by Cyndi Raye
She smiled against his chest.
“Sara?”
She moved her head, enough to raise her cheek close to his. Was she ready to move on with her life in this way? It was moments like this that she wanted what life had to offer, because things had been way too depressing for so long. She was in Key West and she promised herself to live it up. His breath feathered her skin. “Are you going to kiss me?” she asked.
“No. I want your answer with a kiss. Do you want to be with me tonight?” His dark eyes danced with hunger. “I’ll leave it up to you.” Sara reached up and touched his mouth with her fingertips at first and shook her head. He tensed then took in a long, deep breath of air.
“We better get back,” she said, breaking the spell. “It’s better this way.” Sara wasn’t one to jump into bed with the first guy who came along, even though her body was telling her something altogether different.
Sara flinched at first when she heard his sharp intake of breath and eyed him closely for anger to storm his eyes. He reacted the opposite of her ex, who most days proved to be a monster. She wasn’t sure how to deal with acceptance. If she refused her ex, he got loud and obnoxious, his verbal abuse scaring her into a corner. Until she had enough and began to plan her way out.
He held out his arm to her. She hesitated at first before reaching up and tucking her arm in his.They walked back to the hotel in silence. Taken by surprise at his gentle move, Sara wasn’t sure what to make of Joshua Eden.
The streets were filling up with the merriment of those who had too much to drink. Tourists wandered from bar to bar, clutching their bags filled with souvenirs and looking for the next big thrill. They didn’t have far to go, there were more than enough places to drink along Duval.
Josh slowed his steps. He turned to her. “Who hurt you Sara?” he asked.
She kept her secret life hidden, especially from her brother. Morgan hated her ex but she never told him how she lived. She sighed. “Am I that transparent?”
“I’m good at reading people and I saw raw fear flash across your face. Most people can’t tell.”
“I try to hide that part of me. It’s in the past.”
“Do you want to get a drink?”
She nodded, a bit shook up that he saw right through her. “Perhaps one.” She followed him into a small bar, where it wasn’t quite so wild. She didn’t know what road she was going down with Joshua Eden, but from the first moment their eyes connected, Sara sensed that he was going to be a big part of her life.
The question was, did she want him to be?
<><>
Josh found a table by the window, where he had access to all exits. After seating Sara, he went to the bar to order drinks. He needed a few moments alone, to collect his thoughts. He didn’t want her to see how angry he was because he didn’t want to scare her. It seemed she had been frightened enough.
He tried to play the scene in his head again. They both stood there and he waited for her lips to find his, to make the decision. If she made the first move they would spend the night together. He was certain it was a go, he wanted her more than anything at that moment. But she backed down, to his disappointment.
The flash of raw fear in her eyes at the moment when she assumed he would be angry at her was discerning. Someone made her flinch like that before and it brought back too many memories from a time long ago for Josh. That life was the reason he chose a career with the agency. It soothed his soul whenever he remembered all the years of terror when his step dad abused his Mom. His work at the agency helped him forget his own pain and brought justice to others who considered themselves above and beyond any law.
Josh ordered a shot along with the drinks. He downed it and picked up the two glasses. As he turned towards their table, what he saw made him grin. Sara already ordered her own quick shot from a passing server and he watched in fascination as she downed the tiny glass in one gulp. Her whole body shook in tiny spasms as she set it down and threw a bill on to the tray.
He turned back to the bartender. “I’ll have two shots to go with these,” he ordered. His step was a bit lighter as he headed back to the table. He was trying to be kind, thinking she needed to be treated gentle. He watched her sling back that whiskey like a woman on a mission. If she wanted a drinking partner, he could certainly oblige.
When he reached their table, he set the fruity drink and shot in front of her.
She stared at the drinks wide eyed. “Oh my, I don’t do shots,” she told him. Josh laughed out loud, a deep, strong sound that came from within. He bent close to her.
“Is that a fact?”
She laughed, ending her outburst with a tiny giggle and a short gasp of breath. “I’m busted, aren’t I?” He was so close, he wanted to gather her in his arms and kiss her sweet mouth. Her eyes, wide and innocent, yet filled with a deep yearning drew him in so deep that he had to look away. It was good he did, because at that moment his gaze caught a man across the street trying to get his attention. He turned back to her, before she noticed anything strange.
Relief flooded over him when she got up from the table. “I’m going to use the ladies room,” Sara said, excusing herself. His attention went back to the man waiting on the corner.
Josh slid out the side door, crossing over in a matter of seconds. He didn’t have much time before Sara returned from the ladies room. “Morgan, what are you doing?”
“I can’t talk long man, but listen to me. This happened so fast and I’m in deep. We had to move on this case right away. I had to slip back and make sure Sara’s okay and I see you already found her. Guard her life, no one can know she’s my sister. It’s better if she thinks I’m away, just keep her occupied. She keeps trying to call me even after I warned her not to. I don’t want anyone to find out about her. Tell her anything, this should be over soon.” He wiped at the perspiration dripping down his brow. “I told them I had to settle a feud with someone down here on Duval. Looks like it’s going to be you.” Morgan swung a hard right into Josh’s jaw. It knocked him back a bit. “Sorry man, their watching me.”
Josh raised his arm too late in defense. He ran a hand over his jaw. “I didn’t find her, she found me and has no idea we work for the same agency. I’m laying one on you next.” Josh sucker punched him on the side of the head, causing Morgan to jerk back and fall against the side of a white privacy fence. Josh smiled to himself, he still knew how to street fight with these young pups. The two wrestled around a bit, causing people walking on the side walk to step out into the street. “She’s staying at Jake’s place. I’ll keep my eye on her.”
“I’m depending on you to take care of her, and don’t let her draw any attention to herself. Sara’s been through hell and back. I found out what happened to her even though she tried her best to keep it from me.” With those words, Morgan pushed Josh into the wall one last time and fled down a side alley, disappearing into the darkness. Josh never got a chance to ask him what exactly happened with his sister.
Josh inhaled before he crossed the street and slipped back through the side door of the bar. If anyone saw them, it looked as if two men fought in the street. He was good at this stuff, too good. The moment he saw Morgan trying to get his attention, he knew what would take place, a ‘fake’ fight as an excuse to talk.
Sara seemed to be able to get along with everyone she came in contact with, because when he entered the bar once again, there she was talking with a group of girls. He slipped in to the men’s room, hoping to clean up before she started asking questions. Splashing cold water on his face, he slung his head back and drew in deep gulps of air. As he put pressure on both temples, Josh massaged the flesh along his hairline.
He may be an expert in under cover work, but it sure hurt more than it used to. Josh would be forty next month. He was no match for men like Morgan, who were flying high, their younger bodies able to handle the harsh punishment it took to work as an agent. Even a few years made a big difference and Josh was past prime, his body tired and worn o
ut from all the physical brutality and of living on the road. Yet anyone who saw him would state he was in perfect shape.
The reason he came to Key West was to relax, unwind and try to figure out if he should stay with the agency or retire? Most days, he wound up sitting at his favorite bar, drinking day and night, undecided. When his head was on straight, he thought about hiring out to do detective work. He was trying to decide what to do when Sara showed up out of the blue, looking for her brother.
He took one last look at the image in the mirror. A few lines creased the corners of his eyes, but he thought they added character to his already rouge look. Josh chuckled as he stood in front of a mirror, making sure he looked good enough to pursue a woman like Sara. He’s a hardcore, dedicated under cover agent. Women were everywhere and he had no trouble finding one these days.
Now, he was starting to think about a honey-blonde in tight jeans and a smile that drew him in like a kid who couldn’t get enough of the sweet taste of chocolate.
<>
Sara wobbled a bit too much, but didn’t care because she enjoyed the high. She made her way back to their table and sat down before she stumbled. A smile crept across her face thinking of Josh. He was making this a night to remember.
“What’s so amusing?” he asked, taking a seat across from her. His fingers latched onto the glass as he took another sip of whiskey.
“I’m getting key west wild.”
“What is that supposed to mean?”
“Well, I planned to come here to get wild and crazy because I missed so much these last ten years.” Sara stood up, reached in her back pocket and pulled out her itinerary. She unfolded the paper, which was becoming a bit ragged at the edges, and pointed. Josh leaned over and saw the words written at the top of her famous list.
He shook his head. “So you decided to drink yourself into oblivion?”
She nodded. “Yes, I did and it feels nice, if I do say so.”
He shook his head this time. “Trust me, I’ve tried that and it isn’t working. I’m still at a crossroad and I’ve been getting key west wild for close to four months.” He liked her choice of words.
She reached across the table and touched his hand, her fingers gentle as they moved across his skin. He almost pulled back, but her warm, soft hands drew him in. He looked down and watched her movements, wondering if she could change her mind about tonight. Morgan had entrusted him to keep an eye on her. He wondered who was going to keep an eye on him?
“Thank you,” she whispered, her voice soft and catching in her throat. “I mean about earlier. I have trust issues right now but by your actions, by not getting angry, has given me some hope.”
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Sara shrugged. “It’s depressing and so over. I’ve made a new life and now I’m on an adventure to fulfil all of my hopes and dreams.”
“I see. That explains the itinerary. Do you carry that everywhere?”
She nodded. “Yes. I’ve given myself a year to fulfil every single item on the list. I figure by that time, my life may be in order. Who knows, I may just fall in love with Key West!”
“Well then, let’s give you a reason to fall in love.” He stood up and held out his hand. She took it and he danced her over to where the DJ was playing a catchy tune.
He watched her as she lifted her hands to clap and dance to the Caribbean beat. She lifted her face up, her long honey-blonde hair flowing down her back in soft waves and when he pulled her to him, she laughed out loud and ended it with a tiny giggle. He realized just then he held his breath, waiting to hear the sound of a catch in her throat that he was becoming familiar with.
“This is fun,” she shouted. Josh chuckled as she swirled around in a half circle and he pulled her back to him. He was no slouch on the dance floor. When the lively tune ended, Sara put her arms around his neck and gave him a hug. He stood there, holding her, enjoying her body up against his.
She pulled away and let her arms drop down to her side. “Want to do another shot?” she asked. “I’ll buy?”
“Why not? Don’t forget you have an Inn to manage tomorrow.”
A tiny sound came out of her throat. “Pfft, I can run a bed and breakfast with my eyes closed. Tonight we’re doing the Duval Crawl.”
That’s how it started. Josh had no choice but to help Sara with her need to get smashed. After all, the words were written on her itinerary. Hours later, they sat at the table, her foot knocking in to his leg over and over again.
A pile of shot glasses sat in the middle. Sara propped her head on her hand, her elbow on the table. “Did we drink all of those?”
Josh nodded. Perhaps he should try to get her to stop but he wasn’t feeling any pain. Most of the time, he kept his eye on everything around him, except for tonight. He was finally starting to unwind and enjoy the evening. He shook his head, not sure why he agreed to let this happen. “We aren’t doing the Duval crawl, Sara.”
“What!” Sara sat up and then rocked back and forth for a second. She placed the palms of her hands on the table to steady herself.
He nodded. “We’re drinking and getting hammered. The crawl has to start at one end of the street. We’re in the middle and we haven’t left this one bar. You have to go to every bar on Duval.”
Sara rubbed her cheeks. “Pfft. We could do it. You and me.”
Josh stood up. He needed to get her back to the Inn. “Not tonight. We have to practice a bit more and then we’ll try it again.” He covered the bill and walked her out in to the night air. She was leaning on him. He placed an arm around her shoulders.
“I don’t even like drinking. I hate it.”
Josh held her as she almost stumbled over the curb. “Careful, step down now.” It wasn’t very far to the inn, but he’d carry her back if he had to. “If you hate it so much, why did you start tonight?”
She shrugged. “It’s on my itinerary, except I kind of messed that up.” She giggled. “Wait until I tell Morgan.” She tensed. “Where is my brother? He told me he was going to be here. I thought I could count on him.” A single tear slipped from her eye.
She was drunk. Mood swings from happy-go-lucky to crying in a single moment was a sure sign he needed to end this night. Josh opened the white gate and led her up the steps to the B&B. He helped her to the sofa and left her there while he went in to the kitchen for some cold water and an aspirin.
“Here, take this.” He put the cup in her hand and she didn’t hesitate to down the aspirin. “Let’s get you to your feet and off to your room.”
Sara stood up and tumbled in to Josh’s chest. He tried to steady her but she grabbed him and they both fell down on the couch. Sara’s leg wound around his waist and her hand was under his butt, her head smashed into his chest. He rested his arm around her shoulders as they laughed.
“I think I’m too drunk to move,” Sara mumbled. “We’ll just have to stay like this all night.”
“It feels nice. Let’s just rest here for a minute until you can get yourself together.”
She raised her head from his chest. “That may take a lot longer than tonight.” She raised her hand to his face and slid her long nails over his cheek and down his jaw. This was what he had been waiting for all night, for her to make the first move, to show him she wanted him. Could he take advantage of an intoxicated woman. One entrusted to him by a fellow agent?
It wouldn’t be his fault, he tried to reason. This was all shoved on to his lap. He had a beautiful woman in his arms with soft hands caressing his face and a mouth that was aching to be kissed. Josh bent his face towards her lips, a desperate need to touch them one time.
Loyalty, dedication, trust tried to rear its ugly head. Josh gritted his teeth. He knew she was a fellow agent’s sister but he was in Key West where anything could happen. He struggled with doing the right thing.
Then his mouth met hers and every bit of reasoning left. He wasn’t sure who kissed who first. She tasted just as he thought, pure honey and bliss and
everything that was right about the world. She drew in a tiny breath, sucking in his air as her mouth pushed against his. Cupping her face with the palms of his hands, his fingers lightly caressed her skin.
She wanted him, he could see the desire in her eyes, her touch and her kiss. He drew her closer, her leg slung around his waist as they curled together on the couch, tangled in each other’s arms. “Sara,” he moaned into her mouth, the sound of her name rolling off his tongue as if it fit. This was intense, just the way he liked to feel.
She stopped moving her sweet mouth against his and said, “The signs are all here. I think we should do it, except it isn’t on the list quite yet.” She pulled away from him and gazed into his eyes, her face very serious.
He laughed out loud. “List? Are you talking about your itinerary?”
She nodded. “I have boinking with the hottest guy in Key West on my list, towards the bottom. I wasn’t planning on doing that until I got to-”
“You put that on a list? Boinking?” He sat back, shaking his head, yet pleased she thought he was hot.
She looked puzzled. “What’s wrong with making a list? Everyone has one, I just happen to add a little pizazz to mine.”
“You’re going to let a list guide your life?” He just stared at her, surprised.
“It’s important to me that I do this. I suppose I get carried away at times, but it’s almost like therapy.”
“Come here.” He pulled her to him, his heart softening. Someone hurt her bad. He wouldn’t press her or interfere, but he wanted to reassure her she was safe with him. “What else is on your list?”
She cocked her head. “You want to know?” At his nod, she reached in her back pocket, twisting her arm back and forth until she pulled out the treasured list. She giggled as she read to herself. Her hand flew over her mouth.
“What’s so funny?”
“I’m amazing even myself tonight,” Sara told him. “Okay, I’ll just read a few. We already discussed the Duval crawl. Then there’s swim with dolphins, learn how to drive a boat, watch the sunset on Mallory square.” She stopped for a moment.