That wasn’t going to happen.
Not this trip.
Never again.
TWELVE
Ava finished wiping up the bathroom in the suite, washed up, then switched off the light and went into the bedroom to check one more time on Lacey.
Her breathing was shallow, but she seemed to be resting now.
God, what a mess. Ava had barely gotten Lacey into the bathroom before she’d lost it. She didn’t know what Lacey had eaten, drank, smoked, or snorted, but she’d heaved for nearly an hour straight, then nothing at all. Once she was empty, Ava had cleaned her up and poured her into bed. Light snores were all she heard now.
If that was the result of drugs, alcohol, and excess partying, Ava wanted no part of it. She was grateful all she’d managed was a few hors d’oeuvres and one glass of wine. Right now her stomach felt queasy after witnessing Lacey’s gastronomical debacle. She turned off the light, closed the door, and went down the hall, making a beeline for the bar so she could grab a club soda with lime.
She searched for Bo, found him, and told him Lacey was sick and out cold.
He rolled his eyes. “She never could hold her stuff. Guess my party is over for the night.”
How sweet of him to be so concerned about her. “She’ll be fine. Thanks for asking.”
She walked away before she could say anything more to him, like what she thought about his inability to watch over his own girlfriend, and went in search of Rick. He was just stepping back through the front door.
She quirked a brow as he approached. “Where did you go?”
“I had to make a phone call and it was too noisy in here.”
“International?”
He laughed. “Well, it’s not like I know anyone in Mexico. I have a line on a job.”
She glanced down at her watch. “It’s almost three in the morning.”
“It wasn’t an interview. Buddy of mine I’ve been trying to get hold of finally got back to me, and I didn’t want to miss the call again since he’s on the road a lot.”
“Oh. So, what kind of job is it?”
“Construction. That’s why he’s hard to get hold of. He’s leaving in a couple hours for Texas and wanted me to hop on this job with him.”
Her stomach clenched. “Do you need to leave right now?”
“No. I’ll meet him in a couple days.”
“Oh. Well, that’s great.” She ignored the stab of disappointment. Of course he was leaving. So was she. They both had lives separate from each other. This . . . thing between them wasn’t permanent. How many times did she have to keep reminding herself of that?
Many, apparently.
“How’s Lacey? She didn’t look good.”
At least someone cared about her. “She’s okay. She was pretty sick there for a while, but she’s resting now.”
He swept his hand down her back. “She’s lucky she has a friend like you to look after her.”
“Thank you, Rick. That’s nice of you to say. I’m not sure how much help I am to her, but I was glad to be here.”
“You help her more than you know. Not everyone has someone to care about them.”
He led her to the table where the food was, his cryptic words ringing in her ears.
The party had started to break up, so they found Bo and said good night, made plans to meet tomorrow. Bo and Rick would follow on their bikes while Ava and Lacey drove the car back into the States.
But for now, all Ava could think about was getting back to her room and being alone with Rick. Their last night in Mexico, alone. Probably their last night together, period.
She felt the melancholy settle over her, but brushed it away, refusing to let it ruin what little time she had left with Rick.
The sound of the water crashing against the shore was a musical interlude as they stepped into the room. She was going to miss this tropical paradise.
“This has been a nice little vacation,” she said, stepping out onto the balcony. “I’m afraid I’ll be spoiled when it comes time to settle back into academia again.”
Rick came up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. The smell of the ocean, salty and tangy, tantalized her almost as much as the man whose body heated her.
“You’re way too practical to be swept away by vacations.”
She turned in his arms. “Am I? I’m not so sure. You’ve swept me away.”
“Yeah?”
She tangled her fingers in his hair, loving its softness, so incongruous to the hard body pressed against her. “Yeah. I think I like this.”
“It’s a fantasy. Not reality. Reality is you being a social worker, doing the right thing, helping kids.”
Her brows rose. “Really? I thought you didn’t believe in social workers.”
“I didn’t believe in the ones who’d been assigned to me. I believe in you. I believe you can help people.”
The sting of tears pricked her eyes. He had such faith in her. She wasn’t so sure she had that same faith in herself. But to know a guy from the streets, a man the system failed, still believed in that system, in her ability to effect change, made her heart leap.
“Thank you.” The words tumbled out in a whisper, her heart filled with emotions she couldn’t—wouldn’t—think about. She sifted her fingers through his hair, then let her palm slide down his cheek, over the scruff of his unshaven jaw. “You do mystifying things to my heart and soul, Rick.”
This time, he didn’t smile. “I’m just a guy. A guy with a lot of flaws.”
“No one is perfect. I’m not looking for perfect.”
Just someone to love me.
She didn’t say it, but the words were there, hanging suspended somewhere between thought and voice. She so wanted to say it, but was too afraid she wouldn’t like the response—if there even was one.
And maybe she didn’t want a response—not from Rick. Maybe she just wanted to make up his reply in her head. After all, wasn’t all this a fantasy anyway?
And wasn’t love the ultimate fantasy?
He kissed her, a perfect kiss that was no fantasy at all. His mouth against hers, coaxing a response that was oh so real. She held on to that reality, the feel of his body, so hot and hard against her. That’s what she wanted, what she needed tonight.
And the way he touched her—the slow glide of his hands down the bare flesh of her back—was both perfect and frustrating. She wanted to make it last forever, but she wanted to hurry up, get naked, feel his skin against hers.