by Carla Cassidy, Evelyn Vaughn, Harper Allen, Ruth Wind, Cindy Dees
She wanted a place of her own, a place where she would be responsible for herself and her own needs, a place that nobody else could claim where she could build a life for herself.
A place where she could cook a meal for a friend, or have a man spend the night. It was time for her to be in charge, to make her own way, make her own decisions and grow.
She tightened her grip on her steering wheel as she thought of Nick. She hadn’t been looking for a romantic interest in her life, had never felt the need for a man to make her complete. But she loved spending time with him, talking about everything and nothing with him.
She had never been as comfortable with another person, outside of Jonas. Nick excited her with his heated dark eyes and even hotter touch, but he also put her at ease with his gentle teasing and attentive thoughtfulness.
She was precariously close to being completely in love with him despite the brevity of their relationship so far. She had no idea where their relationship was going, felt no need to worry about it. She simply intended to enjoy each moment as it came.
Slowing her car, she turned into the drive of the cottage that bore Nick’s address. It was just as he’d described it, a small bungalow painted white with cheerful yellow trim.
Before she got out of the car, he appeared on the porch. In jeans and a white T-shirt, he looked cool and casual.
He’d told her to dress casually and bring a swimsuit. She wore a pair of red shorts and a red-and-white-striped sleeveless blouse. As she got out of the car she grabbed her purse and her beach bag from the back seat.
“Hi,” she said as she approached the porch.
“Hi, yourself. I see you found me all right.”
“Your directions were perfect and this place is lovely. It reminds me of an enchanted cottage.” She joined him on the porch.
Immediately she recognized an unusual darkness in his eyes, a tension that radiated from him that let her know something was wrong. “Is everything all right?”
“Fine. Come on in.” He took her by the elbow and led her through the front door. “I’ve got the salad made and the charcoal ready for the steaks but thought maybe you’d like to swim a little before we eat.”
“Sounds wonderful,” she agreed.
He ushered her through the small but comfortable living room and into a bedroom. “You can change into your suit in here. I’ll be out on the back deck whenever you’re ready.”
A moment later, alone in what was obviously the bedroom where he slept while here, Lynn changed into her suit and wondered what was wrong. Even though he’d said everything was fine, she knew something weighed heavily on him.
Just because we’ve seen each other every night for the past two weeks that doesn’t give me the right to pry, she chided herself as she changed into her modest two-piece suit. Two weeks of dating didn’t mean he owed her all his thoughts, all his concerns.
As she’d walked through the living room she’d noticed the room contained nothing personal to indicate who lived there. No photos, no knickknacks decorated the room, nothing but an ordinary sofa and chair, small television and coffee table.
Here in the bedroom it was the same. The room contained a double bed, two nightstands and a dresser, but nothing personal. She supposed his apartment at the Heritage Arms was more a reflection of him and had the personal touches that made a place a home.
He hadn’t invited her there yet. One day at a time, she reminded herself as she left the bedroom.
As she walked through the kitchen toward the back door, she saw him through the glass windows on the porch. He wore only a pair of black swim trunks, and the sight of his broad tanned chest, slim waist and long muscular legs forced a heat through her entire body. Even though she hadn’t been looking for a romantic interest in her life, Nick Barnes made her think of deep kisses and tangled sheets and hot sex.
At that moment he saw her through the glass window and opened the door for her to join him on the deck with its incredible view of beach and ocean.
“Wow, this is great,” she said.
He gestured toward the waves. “You ready for a dip?” She nodded. He reached out and grabbed her hand, and together they ran across the expanse of sand and toward the water.
He released his hold on her hand as they both dived into the waves. When she surfaced she saw him just ahead of her, swimming out with strong, sure strokes.
She drew a deep breath and swam toward him. When she caught up with him, she paced him stroke for stroke until he finally surfaced and looked at her in surprise.
“You’re a hell of a swimmer,” he said.
“What are you doing? Swimming or exorcising demons?” she asked, remembering that he’d said the same thing to her when he’d seen her doing laps in the pool.
“A little of both,” he replied, and gestured for them to return to the shore.
Their return was more leisurely as they swam a little and let the waves carry them back in to where they could touch their feet to the ocean floor.
“You want to talk about it?”
He didn’t pretend not to know what she meant. “Maybe later,” he replied. He swam closer to her. “Right now I just want to play a little.”
She squealed as he picked her up and threw her through the air. For the next few minutes they wrestled and dunked each other, playing like children in the invigorating water.
However, Lynn was aware of the fact that there was nothing childlike in the way she felt when her bare legs tangled with his, in how his muscled chest felt beneath her fingertips, in how her breath caught when his hands touched her bare skin.
By the time they left the water, all her senses were heightened to a level she’d never felt before. She wanted him, but he seemed preoccupied as they stood together beneath an outdoor shower to rid themselves of salt residue from the ocean water.
When she’d changed back into her shorts and blouse, she joined him in the kitchen where he was setting the table for their meal.
“What can I do to help?” she asked.
“You can get the salad out of the fridge along with any dressing you want and I’ll go turn the steaks. How do you like yours?”
“Medium well.”
He nodded and disappeared back outside to the grill. She got out the salad and several bottles of salad dressing, then poured water and ice in glasses and set them on the table.
She went to the door and watched him at the grill. Even though he had been playful in the water, there was a quiet intensity about him she hadn’t seen before. She was vaguely surprised to realize the depth of how much she cared that something was obviously bothering him.
He looked up and saw her watching him and motioned for her to come outside. “There’s a bottle of wine in the refrigerator. Why don’t you pour us each a glass.”
“All right.” She returned to the kitchen, poured the wine, then once again joined him on the deck.
He took a glass from her, gesturing her toward one of the chairs. “Sit and relax, the steaks will be ready in just a few minutes.”
“It’s so peaceful out here,” she said as she sank into one of the deck chairs. “If I were you, I’d give up my apartment at the Heritage Arms and move in here permanently.”
“I need the place close to your godfather’s house for business purposes. Nobody knows I have this place, not even your godfather. It’s my secret hideaway.”
“The enchanted cottage,” she repeated, then sipped her wine and digested this information, touched that he’d shared this particular secret with her, even though she sensed he had others.
She thought of all the secrets she possessed. She couldn’t really blame him for keeping his when she was keeping so many of her own.
It was after dinner while the two of them were standing at the sink washing their dishes when he finally told her what was bothering him.
“I got a call from my brother this evening. My father wants to see me.”
Lynn set her dish towel on the counter and looked at him
in surprise. “But that’s good news, isn’t it? I mean, you told me he’d disowned you and it’s been years since you’ve spoken to him. Maybe he finally wants to fix things, mend fences.”
Nick eyed her for a long moment, then placed his palm against her cheek. “You’re very sweet.” He dropped his hand. “But I doubt very seriously that my father wants to mend fences. He’s just not that kind of man.”
A deep sadness filled his eyes and it shot straight through to Lynn’s heart. She knew the sadness of basically having no family. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like to have a family who didn’t want you.
This time she placed her palm against Nick’s face, wanting, needing to offer solace. “If he doesn’t want to mend fences, then he’s nothing but an old fool,” she said softly. “Any other man in the world would be proud to have a man like you as a son.”
She hadn’t intended to kiss him, but she stood so close, and the dark fires in his eyes enticed her forward, to touch his lips with her own. Besides, it wasn’t exactly a hardship. She’d learned in the last two weeks that she loved kissing Nick.
He remained perfectly still, his mouth neither accepting nor rejecting hers until she wound her arms around his neck and pressed closer against him. It was only then that he took command of the kiss.
His tongue danced with hers at the same time his arms wrapped around her and he pulled her intimately close against him. Lynn gave herself to the pleasure of his body so tight against hers, his mouth so hot, so hungrily demanding.
She’d never wanted anyone the way she wanted Nick at this moment. As his hold loosened and she sensed he was about to bring the kiss to an end, she leaned even more intimately against him, letting him know she was ready and willing to take it to a new level.
“Lynn,” he said as he tore his mouth from hers.
“What?” she asked breathlessly, then trailed kisses along his jawline. She felt the tension in his body and was also aware of his arousal. It reflected the arousal that flowed like hot honey through her veins.
“We should finish the dishes.” His voice was husky and thick.
“On the contrary, I think we should finish this.” It was the boldest, most forward thing she’d ever said. But for the first time in her life she knew what she wanted and had found the courage to go after it.
Chapter 8
His eyes were darker than she’d ever seen them as he gazed down at her. Hot. Hungry. Yet she also saw a hint of hesitation.
She gave him no opportunity to entertain the latter. She pulled his head down and kissed him once again, her tongue seeking entry into his mouth.
He held himself rigid against her for a long moment, then he groaned as he opened his mouth and returned the kiss. His hands moved up and down her back, beneath her blouse as the fire in the kiss increased.
She could kiss him forever. His kisses were as drugging, as intoxicating as a hundred Alabama Slammers. She loved the warmth of his mouth, the taste of it. She loved the strength of his arms surrounding her, the feel of his body so close to hers. His hands were fevered on her bare skin, and she wanted him touching her everywhere.
She felt not only the beat of his heart against her own, but also the press of his hips into hers and the unmistakable evidence of his desire for her.
He groaned, a deep, husky sound that enflamed her senses further.
At the moment, her gift of heightened senses was truly a treasure. She could not only smell the scent of Nick’s cologne but also the fragrance of his laundry detergent and fabric softener in his shirt and the underlying musk of his maleness.
Her fingertips reveled in the feel of his thick, soft hair at the nape of his neck as her body warmed in his embrace.
This time, when the kiss finally ended, it was he who rained kisses down her jaw, into the hollow of her throat. She dropped her head back, allowing him access to the length of her throat. Shivers of pleasure raced up her spine at each touch of his lips against her skin.
She pushed her hips into his, loving the feel of his hardness against her, loving the fact that it was her kisses, her touch that put him in that condition.
Moving her hands down, she felt the taut muscles of his back through his shirt. She wanted to feel his warm skin. She wanted him naked against her.
His hands moved to her sides, slowly caressing upward over her ribs until they rested just beneath her breasts.
Her nipples tingled and hardened as if he’d already touched her there, as if she already felt the heat of his hands on her breasts. Her breath caught in her chest in anticipation, but his hands moved no further.
Instead he dropped his arms to his side and stepped back from her, his gaze not meeting hers. He swiped a hand through his hair, drew a deep breath and finally looked at her.
“Lynn, I want you. Trust me, there’s nothing I’d like better than to take you into my bedroom and make love to you until the sun comes up tomorrow morning.”
His words, coupled with the desire that flamed in his eyes caused her knees to threaten to buckle. She wanted to tell him that was exactly what she wanted, but her mouth was dry, and before she could speak he continued.
“But we’ve only been seeing each other for a couple of weeks. I don’t want us to rush into this. It’s…you’re too important to me for that. I don’t want to take the chance of any regrets when we do make love.”
Disappointment swept through her, but it was a disappointment tempered by the fact that he obviously had her best interest at heart. It had only been a couple of weeks, even though it felt much longer. Even though she’d never felt this way about any man before, that didn’t mean it wasn’t wise to go slowly.
“Then I guess we’d better finish the dishes,” she said, her voice breathy and slightly unsteady.
“I guess we’d better,” he agreed.
They finished the dishes, then carried wine out to the patio and sat to watch the waves rushing to shore as the last of daylight slipped away.
“This is my favorite time of day,” she said as she watched the splash of the sun’s last light gleaming on the water.
“I’m a dawn kind of person myself,” he replied. “Especially when I’m here at the cottage and can watch the sun come up.”
As they talked, Lynn was aware of the simmering tension between them, a tension she knew was blatantly sexual.
But certainly her attraction to Nick wasn’t just sexual in nature. There seemed to be a chemistry at work between them, one that went beyond mere physical attraction. She’d never felt this way about another person before in her life.
Although she felt wonderfully at ease with him, she also felt a spark of electricity, the promise of endless possibilities whenever she was with him.
“To me, dawn is always about the possibilities the day might hold, and dusk is always about reflections of what the day did hold,” she said.
He smiled, his features barely discernible in the growing darkness of night. “And what are you reflecting about at this moment?”
“About what a lovely evening I’ve had.” Her cheeks warmed slightly, and she smiled shyly. “And about how much I enjoy spending time with you.”
“I feel the same way,” he said after a moment’s hesitation. “You’re easy to be with, Lynn. You don’t seem like most twenty-two-year-olds.”
“What does that mean?” she asked, unsure whether to be offended or pleased.
He looked out at the water and sighed thoughtfully. “I don’t know, you just seem older, more mature and more sure of yourself.”
She laughed. “Get me in a room with more than three people in it and you’ll see just how unsure I can be of myself.”
“That has nothing to do with maturity,” he countered. “Lots of people are shy. From what I know, you just haven’t had a chance to practice the skills of socializing with a lot of people, apart from your friends at school.”
“That’s definitely true.” It was her turn to stare out at the water, where the sun had gone away and moonlight
cast a faint silvery illumination onto the tips of the waves. “But you’re right, I don’t think I’m like other women my age. My peers were always my godfather and his friends. I never really had friends my own age until the last couple of years.”
“All I know is that you seem older, more settled than most young women I’ve known.”
She looked at him once again. “I’m going to take that as a compliment.”
He laughed. “Good, because I meant it as one.”
He’d told her earlier in the evening that he was on security duty that night at midnight, so when eleven arrived, she stood to prepare to leave.
“I’ll follow you to the house,” he said, also rising from the deck chair.
“Do you often work the overnight hours?” she asked as they walked through the house toward the front door.
“Not often, but occasionally. One of my men called in sick this afternoon so I’m working for him tonight.” His hand in the small of her back as he led her out the door was a reminder of what they had almost shared, what they would have shared had he not stopped it.
He opened her car door, then leaned forward and captured her lips with a gentle kiss that was every bit as seductive as the hotter, deeper kisses they had shared earlier.
“I won’t be able to see you tomorrow night,” he said when the kiss ended. “I have that reunion with my family.”
“I hope it goes well for you.”
He smiled. “I’m not expecting any miracles.” His smile faded and instead his gaze on her was darkly serious. “Sometimes you just have to face the fact that the people who raise you, the people who are supposed to love and guide you, the people who are supposed to teach you right from wrong and good from bad, don’t always have your best interests at heart. Not everyone who has children deserves them.”
Confusion swept through her. She had the feeling he wasn’t just talking about his own situation, but somehow was trying to say something to her personally.
However, there was no way she could compare Nick’s family to her godfather. Jonas had taken care of her, supported her and loved her every day that she had been in his life.
