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“I picked up a few things, too, while we were out. I couldn’t stand the thought of wearing the same outfit again tonight and when I saw this in the shop window, I couldn’t resist. It’s not usually my style, but it just seemed to…speak to me. What do you think?”
Caliente red. That’s the color of the dress.
Caliente was the word that fit how hot and delectable and downright tempting the woman inside the dress was.
It was short—but not too short—and skimmed that sweet little body like a second skin until it reached mid-thigh, where it flared loose and soft. As a tease, the fabric crossed one shoulder at the top, but left the other bare. And her hair. Soft and full with one piece that fell in front of her eye, even after she tried to pull it away. Her lips were almost the same shade as the dress and smiling a little uncertainly at him. Eyes, dazzling green, looked back at him with the same uncertainty.
“Well? Is it too much? Lord knows what my mother would think if she caught sight of me in it, which might be why I was drawn to it. But now… I’m afraid I might have let Bev’s and Patty’s compliments go to my head. I don’t look like a hooker, do I?”
He blinked and cleared his throat. “No. I can safely say you don’t look like a hooker.” But she did look like a dream. A dream that would have every man within twenty feet ogling to see more of, to maybe even touch her. To see if that mouth was as hot and enticing as the rest of her…
He had to stop.
Realizing she still needed some reassurance, he forced his voice to sound even and unaffected, though he felt a stirring that was going to make the one bed even more hellish. He’d better get used to this chair. He was going to sleep in it, if he knew what was good for him.
“You look damn sexy, and you very well know it.”
Her smile dropped the shyness and it was like someone plugged her in because she was positively glowing now. “Why thank you, Mr. Sorensen. But don’t let me stop you, if you want to turn my head a little more…”
“And ruin the perfectly antagonistic relationship we’ve developed after all this time? God forbid.”
But it didn’t feel antagonistic anymore. In fact, as they stared at each other from across the room, the heat and magnetism between them was almost palpable. What he wouldn’t give to be any other guy than the one he was now, one who had nothing to lose by closing the distance and showing this woman just how much he wanted her.
It was her turn to clear her throat a little nervously. “Well, I think the tour starts in twenty minutes. Did you need the bathroom to clean up or anything?”
Hell yeah, he needed the bathroom. He needed some time to get a grip on himself and some space away from her.
“Yeah. I’m going to need a shower,” he said and stood, leaving the laptop on the chair and grabbing the smaller bag of personal items he kept in the laptop carrier.
How was he going to keep his vow to his family, Dick Eastman, and himself most of all, and deliver Payton safe and sound when the thoughts crossing his mind would shock them all.
A few minutes later, when he left the steamy bathroom, he found her standing on their balcony. The sun was close to setting and shone a golden glow on her hair. She looked over at him and he came to join her, the sound of music and crowds growing stronger as he did.
“It’s the prettiest view, I’m sure,” she said.
She only knew the half of it.
He willed himself to look out past the woman before him to the plaza and festivities that were bound to continue throughout the night. “Prettiest view but no doubt also the loudest. We’ll be lucky to get any sleep, even with the window closed.”
She laughed. “Lighten up. It’s going to be fun. You ready to head down?”
“Not really. But there’s no way I’m going to trust you not to get into trouble. So I might as well stay close.” He sounded chagrined and annoyed.
“What has you in such a foul mood? I don’t need a babysitter. If you want to stay, feel free.” He couldn’t mistake the flash of anger in those eyes. “I’ve survived this long without you shadowing me. I think I can manage a little longer.”
“Miraculously,” he muttered.
He was being kind of a jerk and he reminded himself it wasn’t her fault if, since he met her, everything seemed to go wrong. He also was aware enough that his curmudgeonly attitude was a cover. To hide the fact that the prospect of spending the evening with Payton Vaughan excited him more than any date he’d had in the past five years. Probably longer.
“And don’t forget that just managing not to look like you’re about to strangle me isn’t enough.” She smiled sweetly at him. “You have to pretend that I’m the best thing to happen to you, so much so that you plan to spend the rest of your life with me.”
He rolled his eyes and grumbled, “No thanks to you.”
Truth of it was, it probably wasn’t going to be something he’d have to pretend very hard at.
Chapter Nine
For a liquor that Payton didn’t care much for unless it was chased down with salt and a lime and another drink, the tour of the purple-hued agave fields and the distillery had been fascinating. The worker in cowboy boots and a wide rimmed hat had made quick work of digging out what had looked like an overgrown pineapple from the ground. He’d made it look so easy that it became comical when Lenny and a few others tried to imitate his actions when invited to harvest an agave plant.
