Island Affair (Keys to Love #1)(33)

“Maybe we could—”

“Two minutes!” Jonathan’s cry from the hallway interrupted her.

A sharp double knock on their bedroom door had Sara and Luis breaking apart.

“Damn,” she muttered, sagging back against the bathroom doorframe. “Older brothers can be such a pain in the neck.”

A corner of Luis’s mouth hitched up in a wry grimace. “Duty calls.”

He dropped a chaste kiss on her forehead, then stepped around her into the bathroom without another word.

Her body tingling with almost, Sara hurried across the room.

“Hey, squirt, everyone else is downstairs,” Jonathan greeted her when she tugged open the door. He’d changed into a tropical button-up shirt and had either showered or washed up in the sink, because his blond hair was dark with water.

“First, I’m long past the squirt phase,” she complained.

“Yeah, but I wasn’t around much to tease you when you were younger, so I’m making up for lost time.”

Sara rolled her eyes. Fatherhood and marriage to his down-to-earth wife had mellowed her brother. Usually that would be considered a positive, but this older-brother teasing had started last Thanksgiving, much to Sara’s chagrin. Good news for him, his goofy grin proved contagious.

“Fine, goofball,” she quipped. “We’re going to need a few minutes. Luis had to take a call, but he’ll be fast.”

Jonathan gave her a thumbs-up, then headed to the stairs.

Once she closed the door, Sara leaned back against it, her mind racing. She wasn’t sure where she’d felt less confused. Outside with her family and their changing dynamics or inside here with her sexy, good-hearted fake boyfriend.

The sink water shut off in the bathroom. Luis would be out shortly. She gulped, her shoulders shimmying with a little thrill.

He’d been right to put the brakes on things. The friend rule had been set when she’d been a little more clearheaded.

Luis lived here. Her life was in New York. Potentially part-time in Miami, if the deal came to fruition.

Jumping into something with Luis based on the false sense of intimacy wrought by her plea for help could only lead to confusion and hurt feelings in the end.

She didn’t want that. Not for Luis or for herself.

Disappointment warred with practicality. Then, the bathroom door opened, and lust jumped into the skirmish.

The man of the hour . . . or more like the week . . . strode out. With his shirt on, thank God for small blessings.

Time to get back on a friendly footing.

“You ready, Vinny?” she asked.

The dark flush that slowly crawled up his cheeks threatened to blow her level-headed thinking to smithereens. She winked, liking the fact that she’d gotten under his skin.

“You sure you wanna go there?” he challenged.

“If the nickname fits.”

“Fine, let’s go, blondie. We’re already three minutes behind.”

“Punctual. I like that.”

“In my line of work, three minutes can save a life.”

A lifesaver. The description certainly fit the man.

Luis strode toward her and damn if she didn’t want to stay right where she was. Door closed. Just the two of them. Learning a whole lot more about each other.

Fortunately, sanity prevailed. She twisted the doorknob at her side, then slipped into the hallway and headed toward the stairs.

“Another one of your many virtues,” she teased. In reality, she was awed by the ease with which he spoke about the high stakes in his job.

“Oh yeah, I’m the real deal. Isn’t that already on your cheat sheet of notes?”

“Sounds like someone needs a little ego check.”

“Yeah, we better help your sister with that,” Luis countered.

Sara threw back her head with a laugh, accidentally bumping into him on the step above her.

Luis grabbed ahold of her when she pitched forward. His big palms spanned her hips. His fingertips pressed low on her belly. Instinctively she leaned back against him. With his arms wrapped around her, the warmth of his chest seeped into her bare shoulders, eliciting a deep yearning that careened straight to her core.

Her laughter quieted as the attraction simmering underneath their banter bubbled to the surface.

Jonathan poked his head around the banister at the bottom of the stairs. “Hey, lovebirds, let’s go. I’m starving.”

A breath she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding gushed from between her lips.

Luis’s right hand patted her hip. He released her, and Sara continued down the stairs.

Apparently, her brother had developed another fine trait to match his teasing—terrible timing.

Or maybe, without even realizing it, he was saving her from making a mistake.

Right or wrong, she looked forward to the night ahead in Luis’s company, even if they’d have to be on their toes in case they ran into someone he knew.

*

Mallory Square bustled with an energy and excitement that infused the ocean air and had Sara feeling invigorated.

With the nightly sunset celebration in full swing, the pier was packed with revelers of the local and tourist variety. All seeking a good spot to view the next performer or haggle a deal from a vendor or jockey for their position to marvel at the majestic ball of fire spreading its kaleidoscope of rich colors across the sky and rippling water.