Her worst enemy is the one man she can't resist.
Maria Martinez thought it was a dream come true when Ritchie Perez - a sweet and sexy guy she met volunteering at a soup kitchen - took her delinquent little brother Joey under his wing. But her drea...
"You have got to be kidding." There was no way she could balance on that. It was crazy.
"Come on, Maria, it'll be fun." Joey was practically bouncing up and down on the dock.
"Christmas Eve would be a really bad time to die," she said. "Think about it, Joey, you'd be crying while you open your presents in the morning."
"It's a great way to relax," Ritchie said.
"Dying?"
"Paddleboarding."
"I'm sure."
Ritchie was standing waist-deep in the water holding onto the paddleboard.
"Well," Ritchie said, turning slightly away. "It's not for everyone." He paused. "Jillian's out on one all the time. But maybe it's just not your thing, Maria."
Jillian's out on one all the time? So, was Ritchie standing around watching Jillian paddling back and forth in her bikini? Well, that was just great.
"I never said I wouldn't try it." If Jillian could get up on one of these things, then Maria was going to give it her best shot.
"So, can I go first?" Joey was shuffling from foot to foot on the dock, clearly impatient at all the conversation it was taking to get the activities underway. At Ritchie's nod, he was off the dock and into the water.
"Shouldn't he wear a life preserver?"
"Ma-ri-a! No," Joey said indignantly.
"I have some inflatable PFD's in the boat," Ritchie said. "For today though, we're staying right by the shore, so don't worry."
Maria watched as Joey followed Ritchie's instructions, getting on the board on his knees first, then carefully standing up.
"Just find your balance," Ritchie said, reaching up to take the shorter paddle off the dock.
"It's like a surfboard!" Joey said, moving his left foot ahead of his right and crouching in surfer position...and promptly flipping off the board and into the water. He came up sputtering a few feet away.
"Let's try that again," Ritchie said, as Joey climbed back up. "This time, keep your feet even, about shoulder width."
"Ok," Joey said, clearly concentrating.
Ritchie handed him the paddle, but kept ahold of the board until he fastened the ankle strap, then slowly released it. Joey wobbled a bit but hung in there, seeming to gain his balance as he picked up a little speed.
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Maria sat down on the dock, wrapped her arms around her knees, and just watched. Ritchie's muscles rippled, the sun glistening on his wet skin as he called instructions to Joey. His arms weren't bulky at all, but she could see how strong they were just in his casual movements. And the etched lines of his chest made her sigh.
