Red Shoes & A Diary

by Mia Zachary

  “I’ve always been the good girl, always done the right thing. When I came to Cayo Sueño, my insecurity goaded me into being someone I’m not. The price I’m paying for that mistake is higher than I ever expected.”

  He came across the balcony in two long strides, his eyes intense. He gently pinched her chin between his thumb and index finger, willing her to look at him. His gaze burned into hers as he spoke with quiet conviction. “The woman I discovered inside these pages is sensual and passionate and comfortable with her sexuality. It’s obvious you wanted to let that woman live outside your journal. I didn’t mean to hurt you, Meghan. I wanted to make you happy—”

  “Gee, thanks. Telling me that you love me was a nice touch, by the way. Which page did you steal that from?”

  “I do love you. Being with you is extraordinary. And it’s real, every moment, every touch…”

  Hearing his words, but no longer believing them, tears slid down her cheeks.

  His rough voice continued to seduce her. “It was special for me. You’re special to me. What we have—”

  “Is nothing.” Tossing her head, Meghan shrugged his hand off. “We have nothing, ‘Nick.’ Our relationship is a lie based on a deception.”

  Closing his eyes, he pressed the heels of his palms against his temples and winced. “I really screwed up. How can I make it up to you?”

  She dropped her chin, suddenly overcome by fatigue. What she needed was some time alone and a good long cry. Her throat ached as she forced the words past. “Right now, I just want you to go.”

  “I STILL CAN’T BELIEVE he did it.” Meghan stood at the kitchen counter, helping Julie prepare Thursday night dinner.

  “Well, what did you expect?”

  “He just walked out, without another word.”

  “That’s what you told him to do.” Jules dropped the sliced vegetables into a pot of boiling water.

  She thought about last night, the truth she’d discovered about his job. “He knows all about me now and I hardly know him at all.”

  “Why do you need to know anything? You just wanted to use his body for your personal pleasure and then leave, remember?”

  She whipped around, ready to argue, until she saw that Julie was teasing. “I was wrong, you were right. Okay?”

  “So, are you going to forgive him?”

  “Eventually.” Meghan took the Parmesan cheese from the refrigerator and began grating it into a bowl. “I’ve waited my whole life for him. I’ve never felt so fulfilled, so desired. Nick is funny and charming. He’s intelligent and dynamic and—”

  “You’re in love with him!” Julie stared at her in wonder.

  She sighed and set the cheese on the table. “This morning I wouldn’t have hesitated to agree. But now…” She shrugged, not sure what she was feeling now. “Three or four earth-shattering orgasms aren’t enough to build a lasting relationship on.”

  “It’s one hell of a start.” Her sister grinned wickedly.

  “It all happened so fast. I’m afraid that in the throes of passion I confused lust with something deeper.”

  Julie began coating the fettuccine with olive oil and fresh herbs. “Sometimes two people just click, even though it seems reckless and hasty. Nick obviously makes you happy, both in bed and out. Maybe you should ignore logic and follow your instincts.”

  Meghan dropped her gaze while she opened the wine. “I don’t know if I can trust my instincts, Jules. I’ve been wrong before.”

  “Why do you think he finally admitted he had the journal?”

  “I don’t know.”

  Jules refused to let her off the hook. “Yes, you do. He fell in love with you. He believes you love him enough to forgive everything he’s done. Listen to the little voice inside you, Megs. I think it’s telling you Nick is the one.”

  “FRANKIE RAMOS APPROACHED ME down by the pool this morning.”

  Alex’s fingers clenched around the phone receiver. He was glad to hear Meghan’s voice, but her words made his heart twist along with his gut. “Don’t say anything else. Meet me down in the lobby in ten minutes.”

  He hung up before she could argue. He’d swept his rooms for listening devices, but since Ramos had located “Elise,” he’d have to check her suite for bugs, too.

  Great. Just goddamned great.

  He paged Emelio and briefly explained what went down in the restaurant last night. After agreeing to meet in Emelio’s suite, Alex headed for the door, still cursing under his breath. The elevator arrived just as an older couple walked up. His rotten mood must have shown on his face. They looked at him and obviously decided to wait for the next one.

  Dammit! He should have figured Ramos would contact her. Meghan would probably use this as an excuse to break things off for good. When she admitted she loved him, he had figured they could find a way to be together in Miami. Now, who the hell knew.

  He’d slept alone last night—one of the longest nights of his life. When he wasn’t visited by nightmares, he’d been plagued by guilt and an overwhelming sense of loss. He didn’t want what they had to be destroyed by his stupid mistake.

  He was willing to give her some space, some time to cool down. But no way was he going to call it quits. Women like Meghan came around only once in a lifetime. If a guy was lucky.

  The elevator doors slid open on the sixth floor and there she was. Her hair was tousled in soft waves and her face was bare. She was back to wearing her own clothes—a plain blue T-shirt and knee-length beige skirt. Behind her glasses, gray shadows circled her eyes. He guessed she didn’t sleep well either.

  Refusing to meet his gaze, Meghan crossed her arms and stepped inside. Turning, she stared up at the lighted numbers above the door. He might as well have been carpet lint for all the attention she paid him.

  “Are you going to talk to me?”

  “Hello, Alex. How are you?” Her casually polite tone couldn’t hide the fatigue in her voice.

  “Miserable. Lonely. Apologetic.”

  “Good.” She finally looked at him.

  He sighed, rubbing his fingers over the scar on his temple. Forgiveness wasn’t going to come easy. “How are you?”

  “Lonely. Miserable.”

  He smiled and reached for her hand. “You forgive me.”

  “I’m working on it.” She accepted his touch then shifted away, a slight frown creasing her forehead. “How did Ramos find me?”

  He dropped his hand to his side, reined in the irritation and hurt of her rejection. “Not sure. Emelio thinks he probably has people watching the resort.”

  “Oh, come on, Alex. How in the world could anyone find me in this place?”

  “You’re unforgettable, Meghan.”

  She must have taken his heartfelt statement for sarcasm because she dropped her gaze. Hunching her shoulders, she hugged her arms tighter around her waist. “Am I in danger?”

  “No.” His tone was emphatic. “I’ll make sure nothing happens to you.”

  She slid a glance over at him, but said nothing.

  That really pissed him off. Okay, he’d screwed up with the journal. But one thing he couldn’t stand was the silent treatment. “Say something, dammit.”

  “You don’t want anyone to overhear us discussing your case in the elevator.”

  “Then let’s talk about us, Trouble.”

  Alex reached out and slapped his palm against the emergency stop button. The alarm rang and the elevator jerked hard. Off balance, Meghan threw her arms out as she fell into him. He grasped her elbow to steady her, then turned her until she faced him.

  “Tell me you forgive me.”

  She sighed heavily. “I’m more embarrassed now than angry. You know all of my secrets and that makes me vulnerable.”

  “Very few people wouldn’t have been tempted to read an open book, sweetheart.”

  “I guess.”

  Alex slid his hands down her arms to grasp her fingers. “Think about it. If the situation was reversed, wouldn’t you at least glance a
t my journal?”

  She arched one brow and pursed her lips. “I wouldn’t keep it and then lie about having it.”

  He winced. “Yeah. That was kind of low.”

  “Once I had a chance to calm down, I started thinking. You could have kept my diary and I’d never have known.” Meghan stepped in close, pressing her body against him. “Or you could have returned it right away and we’d have missed out on some incredible experiences.”

  Man, he hoped all this pelvic friction meant she’d forgiven him. Arousal raised the temperature inside the small elevator by several degrees. “Soo…you’re saying you forgive me, right?”

  “I’m saying, I know you were sincerely trying to please me.” Her hips bumped the placket of his jeans. Again.

  “And did I?” He cocked one eyebrow and laced his tone with innuendo.

  A pretty blush stained her cheeks and her lips curled into a teasing smile. “You did okay, I guess.”

  He felt her shiver beneath his hands, heard her quick intake of breath, saw her whiskey-colored eyes lose their glacial reserve. The spicy floral scent of her skin caused a rush of longing so fierce, it almost brought him to his knees.

  “I missed you, Trouble.”

  “We just saw each other twenty-six hours and forty-three minutes ago.”

  “Not that you were counting or anything.” He grinned.

  Sparks of awareness arced between them and he wasn’t sure who moved first. He leaned down as she skimmed her hands up his chest and wrapped them around his neck. His mouth covered hers hungrily, and she surrendered to his kiss.

  Alex backed her into the corner, his hands gripping her hips, and held her soft body to his hardening one. Her nipples peaked against his chest when she rubbed across the front of his jeans.

  She felt so good, so right. And he loved her so much.

  He raised one hand to the supple flesh of her breast, stroking her through the cotton fabric. She tangled her fingers in his hair, cradling his head, and deepened the kiss with a moan. Then the alarm rang again.

  Alex broke their kiss as the elevator jerked into motion. He peered over at the descending numbers above the door. The maintenance crew must have overridden the emergency stop.

  “So, was that what you wanted to talk about?” Meghan asked.

  Alex looked down at her and grinned. Humor danced in her eyes as she smoothed a hand over her T-shirt, tucking it securely into her skirt.

  “No, but I liked this conversation better than the one I was planning.” There was nothing he wanted more than to go back upstairs and continue their discussion. But he was in enough trouble with Emelio and they needed to know Ramos’s plans.

  “My partner’s waiting.”

  “RAMOS CAME UP TO ME out of nowhere.”

  “Where was this?” Emelio leaned forward in his seat.

  Alex answered before Meghan could. “Down by the pool. Have we got anyone who can check out the resort staff?”

  “I’ll get somebody on it. What happened next, Meghan?”

  “I was stunned to see him at first. Then he called me ‘Mistress Elise’ and I settled right into the role. It was weird.” She made a puzzled expression. “Anyway, he said he was glad he found me. He wanted to make arrangements for this bizarre request he whispered in my ear last night.”

  Em gave her a quizzical look, but she shook her head. “You don’t really want to know.”

  Alex shifted around on the sofa until Meghan reached over to take his hand. He probably didn’t want to know either. It would just give him another excuse to put Ramos in the ground.

  Emelio glanced at their joined hands and frowned. He sat back in the chair, hooking his thumbs into his pockets. “What else?”

  “I pretended ‘Elise’ was looking forward to acting out his fantasy. I kind of toyed with him, trying to keep him talking. Basically, he wanted to make sure I’d be in the casino tonight.”

  He couldn’t handle this. The very idea of her going head to head with Ramos was making him sweat. Alex scowled, pissed off at both the situation and his own anxiety. “Yeah, well, he’s going to be disappointed when you don’t show up. If I let you go—”

  “What do you mean, ‘if you let me’?” Meghan turned to look at him, brows drawn. “I have to be there. He’s expecting me.”

  “Forget it. No way.”

  “Hang on, partner,” Emelio interrupted, trying to get him to see reason. “We need her to do more and you know it. If Ramos confessed his secret sex fantasies to ‘Elise,’ who knows what else he might tell her?”

  “Men like Frankie Ramos don’t talk business with high-priced working girls.”

  Crossing her arms, she shot back, “Well, he’s not willing to talk business with you. Ramos wants ‘Elise’ to come without ‘Nick.’”

  Emelio interrupted again. “Alex, man, he might relax with her, reveal something we can use to finally nail him to the wall.”

  There had to be another way. The last thing he wanted was to put her in danger again. But, dammit, she did need to be there. “Fine. You can drape yourself all over me and look pretty. Nothing more.”

  “Sorry to disappoint you, Stud-muffin, but this arm ornament has a brain.” Meghan tapped her nails against his thigh to get his attention. “He never questioned anything I said, so I know I did a good job of playing him. It’s obvious ‘Elise’ intrigues him. If she drapes herself all over him, she can keep track of who he talks to and what he does.”

  Alex patted his shirt pockets, looking for his cigarettes. Shit. He’d left them back in his suite. “I don’t like the way you’re talking about ‘Elise’ like she’s a different person.”

  “I am a different person than I was five days ago.” She spoke quietly but there was an edge to her tone.

  He closed his eyes, knowing what had to be done and hating it. A muzzle flash. A sharp crack of sound. Pain. The nausea threatened to choke him as he looked at her. “Why would you even want to do this?”

  “I’m doing it for Kyle. And for Greg. And for us.”

  He lifted their joined hands, pressed her wrist against his cheek. He had no choice but to nod once in agreement. Meghan smiled and leaned over to kiss him. She had a way of making him feel like the only man in the world. It would kill him if anything happened to her.

  “Put your hormones on hold—both of you—and let’s close this case.” Em glanced at his watch. “We’ve got people and equipment to coordinate, partner. And not much time to do it. Meghan, we’ll see you tonight before you go to the casino.”

  “I still don’t like this one damned bit, hombre.”

  “Like it or not, we can’t let this opportunity pass.”

  MEGHAN CHECKED HER APPEARANCE in the bathroom mirror. Elise was a risk-taker, daring and seductive. She liked her champagne cold and her men hot. Tonight she would be stepping out of the diary and into the fire.

  Nervous excitement had butterflies tickling her stomach. She knew exactly what she had to do tonight and how. She’d get Ramos comfortable, persuade him to drop his guard. Then, if she played him like she did this morning, he’d be eating out of her hand and talking about his business in no time.

  Meghan continued to stare at her reflection. Jules had loaned her a peach satin evening gown. The dress was simply cut but snuggled every curve. One seam was split to mid-thigh and the deep neckline showed off her cleavage. Love that Wonderbra.

  She heard fingers drum against the front door. She winked at the mirror then went to let Alex in, the hem of her dress fluttering around her ankles as she moved. She swung the door open and her heart turned over.

  He looked so handsome, so very sexy in the tuxedo he’d worn the first night they made love. His damp hair was swept back from his face in dark waves. His usual confident posture and flirtatious attitude were absent, though. She stood aside to let him pass and saw the small bag from the resort gift shop.

  “What’s that?”

  Instead of a present, Alex pulled out a flat black case and some danglin
g wires with a small disc on the end. “This is a body mike. Emelio should be here in a minute to make sure it transmits properly.”

  She followed him into the living room, eyeing the device warily. She didn’t like the idea of having to censor every word for the rest of the night. “Are you going to wear it or am I?”

  “It’s for you. I can’t take the chance of Ramos deciding to frisk me. Turn around.”

  Meghan hesitated with a slight frown, then did as he asked. His hand brushed over her back as he undid the hook fastening the top of the gown and slid the zipper down. He slipped his hand inside to secure the transmitter at her waist.

  Her skin tingled everywhere he touched, his warm fingers sending tremors along her nerves. She didn’t know anything about body mikes, but he sure seemed to be taking his time attaching the mike to her body. Not that she minded.

  Gently nudging her shoulder, Alex turned her around to face him. She heard his breath hitch, saw his pupils dilate when he looked down. The sagging bodice of her gown revealed the lace demi-bra that barely covered her breasts. Her taut nipples were visible through the sheer material.

  He cleared his throat and exhaled slowly. His fingers traced her collarbone then glided along her chest, leaving a trail of tingling heat in their wake. Finally, he slipped two fingers under the front clasp of her bra, taping the small microphone between her breasts.

  “How does that feel?” His smoke-roughened voice was soft and sensual.

  “Wonderful… I mean, fine.”

  Her heart beat an unsteady tattoo and heat rushed between her thighs. Alex took a step closer and reached around her back to zip up the gown. When he ducked his head, she pressed a kiss against his neck. His breath ruffled her hair. The casual intimacy sent her pulse racing.

  He angled his head to look down at her. She returned his gaze, saw the love and the lust mingling there. Their bodies drew inexorably closer. His hands encircled her waist and she placed her fingers on his forearms. Meghan’s lips parted even as Alex began to lower his head.