Swoon

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"I kissed him last night," I whispered, leaning close to Catalina, knowing the revelation would provoke a dramatic reaction.

As expected, Catalina gasped and opened her mouth, her eyes wide. "I knew it! He is here for you. God, that's romantic."

I couldn't help but giggle at her expression—and from the memory of how demanding his mouth had been and the way he'd possessively tilted my head.

Swoon.

There was also his mermaid tattoo. It was almost certainly me, with that blonde hair. Hell, he'd all but said it was me. But then he'd practically thrown me out of the bakery.

God, this was all so confusing.

"So...?" Catalina prompted.

"It was an amazing kiss."

"And? Then what? Did you guys hook-up?" Catalina waggled her eyebrows. "How did it go with your...condition?"

I grimaced, embarrassed. "No, we didn't hook-up. That would be pretty fast, don't you think? He didn't get anywhere near my condition. In fact, he almost threw me out of his bakery after the kiss."

"What?"

"He said he had a business call with his dad. It was really awkward."

Catalina took a long sip of beer. "Wow. I can't even interpret that."

"I can't either. Maybe I disappointed him. Maybe I'm not his type. Maybe I'm no one's type."

My words were met with an eyeroll and a snort. "Jess, that's ridiculous. I'm straight, and I want to kiss you. Jesus. There's probably something really wrong with him if he doesn't want you. There'd have to be."

"Jacob didn't want me. At least, not enough to not cheat."

"Well, Jacob was an ass. And he wanted you and every other woman on the planet. Big difference. Besides, you said your body rejected him. Do you think you'd have the same problem with—oh, hush, turn around. Leo's coming this way."

I whirled to find him approaching, a beer in his hand. His mouth was cocked in a sexy grin, and he powered toward me, gracefully excusing himself as he slipped by several people.

Would I have the same problem with Leo? God, no. I hoped not. Around him, my body felt like a Fourth of July sparkler. With Jacob, I'd felt like a Zippo lighter without butane.

Stopping in front of me and standing deliciously close, Leo reached out and squeezed my upper arm with his hand. He pressed his lips into my cheek, his mouth warm and soft while my stomach fluttered fast. His touch, his nearness, nearly made me fall over.

"Hey, baby," he murmured, his accent drawing the word into several syllables, making it sound sensual and not skeevy or slick. "Where y'at?"

I grinned despite myself. His New Orleans phrases had always made me laugh, and right now, I was so overwhelmed by the sensation of his warm lips, I was rendered temporarily mute. I was also thoroughly confused, because it seemed like he'd never thrown me out of his shop last night. Instead, he treated me to an intimate, wicked smile, as if we'd spent all night together.

His eyes shifted downward to the neckline of my dress. They lingered there for a beat.

"You look gorgeous," he said.

A rush of warmth flooded my body, and my dizziness increased before embarrassment set in. I shouldn't have been enjoying this so much. But I was. It seemed liked forever since anyone had looked at me with such obvious desire. Even Jacob had never treated me with such intensity, except for that first night when he'd swept me off my feet with flattery.

Catalina broke in. "So, I understand you two already know each other." She stuck her hand out and beamed. "I'm Catalina. I didn't meet you all those years ago because I was away for winter break."

Leo tore his eyes away from me.

"Cat's my oldest friend. We've known each other since kindergarten."

"I remember you talking non-stop about Catalina," Leo said. "She went with you to your first Comic Con in Tampa your freshman year in high school."

He remembered that? Wow. My cheeks felt hot, and I took a long gulp of beer to help ease my parched mouth. I'd need to slow down on the drinking before I became a complete, nonsensical idiot.

Catalina and Leo began to make small talk, but I barely listened, distracted by my own thoughts. Leo couldn't just waltz back into my life and expect...well, I didn't know what he expected. Maybe he didn't expect anything. But his eyes sure seemed to. His kisses seemed to.

But he could've expressed that interest way better than he did last night.

Conflicting feelings swirled inside me, worsened by memories of our past and Leo's recent moments of hot and cold. From my father, to Leo, to Jacob, the men in my life had always been a disappointment. Still, I needed to find out more. The last thing I wanted was another man who played games, but maybe a second chance was in order.

Our long-ago connection wasn't something I could give up so easily. I'd never wanted to give it up in the first place.

The surf shop owner drifted over and joined the conversation. I glanced up at Leo, who was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with me. Leaving Catalina and the surf shop owner talking, the two of us stepped a few feet away, distancing ourselves from the others, while I was reminded of Catalina's previous question.

"I meant to ask you," I said to Leo casually. "Will anyone else be joining you on Palmira? Your dad or any friends or...?" I trailed off.

Awkward.

"Nope. Just me. And if you're asking if I'm single, the answer is yes."

Leo's slate blue eyes seemed to twinkle at me. I felt floaty and giggled. I was acting seventeen again. Unreal. Especially after all that had happened. Of course, Leo seemed to be acting the same way.

Quickly trying to compose myself, I found all I could muster was a "hmmm" noise, so I stepped back to Catalina and the surf guy for protection. A few more moments and I'd be capable of acting like an adult again.

"I'm going to grab a water," I said when Leo followed. "Anyone want anything?"

The others shook their heads, so I stalked away to the bar where I could regroup.

On stage was a local band from the island that played rockabilly versions of new songs, and when the singer began crooning a sexy, doo-wop version of Miley Cyrus's "We Can't Stop"—in my opinion way better than the original; I loved retro music and anything that wasn't Top 40 popular—people glided onto the dancefloor.

I stared at the couples wistfully, their faces soft and sensual in the fading sunlight, and for an all-too-brief moment, I gave up all my concerns and forgot about everything that had happened in the past year. I loved winter in Florida. Why not enjoy this party? Why not surrender to Leo's charms if he came after me? Why not let go and enjoy life?

I was twenty-two, not eighty. It seemed as if I'd aged a hundred years since Mom died.

I glanced over, and his smile burned into me like the brightest sunshine. Part of me wanted to soak up the attention. Another part stayed wary. He'd disappeared from my life once. Who was to say he wouldn't do it again? And even if I decided I wanted to sleep with him, would my body comply? Coming to my senses, I turned to the bar.

By the time I'd stood in line, paid for a water, and arrived back to Catalina and Leo, another woman had joined the group. A vaguely familiar face. Catalina quickly introduced her to me with a pointed stare. Megan was her name. She'd briefly dated Catalina's brother, and I recalled she lived in Fort Myers on the mainland. Tall and raven-haired, Megan looked a few years older than the rest of us. She was also way more glamorous, with her black cocktail dress, sleek, pointy-toed high heels, and even tan.

I got a whiff of Megan's strong perfume, something straight out of an upscale department store, and had a sudden realization. This was the kind of woman Leo should be with. Someone outgoing, someone happy, someone stunning. Someone tiny. Someone like Jacob had wanted. All my old hurts and wounds rushed back, straight into my chest, and I was having a hard time taking full breaths.

"So, Megan opened a flower shop on the island," Catalina said to the group.

"I would love to bring over flowers to your bakery that first week you're open," Megan purred at Leo, tossing her long, silky hair and shooting a blindingly white smile in his direction.

"You don't have to go to that sort of trouble," replied Leo mildly. I gulped my water, then set it on a nearby table, feeling invisible.

"It's no trouble at all. And no charge. You can repay me another way, I'm sure."

Megan's eyelashes fluttered. Cat's brother had mentioned this woman was a notorious flirt, and that certainly seemed to be the case. I was being ridiculous. Megan was probably perfectly nice. She could flirt with whoever she wanted.

Leo wasn't mine, and he could also do what he liked.

Still, it tugged at that raw place deep inside.

With my luck, he probably intended to sleep his way around the island, starting tonight. Our kiss the night before hadn't been good enough, or I'd gained too much weight, or something, and now he was moving on.

That mermaid tattoo on his bicep probably wasn't even a reminder of me; it was just art he'd inked on his arm to look cool. I'd never be good enough for someone as handsome as him. Who was I to even dare think about a relationship with Leo? I could never trust him anyway.

A deep sadness settled in my chest. I pasted on a smile. "Have a fun night, everyone. I've got a lot of guests coming in tomorrow."

Spinning on the ball of my foot, the fabric of my dress rippling behind me, I headed for the door.

But Leo spoke, his voice more commanding than I'd ever imagined it could be.

"Wait."

____

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