Wiggling, she extricated herself from his embrace and turned over to study him. He looked gorgeous in the sunshine, the covers trailing over his bare ass, one muscular leg showing. His full lips were parted slightly, and he was breathing deeply. His hair, normally swept neatly back, was mussed, one shock falling over his eyes. It made him look so vulnerable, her heart hitched a little.
Suddenly she felt uncertain about staying. It was morning, and the darkness was long gone. So she should probably get lost. If he wanted to see her again, she wasn’t hard to find. Reluctantly, she slipped from the bed and searched around for her clothes. After gathering them, she quietly got dressed and, giving him one last look, padded down the hallway.
In the daylight she saw that his room was actually a suite—and a very expensive one, judging from the size and amenities. But where else could a billionaire be expected to stay but in a place fit for Donald Trump?
As she stepped outside and closed the door behind her, it occurred to her to wonder where T-Bone had gone. After she and Joaquin had entered his suite, she hadn’t seen the bodyguard again. Glancing around, she didn’t spot anyone except a burly man resting with his shoulder against a tree, facing in her general direction. And a man walking the path with a broom, unhurriedly ridding the grounds of stray trash.
The burly man must be T-Bone’s replacement, assuming one bodyguard wasn’t expected to work 24/7. Strangely, the man ignored her, but his attention was riveted to the man doing the sweeping. Burly Man didn’t relax until the groundskeeper had moved on. Shaking her head, she resumed walking back to her room. It was sort of weird to actually know someone who required a bodyguard for his safety. Not that she
knew
Joaquin, because she didn’t.
She’d learned her way around his body, though. Dinner and conversation had been a definite bonus. He was a fascinating man whom she really did want to know better. She hadn’t been lying about that. Time would tell whether they’d have anything in common.
Anna let herself into her room, which wasn’t nearly as opulent as Joaquin’s. She kicked off her shoes and immediately stripped off last night’s clothes, grateful to be rid of them. God, she needed a shower—though she didn’t really want to wash off Joaquin’s scent. It was like he was still surrounding her, and she liked the essence of him lingering on her skin.
Couldn’t be helped. But she found that she liked wearing him like a cozy blanket.
Stepping into the spray, she washed her hair, then lingered some over her shower. The hot water felt good on her muscles, and she let it beat down for a bit before getting out and drying off. Hanging up the towel, she went into the bedroom and put on fresh underwear and a bra, then lowered herself to the bed, lost in thought.
Before she fully realized what she intended, she reached for her phone and dialed her own number at her apartment in New York. Her mother answered on the third ring.
“Anna?” her mom greeted her breathlessly.
“Hey, Mom. What’s up?”
“Just chasing that naughty kitten of yours around the living room. If he steals one more of my earrings, I’m going to boot him out on the street, and good riddance.”
Anna smiled, hearing the affection in her mom’s voice. “Something tells me he doesn’t feel very threatened.”
“Ha! When I catch the little shit, I’m gonna skin him alive.” Margaret let out an exasperated breath. “And just why are you calling home when you’re supposed to be on vacation? Bored already, missing the bustle of the restaurant?”
“I miss the restaurant and my staff, but I’m not exactly bored.”
“Oh? Any particular reason?”
Her mother had the instincts of a bloodhound and the tenacity of a prosecuting attorney. “Not really. There’s a lot to do here and lots of nice people to talk to. They have dances, cookouts, and—”
“Come on, Anna Marie. You didn’t call me all the way from Aruba to make small talk about nothing. Whatever’s on your mind, spill it. Is it Gray?”
“Sort of … Well, indirectly.”
“What does that mean? Are you missing him? Because he’s sure moping around, calling every day, asking when you’ll be home.”
That gave her heart a lurch. “He is?”
“Of course! That man is in love with you, honey. He’s in pain.”
“I wish he weren’t,” she said, throat burning with shame. With unshed tears. “Because it hurts me to hear that.”
“So call him. Or better yet, invite him to come out there.”
“It’s not that simple anymore, if it ever was.”
“Why not?” Her mother sounded truly confused.
“Because …” She choked on the words. There was a pregnant pause, and she knew instantly her mom had guessed the problem before she could even say any more.
“You’ve met someone, haven’t you? Oh,
Anna
.”
The disappointment in her mom’s voice was crushing. “I have, Mom. I didn’t come here looking to find someone else. Hell, that was the last thing I wanted. But Joaquin is unlike any man I’ve ever come across. He’s charming, sexy, doesn’t take no for an answer. You’d like him.”
“I like Gray,” her mother said quietly. “And
he’s
all of those things as well.”
“But he lied to me! He played me—
slept
with me—to gather evidence on his case.”
“He’s sorry for that, and you know it. He was working to exonerate you so he could focus on ridding your restaurant of those rats who were using your business to sell drugs. In the end, he saved your ass.”
“I know that. But I still can’t forget how much it devastated me to find out he’d slept with me to get information—at least at first. There’s no excuse for that, and I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to let it go.”
Another pause. “Who is this man you’ve met?”
“His name is Joaquin Delacruz, and he’s a businessman. Owns some hotels and casinos.”
“
The
Joaquin Delacruz?” her mother practically screeched in shock. “The billionaire?”
“The same.”
In for a penny, as they say.
“And older brother of Manny, the
rat
who was running drugs through Floor Fifty-Five.”
“What in the hell are you
thinking
getting mixed up with that family? Are you trying to get put in prison, or worse? I—Oh, no.” Margaret paused, then her voice lowered, her tone grim. “This new man you’re so interested in is Gray’s enemy. He told me himself how he’s been after this family for years. Do you realize what this is going to do to him when he finds out?”
“Yes,” she said miserably. “I don’t want to cause him more pain, but I really like Joaquin, Mom. There’s a connection between us, a real spark. How can I just ignore that?”
“Easy. You thank him for a nice time, get on a plane, and come home!”
“What about what I want?”
“You want to get caught in the crossfire? I’m not only talking about Gray and Joaquin, I’m talking about the Delacruz family and their kind. We have nothing in common with people like them, or their crooked world. Please, baby, come home.”
“I will, but not yet. I want to see where this goes. I promise to be careful.”
A resigned sigh came from the other end of the line. “All right. But the next time I see Gray, if he asks the right questions, I’m not going to lie to him for you.”
“I would never ask you to do that. I love you, Mom.”
“I love you, too. If you get in too deep, promise you’ll call me, and then Gray.”
There was no getting around it. “I promise.”
“Okay. Keep in touch or I’ll send Gray after you whether it pisses you off or not.”
“I will. Bye, Mom.”
“Bye, honey.”
Ending the call, Anna wasn’t sure whether she felt better or worse. In some ways, a little of both. Her mother was smart enough to realize that meeting Joaquin was the reason for the call, and that Anna was more than a little conflicted about being with the man. But Margaret didn’t know exactly how far their acquaintance had progressed. If she did, she’d be a lot more worried.
With a sigh, she got dressed, pulling on a pair of purple shorts and a white tank top. She’d just slid her feet into a pair of flip-flops when there was a knock on her door. Cautiously, she approached and peered out the spy hole.
Joaquin. Well, that certainly hadn’t taken long. A bit nervous, she pulled open the door and did her best not to show it.
“Hey, there. I wasn’t expecting you.”
This made him frown. “Really? We spend the night making love, and I wake up and you’re gone. No note. I had to come and find out if I did something wrong.”
“No, of course not.” Stepping aside, she gestured to the living room. “Please, come in.”
Once he was in, he faced her squarely. His expression was somewhat guarded, as though he was unsure of his reception. “If you’re not upset with me, why did you leave?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “I guess I thought you’d rather not wake up with your one-night stand in your bed.”
Moving close, he gave her a sexy smile. “There are a couple of things wrong with your assumptions. First of all, if I wanted you to go, I would’ve seen you out the door last night. Second, I’m kind of over sleeping around simply to get off, and I was hoping you got that message yesterday. I want to spend more time with you.”
“I’d like that very much.”
Looking pleased, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her lips. “Fantastic. What do you say we get out of here for a while and go on an excursion?”
“You mean off the resort?”
“Why not? The scenery is gorgeous, and there’s a market not far away. There are shops if you want to pick up gifts, and some restaurants we can choose from to eat lunch.”
“You’ve thought of everything, haven’t you?” she teased.
“I did my best.”
“Well, I would like to get my mother something, and lunch with a handsome man is always a great idea.”
With the awkwardness of the morning after put behind them, they set off in a car Joaquin had rented for the sole purpose of chauffeuring them around. It wasn’t fancy, nothing like a limo or even a luxury car, but the vehicle with its driver was theirs.
The burly man from this morning was riding shotgun.
“And what’s your name?” Anna inquired cheerfully as they climbed inside the car. “Rib Eye?”
“Huh?” The bodyguard squinted at her over his shoulder.
Joaquin laughed. “Anna, this is Henry. Henry, Anna.”
“Nice to meet you.”
Her smile was rewarded with a grudging greeting. “Yeah, you too.” With a grunt, he turned back around.
So much for a sense of humor. She glanced at her date, and he shrugged.
“My men are rather intense. Job hazard.”
“You don’t say?”
Anna quickly immersed herself in having fun with the man beside her. He was a good companion, entertaining her with stories of running his casinos and of all the stupid stuff people tried to get away with while gambling. Some were funny, like hearing about patrons who went through all sorts of superstitious rituals each time they sat at a machine. They’d do everything from rubbing it like a genie lamp to blessing it while holding a cross. As if any of that would do any good, because, he explained, every machine is preprogrammed far in advance to pay out certain combinations in an exact order, making it truly the luck of the draw for whomever sits down to play.
Other stories were more serious, like patrons being robbed for their winnings, though that was rare thanks to surveillance and security. For sure, Joaquin was in an interesting business with never a dull moment.
Soon they were in the quaint, pretty town a few miles outside of their resort. Their driver parked next to the market, and they got out of the car, ready to explore.
There were stands with all sorts of fruits and vegetables. Meat on a stick, fish, and sweets. Not so different from a state fair back home, with all of the smells mingling together to make one scent that was equal parts yummy and gross.
As they left the market and ventured toward some shops down the street, Anna was aware they weren’t alone. Henry wasn’t far behind. That was a comfort, too, especially when she spotted what she thought to be a familiar face in the crowd. She must’ve faltered in her step, because Joaquin squeezed her hand.
“Something wrong?”
“What? No. I thought I saw someone I recognized.”
“Who?”
“That man standing by those melons back there.” She nodded slightly in the man’s direction. “I could have sworn that man was sweeping the path outside your room this morning.”
Alarm darkened his expression. “Hang on.”
Joaquin went to Henry, and the two of them spoke in hushed tones. Henry nodded, but remained behind them. “I told Henry what you said, and he agreed. He saw the groundskeeper, too, and that
is
the same man. He’ll look into it when we get back”
“All right. At least I know I’m not going crazy.”
“Not a chance.”
In one of the shops, Anna selected a pretty blouse and a figurine for her mother, and a gorgeous handmade glass bowl for her apartment. She arranged to have her bowl shipped and they left the shop, happy in each other’s company.
In another store, Joaquin found a new shirt and some fine tobacco. Much to her relief, the latter wasn’t for himself, but to be used as gifts for business associates. He purchased some rare liquor to be shipped home as well.
All in all the morning was a success, and they capped it by having lunch at a local restaurant that served seafood—big surprise. But it was delicious, and she ate way too much and had to decline dessert.
By midafternoon they were in their rented car and on the way back to the resort. By mutual agreement, they parted and went to their rooms to change into swimsuits. They were to meet at the beach in thirty minutes.
Anna put on her bikini, singing one of her favorite upbeat songs. She could get very, very used to this feeling. She was happy and looking forward to what this time with Joaquin would bring.
Not once since this morning, she realized, had she thought of Gray.
She shoved thoughts of him aside to deal with later. Much later.
***
In his suite, Joaquin changed into a different swimsuit than the one he had on yesterday. These were regular trunks, not quite as flashy. But they looked decent on him, and he thought Anna would like them.