Sweet Vengeance (42 page)

"Has
there been
anyone
since your divorce?"

The
doubt in her friend's voice was enough to spike her temper.  "Yes, there
has," she lied.  "And you know, my business has been—"

"A
full-time commitment."  Mercedes finished her sentence and effectively
threw her words in her face.  "Don't give me that excuse again."

Elena
clamped her lips together and sent her friend a pointed look. 

Mercedes
laid a warm hand on her arm.  "Don't go getting all mad, Elena.  You know
I love you, and you know that everything I'm saying to you is for your own
good.  That's why we agreed to the conditions of this trip, because I knew once
you got here, you'd get cold feet.  But we're going to burst this protective
bubble you've put around your heart so you can start living again.  You need to
meet new people and have exciting experiences.  Otherwise, you're a dead soul
in a living body."

Mercedes
was right, of course.  Life was passing her by.  She'd worked damn hard to gain
her freedom, but what good was that if she didn't enjoy her life.  She could
admit she'd dreamt about having a man's arms around her again, but there was a
difference between the safety of dreams and real life.  She seemed to be
experiencing some disconnect between wanting to meet someone and actually
putting herself out there again.  How could she guarantee she wouldn't lose
herself in another relationship?

On
their flight to Mexico, she'd seriously considered this problem.  The answer
seemed to be a fun fling with a man she'd never see again.  That would be a
good way to dip her toe into the water without fear of drowning.  Cabo
certainly offered the possibility.  "Okay."  She sucked in a deep
breath.  "I want to do this." 

"Is
hot sex back on the menu, then?"  Mercedes raised a challenging brow and
smiled.  Her friend had pushed right through her doubts and had her ready to
laugh again.

"You're
relentless.  Besides, first, I'd have to meet a decent guy."

Her
friend gave her a confident nod.  "I promise, somewhere in this
overcrowded club, there's a perfect guy for you."

A
wild night with a hot man?  Could she really do it?

Elena's
gaze slipped to the intimidating mass of hot, mostly younger bodies crammed on
the dance floor not far from their table.  The dancers gyrated to a wild salsa
beat.  The alluring sounds vibrated through the darkened club before spilling
out onto the moonlit beach just steps outside the door.  The urge to bury her
inhibitions and experience a taste of total freedom pulled at her like an
outgoing tide.  Everyone else in the bar seemed to be having a good time.  Why
not her?

"You
make finding someone sound as simple as walking up to a street-side vendor and
grabbing the first coconut I see."

"Coconut's
a good metaphor."  Mercedes grinned and shifted in her chair to ogle a
passing dark-haired hunk.  "How about that one?  He's cute."  The
young Latino caught Mercedes's visual approval and nodded at her as he passed. 
Her friend purred with delight.  "Mmm....  Never mind.  He's mine."

"Will
you stop?" Elena said with a laugh.  "It's hard enough to get back in
the singles' game without your relentless sex drive getting in the way. 
Besides, I thought I was the one looking for a man."

Her
friend grinned.  "I'm always looking, chica.  You know that." 

She
did know that.  Her friend went through men like Elena's floral shop went
through roses on Valentine's Day.  The men were always looking at Mercedes,
too.  The skimpy burnt-orange dress that hugged every curve of her friend's
well-endowed body screamed for attention.  Elena had thought her own white
Marilyn Monroe-style dress would be sexy, but it paled in comparison.  Same
with her blonde hair and light skin next to Mercedes's striking features. 
"And you're the one who always gets them." 

Mercedes
tsked.  "That's not true.  You landed Richard."

Elena
rolled her eyes.  "He was the worst of all."  Financially and
physically, Richard had been a dream come true with his classic Norwegian good
looks and as the successful owner of a conglomerate of businesses.  The moment
she'd said "I do", money ceased to be an issue in her life, which was
huge for her, considering she'd grown up with very little.  She also had a
beautiful daughter to show for all the time she'd invested in her marriage, but
sixteen years had been far too long to spend with a man who believed beating
her down emotionally and controlling her was the equivalent of loving her.

"I
was just proving my point that you caught a few, too."  Mercedes barely finished
her sentence before her gaze skipped away from Elena.  Her friend's siren red
lips curved into a grin, and Elena turned to see what had stolen Mercedes's
attention.  The dark and delectable young hunk who'd previously passed their
table was headed back toward them.

Unbelievable. 
Elena shook her head.  "Why is it always so easy for you?  Men flock to
you, and you don't even try."   

"Why
do you make it harder than it has to be?  Look out there, honey."  She
gestured toward the crowded bar.  "The room is full of men.  Pick your
coconut."

This
was it, then.  If she wanted her fling, she was going to have to put herself
out there.  It was a crap shoot.  Rejection, humiliation or fun—she wouldn't
know the outcome until she laid down her bet.  But even if it was a baby step
and she was operating under the safety of anonymity, it
was
a step
forward.  Maybe if she took enough of them, she'd feel whole again.

"Fine." 
She nodded.  "I can do this.  I'm a fearless warrior, looking to
conquer."  Wasn't that the biggest lie?  She fought off the incessant
insect of fear that nibbled at her nerves as she scanned the area with a
serious eye for business.  A dark-haired man sitting at the bar, surveying the
crowd with a semi-interested expression, caught her attention.  There was
something about him—maybe it was the slant of his brows or the way his hair
curled at the ends she found intriguing.  "What about that guy at the bar
wearing the white shirt with the sleeves rolled up?  He's kind of hot and close
to my age."

"Who?" 
Mercedes turned, looking for Elena's selection.  "Oh, nice.  Perfect for
you.  Good-looking, probably educated.  Go get him." 

"Right. 
Just go get him."  Elena snorted.  Life was always so simple when viewed
through her friend's eyes.   

"Yes.
 Look at you.  You're a sexy woman.  There are a million guys who'd be
interested and who'd be lucky to meet you."  Mercedes stood as the cute
Latino reached their table, never questioning he might not be coming for her. 
"One minute, baby," she said to the man and then turned back to
Elena.  "He'll want you.  You just need to let him know you want him. 
Now, go get your man."

The
music stopped and a slower beat filled the void.  "Let's dance,"
Mercedes said, tucking her arm around her young hunk.  "I want to feel
those hard muscles of yours pressed against my body." 

The
guy widened his eyes, and Elena choked on air.  "Muy caliente," he
said, pulling Mercedes into his arms.  "It'll be my pleasure." 

Mercedes's
laugh faded as they headed for the dance floor.

Okay,
then.  All Elena needed to do was follow in her friend's footsteps.  She hadn't
left her precious flower shop in Carmel to come to Mexico for just the sun. 
No, she'd spent almost three years building a business that could support her,
and the time had come to take the next step.  She was determined to remove the
weeds from her personal life and see it flourish as well.

Decision
made.  She downed the rest of her margarita.  Reaching into her purse, she
reapplied her lipstick.  It might not be siren red, but midnight mauve would
have to do.  She steeled her nerves.  This was nothing compared to some of the
things she'd done in her life, like garnering the courage to file for divorce
and strike out on her own. 

She
could do this.  She would ask him to dance.  It was a step forward.

Through
the crowd, she focused on her target and rose.  She tried not to pay too much
attention to how young and beautiful everyone was as she wound her way through
the partying mass of people.

In
what seemed like mere seconds, she found herself only feet from the object of
her attention, and she panicked.  She hung back from the bar, positioning
herself so she could see him without being obvious.

Up
close, he was even better-looking, making her nerves quiver with excitement. 
Dark brows slanted over sexy bedroom eyes.  Dimples creased his cheeks as he
talked to a Hawaiian-shirt-clad man sitting next to him at the bar.  Her
target's white shirt was open at the neck, and she could see the outline of his
muscled chest that lay beneath.  He was more than hot, and she was beyond
intimidated.  She lifted her chin, determined to project confidence.

She
just needed to say hi, right?  And act interested.  Mercedes had said to let
him know she wanted him.  She took a step, her feet wobbling in her three-inch
heels.

Damn
it.  She was only a few steps away, but she just couldn't do it.  She stopped
and faced away from him, pretending something had caught her eye while she took
a moment to hunt down her suddenly-absent courage.

She
desperately wanted to break out of the safe little shell she'd created for
herself after her divorce.  She wanted to live again, laugh again, have a damn
orgasm again.  She would do this.

Elena
forced a calming breath, turned back, and froze.  The man stared straight at
her.  Dark, unreadable eyes watched her without a hint of a smile or invitation
on his face.

Oh,
god.

Instead
of approaching him, she turned to the left and found herself face-to-face with
a younger guy sporting cropped, sun-bleached hair.  He wasn't the tall, dark
and handsome man she'd hoped to meet, but his baby face seemed much safer than
what she'd just encountered.

"Hello,"
she said, trying to act as if it hadn't been forever since she'd flirted with a
man. 

"Hey." 
The blonde smiled, his gaze traveling the length of her, stalling on the deep
vee of her dress.  Interest sparked in his gaze.

She hesitated, unsure what to say
next.  "I saw you sitting over here..."  She sunk her teeth into her
bottom lip, hoping the pain would bolster her nerves.  "You seem
familiar.  Have we met before?"  She put her hand on his arm like Mercedes
had done with her hunk.  She prayed she came across as sexy instead of a
complete idiot.

"Don't
think so."  He shook his head, but kept smiling and that encouraged her to
continue. 

"No? 
Then let me introduce myself.  My name's Elena.  What's yours?"

The
spark of interest Joe Stephens had spotted in the most fascinating pair of
green eyes had stopped him dead in his tracks.  His brain had fired off several
rounds of "say something to her", before his mouth had decided to
react.  By the time he'd regained his composure, the beautiful blonde had
turned on her killer stilettos and had approached another guy. 

Come
on.
 He
couldn't believe it.  She'd picked a punk kid over him?  That was a blow to the
ego.  And since when had
he
been at a loss for words?

Joe
had spotted the classic beauty the moment she'd walked in.  Okay, he'd noticed
her flamboyant friend first—how could he miss the luscious curves—but the
engaging blonde had quickly stolen his attention.  For the past twenty minutes,
he'd kept her on his radar, wondering if he should ask her to dance.  Now, it
appeared he'd hesitated too long.  Story of his life.

She
reminded him of his first love.  Touch-me breasts, beautiful smile, and
enchanting eyes.  Definitely a classy lady.  He wasn't sure if anything that
tempting had ever walked through the doors of Mojitos during the six weeks he'd
been there. 

Not
him, sweetheart
. 
Joe gave a slight shake of his head as the blonde continued to speak to the
punk.  He frowned, confused by her choice of men.  Joe had obviously missed
something in his assessment of her.  That punk was way below her status.  What
could she possibly want with him?

Luckily
the band had taken a break, allowing Joe to hear her conversation.  She was
nervous, anxiety flickering in her dark eyes, and she had an enchanting way of
continuously twining her fingers together.  Both were great tell-tales of her
inexperience at the singles' bar games.  He liked that about her, liked that
she was more innocent than jaded.  He'd snorted when she'd choked out her lame
pick up line—the oldest line in the book.  Still, he had to admit she'd charmed
him. 

Joe lifted his glass, taking a
drink of beer while he watched her over the rim.  Her gaze darted around the
room as she spoke, but it never quite landed on him again.  She nipped her
bottom lip between her teeth while she waited for her young conquest to reply. 
Joe took in the curves of her tempting body.  Unfortunate loss for him.

That
kid wouldn't know how to handle a woman like her.  Didn't even deserve the
chance.  He might be young and pumped, but he'd never satisfy her. 
Run,
sweetheart, run.  Before you do something you'll regret.