“What?” His question confused her.
“You’re sitting there seriously marveling over the color and quality of a table napkin”
She lifted her chin. “I happen to believe that the napkins are…”
“Hold on a second,” he murmured, raising a hand as he straightened. “I wasn’t belittling you or making fun of you in any way, Nataleigh. Your genuine delight in things most people would consider insignificant is refreshing. It truly is.”
“Oh.” Her anger disappeared as quickly as it had come.
“I have never met anyone like you before,” he stated in a low tone, looking directly into her brown eyes. “That is a compliment. I swear. I’ve eaten in this restaurant on several occasions, and even I have never stopped and taken the time to appreciate the pretty napkins.” He looked around, then back at her. “Or anything else for that matter.” One corner of his mouth curved upward into a heart-stopping grin. “This is a beautiful place, isn’t it?”
“It is very nice,” Nataleigh stated, hardly above a whisper. “It reminds me of a picture you would see in one of those home design magazines.”
Sweet mercy.
She could hardly breathe and her heart was beating so wildly she could hear the thundering tempo reverberating in her ears. She was pinned in place by Keelan’s eyes, his captivating eyes.
Heat began to thrum low in her body. It was desire in its purest form. She felt alive, so aware of her femininity and Keelan’s manliness. She finally managed to draw her gaze from Keelan’s and smoothed the imaginary wrinkles out of the napkin in her lap.
She was treading in such dangerous and foreign waters. If was as though she were being swept away by the surging, sensual current of those waters, being overwhelmed by the blatant, masculine magnetism of Keelan Robinson.
She was so out of her league it didn’t even make sense. She wasn’t worldly, or sophisticated enough, to bask in the company of a man like Keelan. She didn’t belong in this fancy restaurant. What would be expected of her in this environment? Did dinner out with meal prices equal to her weekly food budget mean she was to end the evening by going to bed with the man who had picked up the check?
Absolutely not.
That wasn’t how she operated, wasn’t anywhere close to her set of values. The sexy Mr. Robinson would have a clear understanding of that before the evening was over. As a matter of fact, there was no time like the present. She refused to sit and stew about it throughout the evening. Her nerves couldn’t take it.
Nataleigh lifted her gaze to look at Keelan. “I think you should know,” she murmured, hoping her voice wasn’t as shaky as it sounded to her own ears, “That I’m not going to go to bed…”
The wine steward cleared his throat. “Your wine, sir.”
Nataleigh plopped one elbow on the tabletop and dropped her forehead into the palm of her hand. “Oh my God,” she said, feeling the hot flush of embarrassment work its way up her neck toward her cheeks. “I can’t believe it.” She glanced upward to find Keelan staring back at her with wide eyes, before looking at the bottle of wine, then back at her.
“Sir?” the steward repeated.
“Huh?” Keelan seemed to remember where they were and gave a curt nod. “Forget the tasting ritual. Just pour it. I’m sure the wine is fine.”
“Very well, sir.”
The steward filled their glasses halfway, set the bottle on the table, then succumbed to a burst of laughter he could no longer hold back. “Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
“I plan to,” Keelan responded with a glare.
Nataleigh groaned and lowered her eyes again.
Keelan reached across the table as the grinning man rushed away. “Nataleigh? Are you okay?”
“No,” she whispered, not moving. “As a matter of fact, this is all just a bad dream. I’m not even here. I am at home, alone, curled up on the couch. I did not just make a complete idiot of myself in the nicest restaurant I’ve ever been to in my entire life. So go away and I will wake up.”
Keelan chuckled.
Warmth suffused her, his gentle touch like nothing she’d experience before.
“Nataleigh, you are like a breath of fresh spring air. So real. So honest.”
Too honest, she thought. Did he have any idea how close she’d been to telling him that in no uncertain terms that taking her to a pricey restaurant would earn him automatic access to her bed?
“Nataleigh, you make me feel so protective of you. All I want to do is scoop you up into my arms and show you that I have no intention of ever asking more of you than you are willing to give. If no one has told you before now, you are very rare. Very lovely. Very special.”
His heartfelt words drifted over her, making her feel as though she really were dreaming. Still she was almost to the point of crawling under the table never to reemerge.
“Nataleigh, look at me.”
She shook her head.
“Please?”
She exhaled softly and raised her head, dropping her hands into her lap. Her heart thudded painfully in her chest and there was no way she could hide the amount of misery she felt.
“Forget what happened with the wine steward,” he said softly, with a gentle smile. “I’m pretty sure I know what you were attempting to say. We’re going to enjoy our meal, the time we have together, then I’ll walk you to your door and bid you goodnight. I won’t even ask for a kiss. Okay?”
She nodded, then drew her bottom lip between her teeth for a brief second. “Yes. I’m sorry if I embarrassed you in front of the man with wine. You must think I am so unsophisticated…”
“No. I think you are delightful, lovely and refreshing.” He picked up his wineglass. “Shall we make a toast to the remainder of what will be a wonderful evening?”
She hesitated a moment, then lifted her glass. “Okay. Thank you, Keelan. Thank you very much.”
They took a sip of wine, gazes still connected over the tops of the wafer-thin glasses. It was a defining moment, a moment of acceptance, trust and mutual understanding. And it was a moment of growing desire.
The sensual spell was broken by the waiter arriving at the table with their food. He flipped open a stand, then settled a heavy tray on top. As he placed the plates of food on the table, he recited what both she and Keelan were receiving. Keelan laughed as the man rushed away with the portable stand.
“I never realized how ridiculous that ritual is until now. It’s as though we had our minds erased after we ordered and have no idea what’s on our plate so they have to tell us. The whole routine is strange.”
She nodded and picked up her fork. Maybe her mind had been erased—at least of her ability to exert common sense. So far, she seemed to be lacking it lately. Starting the instant she accepted this dinner invite.
He was also right in stating that the entire situation was strange. Only not because of the waiter reciting their food order while delivering it. She was in completely new territory in the form of a fine-dining restaurant. Then there was the close proximity of a man like none she’d ever encountered before.
She was left with no choice but to do what she usually did when in this sort of predicament. Wing it. Because of Keelan’s superb manner in which he’d handled her mortifying statement, the slate was wiped clean, allowing the remaining hours left in the evening to be savored, enjoyed. And she intended to do just that. Nataleigh took a bite of her fish. “Mmm. This is so good.”
She finished chewing before she said anything else, lest Keelan think her to be uncivilized. “When I was at the high school, the students called you Coach. What sport are you over?”
“Football,” Keelan said, cutting into his prime rib. “The season has already begun, and we’ve won our first two games.”
“Really? That’s great. I bet you are an excellent coach.”
He shrugged. “I am able to get the job done. The truth of the matter is, there is incredible talent waiting to be noticed, trained at Carter. Do you have any idea what tapping in
to that ability, that energy, could mean for those boys, Nataleigh?”
“Well I—”
“If I can reach them,” Keelan continued without pausing, “get them to believe in themselves, help them become dedicated athletes, there’s a very strong chance they’ll stay out of trouble, actually say no to gang influence and drugs. For a few, it might be a ticket out of the hood with a college athletic scholarship or even better, an academic one. I’ve seen it happen a few times in the five years I’ve been at Carter, and it will happen again. I—” Keelan stopped in mid-speech. “Sorry. I was about to get up on my soapbox again.”
“No need to apologize. You care deeply about what you’re doing, about the students. I think it’s wonderful and they are very lucky to have you in their corner. It’s just that you seem to be giving everything, all of you, to those kids. You even live in an unsafe neighborhood, as you stated, able to better relate to them.”
“So?” he retorted, with a scowl.
“What about your personal life, you the man? Don’t you have goals, aspirations, needs and wants? Don’t you think about having a family, a wife and babies? A nice home in a relatively safe neighborhood where your children can grow up?”
“Not really,” he responded gruffly. “I’m perfectly okay, content with my life as it is right now.”
“If you say so,” Nataleigh stated, with a nonchalant shrug.
“I definitely say so.”
She fought a smile when he stabbed another piece of meat with more force than necessary, belying his casual statement.
“It definitely beats baby-sitting spoiled animals while their owners are out living frivolously.”
“Excuse me. What are you trying to say?” She heard the level in her voice reach a higher decibel, but didn’t care. “We’re talking about your career and life-style choices. Don’t try to—”
“Keelan Robinson,” a woman called out. “How long has it been since I’ve see you?”
Nataleigh’s head jerked up along with Keelan’s to see a beautiful woman advancing toward them. Nataleigh guessed her to be around Keelan’s age. She was wearing an elegant ivory dress that spoke of class. Nataleigh instantly felt underdressed. She watched as Keelan stood and received an air kiss on both cheeks from the stunning woman.
“Hello, Brandi. I’d like you to meet Nataleigh Brown.”
“Pleasure,” Brandi murmured, looking quickly at Nataleigh, then returning her full attention to Keelan. “I see you’ve been hiding again. What is it going to take to drag you out of your dangerous little world?”
“Brandi—” Keelan interjected.
“I ran into your parents at the Mayor’s Ball, where you were blatantly absent.” Brandi continued on, “And they mentioned you’re hopeless. I disagree though. There are a bunch of us traveling to Cabo around Christmas. We don’t plan to return until after New Year’s. You ought to come. You know how much fun we have on our trips.”
“Look, Brandi, I’m not—”
“Don’t say no right off,” Brandi interrupted, with a pretty pout. “At least say you’ll think about it. Oh, I must tell you that Halle is still enjoying your vacation home in Florida. I still can’t figure out why you ever sold it, but she loves it. I hate to run off now, but my date is waiting. We need to do lunch soon. At the country club if your membership is still current. Bye for now. It was a nice meeting you, Natasha.”
“Nataleigh,” Nataleigh corrected, but Brandi had already hurried off. Nataleigh refused to meet Keelan’s gaze, her mind racing, trying to process what she’d just heard. Trip to Cabo, having been there before? The Mayor’s Ball? A vacation home in Florida? Lunch at the country club? Was she hallucinating? Drunk off the wine?
As soon as the thought entered her mind, she bit back a laugh. No, she wasn’t much of a drinker, but no way had she consumed enough wine to be buzzed, let alone intoxicated.
What she knew for certain was that everything Brandi had spilled led to a very mind-boggling conclusion. Keelan Robinson was apparently a very wealthy man.
Keelan Robinson was a high-society sell-out.
Chapter Five
Keelan sat back in his chair, feeling as though he’d just gone five rounds in an ultimate fighting title bout. He was drained, not only from Brandi’s unexpected appearance, then nonstop chatter, but also because he realized Nataleigh had overheard every word and therefore obtained information about him that he had no intention of revealing.
Damn.
This evening was definitely down the drain. Nataleigh would bombard him with questions, he’d become upset and defensive, and a bad time would be had by all.
Very slowly and reluctantly, he shifted his gaze to Nataleigh, fully expecting her to be ready to attack. To his amazement, she was searching her salad bowl with her fork, as though searching for a hidden valuable. “Nataleigh?” He flinched at the tentativeness in his voice.
“Hmm?” she murmured, not looking up as she pushed a cucumber out of the way.
“I imagine you’re wondering about some of the stuff that Brandi revealed.”
“Ah, there it is,” she stated. “I knew I’d seen another carrot slice in here.” She stabbed it with her fork, then popped it into her mouth, nodding her approval as she chewed and swallowed. “I love carrots. They’re so sweet and crunchy. My mom knows how to make a mean carrot salad. It is still crunchy when you eat it the next day or the day after that. I never have been able to get the recipe right.”
“Nataleigh,” he tried again, frowning as he leaned toward her. “Brandi?”
“Brandi? Oh, yes, she was very beautiful. I’m sure her dress cost more than I make in a week—probably two weeks. However, I did not appreciate her calling me Natasha instead of Nataleigh. Being attractive doesn’t excuse a person from having proper social manners. I mean, it’s not as though Nataleigh is a hard name to remember. One would think that Brandi—”
“Would you stop it?” He paused, then looked around quickly and lowered his voice when he spoke again. “We’re not discussing how bad Brandi’s manners are or how much her dress cost.”
“Why are we even discussing her at all? You were spotted by an old friend, she turned into Miss Chatty Cathy, then off she went. As far as I’m concerned, she isn’t anything to discuss. So, if there is something specifically you are referring to regarding her, you’re going to have to tell me what it is.”
“You’ve got to be kidding,” Keelan muttered, sinking back in his chair. “You should have a million questions for me considering what you just heard.”
“Now that you mention it, there is one thing I’m wondering about?”
“I knew it was too good to be true. Go ahead. Lay it on me.”
“Hmm, you don’t sound all too enthusiastic about this. Maybe I should—”
“Damn it, Nataleigh. Let’s just get to it already. I’m wealthy, okay? My family has so much money it’s insane. I was raised by parents who think that any problem can be solved with money. They don’t bother to try to talk it out. They just whip out cold, hard cash and ask how much it will take to fix the issue.”
“That’s horrible,” Nataleigh whispered. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be. I’m not one hundred percent innocent. I loved the checkbook when I was younger. I had more than I ever needed, a fancy car, more clothes than a person should ever have and that is just the beginning. I learned at an early age how to deal with my own issues. Don’t get me wrong, my parents love me, they just didn’t know how to handle me other than on an adult level from the time I was a little kid.”
“That is sad, Keelan.”
He shrugged. “I went along with the high-society program, announcing when I enrolled in college that I would become a neurosurgeon like my father. I became engaged to friend of Brandi’s, a debutante, who was of our…quote…good social standing. Then—”
He stopped speaking and stared into space. His heart ached as he thought about the occasional lonely times he’d had over the years, especially as a c
hild. He’d been completely surrounded by every toy imaginable, but having no one to talk to, share with, no one to give him a hug.
“Then one summer. I volunteered, more on an impulse than anything else, to coach an inner-city football team and everything changed. I was suddenly exposed to a world I’d been vaguely aware of, but hadn’t paid one iota of attention to. The short time I spent in that low-income neighborhood with those kids was reality, the way things really were when you don’t have money.”
Nataleigh opened her mouth as if to disagree, but quickly closed it.
“My entire outlook was changed and there was no stopping me. I changed my major to education. My parents were not happy about my abrupt change in plans and they made it very clear. My fiancée broke off our engagement, stating she had no intention of living on a meager teacher’s salary. Regardless, I’ve never regretted the decision I made.”
Keelan released a pent-up breath and shook his head. “Even after all these years, my parents are convinced I’ll put all of this foolishness behind me and come to my senses. They hound me about it all the time. I do my best not to lose my temper when I’m with them because they’re the only parents I have. On occasion, I appease them by attending a fancy function with them. I suck it up even when I don’t feel like it because they are the only parent’s I have. The downside is whenever I do, I run into someone like Brandi, who instantly thinks I’m back where I belong. Frankly, all it is—oh, hell.”
“What? What is it?”
“I’ve never spoken about this to anyone before,” he responded, his dark brows bunching together in a frown. “I have no idea why I dumped all of that on you.”
She shrugged. “Maybe because I was listening to you,” she stated in a low tone. “Really hearing what you were saying.”
He looked directly into her eyes. He didn’t attempt to break down what he saw there. “Yes. I guess that’s why. You are a good listener, Nataleigh. Still, I feel like a weirdo for revealing my life story in such a way, but thank you for listening.” He paused. “So can we still salvage the rest of this evening?”
Hard to Resist Page 6
