Authors: Jennifer Conner
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“You’re not going to call the cops?” the boy asked again, his voice barely above a whisper.
“We’ll see how all of this goes. If you follow my instructions and do as I say, then I might consider backing off. If you try anything. I will know. Remember, I am better at this game than you.” He glowered at the kid. “I thought about taking your damn computer but then you’d just go to a friend’s house.”
“No, sir. I wouldn’t do that, sir.”
Sir?
He almost laughed. It was almost like he had been dropped into the Marines. He had to steady his mean-guy stare. Mateo never thought he was good at intimidation until now. He stood, came toward the boy and leaned down until they were almost nose to nose. “See that nice lady over there? You know her. She lives in your town and she knows your mom and dad. This is who you are hurting by doing this.”
The kid blanched even whiter if that was possible.
“We will be back at three-thirty. Be here.”
Chapter Four
Kyra grinned at Mateo as they slid back into his car and drove away. She’d had the same adrenaline rush she was sure he had. “You were right, that was an adventure. Maybe I should be a Bond girl and not work in advertising.”
“When he first opened the door, all I wanted to do was bust his face for putting you and the others through such heartache. But you were right, he’s just a kid.” As they entered into the rest of the town, he added, “You still owe me a tour of the town. How about that along with dinner?” He drummed his long fingers on the steering wheel waiting for her reply.
She looked at the clock on the dashboard and sighed. “Sure.”
“You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” He frowned and looked hurt.
“That’s not it. I just have a lot to do. We have this big event coming up in a few days to introduce the resort to the rest of the people in town. Everyone has to be on board if this is going to work. I still need to get the posters printed and I can’t seem to get them the way I want them to look. But, I can always work later.” She stopped. “Turn on the next street.”
He drove the BMW around the corner.
“Park here, and I’ll buy you the best steak and seafood dinner you’ve ever had at Betty’s Surf and Turf.”
Mateo turned off the car and faced her. “Wait a minute, I never said anything about
you
buying dinner.”
Kyra crossed her arms and tried to frown. “For everything you’ve done today, I buy, or I’m not going.”
“Hardball is it? But only if I buy the drinks.” He finally smiled making her stomach do a little flip. Mateo was so handsome with his dark hair and chocolate brown eyes that bore into her, that all she could think about was the unexpected kiss he’d planted on her earlier.
I wish he’d do it again.
She nodded in agreement. “The place isn’t
Daniel’s
in New York City, but it’s pretty great.”
“I love
Daniel’s
,” Mateo stated. “I like to take dates…” he stopped. “Let’s just say I like to eat there.”
“You can buy ten, maybe twenty plus dinners at Betty’s for the price of one there. So stop getting your man pants in a bunch and let me treat you to dinner.” Kyra liked this fun bantering with Mateo. She’d almost forgotten how much fun it was to flirt.
After dinner, they strolled out onto the street. All of the businesses were closed since it was Sunday night.
Mateo followed her out onto the boardwalk that led to the marina. He patted his stomach and said, “I’m so full, you’re going to need a dolly to get me back to the car. You were right. The food there is fantastic.”
“I wouldn’t lie. Almost as good as
Daniel’s
, huh?”
“I agree, and as you said you could buy twenty dinners for the same price.” He looked around. “It’s so quiet here.”
“My mom used to say ‘they roll up the streets of Sunset Beach after seven.’ She was right.” He followed her out on the pier until they reached the end. She leaned over and pointed. “See the fish under the water?”
He stood beside her and gazed over the railing. “I see them. I used to fish off a pier just like this when I was a kid.”
“You didn’t grow up in the city?”
He shook his head. “A sleepy little upstate town…kind of like this.”
“Did you like to fish?”
“I fished but couldn’t really call myself a fisherman.” He shrugged. “When my parents came up from Mexico, they struggled for many years. We had a big family. Two brothers and two sisters and my grandparents. There were a lot of mouths to feed, and not always much food. What I did put some extra food on the table. When you catch them, fish are free. I learned to like seafood. I didn’t like being hungry.”
“Is that why you could relate to Brendon? You grew up with the same background?”
“I guess.” He looked embarrassed. “He has a family I can tell he loves. He’s trying to help.”
“You did the right thing,” Kyra said as she took his hand and squeezed it. “I know it was your call, but I’m happy you didn’t notify the police.”
He looked down at their entwined hands. “The juvenile hall isn’t going to help him out. I know, I was there. Thank God my record was expunged when I turned eighteen or who knows where I would have ended up.”
“You were arrested?” She was shocked. It seemed so unlike him now.
“I was a grimy, pimple-faced computer geek just like Brendon. My mother was so hurt when she came to the juvenile hall. I’d never heard her swear before that day. She swore in Spanish, but I knew what she said. She said her boy was not going to go down the road to crime. I had opportunities they never had. It’s no fun behind bars. Even though you’re a kid, you feel the weight of the world on your shoulders when you’re trying to help the family you love. I was desperate to do anything to help out. I used to hack video games and movies to sell on the street. I stole some stereos to resell, and that was when I was caught. Brendon and I are no different. But messing with you is what upset me.”
“You can see the big picture. The world isn’t black and white. You’re a nice man, Mr. Medina.”
He frowned, like she’d hit a nerve. “No, I’m not. I’m just another work-driven asshole in New York City who’d do anything for the next corporate bid.”
“As I said, that was me too. People can change and I don’t think you need to change that much because I saw what you were doing for Brendon. Down under that steel city barrier is a big, small town heart. I thought maybe we could go back to the resort and...” Kyra was embarrassed to ask what she was thinking.
“I’m not the man for you.”
“I know you’re going to be gone in a few days, I’m not asking for long-term commitment.” Kyra stepped closer until she felt the heat of his body. She wound her hands behind his neck and sifted her fingers through his silky brown hair. “But, I’d like to give you another thank you kiss. Just call it from a Bond girl to James.”
His fingers caressed her cheek and his thumb slid along her lower lip. Slowly, Kyra drew his head down until their lips met again. He tasted malty from the beer he’d just finished at the restaurant. He kissed her so sweetly, she melted.
Kyra’s breath caught as he pulled her tighter. Her breasts were pressed against his hard chest. She didn’t remember when she’d ever been kissed this thoroughly.
When they finally broke apart, they were both out of breath.
“Wow.”
“Yeah…wow,” Mateo said and shot her another sexy grin that melted the tread on her sneakers. “I’d be happy if that kiss went on for the rest of the night.”
“Me too. But, as I said, I have a ton of work to get done. It’s getting late. Can we go back to the resort?”
He looked a little disappointed. “Sure.”
When they returned, Mateo gave her a sweet kiss in the entryway.
“Goodnight,” he said. “And don’t work too late.”
Chapter Five
Mateo rolled over in bed and rubbed the sleep from his eyes so he could see the bedside clock.
Two-fifteen in the morning.
He loved sleeping with all the windows open to listen to the sea, but the fresh air made his mouth dry.
He hauled himself out of bed and headed to the bathroom. “Damn,” he muttered. “No water.” There was enough moonlight from the windows that he didn’t need to turn on a light. Heading down the stairs, he walked to the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and drew out a bottle of water. He downed half the bottle.
That was when he heard the tapping of a computer keyboard. He moved toward the back office where he found Kyra hunched over her computer screen.
Her chestnut hair glowed in the screen’s light. He wished he could touch it again. What was it about this woman that drove him crazy? He hadn’t felt this much chemistry with a woman in…well…ever. She was also smart and business driven, obviously, since she was still here at 2:00 a.m..
Just like me.
No not just like him. She’d given it all up to move back here to her friends and this town. How would it be to live here in this small town…with her?
Mateo shook his head to clear it of this silly notion. He had a life. A perfect life.
He came up behind her, bent over and whispered, “You lied. You told me that you weren’t going to work late.”
She gasped and spun her chair around clutching a hand to her chest. “You scared me to death.”
“Why? Who did you think it was? I’m the only one here.”
Kyra drew her gaze off his and traveled down his bare chest. She was checking him out. He grinned what he hoped was a sexy smile, and her cheeks flushed pink.
He continued, “The question is, why are
you
still here?”
“I went back to my apartment and started to work, but then I realized that a bunch of the files I needed were saved on this computer, so I had to come back and finish on it.”
Mateo took her hands and turned her toward him. “Are all your files saved?”
She nodded and powered down the computer. He pulled her to her feet. “Go home and get some sleep. You can’t work without sleep. Believe me, I’ve tried to work on two or three hours a night. It doesn’t work.”
“Your anxiety?” she asked.
“I feel like such a jerk. A big baby. But it became so bad, I knew that I was mentally and physically falling apart. Too much stress.”
“Are you doing better here? I know it’s only been a day but do you feel your vacation has helped?”
“It’s helped.” He held out his hands. “Steady as a rock. The tremors have almost disappeared.”
“What about when you go back to work?” she asked. “I’m worried about you.”
“I have to go back to work. I’ll be fine.” He furrowed his brow. He hadn’t asked himself that question, so why had she thought of it? Since he’d been in this small sleepy town all of his symptoms disappeared. But this wasn’t the life for him.
“Come on workaholic” He chuckled and tugged her toward the front door. “I’ll walk you to your car.”
“Wait, I forgot to turn off the outside lights.”
“I noticed they were still on when I went to bed.”
She moved to the French doors. “I thought I’d leave them on in case you wanted to go out on the deck and relax. The view is so gorgeous.” She walked to the power box and flipped off the power switch bathing the deck in darkness. It left the two of them lit only by the moonlight and the flickering reflection of the blue lights on the pool.
Kyra was so beautiful in the dim light, Mateo thought his heart stopped. “What are you doing to me?” he asked, as he strode to her and pulled her into his arms. She felt good, like she fit there. Mateo buried his nose in her hair and inhaled. He wanted to remember her unique fragrance so he could try and figure out the mesmerizing pull that she had on him later.
Sunshine
. That was all that came to mind. Kyra smelled like sunshine.
She drew back, her pupils large and dark in the moonlight. “Kiss me again,” she said in a sexy invitation.
That wasn’t what Mateo expected to hear. When his mouth touched hers, he swore he felt sparks. He tugged her hair so her chin rose and he could deepen the kiss. He kissed her with all the pent-up sexual tension he’d felt since the moment he laid eyes on her.
Kyra ran a hand down his bare chest and then cupped him though his pajamas. Mateo let out a groan. He was hard as steel and there was no hiding the fact in the loose flannel bottoms he wore. He grinned a little sheepishly. “Sorry, but that’s what you do to me.”
“You only need to be sorry if you’re not going to make love to me right now.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You mean back in my room?”
“As I said when you first got here, there’s a problem with the mattresses. The springs squeak on your bed.” She drew her T-shirt over her head. Grabbing one of the large beach towels she flipped it over to cover the double lounge chairs delivered earlier that day. “And as you said, there’s no one around but us. There.” She pointed to the largest chair.
Mateo grabbed her and kissed her again. Hard. He was so turned on he had to remind himself not to take her while they were still standing. He dropped to his knees, undid the button on the fly of her jeans and then slid them down her legs and off her feet. He left the panties.
Mateo kissed a slow heated trail up each leg and then blew air between the apex of her thighs. He heard her breath hitch. He loved the fact that the panties were cotton and not some lace thong that she’d spent a hundred dollars on. They looked like her. Hooking his thumbs in the elastic, he slid the cotton down her thighs and off. Kyra undid her bra and dropped it to the wood deck.
Gloriously naked, she took his breath away. “You look like a mermaid with the reflection of the water on your skin,” he said.
She grinned and giggled. “I don’t know any siren songs.”
“Ahhh…but there you’re wrong. I think you know then all too well.” No one ever giggled while making love, but Kyra did. It warmed him, and he smiled up at her. Slowly, Mateo rose and kissed a blazing path up her body. He kissed each breast and then continued up to her soft inviting lips. He walked her backwards until her calves hit the lounge. When he gave her a little push, she fell onto the chaise and laughed, then hooked a finger in his direction.
When had sex been this fun?
He pulled off his pajamas and watched her eyes darken. She must have liked what she saw as much as he did. Laid out before him on the lounge, she was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen. Suddenly panic hit him. “Shit,” he muttered.
“What?” Kyra asked.
Mateo looked back at his discarded bottoms.
Kyra laughed again. “I take it you are always Mister Prepared?”
“I hadn’t really expected to be making love to a beautiful woman at two o’clock in the morning in an abandoned resort when all I woke up for was a drink of water. I don’t have a condom.”
“I guess that’s something else we’d better stock in the gift shop for those unprepared moments. It’s okay. We’re all good.” She laughed. It made him laugh too. Her easy way always made him laugh.