Buch lesen: «Playing With Desire»

Chapter 1

Maya stepped inside Nadine’s Seafood Restaurant. The first blast of frigid air from the restaurant was a welcome contrast to the hot, sticky sea air outside, but now a chill seeped into her skin.

She scanned the waiting lounge. Her half sister, Kendra, wasn’t among the patrons waiting to be seated. Nor was she answering her cell. A knot tightened in Maya’s belly. Kendra was a stickler for punctuality and her cell phone was practically an appendage.

Something isn’t right.

Maya rubbed her arms, covered in goose bumps. She resisted the urge to adjust the strapless bodice of her dress. A birthday gift from Kendra, the thigh-skimming, baby-doll dress was shorter than anything she’d buy for herself. This was her last birthday as a twentysomething, so she’d agreed to wear it. After tonight, it would go to the back of her closet, where it belonged.

She was twenty-nine now and curvier than she’d ever been. Five years of marriage, two beautiful daughters and a nasty divorce did that to a girl. Better to keep her imperfections under wraps.

“Hello, ma’am. Do you have a reservation for this evening?” The hostess’s cheery voice dragged Maya out of her daze.

She cringed. Two hours of prep and makeup and she still couldn’t avoid being called ma’am. “Yes. Under the name Kendra Williams, I think.”

A frown formed on the hostess’s thin lips. “Sorry, I don’t have a reservation for Kendra Williams.”

“Then it’s under my name, Maya Alvarez.”

“Ah...there you are.” The hostess grinned. “Happy birthday to you, Ms. Alvarez. I’ll seat you as soon as the rest of your party arrives. If you’d like to have a seat—” the girl gestured toward the bank of leather sofas beneath a window spanning the front of the restaurant “—or perhaps you’d prefer to wait at the bar.”

Climb onto a bar stool in this dress? Not happening.

Maya thanked the girl, then surveyed the available seats. On one sofa, a sliver of space remained between two women chatting in what sounded like rapid-fire Chinese. An end seat remained on another where a couple was seated with a wailing infant.

The final sofa had a single occupant, a man wearing a charcoal-gray suit that fit his long, athletic frame like a well-designed glove. A patterned tie, in nearly the same deep shade of red as her dress, punctuated his crisp white shirt. One leg crossed over the other, the man stroked the neat beard that crawled along his strong jawline, connecting with a thin mustache. His deep tan hinted at long days spent at the beach, rather than in a tanning bed. The sides of his hair were cut low, but the crown had just enough length that it curled into dark, thick ringlets. She shivered at the brief sensation of running her fingers through them.

She licked her lips, a tingle crawling up her spine. The man glanced up, his penetrating gaze meeting hers. Maya’s heart raced.

How long had she been gawking at him like an idiot?

The corners of his sensual mouth curled as he gave her a quick nod of acknowledgment.

Maya nodded in return and sank into the cushion at the opposite end of the leather couch. When she crossed her legs, the hem of her dress rose, exposing more of her brown skin, glistening with shimmering body oil. Uncrossing her legs, she tugged at the fabric and placed her small clutch in her lap.

Her spine stiffened. Aware of the man’s stare, she glanced over at him. Lips curled into a lopsided smirk, he averted his gaze. Maya’s cheeks flooded with heat. Two minutes exposed to in-the-flesh suit porn and she’d made a complete fool of herself. Twice.

The supple leather clung to her thighs as she leaned against the arm of the couch, maintaining maximum distance from the man.

“I don’t bite.” His velvety voice startled her. He had an accent. British, maybe. She hadn’t expected that. Draping his arm over the back of the empty seat between them, he leaned closer. “Not usually, at least.”

Maya stared at him with wide eyes. How the hell was she supposed to respond to an opening line like that?

The man’s playful smile deepened.

“This seat taken?” An older man stood over them. His gaze shifted from Hot Suit Guy’s face to hers before landing on her cleavage, enhanced by the strapless dress.

It figured that the one day she wasn’t dressed in her usual soccer mom getup, she’d encounter a viejo pervertido—a dirty old man.

“No,” they responded nearly simultaneously. The man’s voice was reserved. Hers barely masked her disappointment. Their lack of enthusiasm didn’t faze the ogler. He wedged his girth between them.

“Hello, beautiful.” A lecherous grin slightly parted the older man’s dry lips. “Dining alone tonight?”

Kendra’s ringtone sounded from her clutch. Perfect timing. Maya forced a polite smile and held up one finger. Though not the one she wanted to hold up. She fished out her phone. “Hey. Everything okay?”

“Afraid not.” Kendra heaved a sigh. “Honey, I can’t make it tonight. Kai fell down the stairs after I dropped him off at my mom’s. I had to turn around and take him to the hospital.”

“Is he all right?” Maya pressed a hand to her chest.

“Knocked out his two front teeth. He needs stitches and emergency dental surgery. We’re at the hospital now.”

“Which one? I’ll meet you there as soon as I can.”

“Don’t you dare.” Kendra’s tone was firm. “It’s bad enough I’m bailing on you at the last minute. There’s no way I’m letting you spend your birthday in the emergency room. You at the restaurant?”

“Yes.” Maya turned her body away from the ogler’s.

“Good. Dinner is still on me. Get the lobster, drinks, the works. I’ll reimburse you. I feel so badly about this.”

“I don’t mind sitting with you guys, really. You’ve sat with me through worse.”

“No. I’m serious, Maya. This is your first birthday without the girls since the divorce. I wanted to be there for you tonight.”

Maya tugged her lower lip between her teeth. Her daughters were in Puerto Rico with their dad. Tomorrow afternoon they’d be flower girls when he wed the new and improved Mrs. Carlos Alvarez—a fresh-faced, barely legal coed. The one weekend of the summer his family church was available happened to be on her birthday weekend. She would never deny Sofia and Gabriella the chance to spend time with their dad. So she’d put on a brave face and watched them board a plane with their father two days ago. She’d been sulking ever since. “I miss them.”

“I know, but they’re going to have a blast spending the summer with their grandparents in Puerto Rico. Carlos is an asshole for choosing this weekend to get married, but he’s given you a rare gift for a single mom. Time to yourself. Don’t blow it. I need to live vicariously through you.” They both laughed, then Kendra’s tone turned somber. “Seriously, sis, promise me you’ll have a good time tonight.”

“I’ll try.” Maya bit back her disappointment and forced a smile into her voice, so Kendra wouldn’t worry. Her daredevil nephew had given her sister enough to worry about tonight. She could certainly make it through one birthday solo. “Call me if you need something. Anything.”

“We’ll be fine. Now go have some fun. Flirt a little. Have the lobster. Then bring the bill back to me. That’ll be my sorry-I-screwed-up-your-birthday gift. Love ya, babe.” Kendra hung up before Maya could object.

Dinner for one tonight. Happy birthday to me.

Maya slid her phone back into her purse and looked up. A wolfish grin nearly split the old man’s face. His eyes still drawn to her cleavage.

“Looks like you could use some company for dinner.”

She gritted her teeth and swallowed the curses, most of them in Spanish, that came to mind.

“Mr. Westbrook, I’ll seat you now.” The hostess approached Hot Suit Guy with a menu.

“That’s our table, love.” The man stood, extending his hand to her.

Her eyes traveled up the sleeve of his expensive suit. Definitely athletic cut.

The man was tall, and even more handsome upon closer inspection. Michael Ealy meets Adam Levine handsome.

Her heart beat a little faster and a jolt of electricity traveled the length of her spine. She shuddered inwardly. Handsome, charming and he damned well knew it.

A man like that is bad news.

She had two kids and a divorce decree to prove it. It would be safer to pass on the invitation. And she intended to, because that was just what she did. She made sensible choices. Played it safe. But the man’s expectant grin taunted her. Dared her to venture beyond the cozy cocoon of her safe and predictable life.

He’s being a gentleman. Why not let him?

Maya placed her hand in his and let him pull her to her feet. Heat radiated up her arm from the warmth of his hand on hers. His clean scent—like freshly-scrubbed man, new leather and sin—was captivating.

Maybe sin didn’t have a scent, per se. But if it did, it would smell like him, with his mischievous smile and eyes so dark and intense they caused a flutter in her belly whenever she looked into them.

Tucking her hand into the bend of his elbow, he followed the hostess to their table. Maya concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other. The simple feat required all of her concentration.

“Thank you.” The words tumbled from her lips the second the hostess left them alone. “It was kind of you to come to my rescue, but I doubt dinner with a random stranger was your plan for tonight. I’ll order something to go from the bar and let you get back to your evening.” The inflection at the end of the phrase indicated it was a question. She hadn’t intended it to be. The thinking part of her brain clearly wasn’t the part of her body in control at the moment.

His dark eyes glinted in the candlelight. “My motives aren’t as altruistic as you might imagine. The opportunity to dine with a beautiful woman presented itself, so I seized it. I’d much prefer your company to eating alone.”

Her heart pounded. Eating with a stranger would be uncomfortable. Dining alone on her birthday when there was a better option...that was just sad.

Maya surveyed the man. He was confident. Cocky even. And sexy as sin. There was that word again. She sighed. No point in denying the truth. His penetrating stare and impish grin stirred the kind of feelings that were a dangerous luxury she couldn’t afford. Regardless of her body and brain going rogue, she had zero interest in anything more than an hour of dinner conversation with another adult.

They were in a restaurant full of people. What harm would there be in sharing a meal?

She furrowed her brows. “You really want to do this?”

“I do.” His eyes twinkled with a mixture of amusement and disbelief. Fitting for a guy who probably wasn’t accustomed to working this hard to get a woman to say yes.

“Then thank you for the dinner invitation, Mr. Westbrook.”

He extended his large hand across the table. “Please, call me Liam.”

Maya slipped her hand into his. She allowed herself a moment to revel in the heat of his firm grip. How would it feel to have those hands on her waist? Her hips? Her... Maya’s cheeks warmed, and she withdrew her hand. “Pleased to meet you, Liam.”

He smiled. “So, Ms. Alvarez...it is Ms., isn’t it?” She nodded as she absently stroked her empty ring finger. The bareness still felt new. She’d only stopped wearing her wedding band six months earlier. When Carlos announced his engagement to what’s-her-face. “What shall I call you?”

She raised her eyes to his again. “Maya.”

“Well, happy birthday, Maya. Sorry you’re stuck with me on your big day. Let’s make the best of it, shall we?” He winked.

“Thank you.” Maya exhaled, easing the tension in her shoulders. Small talk. She could do small talk. “So, where are you from, Liam?”

“London, originally. Spent the past few years here in the US working in New York and then LA.”

“What brings you to Pleasure Cove?”

There was a flash of something in his eyes. Anger? Or maybe pain? But it was quickly displaced by the luminous glint that was there before. “I’d planned to return to London earlier this year, but things change. So here I am.”

“What do you do?”

“I’m in hospitality.”

She should have known. Pleasure Cove, once a sleepy little fishing and beach town favored by old money snowbirds and retirees, had quickly become a playground for the upwardly mobile and nouveau riche. There were at least three new resorts and as many condos under construction. “Which hotel?”

“Pleasure Cove Luxury Resort.”

“The crown jewel of Pleasure Cove,” she said, echoing the ad. “I saw the renderings online. It’s going to be unlike anything in Pleasure Cove.”

“That’s the plan.” He tapped the table. “But that’s enough about me. I want to hear all about you, birthday girl.”

Maya was relieved when the server interrupted them. The woman introduced herself, set down two glasses of water and rattled off the specials.

Maya ordered, then quickly added, “Separate checks, please.”

“I invited you to dine with me as my guest. Allow me to pay for your meal.”

“I can’t ask you to do that.”

“You didn’t, and I insist. Can’t allow you to pay for your own birthday meal.” He gave a mock shudder. “How uncivilized.”

She held back a grin. “My sister couldn’t make it tonight, but she’s paying. So, if that’s your concern, we’re good.” Maya shifted her gaze back to the server. “Separate checks, please.”

“If that’s what you really want.” He gave her a conciliatory smile.

Maya nodded, relieved he’d given in so easily. She’d ordered steak and lobster. Best not to give Hot Suit Guy any ideas.

“I detect a faint accent, Maya. Are you native to Pleasure Cove?” Liam studied her.

Something about his gaze unnerved her. It penetrated her skin with a heat that trailed down her spine. “My mother is Cuban and speaks English with a heavy accent. My dad, who is African American, was a marine on active duty until I was about six. My maternal grandmother, who only spoke Spanish, lived with us, so my brother and I learned Spanish and English simultaneously. I’m fluent in both. I do have a slight accent, but mostly when—”

“You’re nervous?” One side of his mouth curved, deepening the dimple in his right cheek. “Can’t imagine why I’d make you nervous.”

Another server decanted a bottle of wine, then poured a glass for each of them. Maya picked up her glass so fast it nearly sloshed over the rim. She took a healthy sip.

Why does he make me so nervous?

If she’d met him in her business attire, and this wasn’t a semidate, she’d be confident. In control. She frequently negotiated with business executives in her work. She wasn’t easily intimidated, regardless of how rich or powerful those men were.

However, in a tiny red dress that left little of her legs and back to the imagination, she felt like a warrior going to battle without a stitch of armor.

Liam drank his wine, silently awaiting her answer.

“Sorry, I don’t do this much.” She took another sip from her wineglass.

“You don’t do what much?” He was definitely enjoying this.

“Date.” She immediately regretted her word choice. “Not that this is a date.”

“Isn’t it?”

“It’s a dinner date, but it isn’t a date-date. Does that make sense?” Of course not. She was babbling like a loon.

The smirk he tried to suppress brimmed over in his dark eyes. He set his glass on the table. “And why is it that a gorgeous woman like you doesn’t date much?”

“Because I’m...” A single mother of two beautiful little girls. The words caught at the back of her throat, taking her by surprise. It was the most natural thing in the world for her to say. She repeated the words, nearly by rote, every time she met someone new in a nonbusiness setting. Being Sofia and Gabriella’s mother was her primary identity, no matter what else she did in her life. She was fine with that, because she adored her daughters. Loved them more than anything in the world. Yet, as she looked at Liam, his eyes dancing over her skin, drinking her in like she was the most fascinating woman he’d ever met, something in the pit of her stomach wouldn’t allow the words to escape her mouth.

Would he look at her differently? Would she suddenly seem less attractive?

It was her birthday. The last of her twenties. For one night she could sit through a gourmet meal she didn’t have to cook and have an adult conversation with a man who thought she was beautiful. A man whose appreciative gaze made her feel beautiful—something she hadn’t felt in a while.

What was the harm in living out the fantasy for one hour of dinner conversation? She wouldn’t lie to him. But he was a stranger. He didn’t need her full biography. She’d give him the annotated version instead.

Maya cleared her throat. “I work for a small nonprofit organization. The community need is greater than our available resources, so we’re seriously understaffed. Keeps me busy. Between that and everything else in my life, there’s not much time for dating.”

There. Question answered.

“Everything else, like what?”

“I volunteer for a variety of organizations.” Also true. The PTA, the local girls’ club and the girls’ soccer league.

The server arrived with their salads before he could pose his next question. Glad for the distraction, Maya returned the conversation to him. “How long have you been in Pleasure Cove?”

His knowing grin indicated her maneuver hadn’t gone unnoticed. “A few months.”

“And how long will you stay?”

“For the next year, maybe two.” He didn’t look happy about it.

Maya wanted to ask why, but it felt too personal. She opted for safer topics like the weather and restaurants around town she’d recommend.

“So, how many birthday licks shall I administer this evening?”

So much for safe topics.

“Most women would consider that question rude.” She picked up her wineglass. “But I don’t mind telling you. I turned twenty-nine today. Too old for birthday licks.”

His eyes danced. “Spanking not your style, then?”

Maya nearly choked on her wine. She set the glass down roughly. He was teasing her to see how she’d react. Still, it was better to be clear about where the night was going, or rather where it wasn’t. “Let’s just file that under Things You’ll Never Need to Know.” His hearty chuckle made her laugh, too. She shook her head. “The moment I saw you, I knew you were trouble.”

He shrugged. “Some might agree. Though it’s often a case of being misunderstood, despite my clearly stated intentions. How can I possibly be to blame for such a thing?”

Maya took a piece of French bread from the basket and dipped it into the plate of herb-infused olive oil. She raised her eyes to his. “So the brokenhearted women you’ve probably left in your wake...they were all to blame?”

His eyes widened with surprise, then narrowed as he watched her eat her bread. “I’m not one for long-drawn-out relationships,” he stated without apology. “I don’t see how I could possibly be any clearer about it.”

Maya laughed. “The thing is, we don’t believe you when you say that. We’re convinced you just haven’t found the right woman. That we’ll be the one to make an honest man out of you. So, unless you find a woman who has zero interest in a long-term relationship, you’re going to break her heart, whether you intend to or not.”

Liam looked thoughtful, almost sad for a moment, as he sipped his wine. He shifted in his seat, back pressed against the chair. “Wish I’d had that bit of wisdom a few years ago. I appreciate your honesty. Isn’t there a rule against cluing the dafter sex in on the secrets of dealing with womankind?”

She absently stroked her nearly empty wineglass as she admired his handsome features. “It’ll be our little secret.”