by Talya Bosco
She hadn't lied to Jared. The “moreness” she had talked about was there with both him and Devon. She felt attracted and pulled to both of them in ways she couldn't describe.
She couldn't have stopped herself last night even if she'd wanted to. And she hadn't wanted to. It had been wonderful, and she didn't regret one bit of it.
Tonight felt much the same way. Last night she'd had the time of her life, but when she thought that Jared was going to ask—or even demand—she cancel her date, she had panicked. She'd felt like her arm was being cut off.
It made no sense at all, but she wasn't going to fight it. She was going to let tonight happen the way it was intended to. And if that meant she went home in a few days heartbroken over two men, then so be it.
One final deep breath and a grab for her wrap, and she was out the door on the way to her date.
“Ms. Myles.” The friendly hostess she had grown to know was on duty again. “Your date is waiting for you.”
Larissa nodded her head and followed the young woman into the restaurant proper, toward the back of the room. When a waiter grabbed the hostess's attention for a moment, Larissa got the chance to see her dinner date waiting in a secluded corner.
Electricity zinged through her body at the sight. He was sexier than she remembered. Close-cropped brown hair framed a face that looked like a goddess had carved her dream man out of granite. His lightly tanned skin had her drooling and wondering what lottery she had won to be able to look at that face all night.
His well-tailored suit showed off his fit and trim body to perfection. He was absolutely delicious dressed in evening wear.
He looked up at that moment, and her breath stopped at the look in his eyes. Approval, appreciation, and desire all ran across his face, making her heart flutter and her pulse speed. Her pulse sped up at the shine in his eyes and the look on his face.
He stood up with a grace most women would envy and smiled at her in welcome.
She didn't remember taking the last few steps to the table, but suddenly she was by his side. He leaned down and gently placed a kiss on her cheek.
“I'm glad you came.”
“I agreed to dinner, didn't I?”
He held out her chair, and she sat down. Gratefully, he didn't try to push it in under her legs. She always hated that and could never sit right when someone did it for her.
“Yes, but I didn't know if anything might have come up. After all, we didn't give each other a way to cancel, now did we?”
“I almost got the impression that was on purpose.”
Devon smiled, not saying anything. Smart man.
Their waiter brought her a soda, and she raised her eyebrows at Devon.
“I asked Andy what you've been drinking. The staff here are pretty good at learning guests' preferences.”
“You've been here before?”
He nodded again, once. “Let's order, and then I have a confession to make.”
Larissa sat up straight, suddenly nervous. She ordered without opening the menu, already having decided what she wanted.
When Andy left, Devon reached across the table and placed his hand lightly on hers.
“Yes?” She wasn't sure what she was preparing herself for, but she wasn't sure it was going to be good.
“Yesterday wasn't the first time I saw you. I saw you the other day, here, at the hotel; you were walking across the lobby toward the elevators.”
Larissa thought she should be feeling apprehensive but instead found herself intrigued. “Really? And you just happened to run into me at the boutique?”
“Honestly? Yes.”
“And what made you decide to ask me out?”
He grinned self-deprecatingly. “I've been looking for the chance to ask you to dinner since that day in the lobby. You were beautiful in your jeans and frilly red shirt, striding across the foyer. I couldn't take my eyes off of you.” He shook his head. “I know it sounds like a line of bullshit, but something about you pulled my attention.”
“I'm not sure when you're talking about, but I refuse to believe I was the most striking woman in the lobby.”
Devon shook his head. “I guess that depends on what you mean by striking. Were there women who were thinner or taller or anything else that society deems necessary to be beautiful? Maybe; I don't know. You were the one who attracted me. All my attention was on you.”
Larissa felt herself blush.
“Believe it or not, it's the truth, Larissa. You're the only one I saw.”
Larissa wanted to deny his words, to tell him she knew he was full of bull, but she'd felt the same pull when she'd seen him yesterday, as well as when she'd first seen Jared. She'd felt the entire rest of the world fade away to nothing both times. But she prided herself on being a realist and still found it hard to accept.
“What were you doing here?”
“A friend is part owner of the hotel. I was here to see him. I'm not stalking you, I promise.”
He brought up a good point. “And the boutique?”
He held up his hands in surrender. “Coincidence. I was there buying something for my sister. It's her birthday in a couple days, and there was a necklace there she mentioned.”
“A necklace?”
He shrugged. “We're a close family. It's by a designer who sells only in that shop.”
Larissa debated pushing the question further but realized it was pointless. She either believed him or she didn't. And if she didn't, then she needed to leave right now. And that was the last thing she wanted to do. Instead, she changed the subject.
“So what do you do for a living?”
He grinned before answering. “I'm a lawyer. But trust me, I'm one of the good guys.”
“Really?” Her own mouth twitched in doubt.
“Yes, really. I even donate time to one of the local women's shelters.”
“Why?”
“Many of those women leave everything they know to get themselves out of a bad situation. There's no reason they should have to pay for making the right decision.”
Larissa felt a surge of pride for the man in front of her. She didn't know why. It wasn't like he was anything to her, or like she had any claim on him, but she suddenly was very proud to be with him.
He shook his head. “Enough about me. What do you do when you aren't staying in hotels in the middle of the country?”
“I'm an accountant in Philly.”
“And you decided to take the trip this time of year to celebrate the end of tax season?”
“No. I wasn't offered a time other than a couple of weeks to choose from. I won a contest for romance readers.”
Devon's smile was crooked, and she could just envision the thoughts running through his head.
“Hey, don't even start.” Larissa started to get heated. “Well over forty percent of all fiction sold is romance, and over half the fans of romance are college-educated women. They aren't the same old romances our mothers used to read.”
“Okay, I'll bite. What makes these so different?”
This time she was sure she blushed. “The heroines have brains, not just boobs, they aren't all perfect skinny little women, and well, this one has werewolves.”
He nodded. “Michelle Harrington has werewolves.”
“That's who I'm talking about! How did you know?”
“Kansas City isn't a large city by most standards, Larissa. That would be like saying someone from Boston didn't know Robert Parker or someone from New Orleans had never heard of Anne Rice.”
“Well, I won a contest presented by her publisher. I got a week here, all expenses paid, in addition to a shopping spree.”
“Are you enjoying your vacation so far?”
“Yes, very much so.”
“What have you been doing besides shopping?”
Larissa bit her lip and looked down quickly before meeting his gaze. “My time for confession.”
“What could you possibly have to tell me that has you looking so worried?”
“Um. You see. I got here Saturday, and I've had a couple dates.”
“Well, obviously none worth anything, or you never would have come out with me.”
Larissa cringed. She didn't know how to tell him what was going through her mind. Hell, she wasn't sure what was going through her mind. Or why the hell she was telling him this. It wasn't like she owed him an explanation or anything. She hadn't done anything wrong. And as he'd pointed out, she hadn't had any way to cancel the date.
“Well. Yes and no.”
She looked at him. He sat back and seemed to be waiting patiently for her to continue. She swallowed hard.
“When I agreed to go out with you yesterday I hadn't had a good date yet. And last night's planned date was the worst yet. But I did meet someone last night.”
“After your date?”
“Yes. The date was so bad I left him at the table. Jared and I met later.”
“And the two of you hooked up?”
“Yes. And then we spent the day together today.”
“So this is your way of saying thanks, but no thanks?”
Larissa bit her lip again. Then cleared her throat.
He reached for her hand again. He squeezed it tightly, almost as though he was nervous, but his words came out tension free. More full of assurance than anything else. “Larissa, what is it? If you're trying to blow me off nicely, just tell me.”
“No. It's not that.”
He smiled, and her pulse jumped at the look. He was gorgeous and sexy, but there was more than that. She only wished she could identify why she was drawn to him so strongly.
“Then what is it?”
“I didn't want to cancel the date. I wanted to see you again.”
“Why?”
“Does it matter?”
“I think it does. You obviously had a good time with Jared last night. So why are you here with me? And don't tell me you decided to just show so I wouldn't be disappointed; if that had been your plan, you wouldn't have made yourself look so beautiful.”
“Can't a girl just get dressed up because she wants to?”
“Of course. But I prefer to think you did it for me. It helps boost my fragile ego.”
Larissa couldn't help herself; she had to laugh. “What is it with the men in this state? Ego seems to be the least of your problems.”
He picked her hand up and stared into her eyes as he kissed her palm. “Well, when we get a beautiful woman like you to agree to go out with us, we can't help but be full of ourselves.”
She looked away, tugging at her hand. She was okay with a bit of flirting, but he was going over the top, and she found it difficult to trust his sincerity. “Stop that.” Her words were curt, short.
He refused to let go of her hand. “There you go again, doubting yourself.”
“I don't doubt myself. I'm a realist.”
“How so?”
“Look, Devon, I know I am not the ugliest woman alive, but I also know I'm far from beautiful.”
“Do you like modern art?”
The question threw her for a loop; it seemed totally off topic. “No, not really. What does that have to do with anything?”
“Bear with me. Do you like impressionistic art?”
“Yes, it's one of my favorite styles.”
“Free-form sculpture?”
“Not really.”
“What if I told you that my aunt is one of those artists that puts a Styrofoam cup with a coffee stain onto a pedestal and calls it a masterpiece?”
“Honestly? I'd say she's nuts.”
“I have to agree. But you would agree that she and her fans have a right to believe what they want about art, that even though we may find it ugly as sin, not to mention maybe stupid, they find it creative, exquisite, and beautiful.”
“Of course I'd agree. Everyone has a right to their own opinion about art and beaut—Shit.”
His smile had her ready to crawl under the table. “Exactly. Just because society says that I am supposed to fall for a tall, thin model with fake boobs doesn't mean I have to listen to it. To me, you are beautiful. I love your face. It's full and expressive. I adore your firm, muscled calves. And your curves turn me on just thinking about them. They prove you are a woman to the core, and I can't wait to get my hands on them. Let the other losers ogle over that modern-art crap. Let me savor my Renaissance beauty.”
Tears formed at his words. They should have sounded sappy, stupid, corny even, but they didn't. Instead they rang a chord deep within her, and she felt her heart open a bit, allowing this complete stranger in even further than before.
Speechless, Larissa blinked the tears from her eyes as she looked away. His hand lay on hers gently, as thought waiting for her to compose herself. He let her take a deep breath before speaking.
“I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you cry. I just wanted you to see how I felt.”
Larissa turned back to him and smiled. “I don't know what it is about this place, but ever since getting here I have been on an emotional roller coaster. Are all the men from here like this?”
Devon shook his head. “Nope. I'd have to say you won—or maybe, lost—the lottery.”
She shook her head but was saved the need to respond by the arrival of dinner. By the time the plates had been set and the waiter had made sure they had everything they needed, thankfully, the mood was broken. Instead, they concentrated on their meals. Conversation was light as they ate, talking about sights to see and things to do while she was in Kansas City. It was another very enjoyable evening.
Part of her had hoped that Devon would prove to be less than she'd thought at first. That maybe he wouldn't be amusing or entertaining. That the rush of desire that had overcome her when she'd first seen him would have been misleading, and maybe disappear.
But it hadn't. She was forced to accept the fact that her attraction to him hadn't diminished at all. In fact, it only proved to grow as the night went on. She was just as attracted to him as she'd been yesterday. Only now she had real concrete reasons to like him, not just lust after his body.
“So when do you leave?”
“Sunday.”
“Anyone waiting for you at home?”
Larissa scowled, mostly at herself. She couldn't blame him for asking the questions; after all, she was here after having admitted she'd spent the night with another complete stranger.
“I meant family. Not a boyfriend. I know you wouldn't do that.”
He couldn't possibly have known what she was thinking. She narrowed her eyes. “Why not? Not thirty minutes ago I admitted to sleeping with a stranger, and here I am having dinner with you, another complete stranger. What would stop me from having someone at home waiting for me?”
“Because I don't think it's in your character to cheat. If it had been, you never would have told me about Jared. You're very honest and up-front. Not the characteristics of a cheater.”
Larissa ducked her head, embarrassed and complimented. “Thank you.”
“How about a walk?”
“Excuse me?” Larissa was thrown by the sudden change in subjects once again.
“Well, we're done with dinner, and to be honest, I'm not ready for dessert, so I thought maybe a walk around the grounds and then we could come back for dessert if we wanted one.”
“Sure. Why not?”
Devon caught Andy's gaze and gestured for the check before Larissa could tell him it would just go on her tab. When Andy brought it, she tried to sign for it, but Devon refused.
“I don't care if all your expenses are paid; I invited you to dinner, I am paying.” After he signed for the bill, he stood up to hold a hand out for her as she, too, stood up before turning them to the exterior door.
The grounds of the hotel stretched for over thirty acres of woods and gardens with paths running through most of the land. From a traditional English garden with a hedge maze to a more natural stone and wildflower garden, it was all surrounded by trees, allowing one to forget they we
re minutes from a major midwestern metropolis.
Devon guided her down the flagstone paths, ever conscious of her footing, despite the fact the way seemed to be kept clear of debris.
He led her to the center of the maze, where the requisite gazebo awaited. It was maybe twelve feet across, with benches lining the interior sides and a smattering of chairs throughout the middle. They climbed the stairs, and Larissa's attention was pulled by the tiny fairy lights that lit the ceiling of the structure. Not bright enough to attract any bugs, the lights were just enough to enable them to see each other and where they were going.
Despite the fact the area seemed built for romance, they had the space to themselves. Larissa wasn't surprised, though, as it was the middle of the week. She was sure most of the guests at the hotel were there for business, not romance.
They sat down, and Devon put his arm around her while they listened to the night sounds.
“You never answered my question.” His reminder was soft, gentle almost.
“Which question was that?”
“Why did you come out with me tonight? If you had as good a time with Jared as you said you did, I'm surprised you didn't either leave me a note at the hostess station or show up and cancel in person.”
Larissa thought for a few moments how to answer. Should she be as truthful with him as she had been with Jared? Didn't she owe him the same level of honesty? He'd commented on it earlier; there was no way she couldn't be.
Instead of answering, she stood up and walked to the other end of the gazebo. Still close enough that he could hear her, but so he wasn't touching her. She started talking with her back to him, still looking out to the night sky.
“Honestly, I don't know why I'm here tonight. I don't know why I spent the night with Jared last night. Both are very atypical of me. I told Jared earlier that I felt something more with him. I had no other explanation for it, and still don't. There was something there with him that made me want to spend more time with him, made me want to be with him.”
She turned around to face him, still leaning against the railing, feet away. “But I have that same feeling with you. Just after spending those few seconds with you yesterday at the store, I knew I needed to spend more time with you. I knew that if I didn't, I'd regret it and always wonder what might have been.
