Missing Linc

way that it wasn”t worth the risk of losing his head — or his
heart — over anything more substantial than that.
Even if he did want more — which he adamantly told himself he didn”t — it couldn”t be
with Mitch and Tomi. Hell, the only reason they were even in Puerto Rico at all was so they
could get married. They wanted to enjoy themselves and each other before they headed back
home to New York. As appealing as the thought was, Linc suspected that having a fling with
a stranger wasn”t on their list of things to do during their honeymoon.
Nope, Tomi and Mitch definitely weren”t the couple for him. They were just some nice
customers he was joining for dinner and would probably never see again after tonight.
Yeah, right. Linc snorted. Tell that to his racing heart and throbbing dick. The thought
of seeing them again made him more excited than he had any right to be.
They were already waiting for him in the hotel lobby when he arrived. Linc watched
as they walked in his direction, his arousal increasing with every step they made toward his
car. He got out and met them at the curb. Reaching out, he tried to shake Tomi”s hand, but
she ignored his outstretched hand and pulled him into a brief embrace instead.
Linc wanted to groan. God, she felt so damn good in his arms. Her body was soft and
warm, and the sweet, seductive scent of her perfume teased his nose and made him ache.
With effort, Linc released her and reached out to shake Mitch”s hand.
“I hope we”re dressed okay,” Tomi said, glancing at Mitch and back to him. “We
weren”t sure what kind of restaurant we were going to.”
From where Linc stood, they looked a hell of a lot better than okay. Tomi wore a short-sleeved dress with a colorful paisley print. It was short enough to show off her beautiful legs,
and the neckline plunged deep enough to display her incredible cleavage. Mitch looked
equally as good in a pair of loose-fitting, cream-colored linen cargo pants and a white linen
shirt. “Trust me, you”re fine.” Linc held the car door open for her while Mitch opened the
rear door and had a seat in the back. “You both look great.”
“Thanks.” She smiled up at him as she got into the car. “You do too. The color of that
shirt looks good against your skin. It reminds me of Mitch”s eyes.”
Linc glanced down at his shirt. Tomi was right. The different shades of blue were
similar to Mitch”s eyes. And he”d admit — if only to himself — that it was the reason he”d
chosen to wear this particular shirt tonight.
“Nice car,” Mitch commented from the backseat once Linc climbed into the car.
“Thanks.” He smiled at Mitch through the rearview mirror as he started the engine. “It
was one of the few luxuries that I brought with me when I moved here.” Linc lovingly
caressed the steering wheel of his Mercedes-Benz. It cost him a fortune when he”d purchased
it eight years ago, and it was ridiculously expensive to maintain, but it was worth every
penny. Although he”d bought other cars over the years, this one still ranked as his favorite,
and it was one of the few possessions he”d kept from his previous life.
“So, you”re not originally from Puerto Rico?” Mitch asked.
“No,” Linc said as he pulled away from the hotel. “I was born and raised in Brooklyn.
But my parents are from here, and I have a lot of family here as well.”
“Well, that explains it.” Tomi laughed. “I thought I detected an East Coast accent in
your voice.”
Shaking his head, Linc smiled. “No matter how hard I try, I can”t seem to get rid of it.”
“Don”t bother. I like it. It sounds sexy.”
Linc laughed hard. “I think that”s the first time anyone has ever told me that.” Inside,
he hoped that his voice wasn”t the only thing about him that Tomi found sexy. “What about
you two? Are you both originally from New York as well?”
“I grew up in Greenwich, Connecticut.” Linc glanced up at the sound of Mitch”s voice.
From his tone, it was clear that he was less than impressed with his birthplace. “Good area,” Linc said carefully. “You must have had a nice upper-class upbringing.”
“I guess that”s one way to describe it.” A ghost of a smile passed across Mitch”s face.
“Although I”m sure my life is nowhere near what my parents planned for me growing up.”
Linc saw Mitch”s gaze lock on the back of Tomi”s head. “But I wouldn”t change it for
anything in the world.”
When Mitch didn”t offer any more information, Linc took the hint and left the subject
alone. It didn”t take a genius to understand that was a sensitive topic for Mitch, and the last
thing Linc wanted was to remind him of unpleasant memories that he clearly didn”t want to
discuss.
“What about you?” He shifted his attention to Tomi.
“Oh, I”m an army brat. I was born in Hawaii, but I grew up wherever my father was
stationed.”
“So, I have to ask how a beautiful, feminine woman ended up with such a masculine
name.”
Tomi”s soft laughter filled the car. “My actual name is Tomiko,” she explained. “In
Japanese, it means „child of Tommy,” which is my father”s name. Growing up, everyone
called me Tomi, and it just stuck with me.”
Linc looked into her exotic face. “I take it you”re part Japanese.”
Tomi nodded. “My mother is Japanese.” She didn”t specify her father”s nationality, but
it wasn”t necessary. Everything from her face to her hair to her skin made it apparent that
her father was black.
Linc”s conversation had him so distracted that he almost passed the red, glowing sign of
the Ajili Mojili restaurant. He slowed in time to grab one of the few parking spaces out front.
“Oohhh, I read about this place!” Tomi stared out the window. “I hear their food is
delicious.” “It is.” Linc smiled at the excitement in her voice. “My cousin is the chef tonight. They
have some of the best Puerto Rican food in the area.” They got out of the car and headed
toward the restaurant. Linc reached the door first and