The South Beach Search Read online

  “Sounds great,” Reese said. Maybe he hadn’t known Taki in a previous life, but he loved spending time with her in this one.

  * * *

  WHEN THEY WERE seated in the dimly lit café, Taki searched for an opening to push her plan into reality. She’d been deciding about how to go about it all day—well, really since last night, if she were honest. But she’d made up her mind and nothing would stop her.

  She intended to seduce Reese tonight.

  Not that he would require much coaxing. At least she hoped not. But she wanted him, wanted him desperately, and feared tonight would be her only chance to make love to him.

  The problem was she’d never deliberately lured a man to her bed before, so really wasn’t sure of the best way to go about it. Of course she was no virgin, but she’d never had to persuade anyone into sex. Her previous boyfriends had been more than eager.

  In fact, one of the reasons her father had been so strict was because he considered her boy-crazy. And, yes, she had liked boys, or more so the freedom they represented.

  But none of them had known how to kiss like Reese. None of them had ever turned her insides into a hot molten mass of pure desire.

  As she watched him order, she remembered her reaction to him the night they’d met. Something powerful and mysterious existed between them, something she’d never experienced before. She’d purchased a book on soul mates in the bookstore, and would read that later to gain a better understanding of what was going on.

  But she’d enjoy one fabulous, erotic night with Reese, something to cherish as long as she lived. Then she could find her bowl, give it to Navi and leave Miami before her father located her. Her plan was perfect.

  She’d suggest they split the cost of a hotel room, a perfectly logical idea considering her circumstances. He wouldn’t refuse, and even with two double beds she figured the rest would be easy once the lights went out.

  She shifted in her seat as the image of Reese’s naked body moving over hers slammed into her mind. Maybe she’d leave the lights on. She’d enjoy watching those well-defined muscles strain with a little effort.

  Disoriented by her lusty thoughts, she tried to concentrate on Reese’s words and realized he’d stopped speaking.

  “Another mystic crystal revelation?” he asked as he raised his water for a drink.

  “No MCR.” Finally, the opening she needed. She smiled, thinking Reese entirely too good-looking for her own good. Thick dark hair fell across his forehead, not quite reaching his third eye but softening the set of his determined jaw. Once again she marveled at the pull he had on her even while he annoyed her with his skepticism.

  “I was just wondering where you want to spend the night,” she continued.

  “I thought we’d stay with my cousin in Orlando.”

  “Your cousin?” She sat back and swallowed hard. His cousin?

  “I know you’re always worried about money,” he continued, “and Mike’s got plenty of room. Plus, he makes a killer breakfast.”

  Taki nodded. Truth was, after paying Robin, she would be short of cash the rest of the month. But if Reese supplied free lodging, she could hardly insist on a motel room. So much for her seduction.

  “Orlando?” she managed to squeak out.

  “Well, Casselberry, really. His mom is my father’s younger sister. We were roommates at Princeton,” Reese said. “Mike’s a cardiologist in Winter Park. About an hour drive.”

  “You sure have a huge family,” she said.

  “Don’t you have cousins?”

  “No.” She shrugged, hoping this cousin would make certain assumptions and put her in the same room with Reese. Definitely time for some positive thoughts.

  * * *

  REESE’S COUSIN MIKE lived on Lake Monroe, a freshwater lake near Casselberry, Florida. He was shorter and heavier than Reese, but had the same dark hair and eyes.

  Mike had shown her to a cozy guest suite on the second floor overlooking the lake, complete with its own bathroom and balcony. After splashing her face with warm water, she’d gone in search of Reese. She’d found him in the kitchen with Mike selecting a bottle of red wine, but no mention was made of his sleeping arrangements. All she knew was that he wasn’t bunked with her.

  Mike uncorked the wine, Reese grabbed three glasses and they all moved outside to a large wooden deck behind the house with lounge chairs and a huge stainless-steel barbecue. The deck extended out into the water, turning into at least a twenty-foot dock.

  Taki watched Reese’s cousin take a long draw on a fat, smelly cigar. Some healer. The tip glowed in the cool February darkness while gray smoke drifted slowly toward the huge body of water beside them. She shook her head. How could a heart specialist smoke lung-and air-polluting cigars?

  And was it his idea or Reese’s to put them in separate rooms?

  A full moon shone overhead, casting a wide silver beam across the lake’s glittering surface. Water gently lapped against the hull of Mike’s powerboat at the end of the dock. She took a deep breath, inhaling a hint of night-blooming jasmine...but that sweet scent was soon overpowered by noxious tobacco.

  “I only allow myself one of these babies a week,” Mike said.

  “Joan still won’t let you smoke in the house?” Reese asked with a laugh.

  “Nope, and she can smell it every time.” Mike took another puff, then blew the smoke into the air. “It’s just not worth it even though she’s visiting her sister to help out for a few days.”

  Now Taki understood why they were sitting outside when the thermometer hovered around 60 degrees...of course a delightful temperature in her opinion. She relished the light breeze as it flowed across her cheek, but had been surprised Mike and Reese would want to sit in the cool air.

  Looking more relaxed than she’d ever seen him, Reese reclined on a cushioned lounge chair, sipping the delicious California Merlot that Mike had opened.

  As she listened to the cousins catch up on family gossip, she decided Reese didn’t seem quite so buttoned up, so intense and focused tonight. He laughed and joked with Mike, occasionally raking his fingers through his thick hair in an unconscious gesture she found strangely endearing. Maybe because it made him seem less rigid, more human. Less like her father.

  From their conversation, she decided neither Mike nor Reese let their family tell them what to do. In fact, she detected a surprising note of independence in Reese’s attitude, an unwillingness to be pigeon-holed precisely where they wanted him. Mike dismissed the family edicts even more strongly than Reese.

  As she sipped her wine, Taki wondered if she could find his room later. Would it be on the same floor as hers?

  “And when I told Avery that you were hell-bent on litigation, on putting scum behind bars where they belong, I thought he would have a coronary right then and there.”

  Reese nodded. “He still tries to talk me into giving up the courtroom.”

  “We’re probably boring Taki to death,” Mike said. He’d just finished telling a story about how, during a golf game, his dear uncle Avery, Reese’s father, had tried to enlist Mike’s help convincing Reese to join him in private practice.

  “Not at all,” she said. “It’s enlightening to hear how normal families work.”

  Mike waved the hand with the cigar. “Our family, normal? We’re a pretty dysfunctional bunch.”

  Reese laughed. “What’s a normal family, anyway?”

  She threw Reese a quick glance, and he returned her gaze steadily. By the look on his face, she knew he was alluding to her own family’s deliberately vague history.

  “So how did the readings go?” Mike asked. “Reese told me about your stolen bowl.”

  Reese raised his brows and nodded at her. She had no idea what he was thinking or what outrageous stories he’d told his cousin.

 
“The readings didn’t go well, I’m afraid,” she said.

  So Reese must have planned all along for them to stay the night here. She pushed away a twinge of disappointment that he hadn’t been more eager to share a bed with her.

  After a long drag on his cigar, Mike asked Reese, “What will you do now?”

  “Same thing I’ve been doing,” Reese said. “Try to find Romero’s man, Izzo.”

  “Izzo might have your briefcase,” Taki said, “but he doesn’t have my bowl. Mayhugh does.”

  “Mayhugh?” Mike asked. “Who’s this Mayhugh?”

  “A sleazy fence in Homestead,” Reese answered. “Taki thinks he has her bowl.”

  “He does,” she insisted. “I know he does.”

  Mike leaned forward. “How do you know?”

  She glanced at Reese again, knowing how preposterous the words would sound to these logical, practical men. She’d never convince them that sometimes the universe supplied what you needed when you least expected it.

  “Taki is quite intuitive,” Reese said softly. “She relies on her feelings.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  WONDERING WHY THE hell they weren’t in a Ramada Inn, Reese returned Taki’s heart-stopping smile. Her grin could melt the Columbia Icefield.

  What had possessed him to act all noble when he’d wanted this intriguing woman since he’d laid eyes on her? Oh, right. He’d been insulted by her lack of trust, thought he’d earn that and save her some money by crashing with Mike. Reese shook his head. He was a reasonably intelligent guy. Surely he could have made love to her first and then figured out some way to earn her trust.

  “You rely on feelings, huh?” Mike gave a short laugh. “Well, my instincts have served me well many times. Reese tells me you’re an herbalist.”

  “Yes.”

  Mike nodded. “A lot of my patients are very interested in herbs. Saint-John’s-wort, garlic, echinacea. The American Medical Association is investigating the various claims being made. They want scientifically credible information.”

  “I’m not convinced that’s a good thing,” Taki said. “We don’t want herbs regulated like drugs, but the Food and Drug Administration would love to tax botanicals anyone can grow in their backyard.”

  While Taki and Mike discussed the pros and cons of government regulation, Reese realized Mike took the subject seriously. Apparently the medical community believed physicians needed to get up to speed on herbs or their patients would go looking for information elsewhere—perhaps to unlicensed practitioners like Taki who used homegrown product.

  “Yeah, and the big pharmaceutical companies have already moved in on the market,” she said. “Have you seen what’s on the shelf in drugstores?”

  “That’s why standards should be set,” Mike said.

  Reese smiled to himself. Damn, but the woman managed to keep life interesting. But it was time to get rid of Mike. The way she responded to their kisses told him she was equally interested in some time alone.

  She sighed and stretched her arms overhead, gazing over the lake. “Your backyard is breathtaking,” she told Mike. “So peaceful.”

  “Thank you, ma’am,” Mike said.

  Reese gave Mike a hand signal that they’d perfected as college roommates—a sign that he wanted to be alone with his date. Getting the message, Mike flashed an evil grin, then put out his cigar in a ceramic ashtray by his lounge.

  “It’s too damn cold for me out here. Plus, I’ve got some medical journals to catch up on. You two can stay and freeze as long as you want.”

  “It’s such a beautiful night,” Taki said. “If you don’t mind, I would like to remain out here a while longer.”

  “Be my guest. Reese, you have custody of the wine. See you in the morning.”

  When Mike disappeared inside, Reese held up the bottle. “More wine?”

  “Maybe a little,” she said.

  When Taki slid her long, jean-clad legs to one side of the lounger, he sat beside her, noting the cushion retained her warmth.

  She held out her glass, and Reese trickled wine into the bowl.

  “It’s nice to have a cousin that’s a friend,” she said. “Because he’s family you’ll be friends forever.”

  Reese heard a touch of longing in her words and again wondered about her mysterious family.

  “Mike and I have always been tight.” Reese grinned, unable to resist saying, “See, at least I’m on the same wavelength with some people.”

  Taki’s slim shoulders shook with laughter. “Poor Robin. I’ll bet she’s turning in her crystal ball right now.”

  The night was too dark to appreciate the vivid color of her eyes, but he saw the reflection of moonlight mirrored in their depths.

  “Are you warm enough?” he asked.

  She nodded. “But I’ll bet you’re not.”

  “I have an idea.”

  After placing the wine bottle and his glass on the deck, he pulled Taki to her feet and took her seat on the lounge chair, then gently eased her down between his legs, nestling her back against his chest. Nice. Intimate. Her warmth now blanketed him on both sides.

  After the switch she held herself stiff for a moment, then relaxed against him with a fluid release.

  “I can’t believe I didn’t spill my wine during that maneuver,” she said in a laughing voice.

  “I knew you wouldn’t. You have amazing grace.” He reached for his wine on the deck floor. “You could probably perform on a high wire.”

  “Sounds dangerous,” she said.

  “This from a woman who’s not afraid of antagonizing a hit man.”

  Taki shook her head gently, her hair tickling his chin. “You know I didn’t mean to antagonize anybody.”

  “So you say.”

  She remained quiet for a moment, then said, “You thought we might be followed to Cassadaga, didn’t you?”

  “It crossed my mind. I saw you looking behind the car, too.”

  “Only because you were.” She turned her head and caught his gaze. “Reese, I’ve told you everything I know about the theft.”

  When he didn’t respond immediately, she said, “Don’t you believe me?”

  “Maybe I should have asked Robin if I can trust you.”

  She settled against him again. “I suppose I deserved that.”

  He placed one arm around her waist and placed his cheek against her hair. He sensed some part of her couldn’t completely relax with him, but she felt delicious in his arms, soft and strong and full of endless puzzles. What was it she held back? And why? Because she’d had legal problems in the past and he was an attorney? But she was too smart, too nonjudgmental for that type of silly bias.

  “Did you ask Robin about me?” he asked.

  “I sure did.”

  “And did I get the psychic seal of approval?” he asked.

  Taki hesitated, then said, “She said you would never deliberately harm me.”

  “And that’s true.” He said his words simply and hoped Taki believed them. “I never would.”

  They remained comfortably quiet, and Reese listened to the sound of frogs croaking halfway around the lake. Taking his last sip of wine, he placed the empty glass on the deck and wrapped both arms around her, hugging her close.

  “Warmer?” she asked.

  “Definitely.”

  “Glad to be of help.”

  “That’s one of the things I admire most about you.”

  She turned her head, again meeting his gaze. “You admire something about me?”

  “I admire a lot about you, Taki. But I’m referring to how you want to help everyone you meet. It’s sweet.” He cocked his head. “Unusual.” Giving her a slight squeeze, he said, “Even when you make things worse, you’re always trying to h
elp.”

  She rolled her eyes and faced front again. “Thanks a lot.”

  Reese chuckled at her wounded tone, knowing she was teasing. She warmed him inside and out. “Now that you’ve learned more about my family, what do you think? Worse than yours?”

  He felt her withdrawal, a slight rigidity at his words. “Your father sounds like a real character,” she said.

  “That’s one way to put it. He’s used to getting his own way.”

  “How does your mother put up with him?”

  “She doesn’t. She divorced him ten years ago.”

  “Oh.” Taki’s voice was almost too quiet to hear.

  “Don’t worry, she’s a lot happier since they split. He cheated on her constantly.”

  “The divorce must have been hard on you,” she said.

  Reese hoped his laugh didn’t sound bitter. He intended to keep his saga light, the point being to encourage Taki to become more free with her own family history. No one had a perfect life, certainly not a perfect family.

  “My parents separated when I was a senior in high school,” he told her. “The divorce wasn’t final until my second year in law school. They fought over everything, including whether my father could continue working at the law firm my maternal grandfather founded.

  “Does this fall under the category of too much information?” he asked when she didn’t respond. “Maybe I should also be atoning for rotten parents.”

  “Both of my parents weren’t rotten,” Taki blurted.

  “I assume you stayed with your father after your mother died.”

  After another pause, she said, “Yes. And he’s a soulless monster.”

  “Ah. So he’s the one you have to atone for?”

  Taki took a healthy swallow of wine before responding. When she turned her head to gaze over the lake, he knew he’d hit a sore spot.

  “Are you cross-examining me, Reese?” she asked.

  “Sorry.” He tightened his arms around her. “Is it a crime to want to learn more about you?”

  She placed her wine on the deck and turned in the chair to meet his gaze. “Does it matter who I used to be? This is who I am right now.”