Free Inner Diva by Laurie Larsen Page B

gaze, she saw a beautiful olive-skinned
woman approaching, an enticing grin on her face. Her hair was the
biggest, wildest thing on her – her body was very tight and small,
and her clothes were too.
    “Do you know her?” Monica asked softly, and
he nodded.
    The woman swaggered to their table, her hips
shimmying. Monica wondered how she could balance on pencil-thin
stiletto heels. “Carlos,” the woman purred through a big-toothed
smile. “ Como estas ?”
    “Gloria.” He stayed seated, his gaze
containing a touch of coolness.
    “Haven’t seen you in awhile.” Her eyes locked
with his and Monica was quite sure she hadn’t noticed Carlos had a
dining companion. Or cared.
    “Yeah, that’s right.” Carlos scooted his
chair an inch or two in Monica’s direction, then casually took her
hand in his.
    The move was not missed by Gloria, who
suddenly looked down her nose at Monica and frowned. “Hello,” she
said, the ice in her voice giving Monica a shiver.
    “Hi.”
    The woman’s gaze slid over to Carlos and her
mouth returned to a smile, although now it seemed forced. “So,
whatcha been up to?”
    “Working.” He turned his head slowly to face
Monica and said his next words in a sexy drawl. “And other things.”
With that, he tugged on Monica’s hand and rested it on his chest
while he landed his lips behind her ear, on the edge of her
hairline. He may have whispered something, Monica was unsure; she
was so intent on enjoying the shuddering warmth he unleashed in
her.
    If this man could make her shiver with desire
just by putting his lips behind her ear, what could he accomplish
if he put his lips elsewhere?
    She let her head fall back and he took the
opportunity to move his kisses to her neck. She gasped and giggled,
unaware of anything around her for the moment, other than
Carlos.
    Until she heard an exasperated huff and
looked up at Gloria. The woman glared, her lips puckered and arms
crossed. She focused on Carlos. “All right, Carlos. I get it.” She
twirled and marched away, her hair bouncing around her
shoulders.
    Through her margarita-induced fog, Monica
recognized what had just happened. This Gloria had a thing for
Carlos and he chased her away by making the moves on Monica. When
had that ever happened to her before? Never, that’s when. It made
her feel strangely … desirable.
    “Was she …?”
    “An ex who needed to get the message.” He
scraped his chair away to give them a little more space, holding
tight to her hand. “I’m sorry about that, carina . I had no
idea she’d be here. I hope she didn’t make you uncomfortable.”
    Monica shook her head. She hadn’t minded. In
fact, she was flattered. Imagine, a guy using Monica to make
another girl jealous. That was a role she’d never played in her
life.
     
    Several hours later, Monica was having a
marvelous time. A mariachi band in the corner dispensed brass
rat-a-tat-tat notes into the air. The music pounded her eardrums,
so loud that normal conversation was impossible. Carlos held out
his hand. “Want to dance?”
    “To this?” Monica shouted.
    He nodded, a grin lighting his face. They
rose and he guided her elbow as they walked to an empty spot on the
floor.
    She tried, she really did. But the
combination of tequila and unfamiliar music made it difficult to
move her body in any sort of graceful rhythm. Carlos’ laugh tickled
her ear and more than once he steadied her when she lost her
balance.
    Carlos danced well, however. She watched
while his hips ground in a tight circle in time to the brass music.
He twirled her across the floor with a strong hand and she put
herself entirely in his control. He guided her in the movements she
needed to make to complement his own. The band members shouted
their encouragement over the microphone and the music took up a
permanent “pound-pound-pound” in her ears. She tripped over her
foot and stumbled. Carlos’s steady arm came around her waist and
supported her.
    “ Carina , I better