A shaky breath expelled from her lungs. The glass in front of her became the center of her attention for a long time. Silence hovered over the table like a gloomy specter.
“Jay…” She risked a look at him, and the intensity in his eyes burned into her soul. This was why they couldn’t be alone together, not even in a public place, apparently. “That’s the wine talking,” she croaked.
His lips firmed, rebellious in the dismissal of her words. “It’s the truth.”
“You can’t say something like that and just…”
“Just what?”
“Not expect me to react.” Anger swelled inside of her. Anger that he’d dared say something so intimate, so wrong. “You and I can’t happen. You know we can’t. It wouldn’t feel right.”
“It would feel right,” he said in a measured tone. His gaze raked over her, mentally stripping her naked, violating her with the blatant hunger in his eyes. “It would feel fucking incredible.”
She squeezed her thighs together. “Stop it, Jay.”
“Why?” he asked harshly. He leaned forward, staring her right in the eyes. “So we can continue to act like there’s nothing between us?”
“There is nothing between us. It’s not an act.”
Angry color tinged his cheeks. “Dammit, Brenda, it’s been twelve years. Whatever sense of honor or guilt you feel is misplaced.”
“Why?” she whispered fiercely. Her eyes shot to the table beside them. Certain the couple wasn’t paying them any attention, she continued. “Why did you ask me to come here? So you could harass me? So you could bombard me with your despicable thoughts? Jenna is my friend. I’m not going to betray her because it’s convenient for you.”
“Jenna and I have been divorced for ten years.”
“That doesn’t make it right. I don’t want to have this conversation with you.”
“Tell me you feel nothing.”
“Stop it.” What they’d done was wrong. He’d had a girlfriend. His girlfriend was her friend.
“Tell me you feel nothing. You can’t, because you do. That night—”
“No.” She stiffened. The fist in her lap tightened. “We agreed nothing happened. And please, please stop looking at me like that.” His eyes said it all. What he wanted to do to her. How he’d do it.
“How long are you going to keep this up?” he asked.
“I’m ready to go,” she said, holding his gaze. “You can leave with me or I can leave without you. Whichever you prefer.” She picked up the goblet from the table and downed the last of the wine. Her hands shook. Erratic breaths sputtered from her chest.
A stretch of silence hung between them like angry live wire. After a moment’s hesitation, Jay also finished off his wine. He called over the waiter and very rudely demanded the check. The poor waiter hadn’t done anything wrong but had become a casualty of their tense conversation.
When the bill was paid, Brenda quickly stood and stalked ahead of Jay, not even pausing when he stopped to chat with Joel. She hurried down the street, brushing past the many pedestrians congregated on the city’s sidewalks this time of night.
The pleasant evening she’d hoped to enjoy was over. Done. This was her punishment for wanting to spend time with him. Her punishment for enjoying his company too much.
Brenda banked the corner toward the lot where she’d parked her car. She didn’t know how close he was until his voice came from behind her.
“Do you plan to keep on running forever?”
She pivoted and faced his angry glare. He loomed over her, appearing even larger than usual because of the street’s downward slope.
“It was a kiss. Only a kiss, and a very long time ago. What do you want from me?”
“Honesty. It was more than a kiss,” he said, halfway yelling. “Did you forget you were straddling me?”
“Lower your voice.” Her eyes darted around the almost empty side street. A man rode by on a bike and a car horn blared, prompting a woman to hustle across the street. “You pulled me on top of your lap. You forced me to straddle you.”
Considering all the sidewalk available to him, Jay stepped way too close. “Did I force you to open the buttons on my shirt?”
No, he hadn’t done that. Her hands, with minds of their own, had accomplished the task swiftly and with noteworthy gusto.
“Did I force you to lick my chest and neck?”
No, he hadn’t done that, either. Her tongue had taken charge, savoring the distinctive tang of his skin and playing with his hard nipples.
“That was—” Her lips trembled. “I didn’t mean to.” She blinked rapidly, overcome by the stinging sensation in her chest as he edged even closer.
“Maledizione, do you know how long it took for me to forget the scent of you on my fingers?” he asked in a coarse voice. “Do you have any idea how long it took for me to forget how the inside of your mouth tasted?”
She had a good idea, because she’d fought to forget the salty flavor of his skin, the scent of his masculine musk, and the way the inside of his mouth tasted.
“Why are you doing this? Why now?” she asked huskily.
“Because it’s been twelve years.” His voice sounded as if he had an obstruction in his larynx. “Because Charlie is dead and he thought he had time, and the truth is, we don’t have time, and we don’t know what could happen tomorrow. You said don’t put off until tomorrow what can be done today. So I’m not. Having you here in Atlanta, so close but still so far away, has been hard for me. Giorno e notte penso solo a te.” He scraped his fingers through the hair on his head. “Every day and every night, you’re all I think about.”
“Jenna’s still in love with you, Jay.”
“She’s not in love with me! That’s the excuse you use to keep away from me. You want me. I want you.”
“You can’t have me.”
“Then I will eventually go crazy. Because ever since you and I—”
“Don’t bring it up!” She lifted her hands in protest. “For you to even say something like that—to tell me that you want me, when you know Jenna and I are friends, is…is incredibly selfish.”
His chest heaved. “You think I’m selfish?”
“Yes!”
“No, cara mia,” he said, his smile tight and bitter. “I have been a saint.” His nostrils flared and his jaw hardened. “This is being selfish.”
He stood so close, it didn’t take much before his big hands had fastened on her arms and pulled her the few inches closer that allowed him to slap his mouth over hers. Senses shocked, Brenda froze, right before dizzying excitement careened through every single limb and she shuddered against his chest.
One hand lifted to her hair, cradling the back of her head as his tongue plowed into her mouth. The delicious intrusion dragged a thready moan from the depths of her throat, and her nipples beaded against the hardness of his chest.
The sounds of the night receded—idling cars, people talking, the hum of air conditioners. She breathed him in, lapping at his mouth with her tongue until his hold on her tightened to the brink of pain. Her fingers clutched the lapels of his jacket as he forced her against the wall and angled his head to consume her even more.
Brenda stroked her palms over his rough, hair lined jaw, moaning softly when the lean muscles of his belly pressed against the soft, convex surface of hers. He tasted even better than she remembered—rich and warm, almost exotic when combined with the distinct flavor of the wine they’d consumed.
Grasping fingers reached into his curls. Lost in the thickness, they enthusiastically ran through his soft hair, stroking over his scalp until a shudder rippled down his frame.
Jay grabbed two handfuls of ass, squeezing and trying to tug her closer, as if that were even possible the way they were already wedged against each other. His mouth found the slender column of her throat and she tilted her head back. His breath was hot and heavy as he licked her skin, setting her body on fire and sending beats of heat to her clit.
He mo
ved to the pulse at her throat, and her nipples tightened expectantly, wanting a touch, a lick, a graze, anything to show them some attention. The night sky loomed above with a spattering of stars, and the buildings swayed against the dizzying maneuvers of his mouth.
He whispered in Italian against her skin. He seldom spoke Italian, and why would he? She wouldn’t understand. But this was beautiful, listening to the foreign words roll off his tongue. She may not understand, but she understood the intensity of emotions because she felt them, too.
She hadn’t even felt him undo the top button of her blouse. Only aware it had been done because his teeth nipped the swell of her breast, and his moist tongue traced the line of her cleavage.
“Oh god,” she panted, fingers tightening in his hair.
A groan erupted from deep in his chest. His body shifted and he planted a knee between her legs. That’s when his bone stiff erection poked her in the belly.
The shock of his arousal penetrated the fog of lust and the reality of the situation sank in. They were on the side of a building in full view of passersby, exhibiting a glaring lack of decorum, tearing into each other with an appalling lack of decency.
Brenda pushed him away and wrenched free, breathing hard through her nose and mouth. They both were, staring each other down. The rawness of desire throbbed through her veins, her loins, her skin.
“I’m never safe with you, am I?”
“Do you want to be safe?” he challenged.
Her fingers touched her trembling mouth. “Don’t touch me again,” she said, in a voice not entirely steady.
He moved closer. “Brenda—”
“I said, don’t touch me!” She retreated and ran her tongue over bruised lips. The delectable taste of him had saturated her mouth and would remain for days on end, again. “I’ve learned my lesson. Obviously we can’t be alone together. Not even in public.”
She turned and hurried toward the parking lot where her car was parked, rushing away from him as fast as she could.
Just like she’d done all those years ago.
Chapter Eight
She’d escaped. But what exactly had she escaped from?
Brenda sat parked in the driveway, elbows on the steering wheel, her head resting in her hands. Ridiculously close to tears, so upset and lost in her own emotions she didn’t notice when Mrs. Chen parked beside her until the older woman rapped on the passenger window. Her head jolted up at the unexpected sound.
“Are you all right, dear?” The glass muffled her voice.
“I’m fine.” Brenda assembled the most reassuring smile she could and exited the vehicle. “Long day, crazy day.” Her fingers tightened around the keys, stopping the tremble that shook them.
Mrs. Chen searched her face, skepticism in her eyes, deducing she hadn’t been completely truthful.
Brenda waved. “Good night.” She went up the steps and paused outside her door, listening for her landlord’s slow progress up the stairs. Once Mrs. Chen safely entered the apartment above, she let herself into her own place.
The phone was ringing, and she hurried down the hall, past the two bedrooms and living room to the wide, open kitchen at the back of the house. She flicked on the light and reached for the phone but pulled back with the speed of someone who’d encountered a scorpion.
Jenna’s number displayed on the caller I.D.
Not now. The timing couldn’t be worse.
Her eyes remained fixated on the LCD screen until the shrill ring of the phone ended. When it did, she breathed a sigh of relief. But no sooner had she done that, the phone in her purse began to ring.
“Don’t be Jenna.”
Brenda set the purse on the dark walnut table and fished out the phone. Her heart sank. Sure enough, it was Jenna. Tugging her lower lip between her teeth, she gnawed gently and debated whether or not to ignore this call, too. At the last minute, she hit Answer before it rolled to voicemail.
She added an appropriate amount of excitement to her voice. “Hey, Jenna!”
“Hi, Brenda. Do you have a few minutes?”
“Sure.” Brenda walked over to the kitchen cabinets and removed a container of tea, a fruity, fragrant blend of berries, grapes, and hibiscus.
“I told Jay about Dale.”
Brenda had almost forgotten about Dale, but then she remembered their conversation from a while back. “You did? When?”
“Today.” By the tone of Jenna’s voice, the conversation must not have gone well. “I told him I wanted to introduce Dale to the boys.”
Brenda filled an electric kettle with water. “How did he react?” She set the kettle on the burner and pushed the button for the tea setting.
“He didn’t say much.”
Brenda paused her movements, stomach muscles rigid with anxiety. “Did he…seem jealous?” She shouldn’t have asked that question. Not when she feared the answer.
“We’re past all that now, I guess you could say. I am, at least. I’d have to be, wouldn’t I? The way he goes through women…”
“Is it hard for you?” Brenda asked, throat so tight the words barely came out. “Seeing him with someone else?”
Jenna didn’t answer right away, as though she gave the question a lot of consideration. “Sometimes,” she said slowly. “Especially…”
Brenda waited, a giant knot of dread in her stomach.
“Especially when I think about how we used to be.” Jenna let out a low laugh, a quiet, knowing sound that hinted at intimacies and private moments.
Brenda reached up into the cabinet again, this time for a teacup and saucer. A pretty rose pattern adorned the circumference of each cup and the interior of the saucers. If she kept moving, she wouldn’t dwell on the tone of Jenna’s voice and could pretend her friend’s admission didn’t cause any distress.
“Our lovemaking was incredible. I hope this isn’t TMI, but that’s one of the things I really miss. He was amazing in bed. He gave it his all, you know? So…intense—”
The teacup and saucer clattered to the counter. With the phone tucked between her ear and shoulder, Brenda scrambled to save the dishes from crashing to the floor. “Sorry about that,” she muttered. She’d almost destroyed the dishes, a four-piece set passed down from her paternal grandmother.
“No problem.” Jenna sighed. “Like I was saying, I miss the sex. Hmm. He really was a stallion in bed, and oh my—”
“I have to go.” Brenda’s words cut through, sharp and quick. If she listened to any more of Jenna’s breathless praise, she’d be sick. “I have company.”
Jenna gasped. “Oh my goodness, why didn’t you say something?”
“I had just walked in when you called.” At least that part was true.
“You finally found time in your schedule to start dating again? Yay! Call me tomorrow. I want to hear all the juicy details.”
“We’ll talk soon. Bye.” Brenda hung up the phone and set it on the table beside her purse.
She then tore down the hallway to her bedroom and quickly stripped out of her clothes. They still oozed the spicy scent of Jay’s skin and cologne. She tossed them into the hamper and went into the bathroom. In the shower, she scrubbed her body down with a soapy washcloth, twice, concentrating on the areas where her flesh had made contact with Jay—her neck, her arms, her breasts.
Afterward, Brenda dried off and rubbed scented lotion into her skin, threw on a robe, and padded back out to the kitchen. The kettle had kept the water warm so she still treated herself to a cup of tea. As an added indulgence, she opened a box of chocolate and pistachio biscotti and placed one on the saucer. The methodical motion of stirring honey into the warm liquid calmed her agitation to a quiet hum.
She entered the living room and sat on the Chesterfield couch, an old relic in deep chocolate that she’d picked up at a second hand furniture store for an incredibly low price. The other chairs in the room had also been steals. One, a leather recliner she’d found at a neighborhood yard sale, and the other a comfy camel-colored armc
hair with matching ottoman she’d bought at a furniture store’s going out of business sale.
Shifting a beige and burgundy pillow out of the way, she settled in a corner of the couch and placed her heels on the edge of the wood coffee table.
She dipped the biscotti in the tea and took a bite of the soaked cookie. Tasty, but that wasn’t the best part. When she sipped the tea, she tasted the fruity blend and the sweetness of the biscotti disbursed into it. Now she was better prepared to take a trip down memory lane.
She knew a little about the intensity Jenna had gushed about. She’d seen it tonight, but the first time she’d experienced it had been twelve years ago. She could barely remember what she’d had for lunch last week, but she remembered, in vivid detail, the first time Jay kissed her.
It had been raining hard, and since she didn’t have a car at the time, Jay offered to drop her home on his way home. She’d readily accepted the offer because deep down, to her shame, she’d wanted that time with him. She’d spent half the car ride watching his lips when he spoke, not because she couldn’t understand him, but because of the pleasure it gave her to examine the curves.
Her chest grew warm, and her nipples hardened from the erotic memory of that night…
****
Jay pulled up outside Brenda’s apartment building. Rain drenched the night in heavy sheets, but a couple of cars parked right in front of the door prevented him from pulling any closer.
“Darn,” Brenda said, sighing. “Too bad we can’t plough into their cars and make them move.” She was trying to be funny, but Jay didn’t laugh.
“That wouldn’t be very nice to hit their cars,” he said, in his heavily accented voice. She could listen to him read a grocery list. The h sounds dropped from his words, and his sentences lifted and danced at the end.
Brenda grinned at him. “I was kidding. You’re such a good guy.”
An Unexpected Attraction (Love Unexpected Book 3) Page 7
