by Sandy Loyd
She broke free. “Okay. Okay. Stop!” she said in a breathless whisper. “You’ve proven your point. I’ll have dinner with you.”
When she opened her eyes and focused, he was leaning against the seat cushion breathing heavily, fighting for control considering his fierce expression. She’d obviously skirted closer to the edge than she’d first thought. She swallowed hard, having no idea what to do with all that power once it let loose.
“It seems this is becoming a habit,” he managed a moment later.
“You mean kissing?” He didn’t respond. She smiled. “Kissing’s nice. I like kissing.”
His eyes opened and his gaze snared hers. “Figures.” The limo slowed to a stop in front of her house. “How much time do you need?”
Straightening her sweater, she cleared her throat, working to bring a calm reserve back into her voice. “How about two hours. Then I can finish a few things I need to do for tomorrow.”
She made the mistake of glancing into his eyes, noticing stark desire still lurking. She swallowed, subduing the sheer terror she could taste at the back of her throat.
How in the world had she ever thought she’d know how to handle him when the time came? That awkward, inexperienced teen resurfaced just then, making her feel totally out of her element. How she hated that feeling. A feeling that told her she was different from everyone else. The need to escape enveloped her. She grabbed the handle and opened the door, not waiting for the driver, and said on her way out, “I’ll see you then.”
“I’ll be here at seven,” Dev said. “Dress casually.”
~
“Am I amusing you, Mike?” Dev asked after catching his chauffeur’s grin in the rearview mirror.
Mike’s smile died. “No, sir.”
“Just drive home, and quit calling me sir,” Dev said, pondering Judith’s departure. She appeared to be running for her life. “Maybe she is,” he added under his breath. “Just like me.”
As Mike drove, Dev sighed and stared out the window without seeing the city streets they passed, his thoughts too consuming.
His objective had been to keep things light and fun during the next few weeks and intensify his efforts to put himself in her path, now that the impediments, namely his friends, were out of the way.
Though he’d tried to do exactly that today, he’d failed. Miserably.
He snorted.
The scenario was becoming habit.
The desire to master Judith in that age-old, primal way consumed him. It was all he could do to keep himself from flipping her on her back and pumping, emptying all he had into her.
He laughed. Damn! He had more finesse than using such a Me-Tarzan-You-Jane approach.
He recognized and accepted the predatory part of his personality, understood it helped with his rise to the top of his field so quickly. But it bothered him that Judith brought it out so easily.
He couldn’t remember a battle he’d fought in the last ten years that meant as much.
Objectivity, his biggest strength, flew out the window when it came to dealing with the sexy woman who challenged him, enticed him, and gave him nothing but trouble, all while making him feel completely alive.
That Judith had stopped things once again, and not him, was a glaring warning.
Since knowing and dealing with any weakness also played a big role in his successes, he firmly resolved to put a leash on his desires.
With the instinct of the cat Judith thought he resembled, he sensed her wariness. He subdued the urge to rush in, to take her by surprise, to break down her barriers by force because doing so wouldn’t give him the satisfaction he craved.
He simply had to slow things, maintain his distance, or he’d squander his chance for revenge.
Damn, what a dilemma!
Chapter 8
Once inside, Judith stood with her back to the door, just breathing.
You can do this. He’s only a man.
“Yeah, right,” she scoffed, heading toward her office. “The only man who’s ever attracted you.” Then she stopped. A slow smile spread across her face remembering Dev, his eyes closed and breathing heavily. He’d been just as affected as she…maybe more.
She couldn’t not do this.
Humming, she strutted down the hallway to finish a few unavoidable tasks.
With those out of the way, Judith ran a hot bath. Submersing herself in bubbles, she relaxed and sipped wine as Shania Twain belted about love in the background. Thoughts of the afternoon washed over her and no foolish insecurities were allowed to taint the memory.
Dev was there with his smiling taunts, his laughing eyes, and his heated kisses.
If she never saw him after tonight, she had enough memories to keep her heart warm for a lifetime. Why had she closed herself off for so long? The notion made her life seem rather empty. Look at all the joy she’d lost out on by keeping others at a distance. The joy of a kiss, of sharing an adventure, of simply being with someone who made her feel alive.
Not one to indulge in regrets over mistakes made during her twenty-seven years, she did regret not having other memories like today’s to look back on. She hadn’t thought about what she’d be missing from her life when she chose to lock her inner self away from the world. Now she realized why people had affairs and fell in love. It was such a wonderful sensation. She had already experienced the hurt of betrayal. Had it accompanied this euphoric feeling of well-being, if only for a moment, the painful cost would be well worth the price of admission.
Judith glanced at her watch, then jumped up and quickly dried off with an oversized towel hanging close by. She wrapped it just under her armpits and padded into her bedroom.
After fussing over what to wear, she decided on casual black slacks and a slate-blue sweater that complemented her light coloring. She spent extra time on her makeup.
She swept her hair off her neck, holding it in place with a clip. Despite its simplicity, the effect was elegant.
Dangling earrings, her only jewelry besides her watch, danced when she moved her head. Satisfied with her appearance, she dabbed perfume behind her ears, between her breasts, and on the underside of her wrists.
The buzzer sounded and a slight thrill raced along her spine. Dev had arrived.
Judith opened the door to a magnificent man. Khaki pants and a navy sweater over a white polo shirt showcased his tall, muscular frame to perfection.
Grinning, he offered her a bouquet of wildflowers. “They’re so colorful, they reminded me of you.”
“Thank you.” She smiled warmly, taking the flowers. “How sweet. Let me put them in water. Sit down.” She indicated her sofa with her hand, saying over her shoulder on her way to the kitchen, “I’ll only be a moment.”
She walked into the room and almost jumped when she realized he’d followed right behind.
She stilled an urge to run her fingers through an errant lock of black hair that teased his eyebrow and searched a cupboard for a vase, ignoring the sharp edge of attraction poking at her consciousness. Awareness left her speechless as she filled the vase with water and added the flowers. “Would you like anything?”
“No, we should get going,” he said rather brusquely.
She hid her confusion over his curt tone in the task of retrieving her sweater. He seemed detached. Where had the Dev from that afternoon gone? She chanced a glance in his direction and offered her best attempt at a smile. “I’m ready.”
He nodded, silently studying her face.
“Where are we going for dinner?” she asked, shooting for normal.
“I hope you like home-cooked food, because tonight you’ll sample the best California has to offer,” he answered with more levity. Then, he cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck, as if searching for the right way to express himself. After a lengthy pause, he added, “Judith, I’m trying to be on my best behavior. But if you keep looking at me with those soulful eyes, we can skip dinner. Get right to the dessert, and I don’t mean strawberry shortcake
.”
Relief washed through her when she caught his teasing expression. She grinned.
“I guess I have a little reprieve then, don’t I?”
“For now, but don’t push it. You’re much too tempting,” he warned.
Judith locked the door and noticed his shiny black Lexus parked in front of her house. “What? No limo tonight?” she teased, eyeing him with eyebrows raised.
“My chauffeur, Mike, needed the night off,” Dev said. “He’s a grad student at USF and quite a character. Knowing what it’s like to work and attend college, I accommodate his schedule when I can.”
His small kindness impressed her, made him seem much more human. Most in her set wouldn’t think twice about someone as lowly as a chauffeur. The hired help was something taken for granted, always there, but never seen as individuals with ambitions and dreams of their own.
Dev opened her door, waited until she was settled, then ran around the car to slip in next to her with cat-like ease. Seconds later, they were off on another adventure.
“You’re very nice,” Judith said with total sincerity after glancing over at him. “Aren’t you?”
“Well, don’t let it out, or my competition will kill me.” Though spoken in jest, something in his broad smile said more, said he cared about what she thought of him.
“So where are we going?” Judith asked, making a mental note and filing the detail. “I can’t think offhand of any restaurant that serves home cooking in the area.”
“That’s because it isn’t a restaurant. We’re going to my mom’s house. It’s a bit of a drive. I promise to have you home by eleven.” Dev shrugged. “Hope you don’t mind. She gets wacky if I don’t take her up on her dinner offers every once in a while. I already agreed to tonight, so I couldn’t get out of it.”
“You’re taking me home to meet dear old mom?” Laughing, she put her hands on her chest. “I’m touched.”
“Yeah?” He snorted. “Well, don’t go getting any ideas. I’m only making up for lost time. I wasn’t willing to wait another night to be with you. Of course, I’ve never brought anyone home for dinner before, and I shouldn’t tempt her with you. She’ll definitely read this all wrong.”
“Oh?” Judith’s grin widened. “Why?”
Traffic was light. By now, they were driving across the Bay Bridge and out of the city.
“I’m not adhering to her plans for my future. Wedded bliss is all she talks about. That and grandbabies. Problem is, I’m not the marrying type.”
“Don’t worry about wrong ideas.” She rolled her eyes in an exaggerated manner. “I’m not interested in marriage any more than you are. I certainly don’t have any burning desire to be Mrs. Dev McAllister. Still, it should be interesting to meet the woman who gave such a paragon life.”
“Oh, really?” he asked, giving her a sharp look.
“Yes, really.”
“Then we understand each other.”
She nodded. Her admission about marriage was honest, but the thought of him totally dismissing her out of hand stung a little. She understood the rules of their game and fully accepted the consequences. Still, a tiny bud of hope that had been blossoming inside withered.
“Tell me about your mom,” she asked, steering the conversation off her morose thoughts.
“Not much to tell.” Dev shrugged. “She’s a great lady. You’ll like her. Everyone does. Worked as an executive secretary for the same firm for twenty-five years.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, she just retired last year, is into decorating now. Has completely redone the house where I grew up. She loves looking at paint palettes and swatches of fabric.”
“She sounds nice.”
Dev nodded and didn’t say more.
It wasn’t long before he signaled to exit the expressway, then veered onto the surface streets of San Leandro, south of Oakland.
“What a charming place,” Judith said, looking around when they pulled into the driveway of a small house among a row of similar houses, except several weren’t as well maintained. Dev grew up here? A stark difference from the large home of her youth in the Nob Hill area of San Francisco and completely opposite of what she would have expected if she hadn’t known of his past. “I love the trees.”
“The neighborhood’s a little rough, but my mom likes it here. Says her house is easy to take care of and her friends are nearby. I like it because it’s far enough away to not interfere with my life, but close enough to keep in contact.”
He helped her out of the car. She started up the drive, but Dev’s hand on her arm stopped her. She turned and looked into his eyes, searching.
“Thank you for being you and thank you for being here.” With that, he kissed her softly. Then, he straightened, and hand in hand, led her up the path.
Judith put one foot in front of the other, feeling slightly unbalanced. He was so good at keeping her there.
At the front door, he rang the bell and opened the door at the same time.
“Come in. Come in,” a striking woman greeted with a smile. She wore stylish burgundy slacks and an ivory sweater that emphasized her short dark curly hair and intelligent blue eyes exactly like Dev’s. When those eyes took in Judith, her eyebrows shot up. “And who’s this?”
“Mom, this is Judith Reid.”
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. McAllister.” Judith took her outstretched hand.
“Pfft,” she said, waving her other hand. “Call me Maggie.” Her smile was engaging, but there was a calculated gleam in her eyes as her gaze assessed. “It’s not every day Dev brings a woman home to dinner.”
Maggie had the same coloring as Dev, but where her son was tall and muscular, she was compact. Her eyes crinkled when she smiled, revealing a few wrinkles. However, there were no other hints to betray her age. Judith just assumed she’d be meeting a much older woman.
“I know what you’re thinking. Don’t even go there,” Dev warned, shaking his head. “She’s just a friend.” He caught Judith’s attention and snorted. “See what I mean?”
“Yeah! Only friends. I got it.” Maggie laughed and winked at Judith, then led them further into the living room. “Still, it’s odd. I can’t remember this momentous occasion ever happening before.”
“There’s a reason for that.”
“What a lovely place you have, Maggie,” Judith intentionally cut in, looking around and noticing with an experienced eye the tasteful and inviting space.
“You like it?” A smile lit Maggie’s face. “I’ve had fun piecing it together.”
Judith nodded. The colors were done in subtle greens and golds, sage being the most prominent because it was used on the walls as background. The carpet was a neutral cream color, and throw rugs scattered throughout added more color and texture to an already interesting room. Beyond, she spied another less formal dining room, also tastefully done.
“Dinner’s almost ready. Just waiting on yams. Go ahead and sit.” Maggie indicated her glass, resting on the coffee table. “I’m drinking gin and tonic. What can I get you? I have red wine, beer, gin, and vodka.”
Judith sat. “Red wine’s fine.”
“I’ll have beer, Mom. I’ll get drinks.”
As soon as Dev was out earshot, Maggie turned to her. “So, Judith, how do you know Dev?”
“I’m the commercial designer on his latest project.”
“Ah, you’re working together?”
“Yes, we’re colleagues.” Judith spent a moment telling Maggie about her background.
Maggie’s gaze flew to the empty hallway Dev had taken. “Well, there goes my wishful thinking.” She sighed. Judith shot her a questioning look and she laughed. “Don’t mind me. I like you and to be honest, I was hoping you were a date.” She hesitated, then offered in a more conspiratorial tone, “I’d love grandbabies, but Dev’s not cooperating. He thinks love’s an emotion for fools.”
“Mom,” Dev warned, appearing in the hallway, obviously overhearing her last sentence. He handed J
udith a healthy glass of wine and then sat on the arm of her chair.
“What? I’m behaving.” With an innocent expression on her face, Maggie shrugged, but her steady gaze remained on them. “Judith was filling me in about your project and how you’re working together.” She smiled, saying under her breath, “Just friends and colleagues, my ass,” holding the glass to her lips.
“What was that?”
“I said, it’s nice that you’re friends and colleagues.” Her smile broadened, daring him to disagree.
Dev snorted. “Yeah, right.”
She ignored him, asking instead, “So, how’s Maude? James?”
Dev just sighed, shaking his head. They’d obviously played this game before, Judith thought, as he said, “Maude’s fine and so’s James. He’s in a tizzy because his mother’s driving him nuts with her charity ball for breast cancer in a few weeks. You’re going, right? I’m supposed to ensure your attendance.”
“Marked on my calendar.” Maggie twirled her gin and tonic so the ice and liquid swirled, and studied the results. “Wouldn’t dream of missing it. No way I’m incurring Alicia Morrison’s wrath.” Still eyeing the couple, she asked nonchalantly, “So, how’s business?”
“Hectic as usual. There’s always a crisis to handle. The building’s progressing. Probably be finished by October.”
Chitchat went back and forth until a loud ding came from the kitchen.
“That’s my cue.” Maggie stood. “Dinner’s almost ready. You two go in and sit.”
“Why don’t you go ahead?” Dev said. “I’ll be right back.”
“Do you need any help?” Judith offered, once Dev was down the hall. She followed Maggie into the kitchen.
“There’s not much left to do. Besides, my kitchen, my rules. When you invite me to your house, I’ll let you do it all.”
“So, Dev tells me you’re a single mom.” Judith leaned against the counter as Maggie grabbed hot pads. “You did a great job. He’s very nice.”
