Lawless (24 page)

Marcus and Joe both glanced at the athletic young
blonde with an obvious boob-job who sat at the other end of the bar doing shots
with her friends.  She was drunker than drunk, had been for the past three
nights, and had ignored Marcus each time he'd tried to snag her attention.  He
and Joe had bet on his chances with her the first night, but she hadn't given
Marcus a second glance.  Joe felt sorry for Marcus and let him up his bet a
couple of times.  If his friend didn't score tonight, Joe had a chance to break
even, which was good because he hated to lose.

Hell.

It wasn't that he needed the money.  It was more
for sport.  That and he also hated to be wrong.  But he'd been wrong tonight. 
He was so sure his classic blonde would have gone for the rich businessman
type—like himself when he wasn't incognito.

The unforgettable dress, the updo, diamonds in her
ears.  Everything about her spoke elegance.  What did she want some young punk
for?  Joe frowned.

Restless, Joe left his barstool and wandered
closer to the ill-suited couple.  There were enough people standing around that
he could get within a few feet and not be noticed.  Perhaps if he watched her
longer, he could figure out where he'd gone wrong in his assessment.

As Joe neared her, his senses sharpened.  The club
was filled with beautiful women, but she was different.  She looked like she
had more…depth to her.

He stopped a few paces behind her, catching a
whiff of an engaging feminine scent, instinctively knowing it was hers.

"I'm here on vacation with a friend,"
she said.  Joe listened to the woman's unnecessary chatter.  "We just
arrived today."  Definitely nervous, but charmingly so.

"Oh, yeah?" the kid answered.  "Me,
too."

Joe turned enough that he could see the object of
her attention.  The punk's gaze was fixed on the deep valley between her
breasts, a predatory look on his dumb face.  He really wanted to send that kid
running home to mama.

*      *      *

Elena sucked in another breath, trying to still
the impulse to bolt.  The conversation stalled, again, and she didn't know what
to say next.  Mercedes had no clue how hard this could be.

The hunk was obviously interested in her.  He
couldn't take his eyes off her chest, and damn it, she had a point to prove. 
She was still attractive to men.

Wasn't she?

The rebel in her insisted she find out.

She tossed her head, and then wished she'd worn
her hair down like Mercedes.  It was time to make a bold move.  She slid her
hand up his bicep, feeling the hardness beneath her palm.  "Do you want to
dance?"

His gaze moved upward, his attention refocusing on
her face.  "What?  Dance?  Yeah."  He grinned.

She glanced at the dance floor where she could see
Mercedes and her man.  They were so close, their bodies practically one.  She
looked back.  Now was her chance.

"Let's go.  I want to rub my body all over
you."  She swallowed her embarrassment.  That sounded nothing like
Mercedes's invitation.

A man behind her choked, sending heat rushing to
her cheeks.  So, she didn't have Mercedes's finesse.  So what?

She turned, ready to tell whomever it was to mind
his business.  Instead, she was shocked into silence when she realized the
stranger with the interesting eyes stood only a few feet from her, but it
looked like he was with another group of people.  Perhaps, she'd been wrong
thinking someone had laughed at
her
.  There were so many people crammed
into one area.  It was probably just her under-confident imagination.

She turned back to her quest, trying to pretend
the stranger's proximity didn't make her more nervous.

Stunned, she watched as a willowy redhead slipped
in the space between her young hunk's open legs.  The next words died in her
mouth.

"How about a threesome?" he asked, his
shoulders moving to the beat.  The redhead looked Elena over and seemed
agreeable to the idea.

Had she heard him correctly
?  A threesome
? 
Elena stood frozen in place, disbelief slowing her mental process.  "I'm
sorry."  She shook her head.  "I believe I asked just
you
to
dance."  Elena glanced at the redhead to check her reaction.  Nothing.

"Sure."  He grinned.  "But my
girlfriend will get mad if I leave her out, so how about a threesome?"

Elena didn't bother replying.  Obviously, the
dating game had changed more than she'd realized during her married years.

Without further comment, she turned to leave and
found herself face-to-face with the handsome stranger.  A smile tugged at his
mouth.  The nosey bastard
had
overheard her conversation, and now he had
the audacity to laugh at her.

She gave him another quick assessment.  His dark
hair grew a little longer than was fashionable, curling over his ears, but it
fit well with the laid-back atmosphere of the beach resort.  Otherwise, he was
clean cut and well-groomed, respectable with the exception of his rude manners.

Elena lifted her chin and tried to look down her
nose at him like Richard had taught her, but he was too tall.  Disgusted with
everything, she sent him an evil glare and headed for the door.  Mercedes would
have to fend for herself for the rest of the evening.  She'd had enough.

She managed to make it halfway to freedom before
someone tugged on her arm.  Turning, she found that the stranger had followed
her.  His smile had been replaced by a serious look.

"Hey, wait a minute, will you?"  The
volume of his voice competed with the loud music.

"Why?"  She turned her frustration on
him.  "So that I can provide you with more entertainment?  I don't think
so."  She shook her arm free of his grasp.

"No."  His smile returned, and she found
herself studying his eyes when she should have been walking away.  She indulged
for a moment, staring into the deep, dark depths that were highlighted by
slanting eyebrows.  His eyes were capable of capturing a woman's soul…and had
probably done so several times.  "I wasn't laughing at you.  I was
laughing at that jackass who didn't have enough brains to hold on to a beautiful
woman when he had the chance."

That stopped her.

Smooth.  Much smoother than her pickup line.  More
than likely he was also what her eighteen-year-old daughter would term a
player, but Elena certainly didn't mind being called beautiful.

He grinned as though he sensed she was on the
verge of acquiescence.  He was definitely seductive, and he fit the image of
who she'd thought she'd like to meet in Cabo.

But she wasn't biting, yet.  "I suppose it
doesn't matter who you laughed at."  She gave him a nonchalant shrug. 
"I was ready to call it an evening, anyway."

"That's too bad."  He tilted his head to
one side, giving her a dangerously charming smile, the creases in his cheeks
deepening.  "Is there a chance I can convince you to stick around for a
while?  Buy you a drink?  I promise I'll show you a much better time than that
punk-kid ever could."

Hmm…maybe she'd stay.  Maybe not.  She could see
through his charming façade, but found him intriguing despite the fact.  The
defiant part of her wanted to say yes, but this seemed a little more dangerous
than flirting with someone ten years younger than she was.  The sane, rational
part of her urged her to call it a night.  Really, she should have stayed home
in the first place, back in Carmel where she could take care of her shop. 
Things there were safe, predictable, controlled.

And boring.

She swallowed.  Her rebellious side struggled to
win the battle.

The man captured her with his compelling gaze. 
"Come on.  Don't let that jerk ruin your evening.  One dance?  And if you
still want to leave afterward, I'll get you safely back to your hotel." 
He took her hand and nodded toward the dance floor.

The rebel won.  "I suppose one dance wouldn't
hurt."  Besides, she was curious to see if his dance moves were as smooth
as his pick-up lines.

His hand was warm, masculine, and tightly clasped
around hers as he led her to the dance floor.  It had been a long time since
she'd indulged in the attributes of the opposite sex.  She'd forgotten the
delicious sensations that came along with touching someone she was attracted
to.

He found a spot in the middle of the dance floor
and turned to her with a mischievous grin.  "Can you salsa?"

Elena arched an eyebrow, impressed.  A song heavy
with congas and claves vibrated the air, and she returned his smile.  Oh, yes. 
She could salsa.  "On one?"

He seemed pleased with her answer.  "On
one."  He slipped his arm around her waist as she put her hand on his
chest, and they began to move to the beat.

Backward and forward, it was a fast-paced dance,
one that required her to keep her concentration.  She'd let Mercedes teach her
how to salsa, several years back, right after her divorce, and Mercedes had
said she was a natural.  It was one of her fondest memories during that
difficult period.

It seemed Mr. Dark and Dangerous knew exactly what
to do with his feet.  Not to mention his body.  No beginner moves for this guy,
Elena thought with a smile as she tried to catch her breath.  "You're
good."

"We're good together."  He grinned, and
a spark ignited where her hand rested on his chest.

She laughed to hide the powerful feeling of
attraction, but the spark grew stronger.  In the few short minutes since they'd
met, she found herself surprisingly attuned to the stranger who held her.  His
chest was strong and solid.  Though he smiled and teased, she recognized the
intelligence in his eyes.  And the spot where his hand rested against the skin
on her bare back?  It burned like an inferno.

He twisted her in his arms, his fingers whisking
across her skin, before he held her tight once again.  Her back was against
him, the length of him pressed to her as they moved.  His breath warmed her
ear, and she couldn't resist leaning into him.  She sucked in another breath,
wondering if she was oxygen-depleted because of the dancing or because of him.

She was shocked to admit she wanted him…like she
hadn't wanted a man in a long time.  Maybe because she knew he'd never be part
of her life and knew he'd never have the opportunity to try to control her, she
relaxed and enjoyed the fun.

He spun her back around, and she met his gaze. 
Seduction smoldered there along with a hint of naughtiness.  He knew what she
wanted.  She could tell by the smile on his face, and there wasn't a thing she
could do to hide it.

Not that she wanted to.

It was obvious he wanted her, as well.  Could she
allow herself a wild and passionate fling?  One hot night in Cabo? 
Recreational sex could be a good thing if handled properly.  Right?

Just as the song ended, he dipped her low and held
her suspended.  She was completely vulnerable in his arms, and he stole a long,
slow look down her body before his gaze met hers once again.  He lifted her up
and pulled her close.  He pressed her hand to his chest, his other hand resting
provocatively on her low back.

Her insides burned with need.  She dropped her
gaze to his lips.  She wanted to taste the man who'd whisked her headfirst into
his sensuous world.

But he didn't kiss her.

She looked back to his eyes, happy to find them
still smoldering.  The music switched to a slow, sultry tune, and he began to
move, still holding her tight against him.  Her hips swayed with the music,
with him, their thighs practically joined.  Pleasure tingled through her
breasts as she pressed them against his chest.

He looked to her lips and then back to her eyes,
but still did not kiss her.  A hint of promise tugged at the corner of his
mouth.

What was he waiting for
?

She licked her lips, tasting salt from the ocean
air.  Was he toying with her?  "What are you doing?"

His smile grew wider as though he knew how he
affected her.  "I'm dancing with you."

"That's not what I meant."

He arched his brows.  "Then I don't
understand your question."

She studied his face, his knowing smile.  Oh, he
knew.  She had already recognized he was a player…but what did she care?  She
wanted to play, too.  In fact, that might be kind of fun, taking the lead,
being the seducer.  The idea of it empowered her.  "I think you're trying
to get me into your bed."

"No."  He twirled her and pulled her
close again.  The heat between them magnified as their bodies met.  "I'm
just making sure you have a nice evening, remember?  I promised."

The hard length of him pressing against her told
her otherwise.  She smiled, enjoying the game.  She moved her hips, bumping him
in all the right places, keeping her expression innocent.  "I just want to
be clear on that point, because I wouldn't want to give you the wrong
impression."

He curved his lips in a sensuous smile. 
"No.  No wrong impressions here."  He traced a slow circle on the
small of her back with his finger.  Every nerve ending stood at attention, each
begging for his touch.  The shift from predator to hunted was subtle, but she
knew she'd lost her edge.

She needed to cool down, to regain her composure. 
She
wanted to control this seduction.  Wanted to see this player on his
knees.  She smiled.  Maybe literally.

Elena stood on her tiptoes, purposefully rubbing
her breasts against his chest as she leaned close to his ear.  "You
haven't told me your name," she whispered, sliding back down.  A good
offense was always the best defense.

"It's Joe," he said in a soft voice. 
"And your name is Elena."

For a moment, his answer gave her pause, and then
she remembered he'd overheard her earlier conversation.

She leaned in close again.  "Well, Joe, it's
too hot in here.  I need some air."