Chapter Thirty-Eight

Abbie’s threatening words weigh heavy in my thoughts the entire night. I’m angry she has control over me. I’m pissed that I lied on the application and put myself in this position. And I’m scared this could all go away.

Come morning, I know I look like hell, and Abbie’s sneer tells me she knows she’s the reason why. If I would have never become friends with Riel, none of this would have happened. Abbie would’ve left me alone.

I purposefully take the early shuttle to avoid both her and Riel, and now here I sit in yet another boring lecture hosted by the museum. An ivy league PhD delivers this one, and while civil engineering normally holds my interest, the professor speaking could make peanut butter and Nutella sound boring and I love PB & N.

Across the room sits Riel and Abbie. When he came in hours ago, I avoided him, engaging other people in conversation and eventually finding a seat all the way across the room. I ignored the confused look he shot me and pretended to be incredibly interested in the girl I sat beside.

Abbie soon made herself comfortable right beside Riel, quite pleased I’m sure to have her way.

Now here we are at our first break, and Riel manages to slide away from Abbie and over to me. “Do I smell bad?” he jokes.

I give him a polite smile and tiny shrug, and force myself to say, “Just looking for some time alone.”

He frowns. “Oh.”

I nod back over to his seat. “Lecture’s about to resume.”

Riel looks at me, and I glance away, unable to take the confusion I see all over his face.

Come midafternoon, our museum sponsor calls it a day and tells us to go “play.” I beeline it straight to the shuttle and back to the hotel, not even lingering to give Riel a chance to question me.

An hour later, someone knocks on my hotel door. I peer through the peephole, see Riel, and don’t open my door. Closing my eyes, I breathe out and will him to just leave. What am I supposed to say? Abbie’s threatened me with my entire future. And, oh yeah, everything you think about me is a big fat lie.

“Viola?” he calls.

I remain silent.

An hour after that I see him leave with a few others, Abbie included, and finally leave my room. My first time in Miami and I’m hiding out in a hotel. Not exactly how I saw the trip going.

I take advantage of the workout room and the hot tub afterward. That evening I don’t show for the scheduled dinner outing.

The next day goes the same way. I sit on the other side of the lecture hall. I ignore Riel. I pretend like everything’s okay when he approaches me. I sneak out to the hot tub when I know he’s gone. And I don’t go out with everyone in the evening. The only difference is he doesn’t knock on my door.

Day three, I don’t have to ignore Riel because he ignores me instead. And in the afternoon when I think the coast is clear and am lounging in the hot tub, I glance all the way up to floor eight to see him standing on his balcony staring down at me.

I feel like the biggest bitch in the world.

We don’t acknowledge each other. But when I get out, I know he’s watching my every move, and just the thought of his penetrating gaze buzzes an electrical acuteness through every cell in my body.

That night I have no choice. I have to go out with the group on our last night because as the conference coordinator bluntly puts it, “It’s required.”

There are two shuttles, and I board the one Riel and Abbie don’t. Both shuttles drop us off at South Beach, and when I get off, theirs has already unloaded and the two of them are nowhere to be found. I hope Abbie’s really happy she’s getting her way.

Several of the coordinators lead us down a long walkway with the beach on one side and buildings on the other. Numerous restaurants, dance clubs, bars, novelty shops, and clothing stores populate the sidewalks with Latin music filling the air. I smile, thinking how much Momma would love this place.

The coordinators go off in different directions, and I follow one inside a place called CoCo’s.

“Hottest Latin spot in Miami,” the coordinator yells over the music.

Bamboo and teak decorate the club, with a bongo ensemble playing in the back and a Spanish rhythm one entertaining the front. People cram the dance floor, gyrating to the music.

I look up to see a balcony that holds small tables where couples sit at gazing down on the view below. A bar spans the length of the club with women dressed in leopard body suits dancing on top.

I smile as I watch them. They look awesome.

A man in all black approaches. “ID?”

“Just a Coke,” I tell him.

With a nod, he heads off, and I find a spot against the wall to stand and watch. The leopard-dressed women draw my attention again. I don’t want to stare, but their talent mesmerizes me. I know how to dance a little, stuff my momma taught me, but nothing like that.

The waiter brings me the Coke. “Want me to teach you?”

“Teach me?”

He gives me a friendly wink. “The moves.”

“Oh! Are you allowed?”

“It’s actually part of our job description.” He points to several other waiters and waitresses dancing in the crowd and then holds out his hand. “Yes?”

I smile. “You know what? Yes.” I need this. To have some fun.

I take his hand and let him lead me into the crowd, and standing beside me, he demonstrates the moves to salsa. I mimic, not self-conscious at all, and in no time catch on.

Moving in front of me, he places my hands on his shoulders and puts his on my waist. He moves me, showing me the Latin rhythm and sway.

“Sassy,” he says, bouncing his brows.

I smile as the music runs through my body and close my eyes, absorbing the hum in the air. My hips keep pace to the seductive beat, and my knee-length flowered dress flows around me when the waiter spins me.

Exhilarated. Carefree. Uninhibited. All words I never imagined I’d feel in one moment of time.

He dips me over his arm, so far back my hair brushes my calves.

“Good thing you’re limber,” he says, and I laugh.

Only I don’t recognize my own laugh as it comes out raspy. Sexy.

Someone taps the waiter on his shoulder, and I glance beyond my dance partner to see Riel.

“Know this guy?” the waiter asks.

I nod as a low hum of energy coils through me. Yes, I know this guy. And even though I should not, even though Abbie’s words echo through my brain, I step right into Riel’s arms. I want to be here. Right now. In this moment. Consequences be damned.

Riel slides his right hand to my lower back, and every thought fades from my mind as I stare up into his amber eyes. He pulls me toward him, and I draw in a breath as he slips his leg between the two of mine. He trails his fingers down my arm and repositions my hand to rest on his muscled chest and begins swaying me to the hypnotic beat.

I give in to the sway, the sensuality, and run my hand down his hard side. Inching closer, I show him I want this. With him. Right here. Right now. Riel follows my lead, tightening his grip even more, pulling me in, and my eyes close as our bodies move as one.

Lowering his head, he presses his cheek against mine and our mutual warmth flows through each other. The music softens. Our pace slows. I open my eyes to see him gazing deep into mine, and when he lowers his lips, I meet them. There is no hesitant settling in of a kiss, our tongues touch, circle, explore. He tastes better than I imagined—rich, a bit sweet, and something that is only him.

He moves his hand down my spine, over my butt, and along the back of my leg. Grasping the underside of my knee, he lifts it to cradle the outside of his thigh. He dips me backward, and as he brings me up, he trails his lips along my neck.

Cupping my hips, he lifts me off the floor, and this time when our lips meet a groan escapes both of us. Our tongues circle again, our breaths mingle, and nothing matters. All I know is that I want more.

Riel’s hand slides under my dress and when I feel his fingers on my bare thigh, I slowly, reluctantly, pull away. We’re both breathing heavy, pressed against each other, staring deeply into the other’s eyes. I read his expression. It’s the exact one I have. More. I want more. I lean in to suggest we go back to the hotel, and over his shoulder I catch sight of Abbie, her iPhone up, filming the whole thing.

I jerk away and before I have a second to rationalize, I panic and I run.