Red Shoes & A Diary

by Mia Zachary

His many “real” lives marched across his memory and he knew she was right. But he couldn’t settle for mindless coupling, even though that’s what he’d agreed to. Keeping Meghan out of his business wouldn’t be easy, but he’d find a way to keep her in his life.

  “Give me the rest of the week to be with you.”

  “Nick…”

  “I want to have an affair. And I want all of the courtship and intimacies that go with it.”

  “Why start something that will be over in a few days?”

  Good question. Ninety-nine percent of the male population would be thrilled to have a woman offer “no strings, no promises, no regrets” sex. He was a complete idiot.

  He closed his eyes and let his voice convey his feelings. “There’s a kind of magic between us. Don’t bother to deny it, especially not after last night. Let’s explore it and see how far it takes us.”

  She was quiet for so long that he braced himself for her refusal. Finally he heard her draw a long breath. “All right, Nick. I’m yours. For the rest of the week.”

  Well, it was a start. After agreeing to spend the day together in Key West, she hung up and Alex went to get dressed. He grabbed a cigarette, pinched off the end and went out to the balcony with her journal.

  He’d sincerely intended to return it either last night or this morning, whichever presented the best opportunity. Now, though, he decided to read through the whole thing again. He needed to fully understand what made Meghan tick.

  It was the only way to show her that reality beat fantasy every time.

  10

  Elise throws back her head, uttering a throaty laugh. She is slick with need, restless with desire. Her dark lover enters her with one quick thrust and she comes almost immediately.

  ALEX GREETED MEGHAN with a smile and leaned down to brush his lips over hers. At first she didn’t react and his heart lurched at the rejection. Then she returned the kiss, hungrily exploring his mouth with her tongue, and his world settled back into place.

  Damn. He had it bad.

  “Nick, that has to be the ugliest one yet.”

  He looked from her teasing expression down at the large red, white and green pattern on his shirt. “What are you talking about? This is a great shirt. I wear it at Christmastime.”

  She draped her arms behind his neck, pressing the length of her body against his. “Festive or not, it’s still ugly. I’ll just have to take it off of you.”

  “Oh, yeah?”

  “Yes.” She brought her lips right to his ear and whispered, “And I’m only going to use my teeth.”

  Then she’d trail her hot mouth down his naked chest until she undid his jeans the same way… Alex placed a hand on either of her hips, holding her against the hard-on she’d created. “Now you’re going to have to stand in front of me until I can walk again.”

  “Gosh, what should we do while we’re waiting?” She slowly rubbed her pelvis over his zipper, making the situation worse.

  “Cut that out, Trouble.”

  “Aw, what’s the matter, Nick?”

  “I’m about to get arrested for public indecency, that’s what.” He dipped his head to nibble the side of her neck. “You’re going to pay for this later.”

  “Mmm, my pleasure.” Meghan flicked her tongue across his lower lip. Then she pulled back and offered him a bright grin. “You know the city, so where should we go first?”

  Thumbs in the belt loops of his jeans, Alex discreetly adjusted himself. He cleared his throat and tried to get his brain working again. “The Key West Aquarium is right at the end of that pier. How about we start there?”

  She made a face. “After seeing all of those cute fish, I won’t be able to eat their relatives. You promised me seafood for dinner, remember?”

  “Okay. Let’s go to Mel’s place then. You’ll like all the girl stuff there.”

  “Girl stuff?”

  “You know. Gold, pearls, rubies…”

  “Ooh, that kind of girl stuff.” She rubbed her palms together in glee.

  Inside the Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Society Museum, Alex spotted a sign outside the small theater. A short documentary about La Nuestra Señora de Atocha was about to start. The seventeenth-century galleon sank off the Marquesa Keys in 1652. After a long search, Fisher and his crew finally salvaged the Atocha and its priceless treasure.

  If Alex remembered right, the film was about fifteen minutes long. He pointed to the theater entrance. “Let’s go over there.”

  “Oh, that looks interesting.”

  “I think you’ll enjoy yourself.” He was formulating a plan in his mind. Paybacks. You gotta love ’em.

  There were no seats left, but that worked in his favor. He led her to the back corner of the theater as the lights dimmed. Standing close to the wall, he drew Meghan in front of him and whispered in her ear.

  “No matter what I do, you can’t make a sound.”

  When she nodded tentatively, he moved his hands up to her breasts, cupping their weight in his palms. Meghan looked around, obviously afraid someone could see them, but he didn’t stop. He gently pinched her nipples until they hardened through the fabric of her tank top.

  Her breathing was shallow, excited, as the film flickered over her face. Eyes half-closed, she leaned her head back against his shoulder. Then he slid his right hand down the front of her shorts. He heard her quick intake of breath in the darkness and smiled.

  “Not a sound, remember.”

  After a few seconds, she relaxed and widened her stance. His fingers rubbed lazy circles around her clitoris before dipping into her moist heat. A soft breath escaped her parted lips as her body tightened around his fingers. He pushed deeper, making her wiggle against his hand.

  She was hot, she was wet and she was at his mercy.

  Alex brushed his lips over her ear. “I’m so damned hard right now. Can you feel me? I want to be inside you, moving faster and deeper until you come screaming.”

  She was on the edge, breathing hard and biting her lip. He glanced at the screen, and with impeccable timing, removed his hand just as the credits rolled and the house lights came up.

  Meghan blinked, eyes wide in her flushed face. She turned, hiding from the departing crowd, and exclaimed under her breath. “Oh. My. God. I can’t believe you did that.” She whacked his chest with her hand. “I can’t believe you stopped!”

  He tilted his head to steal a kiss. “I told you I’d pay you back.”

  She groaned aloud and thunked her head on his chest. “You’re horrible, Nick. Absolutely monstrous.”

  “Want to finish the tour?” Laughter seeped into his voice, but his jeans were damned uncomfortable right now.

  “You think you’ve won, don’t you? This isn’t over between us, mister.”

  “Glad to hear it, Trouble.”

  Back out in the museum, they wandered hand-in-hand through the exhibits. Slipping her arm around his waist, Meghan stared in wonder at the displays from the Atocha. “I can’t imagine spending sixteen years looking for this shipwreck.”

  “If you want something bad enough, you don’t give up on it.”

  She glanced at him with a slight smile before returning her gaze to the seventy-eight-carat emerald Fisher’s crew had found. “I’d say all of this was worth the wait.”

  At the end of the tour, Alex bought a small Spanish coin from the gift shop. “For centuries this lay at the bottom of the ocean. When it was finally found, it was a black misshapen lump. Now look at it.”

  “It’s beautiful.”

  “It’s for you.” He gazed intently into her eyes as he handed her the silver real. “You have to work slowly and carefully to reveal what’s underneath something before you see the true value.”

  She angled her head to one side. “I get the feeling you’re talking about more than a Spanish coin.”

  “Wouldn’t want you to overlook a priceless treasure.”

  “I understand, Nick. But we don’t have sixteen years; we have four more days. My
vacation ends on Sunday.”

  He reached for her hand, stroking his thumb across the back. “It doesn’t have to.”

  “Yes. It does. I don’t have any experience with one-night stands, but—”

  “What do you mean, one night?” He pulled his hand away. “You gave me the rest of the week—”

  Meghan placed one finger on his mouth to stop his instinctive protest. “Let’s just live in the moment and enjoy our time together, okay?”

  He agreed. But he wasn’t giving up, either. He wanted her to acknowledge that the feelings they’d shared in bed still connected them. The sex was incredible, but more than that he enjoyed the laughter and the friendship. He enjoyed her.

  Back outside, the midday sun glared off the sidewalks and heated the air until it sweltered. As they strolled down Duval Street, Meghan playfully swung his arm back and forth. “Key West is so cool! I mean, just look over there. There’s a T-shirt place beside an elegant gallery next to a seedy-looking bar and an exclusive dress shop.”

  “Yeah, I really like it here. The best part comes later, while the sun goes down.”

  She smiled eagerly. “What happens then?”

  “You’ll see. It’s a pretty unique experience.”

  “Oh, look! I want to go in there.” Meghan dragged him into Unmentionables, a small boutique specializing in lingerie. Like a kid in a candy store, she led him from one display of intimate wear to another. “These little mesh briefs almost match your favorite shirt.”

  He stared at the blue-and-orange underwear, pretending to be insulted. “No way would I fit into those things.”

  “No, I guess you wouldn’t.” She glanced at his zipper, then picked up some very short, bright-green silk boxers. “Why don’t you model these for me?”

  “Here? I don’t think so.”

  “You can try them on later. We’ll play the Ambitious Actor and the Casting Director.” When she leered and wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, he burst out laughing. More and more, the real Meghan was shining through.

  “Nice addition to my theme games.” He pointed toward the back of the shop. “What about that studded leather outfit? It would look great on Mistress Elise.”

  Her expression turned mischievous. “That’s right, I threatened to tie you down last night, didn’t I? Let’s go look at the toys on the back wall. My love slave needs—”

  “Forget it, Trouble.” He refused to move when she tried to tug him through the aisles. “Sorry I brought it up.”

  After making a few purchases, including the boxer shorts, Alex showed her the Audubon House and the Old City Hall before heading for the Truman Annex, the late president’s vacation home.

  Noting the angle of the sunlight, he glanced at his watch. Shit. He’d lost track of time. Emelio was meeting him outside of the DEA’s Post of Duty Office in half an hour.

  Meghan saw the gesture and teased him about it. “Are you tired of my company?”

  He turned with a smile and took her into his arms. The slow sweetness of the kiss turned hard and hungry until they were both breathing heavily.

  “Did that feel like I’m tired of you?”

  “Not at all. So what’s your hurry to leave?”

  “I’m supposed to hook up with an old friend—”

  Bang! The air suddenly exploded with sound.

  HER HEART SLAMMED to a stop. She felt the blood drain from her face as she fell. She dropped into a crouched position, dragging Nick down with her.

  “Meghan.”

  Her fingers trembled on his arm. Keeping her head low, her eyes darted around, looking for the shooter.

  “Meghan. It was just a car backfiring.”

  Nick’s commanding tone finally broke through her panic. He wrapped his arms around her, helped her stand. The warmth of his touch didn’t offset the cold immobilizing her. She couldn’t meet his gaze, couldn’t catch her breath to speak. He settled her on a wrought-iron bench under a huge banyan tree, then slid onto the seat beside her.

  She tilted her head back, hugging herself as she stared at the twisted trunks reaching more than thirty feet toward the sky. Inhaling deeply, she felt her cheeks flame. This is totally embarrassing. He must think I’m crazy.

  Nick kept silent, giving her time to pull herself together. Then he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Talk to me.”

  Her pulse still raced, but the warmth returned to her hands. She cleared her throat, swallowed back the tears. “I told you my brother-in-law was a cop, right?”

  “Yeah. You mentioned it.”

  “Well, he got shot. And I was to blame.”

  He jerked his head around, his expression a mix of curiosity and disbelief. “What happened?”

  She remembered it so clearly, like a horror movie she’d watched over and over. Her throat ached as she forced the words past. “Julie and I were waiting in the car for Kyle to get sodas at the convenience store. Then Jules decided she wanted ice cream, so I went inside.

  “When he saw me, he whispered for me to leave. I remember he sounded angry, but I also heard his fear. Then I realized he wasn’t even looking at me.

  “Up at the checkout counter, a dirty-looking guy was pointing a gun at the cashier, hissing at her to hurry. She was frantically emptying the register. The guy’s voice sounded desperate. I remember how badly his hand shook. It was obvious the kid was high on something.”

  Her voice hitched and Nick reached for her hand. “It’s okay. Take your time.”

  “I grabbed Kyle’s arm to get his attention. I reminded him that he was off duty, that Julie was still in the car. I begged him to leave with me and call for help. Kyle said he couldn’t wait, that just because he hadn’t punched the clock didn’t mean he could ignore a crime in progress.”

  Tears welled in her eyes, spilling over onto her cheeks. Nick gently stroked his thumb across the back of her hand, encouraging her to go on.

  “One minute I was arguing with him, the next I was lying on the tile. He’d shoved me down to reach for his gun. I looked up in time to see that horrible red starburst appear on his white shirt. I’ll never forget the sound of the gun blast, Kyle crying out as he fell. And that smell, that sweet coppery stench.”

  Nick’s light green eyes shifted, darkened with some unknown emotion, but his tone was calm and sympathetic. “It must have been awful for you. But I don’t see how it was your fault.”

  “If I hadn’t been arguing with him, if I hadn’t distracted him—”

  He cradled her chin between his fingers and shook his head. “Kyle was a cop. He knew the risk. Blame the guy who robbed the place, not yourself.”

  Logically, she knew he was right. And Julie had long ago absolved her. But she would always feel responsible. She took a deep breath, tried to lighten the mood. “Now you know more about me than I wanted you to.” She looked up at him through lowered lashes. “Can we talk about something else, please?”

  “There’s something you should know. I meant to tell you last night.” He stared at her, a somber look on his face. She held her breath, alerted by the seriousness of his tone. “I don’t know how to tell you this….” His words trailed off. He was obviously struggling to get them out.

  “What is it, Nick?”

  He blinked, a slight frown tugging at his mouth. After a moment, he ducked his head. “I’m afraid of spiders.”

  “What?” She was confused by his bizarre confession.

  He slapped one palm against his thigh. “I knew it. I knew you’d lose all respect for me if I told you.”

  “What makes you think I respected you before?”

  The easy grin spreading across his face was dazzling against his olive skin. He opened his arms to her. Grateful to him for making her smile, Meghan went readily into his embrace. She leaned into him, allowing his strong shoulders to support her. I wish—

  She stopped the thought cold. It was stupid to want more than was possible. She was the one who’d made the rules, after all. After her father left, she’
d carefully mapped out her life. Knowing where things stood and what should happen next made her feel secure. Her feelings for this man would lead her down a totally unfamiliar path.

  Nick turned her whole world upside-down. Everything about him tempted her to open her heart again. But if she lowered her defenses, she’d only get hurt when they went back to their real lives. She dried the last of her tears and pulled a brochure from her bag.

  “Where to now? I’d like to go see the Curry Mansion. The owners have turned it into a guest inn, but we can still tour the museum.”

  Nick winced as he checked the time again. “Actually, I need to meet my friend.”

  “Okay. We can all tour the house together.”

  As they walked along Front Street toward Whitehead, she glanced toward him and noticed that a shadow darkened his features and his expression seemed tense.

  “Why don’t you go ahead? I’m not into antiques and old houses.”

  “I kind of wanted to see this place. But we can go somewhere else—”

  “No.” He smiled to soften the effect of his words. “I don’t want you to miss it. Let’s split up for a while and then the rest of the day is ours.”

  He was trying to ditch her. She finally interpreted the look on his face. Insecurity gnawed at the edges of her newfound confidence and she wondered about the gender of Nick’s “friend.”

  Well, what did she care? They hadn’t made any promises. They didn’t have any kind of committed relationship. So what did it matter if he met a friend instead of spending time with her? It didn’t. Not at all.

  Meghan forced a pleasant expression, trying to keep the jealousy out of her voice. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you don’t want your friend to meet me.”

  He touched her face when they stopped in front of the white three-story Victorian estate. “The truth is I don’t want you to meet him.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because you’ll take one look at Emelio, fall madly in love and dump me like a hot rock.”

  Meghan tried to match his attempt at levity. “Well, then, I’ve got to see this guy—”

  “Nope. Go enjoy yourself. I’ll come back for you around two o’clock, I promise.” He kissed her before turning to leave.