I Remember

by Julie Cannon

  “Okay, everyone, time for the grand tour. For those of you that haven’t been, it starts in five minutes. Five minutes, everyone get your tickets,” Adam said, pretending he was a barker at a carnival.

  Even though Dana was curious about where Emery lived, she certainly didn’t want her to know. She had no intention of peering into every room. She would simply walk around the rooms where the party was going on and gather as much intel as she could that way.

  She wanted to know everything about Emery. Her likes, dislikes, what chair she sat in to watch TV, how she lined up her clothes in her closet. God, she sounded like a stalker—or a teenager with a big crush. She struggled not to cross that line every day. She wasn’t about to make that thread any thinner by tempting fate. And walking through the rooms that Emery occupied, seeing her things, feeling her presence in her home would be a temptation she didn’t know if she was strong enough to resist.

  “Come on, Dana, let’s go,” Adam called from his perch on the third step of the staircase.

  “No, that’s okay. I’ll just hang out here.”

  “Nonsense,” Adam said, waving his hand in her direction. “You cannot miss this. Come on, everyone takes the tour. It’s a company requirement.”

  She knew he was just kidding, but judging by the people gathered around Adam, they thought it was.

  “Emery’s house is legend,” he added for emphasis.

  Dana hesitated, knowing that if she continued to refuse she would cause suspicion and talk. Or so she said to convince herself.

  Adam led the eager group through the rooms downstairs. And as he did he explained about the construction and the ecological design of the house, and even through the technical jargon, she saw traces of Emery’s personality throughout. A sculpture here, a painting there, a couple of knickknacks above the fireplace in the living room were subtle signs of what made Emery tick.

  Everyone had naturally gathered in the living room of the large house. From the outside, she would never have thought it was as large as it was inside. The ceilings were high, and the absence of walls gave the space an open and inviting feeling. Polished wood floors reflected the overhead lights, giving the room an unusual sensation of warmth.

  Several large pieces of comfortable-looking furniture filled the room but didn’t dominate the space. It looked lived in, a place where friends could gather and watch football on the sixty-inch television or simply enjoy a bottle of good wine and catch up.

  Dana, no connoisseur in the kitchen, knew enough to recognize that the appliances were top-of-the-line, the countertops crushed granite, the cabinets real hardwood. A few quirky things stood out, like an almost-antique coffee pot and equally old toaster, and a Norman Rockwell painting of a large family gathered around the dinner table.

  Adam quickly passed through the remaining rooms on the first floor, chattering practically nonstop. Entering Emery’s office, most of her fellow guests, or what Dana thought of them as house voyeurs, gave the room nothing but a polite glance. Dana, however, was very interested in it. Emery conducted business here. As a successful professional Dana was always curious about where people worked, how they worked, what kind of things they did to successfully stay on top of their profession and the competition.

  Emery’s office was a lot like hers with the requisite desk, credenza, computer, printer, and assorted paperwork. Her bookshelves, however, were quite surprising and, other than the familiar business books, contained a variety of literature, fiction from the latest popular authors, and a few reference books.

  Dana was alone in the room, the other tourists having moved on ahead of her. She walked behind Emery’s desk, inhaling the scent of the leather from her chair. She ran her finger over the top of the fine cherrywood of the desk. She fingered the paperclips, touched the stapler, and lightly ran her fingers over the keyboard. She imaged Emery sitting here, her Bluetooth stuck in her ear, having a conversation with the production manager in Hong Kong, the quality-assurance director in Thailand, or giving Adam instructions.

  A picture on the desk caught her attention and she reached for it. Its heavy frame was a perfect match for the photo inside. Her heart stopped and she quickly looked around to verify that she was still alone. She remembered precisely when the photo was taken, and she had one exactly like it. Their scuba instructor had taken it off the coast of Bonaire. He had captured the intimate image of her and Emery perfectly as they saw a giant stingray for the first time.

  They both had spotted the stingray sweep by so close they could almost touch it. She remembered the wonder of seeing such a beautiful creature. Its graceful, long, languid movements were awe-inspiring. Emery had felt it too, and they had talked about it after they went ashore. She remembered the look of excitement in Emery’s eyes as she described it.

  Thick masks and large regulators made the two divers unrecognizable to anyone who didn’t know who they were, but she did. More importantly, Emery did as well. She returned the picture to the place of prominence on the desk, and with one last look around, her legs shaking, she went to find the rest of the tour.

  “Dana, there you are. I thought we’d lost you,” Adam said, waving her toward another open door. She froze when she heard a familiar clack.

  Chapter Seventeen

  “Pool? You want to play pool?”

  “Yes, there’s a table on the Sports deck. Can I interest you in a game?”

  “I don’t know how to play. I mean I know the balls are hit into the pockets, but that’s about it,” Dee said, somewhat skeptical. “I’ve seen it played but don’t know the rules or anything.”

  “I’ll teach you.”

  EJ held out her hand in invitation. She had tingled inside when she saw EJ walking toward her. “Come on, it’ll be fun. I promise.” Fun, amusement, and a little something she didn’t recognize glinted in EJ’s dark eyes.

  “As long as you don’t let me win,” she said, putting her hand in EJ’s. “I hate it when people do that.”

  “I promise.” EJ crossed her heart with her free hand. “You will win only if you beat me fair and square.”

  “Now you’re teasing me,” she said as they arrived at the stairwell to the next deck. EJ stopped and motioned for her to go first.

  She had to let go of EJ’s hand, and as she did EJ stepped close to her and whispered, “No, that comes later,” and followed her up the steps. The billiards room was located at the stern of the Sports deck adjacent to the video arcade.

  EJ reclaimed her hand as they continued across the deck toward the billiards room. The heat of EJ’s hand in hers traveled up her arm, through her body, and found a cozy home in the pit of her stomach. Every time EJ touched her, she felt it like a hot poker followed by warm water cascading over her skin.

  “God, I love warm weather,” she said, raising her eyebrows as they passed several scantily clad women sunbathing on deck. A few more were lying on rafts in the pool, and a waitress in short shorts and a tank top bearing the Seafair logo over her rather large breasts carried a tray full of drinks.

  “I’m speechless,” EJ said, and winced when she playfully slapped her arm.

  “Hey!”

  “If you hope to continue experiencing wild and passionate with me, you better think of something to say. And it better be the right thing. I don’t share.”

  EJ looked at her, in her own pair of shorts and a scoop-neck T-shirt. “I prefer the mystery of discovering what’s underneath rather than too much exposed?” EJ said, her eyebrows arched as if asking a question.

  “Good answer.”

  “Thank you. Now, let me give you a crash course in the finer elements of pool,” EJ said as they entered the room.

  The space was decorated like a traditional pool hall. Three tables equally spaced apart were covered with traditional green cloth. The wood shone in the Tiffany-style billiard light hanging above each table. Three cue racks containing chalk, racks, and the essential cues hung on the walls, each assigned to their particular table. A colorful po
ster of the rules of billiard etiquette hung on the far wall.

  EJ selected two cues from the rack on the wall and weighed each one in her hands. She handed the blue one to Dee.

  “Now,” she said seriously. “There are five keys to a good game of pool. She gathered the balls from the pockets and centered them in the ball rack.

  “I’m all ears,” Dee said, using the green cue chalk to coat the tip of her cue. When she looked up EJ was gazing at her from head to foot. She had made time for a pedicure; her toenails were painted a shade of bright red that made her feel sexy. Her skin was tanned from being out in the sun today, her hair down around her shoulders.

  “No, you’re all woman.”

  Dee felt herself blush at her comment and a little thrill crisscrossed down her spine.

  “Here are my tips. Hold the cue properly, line up the shot, watch the cue ball rebound, and don’t bet anything you can’t afford to lose.”

  “You said there were five. What’s the fifth?”

  “Beer, an absolute must for a good game.” EJ flagged down the waitress they’d seen earlier and ordered two of what she was drinking. While waiting for their drinks, EJ demonstrated rule number one. When she didn’t quite get the proper hold, EJ stepped behind her and put her hand over hers. Their bodies weren’t touching but they were pretty darn close. EJ smelled like cinnamon and Dee could feel the heat from her body. She thought she felt EJ’s hands shaking.

  The waitress arrived and, after a few quick swallows, EJ demonstrated the other rules. Dee was a quick study, pocketing quite a few balls in their first two games.

  “How am I supposed to make this shot?” she asked midway through their third game. The cue ball was at an odd angle from the four ball, and she had tried unsuccessfully several times to line up the shot.

  Dee knew that EJ was completely distracted watching her bend over her stick and line up her different shots. By the look on EJ’s face the view of her butt was competing with the view down the front of her shirt for EJ’s attention. EJ didn’t have to let her win; she was losing because of the diversion.

  “Like this,” EJ said, stepping behind her when she leaned over the table, her stick outstretched in front of her. EJ molded the front of her body to her back. She stiffened in surprise then relaxed and felt EJ’s nipples harden.

  Suddenly it was very difficult to breathe and she arched her back into EJ. “What are your plans for the rest of the evening?”

  EJ’s warm breath on her neck, her husky voice in her ear made Dee shudder, and she didn’t even try to hide her reaction. Dee felt her stiff nipples press against her back and the heat that started between her legs spread over her entire body.

  She had played pool before, but never under the watchful eyes of someone like EJ. EJ followed her every move with smoldering eyes, and more than once Dee caught her looking down her shirt. She never thought a game of pool could be foreplay. She bent over the table, practically straddling the corner pocket, and having EJ watch her glide the long stick smoothly through her long fingers was a complete turn-on.

  EJ pushed forward and Dee’s mound pressed harder into the edge of the table. Her breath caught and she lost her grip on the stick, causing it to thump several times on the table. EJ started to move back and forth and Dee’s clit hardened in response. She couldn’t believe she was doing this. My God, she was practically fucking on a pool table and she didn’t want to stop. EJ was pushing her pelvis into her ass and the exquisite pressure of impending orgasm began. A few more minutes of this and it would all be over but the afterglow. She was completely out of control and refused to stop.

  “You two had better get a room.”

  EJ jerked back, the unrelenting pressure letting up instantly. Dee stifled a whimper.

  “Sorry about that,” EJ said from behind her, her voice unsteady. When Dee was finally able to turn around she saw EJ’s hands were shaking, her face flushed from passion. EJ was as close to coming as she’d been.

  “We’re the ones that should be sorry. Sorry for interrupting, but this is a public place, you know,” Rose said from behind EJ.

  “No, that’s all right, Rose. I should be apologizing. I’m afraid I…uh…”

  Rose and Vivian laughed. “Yes, we know what you were…uh.” Rose mimicked EJ’s words.

  Dee finally found her voice. “Could this get any more embarrassing?”

  “In another minute or two it would have.”

  She leaned back against the edge of the pool table and dropped her head in her hands, completely and utterly mortified.

  “Do you play?”

  Adam’s question pierced the fog of Dana’s daydream. “Once or twice,” Dana replied vaguely, not really answering him.

  “Emery is a shark. Never, ever let her talk you into a game. You will lose everything.”

  The second floor was made up of four bedrooms, each decorated in a combination of modern and traditional style. Each room had a theme, the nautical one Dana’s favorite. But Emery’s bedroom completely took her breath away. She hung back as the others left.

  The room was large, at least twenty feet square. The thick tan carpet made her want to take off her shoes and wiggle her toes. The walls were a shade of blue that mirrored the water in St. Martin. Abstract artwork dotted the walls, the bold shades bringing out the colors in the bed linen. The king-size bed dominated the room, the large pillows creating an open invitation to snuggle down and relax. The bed was flanked by two nightstands. On top of one a mid-size alarm clock rested in the center, while the other held a pad of paper and a pen next to a cordless phone in a small charger. There was no television in the room to distract its occupants from anything other than what this room was designed for—making love. This room screamed passion, desire, and sensuality.

  Or did only she see that when she studied this room? Sure, everybody looked at someone’s bed and thought about sex, wondered what they were like making love in that sacred place. Her hands started to tremble, her knees grew weak, and her breath came in spurts as she took in Emery’s bed. She had experienced Emery’s passion, desire, and sensuality and knew that she would never be the same again.

  The image of the countless times she and Emery had made love danced around in her head. Unconsciously she stepped closer to the bed. Her heart beat faster and her body flushed, the soft pressure in her clit increasing to a rapid pounding.

  She trailed her fingers over the thick bedspread. God, she wanted Emery again. She needed her touch, her soft caresses, her demanding kisses. She’d tried and failed to capture an orgasm as powerful as every one she had with Emery. There was no comparison, and her own hands left her so unfulfilled that lately she’d stopped trying. Had Emery ruined her for any other woman? “Jesus, Dana,” she said aloud. She had to get out of here before she did something stupid like grab the pillow in search of Emery’s scent.

  Her heart stopped beating when she turned away from the bed. Emery was standing in the doorway and, judging by her expression, had been there for quite some time. Dana opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. She had no idea what to say. She wanted to say, “Come in, close and lock the door, and take me in your arms. Kiss me, touch me, make me weak with desire. Make me come again and again and again. Take me.”

  But she didn’t. She fought against her need and the mirror of desire written all over Emery’s face. She couldn’t. They had an agreement that now theirs was nothing more than a professional relationship. There was too much to lose for everyone involved, and she would not be the cause.

  Getting a grip on her emotions, she walked toward Emery. Dark eyes blistering with desire never left her face, and Dana stopped directly in front of her. Inches separated them and she knew that if she gave any indication, Emery would fulfill her dreams. Time stood still. The world stopped rotating. The sounds of the party downstairs disappeared. No one existed except Emery standing in front of her, pinning her with that look that she knew so well. Emery wanted to eat her alive.

  A thousan
d thoughts warred in her head. She fought dozens of battles in her body. Forces stronger than her will threatened to harness the power of their desire and take Emery and her to that place they both knew so well. The air around them beat with sexual tension. One touch. That’s all it would take from either of them and they would completely forget the dozens of people downstairs. She wanted it, and the look in Emery’s eyes was one she had seen countless times just before she was swept away in delicious pleasure.

  This was so much harder than she’d thought it would be—this pretending not to feel anything for Emery, not to want her touch again, experience her passion, revel in her desire. She had completely underestimated the impact Emery would continue to have on her.

  Finally, before she knew she wouldn’t be able to do it, she sidestepped around Emery and prayed that her legs wouldn’t collapse as she walked quickly down the hall.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Dana caught up with the others as the tour ended at the rear of the house. She paid little attention to those around her, concentrating instead on catching her breath and trying to calm her rattled nerves. It took several minutes before she felt relaxed enough to appreciate her surroundings.

  This was not a patio, this was an oasis. Under her feet lay slabs of flagstone raggedly cut and laid to form a wonderfully smooth surface. The stone bordered the large crystal-clear blue pool on three sides, the fourth side almost disappearing into the mountainside behind the house. Dana realized it was a zero-edge pool and looked closer. She had seen one of these at a hotel she stayed at on a trip last year to Hawaii. The pool was designed to produce a visual effect of water extending to the horizon, and this was a spectacular one.

  The lights around the pool were in fact gas-lit torches, giving the area a warm, soft glow. A sparkling array of lights bounced off the blue walls inside the still water. Comfortable-looking chairs and matching tables were strategically placed around the area, creating an intimate space for conversation without being rude. To her left was a cooking island complete with outdoor range and oven, a bar for casual seating, and a large cover over the entire area.