“Oh, right. Leon and I had a very nice time,” Kacey replied. “I was glad that he rescued me from a meal of weak tea and crackers at the motel. We were outside on the deck and enjoyed the night breeze off the water. I loved his house. He has a very beautiful home.”
“I know,” Nona deadpanned. “I’ve been there hundreds of times.” A short pause before she said, “And how was the lasagna?” Nona let the slightest wrinkle of a self-satisfied grin tug her upper lip when Kacey’s jaw went slack in surprise. You might be a fancy designer, and think you know so much but you don’t know anything at all, she mused, crossing her arms as she took in Kacey’s reaction.
“He told you what we had to eat, too?” Kacey remarked, shifting to one side, clearly uneasy over Nona’s knowledge of such details. “The lasagna was delicious. The best I’ve ever had, I think.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that. Guess I’ve finally perfected Mrs. Archer’s recipe. Been working at it for a while.”
“What? You mean, you made the lasagna?” Kacey snapped forward, squinting at Nona in the beam of light trained on her face.
“I sure did. Didn’t Leon tell you I made dinner for him?”
“No, he didn’t.” Kacey’s words were tinged with ice.
“Must have slipped his mind,” Nona commented coolly. Slumping back in her chair, she focused on a far wall, allowing memories to surge forward and fill her mind. “When Leon and I were younger, his mother used to invite me over to his house on Friday nights to give me cooking lessons. You see, my mom died when I was twelve years old and I was left with the job of cooking for my sister and my dad. Mrs. Archer taught me how to cook and loved giving me tips on what Leon liked best. Now, I guess he can’t tell the difference between my food and his mom’s. Isn’t that just like a man?”
Kacey narrowed her eyes at Nona and silently counted to ten, unsure about how she ought to react to this rather odd revelation. Obviously, Nona was taking great pleasure in flaunting her longstanding friendship with Leon. But why? What was this woman after?
“Uh, yeah. I guess most men are like that,” Kacey finally managed, curious to know more about Nona James. She hesitated, drew in a silent breath and then boldly plunged ahead. If Nona wanted to shift the conversation into overshare mode, Kacey certainly wasn’t going to stop her. Why not pump this obvious resource on Leon Archer and get all the information she could? Since Nona and Leon shared a history that had deep roots, Kacey planned to dig for gold.
“So, you and Leon used to be together? Romantically?” she queried venturing as politely as possible into the subject she had avoided so far.
“Together?” Nona shot back with a knowing chuckle. “Absolutely. We were inseparable all through high school and even for a while after he went off to college in Dallas. That’s the only time we’ve ever actually been apart. He spent four long years at SMU,” Nona said, her voice drifting out on a sigh, as if recalling a happier time. “But I stayed right here in Rockport. I was here when he came home,” she stated, jutting out her chin. “I’ll never leave Rockport. I love this town, and everybody in it,” she added, with a determined clench of her jaw.
Kacey stared at Nona, both intrigued and concerned. The woman seemed transfixed, as if she’d entered a world of her own and had no idea that Kacey was even in the room. The transformation was unsettling, making Kacey wonder about Nona James’s emotional state. Was she as loopy as she appeared to be or was she putting on an act to impress Kacey? Obviously, Nona wanted Kacey to know that she was close to Leon, but how close was she? Kacey wondered.
The lights flickered, dimmed and then suddenly went out again, signaling the continuation of the blackout. Nona shook her head as if to clear away the fog and gave Kacey a crooked half smile. “Time to get out of here. See you tomorrow…I hope,” she said with wry humor. Then she stood and left the room.
Kacey swiveled back and forth in her chair, shaking her head in amazement. Why hadn’t Leon told her that Nona had prepared their dinner? What exactly was their relationship all about, she wondered, glancing up when Leon arrived.
“Everything okay?” he asked as he set his flashlight on the edge of Kacey’s desk and moved toward her.
“I’m fine,” she replied, pushing Nona out of her mind. The last thing she wanted to do right then was start a conversation about his operations manager, who was obviously stuck in the past. What she craved was to pick up where they’d left off, to be cocooned once again in Leon’s arms. Having lost her battle of romantic restraint, she was clearly ready to surrender.
“All right, then. Nothing more we can do here,” Leon stated. “The power company is on the job. So let’s go see what Rockport is all about.”
“I’m more than ready,” Kacey said, relieved to get out of the dark and eager to spend the day with Leon. Circling her desk, she approached him, easing into the hazy beam of yellow light that cut the room in half.
“However, the building is empty,” he informed her in a hushed voice, as if reading her mind.
“And?” she prompted, anticipating the move she so desperately craved and hoped he’d make.
“So that means nobody is around to interrupt.”
“Interrupt what?” she taunted, watching him through hooded eyes, her heart thumping crazily in her chest, her body sizzling with unmet needs that he’d awakened the night before.
“This,” he whispered, opening his arms to Kacey, who slipped into them and let him hold her in a loose embrace. She marveled at how easily she’d tossed aside her reservations about exploring a blazing-hot romance with a man she would probably never see again once her mission here was completed. However, this might be just what she needed to put some spice in her life and pass the time while she was stuck in Rockport.
Anyway, she had never felt anything like this with Jamal. And I never will, she realized, the clarity of her uncomplicated, routine love life blazing white and bright in her mind. For too long, she’d been willing to settle for predictable sex with a predictable man who did not stir her soul, ignite her heart or slick her tunnel of love like an oil well on fire. She’d submerged her true needs to accommodate a situation that had been convenient, but that had definitely run its course. Now it was time for her to explore the hidden side of her heart.
“Where were we before I left you all alone in the dark?” he asked, placing two fingers under Kacey’s chin.
“Right about here,” Kacey replied, pressing her body to his, not about to erect any barriers that would interfere with this raw, sexual awakening that he’d stirred inside her. Though shocked by the intensity of her need to be near him, she loved the sensation of isolation and privacy that descended on her as she stood in his arms.
The shower of slow kisses that he traced from her forehead to her temple and over her cheeks, left her silently panting and choked with desire. When he moved his sweet assault down the side of her neck, she responded to his feather-light touches with a low, pleasure-filled groan that let him know he was on the right track. Between a series of soft, sexy pecks that he placed on all her exposed skin, his hands crept downward—moving along her spine until they clasped her buttocks in a firm caress and crushed her soft womanhood into his rigid sex, fusing them together like two pattern pieces perfectly joined at the seam.
Succumbing to his tantalizing move, Kacey opened her mouth and took his tongue deep into her throat, letting his languid thrusts satisfy a thirst for Leon that she felt might never be quenched. As the dizzying current of attraction raced through her veins, Kacey knew Leon Archer had awakened a flame of desire that would not be easily extinguished, a white-hot heat that would have to burn itself out. As his hands roamed her body and her love tunnel pulsed to the beat of her heart, she silently questioned what was happening to her.
Am I head over hells in lust with this man, or head over heels in love?
Chapter 12
“I can see for miles!” Kacey exclaimed, her splayed fingers shading her eyes against the sun. Leaning forward, she peered th
rough the open lighthouse window high above the water and filled her lungs with salty Gulf Coast air, slowly exhaling as she savored the exhilarating sense of floating high in the blue Texas sky.
“That’s an old coastal fort over there,” Leon said, coming up behind her to point toward a rugged stone building farther down the coastline that had gaping holes in its walls. “According to old-timers who’ve lived here for generations, the pirate Jean Lafitte and his band of thieves used to hide out in that fort between raids on ships entering the Gulf.”
“Really?” Kacey remarked, assessing the mysterious structure more closely. “It looks so small,” she added, turning her head ever so slightly, enjoying the slight brush of Leon’s breath on her temple.
“Yes, it does look small from here. But if you get closer, you’ll see that it’s pretty spacious,” Leon informed her.
“Big enough to hold all the pirates and their loot,” Kacey joked, savoring the spectacular coastal view from atop the restored lighthouse.
“Exactly. We’ll go over next time we have a day when we can goof off,” Leon decided, linking his arm through hers to guide her to the other side of the tower to check out a different view of the landscape.
“Another day to goof off?” Kacey repeated, giving Leon a skeptical look. “We can’t afford to lose any more time. Today…okay, I’ll give you this one because of the unexpected power failure. But from now on, I don’t plan to do any more sightseeing. I came here to work, not play tourist on vacation.”
“Relax,” Leon told her. He clucked his tongue, as if admonishing Kacey for taking her assignment too seriously. “You’re way too tense. Forget about your job for today. We’ll get everything done, and on schedule, too. Trust me. You have nothing to worry about.”
His offhand remark made Kacey’s temper flare. What was it with Leon and his cool, relaxed attitude? Maybe that’s the way folks operated in Rockport, Texas, but in New York, staying on top of—or even ahead of—schedules was vital. However, she had to trust Leon to be good for his word, and so far, he’d kept his promise to show Kacey a side of Rockport that would impress and intrigue her.
After leaving Archer Industries, their first stop had been the historic Fulton Mansion, a beautifully restored Victorian house located in the resort area of Rockport-Fulton. With its mansard roof and ornate trim, interior gas lighting, flush toilets and other refinements it was one of the most progressive and luxurious homes built in 1877. As Kacey walked through the restored home and its exquisite gardens, she got a glimpse into the lifestyle of an affluent family in early Texas, giving her a new appreciation for the small coastal town and the early settlers who’d chosen to live there.
After leaving the mansion, they ate homemade doughnuts and drank strong coffee at a quaint café built to resemble a true Texas log cabin. The display case at the café offered more information of coastal life in years past.
Next, they drove to Texas’s smallest state park: the Port Isabel Lighthouse Historical Park, where they climbed to the top of the beacon-lit tower, which had been destroyed during the Civil War and fully restored in 2000. As the only lighthouse in Texas open to the public, they took on the challenge and climbed all eighty-two feet of the interior spiral staircase to enjoy panoramic views of Laguna Madre and South Padre Island. The trip had been well worth the minor exertion required to reach the top, where fifteen huge lamps and twenty-one reflectors remained mounted and ready for use.
“Now, how about lunch?” Leon ventured as they headed down the spiral staircase that would take them back down to earth.
“Sounds good. I’m starving. What do you suggest?” Kacey asked, content to leave all the decisions up to Leon, who seemed to be enjoying their excursion even more than she was. With each stop they’d made, Kacey had been impressed by the facts and stories that Leon tossed out about his hometown’s past, both entertaining and educating her. He told her about his grandfather’s decision to come to Texas from Mississippi and how he’d built a small textile factory from bricks made by hand. He had encouraged many of his friends and relatives to move west and work for him, and that among those who came were Nona James’s ancestors, who had been friends with the Archers back in Mississippi.
Hanging out with Leon was fun and relaxing. It had been a long time since she’d felt so alive and fully engaged in something so different. Soaking up the past of Leon’s hometown filled Kacey with an intense admiration for him and his family. But who was Leon Archer Jr., really? And why was he so obviously romancing her? Simply to prove that he could, or because he truly had growing feelings for her?
Kacey pondered these questions as she descended the stairs, one hand on Leon’s shoulder to steady herself. He felt solid and secure, as if he were a man she could trust to be honest with her. So far, she had not brought up the subject of Nona’s strange conversation. But if she did, could she trust Leon to tell her the truth? She was still puzzled about the woman who seemed so deeply embedded in his life.
“Only one choice,” Leon was saying, bringing Kacey out of her mental musings. “You have to have Buddy Boy’s Barbecue for lunch. No one comes to Rockport without eating at Buddy’s.”
“I’m game,” Kacey agreed, looking forward to some real Texas barbecue and all the trimmings.
Leon chose a booth at the back of the restaurant, where it was quiet, secluded and far from the noisy lunch crowd hanging around the bar. As soon as they were served, he laughed at Kacey’s reaction to the oversized platter of ribs, chicken and sausage that the waiter placed on the table, accompanied by separate bowls of fries, coleslaw and beans.
“My God! This is enough for a family of four!” she exclaimed, staring at the oval plate mounded with meat.
Leon laughed in understanding. “Yep. Buddy believes in giving his customers their money’s worth.”
“You were right,” Kacey agreed. “Thankfully, we decided to split one order of meat.”
“Hey, there are plenty of folks in here who could polish off that platter and then ask for seconds.”
“Well, I doubt I’ll make a dent in my half.”
“Speak for yourself,” Leon tossed back, picking up a rib.
Shaking her head in wonder, Kacey simply watched as Leon cleaned a bone with one bite and then wiped his fingers on a paper napkin and grinned.
“That’s how we eat ribs in these parts,” he said with a wink, picking up another rib, which he held up to Kacey’s lips. “Go ahead. Your turn. You gotta clean the bone in one bite,” he challenged, a smirk on his face,
Kacey hesitated, gave him a challenging wink and then leaned over. Quickly, she ran her tongue over one side of the rib bone, allowing her tongue to graze Leon’s fingers in the process. A flash of heat shot into Leon’s stomach and hit him in the groin when she slid her lips over his fingers and clamped them down in a hard pucker that held his hand in place. Without hesitation, Kacey drew his fingers fully into her mouth, using her tongue to tease his hold on the spicy bone as she removed every shred of meat. He froze, eyes riveted on her as she sucked the bone, sucked his index finger hard, and then licked his thumb, stirring the pot of simmering need that was rapidly building in his groin.
Giggling in satisfaction, Kacey finally opened her mouth and released Leon’s fingers, as well as the bone, which was totally cleaned of meat.
“That was absolutely delicious!” she exclaimed, rolling her eyes in satisfaction. “How’d I do?”
“Girl, you are too much,” Leon laughed, settling back in his seat. With deliberate calmness, he let his eyes linger on Kacey’s face, as if trying to memorize her features.
“I’ll let you call yourself an adopted Texan, now.”
“Gee, thanks. This sure is good.”
“My fingers or the ’cue?”
“Both,” she replied, giving him a sassy smile.
“Glad you liked them,” Leon responded, picking up his fork to dig into his bowl of beans.
Kacey tasted her beans and groaned. “Damn, these are good. You
sure called it right,” she said, dabbing a French fry into a pool of ketchup.
“I try,” Leon replied, knowing he’d called it right with Kacey Parker, too. If she can suck my fingers like that, just think what she could do to other parts of my body he mused, knowing just where he planned to take her after lunch.
Chapter 13
“How about a walk on the beach to burn off those ribs?” Leon suggested after they were back in his Corvette, cruising down Main Street with the top down. The warm April sun hit Kacey’s face and added to her sense of contentment. After such a heavy meal in the middle of the day, a walk on the beach sounded like a plan.
“I’d love to…but not dressed like this,” she remarked, touching the collar of her silk shirt.
“No problem, I can swing by the Seaside so you can change, okay?”
“Okay,” Kacey replied, not wanting this free time with Leon to end, because tomorrow it was back to business. There’d be no more days like this, so she might as well take advantage of the situation and enjoy what was left of her rare chance to goof off.
After Leon parked in front of the motel, Kacey got out and headed inside to change, leaving him sitting in his car as he watched her walk away. His eyes ran the length of her back and lingered on her round tight booty. He could just imagine how she would look naked, in his bed, her brown curls spread out on a pillow, her legs spread open wide and begging him to enter, her generous breasts plump and round, ready to be fondled. His runaway thoughts brought on an arousal that almost made him gasp. At that moment he had only one desire, to make love to Kacey Parker. But would their relationship ever evolve to that point? Was he just teasing himself with the idea of possessing her completely? Or was he inching his way into her heart?
There’s only one way to find out. Test her, he decided, fantasizing about holding Kacey naked in his arms, her lips clamped tightly over his as they began the passion-filled journey he’d been searching for so long.
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