A Flower for Angela by Sandra Leesmith Read Free Book Online

eye-level with her.
    "She's by the pool." The girl hugged a bright beach ball while she rocked on her toes.
    "Aren't you from her class?"
    " Sí ." The child giggled. "Today is my turn to come to her house."
    "She brings all of you here?" He raised his brows in disbelief.
    "Only if we're good. Fernie never gets to come."
    Ricardo struggled to hide his grin.
    "Do you want me to get Miss Stuart?"
    "No." He straightened his long legs. "I'll follow you."
    In a flash the girl darted toward the pool. Ricardo shook his head. Leave it to Angela to do something else to make his job more difficult. Imagine bringing her students home—on her time off, no less.
    Yet, he had to admit that she could make a person feel special. When he sat across from her at dinner last night there hadn't been any of the nervous conversation that usually occurred between strangers. He had been so comfortable and relaxed that he'd revealed things he rarely spoke of. She had a quality about her that made a person feel at ease, as if her world was centered around him—even if it was only for the moment. He'd have to watch it, or he'd forget his purpose every time he was near her.
    Cursing, he wound back through the shrubs. Reaching the patio, he searched the bronzed bodies splayed out on the lounge chairs. Too many men. He started wondering about Angela's social life.
    A shimmer of turquoise caught his eye. It was her swimsuit. Her blonde hair hung over the back of the chaise lounge and her sleek curves glistened with suntan oil. The sight made his heart skip a beat. ¡Caramba! She was beautiful. All thoughts of her being a teacher fled from his head. He was man and she was woman. That knowledge was the only thing that mattered now.
    She turned her head. The crowd around him ceased to exist, leaving only Angela.
    "Ricardo. Did you come to see me?" Surprise was reflected in her expression, but he also detected a glimmer of pleasure there.
    "Who else?" He swaggered, full of confidence and expectancy, the original purpose for his visit the farthest thing from his mind. He sat down on the edge of her lounge and stretched over her to brace his weight on the far side so it wouldn’t tip over. His body blocked the sun and cast a shadow across her face. A look of apprehension replaced her smile, but Ricardo knew he could conquer her doubts with his charm.
    "What do you need?" she asked in a husky murmur.
    You , he wanted to say. The heat from her sun-warmed skin transferred to his. The scent of suntan lotion mingled with her perfume. It would be so easy to lean down and kiss her. Their surroundings faded from his mind.
    “Why have you come here?”
    "Does there have to be a reason?"
    "I would think so."
    Ricardo moved closer. Her tongue traced her lips and her breath caught in a short gasp. He could taste her already.
    "Miss Stuart," a high-pitched voice shattered the mood, "can I go in the water now?"
    Ricardo straightened and smiled, embarrassment making his grin a bit lopsided.
    "In a minute, Lisa. When I'm done talking to Mr. de la Cruz. Okay?"
    Lisa trotted agreeably back to the children she had been playing with.
    "I'm not used to having my moves on a lady interrupted by innocent bystanders," he informed her ruefully.
    "Is that why you're here? To put the moves on me?"
    "It wasn't my original intent, but it seemed like a good idea at the moment."
    Angela shoved his arm aside, forcing him to sit up straight. She slid her long legs off the lounge, which brought her to a sitting position beside him.
    "Why are you here?" She reiterated as she stood to put herself at a safe distance from him.
    Ricardo rose and followed her as she moved away. She sat in a deck chair and with a gesture of her hand offered the empty one across from a small patio table. Smart move , he acknowledged.
    He sat down. "Bad news, I'm afraid."
    "Do I want to hear it?"
    "I've been called out of town on an assignment." He saw her shoulders sag with relief and realized she had thought the bad