Moonlight and Margaritas (32 page)

True winners?  She let out a disbelieving laugh.  The man had no regard for decent behavior whatsoever.  "Richard, I no longer care what you do."  She raised defiant eyebrows.  "You lied to me and cheated on me for God knows how long."  His cocky expression fell.  "Yes, I know all about that," she continued before he had a chance to interrupt.  "I would feel sorry for your fiancée, knowing that her husband will never respect his vows, but she's done the same thing to her aunt that Judith did to me."  She pulled her arm from his grasp.  "You deserve each other." 
True winners
?  Where had she heard—

"Oh my, god.  True winners?"  Carmen had spoken those exact words.  "You bastard.  You
have
been sabotaging my business."

An evil glint flicked in Richard's eyes.  "What are you talking about, Elena?  Are you delusional?"

No.  She was actually saner than she'd been in a long time.  "What did you do, pay off Carmen to undermine me?  Don't try to deny it, Richard.  This whole mess stinks of your underhanded ways."

He leaned close.  "I warned you not to mess with me."

Her blood boiled.  She took a deep breath, her defenses narrowing to a sharp point.  "This ends now, Richard.  You might think you've defeated me, but how long do you think your reputation will last if I start talking about your dirty secrets?  The society pages love to publish stories about infidelity and deceit.  The good old boys at the country club distance themselves from any public airing of personal issues.  I bet Carmen would crack under pressure.  Cassie will be ashamed to call you her father.  You will be shunned."

The color had faded from Richard's complexion, and Elena could smell his defeat.  "So will you."

She shrugged.  "You forget.  These are your friends, not mine."

"It would ruin you."

She called his bluff.  "I'm willing to chance it.  Are you?  Cut your losses, Richard.  Take your bimbo and walk away."

Shock animated his face, leaving him speechless as she turned and left.  Good.  She'd called him out, and he'd be a fool if he didn't recognize that she was prepared to take this all the way.  Emotion pumped through her with each stride as she headed back toward Cole.  It seemed the more determined she was to enjoy her evening, the more it careened out of control.

Elena didn't know how much of her encounter Cole had witnessed, but he watched her now.  He sat relaxed in his chair as she approached, his gaze traveling the length of her body, his eyes expressing his desire for her.  The thought of that empowered her.  To hell with Richard and his infidelity.  To hell with Joe and his need for attachment.

No one owned her.  No one controlled her.  She was free to live her life as she pleased.

Sitting in front of her was exactly what she needed.  An attractive man that inspired no particular emotion.  One that she would definitely not find herself emotionally attached to.  She looked down at him.  "Dance with me."

"Absolutely."  He stood, towering several inches above her, his smile indicating that he had no problem being her escape from reality.

Cole led her to a spot along the edge where the crowd was thinner, and Elena lost herself in his arms.  He wasted no time molding himself against her, even though the strains of music called for a faster dance.  She wrapped her arms around his neck, enjoying the physical aspect of their connection.  Other dancers moved about them, twirling in their finery.  She was sure Richard and his fiancée were somewhere nearby, discussing her reaction.  She didn't care.  She was focused on this man and his ability to block out all of the emotional trials in her life.

Cole obviously liked her, and it was fun to flirt with him.  She admitted there were no dangerous sparks like the ones Joe inspired, and that was exactly how she preferred it.

The next song was slower and seemed to encourage Cole.  He locked his gaze with hers, his lips a few inches away.  His breath smelled of mint, and Elena found herself tuning in to the physical pleasure he aroused. 

"I want to kiss you, you know," he whispered.

"Really?" she teased.

The song ended, and he lowered his lips to hers.  She didn't stop him. 

Soft, warm.  His kiss was nice, but it lacked intensity.  Lacked passion.  She didn't pull away, hoping that, given a moment, she'd feel something. 

But, no.  It was pointless.  Nothing.  She felt nothing.  Except an aching loss for the man that set her on fire.

Joe. 

Oh, hell.  He was the one she wanted, the one she needed, and she'd been a fool to push him away.  What was wrong with her? 

He was twice the man Cole was.  A hundred times the man Richard was.  Most of all…he was
her
man.  The one who would truly love her and take care of her.  Why had she been so afraid to see that?

She pulled back, the game over.  She couldn't continue to pretend she was interested in Cole, no matter how attractive he was.

"I'm sorry."  She slid her hands down the front of his tux, putting distance between them.  "I shouldn't have encouraged that."

He didn't seem too concerned over her statement.  "Why not?"  He'd eased his hold on her, but hadn't let go.

"I've been seeing someone else, and we had a fight.  I was using you to try to help me forget him."  She should have known that wasn't a smart idea.

He smiled.  "No harm done."  His grin grew bigger.  "In fact, even knowing that you're on the rebound, my services are still available."

She moved out of his arms, glancing down as a smile crept over her lips.  She looked back at his handsome face.  "You're too kind.  I'm glad I've had the pleasure of your company, but I'll have to pass."

"Are you sure?"  He tilted his head, gazing at her with persuasive eyes.

"I'm sure.  I think it's time for me to call it an evening."

"I'll have the car brought around."

"No.  No, you stay.  Enjoy your brother's ball.  I'll call a taxi."  When he started to interrupt, she continued.  "Please, I think I need some time alone."  Plus, there were plenty of women who'd be more than willing to give him attention.

"Okay."  He smiled and nodded, before giving her a quick kiss on the lips.  "Call me if you change your mind."

She agreed and turned to leave, feeling better than she had all evening.  It was time to rethink Joe and the possibility of having him in her future.  She still wasn't sure when she'd be ready for marriage, but the idea of it now seemed like a possibility instead of a definite no.  She needed to talk to Joe, to beg him to understand and forgive her if he could.

She prayed she hadn't done irreparable damage to their relationship.

Elena reached the edge of the cobblestone courtyard and glanced up toward the deck.  She stopped, grabbing the railing to steady herself.

Joe.

He stood above her, his body rigid, his features as hard as granite.  The air flew from her lungs, and for a moment, all she could do was stare at him.

From the look on his face, she knew he'd seen her kiss Cole. 

But what he didn't know, was that it had meant nothing.  Not one thing.  She had to tell him that.

She started up the stairs, his gaze following her every move.  A lump formed in her throat as she reached the top of the deck.  "Joe."  She tried to swallow, but her throat was parched.  "Please let me explain."

"Your actions explain everything."  Joe looked into Elena's eyes, trying to comprehend what he'd witnessed.  Around them, the music played on, as though there was nothing wrong in the world.  He let anger harden his jaw as he tried to disguise the anguish in his heart.  He'd been a fool thinking she loved him.  She didn't love him.  She just wanted to play.

Just like he had done most of his life.

The thought was pure agony.  "There's no need to say anything.  Enough's been said, enough done."

"No."  She reached out and touched his sleeve.

Before she could continue, Renee stepped onto the deck, two glasses of champagne in her hands.  She obviously didn't recognize that he and Elena were in the middle of a serious discussion.

Elena flashed his sister an uncertain glance before focusing on him.  "You don't understand.  That wasn't what it seemed."  She truly looked upset, but was that because she felt bad, or because she'd been caught? 

"It doesn't matter.  I should have let you go the first time you walked out on me.  I would have saved us both a lot of time and trouble."  And heartache.  From the corner of his eye, he watched Renee take a step back.

Elena stared at him, her bottom lip quivering.  "That's not fair."

"What's not fair?  Am I not allowed to get angry when I see the woman I love kissing another man?"  He shoved his hands in his pockets to keep them still. 

"
That
.  That's not fair.  You tell me you love me, but then you try to control me.  I've had enough of controlling men in my life."

"Oh?  So, now I'm in the same boat as your ex-husband?"  Talk about not fair.  He wasn't anything like the jerk that had made her wary of relationships.

"You won't even give me a chance to breathe.  You waltz in and send my life into turmoil, and then talk about when we're married like I don't have a say in anything."  She glanced at Renee again.  "And then you make me have this conversation in front of a complete stranger."  Gone was the sorrowful woman.  She'd been replaced by a hellcat.

And gone was his patience.  This conversation would have transpired a whole lot differently if she hadn't been caught kissing another man. 

"Excuse me."  His sister interjected.  "I'll just make myself scarce."

Joe grabbed Renee's arm before she could leave.  "This isn't a stranger.  She's my sister."

He knew he'd put Renee in a difficult situation, but he didn't want Elena thinking that he'd played the same game as she had. 
He
hadn't run straight into someone else's arms.

Renee lifted her eyebrows, obviously feeling awkward.  She graced Elena with a small smile as she extended her hand.  "Hi.  I'm Renee Johnson.  I don't know if I dare say, but I've heard some wonderful things about you."

The look on Elena's face softened, and she appeared embarrassed as she greeted his sister.  "I apologize for my outburst.  I—"

"No need to explain."  Renee shook her head at Elena, and he was grateful that he had such a wonderful sister.  Renee gave him the same uncomfortable smile and then walked back inside, leaving them in silence.

He stared at Elena a moment longer, his heart crumbling.  It wasn't supposed to end like this.  Here was the love of his life, and she didn't love him.

Unable to tolerate anymore, he turned and followed his sister.  Behind him, he heard Elena calling to him, but he no longer cared to hear her excuses.  He'd tried to make it work.  He deserved credit for that.  But she only wanted to play, and a smart man knew when to cut his losses.

He was severing his now.

Elena sat in silence across from Mercedes, picking at her chicken salad.  Above them, birds chirped in the trees, the sound adding to the outdoor cafe's lush atmosphere.  The late afternoon hour found the place mostly empty, with only one other couple sitting a few tables away.  The man murmured something to the woman, her answering laugh floating off into the beautiful fall day. 

Elena had let Mercedes talk her into grabbing a bite to eat, but it had been a mistake.  She set down her fork and buttoned up her sweater.  The sun was warm on her face, but her insides were chilled.

"Do you feel like talking, yet?"  Mercedes sipped her ice water.

No.  Not really.  All it would do was serve to remind her how miserable she'd felt during the past two weeks since the mayor's ball. 

"Richard got engaged."  Elena didn't want to talk about her former husband, either, but it beat the alternative.

"He's a snake." 

Thank God for best friends. 

"Who's the girl?  I feel sorry for her."

"Tani Patterson.  She's the niece of Judith Taylor and only twenty-seven years old.  Rumor is she's pregnant."

"Ouch."  Mercedes caught her gaze, giving her a warm smile.  "Don't worry.  She's got nothing on you, chica.  Nothing.  Have pity on her.  You know what she's in for."

Elena didn't care that Richard was marrying a younger woman.  Nothing about him concerned her anymore.  "Don't waste your time feeling sorry for her.  Apparently, Ms. Patterson stole Richard from her aunt who'd been sleeping with him…"  She paused, still stumbling over the revelation.  "She had an affair with him while he was still married to me."  She watched her friend, not surprised at the look of outrage on her face.

"That's horrible, Elena."  She shook her head in disgust.  "That son of a bitch."

"That's not all."  She took a breath wondering how everything had gotten so out of control.  "I fired Carmen."

"That's a good thing."  Mercedes smiled.  "Never could stand her." 

"I figured out she was working with Richard, spying on me and sabotaging me.  She's the one who froze the flowers and who cancelled my orders."