thing about monsoon rains. They could change direction at any time.

  “Hmm.” She fingered honey off her lip and licked the pad of her thumb. In my head, that sounded more like a moan.

  Admittedly, I didn’t bring Valentina here with the most of noble intentions in mind. I’d figured we’d eat, I’d apologize for not telling her about the divorce, and she’d reward me by releasing me from my promise not to kiss her. But what I had in mind now…

  “Wow, that was delicious.”

  “Yeah.” I offered her a glass of champagne. She took a sip and ran the tip of her tongue over her lips. Jesus. I had to get myself under control. “How do your parents feel about your current housing situation?”

  “You mean, are they okay with me living in the backyard of a man who’s notorious for seducing women?”

  The bubbles went down the wrong way, and I coughed uncontrollably. “I was just wondering why they didn’t cosign for you to get a real apartment or house?” I asked when I caught my breath.

  “I didn’t ask them to.”

  I’d assumed her parents didn’t want to help her. But I was wrong. That was the kind of woman Valentina was. She didn’t want to be handed things. She wanted to earn them. I smiled, and she returned the gesture. I should really leave her alone.

  “Where did you get such a ridiculous idea about me? I don’t seduce women.” I crossed my arms, grinning. “How do I know you’re not here to seduce me?” I teased.

  Her breath hitched. She pressed a hand to her collarbone, coughed a few times, and drank from her glass, taking two big gulps to clear her throat. “Annie thinks you’ll have me for a breakfast snack and forget about it before lunch.”

  “I have no idea what that means. But I’m guessing it’s not good.”

  She shook her head. “I shouldn’t’ve come here.”

  For a moment, I thought she was going to run off. Instead, she stood and walked to the edge of the overlook. The sun had set, giving way to the Tucson city lights below us, but she wasn’t looking down. She was looking up.

  Making a mental note to order a telescope, I refilled her almost-empty glass before joining her. “Do you think this is my big seduction game?” I offered her the champagne. When she took it, I leaned forward and whispered, “We’re just having a snack.”

  Truth be told, I’d never gone past this point as far as seduction games go. Valentina’s resolve was truly commendable. Lucky for me, her body hadn’t gotten the memo yet. In that tight yoga top, her generous breasts told me what she wouldn’t say. The harden peaks poked through the material, and she worked hard to keep her breaths even. But she couldn’t help it. Every now and then she’d exhale, and her perfectly round mounds would rise and fall as she tried to keep her composure.

  Hypnotized, I leaned forward. The promise I’d made said nothing about touching. I reached for her hand and wrapped my fingers around hers. Too much, too fast. This time she did take off. My mind raced, trying to figure out what to say to get her to stay.

  She set her glass down and turned to me. “Thank you for the champagne, for everything. It was nice.”

  “Don’t leave me.” I placed my glass next to hers. Where did that come from? What I meant to say was “Don’t leave yet.”

  I slanted a glance toward the dark sky, where gray clouds quickly rolled over our heads. A thunder roared and stopped her in her tracks. This was my chance. I closed the space between us in two strides and gripped her arm.

  She spun, her eyes fixed on my hand. “Let me go. I made a mistake. I can’t do this. I’m sorry,” she mumbled.

  Her gaze inched up from my arm to my face, and heat pulsed in my chest and my goddamn pants. The lust in her expression was clear. She wanted me.

  “No,” she said. This isn’t who I am.”

  “What are you talking about? Relax. I’m not going to kiss you.” I pulled her toward me until her breath brushed my cheek, and pressed my lips to her hair. “Valentina. Ask me. And put us both out of our misery.”

  Chapter Ten

  The Wrong Guy Again

  Valentina

  Out of our misery? Did he want this as much as I did?

  My heart had done a happy dance when he showed up at my door, looking all freaking hot and muscular, an hour after I’d come home. The man should not be allowed to wear jeans or white T-shirts. Or work out. Dammit.

  I should’ve gone with my first instinct and hid in the bathroom until he left. But he’d seen me come in, so pretending I wasn’t home would’ve been childish. And I still had that Bridget matter to deal with.

  As I’d trod the hallway up to the door, I found myself asking what Wednesday, a.k.a. sex goddess, would do. How would she seduce Cole to sign the divorce papers? Well, for one, she probably wouldn’t be caught dead opening the door to Derek Cole in her yoga pants and all sweaty. The thought had prompted me to run back to the bathroom and use a baby wipe to clean up a bit.

  By the time I’d realized there was no way I could go through with it, I had already opened the door.

  His piercing blue gaze undressed me, as if he didn’t care I wasn’t in designer jeans or sexy lingerie. That was his gift. He had the innate ability to make me feel like the most beautiful creature on Earth. How did he do that? Why’d he bother with me?

  “Valentina.” His voice brought me back, sending a burst of adrenaline down my legs and effectively killing the bit of buzz I had from the champagne.

  I placed my hand on his chest to push him away, but instead, I slid my fingers down his front and stroked his sculpted abs, kneading every plane. A slow and delicious heat zipped over my skin as Cole ran the pad of his thumb over my arm, his hot and dark eyes on me. God, the man knew what he was doing. How he affected me.

  The desire I’d suppressed for the last six years sprung to life and muted everything else. For a moment, I didn’t care about Bridget’s threat or that if I gave in, I’d be officially Monday. The most hated day of the week.

  Kiss me now. Please.

  Another thunderclap brought me to my senses before I voiced my thoughts. The moment had to be over. Or rather, I had to end it. I pushed at him. At least I thought I did. When I looked at my hand, I had his shirt in a tight grip. Ripples danced in my stomach as he covered my hand with his. That all-American-boy smile of his invited me in, intoxicating and infuriating.

  After one more loud thunder, the clouds delivered on their promise. Rain pelted sideways, each cool drop extinguishing the heat gushing through my body. I clung to that feeling and tried again. This time I managed to put distance between us. Fuck Bridget. Doing what she’d asked wasn’t as easy as sleeping with Cole. My feelings would get in the way, and I’d end up brokenhearted.

  Cole rubbed the back of his neck. With both hands on his hips, he forced even breaths. My gaze fell on the patch of exposed skin just above the waist of his pants.

  “You’re incredibly hot, scorching really,” I said.

  That smile of his was back. He thought he’d won.

  I pressed on. “But this?” I pointed at us. “This is a risk I can’t take. It’s not about me.” The downpour muffled my words, but I had to say my piece. He had to understand why we couldn’t be—Bridget’s contract aside. I licked cool rainwater from my lips. “If I didn’t have Max, yeah sure, no problem. I’d be your Monday Girl. Or whichever day is currently available on your weekly rotation. But that’s not the case. You think you want me because I’m refusing you. You really don’t…want me. How could you? You barely know me.” The realization of how true my words fille
d my heart with icy sorrow.

  “I know you’re brave and determined.” He thought for a moment, frowning as if he had finally realized the motivation behind my refusal. Max. “If I could give you more, I would.”

  “I’m not asking for anything.” I waved in the general direction of the path we’d taken to get here. I’d lost our home before Max even arrived. But I couldn’t do this. I couldn’t get caught in the middle of whatever messed-up game Cole and Bridget had going on. One, this wasn’t who I was, who I wanted Max to see in me. And two, I couldn’t fall for the wrong guy again. In all this, I had way more to lose than Cole. Why did I let him get this close?

  I took one last glance at the city lights and the magnificent desert landscape around us. “Good-bye, Derek.”

  I turned and started up the trail, taking long strides. That wasn’t running away, right? After five minutes, I was sure he wasn’t following me. When I reached the cottage, I went straight into the kitchen, grabbed Annie’s bagful of new clothes, and headed out again. Space was what I needed. I didn’t trust myself to be this close to Cole and not run out and beg him to kiss me. To finally bring me some relief from this need I had for him.

  Gravel crunched under my soggy sneakers as I made my way to my car. I climbed into it and drove off. My tires spun as they fought to find their grip. Just like the thoughts in my head—what I wanted, what I had to do, what he made me feel. Nothing made sense.

  Half an hour later, I found myself in Annie’s restaurant on Swan Road. I stood two steps inside the trendy cafe-style restaurant. Water pooled at my feet. The horror-stricken look on her face when she spotted me did me in. I burst into tears, with loud sobs, snotty nose…the works. Luckily, Mondays were slow, and the place wasn’t crowded.

  “Oh, sweetie, what happened?” She ushered me to her office in the back corner of the dining room, muttering a few words in Vietnamese over her shoulder.

  I had no idea what she’d said. My Vietnamese was limited to her menu items.

  She turned back to me. “Let me guess…Cole.”