Xander had danced around who he was taking to dinner—that would’ve sent Molly into a tizzy—but he had asked about a nice place to eat. His foster mother was on a mission to get all of her children married off. Molly loved Rose and if she thought for a second they might reconcile, he wouldn’t hear the end of it until they were married with three kids. Cornwall had some decent dining choices, but he’d been gone so long he wouldn’t know what was still open. This place was on the new side, about a year old, but it had gotten rave reviews.
“Sounds great,” she said as they pulled out onto the main road.
“Have you been there before?”
Rose chuckled and shook her head. “I don’t really eat out much, unless you count Daisy’s. I usually work the lunch and dinner shifts because they have the best tips.”
Xander knew what it was like to work all the time. He was pretty bad about it. If he did eat out, it was with a colleague or he was attending some kind of political event. He couldn’t even remember the last time he’d gone out to dinner with a pretty woman who had no connections to politics. That was sad. He needed to make it a point not to talk about his work at all tonight.
“I know what you mean. My days are pretty long, and unlike most of my fellow congressmen, I don’t have family to go home to. That just means I have no reason to leave and I work even longer.”
“So you’ve never married, either? Or did you run one off?”
Xander laughed. “If I had married, I probably would’ve run her off by now. But no, I’m single. Dating is nearly impossible with my schedule, but the pressure is on. Wade’s getting married this fall and get this—my brother Brody is engaged, too. Can you believe he’s beat me to it?”
“Really? Wow. Good for him.”
His brother Brody had been in the same grade as he and Rose. Brody was smart but painfully shy thanks to the scars left behind by his abusive father. He’d come to the Garden of Eden after his dad lost it and dumped battery acid on Brody’s face. He was never comfortable in his own skin and until recently was never comfortable around women. His fiancée, Sam, had hunted him down like a lioness stalking a gazelle. Brody hadn’t even known what had hit him.
“I know. I guess I’d always consoled myself with the fact that I wouldn’t be the last to get married. I figured I had plenty of time. I was wrong.”
“Don’t look at it that way,” she said. “It’s better to think that if Brody could find someone, there has to be a woman out there for you. You just haven’t found her yet.”
Or maybe he had and he’d been a fool and thrown his chance away. That thought had crossed his mind more than one time over the years, but even more so as two of his brothers had gotten engaged. Wade and Tori were getting married in a few months. Brody and Sam were marrying in the spring. Thank goodness his younger brother was not the settling-down type. Heath was always quick to find a flaw in the women he dated. He had some ideal that no woman could ever meet. Xander understood. Every woman that drifted into his life was measured against Rose and came up short.
“You were always good at putting a positive spin on things.”
“Spin is your department, Congressman Langston. I just call it like I see it.”
Somehow, her using his official title struck him wrong. He wasn’t even used to her calling him Xander, so his title felt completely alien. In high school she’d called him Z. No one else had ever called him that before or since. “Please don’t ever call me that again. With you in that dress, it makes me feel like a dirty politician out with a young girl.”
Rose laughed. “I was just using it for effect. I’ll stick with Xander from now on.”
He slowed and pulled the car into the restaurant parking lot. “Well, I hope you’re hungry. Home-style Italian food is not designed for dieters.”
“You know me,” she said with a smile. “Salads are for rabbits.”
Xander laughed, remembering their dates in high school. Rose had enjoyed eating, whereas some girls he’d dated picked at their food and complained they were fat. That had annoyed him then, and it annoyed him now. Back then it was because he’d worked hard to pay for the food they were wasting. Now he had plenty of money but it annoyed him because he didn’t enjoy the company of people who couldn’t indulge themselves now and then. Everything in moderation, of course, but he didn’t want a woman who would run in horror at the thought of splitting a piece of cheesecake with him.
Once inside the restaurant, he was very pleased with Molly’s recommendation. The space was warm and inviting. Nice enough that his tailored gray silk suit and tie weren’t out of place, but not so fancy that they couldn’t relax and enjoy themselves. The wine bottles on display behind the hostess’s station were high quality and not the kind you could buy at the liquor store or order down at the local bar, the Wet Hen.
Their table was intimate, in a dark corner of the restaurant. It was lit by the flicker of ivory candles that gave everything a warm golden glow, including Rose’s flawless complexion. He’d always admired her peaches-and-cream skin. She’d never worn makeup in high school and she didn’t need it now, although she’d lined her eyes and put a glossy color on her lips.
They quickly ordered and settled in. Their waiter brought their wine and bread with oil and herbs.
Rose pulled a hunk of bread off the loaf and moved it to her plate. “So what brings you back to Cornwall, Xander?”
That was a good question. What had brought him back to Cornwall? The truth wouldn’t work. He’d given Ken and Molly a lame story about needing to get away from D.C. for a few weeks and prepare for the launch of his book. Molly had eaten it up. Ken had been more suspicious, but he was glad to have him home for a while. That story probably worked just as well as anything.
“Congress is out of session. I was feeling a little burned out, so I decided to come home instead of staying in Washington. With my book coming out and a reelection year on the horizon, I needed it. Come the fall, it will be twelve solid months of campaigning and fund-raising on top of finishing out my term. It’s exhausting. I needed to get away for a while and recharge before I jump back into the fray.”
“That’s understandable. When you work that hard for that long, you’ve got to get away every now and then or you’ll go crazy.”
Xander couldn’t hide his smirk. “Pot, I’d like you to meet kettle.”
She shrugged away his dig. “I never said I wasn’t crazy. You just haven’t asked me the right questions to uncover the ugly truth.”
Xander took a sip of his wine and regarded her across the table. She didn’t look a decade older, but there were subtle changes. He could detect the faint lines of stress that life was etching onto her face, but he didn’t mind it. He preferred women with faces that actually moved. It was hard to come by anymore. But Rose was real. Fresh and honest and everything he remembered her to be. He’d thought for a while that he’d embellished her in his mind over the years, but she met his every expectation. He hadn’t been this entranced by a woman in a very long time.
“You wouldn’t be the first crazy woman I found to be incredibly sexy.”
Rose probably thought her blush would be disguised by the dim lighting, but he could still make out the pink tint of her cheeks. He wanted to reach across the table and stroke the pad of his thumb across her soft skin, but if he started touching her, he wasn’t certain he would be able to stop.
Later tonight perhaps he wouldn’t have to. He wanted Rose. He shouldn’t. She deserved someone who could offer her more than just a few weeks. But he couldn’t change how he responded to her. It was hardwired in his DNA somehow. What would it hurt for them to indulge? It would certainly make his time here more pleasurable.
All of this assuming, of course, that the reason he was home didn’t ruin it all.
Xander and his foster brothers hadn’t seen the sketch of the unidentified man buried on their property, but the odds were it would lead the authorities back to the farm. Anyone who knew Tommy Wilder back in the da
y would probably recognize him from the drawing.
What would happen then? Xander, with his law degree, was pretty certain that none of the Eden kids would be charged or serve jail time. Tommy’s death was justifiable and the statute of limitations had run out on any stupid things they’d done after the fact. But they were more concerned with the truth coming out. It could kill their father. Break their mother’s heart. Ruin his career and the work he did with his charity.
And as far as Rose was concerned, he didn’t think she would be so keen on seeing him if he was implicated in the death of one of his fellow foster children. Really, calling Tommy a child was a misnomer. Nearly eighteen, he had been a large, dangerous, out-of-control teenager with sticky fingers and hard fists. The other children had only done what they had to do to protect each other and the home they loved.
Perhaps she would understand. Either way, he would figure it out. If the alternative was staying far, far away from Rose, he would just have to make sure that the Garden of Eden Christmas Tree Farm, and everyone who’d ever lived on it, came out of this squeaky-clean. That was why he was here anyway.
Making love to Rose would just be an exceptionally sweet bonus.
* * *
Dinner went by quickly. The wine had flowed, and so had the conversation. She’d tried to keep the conversation focused on his life now or on reminiscing about their childhoods together. Talking about her life was dangerous territory and she wanted to avoid it. It had gone well so far. Before she knew it, their creamy slab of tiramisu was gone and the check had arrived.
As they walked out to the parking lot together, she was surprised to find Xander’s black Lexus was the last car out there. The restaurant was so well designed for romance and privacy that you couldn’t tell if there were a hundred or a dozen people inside. Apparently, there were none. “I didn’t realize we closed the place down.”
Xander walked her around to the passenger side of the SUV but stopped short of opening the door. “I’m not ready for tonight to be over yet.”
Neither was she. She’d been hesitant to spend this time with Xander, but she’d had a nice evening. This was the first real date she’d gone on in forever. Adult time with nice clothes and good food and, for once, no worries. She had thoroughly enjoyed herself and she didn’t want to go home and start her old life back up again. “It doesn’t have to be,” she said.
The skies were dark and clear tonight. The nearly full moon hung overhead, casting everything in a silvery light. It made it hard to read Xander’s expression, but his tense body language made it clear he was holding something in. She wanted to put her hand to his cheek and urge him to tell her what he wanted to say.
“Rose...” he said, hesitating for a moment. “I’ve waited eleven long years to kiss you again. When I was writing the chapters about our time together, I realized how special you were to me. And the moment I saw you in the diner, kissing you again was all I could think about. I’ve missed the feel of your lips and the soft sounds you made when I touched you just right.”
Rose’s breath caught in her throat. Had he really been thinking of kissing her all this time? She didn’t know what to say. It was the most romantic thing she’d heard in a long time. Maybe ever. Every joint in her body softened like room-temperature butter as he spoke the words to her.
He ran his hand through his hair and shook his head softly. “I know I have no right to ask anything of you, because I’m not staying around for long, but I’d kick myself if I let you out of my sight and didn’t at least...” His voice trailed off. Then his gaze zeroed in on her own. “May I kiss you?”
She knew she should say no for a million reasons, but none of them mattered at the moment. Not with the intense way he was looking at her. His eyes were devouring her as if she were a cool glass of water and he were stranded in the desert. It felt nice to be that desired again. How could she turn that down? Besides, what could a kiss hurt? Just one harmless little kiss? It didn’t mean anything. As long as she kept the situation in perspective, it would be fine.
“How could a girl say no to that?”
Xander smiled and his elusive dimples appeared. Suddenly, she was seventeen again and his boyish charm melted away all her defenses. He stepped forward until her back was pressed against his SUV. He reached out to touch her face, cradling her cheek against his palm. Rose couldn’t keep from closing her eyes and leaning into his touch.
“You are so beautiful,” he whispered, his lips centimeters from her own.
She could feel the featherlight caress of his breath as he spoke. A chill ran down her spine, making her shiver softly. He brought his palms to her upper arms, gently rubbing up and down to warm her skin. His hands were large and masculine. Not rough, but powerful as they held her. He closed his eyes for a moment. Rose wondered if he was reconsidering kissing her. She couldn’t bear the thought.
“Xander?” she said, barely louder than a breath.
His eyes opened and then...contact. Xander’s mouth pressed softly against hers. The moment their lips touched, it was as though they’d never been apart. The suppressed passion reignited and the chaste first-date kiss quickly unraveled into the heated embrace of old lovers.
His tongue sought hers out, gliding like silk into her mouth. She drank him in, losing herself in the pleasurable buzz of the wine and the hum of desire moving through her nervous system.
It had been so long since she’d let herself indulge with a man. Any man, much less Xander. He was the one who knew her every hope and dream. The one she’d given her virginity to. Her heart to. And through some weird twist of fate, here she was, back in his arms again.
Xander broke away from their kiss, but only to move on to new, unexplored parts of her body. His hungry mouth traveled over the curve of her throat, tasting her skin and nipping gently with his teeth. Rose clutched at him, tilting her head back to give him better access. Her neck was always so sensitive and he remembered it. Every caress sent a shiver of pleasure down her spine that urged her to press against the hard wall of his body.
Xander moved his hands over the soft fabric of her dress. She could feel the heat of his skin penetrating her clothes and warming her body. His touch was electric, bringing to life each neglected part of her body as he caressed it. Her breasts tightened and ached painfully against the confines of her bra. Her stomach tensed and twitched under his fingertips, her center nearly boiling over with the need he quickly built in her.
Her blood raged through her veins as her heart pounded faster and faster. There was no denying that she wanted Xander. The moment he asked her to dinner, she’d known this was an eventuality. She couldn’t tell him no and right now she didn’t want to. She’d missed him. Missed his touch. And even if he would be disappearing back to D.C. in a short time, she would have these memories to keep her satiated.
Rose gasped as his hand cupped her breast and squeezed gently. She arched her body into his, pressing her stomach against the hard ridge of his desire. She drew her leg up, hooking it around his thigh. His hand moved to her exposed skin, gliding along the slit of her dress. They were in the middle of a parking lot, but she didn’t care. He groaned against her throat, whispering her name into her ear.
It was the most erotic thing she’d ever heard. Giving herself to Xander might not be the right choice, but in that moment, she didn’t care. She wanted him.
And then her cell phone rang.
It was her brother’s ringtone. The passionate haze she’d lost herself in quickly evaporated. Considering he knew she was on a date, there had to be something wrong. And if there wasn’t, she was going to whip him good with her shoe the minute she got home.
“I’m sorry,” she said, pushing gently at the lapels of Xander’s suit and reaching for her purse. “It’s my brother, Craig. I’ve got to take this.”
Xander nodded and took a step back to give her breathing room and some privacy. She pulled out the phone and answered, her voice still shaky with desire. “Yes?” she said, her ton
e pointed despite its breathy quality.
“I know,” Craig said. “And I’m sorry. But I had to call. Joey fell off my trampoline in the backyard. I’m pretty sure he’s broken his left arm. I’m on my way to the E.R. right now. I figured you would want to meet me there.”
Rose could hear Joey’s whimpers in the background. Her poor baby. He’d never broken any bones before, which was surprising considering how active he was. She’d told Craig about fifteen times that she didn’t like those big trampolines. They were just made for breaking children. And now she’d proved her point. Her son was looking at a cast for weeks and it would probably mean that he’d miss out on the Little League championship later this month. They had a five-round bracket to play through, then on to the regional play-offs in early August. They had the best team the area had seen in a long time and really had a shot at going all the way. Joey would be devastated.
And all so she could go on a stupid date she never should’ve said yes to in the first place. It was a horrible interruption, but now she was thankful for it. The call had given her a moment to gather herself and realize she was about to make a huge mistake with Xander. This was the man who’d left Cornwall and forgotten she’d ever existed. Eleven years and one charming smile later and she was on the verge of sleeping with him. What was wrong with her? Had she no self-respect?
“Yes, go. I’ll meet you there as soon as I can. Tell him I’m on my way.” Rose turned off her phone. “I’ve got to go.”
Xander nodded, his fists shoved deep into his pockets. “I gathered that much. Is everything okay?”
“No. I have to go to the hospital to meet Craig.” Her hands were shaking as she attempted to slip her phone into her purse and ended up dropping it onto the pavement.
Xander dipped down to pick it up and hand it to her. “Let me drive you. It’s a long trip to the nearest hospital and you’re too shaken up to drive yourself.”
“I’m fine, really. I just need you to take me back to my car.”
“No. You’re upset. I don’t want you getting in a wreck.” His eyes were dark in the dim light of the parking lot, but their plea was unmistakable.
Heir to Scandal Page 3
