Mara Fox - Letting Go!

The second step would be him looking her way, she thought as she headed to the table. She almost stumbled when he did.

And then…

Amazingly, the pirate actually rose to his feet as she approached, grinning in such a friendly fashion it was as if he knew her, and somehow it gave her the courage she needed to pause in front of him.

His gaze was as warm as if he’d physically reached out to her. His smile was incredibly bright on his gorgeous, tanned face. “I saw you enjoying the sunset and I hoped you’d come in closer.”

She practically pried her hands from behind her back to offer one to him. “Hi, I’m Emma. You must be from around here. I’m a passenger on a cruise ship, just here for the evening. It’s so nice to meet a local. That is, if you are a local—”

She might have babbled on or run away, but he grabbed and squeezed her hand. The tingle she felt stopped her in mid-speech. Is this how initiating a seduction felt? This wonderful, scary feeling, like a roller coaster as you hovered on the arc of the first drop?

“Emma, you spoke so quickly I’m afraid I didn’t catch it all.”

“Oh, do I have an accent? You don’t. It’s amazing. I just said that I’m on a cruise and I’m a little…” She started to say nervous but changed her mind. That wasn’t the way to pick up a man. This was the perfect opportunity to pretend she was sophisticated, like Tina.

“…thirsty. I’m so thirsty,” she said in a rush. “Can you tell me what I should order? I usually order…um…orgasms. You know, the drinks…” Emma almost pinched herself. Had she really been that bold?

FOR TONY, holding Emma’s hand was an incredible rush. But hadn’t he intended to get Emma out of his system?

“Well,” Emma prompted. “What do you locals drink?”

It was the second time she’d suggested he was a local.

Mentally he grinned. A player or a local, either definition would do.

And while he had no idea what language they spoke on the island, he was pretty sure Emma didn’t know either. So he’d lean on his Spanish and roll his Rs, to keep her interested. “I’m…Andres and I know exactly what we should order.” He was pleased when his words came out smooth and just slightly accented.

In a throaty purr Emma replied, “Okay, but if you’ve got a better suggestion then I’d love to, uh, entertain it.”

Emma hadn’t seemed quite so flirtatious when they’d spoken on the phone. More pragmatic and perhaps a little whimsical. But then she put a hand on his shoulder and distracted him with a single look. No one had prepared him for the kick of those sea-blue eyes.

“I think we can find something appropriately stimulating for a beautiful…mainlander.”

“Thank you.”

That smile hit him in an interesting place. And when she tried to sit in the minuscule skirt he could have sworn her legs were a million miles long.

The cane material of the chair seemed to grab onto the skirt fabric and he couldn’t help but wonder what she wore under the tiny skirt as she fought for balance.

He lifted his hand, wondering how to help, then grabbed on to the back of the chair to keep it from falling over. Emma finally struggled into place, and he settled back, congratulating himself for resisting any peeking while she’d been fixing her skirt.

“What have you been drinking?” Tony asked solicitously. (He had to think of himself as Andres, his middle name, the name his grandmother called him.)

“Nothing, not since lunch.”

He was skeptical, but obviously she wasn’t driving, so he signaled the waiter and asked for two house specials. The waiter grinned and then went towards the back. The bar was open to the beach, and the salt air, flickering candles and cane furniture gave it an exotic appeal. Andres could feel himself sliding headfirst into the island atmosphere.

“Thank you for ordering the drinks. I’m so excited to be here.” Emma grinned at him. “It’s like a different world.”

He couldn’t help himself; he reached out to stroke her hand. The engaging lady from the phone conversations was mesmerizing in person. “It’s beautiful.”

She blushed. “I do see myself in a whole new light.”

“Where’s home?”

“Florida.”

“And what occupation has you feeling like you needed to visit a new world? Or is it more personal?”

“I’m an administrative assistant for a lawyer, a glorified secretary,” she said almost defensively. “But it’s not the work or anything else really.” She fluttered her hands. “It’s my own angst.”

He was impressed. “No excuses? No attempt to blame your boss, co-workers, parents, boyfriend or perhaps…husband?”

She touched her ring finger. “No husband, no boyfriend and no one to blame but myself. I just needed a boost.”

It had to be that idiot from the office who made her want to get away from it all. “And you’ve already met one new person,” he said with a smile.

“And a very interesting one at that.” She licked those incredible lips.

The server slipped the drinks onto the table with an appreciative look toward Emma that she didn’t seem to notice.

Andres wondered why she didn’t see. Most women collected those kinds of looks like prizes and would have at least preened a bit. But Emma just sat there with those wide eyes focused on him. He wanted to groan when she gave him a provocative smile and recrossed her legs. One prettily manicured hand slipped casually over to touch his.

Andres took a gulp of the creamy drink to cool off.

He would be privileged to be the only one she had eyes for.

Emma took a long sip from her glass.

Andres avidly watched her mouth. Those full sensuous lips looked so luscious. Then he dropped his gaze to her cocktail wondering if he should tell her there were several shots of hard liquor in that drink, disguised by chocolate and cream. But he only told her what he was thinking, “And you have definitely caught my interest.”

She shrugged. “My friend Tina always manages to make life interesting no matter what. And I plan to emulate her.”

She swung her foot, gently—nervously?—yet her smile told him that she noticed how his gaze clung to those endless legs. Apparently, she was enjoying his attention.

In person, Emma was intoxicating, like the drink, so sweet you didn’t notice it sneaking up and seducing you.

“This will be my voyage of discovery,” she said.

Fortunately, another round of drinks arrived to cool him off and he took a large swallow. “What are you hoping to discover?” he asked flippantly, expecting a flirtatious answer.

But she looked pensive for a moment, chewed on her lower lip and then answered very sincerely. “How to be myself and a little more. I just want to crank up the volume. Do you ever feel as if there’s something missing from your life and that you might find that something if you were just willing to seize an opportunity?”

Hell yes. Sometimes, at the end of a ten- or twelve-hour session in front of a screen, where he’d only interacted with other human beings via e-mail, he would sit and wonder whether this was the kind of solitary life he wanted. “Yeah, I do.”

She sighed. “I’m not sure what I’m missing. But whatever it is, being here with you makes me feel good.”

He watched as Emma pulled the large frosty glass toward her and took a healthy swig of the concoction. She took out the umbrella and sucked on the pineapple slice. He ignored his drink, looking at her so intently he wondered if she could feel him wanting to explore her lips first with his avid gaze and then his mouth.

He knew he should be honest and tell her that he wasn’t a local.

Would it kill the romantic mood? Or would it be better to play along and see what she had in mind?