by Jo Barrett
Mrs. Klein glanced at him as she dropped her things on the counter. “Really? You don’t usually work on Saturday, dear.”
“I want to see how Mark is doing on that new order. I never got to talk to him yesterday about it.”
Eleanor’s hand stilled where she placed the butter on the table. “I’m so sorry, Dustin. It’s all my fault. You missed work all day because of me.”
He snagged her hand before she could turn away. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Nothing is your fault. I stayed home with you because I wanted to.”
“But—”
“I would’ve missed more than a day of work if it hadn’t been for you.”
“He’s right, sweetie. I’d hate to think what would’ve happened if you hadn’t intervened,” Mrs. Klein said.
Eleanor smiled down at him, and he pressed a kiss to the back of her hand.
“Now, let’s see what a great cook you are,” he said, and picked up a biscuit. After quickly buttering it, he took a large bite, and his gaze shot to Eleanor’s where she stood still by the table waiting. He could see it in her eyes, how much she wanted to please him, but she didn’t know that simply by being here with him was enough. And yet…
“These are amazing,” he said, meaning it with all his heart. “Where did you learn to cook like this?”
Her face heated and she turned to the counter and began to tidy up the little bit of mess she’d made. “I took some classes one summer when I was a kid, and well, I love to cook.”
Mrs. Klein took a bite and smiled at Eleanor. “Mmm, they are delicious. Now, I insist you teach me your recipe.”
She giggled low and sweet. “I’d be happy to.”
Dustin watched, ate, listened, and enjoyed the scene between the two women as they discussed all sorts of recipes. But it was past time to get to work. He did have a business to run, after all, and Eleanor was in good hands.
Speaking of hands…“Mrs. Klein, why are you here today? I just realized you usually come every other weekday.”
“Well, I had to come and make sure Ellie was all right, now didn’t I? And besides, I was afraid you’d try and cook for her.”
“Hey, wait a minute. I’m an okay cook,” he said with a chuckle.
Mrs. Klein took several of the biscuits and pulled out a pack of sandwich meat from the fridge and put it all in a bag. “You can only cook two things, dear. Lasagna, which took you a year to learn how to do properly, and deviled eggs. And since they’re your favorites, you only learned how to do those because your mother isn’t here to make them for you every so often. Anything else has to come from a box or a can.”
“Hey, I can grill.”
Shoving the bag against his chest, she said, “Of course you can dear. Now, here’s your lunch, and have a good day.” She kissed his cheek then turned to wash dishes.
“And here you had me fooled,” Eleanor said, her grin wide.
He shrugged with a smile. “What can I say? I wanted to impress you.”
They both laughed, and he resisted the urge the pull her into his arms for another kiss. He really didn’t need his housekeeper to witness that. She’d likely give him a good talking to about guests and girls, and Eleanor being injured.
“Well, I guess I’ll get going. My cell number is on the pad on my desk if you need me. My office is the door just past yours. I’ll probably be back around three or so. Unless you need me earlier or anything.”
She nodded with a smile, and he turned the corner and headed for the door.
“Dustin,” she called.
He stopped and looked over his shoulder at where she stood in the hall, just past the kitchen door, and waited. She looked so sweet and soft, with her clingy lounge pajamas and the faint flush to her cheeks he’d seen so often since they’d first met. He didn’t dare take his hand from the doorknob. He had to hold on to something or else he’d cross the few feet between them and pull her into his arms and taste her again, housekeeper or no.
“I—I—” She twisted her hands together and bit at her bottom lip. If she didn’t say whatever it was she wanted to say and soon, he was a goner.
“I just wanted to say—” She let out an unsteady breath. “Please be careful. Especially if you’re riding today.”
It was understandable after what she’d gone through the day before. What he almost went through, if not for her. But for whatever reason, her simple request hit him so close to the heart, he had to suck in a breath.
“I’m not riding today,” he said.
Her smile quivered, and he gave up his hold on the doorknob and turned with his arms open wide. “Come here.”
She ran the few feet down the hall and threw her arms around him as he pressed her to his chest. He kissed the top of her head and breathed in her scent.
“I still promise to be careful,” he whispered against her temple.
She shifted her head as his lips moved unerringly toward hers until they found one another. It was a heady kiss, a kiss of promise and possibilities, but it had to end.
“I’ll see you in a few hours,” he said.
“I’ll be here.”
He brushed his fingers across her flushed cheek, then disappeared out the door before he decided to kick Mrs. Klein out and stay home for the entire day.
“Floating on air,” Eleanor whispered as she went back to the kitchen. That’s how she felt, although it sounded ridiculous. For the first time in her life she felt alive.
Dustin was like no one she’d ever met before, handsome, charming, caring, well-grounded, and content in his life with a successful business he’d built on his own. She wondered about his past girlfriends, wondered how he’d managed to stay single, but it didn’t matter now.
She smiled as she took the dishes Mrs. Klein had washed and began to dry them. He wanted her as more than a friend, and she would be more than happy to oblige him.
“Now that is a cat-in-cream smile if I ever saw one,” Mrs. Klein said.
Eleanor giggled. “I guess I’m pretty obvious, huh.”
“No more than he is,” she said with a twinkle in her eye. “I have to say I haven’t seen him smile this much in a long time. Not that he wasn’t happy, he just seemed a tad on the lonely side.” She put away the soap and placed the sponge in its small dish by the sink. “But it looks like that’s changing.”
“Mrs. Klein, you don’t think that he’s just—well, grateful, do you? I mean, he said he wasn’t, but—”
The older woman cast her with a crooked grin. “Oh, he’s grateful, all right, but for more than you saving his life.”
Eleanor put away the dish and hung the dishtowel back on the hook. “You mean because he was lonely?”
“I mean because he was searching for someone he could share his life with.”
She turned around and braced her hands behind her on the counter. “We barely know each other.”
“Today, but then there will be a tomorrow and the next day and so forth.” She crossed to where she stood. “Take it one day at a time, sweetie. It will all work out.” She patted her cheek, then picked up a dust rag and left the kitchen.
Eleanor stood for a few moments, then shuffled across to a chair and eased herself down into it. She was all for being more than friends, but sharing his life? That was quite a bit more than she’d imagined.
And she didn’t know if that was something she wanted just yet. Leaving home, if only for a few days and taking control of a portion of her life had been the first step. She didn’t think she was ready to take giant leaps.
****
By the time Dustin returned home from work, and Eleanor had taken a nap while Mrs. Klein fixed a crock pot of stew for their dinner, she’d made up her mind. She would follow the older woman’s advice and just take it one day at a time. If things started to go too fast, she’d deal with it then. There was no sense worrying over it beforehand.
Dustin pulled out her chair at the table for her then sat across from her once she was seated.
“I hope Mr
s. Klein didn’t over-do it today. You know, mother you to death, or anything,” he said with a rough chuckle. He picked up his fork and took a hefty bite of stew.
“No, she was really helpful. It wasn’t long after breakfast that I had pretty much worn myself out and had to lie down for a while. When I woke up, she’d made this wonderful stew.”
He smiled and tore a roll in half. “But you baked the bread.”
She felt a familiar flush crawl up her neck. She’d always been a blusher, but she couldn’t seem to control it at all around Dustin. “Yes, I did the bread. I guess that’s what wore me out.”
He took a bite, chewed with relish, and swallowed. “Although I’m loving every bite, I just hope it wasn’t too much.”
“No, I was fine after my nap. And it had to rise, so it worked out.”
They enjoyed the rest of their meal while discussing various topics. His work and hers, their likes and dislikes, and settled in to watch a little television. Eleanor sat pretty much at the end of the couch, not sure how to behave. She wanted to sit closer, to kiss him, and more, but was afraid he’d find her too forward in light of the amount of time they’d known each other.
And yet she couldn’t help wanting him. The man made her senses sizzle, and when he touched her, the reasonable boring old Eleanor disappeared.
But her conscience continued to remind her of Mrs. Klein’s words about sharing a life. She couldn’t be with him and not be aware of the possibility of more. Did she want more? Now, or later, or ever? And was Dustin the one she wanted more with?
She rubbed her aching temple and forced the thoughts from her mind. They’d enjoyed dinner, and were going to watch a little television. That’s all, that was just one step, or one date, and that was enough for now.
Dustin retrieved the remote control from the coffee table and took a seat on the couch at the opposite end. That gave her time to calm her frazzled nerves and simply enjoy his company.
After a minute of grazing through the channels and finding a sitcom they both liked, he put his arm on the back of the sofa and cast her a smile.
“You know, you’re entirely too far away.” She grinned and eased over a little, enough so that his fingers brushed her shoulder.
“Nope, still too far.”
She moved again, and he shook his head with a false frown.
With a laugh, she moved until she was nestled against his side.
“Perfect,” he said, and pressed a quick kiss to her temple as he wrapped his arm around her.
It did feel perfect, she thought with a sigh. Nestled against his side, safe and warm, and cared for.
She was on to step two, and she was glad of it. It was where she wanted to be after all, but having never been in a relationship like this before, was it too fast? She’d never had a fulltime boyfriend. One that she snuggled up against, shared quiet moments with, teased and flirted with. Quick, not-so-pleasant kisses on her brother’s doorstep weren’t exactly a good benchmark.
After a few hours of watching television, it was time for her to go to bed. She could barely keep her eyes open and didn’t want to fall asleep on his shoulder. Although that sounded wonderful, she’d probably end up drooling on him or something, and she didn’t want him to think she was bored either. She was loving every minute of their second date, but exhaustion was winning.
“Come on sleepy-head,” Dustin said. He rose and reached for her hand. Strange how he always seemed to have a clue to her thoughts.
They walked down the hall and stopped in front of her bedroom door.
“Pleasant dreams, Eleanor,” he said, his voice rough, then he kissed her softly.
He was holding back, which was rather gallant of him, and she was immensely grateful. She wasn’t ready for more, and she really was tired, regardless of the dreams she’d had during her nap, brought on by his goodbye kiss that morning.
This was the pace she needed, even if it wasn’t the pace she wanted.
“Good night,” she said, and slipped into her room and went straight to bed. At least there, she could dream.
Chapter Five
Over the course of a few days, their kisses grew more intense, and their hands grew bolder in their roaming while sitting and watching television every evening. By Friday Eleanor was more than ready to make love to the man, but a thought had been nagging at her since her first day in his house.
Was the fact that she was away from her brother, away from all that she’d ever known, making her feel this way about Dustin? Was her total lack of a social life where men were concerned what made him all the more wonderful?
“You’re quiet tonight,” he said, squeezing her in tighter against his side, as they lounged on the couch in front of the television.
“Just thinking about things.”
He turned off the sound on the TV and shifted to see her face. “What things?”
She noticed the worry in his eyes and knew she shouldn’t bother trying to avoid the topic and others. He had a fib detector like nobody she’d ever seen before. “About work, about my brother—about us.”
“And what about us?” He leaned in close and stole a quick kiss.
“Promise to hear me out?”
He sat up straighter, his face a stone facade. “I’m listening.”
She sat back and took a deep breath. “Well, I was thinking that I’m probably so happy because I’m not at my brother’s house, under his rule.”
“Nothing wrong with that.”
“I know, but there’s more to it. I guess, well, I guess I’m afraid that I want you so much because you’ve rescued me from the tower,” she said in a rush.
He didn’t move, didn’t even blink for several long and painful moments.
“How much?” he asked, his voice low and warm, his gaze heated.
“What?”
“How much do you want me?”
She found it difficult to breathe but wasn’t about to pull back now. “I want all of you. I want—I want to make love to you,” she whispered.
A wicked grin eased over his lips. “If memory serves, the knight does get the girl in the end. So—”
She giggled as he slipped his arms beneath her and rose with to his feet with her cradled against him.
“There will come a point of no return, you realize,” he said, carrying her down the hall to his bedroom.
“And you’ll tell me before we get too far if I want to stop,” she said, knowing it was true.
He paused at the side of his bed. “I’ll try. But I have a feeling once I get started, once I start exploring your lush curves that I’ll be in another world entirely.”
“I think I like the sound of that.” She smiled, her nerves barely a bother over the immense need to have this man.
“And I’m glad you like the idea,” he said, then kissed her with a thoroughness she’d never experienced, as he lowered her to the bed.
Dustin knew their discussion wasn’t over, that this was a delicious distraction from what was bothering her. But he hoped that by showing her how much he cared, how much he was growing to love her, she’d quit worrying over how they came together. And more importantly, if they should stay together.
He knew her life with her brother and how she was raised had formed much of her view on things, and that they’d be a massive hurdle to get over, but he had to try.
Concentrating his efforts, pushing aside all thought of their previous conversation and her worries, he worked on tasting every inch of her exposed skin while exposing more along the way.
As their clothes fell away and their hands and lips explored one another, a staggering thought occurred to him.
“Sweetheart, I have to ask you—” His voice was lost as his gaze fell on her lush pert breasts, now exposed to his view.
She partially covered herself with her hands. “What?”
He gently moved her hands aside and began a path of heady exploration with his mouth across the sweet mounds. Her breathing quickened as he pulled one rosy
tip into his mouth. But knowing her background and how incredibly shy she was, his question still needed to be asked.
Moving over her soft skin, he made his way to her lips. “Are you a virgin, Eleanor?”
He paused, their lips a breath away as he looked into her eyes. “I don’t want to hurt you, and it can be uncomfortable the first time.”
She smiled softly. Lifting her hand, she slid her fingers through his hair at his brow. “You’re really wonderful, you know that?”
A smile eased the tension building in his gut. “I am, am I?”
“Mm-hmm.” She traced his jaw with the tips of her fingers, then ran them across his lips. “I’m not a virgin,” she said, her gaze on the path of her fingers. “But it was years ago, so I suppose there might be some discomfort.”
He took her hand from his face and leaned in for a kiss. “I’ll be as gentle as I can,” he whispered between tender kisses.
“I know you will.”
Determined to make sure he wasn’t only gentle when the time came, he made sure Eleanor was thoroughly satisfied beforehand. But the taste of her on his tongue, her gasps and whimpers of pleasure as he loved her with his lips and tongue, made it more than difficult not to take her in one smooth, solid thrust.
Holding back with everything he was, he moved over her, his lips barely touching hers, as he poised himself at the edge of her slick heat.
“I’ll try not to hurt you.”
“I know,” she said.
He moved slowly, watching her face the entire time, although it was damned hard. Once he was completely inside her heated core, he forced himself to pause.
“You okay?” he asked.
“I don’t think I’ve ever felt better.” A Cheshire type grin tipped up her lips. “But um, I think you’ve still got some work to do.”
He smiled then kissed her as he began to move, easing into a tempo that sent them both spiraling out of control and into heaven.
****
After a week of absolute bliss, in the bedroom and out, Dustin suspected Eleanor was having second thoughts about their relationship. Her continued mentioning of her damsel in distress theory was more than just a warning sign. Although they’d gathered a few more of her things from her brother’s house after dealing with his dislike about their arrangement, when her car arrived, his suspicions were validated.
