been forced to beat men back with a stick. “There are a lot of foot fetishists in the world,” she joked, figuring a little humor would remove the strain she was suddenlyfeeling as he continued to study her. “Lucky for me I’ve got a cop in the family if I need protection from the weirdos.”
He shifted his gaze to her feet once more, and she wondered if he was a foot fetishist. Doubtful. He seemed too straight-arrow for anything that kinky. She couldn’t even picture him slumming at the downtown clubs she liked to go to with her friends, or shopping in the vintage clothing boutiques, or sitting in a café until 4:00 a.m., sipping iced chai with vodka and arguing over whether punk music would see a resurgence before the end of the decade.
Sucking on a woman’s toes? No way. Not Ethan.
Which was fine with her. If a man ever sucked on her toes, she’d kick him in the teeth. She wanted her kisses where they’d have the greatest impact—her mouth, her face, her breasts, her…Well, never mind. She shouldn’t be thinking about such things while sitting next to another woman’s fiancé, even if the lovebirds were feuding.
“So, you’re a devout aunt,” he said. “What does that mean? You worship your niece?”
“I don’t worship her, but I spoil her rotten,” Gina said, aware of the boastful lilt in her voice.
“She doesn’t seem rotten to me.”
“I guess I’m not spoiling her enough.”
He chuckled, then tilted his chair back, balancing it on its two rear legs. “She’s going to remember this week for the rest of her life.”
“So will I,” Gina said. A fresh breeze washed over her, fragrant with the perfume of the tropical flowers blooming in beds along the walkways below. She would never forget that smell, and the balmy air, and the moonlight draped over the water. She’d never forget the fishat Coki Beach, and the hot, powdery sand, and the iguana, who was grotesquely ugly no matter what Ethan said. She’d never forget the feel of Alicia’s small, soft hand in hers, and the infectious music of her laughter as she scampered across the beach.
Gina suspected that she would also never forget this handsome, quiet man who was so easy to talk to, even though once their vacations were over he would go back to his life, with or without Kim, and Gina would go back to hers, and they’d never see each other again. This week, this night, this conversation, this unexpected closeness would be nothing more substantial than a dreamy memory—but it would stay with her forever.
CHAPTER SIX
K IM HADN’T LOCKED the door. In truth, Ethan would have been surprised if she had. Barring him from the bedroom would have been too public. No matter how angry she was, she’d never want Gina and Alicia—two veritable strangers—to discover him asleep on the living-room sofa the next morning, because then they’d know he and Kim were on the outs. Kim felt very strongly about maintaining appearances and convincing everyone that her life was just peachy-keen.
Ethan was grateful she’d left the door unlocked for him, if only because convertible couches were rarely as comfortable as beds. He managed to slide under the covers without waking her. The glowing red digits of the alarm clock on the night table indicated that midnight had come and gone a few minutes ago, and after all the snorkeling he’d done during the day, he ought to have been exhausted. But sleep eluded him. He couldn’t get his mind to settle down.
Why was it so easy to talk to Gina? For hours, he’d sat with her on the deck, enjoying the sea breeze and the conversation. He’d learned that her mother was Italian, her father’s family from the Azores, “but he converted to Italian when he married my mom,” Gina had joked. Her father owned a hardware store, and she’d grown up somewhere between working class and middle class. She didn’t have much time to paint anymore—ormuch room, given the minuscule dimensions of her studio apartment
He shifted his gaze to her feet once more, and she wondered if he was a foot fetishist. Doubtful. He seemed too straight-arrow for anything that kinky. She couldn’t even picture him slumming at the downtown clubs she liked to go to with her friends, or shopping in the vintage clothing boutiques, or sitting in a café until 4:00 a.m., sipping iced chai with vodka and arguing over whether punk music would see a resurgence before the end of the decade.
Sucking on a woman’s toes? No way. Not Ethan.
Which was fine with her. If a man ever sucked on her toes, she’d kick him in the teeth. She wanted her kisses where they’d have the greatest impact—her mouth, her face, her breasts, her…Well, never mind. She shouldn’t be thinking about such things while sitting next to another woman’s fiancé, even if the lovebirds were feuding.
“So, you’re a devout aunt,” he said. “What does that mean? You worship your niece?”
“I don’t worship her, but I spoil her rotten,” Gina said, aware of the boastful lilt in her voice.
“She doesn’t seem rotten to me.”
“I guess I’m not spoiling her enough.”
He chuckled, then tilted his chair back, balancing it on its two rear legs. “She’s going to remember this week for the rest of her life.”
“So will I,” Gina said. A fresh breeze washed over her, fragrant with the perfume of the tropical flowers blooming in beds along the walkways below. She would never forget that smell, and the balmy air, and the moonlight draped over the water. She’d never forget the fishat Coki Beach, and the hot, powdery sand, and the iguana, who was grotesquely ugly no matter what Ethan said. She’d never forget the feel of Alicia’s small, soft hand in hers, and the infectious music of her laughter as she scampered across the beach.
Gina suspected that she would also never forget this handsome, quiet man who was so easy to talk to, even though once their vacations were over he would go back to his life, with or without Kim, and Gina would go back to hers, and they’d never see each other again. This week, this night, this conversation, this unexpected closeness would be nothing more substantial than a dreamy memory—but it would stay with her forever.
CHAPTER SIX
K IM HADN’T LOCKED the door. In truth, Ethan would have been surprised if she had. Barring him from the bedroom would have been too public. No matter how angry she was, she’d never want Gina and Alicia—two veritable strangers—to discover him asleep on the living-room sofa the next morning, because then they’d know he and Kim were on the outs. Kim felt very strongly about maintaining appearances and convincing everyone that her life was just peachy-keen.
Ethan was grateful she’d left the door unlocked for him, if only because convertible couches were rarely as comfortable as beds. He managed to slide under the covers without waking her. The glowing red digits of the alarm clock on the night table indicated that midnight had come and gone a few minutes ago, and after all the snorkeling he’d done during the day, he ought to have been exhausted. But sleep eluded him. He couldn’t get his mind to settle down.
Why was it so easy to talk to Gina? For hours, he’d sat with her on the deck, enjoying the sea breeze and the conversation. He’d learned that her mother was Italian, her father’s family from the Azores, “but he converted to Italian when he married my mom,” Gina had joked. Her father owned a hardware store, and she’d grown up somewhere between working class and middle class. She didn’t have much time to paint anymore—ormuch room, given the minuscule dimensions of her studio apartment
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