Wicked Wednesday – A Return To South Beach

The weather here is finally starting to warm, reminding me of Spring Break nights in South Beach, before the heat and humidity of a Miami summer make it unpleasant.

With such thoughts running through my brain (and me wanting to ask my boss if I can sit outside and work!), I figured it was time for a quick trip back to South Beach.

This little excerpt is about Virginia and Pablo, Sylvia’s parents who are in the throes of their own romance during the course of the SOUTH BEACH CHICAS CATCH THEIR MAN novel. The original version contained a lot more background about their early romance, but it was just too much to include. I am very thankful, however, that my editors loved the idea of showing a vital fortysomething woman coming to grips with a lost love.

These scene is in SOUTH BEACH CHICAS CATCH THEIR MAN and I hope you enjoy it!

The night progressed leisurely, with the two of them talking, mostly about the villa and the renovations, and sharing the delicious meal and of course, Pablo’s wine. She was almost sorry when Pablo took away the dishes for the dessert, since she hated for the interlude to end.

“This has been lovely,” she said, fiddling with her napkin as it sat on the tabletop.

He covered her hand with his. “Who says the night is over?”

As he twined his fingers with hers, he stood and she went with him, following him to the lower landing of the patio near the water. She realized there was a small boombox on the side railing of the veranda.

Pablo detoured by there only long enough to turn it on and adjust the volume until the low melodious tones of the music drifted through the night. With an impatient tug on her hand, he led her to the center of the landing.

Virginia stumbled a bit on one of the slabs, but Pablo caught her in his arms.

“I must have that fixed,” he said as he wrapped his arms around her waist and brought her close.

“Yes, of course. Fix it,” she replied, although she was grateful for the floor’s rather timely intervention since left to her own devices, she would definitely not be pressed to his hard body and that would have truly been a shame.

She laid her head against his chest and swayed with him to the nearly indistinct sounds of the music. The low bass beats carried through the night air, slightly louder. Or maybe it was the beat of her heart. Of his. Low and steady. Close against her breast.

He moved one hand up and placed it in the middle of her back. His skin hot. The roughness of it enticing.

She picked up her head and met his gaze. His eyes seemed an even darker green in the dim light, but his smile was brilliant as he asked, “Are you having a nice time?”

With a nod, she said, “Very nice. There’s only one thing that might make it even nicer.”

His smile broadened and he dipped his head until his lips were only an inch from hers. “De verdad? And what would that be?”

She raised herself on tiptoe, eliminating that final inch of distance. With a whisper against his lips, she said, “This.”

The kiss began innocently enough, with the simple meeting of their lips. Followed by another kiss and then another until they were straining toward each other, hungry for more.

“Maybe it’s time we went somewhere — ”

“More private?” she said and without missing a beat, snagged his hand and led him back toward the limo, where Pablo asked the driver to take them for a ride around town.

He helped her into the back seat, slipped in beside her and immediately put up the privacy screen. After, he reached for her and eased her onto his lap where once again, they resumed the kiss.

Virginia opened her mouth to his, accepted the thrust of his tongue. He tasted like his wine and the sweet berries they had shared for dessert. In between kisses, she said, “Sylvia warned me about this.”

“Really? But who kissed who first, amorcito?” he teased and worked his way to the edge of her mouth and then down to the crook of her neck and shoulder.

She held his head to her, shuddered as he sucked there and then soothed the spot with a kiss. “That feels good.”

“Hmm. I’d like to feel that, too,” he confessed and with clumsy fingers, she undid his tie and shirt collar, bent her head and sucked on him.

His skin was salty. Undeniably masculine. The muscles of his upper shoulder firm. She bit down and he groaned, slipped his hand to the middle of her back and urged her closer.

But the only way to accomplish that was to straddle his legs, which she did, bringing the hard length of his erection to nestle between her legs.

She paused at the pressure of him there and looked down at him. “You do have protection, don’t you? I promised Sylvia I’d be responsible.”

Pablo chuckled and laid his hands at her waist, keeping her hips immobile. “I’ve heard it said that children get in the way of romance. I just never thought it would happen quite like this.”

Virginia laughed and cradled his face in her hands. “Is this a romance or are we two sad, old people grasping at our youth?”

The mirth on Pablo’s face softened, but didn’t completely recede. With care and patience, he slipped his hand beneath the edge of her dress. Slowly moved upward until he was cupping her naked breast in his hand. Her nipple beaded immediately and he smiled at that.

“Old? I’ve always heard that a woman in her forties is at her prime sexual peak.” As if to emphasize his point, he grasped the tip of her nipple and gently caressed it, drawing a gasp from her.

“It seems that may be right,” he said . . .

Copyright 2007 Caridad Pineiro Scordato, www.caridad.com