Page 57 of Caught Up In You (Indigo Royal Resort)
“Stay out of it, Leona, this is between me and him.”
“You picked a rather odd time and place for a private conversation, mate,” Cullen commented.
Carlos surged at him, looking like he was ready to take another swing, but Kyle and Dalton popped up out of their seats in time to catch him and hold him back. He shook them off, telling the guys to stay out of it.
“We’ll leave y’all alone to talk, but you have to promise no more of this,” Dalton answered him, waving his hand in Carlos’s direction, indicating the boxing stance he was still in. “Y’all don’t need to be drawing any more attention to yourselves.”
Cullen watched out of the corner of his eye as Kyle steered Drea and Maeve away from them and back toward the bigger group around the bonfire. Kyle pulled Drea in close and whispered something into her ear before rolling her away from him in a swing dance type move. The two started dancing to the beat of the music the DJ was still playing, turning the attention of most of the guests toward them.
Dalton backed away slowly, keeping his eye on Carlos as he did so, making sure he didn’t do anything rash. When he was satisfied, he turned toward the bonfire and grabbed Maeve’s hand, pulled her into a quick embrace, and dipped her as if they were ballroom dancing. When the DJ suddenly switched over to Poison’s “Nothin’ But a Good Time,” they didn’t miss a beat changing up their moves to start rocking it out and singing along. Between Kyle and Dalton, they were doing everything possible to keep everyone’s eyes on them and away from the trio now standing alone off to the side. Cullen had never been so thankful to a pair of guys in his life.
“Explain yourself, Carlos,” Leona said. Her arms were folded across her chest, just under her breasts so that they were pushing up, her cleavage almost spilling out of that low-cut halter. If it wasn’t for the scowl on her face, the fire in her eyes, and the steam that you could all but see coming out of her ears, she would have been the sexiest thing Cullen had ever seen. Actually, even like this, she might still be.
“This doesn’t involve you, Leona.”
“Oh, like hell it doesn’t!”
“You have something you want to say to me? Then say it. But I think we both know her well enough to know she’s not going anywhere,” Cullen interjected.
“Don’t act like you know her. I see right through you and your normal guy act.”
“It’s not an act, Carlos, this is who I am.”
“Exactly—an arrogant, rich, footballing manwhore.”
Cullen managed to keep a straight face as Carlos hurled the insult at him, but he couldn't admit those words didn’t hurt, especially knowing that Leona was standing right there to hear them.
“I realize that is the way I am portrayed in the media, and it’s certainly a role I have played into, but it’s not the real me.”
“Bullshit. I’ve watched you all these years, a different woman each time, only to be out with someone else the second you return home,” Carlos retorted. “I get it, you’re rich and famous and hot chicks throw themselves at you. Can’t say I blame you. But this is different. Leona is different.”
“She is.”
“Glad we can agree on that. Yet here you are, treating her like any other whore you’d pick up,” he said, waving his arms in frustration.
“Excuse you!” Leona exclaimed. Cullen touched her arm softly, trying to calm her down. She took a step forward to lay into Carlos, but Cullen cut her off.
“I seem to be missing something here. What makes you think that’s what I’m doing?”
“I saw you with the women at the pool this morning, and then again tonight, flirting with them. Telling them you’ll meet up with them later.”
“I never said that,” Cullen defended.
“Well, they sure seem to be under a different impression!”
“Did it ever occur to you that they’re lying?”
“Seemed pretty in line with your character,” Carlos said, not even trying to hide the venom in his tone. He shifted slightly in his spot in the sand but didn’t relax his posture at all. He still looked like he could strike out again at any point.
“Well, it’s not. And they are lying,” he answered, looking to Leona as he did, trying to reassure the both of them. Thankfully, she didn’t even seem to be questioning it. But the look on her face didn’t seem to relax any either. He had no idea what was going on in her head at the moment, but he knew it was a war of some kind.
“What about the chick you were on the phone with on the walk over here? Telling her you love her, miss her, and will see her in a few days? Huh? Explain that one!” He was starting to sound desperate.
“Not that it’s any of your business, but that was my mum. Whom I do miss and love very much.”
Carlos just stood there, silently, not knowing how to react. It was clear that he’d run out of argument, that he’d been counting on his accusations being right or on Leona buying in and reacting. Since neither seemed to have come to fruition, he now just stood there like he’d been called on in class and didn’t know the answer.
“Lee, can we have a few minutes?” Cullen asked, turning toward her.
