14

Good morning, Dee.”

Dee studied Cohen and wondered, not for the first time, how any man could look so delicious, so early in the morning. Today he was wearing a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. Both looked good on him. “Good morning Cohen. I’m ready,” she said, stepping into the corridor and closing the door behind her. Like him, she’d decided to wear a pair of shorts. But instead of a t-shirt, she wore a printed tank top. Her bathing suit was under her outfit and she assumed his swimming trunks were under his.

“I thought we’d grab bagels and a hot drink at that small café downstairs. I don’t think it would be a good idea to eat anything heavy before the lesson.”

“Bagels and a cup of tea is fine with me. I’m still full from dinner last night, anyway.”

“So am I. And speaking of dinner, I found a good place for us to dine tonight.”

“Okay.” That was one of the things she liked best about Cohen. He was a take charge kind of guy. She had no problem with him selecting a place for them to eat. So far, all the places he’d chosen--whether it had been for breakfast, lunch or dinner--had been wonderful, and the food, outstanding.

As if it was the most natural thing in the world to do, he took her hand and headed for the elevator. “Did you rest well last night?” he asked, as he pressed the button for the elevator to come up to their floor.

McSexy would have to ask. Yes, she’d rested well enough, if you wanted to count the number of erotic dreams she’d had of them together. More than once during the night, she’d awakened on the verge of an orgasm. “I did, thanks. Are you feeling relaxed, Cohen?”

He glanced down at her, his eyes, dark and penetrating. “Relaxed?”

“Yes. From taking some time off work. Do you think you’ll be well rested when you return to the hospital?”

He smiled at her. “That’s my plan.”

She doubted Cohen knew the meaning of relaxing, so she intended to help him. She’d suggested parasailing and snorkeling. Now it was his turn to come up with ways to spend their time. “So, what do you want to do tomorrow?”

He leaned close and whispered hotly near her ear, “Umm, I’ll let you figure that one out, Dee.”

Before she could respond, the elevator opened. They stepped inside, joining other singles anxious to experience everything the resort had to offer.

**

“We’re having dinner in your room?”

Cohen’s smile slipped into a grin. He’d just arrived to escort Dee down to dinner…or so she’d thought. “Yes, my room.”

“Why?”

Was that nervousness he detected in her voice? “I thought it would be a little more intimate,” he said, as they walked down the corridor toward the elevators.

“Intimate?”

Yes, that was nervousness in her voice. “Do you have a problem with it?"

She glanced up at him. “No, I guess not.”

He found it quite telling that a woman who’d snuck into his bed a few years ago would be so reluctant to be in his room. “We can always go to a restaurant if you’re uncomfortable.” There was no need to tell her about everything he’d done to make ensure the evening would be incredible for both of them.

She shrugged delicate shoulders. “Why would I be uncomfortable?”

Good question. “You seem nervous.”

“You’re imagining things.”

“Okay.” He paused a minute, then attempted to lighten the mood. “Did you enjoy snorkeling this morning?”

“Oh, yes. I definitely want to do it again, sometime. What about you?”

“I really liked it,” he replied honestly. First off, he’d seen her in that two-piece swimsuit. All those luscious curves contained in a bikini so skimpy, he thought it unsuitable for public display. Luckily, he’d signed them up for private lessons. He wasn’t sure he could have handled watching her be ogled by a whole bunch of men. She was his to admire. Still, he was grateful she’d put her shorts and top back on before leaving the area where the lessons had been held. It had been hard enough for him to concentrate on what the snorkeling instructor was saying. He couldn’t take his eyes off Dee.

Then there was her company. It was nice spending time with someone he knew so well already. He liked that she was independent in every way, even though she was raised with two older brothers. Over the years, he’d gotten used to being protective where Dee and Stacey were concerned, but in retrospect, he had to admit that they usually made sound decisions. The only time he’d worried about Stacey was when she’d become involved with Wallace Flowers. But then, as Stacey said, maybe some things were meant to be. Should he feel that way about his encounter with Amanda? Somehow, he just couldn’t justify going through that period in his life without feeling it had been a lesson for him never to make the same mistake again, to never be so careless with his heart again.

He looked at Dee. Her decisions were usually pretty good, too. And that was why this whole singles’ vacation idea of hers had thrown him so badly.

The elevator came to a stop on his floor and they stepped off. He took her hand in his again and he could feel the tension running through her. She’d said she wasn’t nervous about being alone with him in his room, but her body language said otherwise.

When they reached his door, he opened it and ushered her inside. “Welcome to my room, Dee.”

**

Dee noticed the table set for two the minute she crossed the threshold. The second thing she noticed was just how much larger his room was than hers. He had a spacious three room suite that included a bedroom, a living room and an eat-in kitchen combination. And his view of the ocean put hers to shame.

“Nice,” she said, glancing around.

“Thanks. And nice outfit.”

She glanced down at herself. She knew very well what she was wearing, but at that moment, she needed to break eye contact with him. “I bought this a few years ago. Stacey and I were on one of our shopping sprees.” She had liked the flowing floral-print skirt with matching tunic the moment she’d seen it on the mannequin.

“It looks good on you.” He checked his watch. “I gave room service an estimated time of delivery. Dinner should be here any minute.”

“What are we having?”

“It’s a surprise.”

Dee wondered if their meal would be the only surprise. Although his suite was a lot larger than hers, the atmosphere was still very close. And charged.

“Would you like to check out the view from the balcony?”

“Yes, please. I noticed there is a lot more ocean to see from here.”

“That’s one of the reasons I selected this room,” Cohen said, leading her over to the sliding glass door.

Again, his scent overwhelmed her senses. He smelled so darn good. She stepped out on his balcony and smiled. There was definitely more ocean to see from here. He’d come to stand directly behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. His body was pressed to hers and she could feel his erection against her backside. She fought back a moan.

“So, what do you think?” he asked her.

About what? The size of the ocean or your erection? She shivered.

“Cold?”

“No, I’m fine. The view is beautiful.”

“I think so, too,” he said, slowly turning her around to face him. “You are definitely beautiful.”

Now his erection was poking her in the stomach. She swallowed as she gazed up at his face. A mischievous grin glittered in his eyes. “I thought we were taking about the ocean,” she said, feeling the sexual chemistry sizzling between them.

“Baby, we can talk about whatever you like.”

Baby? Why did his use of that term of endearment have her hormones doing a happy dance? She parted her lips to ask him for the real reason they were dining in his room, but at that moment, there was a knock on their door.

He smiled and took a step back. “Dinner has arrived.”

**

Cohen wiped his mouth with a napkin. The meal had been superb and he hoped Dee had enjoyed it as much as he had. He watched as she placed her fork beside her plate. He realized he’d watched her a lot during the course of the evening, but he didn’t regret it. “I hope dinner pleased you.”

She glanced up at him and smiled. “Everything about tonight pleased me. The salmon was prepared just the way I liked it.”

He nodded as he took another sip of his wine. “So, what are you going to do for the rest of the summer, once you get back to Memphis?”

“Assist Beth anyway I can with the wedding. She doesn’t have any family so Mom and I are helping out. I understand you’re going to be there.”

“I will. I can’t believe Lawyer is finally tying the knot. Maybe Justice won’t be too far behind.”

Dee chuckled. “Don’t hold your breath. Justice is having too much fun running around. He’s a player.”

He remembered what Tyson had said a few nights ago. “Even players settle down when they find a good woman.”

“Does that mean you’ll settle down someday?”

He was surprised by her question. “I don’t consider myself a player.” That much was true. He could go months without dating and it wouldn’t bother him in the least. “And as for settling down, I don’t see marriage in my future. Ever.”

“Why?”

He looked into his wine glass, then glanced back at her. “Let’s just say, I have my reasons.” Wanting to change the subject, he said, “Ready for dessert?” He’d ordered key lime pie, which he knew to be her favorite.

“Yes.”

“Come on. It’s a nice night to sit on the balcony. We can eat out there.”

“Sounds like a wonderful idea.”

Cool air from the ocean drifted over him when he slid open the glass doors. She took one chair and he took the other as he placed their desserts on the table between them, along with their glasses and a bottle of wine.

“I hope you don’t think I need a refill,” she said, glancing at the wine bottle. “Any more and you will have to carry me to my room.”

Or I can carry you to my bed, he thought, though he kept that thought to himself. “I wouldn’t have any trouble taking you back to your room.”

He watched as she sliced into the pie with her fork and then lifted a mouthful to her lips.

“This is really good,” she said, using her fork to take another bite.

He watched her, getting turned on by her obvious enjoyment. She had such a pretty mouth. He’d thoroughly enjoyed kissed it, using his tongue to explore inside, going deep. Memories of their last kiss still made his head reel. He recalled how he’d sucked on her lower lip before greedily mating her mouth with his.

“You’re not going to eat any of your pie?” she asked him.

“Why? You want some of mine?”

She chuckled. “Don’t tempt me to say yes.”

He met her gaze. “Can you be tempted, Dee?”

“I don’t know any woman who can’t be tempted. Or any man, for that matter.”

He didn’t say anything. For years, after that disastrous affair with Amanda, he’d thought he was above temptation. But Dee had proven him wrong. Twice, her passion and desire had overridden his caution.

“I absolutely love it here,” he heard her say. “I understand Jacksonville has nice beaches, as well.”

He leaned back in his chair. “I’ve heard that, too.”

She looked at him in surprise. “You’ve lived there for over two years and you haven’t visited the beach?”

“No. I’ve been busy.” This conversation was making him realize just how much of a life he didn’t have. He was starting to regret spending so much time at the hospital when there were places close by for him to enjoy.

“I’ll take our empty plates inside,” she said, standing.

“And I’ll grab the wine bottle and glasses,” he said, getting up at the same time.

She reached for the plates just as he reached for the glasses. Their hands touched and a jolt of pure sexual energy rocked him to the core.

She snatched her hand away. “Sorry,” she said, in quavering voice.

Placing the glasses back down on the table, he reached out and took the plates from her hands, setting them down as well. “No need to apologize, Dee.” He took her hand.

Tightening his fingers around hers, he eased her around the table and drew her to him. When she didn’t pull away, he asked, “You know what I think?”

She shook her head and looked up at him. “No, what do you think?”

“I think it’s time we both got laid.”