had a scar on the corner of his lip. Would he be sensitive there if kissed? He was studying her. His face was hard, set in stone like one of the Greek gods she’d read about in college. Only they didn’t wear aviation glasses.
Oh, man, am I staring at him?
Yes, Julia, you are.
“Um. You look like someone I once knew. My mistake.”
His square jaw lifted. “Your mistake.”
“Yes, sorry.” She turned back around and talked to her cousins, but her thoughts were on the handsome stranger. For some reason, she thought of Matt and tears pricked her eyes.
“Are you listening to me, chica? What shoes should I wear with your red dress?” Linda asked.
Julia held up her finger and spun around to face the stranger again. He was drinking his beer now. “Are you in one of my classes? Environmental Studies? Law 107?”
His bottle froze midair and a dark eyebrow rose above his glasses.
“Does he look like one of those pretty boys from college? No way. He’s a pilot. I saw the fancy plane circling the airport,” Maria said.
The man raised his beer. Didn’t say a word.
“You should try my machaca. Especially tasty for breakfast.” Linda shifted closer so the man had a better shot of her cleavage. So obvious. She’d been divorced for six months and had three kids.
Julia looked at him again. Did he work for Mr. Harper? Was he a business partner? Friend? And was he frowning? Julia couldn’t tell with those darned glasses.
“Linda’s burned eggs are nothing compared to my menudo. What do you say, guapo? Need a place to stay?” Maria all but purred.
He put his bottle down. “I’m not staying.” His voice was deep and had an edge to it. He seemed annoyed.
“We’ve bothered you. Please ignore us,” Julia said softly and motioned for her cousins to turn back around.
Linda ignored her. “A pilot! That’s so interesting.” The word came out sounding more like sexy. “Staying for the party tonight?”
“Maybe.” His gaze was on Julia. Why did that make her stomach flutter?
“Oh, take Julia, then. Someone needs to get her out of the house,” Maria said.
“No. I can’t,” Julia said.
“Got it.” He motioned for the check.
Wait, did he want to take her to the party? Her? That hadn’t happened in...she couldn’t remember how long. “It’s not you...it’s...I’m not allowed to go,” she said.
He sat even straighter, as if he was angry. “Your husband won’t let you out of the house?”
“I’m not married. It’s just...” Her cheeks flushed like they did when she was embarrassed. She blew out a breath. “RW Harper has a restraining order against me. I can’t go within ten feet of Casa Larga.”
He sat back in his chair and stared at her. She could see herself in his glasses and hated how small she looked. How fragile. She straightened her back.
“That’s right. Our little Julia wants to sue Mr. Harper,” Maria explained. “As if a lone woman could take on one of the most powerful men in America.”
Linda shook her head. “Should’ve waited until after the party. Nothing this exciting has ever happened here.”
The pilot shook his head as if he was...what? Amused? She rushed on. “Look. Someone has to stop that menace. It’s bad enough that his oil derricks are out there—” She motioned toward the ocean. “We know what happens if one of them starts leaking. But now he’s going to build in snowy plover habitat! He must be stopped. They’re endangered.”
“Come on, chica. You’re getting worked up over little birds again. And we have company.” Linda smiled at the man. “Good-looking company.”
“What’s Harper building?” he asked.
“She doesn’t know. It’s a rumor, that’s all,” Maria said.
“I’ve seen tracks by the nesting sites. A man like Harper doesn’t care who he hurts.” That last part came out tight, as if her throat was closing. Why all the emotions today? She grabbed Maria’s beer and took a sip.
Linda chimed in. “You need proof before you can sue someone like Mr. Harper. You should’ve waited.”
“Proof?” he asked.
“Yes. I think he’s got plans inside Casa Larga. I’ve seen contractors go in there. Lawyers. A carpenter. If I could just see the plans, understand what he’s developing—” She stopped. Why was she telling him this? What if he worked for Harper? “I’m not the kind of woman who breaks into a man’s home. I swear.”
“I could help you.”
His voice. Something about it thrilled and teased her. Her gaze was riveted to his mouth. The scar on the bottom added an extra zing to a pair of full lips. What would it be like to kiss that scar? Or kiss any part of a man? It had been so long...
Maria elbowed her.
She blinked. “How?”
“I’ll get you inside. Harper is expecting me. Come as my date tonight.”
“¡Órale, chica! You can dress as pirates and go undercovers.” By the twinkle in her eye, Linda was messing up her Spanglish on purpose. Her cousin meant sheets, not covert missions.
His lips lifted and her insides turned to mush. For just a second there he looked like...no. She couldn’t think about Matt. Projecting those feelings onto a stranger would get her into trouble. Deep trouble.
“Why do you want to help me?”
“‘Someone has to stop that menace.’” He repeated her words. “Like to see you do it.”
Why? He didn’t know her from anyone. It was more than likely that Harper had messed with this guy, too. Get close to a pirate and you get robbed—she’d learned that the hard way.
But Linda was right. Nothing this exciting had happened around here. The last time she’d been inside the mansion was with Matt. She’d need a strong male by her side to shield her from those painful memories. “Pick me up at Bougainvillea Lane, 3C. Need directions?”
He half snorted. “I can find it.”
With only three streets, Pueblicito was probably the smallest town he’d ever seen.
“Your churros, mister.” Ana, the waitress, deposited a heaping plate of the crispy, twisted doughnuts in front of him.
“Thanks.” He ran a finger through the cinnamon sugar and tasted it. He groaned with contentment.
