Her worst enemy is the one man she can't resist.
Maria Martinez thought it was a dream come true when Ritchie Perez - a sweet and sexy guy she met volunteering at a soup kitchen - took her delinquent little brother Joey under his wing. But her drea...
Maria followed him down the stairs, then got out plates while Ritchie started opening the takeout containers.
She looked surprised when she looked into the containers to find a meal of fragrant roasted chicken, beans, rice, plantains, crisp salad, and soft bread. There were little containers of guava barbeque sauce guaranteed to make your mouth water and thick slices of cheesecake for dessert.
"Not what you expected?" Ritchie tossed his jacket over the back of one of the stools in the kitchen and rolled up his sleeves.
"I guess I was expecting something...I don't know, fancier?"
"Sorry to disappoint."
"No, this is...perfect."
"Let's load up our plates and take it out on the patio." Maybe if they ate out back where the lights were dimmer, he could get his mind off the way her breasts filled out the simple little shirt she was wearing, stop thinking about what was under the thin cotton pajama bottoms slung low on her hips.
Maria hesitated by the French doors leading out back. "Don't you want to go...change or something?"
"And let the food get cold?"
"I feel a little underdressed."
"You're fine. Come on."
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They took their plates out to the terrace and set them on the table. Maria was perched on the edge of her seat, looking like she was ready to take flight at any moment.
"Could you relax?"
"It's just a little weird. Without Joey here."
Ritchie nodded, then got up, walked into the house, and selected a bottle of wine from the under-the-counter cooler, opened it and grabbed two glasses. Maybe after some dinner and some wine, Maria would lighten up a bit.
By the time he walked back out, she had pulled her chair closer and was sitting at the table, her posture stiff. He grinned and sat down across from her and poured them both some wine.
"I'm not really much of a wine drinker." She picked up the glass and took a small sip, then raised her eyes to him in surprise. "This is really good."
"I'm glad you like it."
"You didn't have to do this," she said, gesturing to the plates of food.
"It's just dinner, Maria."
She took another drink of wine and started in on her meal. She looked younger, more vulnerable, sitting there in the simple cotton shirt and pajama pants. Her face seemed innocent without a trace of make-up, and when a light breeze moved over her, he smelled the faint scent of exotic flowers. No wonder she seemed stressed around him. He really had steamrolled her into moving in here, had completely taken over every decision about her brother's life. And, as he reminded himself, he was the enemy.
