"Well, at least one thing hasn't changed. You're as stubborn as ever. Someday, Mel, you'll realize I only have your best interest at heart."
The tears made their afternoon matinee appearance. This long-running waterworks show needed to retire. "Maybe someday, Ev, you'll realize my idea of my best interest and yours aren't even close."
"Do whatever you want…you always do anyway."
The silence from the disconnected line echoed loudly throughout the room. Melodie curled up on the bed, pulling the pillow close to her body, as the moisture continued to escape from her eyes. Thoughts of Tom filled her aching head. She missed him like she'd miss any friend taken in the prime of their life. Did she love him? No. Love hadn't really been the point though. She was comfortable with him. He had been her best friend. She pounded the pillow a few times for effect. God, she hated it when Evelyn was right.
CHAPTER TEN
Daniel paced the length of the telephone cord in his room as he waited for her to answer the phone. After several, heart-stopping rings, he heard the warm, soothing tones of her voice. "Hello."
"Hey, Melodie, it's Daniel."
"What? How did you find me?"
I've got skills. Not wanting her to think he was a stalker, he chuckled. "I wish I could take credit for being a super sleuth, but you introduced yourself to me on the plane, which provided your first and last name. When you ran away last night, it wasn't hard to figure out where you were staying. I also know you didn't get a rental car at the airport, which narrowed the options to the hotel on the same property as the bar as your home away from home."
There was a significant pause. "Sounds like stalking to me, and I didn't run away. What do you want?"
No, you stumbled, desperate to get away from me. "To prove I'm not a total jerk—"
"Not a total jerk. More like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. One I really like and want to get to know more, the other…"
"The other is a jerk." No sense denying the truth.
Her smile almost came through the phone. "I was going to say arrogant jerk, but we'll leave it at jerk."
Go time. Damn, this woman intrigued him as no one else had. "Let me prove I'm more Jekyll than Hyde. Have dinner with me tonight."
Another pause. This woman could be responsible for giving him a heart attack at a young age.
"You have one more chance to prove it to me. If Mr. Hyde so much as shows his face tonight, our date with history will never happen."
"You won't be sorry, Melodie. I'll pick you up at five."
He cut the connection, not wanting to give the arrogant jerk part of his personality a chance to say something that would make her change her mind. He rubbed the back of his neck in an effort to ease the tension. Her parting words last night rang in his ears. He hoped he found what he was looking for soon too. He wasn't sure how much more his wounded heart could withstand, and all of the Band-Aids he'd been using to mask the pain were no longer working.
Daniel spotted her before she saw him. God, she was beautiful. Black pants and a dark green sweater. Though not a romantic, he'd heard enough woman-talk to know the color would make her eyes sparkle like jewels in the moonlight.
Maybe a little romantic. Must be the librarian. "Hey, Beautiful."
Her face lit up even as she shook her head, a subtle denial again of his compliment. Regardless, her smile sent a lightning bolt straight to his groin. He wanted this woman—badly.
"Hey, yourself."
Wanting to show he was capable of being a gentleman, he extended his arm to escort her away from the sprawling complex comprising the grounds of her hotel. "Milady," he smiled.
"Are you playing the role of my knight in shining armor tonight?" She laughed as she slipped her hand in the crook of his arm.
"I can make tonight a fairy tale for you, if that's what you want. Although, I may not be as smooth and gallant as the heroes in your books, but I'll do my damnedest to show you a good time."
A look of—was it guilt?—crossed her face. "There's a reason they call it fiction. Life never works out as perfectly as it does in the books."
He opened the door of the Mustang convertible for her and tried not to focus on her long legs or the strappy black sandals showing off sexy, red toenails. "Is that why you read them?"
Quickly closing the door, he strutted around the front of the car. Might as well give her a look at one of my best assets. Sliding in beside her, he brought the engine to life. Something about powerful engines appealed to him. Fast. Dangerous. Loud. Similar to the way he'd lived his life—until recently. He missed his motorcycle back home. Images of Melodie in black leather, straddling his cherry red Ducati, did absolutely nothing to ease the fire burning behind the zipper of his Levis.
"I suppose."
Her softly spoken words dragged him reluctantly out of the fantasy and back to reality. "You suppose what?"
Dark eyebrows creased on her face, adding to the charm of her confusion. "You asked me if I read books because they worked out better than real life. I was answering."
He shifted the car smoothly into gear. "Real life definitely bites sometimes, doesn't it?"
"Definitely." The innocent statement prompted the faraway look on her face again.
Damn, he needed to understand what was going on inside that beautiful head of hers. He didn't want to screw things up before they even started. And, God help him, for once—he didn't want to screw things up. Time to unleash the full gentleman on her.
"All right. Try this compliment on for size. I've never met someone, librarian or otherwise, with eyes as beautiful as yours. They would give emeralds a run for their money in a contest for stunning."
As he hoped, the subject of his compliment, those dazzling eyes, focused on him and, thank God above, they were at a stoplight, so he could return the intensity of her gaze. She offered a slight nod. "Your compliment would give any romance book hero a run for his money."
"Score one for Doctor Jekyll."
Her laughter filled the air, and he couldn't help but smile too. He sent an urgent message to his lower half. The agenda for tonight was different. No bag 'em and tag 'em on this outing. No, the objective for tonight consisted of more laughter and smiles from the beautiful woman sitting next to him. While the head below his belt absorbed the mandate, the one resting above his shoulders realized he wanted more than one night with this woman…definitely more.
"Jekyll–one. Hyde–zero. So far so good. Five minutes down, hours to go." Melodie teased.
Hours to go…Daniel liked the sound of a long night ahead of him. "So, for my next impressive move, I've selected Mi Casa as our dinner choice. You like Mexican food, right?"
"Does Taco Bell count?"
He grinned but cut her a quick look. "We're talking authentic Mexican here. If you're still craving one of those Dorito tacos after dinner, I'll run thru the drive-thru on the way back to your hotel."
"I'm willing to try." She looked out the window, squinting into the bright sun. "Seems a shame to have a convertible in this unrelenting heat. You wouldn't get to put the top down very often, I bet."
His overactive imagination promptly offered up images of Melodie's hair blowing freely in the wind, her expression smiling and uninhibited. He stopped the fantasy short of imagining her spread out on the hood, crying out his name in pleasure. Yeah, he might as well invite Mr. Hyde in for dinner if those illicit thoughts were allowed free rein. "If we take our time at dinner, the sun will set, and the temperature will drop to a bearable level. Then we can put the top down on the way home if you want."
A beautiful mix of happiness, excitement and shyness filled out her complexion. "I'd like that. Thank you."
Score two for Dr. Jekyll…at least one and a half.
A few minutes later, Daniel turned in to the parking lot. A brown building with the name of the restaurant in bold red letters sat prominently in the middle of the lot.
Melodie surveyed the exterior, unique décor of the restaurant. Chalk drawings of differe
nt scenes, including guitar players with sombreros, children playing soccer in the streets with brightly colored shirts, and the bold red, white, and green of the Mexican flag. Each drawing offering a colorful panorama of a slice of life in Mexico. "How extraordinary."
Daniel opened her door and extended his hand to help her up. Either accidently or on purpose, he pulled a little too hard, causing her to fall onto him again, reminiscent of their encounter on the airplane. This time, though, his arm circled her waist and steadied her soft frame against his. "I'd say we should stop meeting like this, but I kinda like it."
"You don't hear me complaining, do you?" Her softness pressed into his body, searing everywhere they touched with a heat stronger than the Texas sun at noon. This woman had no idea the affect she had on red-blooded males.
This red-blooded male in particular.
"Me neither, but we should probably get inside before they give away our reservations and," he let his hand slip a little lower until the small of her back rested under his palm, "before you tempt Mr. Hyde out of the dark corner I've relegated him to as punishment for misbehaving yesterday."
She stepped away, giving them both some space. "Good idea." She kissed him gently on the cheek. Leaving her hand in his, she pulled him toward the door.
He followed, like a lamb to the slaughter, knowing without a doubt his life would never be the same after spending time with this enchanting woman.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Impressive. Not only had Daniel been a perfect gentleman thus far, but the restaurant he selected for their dinner was nothing short of amazing. Besides the stunning yet simple beauty of the exterior, the cool, dark interior of the restaurant boasted bright colorful blankets, pictures, pottery and other authentic Hispanic decorations. The food was also a little slice of Spanish heaven. "I love when they serve the chips warm."
"The only way. Don't be a wuss. Try some of the salsa verde. I bet you like it hot."
He was flirting—flirting with danger even, but she couldn't resist. "I don't mind a little heat on my lips."
Daniel's eyes rolled back into his head as he groaned. "Damn it, woman, who's being bad now?"
She lowered her lashes and smiled. "Sorry. You're right. You've been on your best behavior. I should do the same."
Despite his arrogance and views toward women, his sincere compliments and effort to spend time with her had unlocked something deep within her heart. She'd been cautious for so long—fear of history repeating itself. Tonight was about the new beginning she'd promised herself. She only hoped she'd be able to see this through and not run, either physically or metaphorically, from the challenge and opportunity this man presented.
"Shall we try the getting to know more about you conversation again?"
His eyes flashed. This was one of those times the ability to read people better would help her understand what the look in his eyes meant. Making a mental note, she assigned herself the task of finding books on nonverbal communication and reading up on the subject when she got home. If the goal was to start living her life outside the pages of books, knowing how to read people would serve her well in the venture.
"What do you want to know?" She looked into his eyes, searching for some clue. Was he making an effort for her? From the little she did understand about people, it appeared that way. At least she hoped so. The gesture warmed her more than the salsa verde.
She waited while the food was placed in front of them and sampled her first taste of the enchilada. The combination of flavors, savory tinged with heat, tantalized her taste buds. "Oh, this is amazing. Another point scored for Dr. Jekyll."
He gave a slight smile. "I also get a point for not kissing you senseless in the parking lot earlier."
A quick sip of the strawberry margarita in the large glass proved a useless attempt to hide the heat spreading across her cheeks. "Maybe two." Subtract two, that is. The man could kiss. Dear God, could he kiss. Time to get the conversation back on track. "You said you were former military. What branch?"
His shoulders moved back as his chin thrust out. "Army, one hundred and first airborne division."
She sat up straighter and smiled. "That was the same division my dad served with in Vietnam. Screaming Eagles."
"Hooah."
Laughter bubbled to the surface as she remembered all the reminders her father had given her growing up about not confusing the different branches of the military. "Yes, not to be mistaken for hoorah."
He widened his eyes before giving her a big smile. "Hell no. We don't allow marine talk around here. Do we soldier?"
The laughter escaped, and she shook her head. "Sir, no, sir."
After a few more bites of food, the desire to know more about him prompted another question. "What do you do now?"
"That's not an easy question." Daniel's attention diverted to his beer bottle.
Remembering his words to her on the plane, she grinned and winked. "I believe you phrased it best. How do you earn your paycheck?"
He played with the label on the bottle, his eyes lowered. "I don't currently earn one. I'm going into business for myself."
"What type of business?"
Finally, eye contact. "Repairing and building custom motorcycles. I love to ride and tinker around with them. Figured after doing what Uncle Sam wanted, followed closely by what my ex wanted, it was time to do what I wanted."
"Good for you." She reached across the table and laid her hand over his, squeezing it in encouragement. "Tell me about your ex." There was no true explanation for her question other than her continued curiosity about what made the man sitting across from her tick. He intrigued her. She was beginning to think she liked intrigue.
"Most women don't like to hear about the past women in a man's life."
"Well, you said she was your ex. You're not still sleeping with her, are you?" If he answered yes, she would perform her vanishing act faster than she did last night. She prayed her purse contained enough cash for a cab ride back to the hotel.
Daniel's face screwed up in a look resembling horror. "God, no."
"That bad, eh?"
He nodded. "That bad. What about you? Ever been married?"
She lifted her hand to her hair and slowly twisted a lock. Don't cry. He doesn't know. It's an innocent question. "No, never."
"So no kids then?"
Her heart clenched along with her jaw. Honestly, get a grip. She knew it was irrational, but this topic always unsettled her. "No. You?"
Unlike the forced smile she put on for others when this topic arose, Daniel's smile lit up his entire face. "My daughter is the best thing that has ever happened to me, and the only good thing that came from my relationship with my ex. As a matter of fact, the only reason I still talk to the ex is Annie. Have to keep the peace or she'll use my visitations with her as a bargaining chip."
He has a daughter…"Tell me about her."
"The ex?"
"No, I've changed my mind. I'd rather hear about Annie."
"Does the fact I have a daughter scare you off? I wouldn't blame you if it did."
No, but the fact he might want more children gave her pause. Let it go. "I'm a children's librarian, remember? I adore kids."
"Anastasia is eight. Everyone calls her Annie. Her nickname is Princess. Blonde hair and blue eyes like her mother, but that's where the likeness stops. She's sweet, full of happiness, and not jaded by life. Her smile, hugs, and the way she calls me Daddy make me believe in second chances. She's the only female I've met and known for more than a couple days who hasn't screwed me over. Well, so far anyway."
"Am I the only female you've encountered who didn't take the offer of a one-night stand?" Her words were meant to gently tease, but the moment his eyes hardened, and the warmth of his hand in hers left, she knew she'd failed. Her damned curiosity, but she'd needed to know. She might be willing to try a new path in life, but she wasn't a one-night stand kind of girl.
"You don't understand." His fingers ran through his short blond h
air.
He was right. She didn't understand. God help her, she wanted to. "Look, I'm not good at reading people. Reading books is more my thing. However, you broadcast your opinions about relationships and women loud and clear. Even a naïve children's librarian can pick up on that little tidbit."
Another swallow of beer before he slowly exhaled and shrugged. "Survival instinct. Cause and effect."
Her heartbeat increased. Cause and effect she understood, but she needed the details. "You've lost me again."
"In the service, we're taught to pay attention to our surroundings and react accordingly. You trust those who are on your side and react to any threats with any means necessary to survive."
Thoughts of Tom and the trust he'd given to those allegedly on his side slipped unbidden to the front of her thoughts. He'd been given no opportunity to react, no opportunity to survive. Fighting back sadness and anger, she refocused on Daniel. "Sounds reasonable."
He pushed his plate to the center of the table. "Reasonable except I didn't realize when I got home from each tour, women would prove to be the real threats. They all wanted something from me—usually money, sex, and the list went on and on. Problem was, none of them wanted to give me what I wanted."
Daniel now had her undivided attention. What did a man like this want? "Which was?"
"Someone to share my life. Someone to cuddle with at night. Someone who wouldn't take my heart and treat it like a piece of rental property and only kept it around as long as it generated income."
Words failed her. How did one respond to such a statement? Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how she looked at it, he'd saved her from responding.
"So, after getting screwed over repeatedly by women, I switched to survival mode. They used me, so I used them—cause and effect."
Her appetite vanished with the lighthearted banter they'd been sharing throughout most of the evening. She'd wanted to know, and now she was at a loss to respond. "I'm so sorry."
More Than One Night Page 4
