They drove home with Karen talking all the way. Even while Carly emptied the car and put away the groceries, Karen’s childish, comforting chatter continued.
After the aunts left for a charity banquet, Carly and Karen played a board game, then they watched her daughter’s favorite sitcom on TV. By nine, Karen was in bed and Carly was once more alone with her thoughts.
She turned her attention halfheartedly to a book, but by ten was in bed, watching the shadows of stirring branches on her wall.
Her mind was occupied with a man whose intense looks had made it seem he wanted her in an elemental way, but who had asked her for a date in the most dispassionate way.
Carly believed she understood what had made him act like such a jerk, though. It had been obvious in the sad, longing expression on his face when he spoke of his family. Despite the fact that his divorce was final several years ago, he hadn’t yet recovered emotionally. Carly reminded herself that this lack of resolution spelled trouble for any woman who wanted more than a cursory relationship with him.
She tried to relax before sleeping but it didn’t work. Over the past week she’d discovered that sleep was another kind of enemy, giving her erotic dreams of Pete Cade, promises of lovemaking that was as much tender and passionate as it was fulfilling.
Even in her dreams, Carly was attracted to him.
That wasn’t a good sign....
* * *
“CYNTHIA, HONEY, THIS IS your dad. Answer the phone, pumpkin.”
There was silence.
“When I had this phone installed I expected to be able to talk to you on occasion,” he said wearily. “Okay, honey, when you and Ian get this message, please give me a call. I don’t care what time it is. I’ll be home all night. Call me, honey. Understand?”
Silence again.
“I love you, pumpkin. And give your big brother a hug from me, too. Talk to you later this evening, honey.”
3
CARLY SMILED AND SPOKE pleasantly to her date all through dinner. But in the back of her mind was the determined thought that she had to have a serious, sit-down discussion with her aunts. They meant well, but she couldn’t allow them to set up any more blind dates. Invariably, the men’s careers were in high places but their minds were in the gutter.
This particular “gentleman,” about her age, was slipping his hand under the table to touch her knee. She had managed to keep out of his reach without having to give out a verbal rebuke, but if the evening continued in this direction, Carly was going to offend him.
She couldn’t believe she’d let those two ladies talk her into this....
“Carly?”
Grateful for any distraction, she glanced up. But her emotions seesawed when she recognized Pete Cade, looking devastatingly handsome in a tuxedo. The beautiful svelte blonde draped on his arm seemed the perfect match for him, but judging from the expression on her face, she was perfectly bored.
“How are you, neighbor?” Carly asked with a stiff smile.
“Faring as well as can be expected.” His needling gaze took in the man sitting next to her before he extended his hand. “How are you, Terrence?”
“Fine, fine. Having a delightful dinner with this delightful woman.” Terrence gave a nervous laugh as he adjusted his seat to make a slight space between their chairs. “I gather you two know each other?”
Pete’s look was cold and distant. Carly wasn’t sure what it meant. “Very well.”
Her date’s laughter sounded even more nervous. But his next words showed that he wasn’t without teeth himself. “Well, hope all is well with you this season. I know how the charity business is. This is a tough time with all the government cutbacks, isn’t it? You must have to rely on all the regulars to keep going.”
“We’re managing quite well, actually, Terrence,” Pete stated smoothly. “Castaways’ donations come from the generosity of people around the world. Governmental politics don’t usually affect our success too much.”
Carly was sure that wasn’t quite the truth, but she wasn’t about to say anything. After all, the conversation was occupying her date enough that Terrence kept his hands to himself.
With a tug on his arm, Pete’s date reminded him to introduce her. Her name was Pamela and she was very sweet. Carly wished it were easier to dislike her. After another short exchange between the two men, Pete gazed down at Carly again. “Will you reserve a dance for me later?”
Why would she bother to put herself through that torture? After all, they certainly didn’t have a future together; that had been obvious from the beginning. But her mouth obviously had a mind of its own. She smiled. “I’d love to.”
“Good. I’ll see you later.” He gave the man beside her a hard stare.
“Terrence,” he murmured with a dismissive nod. The striking couple wove their way through the crowd and disappeared.
“How do you know the great Mr. Cade?” Terrence asked, a hint of aggression in his voice.
“He’s a neighbor.”
“A neighbor? With his money he lives in your neighborhood?”
“Yes. He bought what the locals refer to as the Mansion in the Woods.”
Terrence frowned. “I remember hearing about that, now that you mention it. He took over the old Barnheart mansion and completely gutted it.”
Carly looked down at her prime rib. She’d lost her appetite. “Yes. The renovations are done now.”
“Did you know he chairs one of the largest homeless charities in the world?”
“Yes.”
“For shelters for single parents and their children, isn’t it?”
With a determination she didn’t feel, Carly began cutting a piece of her meat. “Yes.”
“I hear he might be a special cabinet appointee to the president for the council on the homeless.”
“How nice.” She took a bite of her meat.
“Some women consider him a handsome charmer.”
Terrence had just won the award for making the understatement of the year. Carly was sure all women found Pete handsome. If her date had wanted her to argue the point, he was in for a disappointment. “Yes.” She popped another piece of the tender beef into her mouth and chewed as if it were tar paper.
The orchestra began a soft ballad. “Would you like to dance?” Terrence asked.
It was better than sitting here talking about Pete. She placed her napkin by her plate. “Yes.”
Once they were on the floor, Terrence held her just a little too close and she stiffened. But he didn’t seem to notice.
“You’re so agreeable. Could I hope you would continue like that?”
She glared back at him, pulling her torso away as she did so. “No.”
He looked surprised. His arm loosened and Carly felt as if she could finally breathe. They moved around the dance floor in silence. When the piece ended, Carly never felt so grateful. Just as her mother had taught her, she smiled and said thankyou.
But before he could respond, Pete was there. Ignoring her date, he smiled down at her. “My dance, I believe, Ms. Michaels.”
She held out her arms. Her tone was slightly dry, hiding the relief she felt. “Why, I do believe you’re correct, Mr. Cade.”
Terrence disappeared and Carly didn’t bother observing where he went. She was sure he’d find her when the dance was over. Meanwhile, she was going to enjoy every moment of being without him. In fact, her feelings toward Pete had softened simply because he’d rescued her. She’d already been planning how to fake a headache and leave.
She loved being in Pete’s arms. But the attraction was purely physical, she reminded herself.
As the music drifted into another slow ballad, Pete’s arms encircled her waist and pulled her close to his lean body.
Carly fit into him like a jigsaw puzzle piece. His hand held hers firmly and his warmth permeated her senses.
“Darn,” she muttered, not realizing until she said it that she’d spoken aloud.
“Darn who?” His breath h
eated her cheek, tracing across her ear in a seductive whisper. “And why?”
“Nothing. Just darn.”
A moment went by as she flowed over the dance floor in his embrace. “Damn,” he murmured.
“Damn what or who?”
“We shouldn’t have done this.”
She knew how he felt. Erotic dreams could have cooled easier if she’d never been in his arms. But now that she was, her imagination was running rampant.
His jaw touched her temple, and it took every ounce of restraint she had not to bury her face in his shoulder. His voice, though close to a whisper, reverberated through her body. “Did you know that dancing together is an indication of how well two people would make love?”
“Really?” Her voice was breathless. “Who would have thought?”
“It shows the rhythm of their bodies and how well they fit intimately.”
“How do you know if they don’t fit?”
“If one strains against the other, wouldn’t you say?”
“Yes.”
His hand was warm on the small of her back. His breath caressed her cheek. “And if the bodies flow together like a long, winding river, it means they meet in all the right places.”
“I would think so.”
“We’d be so good together, Carly, if we made love.”
He’d said what she’d been thinking. Now it was out in the open. “That’s why we can’t do that.”
He pulled away and looked down at her, his brows raised in question. “Why, for heaven’s sake, when you know just how wonderful it would be?”
“Because there’s no future in it.”
“Can’t you be satisfied with a good present?”
“No.”
He pulled her back into the security of his arms again. Except that she didn’t feel secure, she felt sensual.
“You are so beautiful.” He sighed regretfully.
“So’s Pamela.”
“Who?”
“Your date.”
“Oh, right.”
“Right,” she repeated.
Pete gave a heavy sigh. “Why is it that a man can want a woman as an end in itself and a woman needs the possibility of a relationship to want a man?”
“Mystery of the ages,” she murmured, letting a small smile form on her lips. It was that exact difference that kept them apart.
Carly refused to admit how attractive Pete made her feel. At least aloud. Pamela was a good five years younger and looked as if she’d never carried a child. Sometimes Carly couldn’t remember herself without stretch marks and the extra five pounds around her hips.
Either Pete Cade was blind, or he didn’t notice. Somehow, neither attribute fit the man. He noticed, he just didn’t mind. Meanwhile, he made her feel svelte and sexy and just a tad risqué. She loved the sensation, but knew she couldn’t explore it.
“I’m going to regret this.”
She sighed. “So am I.”
“Can’t we pretend that it might work between us?”
“No.”
“You’ve got that word down pat, don’t you?”
She didn’t tell him she regretted nothing as much as having to say it to him.
“Promise me you’ll at least think about a businesslike relationship. After all, being with me can’t be half as bad as dating that jerk, Terrence.”
“Isn’t that a little like the pot calling the kettle black? I recall a scene in a bar that left me with a similar opinion of you.”
“I apologize for my behavior that evening. I was tired from too many business functions and you were too beautiful for me to give up on. Other than that, I have no excuse. But you have no excuse for dating that jerk.” Pete kept a straight face. “I’ve had to tell him to get his hands off me at least a half-dozen times, myself.”
She couldn’t help it. She laughed aloud. He grinned in response. They both needed the tension broken, and laughter did the trick.
Then she slowly sobered. His eyes twinkled, and the humor in them turned to a spark of something else, something that looked a lot like desire. Desire for her. “Damn,” she muttered.
He stared down at her, his eyes as wistful as her heart felt. “I know.”
With a sense of somberness, he pulled her back into his arms and held her tightly. Only this time she didn’t mind being held that way. In fact, with Pete, it was the only way to be held....
* * *
TERRENCE DROPPED HER off with a light peck on the cheek and a promise to call later in the week. She prayed this was one promise he would break, because she would certainly have to say no. With a sigh of relief, she closed the door firmly and went straight through the house to the back patio to sort out her overloaded emotions.
Standing with her arms crossed in front of her, Carly stared out at the dark woods between her home and Pete’s. Somewhere out there was a bench bathed in moonlight. As chilly as it was, it would be wonderful to sit and contemplate the inner workings of her heart while the peace of the woods soaked into her.
This was ridiculous. She wasn’t masochistic, and she certainly didn’t believe in lost causes. Yet here she was, mooning over a man who was obviously all wrong for her.
Wrapping her jacket tightly around her, she stepped off the patio. Her nerves were strung tight and she needed to work off some of the tension. Her thoughts were flying in so many directions. For that matter, so were her confused and muddled emotions. Using the light of the moon as a guide she made her way toward the bench at the edge of the woods.
When she reached it, Carly sat and stared through the bare trees at Pete’s house. Landscaping lights illuminated the back garden and the French doors and arched windows of the mansion, giving the place an ethereal glow. If she squinted, it looked like a medieval castle set in Sherwood Forest. Not a bad place to live happily ever after.
Odd that, for all his denials, Pete appeared to be more lonely for someone special in his life than she was. It was as if he’d been cut adrift, and was looking for the anchor of a family or someone else to love. She shook herself mentally. Maybe she was reading something into his behavior, something she wanted to see that wasn’t necessarily a reality.
Leaves crackled and she turned sharply toward the sound. Pete stood, leaning against a tree, his arms crossed as he solomnly contemplated her.
“You scared me.”
He nodded. “Thought I might, but there wasn’t another way to tell you I was here without frightening you.”
He was devastatingly handsome in a dark and dangerous way. His black, custom-tailored tuxedo showed off broad shoulders and lean hips. A white silk scarf was draped around his neck and hung down the front of his lapels, accenting his tanned good looks. His strong, square jaw projected determination and masculinity. And his eyes, midnight blue, seemed to look straight through to her very soul. She was caught by his gaze and couldn’t have glanced aside if she’d wanted to.
Pete pulled away from the tree and walked over to stand in front of her. She didn’t try to make small talk. She couldn’t think of a single thing to say. Her mind was solely occupied with the man standing so close to her, and the image of being held possessively in his arms as he’d danced her around the ballroom floor.
“I was hoping you’d come out here,” he murmured.
“Why?”
“I wanted to see you again.”
“Well, here I am,” she whispered.
He reached out his hands to her. “Come here. Please.”
It was an invitation she couldn’t refuse. Carly placed her hands in his and allowed herself to be pulled into his arms. His warmth surrounded her as he slid his hands inside her coat and pulled her closer. “I’ve been wanting to kiss you properly ever since I first saw you lying in the leaves.”
“And I’ve wanted that too,” she confided. Her hand reached to cup one side of his jaw and she felt the roughness of his beard.
“What?” He pretended to look shocked, but the gleam in his eyes told a different story. “No maiden
ly blushes? No naïveté? No pretending that everything is out of your control?”
“No.”
“Finally, that word is used in the context I like,” he growled, the gleam in his gaze turning to simmering fire.
She smiled up at him. “Yes.”
“No telling me how you never should be doing this? That we’re not right for each other?”
“No.” She shook her head slowly to emphasize her answer. “Been there, done that.”
“No...”
She placed a finger over his full lips, halting any other words. “Not now. But if you miss my grumbling so much, I’ll oblige you later.” She gave a slow smile. “Now. Are you going to take forever to kiss me or should I take matters into my own hands?”
His dark brows rose. “Can I take forever to kiss you? An hour might not be long enough.”
Her mouth drew tantalizingly close to his, making each movement of her lips a feather-light touch on his. “You seem to know the right thing to say,” she said huskily. “I only wish you knew the right thing to do.”
“Teach me.”
“It’s not something you can teach. Timing is everything, and it comes from deep inside. From here.” She pressed her hand on his tuxedo, feeling his heart.
“I think I’m getting the idea.” His voice was low and gentle.
Her body curved to fit closer against the lean hardness of him. “It’s knowing what both our needs are and meeting them.”
“Lady, you asked for it. And I’ll tell you, I need this more than you do,” he muttered just before his lips claimed hers in a hungry, soul-seeking kiss.
She breathed in deeply, then held her breath as his mouth continued its assault. Strong hands soothed her back and waist and the intimate scent of him filled her nostrils. She loosened her clasp around his neck and allowed her hands to drift down to his wide shoulders. Everywhere she touched, muscles tightened and bunched under her fingers, then relaxed.
Meanwhile, his tongue caressed hers in gentle persuasion. When she responded with a heartfelt sigh, his arms tightened and he pulled her even closer. She felt his building need and was overwhelmed by her own topsy-turvy emotions.
The Twelve Gifts of Christmas Page 4
