All He Needs

by Shirley Hailstock

  “Hello,” she said to Roni, a wedding consultant from one of the New York companies. “We’re only here for a dance.” Renee looked at Carter. “Roni, this is Carter Hampshire. Carter meet Veronica Edmonson. She’s a wedding consultant for a company here. We met a couple of years ago.”

  They shook hands and exchanged pleasantries.

  “We won’t be long,” Renee said.

  Carter turned Renee into his arms. They began slowly moving to the music. “Do you know everyone in the business?” he asked.

  “Not everyone, but it helps to know people. You never know when you’ll need a favor.”

  Her lips were close to his ear as she said that. A tremor went through him, and his arm around her waist tightened, pulling her intimately close to him. Taking a slow breath, he inhaled her scent, felt the softness of her body and forgot everything except how good it was to hold her again.

  * * *

  They stayed for three more dances. The last one was slow and Carter hummed the song in Renee’s ear. She couldn’t help closing her eyes and giving herself up to the moment. At the end of the dance, Carter kept his arm around her back as they returned to their dinner table. Renee missed dancing with him. She missed everything about Carter, although she wouldn’t admit it to anyone. She wanted to relax in his arms, melt into him and let the music take them away, but that was dangerous. And she was unsure of Carter’s goals. He obviously had a reason for insisting that she spend time with him. On the surface it was to get her back at Hampshire Publications, but while he had his arms wrapped around her, she wasn’t sure.

  “That was fun,” Carter said, holding her chair as she sat.

  Renee noticed his voice was deeper.

  “We should do it more often,” he continued.

  The promise of a future together was in his words. She suppressed the excitement that rippled in her heart, but she didn’t miss his tone. It was that midnight-in-the-dark sexy voice that once wrapped her in its sound. Only now they weren’t alone in the dark together, because Carter had dumped her. Without a reason. He’d only said it wasn’t working for him and he was moving on. So why was he here now? Why had he insisted that she have dinner with him? Was he trying to wear her down, hope they could pick up where they had left off three years ago?

  She guessed he’d had plenty of women who had filled her position for longer than she had had it. She frowned, wondering what he could want. It had to be something. Renee wondered if it was the business. Did he not want her to succeed at her magazine? Could he be that petty? Quickly she dashed that idea. Carter was honorable. At least, in everything except his relationship with her.

  They spent a couple more hours over dinner, talking and laughing, although she was careful of what she said. She didn’t want to reveal anything that could come back to haunt her. And she continued trying to discover his motives for wanting to be in her company. There had to be something going on.

  Finally it was time to leave. Renee preceded him from the dining room into the hall. She wasn’t looking forward to sharing the intimacy of a taxi, but she knew Carter wouldn’t let her go home alone. As they stood waiting for an elevator, a happy couple joined them. The man swung the obviously inebriated woman around in a dance move as they laughed. Renee thought she’d seen them on the dance floor. However, as spacious as the hall was, the couple bumped into Renee and Carter.

  “Excuse me,” the woman said, backing away and continuing to giggle.

  Renee barely acknowledged her. Her attention was on Carter. He’d grabbed her around the waist to steady her and she was now in his arms. Heat flashed through her. She trembled against him but pushed herself away as the doors of two elevators opened simultaneously. Rushing into the small sanctuary, she took a deep breath and Carter followed her in.

  “Should I apologize?” Carter asked as they began the descent to street level.

  Renee didn’t pretend to misunderstand him. She shook her head.

  Carter stood next to her and took her hand. Electricity skidded up her arm, but she didn’t let go.

  The taxi ride to the East Side was short and they spent it in silence. At the guesthouse, Renee opened the car door.

  “You don’t have to get out,” she said. “It’ll be hard getting another taxi in this area.”

  She slid out. Carter didn’t take her advice. He got out, too, but he asked the driver to wait.

  At the town house’s door, he surveyed the facade and asked, “Is this yours?”

  “No,” she said without further explanation.

  “Who lives here?”

  “No one.”

  “No one?” His brows rose.

  “I’m using it temporarily.”

  “Until when?” Carter persisted.

  “Until I go back to Princeton.”

  He stared at her, waiting.

  “Carter, I enjoyed dinner. Thank you for asking me.” She sounded like some high school student from a B movie.

  “I did, too.”

  Renee made the mistake of looking up at him. She wanted to know if he was being sincere. His eyes connected with hers in the low light of the outside bulb. She couldn’t look away. She couldn’t stop herself from watching his head come down toward her and his lips settle on hers. She pulled away almost immediately.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “We are. We’ve done this before, and we know it doesn’t work.”

  “We don’t know that.”

  “Should I refresh your memory?” Renee asked. “I can recite the words for you. You told me point blank and to my face. ‘I don’t love you.’ Then you disappeared, and I didn’t hear from you again.”

  Putting her hand on the doorknob, she stared at him. The indication was that he should leave. Carter stood his ground, and a staring war ensued between them.

  Renee didn’t move when Carter finally took a step. She was ready to push the door open and go inside. Before she could twist the knob, his hands imprisoned her and his mouth seared hers. She couldn’t do anything captured between his body and the wall, both as solid and unforgiving as granite.

  She tried to resist his mouth, but her resolve wasn’t strong enough. She melted into him, joining him in the kiss and letting go of all thought. Her eyes fluttered close and she clung to him, lifting herself higher on her toes.

  He lifted his mouth, yet their lips still touched. She could taste him as he stared into her eyes. Then he removed the millimeter of space and kissed her again. This time his mouth was questioning, asking if it was all right to go on. His lips brushed hers, sweeping back and forth with a touch so light it was disconcerting. Renee turned as his arms gathered her closer, spanning her waist and sides. Without thinking, she went up on her toes, pressing her mouth closer to his. Her arms circled his neck and he crushed her against him for the second time. It had been too long since she’d felt like this. No one had held her or kissed her or made her feel as loved as Carter Hampshire.

  She knew this was wrong. She shouldn’t do this. She and Carter had no future. There was a time when they could have had a relationship, but when they’d reached that fork in the road, they’d stumbled. Still she couldn’t deny herself the pleasure of being in his arms. Carter swept his tongue into her mouth. Shockwaves of emotion ran the full length of her body. She felt her leg rising, brushing against his pants leg.

  Then, like a splash of ice water, she remembered where she was and what she was doing. She pulled her mouth away from him and stepped out of his arms.

  Carter looked down at her. The dim light from the street lamp was bright enough to show the desire in his eyes. Renee was sure her mouth was swollen from the aftermath of his invasion, a wanted invasion.

  “Carter,” she whispered. She could manage no other words.

  “Good night, Renee.” He stepped down to the street and got b
ack in the taxi.

  Renee opened her clutch, and if her keys hadn’t been immediately visible she was unsure if she would have been able to find them. Or slip them into the lock and open the door.

  She stepped inside and turned to look at Carter. Neither waved or said a word. She closed and locked the door and heard the taxi drive away. Looking out the side window, she watched as the cab bore Carter Hampshire out of her life for the second time.

  * * *

  Carter’s family had a house in the Hamptons and a summer home in North Carolina, but he lived in a two-level apartment on Fifth Avenue, where one room was dedicated to music and entertainment. Pulling his tie aside, he unbuttoned his collar and took the stairs two at a time to get to the music room.

  A wall unit held his CDs and an enviable collection of LPs and vinyl records. There were times when only the original medium would do. He hunted through the LPs. Renee was on his mind. She could no longer say they were strangers. After that kiss on her doorstep, there was no doubt in his mind that they were more than familiar with each other.

  Fire and Desire, a Rick James favorite, was what he was looking for. Finding the album that contained the track, he placed it on the turntable and listened as the sound of love filled the cavernous room. Lowering the lights, he looked out on the city toward East 65th Street where he’d left Renee.

  He wondered what she was doing. Had she changed from the red dress she wore into something sheer enough to see through? He imagined her lying on the bed, her skin tone contrasting with the white sheets. The thought aroused him.

  The song ended, and Carter used his remote control to start it again. He listened to it play seven times before finally turning the machine off and heading for his bedroom.

  Carter replayed their kiss over and over in his mind. It was the last thing he thought of before sleep claimed him. But his sleep was fitful. Dreams of Renee filled the night. She wasn’t pliable in his arms, but pulling away, eluding him and running whenever he tried to catch her.

  Waking with a headache, he swung his legs to the floor and hung his head. Light filtered through the sheer curtains and hurt his eyes. Going to the bathroom, he found some headache medicine and downed two white pills. Thirty minutes later, he was dressed for work. His headache had only abated slightly.

  The coffee timer pinged as he walked into the kitchen. He poured a cup and picked up his cell phone. It might be early, but he remembered that Renee was an early riser. He dialed her number. The phone went straight to voice mail, but the recording told him she was not accepting calls at this time.

  “Damn,” he cursed. If he couldn’t wake up with her by his side, he at least wanted to talk to her on the phone.

  Taking a sip of his coffee, he wondered if she was already on the train back to Princeton. She hadn’t said when she’d return, and she had told him she would not contact him when she did. But that should all have changed last night outside her front door.

  * * *

  He hadn’t answered her question, Renee thought as the train rolled toward Princeton. He’d never told her the reason he’d left, like he’d promised he would.

  Then there was the kiss at her door. That had rendered her unable to think clearly. All she’d wanted after that was to get on one side of the door and leave him on the other. This weekend had been a test, and according to her own standards, she’d failed.

  There was no available taxi at the Princeton train station when Renee arrived. By the time she walked the short distance to Nassau Street, she had a plan. She wouldn’t see Carter again. Getting the magazine up and running would consume her for several months. Any invitations that included him, she’d refuse. Any calls from him, she’d ignore.

  Renee sighed as she entered her home. It felt good to be back, welcoming, even though no one was there. She’d be moving out soon, but not selling. She’d decided to rent the house. Princeton was a college town and there were always people looking for residences. Mentally, Renee kept planning, forcing her mind to remain on tasks instead of thinking about the weekend and Carter.

  She’d barely gotten unpacked before the phone at her computer rang. The signal told her it was a Skype call. Renee knew it was Dana calling to find out how the weekend had gone.

  “Hi, Dana,” she said cheerily.

  “How was it?” Dana replied.

  “Dinner was fine. The food at—”

  “I’m not interested in the food,” Dana interrupted. “How did it go with you and Carter?”

  “As it always did,” she replied.

  Dana smiled. “Really?”

  “It’s not what you think. We had a normal dinner and spoke like friends.”

  “Friends!” Dana’s face fell. “I thought you two might mend some fences.”

  “Why? Why would you think that?”

  “Renee, this is me. Dana. I know you’re still in love with him. You’ve been that way since time began.”

  “That’s not true,” she began. “We weren’t together long enough for that.”

  Dana, raising her finger, stopped Renee from continuing. “It only takes a moment,” Dana said. “Some relationships can take years to develop and others can happen in the blink of an eye.”

  Or a glance, Renee thought. “Well, it usually takes two people to make a relationship.”

  “Do you think he wants one?”

  Renee frowned. “I’m not sure. He wants something. I could feel it each time we’ve met, but he hasn’t really said what it is. For sure he’d like me to return to Hampshire Publications, but I’m committed here and I have no intention of returning there.”

  “Well, be careful. I don’t want you to be hurt again.”

  Renee smiled.

  “So, when are you moving?”

  Renee sat up in her chair and relaxed her shoulders. The change in subject removed a weight from them.

  “Next month, after Aunt Olivia moves out. I have to have her house cleaned and painted, get a manager for this house and hire a moving company, plus pack while planning the magazine.”

  “A plateful, I see.”

  “Isn’t it always like that?”

  Both she and Dana thrived on keeping busy and getting things done. As teenagers, Dana had visited Renee wherever her father was stationed.

  “When you do move, I’ll come to the new house and help you unpack.”

  “Thanks, I’d love the company.”

  Renee’s cell phone rang and she glanced toward it, but it was too far away for her to see the caller ID.

  “I guess people know you’re home,” Dana said. “I have to go anyway. Talk to you again soon.”

  Dana disconnected the call. The cell continued to ring. Renee expected it to be Carter. She took a deep breath and stood up. If it was him, she’d ignore the call.

  Lifting the phone, she turned it over.

  Teddy’s face appeared in the small window.

  Chapter 4

  Three weeks later, Renee was back in New York. She’d heard nothing from Carter in all that time, and she was beginning to think things were settled between them. Yet the memory of her performance in his arms outside of the guesthouse wasn’t as easy to put behind her.

  “I have a wonderful place for you to see,” her real estate agent, Eloisa, told her. “It’s within your budget, centrally located and immediately available.”

  Renee had been searching for office space for a week with little result. There was plenty of property available, but everything had at least one problem that made it unsuitable. When she saw a place that would work, the contract had clauses that were deal breakers.

  She met Eloisa down the block from the next space they were viewing, and they walked toward the building together. But she resisted when Eloisa pulled open the glass door and waited for her to enter a building R
enee was so familiar with she could navigate it blindfolded.

  “Is something wrong?” Eloisa asked.

  Renee moved to the side, stepping out of the flowing sea of humanity moving around her. “This is the Hampshire Building,” she said. Her voice was quiet, the kind of quiet that showed desperation. Renee wasn’t angry. Eloisa hadn’t known. It was almost like her words were an explanation to herself, to calm her down.

  “They have wonderful offices and the space is available.”

  “But Hampshire Publications has a bridal division and my magazine caters to that market. We’ll be in competition with each other.”

  The likelihood of running into Carter in an elevator or on the street increased tenfold if she even considered this space.

  “I checked the contracts and there is no exclusion related to other magazine publishers.”

  “But it’s unethical,” Renee said.

  Eloisa inclined her head in a gesture of surrender. “I can find you other spaces to consider,” she said, “but they’ll likely have a higher rent.”

  “Let’s look at them,” Renee said. Even though she was tired of looking, tired of negotiating and tired of discovering unsuitable locations, she would continue the search.

  Two weeks passed, and finally Eloisa confronted her. “We’ve been everywhere. I’m at a loss to find you anything unless you increase your price point or your location.”

  Renee wished she could, but she had a budget and she had to stay within it. The Weddings by Diana partners had already been more than generous with her start-up cost estimates.

  “How about we revisit the Hampshire Building?” Eloisa suggested with a happy note to her voice. “The least you could do is look at the space.”

  Renee nodded, but her heart sank.

  Twenty minutes later they were in the office space, and Renee knew it was perfect for her needs. Very little renovation would be necessary. Some of the items she’d budgeted for were already present.

  “What do you think?” Eloisa asked after a long while.

  “It’s perfect,” Renee said without enthusiasm.