really sorry, Rita.” To think, he’d intended earlier to apologize to her for something completely different: forgetting who she was. His mea culpas when it came to her were accumulating.
“Why are you taking the stairs?” he asked her. “Aren’t you on a much higher floor?”
She shrugged. “I always take the stairs. It’s better for you.”
Well, she certainly was fit. And that dress made no bare bones about it. It showed off her long, toned legs and narrow waist.
This was getting ridiculous. He’d nearly caused her to wipe out down the stairs for heaven’s sake. Not to mention he’d hauled her against his bare chest to keep her from falling. And now he couldn’t stop ogling her. In a deserted stairway, no less.
“We should probably get down there,” he said and motioned for her to go ahead down the final flight of steps. As he followed, he forced himself not to look at her shapely, rounded behind. Though it wasn’t easy.
* * *
There was a whole pig twisting around on a spit. Head and hooves and all. Rita couldn’t bear to look at the sight another second. She wasn’t a strict vegetarian by any means. But her profession as a veterinarian made such a scene difficult to watch. In fact, she felt a bit queasy.
The rest of the crowd stood next to the open fire pit, oohing and aahing at the large animal about to be served as their dinner. A crowd that included the entire wedding party. She walked toward the water, away from the buffet area where the rest of the feast was being set up.
The party faced the sea, with a majestic view of the mountains on one side and crystal-blue water as far as the eye could see on the other. Banana-leaf-covered cabanas surrounded a large stage area in the center. Tables and tables of various dishes were already being set up.
Clint Fallon had spared no expense for his sister’s wedding. Rita nudged the sand at her feet with her sandaled toe. She glanced over to where he stood with the rest of the crowd. Lizzie had been right about Tessa Campbell wanting to corner him. The woman had made a beeline to Clint’s side as soon as they’d exited the shuttle bus. She’d been within two feet of him ever since. Several times, when Rita had ventured to look their way, Tessa had her hand on his arm or his shoulder. She’d definitely dominated his full attention so far.
Though Rita got the distinct feeling Clint was merely being polite. Actually, Clint looked somewhat uncomfortable with the constant touching.
Not that it would bother her if there was anything more than that developing between them. And the frustration she felt at that thought wasn’t something she was going to dwell on. She thought of their near disaster on the stairs earlier. Like she’d fallen against a hard wall of pure male. She rubbed her cheek where it had landed against his bare chest when he’d barreled into her. Lord, he’d felt solid.
“Thought you’d taken off.” A masculine voice sounded behind her and made her jump. Clint. Rita turned to find him no more than a few feet behind her, as if her thoughts had conjured him.
“Just wanted to admire the water for a bit.”
He came to stand beside her, both of them facing the coastline. “You find it a much more palatable view than the one back there over by the fire pit.”
He was an observant one. “Yes, well, there’s that too.” He must have been watching her. So maybe Tessa didn’t have so much of his attention after all. “Was it that obvious?”
He smiled. “Your disdain was clear.”
Oh, no. She hoped she wasn’t coming off in that way. As if she were turning her nose up at the chosen venue or choice of entertainment. Sometimes her shyness was known to come off as a haughtiness. It had gotten her into trouble more than once. “It’s just that when you spend your days taking care of animals, seeing one spinning above a fire pit that way is a little off-putting.”
Something shifted behind Clint’s eyes. Then he actually thwacked himself in the forehead with the palm of his hand. “It’s you!”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Sarita. With the neon purple hair. Lizzie’s roommate off and on during her school days. You were studying to be a veterinarian.”
Ah, so now he was finally remembering. Took him long enough. “Wow, that didn’t take you long at all,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
He had the decency to duck his head as if chagrined. “I’ve been meaning to apologize for that.” He spread his hands. “But you gotta cut me some slack. You never looked the same those few times I saw you. I mean, was your hair ever the same color?”
She had to give him that. Her puny attempts at college-girl rebellion centered around changing her hair constantly. Her father absolutely hated it. Which was the point, wasn’t it? Still, Clint could have registered some recognition before now.
“And Rita’s not your name,” he declared. “That threw me off too.”
“It’s a shortened version of my name. As is yours.”
He pursed his lips, as if that thought hadn’t occurred to him. “I suppose you’re right.”
He supposed? Of course, she was right. Clint was short for Clinton. How was that any different than shortening Sarita to Rita? She didn’t get a chance to ask as they were interrupted.
“There you are! I lost track of you.” Tessa ran up to Clint and wagged her finger at him.
Clint actually groaned out loud. Tessa didn’t notice. Or she didn’t really care. Then he shocked her by placing both his hands around Rita’s waist. That Tessa definitely noticed. Her eyes grew wide with shock. And annoyance.
“I was just looking for Sarita. We ran into each other at the airport and I’ve been meaning to catch up with her ever since.”
He was? Or was he just trying to use her to deflect Tessa’s attentions? She wasn’t sure how she felt about that last possibility. But when she glanced his way, his eyes implored her to go along.
His expression was so desperate, she almost felt sorry for him for a split second. “Yes, I’m hoping to hear about what Clint’s been up to all these years since we’ve last seen each other.”
Tessa would not be deterred. She crooked her hand into Clint’s elbow. “Well, we can’t have you two off by yourselves. This is a party after all.”
“You know, you’re absolutely right,” Clint agreed with a wide smile that almost seemed genuine, even as he gently pulled his arm free. “We’ll just be another minute.”
Tessa’s face fell. It was the first time Rita had actually observed such a physical embodiment of that expression. Tessa cleared her throat. “All right then. Don’t take too long,” she added before walking away.
“Very smooth, Mr. Fallon.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean the way you dismissed her while somehow agreeing with her. Very, very smooth.”
“I told her the truth. I really do want
