The Ties That Bind

  She shuddered and stepped into the shower, staring down at her beaded nipples.

  "Hang on," she said, cupping them, sliding her thumbs over them, then reaching for the body wash, refusing to touch herself this time. She was going to wait. Maybe, just maybe, there was hope for her on this trip. Maybe she'd be brave enough to have a fling. Why not? She was certainly old enough, had no one to answer to but herself.

  She dried her hair, put on makeup, and selected a nice dress. Black and gold with spaghetti straps and little gold sandals. She wore earrings only. The little threads of gold woven into the tight black bodice were showy enough. As she stared at herself in the full-length mirror and twirled around, letting the skirt settle back around her legs, even she had to nod. She looked damn sexy. Running from one end of the hospital to the other kept her in shape. She had a decent body and Connie had been right--this dress showed it off nicely.

  She glanced at the clock. Seven-fifteen. She supposed she should head downstairs and find a spot in the bar, order a cocktail so she could take a few sips, and relax a little bit before her mystery date showed up.

  The bar was glorious. Dark and sexy and smooth, with glass walls, tinkling chandeliers that caught the light, and leather furniture you could sink into with ease. There were intimate tables for two or four tucked into dark corners. The entire place was open to the outdoors, bringing a gentle breeze in from the water. There was a nice spot right at the bar where she settled in on one of the high barstools and ordered a drink. A band played, fortunately not too loud so people could hear themselves talk. There was a decent crowd in there. She wondered if this guy would be able to find her from Connie's description.

  She was nervous! She felt like a kid going out on her first date. Really, this wasn't even a date. She had to settle down. Maybe he wouldn't even show up.

  She felt warm breath on her shoulder and tensed.

  "You take my breath away, Lisa."

  Oh, God. She knew that voice. She shifted, turning in her seat, but she already knew who it was.

  "Rick?"

  What the hell was her ex-husband doing here?

  Three

  "Hey, beautiful," he said.

  Rick was dressed in white slacks and a black shirt, both silk and hugging his body in all the right places. The lights in the bar caught on his blue eyes, giving him a dark and dangerous and oh so sexy look. And when he smiled, she couldn't breathe. He was the one who took her breath away. He was so damned gorgeous she was shaking.

  It took Lisa a few seconds to find her voice. "What are you doing here?" This couldn't possibly be coincidence, but her mind wasn't working through the possibilities.

  He brushed his fingers over her bare shoulders, an intimate gesture, more than he'd touched her in years.

  "You can't guess?"

  She shook her head. "No." Something formed in the back of her mind, but she shrugged it off. Confusion had taken hold, so again she asked, "What are you doing here?"

  He grabbed her drink, laid cash on the bar counter, and found a table for two in the corner. A waitress came over and Rick ordered a drink.

  "Are you here with your..." She couldn't find the words. "Are you with someone?"

  That was all she'd need. Rick here with his new lady love. She would hide in her room. She wasn't ready to handle it. In theory, maybe. In person...no way.

  His lips quirked. "I am now. I'm here with you."

  "I don't understand." Was she being dense? Did she miss something?

  He rubbed his index finger over the top of her hand. He never touched her. They were both so careful to maintain a discreet distance, never wanting to give Kayla the wrong idea. And just this tiny caress gave her shivers, despite the sultry heat in the bar.

  "Rick, what are you doing?"

  And oh, shit, she forgot she was supposed to be meeting someone. "What time is it? I'm...I'm supposed to have dinner with someone."

  One dark brow arched and he smiled. "I know."

  "You do?" How the hell could he know?

  "I'm your date."

  "What?"

  "Connie's not coming."

  She frowned. "Okay, I'm confused."

  "I know you are, and I'm sorry for that. It was the only way we could come up with to get you here."

  "We? We who?" A seed formed in her mind, but she didn't want to say anything. Not until she knew for sure.

  "Me. Connie. Kayla."

  Her stomach tumbled. She'd been set up, but why? She shook her head. "I'm not really this dense, but I still don't understand. What's this all about?"

  He leaned in and oh man did he ever smell good. Not like cologne or anything phony. But like Rick. Like he'd just showered with the best soap ever. Clean and fresh and she really wanted to lick that pulse-pounding spot on his neck. Jesus. She leaned back.

  "It's about you and me, Lisa. A chance to reconnect, spend some time together."

  "Why?"

  He laughed, then, and she felt stupid, like there was some huge joke that everyone got but her. "Why do you think?"

  She shrugged. "I have no idea. Obviously everyone I know is in on this but me. Why don't you spell it out in simple terms an idiot like me can understand."

  His smile died. "Now you're getting mad. I'm sorry. Let me tell you what's going on."

  "That would be helpful."

  "I started all this. The idea about the vacation, about setting you up to think it would be you and Connie. Well, actually, it was Kayla's original idea."

  Her brows shot up. "Kay's?"

  "Yeah." He rimmed his cocktail glass with the tip of his finger. "Seems our daughter thinks there's some unfinished business between the two of us."

  "What kind of unfinished business?"

  "Maybe the fact that we divorced all those years ago, but neither of us ever remarried, or even really date?"

  This conversation was heading into dangerous territory. She and Rick never discussed their personal lives. They only talked about Kayla. "I thought you had...someone."

  "That someone was you."

  Oh, holy hell. Her heart started up with this thump thump thump rhythm and she was getting dizzy. She grabbed for her drink, taking a couple long swallows. "Me?"

  "Yeah. You. I'm not seeing anyone else. The only one I ever see is you."

  "I don't understand."

  "Don't you?"

  He picked up her hand, held it. When was the last time they'd held hands? She didn't remember.

  "You and I have been together twenty years, Lisa. We've been through hell and back. We've married, divorced, and raised a daughter together. And even though we've lived in separate houses most of that time, we're still...together. Sort of. You've dated some, I've dated some, but neither one of us have formed any relationships."

  "I thought that was because of Kay."

  "I don't think so. Lots of divorced people remarry or at least develop relationships with someone else. Kids adapt and accept. Kayla would have, too."

  He was right. She had never found someone that sparked her interest enough to keep seeing more than a few times. She never really knew about Rick's love life. Kayla probably knew more about it than she did, but Kay was good about not revealing Rick's personal life to her. Thankfully.

  "I never wanted anyone else, Lisa. I measured every woman against you, and they all fell short."

  She shifted her gaze to her drink. "I'm nothing special."

  He slid his fingers under her chin, forced her gaze back to his. "I disagree. You were barely a teen when you ended up pregnant. You had options to do something about that--your choice to make, but you chose to have Kayla. You finished high school while juggling an infant on your hip. You went to nursing school. You raised a brilliant daughter and you have a successful career. I think you're pretty damn special."

  It was hard not to weep under praise like that. She blinked back tears, not wanting her mascara to run. "Thank you. But I didn't do that alone. You've done a damn good job, too. As hard as it was on me, it wa
s doubly hard on you. Working two jobs, going to college, living in an apartment, and then buying a house for Kayla and me. You were always so generous."

  "It was my job to provide for my daughter."

  "You never missed a child support check. You went above and beyond what the courts required of you."

  "I love...Kayla."

  "I know you do." Rick's love for his daughter was evident in everything he did. That's why every man she dated paled in comparison to Rick. Why there were never sparks hot enough to keep her interested for long.

  But was it because he'd been so nice to her and Kayla? Or was it more than that?

  "We owe it to ourselves to find out if it's still there, Lisa."

  "If what's still there?"

  "The magic. The passion. What we once had together."

  She inhaled, let it out. "That's what this whole vacation-in-the-tropics thing is about, isn't it?"

  "Yes. I wanted to kidnap you from your everyday life, away from our friends, and yeah, even away from Kayla. Back to when it was just you and me."

  "We've changed since then, Rick. It's not twenty years ago. We can't go back." She wasn't sure if she was trying to convince him, or herself.

  He nodded. "I know. But you can't deny there's still an attraction there."

  No, she couldn't. Every time he came over, she longed for him. Every time he accidentally touched her, she felt the spark. But was it because it was Rick, or because it had been so damn long since there'd been a man in her life? She hated being so complacent.

  Rick was easy. He was familiar. She'd gotten used to familiar and comfortable. She didn't want to be familiar and comfortable anymore. Kayla was grown. This was her time to go out and get that life she'd denied herself.

  Was that new life with Rick?

  No. The absolute last thing she wanted was to destroy what she and Rick had built together. Their friendship. The easy way they talked and could be together and care for Kay. How they depended on one another. Would diving back into the sexual waters ruin that? What if it didn't work out? Their perfect relationship would be ruined.

  She finished her cocktail, used the napkin to swipe across her lips. "I don't know if this is such a good idea, Rick."

  "You're scared."

  "Yes."

  "I am, too. You have no idea how long I thought about this. Kayla may be eighteen, but she still has a young girl's ideals of romance. She thinks it's easy."

  "So did I...once."

  His lips quirked. "It wasn't so bad."

  "It was a disaster. For both of us. I don't want to make it worse by opening up old wounds." They'd gone through hell together. They'd managed to repair the damage for Kayla's sake, but they'd left so much unresolved.

  "What are you so afraid of, Lisa?"

  "You and I have a ton of history. Not all of it was good." They'd been so young, their notions foolish and filled with fantasy. Reality had been entirely different. Harsh.

  "True enough. But we've created a new kind of relationship."

  "That's my point. I don't want to screw it up."

  He slid his fingers through her hair. Cupped the back of her neck. She shivered at the warmth of his touch. Her nipples tightened and she felt the awakening fires between her legs, the all-too-familiar wetness there.

  Rick leaned in and she was mesmerized by the unique turquoise of his eyes. Had they become even bluer over the years? She hadn't been this close to him in so long.

  "If nothing else," he said, his breath whispering over her cheek as he drew in closer, "we'll have a great time. God knows we both work so damn hard, Lisa. We need to have some fun."

  "Yes." She wrapped her fingers around his forearm, felt muscles that hadn't been there twenty years ago. He'd been no more than a boy when she'd last seen him naked. Her mind was awash in visuals of how it felt then, what it would feel like now. "Fun would be nice."

  His lips hovered a fraction of an inch from hers. If she leaned in, they'd touch, tangle, and she could taste him. Oh, how she wanted to take that step. But she hesitated, her mind whirling with the what-if's, the why she shouldn't's.

  Rick pulled back. "Not here. Let's go up to the room."

  Her eyes widened. "You got the suite."

  He smiled. "Yeah. You deserved a real vacation."

  "It's utterly extravagant."

  He held out his hand and pulled her up. "I have a really good job and I haven't had a decent vacation in years. We both deserve this."

  He tucked her hand in the crook of his arm and they left the bar, taking the elevator to the penthouse. His suitcases were inside the door.

  "We're going to stay here together?" she asked, then felt stupid. Of course they were. It wasn't like they were strangers, and yet in many ways, they were. It would be like starting over.

  "There are two bedrooms." He stared down at her through his lashes. "The decision is up to you."

  He meant the decision as to what bedroom he'd sleep in. Well, hell. "This is all happening so fast."

  He nodded, laid his hand on the small of her back, and propelled her into the room. "Let's order some dinner and relax. We'll talk."

  "Okay." She needed a breather, time to take it all in, think about what this could mean before she made some monumental decision, took a step she couldn't reverse.

  They studied the room service menu and ordered food. Rick selected a bottle of wine to go with their dinner. Having the penthouse suite had some advantages, because their food was brought up within minutes, and Rick had them set it up out on the terrace.

  Torches were lit below, leading from the palazzo all the way to the beach. Music drifted upward and Lisa could see people strolling on the beach, the walkway alongside it as well as throughout the resort grounds. There was no room next to them, completely isolating them from other people and giving them complete privacy. She felt like a queen overseeing her kingdom. It was peaceful and private and very romantic, having dinner on their small table for two with its starched white linen, a bottle of very expensive wine chilling in a stand next to them.

  The seafood was to die for, and Lisa realized she hadn't eaten since earlier that day. She settled into her normal routine with Rick, talking about Kayla. Kay had arrived in Rome with Amelia a week ago. They'd both talked to her on the phone yesterday, but knew she'd be busy a lot so calls would be rare. Plus Kayla said she wasn't going to be in touch while Lisa was on vacation.

  "I can't believe the little brat was in on this," Lisa said, pushing her plate to the side and reaching for her wine goblet.

  "She can be devious." Rick pulled out the bottle of wine and refilled her glass.

  "So it seems. So can Connie. And you as well."

  "Only when there's something I really want."

  Her face warmed. Wall sconces were their only source of light out here on the terrace, but enough that flickering shadows danced over his face. He looked positively Machiavellian, his lips curling in a wicked smile, his eyes gleaming through the fringe of his lashes.

  What was he doing to her? Maybe it was the wine. Maybe it was more than the wine, because when he pushed back his chair and came over to her side of the table to lift her up, she stood, feeling like she was made of water, like her legs weren't going to support her. Which was okay, because Rick pulled her against him and it was oh so good to feel his body pressed up against hers. He didn't crush her to him, just wrapped one arm around her waist and walked her to the balcony railing. Simply having his hand resting on her hip was unnerving. How would she react to having more than that?

  For God's sake, Lisa. It's not like you haven't had sex in...Actually, she hadn't had sex in...

  "We don't have to do this if it isn't what you want, Lisa."

  "I know." He'd never pressure her. She knew Rick better than anyone else in her life. She could say no and he'd be content to take this vacation with her as friends, him sleeping in one room and her in another.

  But is that what she wanted? To keep their relationship the same as it had
been for fifteen years? Just friends? Her body knew she wanted more than that. It was pinging and firing all over the place, and all that was going on right now was his hand on her hip.

  The only problem was in the what-happened-after? To them, to the solid foundation of friendship they'd built for each other, for Kayla.

  He turned to face her, sweeping a windblown tendril away from her face, tucking it behind her ear. Lisa inhaled and held her breath as Rick moved in closer.

  "We'll take it slow. One step at a time. Ease into it, rather than rushing headlong without thinking like we did the first time. I'm a little smoother now than I was back then."

  God, was he. He slid his palm across her neck--could he feel the wild pounding of her pulse there?

  "Slow. Yes. That's a good idea."

  At least her mind thought so. Her straining breasts, aching nipples, and wet panties thought something entirely different. She was millimeters away from a hot and sexy man she'd desired her entire adult life, his full lips so close she could feel his breath, inhale the scent of the wine, his soap. Her senses were going haywire and her body screamed anything but slow.

  "But right now, I have to do this."

  He bridged that gap, inches that seemed like miles, and pressed his lips to hers.

  As a shock of electricity curled her toes, she wondered how long slow would last.

  Slow was a really stupid idea.

  Four

  It took every shred of willpower Rick possessed not to drag Lisa into his arms, to crush her against him, to deepen the kiss the way he really wanted to. But she tasted so damn sweet and right now her mouth was soft and yielding under his, and that was going to have to be good enough.

  He knew she was hesitant about all this, that he'd hit her with too much too soon. Lisa wasn't one to dive in headfirst without thinking things through. He'd give her time. But damn if it wasn't hard to restrain himself, especially with her leaning into him, her body soft and warm and those sighing sounds she made.

  Christ, a man had only so much patience and he'd wanted this for a long time. But he had control. For Lisa, he had mountains of control, even if his dick was hard and throbbing and he wanted to bury it deep inside her.