Can't Help Falling In Love (14 page)

He wrapped the cord around the vacuum and watched her fuss with the cleaning supplies
on the cart. No doubt they’d be more efficient if organized another way.

Tony walked over to the window and straightened the curtains to buy time. He couldn’t
figure out what his own problem was. She had to be confused for sure. Jealousy wasn’t
like him. And he’d been jealous. He might not have spent a lot of time with the emotion,
but he’d been pretty sure he recognized it the moment it reared its ugly head when
Randa had batted her eyelashes at Masters. Ridiculous. She could bat her eyelashes
at any man she wanted. She was a guest, not his girlfriend. He’d spent too long keeping
a firm grip on his own emotions to let something stupid like jealousy impact his professionalism.
And if he didn’t get a grip soon, it would ruin his day.

“Are you going to tell me what your main issue is or should I just get used to thinking
deep thoughts all on my own?”

Tony turned slowly to see that Randa had completed her organizational attempts. She
was seated on the end of the bed, one long leg crossed over the other, while the top
foot bounced hard enough to make the fake flower petals twitch.

“Surely you know jealousy when you see it.” Tony shook his head. “I shouldn’t take
out my bad mood on you. I’m sorry.”

“Sure. What I don’t ever see is a man who apologizes. That’s… really nice, Tony.”
Randa smiled and a slight blush covered her cheeks as she glanced around the room
and said, “I’ve never been on a sailboat, but this seems pretty nice.”

The suite was… woody. The bed was surrounded by wood paneling, suggesting a very
cozy cabin. A huge seascape hung behind the bed and attempted to look like the view
of the Hawaiian mainland. Smaller porthole paintings dotted the wall, and the window
was covered in canvas. The sitting area was a deck with comfortable chairs and the
television was mounted on the horizon.

The bathroom was gold. All of it.

Tony nodded. “Sure. Every sailboat I’ve ever been on looked like this. Only smaller.”

Randa rolled her eyes. “Har har. So neither one of us has ever been on a boat. I think
maybe I could get used to living like this. Sail the world. Captain my own ship. Master
my own fate.”

Don’t you mean captain Daddy’s ship? Master the fate he buys for you?

The questions were on the tip of his tongue, but the smile on her face was mesmerizing.
He didn’t want to lose it. And he didn’t want to have to make another apology. He’d
regret the words that were only a defense mechanism about two seconds after they left
his mouth. Besides, he had the feeling she could do all those things. All she needed
was a little faith in herself. And maybe a small push.

Randa looked happy. Content. She looked like everything was working out just right,
even after she’d been scrubbing toilets for hours. He, on the other hand, felt the
reins slipping through his fingers. The hotel was still running like clockwork, but
around her he was losing his tight grip on his control. He didn’t do jealousy. Never
had. Life as the poor kid with no family would have been hell if he’d let himself
dwell on what other people had but he didn’t.

But for some reason, the idea that some other man could have Randa, even if KT was
off the market, rubbed him the wrong way. She should be his. A reward for hard work,
perseverance, keeping himself out of trouble.

He had a feeling she would have a strong opinion on being his reward. And she’d look
beautiful delivering it.

He had no idea how she thought the hotel she was planning would ever top this, but
when she stretched back on the bed and folded her arms under her head, he decided
he also did not give a damn. Not right now.

Right now he was itching to trace a finger from her elbow to her shoulder and along
the edge of her tank to see if she was ticklish. Or to stretch out alongside her,
close enough to kiss. Or maybe even to straddle her hips, hold her captive, and force
her to confess the real reason she was here. So that he could then touch and kiss
to his heart’s content without a single ounce of worry or regret. If she was a normal
girl, he could’ve. Of course, a normal girl probably wouldn’t look like she posing
for the world’s sexiest jeans ad.

“Not sure messing up a freshly made bed is on housekeeping’s to-do list. Consuela
will insult our intelligence and then murder us without leaving a bit of evidence
if she finds us.” Tony sat down, scooted back and then copied her pose.

He was trying to decide if the cloud painted on the horizon over the television was
supposed to look like a centerfold striking a pose or if he just had bombshells on
the brain.

None of the other clouds or the birds circling the boat seemed suspicious so he kept
his mouth shut.

“I’m guessing this room’s inspired by Elvis’s sailboat. The one he used to traverse
the mighty Mississippi. And it was named…” Randa twisted her head as she thought.
“Sun… something.” She rolled her head to look at him. “How far off am I?”

Tony shook his head slowly. “Girls, Girls, Girls!”

Randa rolled her eyes. “Okay, so I don’t know trivia. You think I don’t know Elvis
facts because I’m a girl? I’m surprised at you, Tony. I thought you were evolved.”

Tony tried to stifle the laugh but it would not stay down. It creaked out and then
he coughed and said, “No, the movie. That’s the title. He was some kind of fisherman.
There was a boat.”

Randa was quiet for a second then she let out a gusty laugh. “Oh, man, that’s funny.”

Tony felt the huge grin on his face as he listened to her giggle and the bed vibrated
under him. He laughed once more and turned to look at her.

“How come there’s no poster?” Randa took a deep breath. “I mean, I thought there were
posters to go with.”

Tony shook his head and sighed. “I’m guessing she didn’t want to mess up this décor.”

They were both quiet for a second as they pondered that.

“It’s very… nautical.” Randa wrinkled her nose. “But relaxing too. Romantic.”

“And woody.” Tony could feel her whip her head his direction. He pursed his lips.
“Everyone loves wood.”

Randa rolled over to face him and propped her head on her hand. “Wood is a lovely
thing.”

Tony frowned. “Are we talking about the same thing?”

Randa pursed her lips but didn’t answer.

He turned to face her and propped his chin on his hand. “Are you flirting with
me
now?”

Randa shook her head. “Nope. You’ve been kind of impossible to talk to today. Why
would I flirt with you?”

“I’m always impossible.” It was like he’d forgotten how to be any different. Damn
it.

Randa’s mouth twitched. “I thought we’d gotten past that yesterday. I mean, there
were books. And burgers. And you know something about me that no one else does.”

Tony sighed. “I think it’s pretty ridiculous that glasses are such a big secret, Randa.”

“And I thought about it last night and decided you are right. See? You’ve been a positive
influence on me. We have to be closer than mutters and grunts.”

“Closer than grunts, huh?” Tony indulged himself with a leisurely glance down her
body.

Randa raised an eyebrow. “And now I have to ask if you’re flirting with me.”

“Hard to say. I’m not as good at it as you are.” Tony reached up to rub his hand down
the length of her arm. He barely held back the grunt of satisfaction at the shiver
that shook her and the goose bumps that followed the path of his stroke.

Randa closed her eyes for a second. “Maybe words aren’t your strong suit. You seem
like more of a hands-on guy.”

Tony leaned forward to press his lips against hers and she reached up to cover her
mouth at the last minute. He frowned and leaned back.

“I like that you’re jealous, Tony.”

He snorted. “Know how I could tell? You flirted with him to bring it on.”

Randa fiddled with the buttons on his shirt. “Maybe. But KT doesn’t affect me the
way you do.”

And then he wasn’t irritated any more. Instead, he felt pretty damn good.

“And I know a girl like you should probably be aiming for somebody more like KT. But
while you’re here, I’d like to… I don’t know. Kiss you again. At least.” Tony
ran his hand down her arm again. He had no idea where they were headed but he wanted
to stay right here with her until they got there. “What do I get for answering?”

“A girl like me? Because he’s got money?” Randa shifted away from him.

“Well, I meant because he’s… a movie star or whatever. Women love him. And you’re
so damn beautiful…” Tony heaved a sigh. “With a guy like KT, things would be
easy. And never once in the time he’s been hanging around here like a bedbug that
won’t die, have I ever been jealous of him, not his money or his way with women. Maybe
I envied KT and Laura together, but when you two were flirting, I wanted to convince
him to step back. Forcefully. You should have your choice in men, but… I don’t
like that you might not choose me. That’s all.” And then he wanted to bang his head
on something. “Not that there should be any choosing anyway because…” He didn’t
want to bring up the fact that he knew she wasn’t telling the truth.

Randa blinked her eyelids rapidly while she rubbed her nose, and Tony watched her
for a minute, worried she was about to cry. Eventually she said, “Beautiful, huh?
Not too skinny?”

Tony shrugged a shoulder. “Well, too skinny, sure, but like a model.”

Before he knew what was happening, Randa’s arms were wrapped around his neck, her
breasts rested on his chest, and her lips were pressed to his. And all of a sudden,
he was glad she was no ordinary girl.

R
ANDA IGNORED THE
annoying voice in her head that insisted on reminding her that this was not the plan.
She’d been up entirely too late again. Thinking about Tony again. And the hotel. And
a little bit about Misty, but mostly the hotel.

She’d decided that she was going to stick with the plan. Send off her report. Confess
the truth. Spend the rest of her time here at the hotel with Tony. Everyone would
get what they wanted. Except maybe Willodean. And Tony, who probably liked his job.
And Misty, who obviously liked the hotel lobby floor.

But here they were. In a sailboat with a comfy bed, and she’d been anxious to get
back the other Tony. Maybe he hadn’t used many more words yesterday, but she’d felt
connected to him.

Today he’d been grim. He looked tired. He was as quiet as the first time she’d met
him. She wanted to cheer him up or help him with whatever was weighing him down or
maybe even… maybe she just wanted to know he was still watching her, considering
her, thinking about her. All day long she’d been trying to make sure he still wanted
her as much as she wanted him.

There was no better place than this one to accomplish that.

So she seized her chance.

And then Tony took over.

He did his flirting with his tongue, all right. First he teased and then he invaded
her mouth. This kiss was rougher, more urgent, than their first kisses. Randa wanted
more of him. He wrapped his arms tightly around the small of her back and pulled her
closer, close enough that she could feel the heat of his chest against hers through
his polyester Hawaiian shirt and her flimsy tank. He pulled her over to rest on top
of him and she slid one of her legs between his. His hard thigh pressed against her
and each shift of their bodies sent spangles of heat through her.

Tony pulled back from the kiss, and they both gasped for air. When he slid his hands
down over her hips to squeeze the cheeks of her rear, Randa jerked against him and
they both moaned at the feeling of her hips rubbing against his.

Tony pressed hot, open-mouthed kisses down her neck before he dropped back against
the bed. “I thought I loved these jeans. Now I’m not sure.”

Randa banged her head against his chest. Then reached up to rub it. Bad idea. His
chest was hard. So deliciously hard. “What are you talking about? And why now?”

He laughed a creaky rumble. “They look damn good on you, but I’m not sure I can get
them off without a can opener.” He let go of one cheek and tried to run a finger under
the waistband.

Randa leaned up. “Why do you think you’ll be taking them off?”

Tony shook his head. “I’m a dreamer. What can I say?”

Randa laughed and they both gasped as she shifted against him. She bit her lip and
tried to calm her breathing. “When they need to come off, I won’t have any trouble,
Tony. Promise. I have a long history of taking off my clothes.”

Tony frowned. “Maybe I ought to know a little bit more about that.”

Randa shook her head. “You know what I mean.”

Tony pulled her down again and reclaimed her lips. He gave up on the waistband of
her jeans. One hand was tangled in her hair and the other wrapped around her thigh.
Each convulsive squeeze of his fingers, so close to the ache between her thighs, raised
her temperature, and Randa was ready to take off the damn jeans just so she could
feel the cool air on her skin. Spontaneous combustion was starting to look like a
real possibility.

When they were both gasping for breath, Tony stretched under her, and her leg slid
against his erection. With a strangled groan, he urged her back on the bed and raised
himself on one elbow to stare down at her.

“We should stop.”

She wasn’t sure she heard him correctly. It took everything Randa had to arrange the
words in the proper order in her head. She wanted to stay right here in this third-floor
sailboat. With him. Just like this. And he didn’t really want to stop. Now she was
learning to read his expressions. He might look dangerous or stern but he was focused.
His eyes were hot as they locked on her parted, swollen lips. He watched his fingers
rub a strand of her hair like he wanted to remember the way it felt and looked. He
leaned down to nip her neck and his tongue was a hot brand against her skin. The intensity
of his regard made her feel beautiful. Like with Tony, she was the hottest woman in
the world. And there was no way to tell a lie with that face. She could see his desire.
And she wanted to give him the truth back. All of it.