Free Desperate Measures by Linda Cajio Page A

concentrate on helping Joe stop his cousin. And she should definitely stop this … daydreaming like a schoolgirl at a man’s touch. In fact, she ought to be feeling justified about getting reinvolved with Joe and his problem, especially after what he had told her about the oregano. Mario had to be caught and stopped. Still, there must be a better way to go about it than hanging onto Joe the entire time.
    “I think we should split up,” she said briskly, “so we can cover more territory.”
    “But how would we find each other again?” Joe asked, looking at her in puzzlement. “This place is bigger than the Taj Mahal.”
    “Well—”
    “What if you found them when I’m not with you?” he added. “By the time you found me, they could be long gone. Or if I were to see them without you, how would I know if it’s the same man from the rink? You said the guy was average. Hell, that’s just about everybody.”
    “But we might spot him sooner this time if we split up,” she said lamely.
    “Maybe,” he conceded. “But that’s about all we’d do. You’re making me wonder if you’re playing the impulsive spy this time.”
    She shrugged. “I just thought you should have a crack at being Bill Cosby.”
    “Very generous of you,” he said, rubbing her arm and sending sensual sparks to every corner of her body. “But I like things just the way they are. Look, if we don’t find them by eleven, why don’t we just relax and do a little gambling in earnest? I hate losing for Mario’s sake. Anyway, it’s a shame to be at the shore and not even take a look at the ocean, especially at night with the moonlight glowing on the waves.…”
    Ellen nearly moaned. He was driving her crazy.
    And she had the feeling she would love every minute of it.
    Eleven o’clock couldn’t come soon enough, Joe thought, glancing impatiently at his watch again. Twenty more endless minutes until he could finally call a halt to this farce of searching every nook and cranny for a nonexistent meeting. Then he and Ellen could enjoy themselves.
    He glanced at the woman beside him and felt guilty yet again that they were here on a wild-goose chase. When confronted with the bad oregano, Mario had made a very affecting plea, which even Joe couldn’t poke a hole into, of innocently experimenting with new cost-effective sources. Joe knew that right this minute his cousin was in his office, straightening out the mess and preparing a report. Joe smiled, thinking of that report. SinceMario was so eager to save the company money, Joe had decided a thorough investigation on the subject was in order and volunteered Mario to do the job.
    As Ellen’s subtle and highly sensual perfume teased his senses, Joe admitted he didn’t feel that guilty for lying. He glanced at her, studying every curve of her body. Her tantalizing breasts, small yet perfectly shaped; the slender indentation of her waist; her long, graceful back as it flowed into her rounded hips. He didn’t have to put his hands on her to know those spots intimately. His imagination had played with them from the moment she had gotten into the car.
    She sighed. “Are you sure Mario was supposed to be here tonight?”
    “Yes, that was what I … understood. Don’t worry about it, Ell. It’s not the end of the world if we can’t find Mario this time. It’s almost eleven anyway, so why don’t we enjoy ourselves? I’m sure even the pros would say we were entitled.”
    Although her mouth pursed as if she were unsure, he could see a hint of anticipation in her eyes.
    Without a word, he guided her toward the boardwalk exit. He resisted the urge to caress his fingers along the satin flesh of her arm. They’d never get out of here if he did.
    “Where are we going?” she asked, taking nearly two steps to each one of his brisk strides.
    “To look at some fish,” he said, steering her through the gamblers.
    “Fish?”
    “You know. A few scales, a couple of fins, and a glassy