Nervous energy prickled over her skin. Please no. Don’t let Kayla have done it to her.
Steps sounded behind her. She turned. Oh good lord.
“Sorry I’m late…” He trailed off once he got a good look at her face.
She gulped. “Hi.”
Holy hotness on a stick. If he’d looked good before, then he was sinful now. He wore black slacks with a button down white Guayabera type short-sleeve shirt. She did a double-take to his face. He’d looked so pale before, but apparently his time in the water had given him some instant color. His face was golden. So were his arms.
“Hello.”
His gaze slid down her body in a slow caress. Then he met her gaze. The spark of interest in his eyes turned her from tongue-tied to dry-mouthed.
“I-I’m Jessie. I mean,” She cleared her throat, “I’m Jessica Tavarez.” She cleared her throat. What she really wanted to do was fan her face.
“Hi Jessie, I’m Matt. Short for Matthew Payne.” He offered a hand.
She stared at his hand for a long moment before realizing he was trying to be polite and shake hers. Dios mio. If she stayed out there any longer, he’d think she was socially inept. Their fingers touched. Hot sparks shot up her hand and through her body.
“It’s nice to meet you, Matthew.”
“Normally I wouldn’t say this, but I don’t think I’m so angry with Kayla’s matchmaking right now.”
Neither was she. “She set us up, huh?”
He grinned. Her world tilted. That smile turned his rugged features into wet-dream gorgeous. Maybe she should go. A guy that good looking had to have a ton of women throwing themselves at him. The last thing she wanted was to turn into some guy’s notch on the bedpost.
“She did. I had a feeling she’d given in too easily.”
“Yeah, me too.” She chuckled nervously. Taking a step toward the table, she stopped, turned back to him, and spoke, “Please don’t feel you need to stay here with me. I’m sure you weren’t looking forward to being forced to eat with some person you don’t know.”
Matt’s stomach clenched. The voluptuous beauty was giving him a way out. He didn’t have to sit there and have an awkward dinner with her because Kayla had a one-track mind. There was no need to go through all the bullshit talk his dates had been filled with in the past. He could go. But his feet stayed rooted to the stone steps. And as if they had a mind of their own, they moved him toward the table.
“No sense in wasting perfectly good food.” He heard himself say.
Her eyes widened. A sexy come-hither smile spread over her full lips. “I think you’re right. We might as well eat.”
Thank God for food. Martha chose that moment to show up followed by a man he’d never seen in his days on the island.
“This is Carlos. He’s going to be serving you dinner.” She elbowed the young man in the side. Carlos rushed to place a bread basket in the center of the table.
He glanced at Jessie. She cleared her throat, still smiling. He covered his chuckle with a cough.
“You two eat. Enjoy. I know what my little Kayla is trying to do. I’m not saying she is right, but it’s not my food’s fault. No reason to starve yourselves.” She winked. “Have fun.”
Chapter Four
He watched Martha leave then turned to Jessie. Her hands were curled into fists. She was obviously nervous. Instinct drove him to move. Light from the candles caught on her dark curls making each of her strands shimmer. He stopped himself from digging his fingers into her hair, to feel how soft it was, to see her moan as he caressed her scalp. Shit. He really needed to cut that out. Stopping beside her, he pulled the chair out for her to sit. Sparkly white teeth made an appearance with her wide smile. Her brown eyes reminded him of the smoothest milk chocolate.
“Thank you,” she said in a soft whisper. Her voice slipped down his cock in a light caress.
He took his seat across from her. Wow. She was so beautiful. Those pouty, shimmery lips and that thick, dark hair combined with her wide, brown eyes and he was hard as a rock. Then he remembered. The scars. He wouldn’t take her up to his room and slide the clingy dress off her body as he kissed his way down. He wasn’t ready to see the pity in her beautiful eyes. And if he couldn’t have her tonight, he needed a drink.
“Champagne?” Carlos returned with an open bottle at that moment.
“Yes, please.”
Once both glassed had been filled, Matt smiled at Jessie’s attempt to look everywhere but at him. A second later she gave up. Their gazes met. Carlos left them alone again. The leaves on the nearby palm trees rustled against the wind. He smiled. She licked her lips and once again his thoughts dropped down to the gutter.
“Let’s toast.” He lifted his flute up toward her.
“Sounds like a good idea.” She followed suit with her own.
“What would you like to drink to?” He asked, hoping to learn something about her.
“How about to fresh beginnings?”