I waited until he had his finger on the button, and then I turned and gave him a sloppy kiss on the cheek.
“Ugh, Cora!” He laughed and wiped his hand down his face. “What was that for?”
“A fun photo. Deal with it.” I ran further into the ruins, trying to ignore the fact that all my body wanted was for me to run back and press my lips to his.
He caught up with me and grabbed me around the middle, diving into the grass as we tumbled together. “Have I thanked you for bringing me on this trip yet?”
“You know, I don’t remember. But you don’t have to. I think we both needed this.” I rolled away from him, mostly just because I didn’t want to be under him. Or, more accurately, I wanted it too much.
He propped himself up on his elbow and grinned at me. “You know, I think you’re right.”
9
Gerard
It took all our touring of Tulum for me to realize what day it was.
“Hey, Red, did you bring anything a little nicer on this trip? Or is your whole suitcase full of little sundresses and bikinis?”
She looked over from the stone ledge she was sitting on. She’d been sitting there staring out over the grassy courtyard for so long, I probably took fifty pictures of her from different angles. “Yeah, but I didn’t really expect to wear it.” She shifted. “Why?”
“Because I’m taking the most beautiful woman in Cancun out for Valentine’s Day.” I held out my hand. “If you’ll let me.”
Cora gasped slightly. “It’s Valentine’s Day? I completely forgot.” She slipped her hand in mine and stood. “You’re the best Valentine I’ve ever had. Might as well make another year of it.”
I pulled her into my arms, so tempted to kiss her. And for a fleeting second, I thought I could do it. Throw caution to the wind, lean down and capture her mouth. And then we wouldn’t go out for Valentine’s Day. We’d stay in and get naked and…nope. Couldn’t go down that road without causing more problems in my pants. “Then let’s head back to the hotel and get changed.”
She nodded and started for the stairs down off the temple. She didn’t pull her hand away, and I didn’t want her to. “Did you have somewhere in mind? Or are we just going to wander again until somewhere smells delicious?”
“I’m sure we’ll find the perfect place. I can do some looking while you change, or we can just walk until we find somewhere.”
Cora smiled at me. “Is that a line you use on all the ladies? Just doing some looking while they change?”
I laughed. She’d been throwing around a lot of comments about me and other women. Usually it didn’t come up. We talked about her and other men, but she didn’t ask about my love life and since love only included her, I didn’t talk about it. “It wasn’t, but maybe it should be. Why? Is it working? Are you going to let me watch you get undressed?”
“In your dreams, Ger.” She rolled her eyes at me and finally dropped my hand, running off toward the exit.
In my dreams was right. My daydreams. My fantasies. Every waking minute of this trip, it seemed like. “I’ve got the keys. You’re not going to get very far.” I chuckled as I followed her slowly, taking my time watching her.
I stopped a couple times to take a few more photos, but unless the shot had Cora in it, I just wasn’t very interested in the subject matter.
“Took you long enough. You’re not an old man. Unless Ger stands for geriatric.” She grinned at me, her green eyes sparkling, and I pulled up my camera for another photo. “No, not again!” She covered her face with her hands. “You’ve taken so many today. I’m not one of your models.”
“No, you’re much prettier, Cor. And far more inspiring.” I unlocked the rental car and reached out to open her door.
She blushed a little as she slid into the car. Her fingers brushed against mine, lingering a little. She opened her mouth. She was going to argue, but something stopped her. I wondered if it was our conversation in the mirror that deterred her. I would do it again and this time I wouldn’t let her answer the fucking phone.
I shook my head and leaned down to kiss her cheek. “One of these days, you’re going to believe me when I say things like that.”
“I’m trying.” She shoved me away and pulled the door shut before I could say anything else.
I walked around the car, thinking about just how many times, how many different ways I’d told Cora how I felt, but she never believed me. Short of flat out telling her that I loved her, every touch, every gift, every moment was a proclamation of my feelings. I just hoped one day she’d see me, or that one day I’d be able to move on.
Cora seemed quiet and distracted as we drove back to the hotel, but by the time we got into the room, she was her usual smiling self again. She pulled things from her suitcase, and then she pointed at the bathroom. “Which room do you want?”
I blinked a couple times, not quite understanding the question at first.
“You are changing, right? Because I’m not getting all pretty for you, just for you to stay in board shorts and tennis shoes.”
I laughed. “Yeah, of course. I’ll stay out here, if you want the bathroom.”
She nodded. “Okay. That would be good.” She grabbed a couple more things from her suitcase and then she headed into the bathroom, leaving me to stare after her.
I changed quickly into a light pair of linen pants and a button-up, leaving the top couple of buttons undone as I rolled up the sleeves to my elbows.
While I waited for Cora to finish getting ready, I googled restaurants in Cancun, looking for somewhere a little off the beaten path that would hopefully be quiet and romantic. I knew it was too much to ask for to think that Cora would suddenly realize that there could be more to our friendship, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t have a Valentine’s Day to remember anyway.
In the middle of my search, a text message popped up.
Kelly: Sorry to bother you on your vacation, but I thought you should know. Some douchebag pounded on your door when I was at your place watering your plants.
Gerard: Douchebag?
Kelly: Nick something. I didn’t write it down. He said he was looking for Cora. He said that you better not be in Mexico with her. I made sure to tell him you were.
Gerard: You’ll probably have a bonus in your next paycheck.
Kelly: What the hell is she doing with a guy like that when she has a guy like you in her life?
Gerard: Even without me in her life, she should have more self-esteem than stooping to date a guy like that. Or be fucking single.
Kelly: Someone should sterilize him stat. And do Cora a favor and kiss her already so she knows there’s light at the end of the tunnel. I don’t know her, but I know you well enough to know that if she’s your friend, she’s got something.
Gerard: Thanks, Kelly. I appreciate the pep talk.
Kelly: Anytime. I’ll see you when you get back.
Cora’s voice broke my concentration on the phone. “You about ready?”
I turned around at the sound of Cora’s voice and nearly forgot how to breathe. The air that came up, I choked on.
“Whoa, are you okay there, sport?”
I just gaped at her like an idiot.
She stood near the room door in a deep purple dress that hugged her curves and showed off her long legs. She’d curled her hair, making the waves even more pronounced, and she had on short heels that made her just a couple inches closer to my height. The dress wasn’t anything fancy, but she looked beautiful. It was like the night was designed for us. Maybe because I was letting myself look at her and enjoy her, she was more capable of stealing my breath tonight.
“Wow, Red. You clean up good.”
Her cheeks flushed adorably red as she said, “You don’t look half bad yourself.” Her gaze roamed over me appreciatively. “Did you find somewhere for dinner?”
“I think so, yeah.” I walked over and took her hand, fighting the urge to adjust my cock with every step. “It’ll be a bit of a walk, or
we can drive.”
“I’m fine with walking. It’s a nice night, and if I can teach all day in these shoes, I can walk a while.” She tucked her hair behind her ear, revealing the simple pearl earrings I’d bought for her a couple years ago. “Unless you want to drive?”
The positive side of driving would be that I’d have something to focus on other than my gorgeous Cora, and maybe my cock would behave itself better than it had this morning. But I was apparently a glutton for punishment, because I found myself saying, “Walking’s great.”
We headed out, and for a few blocks I was glad to be surrounded by other tourists, people moving all around. It kept me from blatantly staring. But as we neared the restaurant, most of the foot traffic died off, leaving me pretty much secluded with Cora.
She sighed and looked up into the cloudless night sky. “It really is beautiful here.”
I nodded. “And so are you.” I rubbed my thumb over the back of her hand. I pulled her hand up and kissed her palm.
“Either I’m the most gorgeous girl on the planet or you’re just trying to butter me up.” She pulled back some, but the look in her eyes said anything but wanting to be further apart. “Where’s this restaurant?”
“Right around the corner, I think.”
“Oh, such a pretty lady needs a pretty flower. Buy una rosa for the lady?” A street peddler held out a basket full of flowers, breaking the tension.
I grinned at the woman and pulled out my wallet. I pulled out the red rose in the best shape and handed it to Cora. “Para mi amor.”
The street peddler sighed wistfully as she took my offered pesos. “Ah, young love. There’s nothing like it.” She wished us a happy Valentine’s Day and wandered off down the road, no doubt to find another couple to get a few pesos from.
“Your love, huh? I get buying the flower, but you didn’t have to make her believe we were in love.”
Tonight, that didn’t feel true. “Come on, it’s Valentine’s Day. I’m with the woman I love most in the world. I don’t think I’m out of line calling you my love. You’ve been with me longer than any relationship.”
“Gerard, are you holding out for someone?” She nudged me with her shoulder and then sniffed the rose slowly. “I don’t know why some woman hasn’t stole your heart away. You’re… You’re an incredible guy.”
I pulled her into the doorway of the restaurant, not wanting to give her a response. How could she still not see that my heart was hers, that it had been for years? And why did it all feel so overwhelmingly, achingly, preposterously out of reach when I felt like we’d never been closer?
“Table for two, please.” I approached the host stand and smiled at the frazzled looking young man. “The best one available.” I held out my hand, a crumpled twenty-dollar bill tucked in by my palm.
He shook my hand, and I let the money slip to his as he pulled away. “Let me see what I can do. It’s very busy tonight, señor.”
I slid my fingers over Cora’s lower back as we stepped away from the stand.
“We could’ve waited. Or gone somewhere else.”
“Red, live a little. Have some fun.” I smiled.
Cora sighed. “It’s just not how I do things. I don’t bribe hosts in restaurants, I don’t ask for the best table, or…” She looked up at me. “It doesn’t matter. I’m just not used to this.”
“You shouldn’t settle for anything but the best. And the best doesn’t always mean expensive or money. But you should be treated like a queen regardless.” I knew I was playing with fire, suggesting it again. Having her like this, just the two of us, felt so perfect, and I didn’t want to let her go when these five days were over.
She leaned back against me. “I could maybe do this like once a year.”
“Señor, your table is ready.” The host came over holding two menus in hand. “If you’ll follow me.”
I didn’t want to let go of Cora. I didn’t want to let her out of my arms, so that she could just put distance between us again.
But Cora didn’t seem to want distance, as she stepped forward and reached for my hand. “You coming?”
“I’d follow you anywhere, Red.”
We were seated in a booth near the back of the restaurant, and as soon as we sat, it was almost quiet. Cora set her rose on the edge of the table and then reached across for my hand. “This is nice. I like that we’re a little secluded.”
I grinned and leaned forward. “I do too. I don’t like sharing you either.”
Cora’s big green eyes focused on me. “I feel like we’re getting to see sides of each other we haven’t really seen before.”
“Is that a bad thing?”
“No. I just feel like things between us have shifted a little. Don’t you?”
“I suppose so. It’s bound to happen as life experiences change our perspectives.” I reached over and tucked her hair behind her ears. “You’ve been wearing a lot of jewelry that I bought you.”
“I don’t have a lot of reason to wear these fancy things in Jubilee Falls. But I’m on vacation, with what some would consider a charming man, and they make me feel pretty.” She reached up and touched one of the pearls. “I figured they should get some use.”
“They look great on you.”
Cora licked her lips, a subtle motion that sent blood rushing to my dick. “I don’t know how I got so lucky, having a guy like you as my best friend. I feel like I won the friendship lottery. And you just got stuck with plain, boring schoolteacher from Nebraska.”
“Are you kidding? You’re the jackpot. Smart, funny, gorgeous, and talented. You’ve got it all, Cora.”
“Yeah, everything except the money, the fame, the tiny waist. All those things that models have.”
I frowned and leaned back in my seat. “Where did you get this idea that I’m screwing models all the time?”
“Aren’t you? If I looked like you, and I worked with the prettiest women in the world, I’d sleep with them. You can’t tell me there aren’t models who throw themselves at you.”
I sighed and rubbed my hands over my face. This wasn’t the conversation I wanted to have tonight or ever, but she was stuck on this idea. “I’m not like that, Cora. Yes, there are women who throw themselves at me, most of them thinking I can do something for their career. And yes, I spend a lot of time taking pictures of women in bikinis, in lingerie, sometimes in next to nothing at all. But it doesn’t mean I’ve slept with all of them or any of them for that matter.”
She pulled away from me and looked down at her hands, frowning. “I’m sorry I brought it up. Here we were, having a beautiful evening, just the two of us, and I ruined it.”
“You haven’t ruined anything, Red.” I got up and slid into her side of the booth, wrapping my arm around her shoulders. “You’re my best friend, right? And if you can’t give me shit, if you can’t pick on me for my choice of women, who can?” I kissed her temple and smiled softly. “It’s not like I haven’t slept with models. But it’s far less than you’d think. And it’s only because…I was lonely. I didn’t have a connection with any of them and usually felt pretty shitty afterward.” I hated admitting it out loud. I hated saying it to the woman I really did want to sleep with. This wasn’t the way to woo her into seeing me as more than a friend. But I needed to knock the notion out of her mind once and for all. They didn’t compare to her. It was as simple as that.
“Can we start over? Or at least backtrack to when we first sat down, and just have a nice dinner? Get that bottle of wine, dessert, the whole nine yards?”
“I’d love that.” I kissed her cheek and started to slide back out of the booth.
“Where you going?” She grabbed my hand. “Stay over here. It’s kind of nice.”
I grinned. “You got it, Red.”
After dinner, Cora and I held hands as we walked slowly back toward our hotel. I wasn’t looking forward to getting back into the crowds, and it seemed like Cora wasn’t either.
“Let’s wander the beach for a wh
ile. Take off our shoes, let our feet get kissed by the tide.” She smiled and pulled me toward the water.
“How can I say no to a request like that?” I stopped a second just before we got to the sand and kicked off my shoes and pulled off my socks.
Cora followed suit, and then reached for my hand again.
I tangled my fingers with hers as we walked down the beach, moving slowly as we listened to the waves slowly brush against the sand. When Cora stopped and turned to stare out into the water, I tossed my shoes down next to us and added hers.
I wrapped my arm around her and pulled her against me. “Happy Valentine’s Day, Red.”
I expected her to say something similar, or to tease me, something. Anything but what actually happened.
She looked up to meet my gaze. Her eyes were glimmering a little bit with a wine haze, but she looked happy. She glanced down at my mouth and then away from me. When she dragged her gaze back to mine, Cora rose up on her toes and pressed her lips to mine.
It started out slow, but she wasn’t tentative about it. Her fingers tangled in my shirt as she pulled me closer. I could taste the wine and a hint of dessert there, but more than that it was Cora I tasted. I wrapped my arms around her tighter, and Cora’s body molded against mine like it was made to be pressed up against me. She moaned a little against my lips, and I used the opening to let my tongue dance across her lower lip.
My wildest dreams couldn’t have prepared me for what kissing Cora in real life felt like. She was tender, and soft, but her mouth was demanding, and when her tongue caressed mine, I was tempted to push her down in the sand and take her like I’d been aching to for years.
I let my hands wander over her hips and then down to cup her ass. I pulled her flush against me and she let out a whimper and she leaned into me. I wished I could push her up against a wall or something for leverage so I could hold her against me and use my hands to explore her more.
We needed to go back to the room so I could take my time and really show her how things could be between us.
Love Struck Page 9