Love At Last

by Cooper, Sharon C.

  Carolyn wasn’t sure how to respond. For her sake, she was glad not to see the wedding band, but she hoped he hadn’t taken it off before he was really ready.

  The server returned and Carolyn’s stomach rumbled when the elegantly plated dishes were set in front of them.

  “You’re really going to eat all of that?” Lincoln smiled, eying the two entrées she’d ordered.

  The smell of the North Atlantic cod surrounded by tomatoes, basil, olives, and zucchini made her mouth water. The Beef Wellington was just as appetizing. “I plan to eat every single bite.” Carolyn loaded her fork, then wrapped her lips around it. Her eyes drifted shut as she savored the enticing flavors. She loved French food. Hell, she loved food period. She wasn’t one of those petite women who ate only salads. No, she absolutely enjoyed food and could out eat anyone she knew, except for maybe her daughter, Martina.

  She moaned with every bite until Lincoln cleared his throat and her eyes popped open.

  “You’re killing me here,” he mumbled leaning close, desire radiating in his eyes. “I have been around a long time and have never seen a person enjoy food like that before.”

  Carolyn wiped her mouth and grinned. “I’m a foodie with a huge appetite, but I’ll try to behave.”

  “Don’t stop moaning on my account,” he whispered, shifting in his seat. “If that’s how you behave with every meal, I plan to keep a plate of food in front of you.”

  For the next few minutes they talked and laughed as if they’d known each other for years. He was a man she could easily fall for. Gorgeous, well spoken, and he listened. It was refreshing to be with a man who seemed interested in what she had to say. Normally her dates flirted shamelessly, which she didn’t necessarily mind, but being with Lincoln was a welcomed change. Though there was interest in his eyes and some light flirting, he was behaving like a perfect gentleman and seemed genuinely interested in getting to know her. Periodically, he’d touch her hand or arm during the conversation, making her heart race with the contact.

  “Oh my God, you gotta try this.” Carolyn held her fork across the table, inches from his mouth. His left brow lifted as he stared at the food and her fork warily. She wasn’t sure if the look was because she was about to feed him from her fork or if he disliked cod. When he glanced up, she said, “Come on. Live a little.”

  Lincoln chuckled and opened his mouth. He chewed slowly, his gaze steady on her. And then he shocked the hell out of her … and moaned.

  A naughty urge to crawl across the table, cup his handsome face between her hands, and kiss his sweet mouth—hard—gripped her. Carolyn barely knew the man, yet the part of her that often acted first and thought about consequences later pushed her to go for it.

  Do it. Her wicked side taunted, but she resisted … for now.

  “You’re right. That is good.” His lust-filled baritone wrapped around her like a cashmere sweater. “Feel free to feed me anytime.”

  Well all right now. Mr. Wall Street had a wicked side of his own.

  They continued eating their meals, each caught up in their own thoughts until Carolyn asked, “Are you still in love with your late wife?” The question flew out of her mouth without much thought.

  Seeming unfazed, Lincoln wiped his mouth. “We were married almost thirty years and she was my best friend. I will always love her, but it’s been two years. I have room in my heart to love again, and I’m ready.”

  A heated flush rushed to her cheeks as his penetrating gaze bore into her with an interest that seemed more intense than moments ago. Rarely was she ever at a loss for words, yet she didn’t have a clue of what to say. So she kept her mouth shut.

  “It’s time to move on with my life.”

  Carolyn tried not to read too much into his response nor the way he was eying her. She respected and admired anyone who could find the love of their life and make it last. She had tried, but marriage clearly wasn’t in the cards for her. She wanted more than anything to find the love of her life.

  Finishing off her cod, she pulled her second entrée closer. “You and your wife were married a long time. If you don’t mind me asking, what would you say was the secret to staying together?”

  “You can ask me anything. To answer your question, I don’t think it was just one thing that kept us together, but I think our commitment to each other was key.”

  “I thought for sure you’d say love.”

  “Don’t get me wrong. We loved each other, but …” There was such a long pause, Carolyn wondered if he would continue.

  “In my opinion, passion and emotions may bring you together, but to keep love alive there has to be a strong commitment between the two people. They have to want to make the relationship work. So when emotions are all over the place, that mutual commitment and respect is what’s going to keep the relationship together.”

  Carolyn couldn’t help but think about her failed marriages. For her, relationships were based on emotions. She fell in love like some people changed underwear. After she broke up with Daniel, her mother told her that she didn’t love some of the men she claimed to love, but was in love with the idea of being in love. Carolyn hadn’t argued with her.

  Looking back, she realized she loved both her ex-husbands, but she could remember several instances where William, her first husband, hadn’t shown he was committed to their relationship. Toward the end, there wasn’t even respect between them. In her second marriage, she didn’t doubt Alvin loved her. It wasn’t until her second miscarriage did their relationship fall apart. No matter how much she loved him, it wasn’t enough to keep them together.

  “Hey.” Lincoln covered her hand with his and squeezed, bringing her back to the present. “Where’d you go?”

  Enjoying his warmth, she didn’t move her hand. “I was just thinking about what you said and I think you might be right.”

  “So have you ever been married?”

  “Yeah … twice.”

  Chapter Five

  Lincoln’s fork stopped inches from his mouth and his brows shot up. “Twice?”

  Carolyn shrugged. “Some of us aren’t as fortunate to find our soul mate the first go around. Or the second in my case.” She went back to eating as if being married multiple times wasn’t a big deal. Hell, what did he know? Maybe it wasn’t a big deal. Being with one woman for so many years shielded him from even the thought of getting married again.

  Lincoln watched Carolyn eat, loving how passionately she went about the task. She wasn’t skinny, but she definitely wasn’t overweight either. Maybe a hundred and forty-five pounds, if that. Just the right size to wrap his arms around and not feel as if he was holding onto bones. Everything about the woman fascinated him, from her dark eyes that always held a twinge of amusement, to her luscious lips, which he couldn’t pull his gaze from for the majority of their lunch. Even her vibrant personality and sense of humor had him hanging onto her every word.

  He listened while she told him about her husbands. The first, William, a corporate lawyer and the second, Alvin, owner of an IT company. When she shared how William made her feel more like a trophy wife than the love of his life, Lincoln’s neck hairs bristled. How could someone neglect a person like her? Seemed she lived a glamorous life for a few years, rubbing shoulders with some influential people, but that life also sounded lonely. Instead of badmouthing either of the exes, she kept the conversation positive, owning up to the mistakes she’d made in the relationships, quickly skimming over the details of situations when her men seemed to be in the wrong. Lincoln’s admiration and attraction to her grew with every word. Carolyn Jenkins was definitely one of a kind.

  Lincoln reached for where his wedding ring used to rest and touched his bare finger. Once he fell in love, he was all in. He and Vicky had a great marriage. Despite their hectic careers, they never missed their Wednesday date nights. Some of those dates included dinner at fancy restaurants, where other times they would just eat dinner in bed and veg out in front of the TV. What he missed most was the
companionship his late wife provided.

  A fist tightened around his heart as he remembered what they once had, but unlike other times, he didn’t feel like giving up. He knew that had a lot to do with his lunch date.

  Carolyn dabbed her mouth with the cloth napkin, drawing Lincoln’s attention back to her lips. This was the best lunch he’d had in a long while. Great conversation with the gorgeous woman sitting across from him made his day. Hell, it made his week. He would always love his wife, but right now what he wanted to do more than anything was taste Carolyn. Each time she spoke or chewed her food, his gaze lingered on her kissable mouth, jonesing to have a taste of her luscious lips.

  “My parents have been married forever,” Carolyn continued, oblivious of the route his thoughts had gone, “and they seem to fall more in love the older they get. I’ve always wanted that type of magic for myself. After two tries, I’m not sure if I’ll ever have what they have.”

  “I bet you will. Just from the little I know about you, I find it hard to believe you’re single.”

  “Well, I—” She stopped as if thinking better of whatever she was going to say. “I’ve talked your ear off with my sorry married life. Let’s go back to you. Do you live in this area?”

  “No, I live in Indian Hill, but I’ve been thinking about selling my house and moving down here. I like the downtown area.”

  “Really? My parents stay in Indian Hill and it’s a fantastic area to live. Why move?”

  Lincoln toyed with the straw in his untouched iced tea. “Too many memories. I’ve been holding onto the past too long. It’s time for me to get back amongst the living and make some changes in my life.”

  Carolyn’s face softened with a slight smile and desire stirred in Lincoln’s gut. He welcomed the long lost feeling of new love. Leading up to their date, an anxiousness surrounded him. But the moment he saw her stepping out of her car in the short leather jacket, low-cut blouse, skin tight jeans, and thigh-high stiletto boots, the anxiousness was replaced with excitement. Now that he knew her better, she was like no one he’d ever met, making him want to take a ride on the wild side. She oozed a love for life. The ever-present twinkle in her eyes hinted to an adventurous side. A side he rarely saw in himself.

  “So does your making changes in your life have anything to do with the reason you called me?”

  “I called you because you intrigued me.” The spark that surged when he first saw her at Paul’s restaurant was nothing compared to what he was feeling now. If anything, he felt a comfort with her that was unexpected. She filled a void he hadn’t known was missing. It was as if a weight had been lifted off of him, giving him permission to breathe … and live.

  Their server approached the table. “Can I get you two anything else?”

  “Carolyn?” Lincoln asked.

  “Oh no. I think I’ve done enough damage.” She patted her flat stomach, drawing Lincoln’s attention to her remarkable body. He couldn’t believe that she’d eaten both dishes. He glanced at his watch, surprised by the time.

  “Though I’ve enjoyed your company, I’m sorry, but I have to get back to work.”

  Carolyn wiped her mouth and set her napkin on the table. “Not a problem. Thank you so much for lunch.”

  He took care of the bill and they headed to the exit, his hand on her back. Right now he wanted any reason to touch her.

  “Carolyn? What’s up, girl?”

  Lincoln stiffened, moving a little closer to her when a young man about his height, but twenty pounds lighter, approached them near the exit.

  “I thought that was you.” The guy leaned in as if to kiss her.

  Without thinking, Lincoln wrapped his arm around her waist just as she leaned back into him, making it clear she didn’t want to be kissed.

  “Hello, Daniel.”

  Daniel narrowed his eyes at her and was still a little too close as far as Lincoln was concerned. “Oh, so it’s like that, huh?”

  “Yeah … it is.”

  “I guess you didn’t waste any time trying to replace me.” Venom dripped from every word as he moved closer, but Lincoln stuck out his arm.

  “You need to back the hell up.” His lethal tone surprised even him, but no way was he going to let this guy get in Carolyn’s face without saying something. He hadn’t fought anyone since high school, but he would defend a woman’s honor in a heartbeat, especially a woman who was with him.

  Carolyn turned in his arms, her hand going to his chest, sending heat soaring through his body. “I think we should go.”

  Over her head, Lincoln met Daniel’s gaze, daring him to do or say anything more. Seconds ticked by with neither of them speaking, and then Daniel lifted his hands in surrender, taking a step back.

  “Fine. She’s all yours. I was done with her clingy ass anyway.” He walked back to whatever table he’d come from without a second glance.

  “You okay?” Lincoln asked close to her ear.

  She lifted her head and the left side of her lips lifted in a slight smile before it disappeared. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. Are you ready?”

  “Definitely.” He was ready for anything that included her. They left the building and walked to her Chevy. Standing near the driver side door, neither wanted to end their date.

  Carolyn fiddled with her keys. “I’m sorry about what happened in there. Daniel and I used to date.”

  “I figured as much. I assume the breakup wasn’t amicable.”

  “Yeah, something like that.”

  At the moment, Lincoln really didn’t care about what went wrong with her relationship with Daniel. All he cared about was the here and now.

  “I would love to see you again. How about dinner sometime and maybe we can catch a movie?”

  She hesitated and glanced around, her bottom lip folded between her teeth. When she turned back to him, he knew what was coming.

  “I … I can’t.”

  “Why not?” He glided the back of his hand down her cold, dusky rose cheek, succumbing to the need to touch her. He didn’t know what her hesitation was about, but he had every intention of finding out. “Talk to me. I thought we had a nice lunch, great conversation, and some heated moments in there. Why don’t you want to go out again?”

  Leaning into his touch, she sighed. “It’s not that I don’t want to. I just can’t.” After a few beats of silence, she continued. “I’m taking a break from dating for a while.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. We have a pretty intense attraction between us that should be explored. How about you reconsider this break that you’re taking and give me … give us a chance to get to know each other better?”

  She averted her gaze. “I don’t know, Lincoln. I just—”

  With the pad of his index finger under her chin, he turned her to face him. “How about if I call you a little later and we play our next steps by ear?”

  After a slight hesitation, she nodded. His gaze lingered on her mouth, debating on whether or not to take a chance and kiss her.

  Without a second thought, he leaned in and captured her lips—lips he’d been dreaming about tasting for the last hour and a half. At first she stiffened, but quickly gave into the kiss, parting her lips just enough for his tongue to slip through. His pulse sped up and Lincoln pulled her closer, taking everything she gave and enjoying every moment of their impromptu connection.

  Carolyn moaned against his mouth and her arms went around his neck. With a hand at the back of her head, he pulled her even closer, his fingers tangling in her shoulder-length curls. Kissing her was as he expected. Fiery. Intense. Intoxicating. Her sweet mouth was an assault on his senses, sending blood rushing downward. This little taste of her made him want more … so much more.

  He always went after what he wanted. And right now, he wanted her.

  *

  Twenty minutes later, Lincoln walked into his office suite feeling lighter than he’d felt in years, and he knew why. Two words: Carolyn Jenkins. They’d only shared lunch and a kiss, but the kiss al
one made him feel as if he could leap tall buildings in a single bound.

  He exited the elevator on the top floor. His company had purchased the building five years earlier, claiming the top floor as their own, while leasing the remainder of the commercial space.

  Lincoln followed the plush, carpeted hallway, making his way to the double glass doors leading into the partners’ office suite, isolated from the other offices. He pushed the doors open and greeted the receptionist before going down another hall to his office. Surprised his assistant wasn’t at her desk, he hurried into his office and checked his calendar. He only had a few minutes to prepare for his next meeting.

  “Oh, Lincoln, I’m glad you’re here.” Pamela, his executive assistant, rushed into his office, her hair falling out of the tight bun she usually wore. Her fair skin was flushed as if she’d been running. “I was just getting ready to call you. Kevin Baker is in conference room B. He doesn’t have an appointment, but says he needs to see you right away and he’s not leaving until he does. I am so sorry. I told him you have a meeting and can’t—”

  “It’s not a problem. I’ll take care of Kevin.” Pamela wasn’t easily flustered, but Kevin’s gruff, arrogant attitude was enough to irritate a saint. “When Larry gets here for our meeting, put him in conference room C and let him know that I’ll be right with him. And why don’t you take an extended lunch and bill it to the firm? I’m sure Kevin gave you an ear full.”

  Her shoulders sagged with relief. “Thank you. That man is a real as—” Her head jerked up and a dark shade of pink tinted her cheeks. “I mean … I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said or almost said that. It’s just that—”

  “You’re right. Actually, whatever you were going to say probably would be too nice.” Chuckling, Lincoln grabbed his tablet from his desk. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell him what you think of him.”

  “Thanks. I’ll take you up on that offer of an extended lunch. Oh, before I forget. Conrad’s wife, Angela, called. She needs a final count for the caterers for the dinner party. Have you decided if you’re attending?”