Rico opened the menu. “Let’s share the Phoenix special. It says it’s big enough for two.”
She glanced at the menu. Noodles, veggies, and shrimp. “Sounds good to me.”
Rico smiled at her, and she smiled back, basking in the sunshine of that smile.
“Rico, I appreciate everything you’ve done with the Tic Tacs and the roses and overcoming your fear of heights and the, um, love fern, but you don’t have to do so much for me. I would’ve been happy with just a nice dinner.”
“That’s not what you told Santa,” he teased.
She bit her lip. “That’s just a fantasy. I know better.”
He entwined his fingers with hers and gave her a hot look. “I want to make your fantasies come true.”
A thrill ran through her. She had a feeling he could make her fantasies come true in many interesting ways. It had been a long time, too long. “You’re sweet.”
He laughed. “No one has ever called me sweet.”
“But you are!”
His thumb brushed back and forth over her palm. “So I’m not a player?”
“You tell me.”
“I used to be. But you make me want more.”
“I do?”
He smiled. “Yeah.”
Their food arrived. A big pile of noodles.
Samantha lifted her fork. He stilled her hand. “Wait. Let’s really share.”
He lifted a noodle to her mouth and took the other end. A jolt of alarm ran through her. This was exactly like Lady and the Tramp. She’d watched it many times with her niece, Gabriella.
She pulled the noodle from her mouth. “That’s Lady and the Tramp.”
He sucked the noodle into his mouth. “Romantic, right?”
She rubbed her temple. All the things he’d done tonight had been so strange. Were they all from movies? Her previous elation over his gestures deflated. Was he still playing her?
“Where did you get the idea for a love fern?” she asked.
“It’s just a gesture. You know, romance. How to Lose a Guy.”
Her brows scrunched together. “Lose a guy?”
“I know it sounds weird. But it was a romantic movie by the end.”
“I don’t know that one.” She was getting a really bad feeling. “The roses on a ladder? Was that Romeo and Juliet?”
“Classic, yeah. Also in Pretty Woman.”
“Are you really afraid of heights?” Her voice rose in volume, but she couldn’t help it. She was starting to feel like a fool, falling for what amounted to a bag of tricks he stole from movies.
“Not anymore,” he said.
She shook her head. “Orange Tic Tacs?” She slapped her forehead. “I remember now. That was from Juno. Was anything that happened here tonight really you?”
“Sure.”
“Which part?”
“I really do like noodles.”
Her head ached and her heart too. This was so disappointing. She’d actually thought she was seeing the real Rico when it was all just a big phony act.
“Rico, this is just too weird. I want to go home.”
“But we just started eating.”
“I’ll wait in the truck.” She got up and left, walking quickly to the exit. She didn’t care that it was freezing cold out. She was beginning to think that her first impression was right. He was a player. He was playing at romance to get her into bed. Here she’d thought he was being genuine. Yes, she wanted romance, but only if that person was romantic because they truly felt something for her. Even more importantly, she wanted someone that was honest with her.
She turned just as Rico came barreling toward her running full steam. He looked nuts. She started to back away, moving to the other side of the truck. He changed directions and headed straight for her. She squeaked and ran.
He caught her with a quick grab, turned her to face him, and set his hands on her shoulders, anchoring her in place. He panted. “I saw that in When Harry Met Sally. He runs to her. At least you made that one easy for me.”
“Omigod. Are you going to hold up a boom box tonight in my backyard, playing our song?”
He nodded sagely. “Say Anything. They don’t make those anymore. I checked.”
She stared at him, incredulous.
“I could hold up an iPod,” he offered. When she just stared at him, he added, “We could still meet at the top of the Empire State building.”
Sleepless in Seattle.
“What is wrong with you?” she asked in complete exasperation. “Can’t you just be yourself?”
She hugged herself, feeling like an absolute fool that she’d been taken in by all those lies. He studied her for a moment, and his hands loosened on her shoulders. Good. She just wanted all this weird stuff to—
Suddenly she was flush against his body as one hand pressed the small of her back, the other cupped the back of her head. The kiss was raw and carnal, his mouth claiming hers, his tongue thrusting inside, and heat rushed through her. His stubble scraped her lightly, and her knees went weak. Lord, he was a good kisser. His leg wedged between hers, and she throbbed for him. The kiss went on and on, the delicious friction of his leg between hers had her insides spiraling and tightening. Omigod, she was gonna—
He pulled back, easing his leg from between hers, and looked into her eyes. “That was me.”
Words failed her. She nodded.
Then he kissed her again, and that marvelous leg was back. His hands slid to her bottom, rocking her, and the spiraling started again, sensation after sensation, all centered on that one spot he’d managed to reach through her jeans. She moaned, not even caring they were in a parking lot. He was like a drug and she couldn’t get enough. Her hands fisted on the back of his shirt, keeping him close, never wanting the kiss to end.
“Hey, Rico,” a woman’s voice called.
Rico broke the kiss, releasing his hold on Samantha to look over at a beautiful redhead showing a lot of leg in a miniscule skirt and heels that were entirely inappropriate for December in Connecticut.
“Looks like the noodle date’s working out for you,” the redhead called with a smirk.
“Get lost, Jolene,” Rico called back with good humor.
Samantha staggered back. Her legs felt like jelly. She still throbbed, hot and wet with need. But she was just one of many to him.
“This is just part of some typical date routine, isn’t it?” Samantha asked. “God, I’m such a fool.”
“No! I mean I’ve been here before with a date but—”
“Home.”
She went to the passenger side of the truck and waited for him to unlock it. He exhaled sharply and then opened her door.
“Samantha, you’re not like girls like Jolene—”
“Save it. I don’t need any pretty words or fake romance. Just save it.” She blinked back tears. She couldn’t believe she’d been taken in by…she’d almost…just from a kiss.
She was a fool.
He gently shut her door, and she rested her forehead against the cool window.
She wished she’d never met Rico del Toro.
Chapter Seven
Rico hadn’t been to the doctor for a physical in years. He’d called for a checkup when he got those weird heart palpitations. He was getting them on a more regular basis, and they were scaring the shit out of him.
Dr. Amoretto went through the usual listen-and-look stuff and seemed pretty casual when he wrote stuff in Rico’s chart. Not like he thought Rico might keel over at any minute. Rico couldn’t take the suspense anymore.
“So am I okay, doc?”
Dr. Amoretto paused in his note taking. “You appear to be a healthy thirty-three-year-old man.”
“Good. Okay.”
The doc scribbled something else and looked up. “Your blood work will be back in a few days, but I don’t anticipate any issues.”
Rico nodded.
The doc set his pen down. “Anything else you’d like to talk about today?”
Rico te
nsed. Should he mention his heart? It hadn’t bothered him all day. On the other hand, it was the whole reason he’d made the appointment. He probably wouldn’t be back for a while.
Rico stared at the menorah sitting next to a small artificial Christmas tree on the counter. “There is one thing,” he said slowly.
“What is it?”
Rico rubbed his chest and faced the doctor, who peered at him, all business. “I’ve been getting these weird heart palpitations. Kind of painful.”
The doctor raised his pen. “Can you describe the pain?”
“It’s like it skips a beat. Sometimes it squeezes or, I dunno, like, flip-flops.”
Dr. Amoretto stood, put his stethoscope back in his ears, and listened to Rico’s heart again. A few minutes later, he pulled the stethoscope out of his ears. “Sounds okay to me. What were you doing when it happened?”
Rico shrugged. “Last time I was on a date, just standing in a parking lot.”
“And the other times?”
Rico thought about that. “One time was at her house. Once in the truck.”
The corner of the doc’s mouth pulled up. “Were you with the same woman in the truck?”
“Yeah.” He’d been with Samantha, but what did that have to do with anything?
The doc crossed his arms and grinned. “In my professional opinion, you’re in love.”
Rico broke out in a cold sweat despite the fact he always ran hot. Say what?
“Or lust,” the doc went on. “One or the other. It’s definitely the woman.”
He’d been in lust plenty of times without any of this heart weirdness.
It hit him like a slap to the face, left him shocked and stinging, because the last time he’d seen Samantha she’d wanted nothing to do with him. He was in love? He hadn’t felt like this at all with Jamie. She had been familiar, warm, uncomplicated. Samantha was like a jolt to his system. A damn wake-up call to his life. This must be the kind of love that made Trav trail Daisy around like a pathetic lost puppy. He’d laughed at Trav. He wasn’t laughing now.
He had to get Samantha back.
~ ~ ~
Samantha worked on her latest freelance assignment—a book cover for a best-selling unicorn fantasy series—and found herself adding stubble to the unicorn’s cheeks, thinking of Rico’s perpetual stubble. What was wrong with her? When Rico dropped her off two days ago after that very weird showboating date, she’d been sure meeting him was the worst thing to ever happen to her but now…She kept replaying their kiss. Her almost…kiss-gasm. She’d never had one of those.
Of course he was a good kisser; he had plenty of practice.
He was trying too hard.
Still, it was kinda nice to have a guy actually try to impress her. Even if it was misguided and strange and fake.
She picked up her cell to call her sister, Lucia, the only person on the planet she could tell about the man their mother had chosen for her arranged marriage. She shook her head. The entire time with Rico was utterly ridiculous—an arranged marriage, a setup from their mothers. I mean, please! Like any good romance ever started out that way.
She dialed Lucia.
“What?” her sister said.
“Um, hello? It’s Sam.”
“I’ve got dinner about to burn, and Gabriella is using the furniture as her own personal—” Her voice called to the other room. “Stop jumping! I do not need another trip to the emergency room! Santa is watching you!” She returned to the phone. “I need a break. You up for a late night Christmas shopping run once Joe gets home?”
“Sure.”
“Okay, bye.”
Samantha went back to her unicorn, erasing the stubble. It was just as ridiculous as the rest of her life.
~ ~ ~
That night Samantha braved the Mega Toy Crazy store with her sister.
“It’s a special two-hour sale,” Lucia said as she maneuvered into a parking space. “Come on! Our mission is Violet. I heard they just got a fresh stock of them.”
Lucia leaped out of the car, surprisingly agile for a pregnant woman battling morning sickness, and was already halfway to the entrance when Samantha broke into a run to catch up to her.
So much for a sisterly heart-to-heart about men, Samantha thought wryly. Lucia had vented the entire drive about her pregnancy fatigue and nausea, and how she was sure Gabriella was acting out because she knew she wasn’t going to be number one anymore.
She followed Lucia to where a mob was swarming the doll section. Samantha stayed back. The fluorescent lights overhead combined with the crowd and “Feliz Navidad” blasting over the speakers made her want to run screaming out of the store. What in the world was so great about a Violet doll? She waited while the voices rose and fell as people jostled each other to get the coveted doll. A few people emerged triumphant, and then Lucia appeared, Violet doll hugged close, guarding against a possible dollnapping from another insanely eager parent.
Lucia beamed. “I got it!”
The doll wore a violet dress, violet shoes, and had huge violet eyes. Kinda creepy, actually. At least her hair was brown, not violet.
“What’s so special about…” Samantha’s voice died in her throat. Rico was heading right for her, Violet doll tucked under one arm like a football. “It’s him,” she said under her breath to Lucia.
“Him who?” Lucia asked loudly.
“Hey,” Rico said, stopping in front of her. He smelled like musk and leather, and her knees weakened.
“Hey,” Samantha croaked. She cleared her throat. “This is my sister, Lucia. Lucia, Rico.”
Rico shook her hand. “Nice to meet you. Looks like we both came out victorious.”
“It was close.” Lucia grinned. “Luckily I elbowed my way in there.”
“Why are you buying a Violet doll?” Samantha asked Rico.
Was this another one of his strange things? Had he followed her here because of some movie? A chill ran down her spine. Was he a stalker?
Rico smiled sheepishly. “My sister asked me to get it for my niece Sophia. They’re sold out in Florida.”
“Oh.”
They stared at each other, right there in the middle of Mega Toy Crazy, with parents buzzing all around. You can’t win me over, she told him telepathically. No matter how good a kisser you are.
“I’ll, just, ah, do a little shopping,” Lucia said, scampering off. She called over her shoulder, “Meet me at the register!”
“Okay,” Samantha called.
“Samantha,” Rico said.
The way he said her name sounded like a melody. Most people called her plain old Sam.
“What?” she asked, reaching for strength against his obvious charms. This was exactly why he was a player. Women fell for that stuff. She was stronger than that.
He took her hand and pulled her away from the crowd. He looked so strange in this environment with his black leather jacket and worn jeans like a motorcycle-riding badass. Behind him were pink and sparkly princess dress-up clothes.
“I meant what I said the other night,” he said urgently. “You’re not like those other girls, like Jolene, just out for a good time. That’s what makes you special.”
“But what about you? You are like them, out for a good time. Aren’t you? If your mother hadn’t set it up, you never would have asked someone like me out.”
“No, but—”
“I don’t want to be one of your long list of conquests.”
“I don’t keep a list,” he said with a quick grin. He tapped his head. “It’s all up here.”
Exactly. Samantha wasn’t looking for a quickie. She wanted a real relationship with someone who truly cared about her. Someone that wasn’t putting on an act.
“Good-bye, Rico.” She caught his frown before she turned and hurried to meet up with her sister.
She found Lucia near the end of a long line.
“Everything okay?” Lucia asked.
“Fine,” Samantha said.
Lucia raised a
brow. “Who was that?”
Samantha leaned close to whisper in Lucia’s ear. “The guy Mom set me up with.”
Lucia’s jaw dropped. “He’s gorgeous! I can’t believe that’s who Mom set you up with. He looks like a sex god.” She fanned herself. “I should’ve let Mom set me up with someone when she tried years ago.”
“He’s an immature, womanizing beast,” Samantha replied as calmly as she could. She caught a black leather jacket out of the corner of her eye as Rico walked by on his way to another long line. She stiffened and looked only at Lucia.
“There he is!” Lucia exclaimed. She waved. Rico waved back.
Samantha’s cheeks burned. “Just ignore him.”
“Are you going to go out with him again?” Lucia asked out of the corner of her mouth, still stealing glances at Rico.
“No. And stop looking at him!” she hissed. “Don’t give him any attention.”
“Are you nuts?” Lucia asked, fanning herself again.
Samantha grabbed Lucia’s fanning hand. “Stop it. He can see you.”
Lucia gave her a pointed look. “I’m married and pregnant and even I want him. Of course he’s a beast. He probably has to beat women off with a stick.”
Samantha raised her chin. “Not this woman.”
“If only…” her sister muttered, gazing appreciatively over at Rico.
Samantha looked over. Rico raised a hand in greeting. She faced front, ignoring her full-body blush, and prayed he couldn’t see it from across the store.
Chapter Eight
Rico got back to his apartment with the Violet doll, feeling lower than a stray dog. Why did he have to fall in love with Samantha, who clearly wanted nothing to do with him? They’d had three dates, all of which ended badly, and she seemed immune to his usual charm. Most women he would’ve slept with already. First, second date tops. It really seemed to bug her that he had experience. She should be glad. That meant he knew what he was doing.
He set the doll in the bedroom closet, unwilling to have the creepy huge purple eyes of Violet follow him around all weekend. He’d mail it out on Monday. He headed to the kitchen for a beer. Normally he’d go to the bar on a Friday night and pick up someone, but that was ruined now that he’d fallen in love. Thanks a lot, Ma. You sure can pick ’em. It was the ultimate payback for all his slutting around. The irony was not lost on him.
Kissing Santa, A Clover Park Novella (Clover Park, Book 4) Contemporary Romance (The Clover Park Series) Page 6