might want to see a few more.” Josh quirked an eyebrow at her. “Do you have any more to show me?”
“I can show you whatever you like.” She bit her bottom lip. Did that sound like a come-on? She had to admit that Josh looked fine tonight—his short, almost black hair slicked back and a sexy scruff on his jaw.
She cleared her throat. “I mean, I can show you condos outside our own office’s listings. Just tell me what you like.”
His dark eyes glittered as they seemed to drill into her.
“I mean, tell me what you’d like to see...in a condo.” She grabbed a menu tucked against the wall and skimmed the appetizers without seeing a thing.
Josh’s intensity was off the charts up close and personal like this, face-to-face over a small table. With that stare burning a hole in her, anything she said sounded like a double entendre.
“I like that area. Maybe I’ll make a list for you.” Josh tapped the edge of the menu. “Do you want to order some food?”
“Not really.” She blinked at the menu in her hands and then held it out to him. “Do you?”
“No, thanks.”
The waitress saved her from any more inane conversation by delivering their drinks.
Gina poked at the mint leaves with her skinny green straw. “Where do you live now?”
“I’m new to Miami. I’m staying in a hotel not far from here.” He took a sip from his beer, watching her over the rim of his mug.
Why did it seem as if they were having a conversation as a subtext to the words they were speaking? Every word from their lips felt loaded with meaning. Was it just this crazy attraction between them? She’d felt crazy attractions before—they never ended well.
If he could afford to stay in a hotel in South Beach long-term, he could afford a nice little town house just about anywhere in Miami.
She sucked up some of her drink and the cool mint tingled against her tongue. “Staying in a hotel must get...tiresome.”
“There are certain advantages. I don’t have to clean up after myself, or cook.” He winked.
She studied his face. The wink didn’t match the man. It was almost as if Josh was pretending to be someone he wasn’t, or maybe she’d gone from not trusting her instincts to analyzing every word and every facial tick.
“How about you? I assumed you picked this bar because it was close to where you lived. Are you in South Beach?”
“We’re temporarily staying with my mother, who has a condo here.”
“We?” He casually curled a hand around his beer mug, but his knuckles appeared white.
She dragged her gaze away from his hand gripping the glass and met his dark eyes. Maybe he thought she was ready to spring a husband on him. Would a child be worse?
“My son and I. I have an almost three-year-old.”
“That’s great. Pictures?”
“Really? I don’t want to bore you.” Was this an act? Feign interest in the kid to get to the mom? Was this something men did? The last time she’d dated she didn’t have a child, so this was new ground for her.
“Family pictures don’t bore me.”
Her fingers traced over the weapon stashed in her purse as she reached for her cell phone. Cupping it in her hand, she tapped her phone until she found a few current pictures of RJ.
“Here he is.” She held the phone sideways in the middle of the table, so they could both see it. She had no intention of handing her phone over to him.
“Cute little guy.”
She swept her finger to the next photo. “Here he is with his newfound friend from daycare.”
Josh squinted at the picture. “They look like buds.”
She pulled the phone back. “My son just started going to that daycare, so I’m happy he made such a fast friend.”
The waitress dipped next to their table with two more drinks.
Josh glanced up. “We didn’t order another round.”
“I know.” She slapped down a cocktail napkin and placed the second mojito on top of it. “A friend of yours at the bar ordered one for you.”
Gina twisted her head to the left, her gaze tripping over the patrons at the bar. “I don’t see anyone I know. Did she give her name?”
“He and no.” The waitress shrugged and spun around to return to the bar.
Josh downed the rest of his first beer and pulled the second one toward him. “You have generous friends.”
“Are you sure it’s not one of your friends? I don’t see any of my friends at the bar, not that I have many here in Miami.”
“I don’t have any.” He clinked his glass with hers. “Maybe it was a mistake. Should we drink up before he realizes it?”
One side of her mouth turned up in a smile, but she didn’t feel like smiling. That was too weird. Who would be buying her drinks?
“Can you excuse me for a minute? I’m going to use the men’s room.” Josh shoved back from the table. “I’ll swing by the bar to see if I recognize anyone.”
“Maybe once this person sees you up close, he’ll realize he made a mistake.”
“You’d better take a sip of that drink before he can take it back.”
As Josh walked toward the restrooms to the left of the bar, Gina picked up the second mojito and sniffed it.
A black scrawl on the cocktail napkin caught her eye and she dragged the napkin toward her with her index finger.
The words jumped out at her.
Dump this guy. You’re still married. Meet me behind the bar down the block from Joanna’s place, paloma. R.
As he washed his hands, Josh leaned into the mirror and practiced winking. He was pretty sure that was a move his slick buddy Slade would’ve tried, but Gina had looked at him like she was staring into the face of Ted Bundy.
Maybe whoever sent that second round of drinks over noticed how badly he was tanking with Gina and was trying to help him out? That was a strange move for someone to make. If a friend of hers was at the bar, why not come by and introduce himself?
Maybe the guy was there right now and having better luck with Gina than he was. Could she be any more uptight? Maybe Ariel and her bunch had sent the wrong SEAL out here to do the job.
He
