sense.”
“Trust me. I am ready to sob like a damn baby. But if I sleep with you, it will be making love, and I know it.” Joe felt the speeding of his heart, and took her hand to put it over his chest. “Feel that? It’s you, K.”
For a moment her eyes softened to a sable brown before she yanked her hand back. “You are messed up, Joe Porter. I don’t want any strings. I don’t want to make love, you hear me? But if you decide you want to have hot monkey sex on Rita’s couch? Call me.”
Joe watched her walk, gracefully, sexy as hell, out of Aruba and hoped he wasn’t making a mistake.
Chapter Seven
He raced after her. “Wait, Kay, I’ll drive you home.”
But she had her smart phone out, and had pulled up Google maps. “I can walk, thanks. I need to clear my head.”
“Kay.” He followed her a few feet before she turned around with clear agitation.
“What?” She tapped her foot, her phone in hand.
“I’m sorry.” He wished he had the words to explain, to make her understand.
“Don’t be.” The white halo of her hair shone in the moonlight. “You have your moral code and it just happens to differ than mine.”
“It isn’t about morality,” Joe explained. “Not right or wrong, but how I’m learning to view relationships. Believe it or not, it’s difficult to have a relationship with a grown woman when everyone thinks you’re a teenager. And you can’t date the teenagers, ‘cause that’s just wrong.”
She granted him a nod of her head. She was listening, anyway.
“Sex is important.” He’d had many short term hook-ups, just for the companionship, but women didn’t like coming in second to a job. He couldn’t blame them, but it made for a skewed version of life.
“It’s becoming less important by the second,” she said. Tap, tap, tap.
“But so is love. I felt something with you today that I’ve never felt before.”
She jerked back as if he’d pushed her. “People don’t fall in love at first sight. That is a ridiculous notion made for fairy tales, and I can’t believe that I’m hearing this come from your mouth, Mr. I Like to Shoot Shit.”
“Maybe.” He could see how she’d be in the courtroom. Speaking in clear, controlled tones as she drove a point home. “I bet you felt that zing of recognition on the beach when I pulled you from the water. And again in Rita’s apartment, before my phone rang.”
She drew in a quick breath and he knew he was right.
“I just think it’s worth exploring.”
“Well, now my offer for sex is off the table,” she said, her shoulders tight.
“Why?” Hopefully she wanted a relationship. With him. He’d help her put Paolo to rest so she could move forward into something new.
“I don’t want a relationship.” She shuddered. “No, no. And no.”
“Why not? Do you plan on being alone for the rest of your life?”
K’s stricken expression warned him he’d crossed some kind of line. “As a matter of fact, I do.”
“That’s bullshit. People are supposed to be together.”
“Talk about bullshit!” She gestured at him with her phone. “We come into this world alone, and that’s how we leave it.”
“Like Rita?” He regretted the words the instant they left his mouth.
“Leave her out of it. You know what, Joe? Thank you for dinner. Thank you for pulling me out of the ocean and the ride to the hospital. But we obviously don’t see eye to eye.”
“I’m trying to tell you that I want to know you better. That you matter. Meet me for yoga on the beach tomorrow morning?” He couldn’t let her walk away without knowing if he’d see her again.
“Yoga on the beach?” She brought her hands out to her sides as if she thought he was certifiable.
Maybe he was, but damn, he wanted to be healthy. Mind and body for once in line. “I’ve got a yoga coach.”
“An instructor ?”
“Yeah, whatever. Join me. See if you can release some of your anger against the sea goddess. It might
“Trust me. I am ready to sob like a damn baby. But if I sleep with you, it will be making love, and I know it.” Joe felt the speeding of his heart, and took her hand to put it over his chest. “Feel that? It’s you, K.”
For a moment her eyes softened to a sable brown before she yanked her hand back. “You are messed up, Joe Porter. I don’t want any strings. I don’t want to make love, you hear me? But if you decide you want to have hot monkey sex on Rita’s couch? Call me.”
Joe watched her walk, gracefully, sexy as hell, out of Aruba and hoped he wasn’t making a mistake.
Chapter Seven
He raced after her. “Wait, Kay, I’ll drive you home.”
But she had her smart phone out, and had pulled up Google maps. “I can walk, thanks. I need to clear my head.”
“Kay.” He followed her a few feet before she turned around with clear agitation.
“What?” She tapped her foot, her phone in hand.
“I’m sorry.” He wished he had the words to explain, to make her understand.
“Don’t be.” The white halo of her hair shone in the moonlight. “You have your moral code and it just happens to differ than mine.”
“It isn’t about morality,” Joe explained. “Not right or wrong, but how I’m learning to view relationships. Believe it or not, it’s difficult to have a relationship with a grown woman when everyone thinks you’re a teenager. And you can’t date the teenagers, ‘cause that’s just wrong.”
She granted him a nod of her head. She was listening, anyway.
“Sex is important.” He’d had many short term hook-ups, just for the companionship, but women didn’t like coming in second to a job. He couldn’t blame them, but it made for a skewed version of life.
“It’s becoming less important by the second,” she said. Tap, tap, tap.
“But so is love. I felt something with you today that I’ve never felt before.”
She jerked back as if he’d pushed her. “People don’t fall in love at first sight. That is a ridiculous notion made for fairy tales, and I can’t believe that I’m hearing this come from your mouth, Mr. I Like to Shoot Shit.”
“Maybe.” He could see how she’d be in the courtroom. Speaking in clear, controlled tones as she drove a point home. “I bet you felt that zing of recognition on the beach when I pulled you from the water. And again in Rita’s apartment, before my phone rang.”
She drew in a quick breath and he knew he was right.
“I just think it’s worth exploring.”
“Well, now my offer for sex is off the table,” she said, her shoulders tight.
“Why?” Hopefully she wanted a relationship. With him. He’d help her put Paolo to rest so she could move forward into something new.
“I don’t want a relationship.” She shuddered. “No, no. And no.”
“Why not? Do you plan on being alone for the rest of your life?”
K’s stricken expression warned him he’d crossed some kind of line. “As a matter of fact, I do.”
“That’s bullshit. People are supposed to be together.”
“Talk about bullshit!” She gestured at him with her phone. “We come into this world alone, and that’s how we leave it.”
“Like Rita?” He regretted the words the instant they left his mouth.
“Leave her out of it. You know what, Joe? Thank you for dinner. Thank you for pulling me out of the ocean and the ride to the hospital. But we obviously don’t see eye to eye.”
“I’m trying to tell you that I want to know you better. That you matter. Meet me for yoga on the beach tomorrow morning?” He couldn’t let her walk away without knowing if he’d see her again.
“Yoga on the beach?” She brought her hands out to her sides as if she thought he was certifiable.
Maybe he was, but damn, he wanted to be healthy. Mind and body for once in line. “I’ve got a yoga coach.”
“An instructor ?”
“Yeah, whatever. Join me. See if you can release some of your anger against the sea goddess. It might
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