Free Speak to the Wind by Mary Tate Engels

They were alone in Mexico. It hadn't occurred to her that they'd be completely alone here or how she'd feel about it. This training session was very priv ate, indeed. In fact, it was be ginning to look more and more like a rendezvous. "But we are going to work—"
    "Absolutely! But later . I figured you'd need a little time to rest after arrival. Tomorrow will be soon enough. And even then I hope it won't be a big push. We're in Mexico, remember. Everything's laid back here."
    Maria smiled, vaguely thinking that concentrating on work with him would take some doing on her part. "Of course."
    "In case you're wondering, I'm staying in the next casita," he said, motioning with his thumb. "But there'll be no prob lem with privacy, if that's a worry. Our doors don't join. We ’ ll have to hike over the sand to get together, uh, to meet for work." He nodded toward her bedroom. "Did you look around ? Does the place meet your standards?"
    "Oh, yes. It's very nice."
    "I figured a casita with a kitchen would come in handy. That way, we, er, you can fix some meals. But my campaign will pick up the tab, whether you eat here or out."
    "That's fine."
    He leaned back. "Relax, Maria. You've had a tense day, but you're here now and everything's okay. Mexico's a good place for unwinding. It's a state of mind, so they say."
    Maria sighed. " Yes, a long day." He was right. She was tense and it always showed. Some of her Speechcraft strategy was to teach clients how to release their tension. She wasn't very good at practicing what she preached. At least not today.
    Looking at Joe, she wondered if he even needed a lesson. He was so damned magnificent sitting there on that sofa with his arm stretched across the back of the empty seat next to him. He looked very relaxed, she admitted privately. How she'd like to curl up beside him in the shelter of his arm.
    Her expression softened as she began to relax . She took a deep breath, leaned back and crossed her legs, then noticed her wet shoes and sat upright again. How could she have forgotten them? She'd have to blame her preoccupation with her newest client. "Oh, damn ! Look at my new shoes ! They're soaked! I ’ ll bet they're ruined."
    “ Take them off so they can dry. Maybe we can get some one around here to work o n them." He leaned over and eas ily tugged one high heel off, then wrapped both large hands around her damp, cold foot. "Your foot's like ice."
    Her mouth went dry. "Your hands are warm." A cocoon of heat from his hands embraced her foot immediately, and a tingle of electricity raced up her spine. "Ohhh, nice..." Her breath caught in her throat as energy radiated from him to her miserable foot and up her leg. His action left her rattled, and her own sudden reacti on to his erotic touch was star tling. She hadn't been shaken like this since her days with Wayne, and it was unnerving. Yet she couldn't move away.
    "You'll get sick sitting around wit h cold , wet feet," he ad monishe d in a gently commanding tone. “Let’s t ake your other shoe off. Come on, give me your foot."
    Obligingly she switched legs so that he could remove her other shoe, which he did after tucking the shoeless foot next to his thigh.
    "Doesn't that feel better?" He had stripped off the offend ing shoe and was massaging the toes and arch of her chilled foot. "Move it around. Get some circulation going for warmth ."
    Maria took a shaky breath and wiggled her toes. Her foot began to tingle. "Yes... yes, it feels much better."
    While one large hand cupped her heel , the other rubbed every inch of her slick, stocking foot. It was heavenly. As the feeling s in her foot returned, she became aware of the strength and heat of his muscled thigh , where the other foot was snug gled. For a wild moment she had an intense longing to inch that foot further up his muscular leg.
    She leaned back again and tried to breathe normally while his hands manipulated first one foot, then the other. It was seductive and she was all too