A Fool for You (The Cochran/Deveraux Series Book 7)

by Melanie Schuster

  “So this is your way of saying we should date? Are you asking me to go steady or something?” she asked in a gentle tone John never expected to hear from her.

  “Yes I am, Miss Parker.” His lips were almost on hers, but he had to hear her answer.

  “Okay,” she whispered, just before their mouths touched. The hot, sweet explosion that followed was much better than the night before. This time it was deliberate and prolonged, and exploration of passion and tenderness. John traced the outline of Nina’s lips with his tongue, urging her to part her luscious lips for him. She sighed softly and opened her mouth to find John waiting for her, his tongue eagerly merging with hers in a burst of unexpected pleasure. Nina’s arms went around John’s neck and she clung to him, her desire for him growing with every stroke of his tongue, every motion of his wonderfully sensual mouth. John kissed and sucked and nibbled on her lips until she thought she would faint. She captured his lower lip and pulled it into her mouth, sucking on it gently until he moaned aloud. When they finally broke apart they stared at each other with equally dazed expressions.

  John wanted to say something clever, something sexy to further bind Nina to him but his mind was a complete blank. All he could think about was how incredibly sensual Nina looked with her dreamy eyes, her juicy lips and her now-erect nipples pushing through the thin silk of her sweater. He had no idea there was so much passion contained under the smooth veneer of his Miss Parker but it was there, a veritable volcano of it. She wasn’t exactly immune to him, either.

  Nina was doing everything she could to let him know how much she craved him. She stroked his face, making a soft little purring sound. She leaned forward, arching her back as she did so, pushing her body against his so there was no mistaking her desire. She kissed his neck, tasting him, committing his unique personal fragrance to her memory, abandoning herself to the sensations created by his touch. Finally she rested her head on his shoulder with a ragged sigh.

  John breathed her name reverently and pressed his lips to her hair. “I think we made the right choice,” he whispered.

  Nina lifted her face for one more taste of John’s very talented lips. After another long, satisfied sigh, she placed one slender hand on either side of his face. “So what do we do now?”

  John looked at her serious face, relishing the feel of her in his arms, the aftertaste of her kisses in his mouth and smiled as he kissed the tip of her nose. “We do everything, Nina. Everything.”

  Chapter 5

  All it took was another sleepless night to convince Nina that she’d done something incredibly stupid. Why did I do that? Why? She stared at her reflection in the mirror and thought seriously about bursting into tears, something she hadn’t done since she was a little girl. Her eyes looked puffy, her hair was a mess and her lips were still tender she realized, as she touched her lower one gently. She frowned at the mirror one more time, and abruptly left the room. It was time for a run. A good long run would clear her head and maybe she could think of a way out of the whole mess.

  A short time later she was pounding along at her usual pace, looking way more composed than she felt. Her thoughts seemed to be running in a continual loop matching the measured cadence of her footfalls: Why did I do that? Why did I do that? Why did I do that?

  A little voice in her head spoke up and asked, why not? Why shouldn’t you have some fun with a good-looking man? He’s smart, he’s kind and gentle, he likes you, he doesn’t have any diseases and he has a good job. End of story. If you want to kiss a pretty man like that, more power to you.

  But I agreed to date him, not just kiss him, Nina fretted.

  The voice came back again, this time more insistently: Girl, what is your problem? Women all over the world are dying to have dates with men who don’t have half of what the doc has and here you are acting a fool. If the man wants to date you, go for it. Don’t be stupid.

  Nina tried to outrun the words but they trailed after her, right into the parking lot of the track club. She actually cut her run short, an unprecedented move but a necessary one. She couldn’t concentrate on what she was doing with all of the racket going on in her head. After the briefest of cool downs, she was headed to her car when a voice stopped her.

  “Excuse me for intruding, but I’ve been wanting to say hello to you for a long time. My name is Marlon Reynolds and I see you running out here a lot. You have great form, I must say.”

  The man who stopped Nina was about six feet tall and very attractive with smooth, chocolate brown skin and a winning smile. The smile slipped a little when Nina didn’t answer right away. Finally she spoke.

  “Thank you for noticing. You have a great day,” she said crisply. With a brief nod, she continued to her car, only to be followed by the young man.

  “Since you and I both like to run, I was thinking that maybe we could run together sometime. Maybe grab something to eat afterwards, how does that sound?”

  By now Nina had reached the rented Ford Focus she’d been driving and carefully unlocked the door, stowing her belongings in the back seat before addressing her admirer. She adjusted her sunglasses and turned around with a tight little smile on her race. “Look, Marvin…”

  “Marlon,” he corrected her.

  “Okay, Marlon. Thanks for the offer, but I’m not interested. Now you have a nice day, okay?”

  She was about to enter the car when Marlon stopped her. “Come on, now, you just gonna blow me off, is that it? You’re not even gonna give a brother a chance?” he said with a note of playful pleading.

  If he hadn’t touched her he might have gotten off light but once his hand touched her arm it was on. She shook it off viciously and snarled. “Look here, Marlon, Jackie, Tito, whatever your name is, you’re old enough to take no for an answer and keep going . I come here to run, period, I’m not interested in socializing while I’m here, thank you, so you go your way and I’ll go on mine and we’ll forget this ever happened, okay?”

  “So you got a man or something?”

  “Yes, she does. And he’s not nearly as polite as she is so I suggest you move along while you still can.”

  There stood John, looking murderously angry. Before Nina could react, Marlon was skittering out of the parking lot in a cloud of dust and she was left alone with John, who was towering over her with a menacing frown on his face.

  “Where did you come from?” Nina asked.

  “I came here to see if you wanted to have breakfast with me, and look what I find. Some jackass trying to push up on you! Is this the first time he’s said anything to you?” John demanded.

  “John, don’t tell me you’re the jealous type,” Nina said incredulously.

  “It has nothing to do with being jealous, but it does have has everything to do with your safety. What did I tell you about letting other men see your body? Look at you, you might as well be wearing underwear,” he said hotly, gesturing at her usual running attire.

  Nina raised one eyebrow and gave him an amused smile. “Not really, my underwear covers a lot less than this.”

  “It does?” John’s expression changed and he was clearly picturing Nina in some provocative ensemble. That didn’t deter Nina, however. She poked him in the stomach and spoke sternly.

  “You and I need to have a little talk, friend. A serious one.”

  ***

  A few hours later, John and Nina were seated in a small restaurant on campus, sharing lunch. She was dressed in an immaculately pressed pair of jeans and a crisp white shirt with the sleeves rolled back to reveal her taut forearms. A cherry red sweater was thrown over her shoulders and expensive-looking black loafers completed the chic but casual ensemble. John was wearing the same outfit he’d had on earlier, a pair of khaki slacks with a blue oxford dress shirt bearing the unmistakable Ralph Lauren polo rider crest. The shirt was open at the collar and he’d left his sport coat at the office. He looked wonderful with the bright sunlight streaming over him through the window of the restaurant, but there was still a certain ten
sion about his face. It was plain he was still not over the incident in the parking lot. Nina, on the other hand, looked relaxed and quite in control.

  John watched the light playing along her fabulous face and the knot in his stomach lessened slightly. She didn’t seem angry, she was perusing the menu with avid interest and she appeared to be in a good mood, despite the fact he’d acted like a barbarian back at the track.

  Their waitress approached the table and Nina placed her order. “I’d like a cheeseburger, well done, with lettuce, tomato, extra pickles and bacon. And mayo on the side, please. Are your fries frozen or do you make them here?” When told they were made on the premises, Nina beamed and said she’d like an order. “And a chocolate malt, please, if it’s a real malt.”

  “It’s as real as my hips, honey,” the buxom server assured her.

  John said he’d have the same. The waitress tucked her pencil behind her ear and ambled off in the direction of the kitchen. John watched as Nina daintily sipped water, bracing himself for whatever was coming. He didn’t have to wait long as Nina started talking as soon as she put the glass of water down.

  “John, this is not going to work. I think we were both caught up in the romance of the wedding, it happens all the time. All that kissing and hugging and flowers and whatnot, it makes people a little crazy,” she said in a measured, neutral voice that was somehow more piercing than a scream. “I don’t think we’re suited to one another at all and we need to put this whole dating thing out of our heads before it goes too far.”

  She sat back in her chair and put her clasped hands on the table, looking at John expectantly. John’s reaction to her statement was immediate.

  “Nina, you couldn’t be more wrong. I admit, I might have been a little out of line this morning, but that’s no reason to put an end to our relationship before it even gets off the ground.”

  “A little out of line? John, you came up out of nowhere like some kind of ninja warrior or something. That poor man will probably never speak to another woman again in this life. I had no idea you were the jealous type,” she said with a smile of genuine amusement.

  “You know what? I didn’t realize that either,” John said ruefully. It was true, John had a rich and varied dating history but he couldn’t remember ever losing control over a woman. He’d done it with Nina twice in less than a week. Something was happening to him that he didn’t understand, but he didn’t want it to end. Nina seemed determined to derail the love train before it left the station and he wasn’t going to allow that.

  “Okay, we can blame it on my rich Latin heritage,” he said with a wry twist of his mouth. It was true in a way; his adoptive parents were Puerto Rican and John had grown up believing he was too. His father, uncles and cousins had quite naturally influenced his ideals and impressions of life and there was indeed a streak of Latin machismo running deep in his veins. He couldn’t think of anyone less likely to tolerate it less than Nina Whitney. “I don’t think of myself as some macho man and I’ve never tried to tell a woman how to dress or how to act in public, but I’ve done it to you twice in as many days. I can only tell you it won’t happen again,” he said sincerely.

  “Actually, John, it was three times in three days or do you not remember snatching me away from Alicia’s brother at the wedding reception? I think you’d better confine your promises to things you can control. I think there’s a big untapped streak of he-man running through your veins,” she said, again with a smile.

  John felt a pain deep in his gut. “So is this why you’re saying this won’t work? Because you think I’m some big chest-thumping caveman who’s going to try to subjugate you and control you at every turn?”

  Nina looked serious for the first time and slowly shook her head. “If I’m going to be completely honest I have to tell you I actually thought it was kind of sweet. You were really cute when you went all primitive and territorial,” she said with a slight blush. “That’s not why this won’t work, John. It’s because you and I could never make it. I’m not the woman for you, not at all. This could never, ever work and the sooner we get back to being colleagues the better.”

  “What do you mean, you’re not the woman for me? It seems to me I should be the one who decides that and from where I sit, you’re just perfect.” He leaned across the table and lowered his voice several octaves. “Think about last night, Nina, you can’t tell me that wasn’t perfect,” he murmured.

  Nina’s face flushed and her long lashes lowered. “I admit it was nice,” she said demurely. “But let’s face it, John, any healthy man and woman can generate the same kind of heat given the right circumstances. We don’t have a patent on sexual chemistry, you know.”

  The waitress returned at that moment, and all conversation stopped as the food was arranged in front of them. Nina looked at her order hungrily and remarked that she’d missed breakfast. “I love a good burger, I really do.” She cut hers in half neatly and took her first bite, sighing in satisfaction. “This is a really great cheeseburger, John, aren’t you going to eat yours?”

  “Not until you stop all the double-talk and tell me what’s going on in that magnificently complex head of yours. Talk to me, Nina, and try to make me understand why you think we can’t be a couple.”

  Nina put down the fry she’d just picked up and wiped her hands on her napkin. “Okay, John, if you want to know why it won’t work, here’s your answer in one word: me. I’m all wrong for you. I’m not adorable, I’m not accomplished, I don’t have clever, wonderful girlfriends and I can’t pull gourmet feasts off at a moment’s notice. I’m not terribly sociable and I don’t do well with crowds. This relationship is doomed, so there’s no real reason to prolong it. We kissed, it was a mistake, life goes on. End of story,” she said firmly.

  John felt a flood of relief at her words, even more so when he noticed her hand shaking as she picked up her malt. As long as she didn’t find him repulsive or ridiculous, it would be okay. So her issues were with how she perceived herself, not with him; that was something he could handle. Giving her a rakish grin, he finally picked up his sandwich and took a huge bite. After he swallowed it, he nodded to Nina.

  “You’re absolutely correct, Nina.” He was pleased to see a look of panic flash into her eyes at his words. “You were right, this is a great burger.” And I’m right about us and I’ll have to prove it to you.

  ***

  True to his word, John simply refused to heed Nina’s concerns. He understood to an extent where she was coming from; she was comparing herself with his brother’s wives and somehow decided she was lacking in some way. He’d decided the best way to handle the situation was to let her know as often as possible she was the only woman who held his interest and he liked her just the way she was. So despite her misgivings, the dating began. As far as John was concerned, it started fright there in the little campus restaurant. After finishing their lunch, John opened her door for her and handed her the keys. Before she could slide under the steering wheel, John caught her up in a close embrace and planted a big kiss on her, right in front of God and everybody.

  “Thanks for having lunch with me. Now what time is dinner?”

  Nina’s slender hands tensed and relaxed on John’s big biceps and she answered him so softly he almost didn’t hear it. “Seven,” she whispered.

  And so it started, innocently enough, with lunch together, then dinner. Sometimes breakfast, if Nina needed to go over something with John pertaining to the book. They worked well together, although Nina did the majority of the work in her suite. On occasion they worked in his office, but those times weren’t as productive as Nina would have liked. Instead of getting right down to work, she and John would spend long hours talking about nothing in particular and trying to keep their hands off each other. It wasn’t easy because despite what Nina had blithely told John, they had a remarkably potent chemistry that got stronger with every kiss.

  Nina was thinking about John’s kisses at that very moment. She was sitting at the t
able she used for a desk, staring out the window at the steady rain. The rain was soothing to her easily rattled nerves and it was also arousing in a way. The clean scent of it drifted in the slightly open window and the elusive fragrance reminded her of John’s aftershave. She signed deeply and tried to get her mind back on her work, but it wasn’t possible. All she could think about was John. They’d had a lot of fun in the past couple of weeks. So much it was like torture to try and remember it all, but it was the sweetest kind of torture.

  They had been to a few art galleries, to a play, to a U of M football game, and they shared almost every meal. On a few occasions they’d been entertained by Adam’s brothers and their families, which was quite nice and not as strained as Nina would have imagined. Once you got past the sappiness, the Cochrans were intelligent, friendly people who went out of their way to make her feel welcome. Yes, she and John had shared a lot of fun lately, even when they weren’t doing anything but playing Scrabble or watching a movie. And every single date ended in John’s arms with his lips on hers. She’d had no idea that merely kissing a man could be so satisfying, so sensual. The way John touched her, tasted her, the feel of his arms around her…

  A knock at the door roused her from her thoughts of John and she welcomed the interruption. Fanning herself lightly, she jumped up from the table and went to answer the door. She guessed it was the florist and she was right. There was the same nice little man, delivering what had become regular floral tributes from John. The sight of the beautiful bouquet of exotic flowers in sultry pink hues brought a smile to her face as always, but a sense of melancholy also pervaded her very being. She looked around for a surface on which to put the flowers and took them into the bedroom so they would be the last thing she saw at night and the first thing she saw in the morning. John was so thoughtful, so determined to delight her each and every day. She’d always suspected John would be an ardent and attentive suitor and she was right. He was warm, loving, charming and affectionate and to think she’d have to let him go was heartbreaking.