Page 102 of Twice as Tempting

Chapter 33

While Damian was off with Frank the next day, Kelly and her mom went shopping in downtown Naples. It was Black Friday, but it was difficult for Kelly to get into the Christmas mood when it was eighty-five degrees out! She snapped a picture of herself and Maria in their shorts and sandals and sent it to Emma. A few minutes later, she received Emma’s response in the form of a picture of Gracie playing outside in the snow!

Kelly enjoyed the one-on-one time she got to spend with her mom as they meandered in and out of boutiques, behaving more like friends than mother and daughter. Kelly even bought a few racy pieces of lingerie that she knew Damian would love while Maria pretended to look the other way.

When it was nearing lunch time, Damian sent Kelly a text letting her know that he would be eating lunch with Frank and his friend Gary and that he’d meet up with her later at the hotel. Kelly tried not to feel disappointed (he was with her father after all!), but she couldn’t help it. Today was their last full day in Florida, and she wanted to enjoy the time with Damian as much as possible.

Maria suggested a popular gourmet hamburger restaurant for lunch, and they sat outside at a table with an umbrella so they could enjoy the breeze. Kelly giggled after the waiter had set down their heaping plates of hamburgers and fries.

“What’s so funny?” Maria asked.

“Oh, it’s just that before Damian, I dated someone who didn’t eat red meat,” Kelly replied.

“Well, that never would have worked,” said her mother.

Kelly laughed again. “I know! Damian and I are much better suited.”

Kelly and Maria had been operating under an unspoken agreement that they wouldn’t talk about Damian today, but since she’d brought him up…

“So, when are you going to tell Damian how you feel about moving in with him?” Maria said.

“I don’t know for sure. Maybe tonight. Although it is our last night here, and I don’t want to ruin it.”

“Being honest with him shouldn’t ruin things, Kelly. Honesty is the cornerstone of a good relationship. Well, that and a few other things…”

“Mom! Are you talking about sex?”

“Shh…I might know some people around here,” she scolded, although she was fighting back a smile.

“Anyway, I’m just not sure how to bring up the topic of marriage without scaring him off. Damian was engaged once before, a long time ago, but he still bears the scar from it.”

If Maria was surprised, she didn’t show it. “You’ll figure it out, sweetie. Don’t worry. You might even discover that Damian is on the same page with you.”

“Hmm…we’ll see.”

Maria dropped Kelly off at the hotel in the middle of the afternoon, but Damian wasn’t there. He sent her another text stating that he and Frank were at a coffee shop talking and not to worry. Coffee shop? Damian? In the middle of a hot Florida afternoon? None of it made any sense, but Kelly figured that he was probably too polite to tell her dad that he wanted to get back to the hotel.

Since she had some time on her hands, Kelly decided that she might as well go for a swim. She donned her red bikini and a mesh cover-up, grabbed a towel, her book, and some sunglasses, and headed down to the pool. Kelly received more than a few admiring stares from some of the men lounging outside, but she barely noticed. She was too busy thinking about Damian and wondering what she might say to him later.

She settled into a lounge chair furthest away from the majority of the sunbathers and cracked open her latest romance novel. She immersed herself in the world of fiction for a while until she felt overheated, due in part to the sexy scenes she had just read, so she set down her book and then dived into the pool. Some of the same men who had taken notice of her before perked up and watched the dark-haired beauty in the red bikini swim laps across the pool.

Kelly was practicing her backstroke when a large splash interrupted her musings. Probably some kid doing a cannonball, she thought and continued her backstroke until she reached the edge of the pool. When she stood up and flicked her hair back off her face, there was Damian standing right next to her with a bemused smile on his face.

“Showing off your swimming skills, I see,” he teased.

But she was in no mood for teasing. “It’s about time,” she huffed. “I was beginning to think I’d be spending our last night in Florida alone.”

“Well, you wouldn’t be alone for long. Not with all these men ogling you.” With that, he pulled her into his chest and covered her protests with his lips.

She thought about resisting but melted into him instead. She had missed him, the big lug! Once they broke apart, she said, “You did that on purpose.”

“Damn right I did. Can’t have these dudes thinking that you’re a single lady.”

This could be the opening that I need. “But, technically, I am single,” she ventured.

Damian scowled at her and muttered something under his breath.

Ok, maybe this wasn’t the best time to bring it up. “So, what took you so long with my dad?”