With my eyes closed, I could almost imagine that I’m back in that bakery.
Almost.
She’s got a hint of her flavor, but the woman sitting across from now is not the girl I spent six months falling in love with when I was ten.
I'm not the boy who was willing to plunge his knife into someone’s back to save her.
For more than one reason, she’s totally off limits. I should be praying I never see her again, not willing the shuttle to go slower.
When we reach the stop where we’re all getting off, her friend is on her feet before we come to a complete stop. She’s standing at the door and rushes off the shuttle as soon as the doors open.
“No rushing at Pueblo Bonito,” the driver admonishes her rapidly retreating back
Regan doesn’t move. With her sunglasses on, I can’t tell if she’s asleep or just lost in thought.
The high-pitched peel of my alarm startles us both and she lets out a small cry and turns her head sharply toward me.
I hold my phone up, “It’s just my alarm, sorry,” I say quickly.
It takes one blink to replace the dazed weariness in her expression with indignant affront. “Oh,” she relaxes slightly and drops her arms to her side.
My phone chimes again and I grimace as I turn it on silent.
She gives me an awkward nod and then she’s up and heading off the shuttle, too. It’s impossible not to notice the way her shapely ass moves for just a fraction of a second after she’s stopped walking. Would it do that if I slapped it?
My dick stirs again. Which will not do. It’s one thing to keep my hat on my lap on the shuttle, I can’t walk around the resort like that.
So, I drop my eyes to the part of her dress that brushes the ground.
“Señor,” the driver calls when I’m halfway down the shuttle steps.
I turn back to him.
“Te perdiste tu parada” You missed your stop,” His grin is pure mischief.
I give him a good natured, slightly abashed smile. “Lo sé” I know.
He nods in Regan’s direction, his expression teasing still, with a touch of wistfulness. “No te culpo” I don’t blame you.
I wish him goodnight and head in the direction of the red brick paved terrace that leads to the reservation desk.
Regan is a few steps ahead of me and I keep a respectable distance between us. I don’t know why I’m following her or what I’ll do when I catch up, but I can’t just let her walk away.
I can still smell her on me. I turn my head to draw in a breath and catch a sweet flowery scent mingled with the tart citrus and spicy ginger. It’s intoxicating.
“Are you following me?” She comes to an abrupt stop and pivots on her heel to face me.
“Yes.”
She whips her sunglasses off and even though it’s dark, this walkway is well lit, and I can see that her eyes are red rimmed, like she’s been crying.
Guilt curdles in my gut. “Oh shit, I’m sorry, I thought—”
“About what happened --”
We speak at the same time.
“Ladies first. Please.” I insist when she bites her lip
“I’ve never done anything like that…” she says in a halting voice.
I step closer to her, close enough that I can smell her again.
It makes my mouth water.
“Did you like it?” I ask.
“Yes,” she replies in a husky voice. She bites that sweet lower lip and my eyes drop to her mouth. She lets go of it and clears her throat. I drag my gaze back to her eyes. Her gaze is dark and inscrutable, but the energy between us is frantic and charged.
I reach for her slowly, to give her a chance to step away. When she doesn’t, I brush a lock of hair off her shoulder and run the tip of my forefinger down her arm.
“Are your panties wet?” I ask.
She draws in a sharp breath and shifts her stance; her lips part and she licks them quickly before nods.
“Go in there, take 'em off and bring them to me.” I demand, nodding at her pelvis.
She cocks her head at me, her wary eyes heavy lidded with arousal. “Have you… done something like…that before?” Her voice is full of anticipation, and when I shake my head no, she seems to relax a little.
“Good, you’re my first, too.”
Lord, how I wish that was true. She can’t hear the thundering of my raging pulse, but when a small smile