Chapter 8
By four o'clock that afternoon Josh had realized several things. First, he was very glad he'd read extensively on the subject of sailing before coming to Florida, because it enabled him to move swiftly through Lexie's thorough textbook-type preliminaries on topics such as types of boats and sails, how sailboats work, and a slew of nautical terms. His knowledge also came with the extra bonus that it impressed his teacher. Especially his knot-tying skills. "I'm pretty handy with a rope," he said with a smile. "Comes with the cowboy territory."
Second, it was obvious, even more so than during their swimming lessons, that Lexie was an excellent teacher. Patient, encouraging, knowledgeable and thorough, she explained things in a clear, concise manner, always emphasizing safety. She took their lesson seriously, and took him seriously, as well. Yet in spite of her seriousness her sense of humor shone through, making the lesson fun as well as informative. They spent three hours sitting at her kitchen table doing classroom legwork before driving back to the Whispering Palms to actually sail one of the resort's rental boats.
And third, as the afternoon flew by, Josh realized that it was possible to fall even deeper in love with a woman he was already completely in love with.
While he sat at that kitchen table, his mind engaged in learning about mainsails, masts, transoms, beams, keels, tacks, booms and the rest of it, his heart was getting blown to further bits in the minefield.
She appealed to him on every leveclass="underline" physical, emotional, intellectual and everywhere in between. He didn't just love her-he genuinely liked her. And he knew it wouldn't be long before he'd have to tell her how he felt.
Damn it, he hadn't wanted or planned for this complication, and wasn't particularly pleased about the kink meeting her had thrown into all his finely laid-out plans, but there was no way he could consider ignoring how he felt. Yup, unfortunately this situation was not like passing a dead skunk on the road-he couldn't just roll up the windows and keep on going. He wanted, needed, to know if she felt any of these same overwhelming emotions.
And as soon as this sailing lesson was over, he was going to find out.
Their lesson ended at 6:00 p.m. and just as his teacher had predicted, Josh had enjoyed every minute of it. The cool spray of water, the concentration and challenge required to handle the sixteen-foot craft, Lexie's patient instructions as he got the feel of the boat, and mostly Lexie's company.
After returning the boat to the rental dock, they walked back toward the main area of the resort along a foliage-lined cement path that meandered along the perimeter of the property.
Taking her hand, he squeezed her fingers. She squeezed back, looking up at him with a dazzling smile that shot a tingle straight through him. "You did great," she said. "You caught on faster than any student I've ever had. You're a natural."
Lifting her hand, he placed a kiss on the inside of her wrist, noting with pleasure that her eyes darkened at the gesture. "A student's progress is a direct reflection of the teacher, and I picked a winner."
"Well, as much as I'd like to take all the credit, I can't. You were able to 'feel' the boat, the way it reacted to the wind and the water, with an ability few beginners possess. And you were calm. Relaxed. Focused. You wouldn't believe how many people are tense and panicky. Plus, you're good with the ropes-" she laughed. "There's a lot of ropes in sailing. And you have good sailing hands. Strong and steady."
He waggled his brows. "You tryin' to tell me I'm good with my hands, Miss Lexie?"
Color rushed into her cheeks, utterly charming him. "Are we still talking about sailing?"
"You tell me."
"All right. You are very good with your hands. On the boat, and off."
An image of his hands caressing her soft skin flashed in his mind, hiking his temperature up a notch, but since he had no desire to walk around the still populated pool area with an erection, he forced his mind to other matters. "Are you hungry?"
She waggled her brows at him this time. "Are you talking about food?"
"For starters." He patted his stomach with his free hand. "Lunch is loo-oong gone. May I take you to dinner?"
"That sounds great. Do you want to eat here?"
He shook his head. "Actually I already made reservations somewhere else."
She raised her brows. "You did? What if I'd said no?"
"I would have done my best to change your mind."
"Hmm. Maybe I should have said no," she teased. "Where did you make reservations?"
"The Blue Flamingo."
Her eyes widened. "That's my favorite restaurant!"
"I know."
She pursed her lips. "I don't recall mentioning that."
"You didn't. When I came back here for my things this morning, I spoke to Maurice at the concierge desk. Real nice fella. Wife just had a baby. Anyway, I told him I wanted to ask you to dinner and could he recommend a good place. When he mentioned the Blue Flamingo was your favorite, I asked him to make reservations for us. Think you can be ready by eight?"
"Yes, but I'm afraid you'll need to drive me home. I only keep a basic change of clothes here in the employee locker room-certainly nothing nice enough for the Blue Flamingo."
He stopped, then pulled her slowly into his arms. "Are you telling me that you don't have anything to wear? 'Cause to me, that sounds like good news."
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Hey. You're not trying to renege on your invite are you?"
"Absolutely not." He gently rubbed himself against her. "In fact, the thought of you having nothing to wear inspires me to issue another invitation." He whispered a suggestion in her ear.
Leaning back in the circle of his arms, she regarded him with wide eyes. "Wow. Is that even anatomically possible?"
"I don't know. Wanna take a quick detour up to my room and find out?"
A slow smile lit her face. "Like you wouldn't believe."
Lexie stood in her shower, the warm spray pelting her skin. Josh would be back in less than an hour to pick her up for dinner. A smile played around her lips at his insistence on bringing her home, then returning to his hotel room to change, then driving back to pick her up "like a real date." Not that a ton of driving was involved-her house was only minutes from the resort, but his chivalry touched a feminine instinct in her she'd thought long dead: It certainly wasn't a gesture Tony ever would have thought to make. In fact, she couldn't recall Tony ever saying anything even remotely like, "Dress up, we're going out on the town." No, Tony's invitations were normally accompanied by instructions like, "Hold on tight" and "Don't worry, the parachute will open."
Turning off the water, she wrapped a towel around herself sarong-style. Anticipation filled her at dining at the Blue Flamingo. She only ate at the elegant five-star restaurant on very special occasions as the prices majorly strained the budget. The food, the service, the atmosphere, the small dance floor, all made for a fabulous dining experience.
Oh, sure. The food and the service-that's why you can't wait to go, her inner voice piped up as she towel-dried her hair. Doesn't have anything to do with the man taking you there.
Wiping the steam from the mirror, Lexie stared at her reflection. After a good, long, hard look, she shook her head. Who was she trying to fool? Damn it, she was practically glowing. All but twinkling, for crying out loud. And it had nothing to do with the prospect of the Blue Flamingo's lobster thermidor.
Leaning closer to the mirror she said, "Josh is taking you to the diner for a burger and fries."
Glow and twinkle remained in place.
"Dinner with Josh is going to consist of stale bread and warm water."
Glow and twinkle.
"Josh is catching the next flight back to Manhattan, Montana, and you'll never see him again."