"Me, too. But she'll call in sometime.”
"I'll ask my mother to pick up Dylan from school and Roxy has a ride home. My mother can make them dinner."
"It sounds like a plan," he said.
Silence fell between them for a long minute, then Lisa said, "If you need to go back to work--"
"No, I'm not leaving you, Lisa."
She gazed back at him for a long minute, but he couldn't begin to figure out what she was thinking. "All right," she said finally. "I'd like for you to stay."
"Good, because that's what I'm doing." He paused. "What about your work?"
"I can't think about that now," she said with a dismissive wave.
"Your boyfriend won't care?"
Something flashed through her eyes. "I'm sure he'll understand. He's a good man, Nick."
He nodded. "Maybe he is, but I still don't think you're in love with him.”
She averted her gaze as she played with her very large engagement ring.
"But you didn't need me to tell you that, did you?" he added.
She jerked to her feet. "I'm going to get some coffee." Pausing, she said, "and just for the record, maybe I do tend to leave first, but did it ever occur to you that it's usually because you drive me away?"
Yeah, it occurred to me, he thought, but she was already gone.
Chapter Eighteen
Maggie used Jeremy's phone to call home later that day, but she got the answering machine. Lisa and Nick were probably picking the kids up from their various activities.
"Hi, it's me," she said cheerfully. "I just wanted to see how everyone is doing. I love you guys. I'm blowing you a kiss. Here's one for Roxy, my smart teenager, who I hope isn't giving Aunt Lisa any gray hair. Here's one for Dylan, my big boy—don't play too many video games. And here's one for Mary Bea, my sweet baby. Love and hugs to all of you..." Her voice caught in her throat as she thought about the kids and how much she missed them, but she wasn't just doing this for herself—she was doing it for them, too. If Keith was still alive... "Anyway," she said, knowing she was running out of time. "Lisa, I hope it's okay that you stay with the kids. If it's not, make Nick stay. I hope you guys understand. I have to do this. I'll call again when I know more. Bye."
Maggie hung up the phone, took a deep breath, and headed toward the winery entrance where Jeremy was waiting.
He sat on a bench outside a train station. This particular winery was built on top of a hill, and a small open-air train took visitors up and down to the winery. Since it was a Monday, the visitors were sparse, and aside from the ticket taker, Jeremy was the only one in sight.
He smiled when he saw her, that slow, knowing smile that made her heart catch, her stomach clench and a thrill run down her spine. She was becoming addicted to his smile, to the look of desire in his eyes.
With him she was simply a woman and not somebody's mother. It had been a long time since she'd felt that way. Not that she didn't love her kids, she told herself again. But somehow in the hoopla of marriage and kids, she'd lost a bit of herself, and she was just now getting it back—with Jeremy, a handsome stranger. Who would have thought she could have attracted a man like him?
Jeremy stood up as she approached. "Ready for more wine?"
"You might have to carry me before we're through."
"Promise?"
She laughed at his devilish smile. "I weigh more than you think."
"I'm stronger than you think." He playfully flexed a muscle as he winked at her.
"You are so great. Why hasn't some woman snatched you up before now? There must be something you're not telling me, some deep, dark secret of why you're still available at the age of what—thirty-three?"
Jeremy shook his head. "Hey, I'm only thirty. Don't age me like that."
Thirty? He was younger than her by a year. Younger. She suddenly felt the gap was about twenty years instead of one. She'd been married. She'd had children. A lifetime of experience separated them.
Jeremy's eyes turned serious. "What's the problem? You don't like thirty-year-olds?"
"I'm thirty-one."
"Ooh, an older woman."
Maggie tried to smile but couldn't. She took her ticket out of his hand and walked over to the train entrance. "We better go. It's getting late, and I want to check this place out before it closes."
Jeremy stepped into the waiting train and sat down across from her. They were both silent as the train lurched out of the station, then up the hill to the winery.
"Do you really think a year makes that much difference?'' Jeremy asked.
"No, of course not." It wasn't the year; it was everything else he didn't know.
"Something is bothering you."
"I'm just moody. See, you're starting to get to know me, and the bloom is already off the rose," she said, drumming her fingers on the seat beside her.
Jeremy got up and sat down next to her. Before she could say another word he leaned over and kissed her. It was a hot, lush kiss, more potent than the wine they'd tasted earlier.
Jeremy's hand worked its way inside her collar, his fingers warm against her skin. She moaned as his tongue slid into her mouth, tasting him as he was tasting her.
"You're driving me mad," Jeremy whispered, as he bit down gently on the tip of her earlobe.
Maggie closed her eyes against a bolt of sensation that hit every erogenous point in her body, leaving her tingling, wanting.
When she opened her eyes, Jeremy was staring at her. "I want to make love to you."
"There are things--"
He cut her off with a finger against her lips. "That I don't know about you. There are things you don't know about me. For instance, I really enjoy making love."
Maggie swallowed hard. "That's—that's good."
"It can be very good. Especially with a woman who is willing to explore."
"Explore what?" she asked, feeling both excited and dismayed by his titillating words.
"Explore the ways a man and a woman can find pleasure."
"Would these ways be painful?"
He smiled. "Am I scaring you?"
"You're turning me on," she admitted. "But I'm not—I'm not all that experienced."
"You don't have to be experienced, just attracted, interested, willing. You know I want you," he said bluntly. "You know I came with you because I want you."
"Yes." Maggie licked her lips, then gasped as Jeremy's tongue followed the same motion as hers.
He trailed his lips down the side of her face, her neck, her collarbone. He undid the top button of her dress so his tongue could drawl a swirl of pleasure along the curve of her breast, until she wanted to rip her shirt open so he could have better access to the parts of her that wanted his greedy, hungry mouth.
The train jerked to a stop.
"What—what happened?" Maggie gasped.
"I don't know, but I'm sure we'll get going in a moment."
They were halfway up the hill, not a soul in sight. "How long do you think it will take before we start moving?"
"A few minutes probably."
"I feel so vulnerable."
"Don't think about it. Think about this." He kissed her again, his hand moving against her chest, unbuttoning two more buttons on her dress. His hand slipped inside, cupping her breast. After a heart-stopping moment, his fingers pulled aside the lacy cups of her bra and caressed her bare skin.
Maggie would have gasped with pleasure, but Jeremy's mouth made a mockery of every other kiss she'd ever received. His fingers worked magic against her breast. She completely forgot about where they were and put both arms around his neck and pulled him closer.
His mouth left hers, and she almost begged him to come back, until she felt his fingers unhooking the front clasp of her bra. His mouth replaced his fingers in the valley of breasts, the curve of one, then the other, finally settling in on the center of her being, feeling, tugging, tasting, sending electric shocks throughout every part of her body.
And she wanted more. Maggie sh
amelessly pressed his head against her breast, and when his hands slid up under her breast, she welcomed them, yearning for his touch.
She ran her hands through his hair, loving the feel of his mouth on her breast, his hand on her thigh, slipping inside her panties. She did gasp then as his fingers found her hot spot, as he caressed, first slow, then fast, until she felt herself losing control.
"Don't stop," she whispered.
And he didn't, not for several mind-blowing minutes of pleasure that left her shaky and breathless. He lifted his head and smiled at her. She felt a little embarrassed that it had all been for her.
"I had a good time, too," he said with a smile, reading her mind.
"Not as good as me." She suddenly sat up, hooking her bra, fumbling with her buttons, as she realized where they were. "I can't believe you just did that, and I let you. Anyone could have seen us."
"No one did."
"I know, but I've never done anything like that before. I feel wild."
"Oh, man, I wish you hadn't said that. It makes me wish..." He took a deep breath and let it out.
"Maybe I could help you." She put her hand on his thigh, and he jumped.
She smiled, feeling a delicious sense of power now that the tables were turned. "I want to be fair."
"Hey, it's broad daylight."
"That didn't stop you."
"Well, it's going to stop you," he said, removing her hand from his thigh. "Unless you want to end up completely naked on this bench."
"Mm-mm, I have a feeling you could make me forget just about anything."
His eyes darkened, and his breathing grew ragged. "Damn. Damn. Damn. I wish to hell we were in a nice private bedroom right now."
"No one can see," she teased, repeating his own words.
"Okay, let's do it."
His hand moved to his belt buckle and Maggie felt a rush of excitement, followed by fear. "I—uh."
His eyes twinkled. "Second thoughts, Maggie?"
Maggie didn't get a chance to reply as the train jerked into motion. "Well, too late," she said, feeling both relieved and grateful.
"Saved again," Jeremy said, settling back on his seat. "I'll have to hope the third time's the charm."
Maggie simply smiled as the train continued its slow ascent up the hill. She still couldn't believe her behavior or Jeremy's. Keith wouldn't have dreamed of kissing her or touching her like that where anyone could see. Or maybe he had dreamed of such a thing—just not with her.
"You think too much," Jeremy said.
She found him watching her again. "It's a bad habit, I know."
"Come here." He put his arm around her, and she rested her head on his chest. She could hear his heartbeat next to her ear, and she felt comforted by it. She had only known him a short time, but it seemed like she'd known him forever. Kissing him, wanting him, loving him seemed so natural, so right. Loving him? No! She couldn't be falling in love! That would be stupid and foolish and impossible. She might even still be legally married.
"Your shoulders are suddenly tense," Jeremy said, rubbing his hand against her tight neck muscles. "What are you worrying about now?"
She sat up and looked at him. "Jeremy, am I leading you on?"
"I sure hope so."
"Are you leading me on?"
His smile faded as his eyes turned serious. "What are you asking me, Maggie?"
"I don't know. I just—you make me feel things."
"Good things?"
"Very good."
"Then why don't we just go with that—for the moment."
Maggie slowly nodded. He was right. She didn't have to commit to any feelings right now, and neither did he. And if she was falling in love with him, well, she'd just have to stop.
The train finally pulled into the station at the top of the hill and came to a grinding halt.
"Sorry about the delay, folks," the operator said as he opened the door.
"No problem. We enjoyed ourselves," Jeremy replied.
The man smiled. "It's a great view, isn't it? One of the best in the valley."
"The best I've ever had," Jeremy said.
Maggie nudged him in the ribs, but Jeremy was obviously enjoying himself. "The valley is so lush, so sweet. You can almost taste the wine in the air."
The operator sent him a strange look, then nodded. "Some people say you can get drunk up here just by breathing deep."
"I'll bet. I know I felt--"
"Jeremy, let's go." Maggie steered him away before he could say anything risqué. "You're terrible," she said as they walked into a nearby courtyard.
"I was having a little fun."
"Too much."
"Life is fun, Maggie." He tipped her chin and gave her a quick kiss. "You have to stop worrying so much about everyone and everything."
"Another bad habit. See, you're perfect, and I am terribly flawed."
"Looks that way," Jeremy agreed.
She socked him in the arm.
"Ow."
She laughed. "You're right, life is fun. Come on, let's see if we can get you a little more drunk."
"I think that was my line," he said, following her down the path that led to the winery.
They entered the main building and strolled into the tasting room. It was quiet inside, just one other couple sipping wine, and it wasn't Serena and Keith. They tasted several different wines, then decided to call it quits.
"Do you want to take the tour?" Jeremy asked.
"No, I'm tired, and I've seen enough vats today to write a book about wineries."
"I was thinking the same thing. Only I was plotting out how a body might wind up in one of those big barrels."
"You have a dark side, Jeremy."
He winked at her. "Baby, you don't know the half of it. Wait till I get you alone."
He was teasing, but she couldn't help the nervous shiver that raised goose bumps along her arms. Every time she thought she knew who he was, he said something to unsettle her.
"I'm going to get some water," Jeremy said, heading toward a drinking fountain down the hall. "I'll meet you out front,"
"Okay." Maggie wandered into the courtyard. It was quiet, the late afternoon sun casting shadows through the trees. She rested her elbows on top of the brick wall that wound its way around the grounds. She imagined there would be a spectacular sunset in a few hours. She suddenly felt as if she were a million miles from home, from her life, from herself. She felt guilty, because it felt good to be away.
She had always loved sunsets, the time of night when dusk settled over the city and the stars came out one by one. It was the time when she felt invincible, as if there was a huge world out there waiting for her to conquer. Not that she'd ever tried to do such a thing. She'd always wanted to be a wife and a mother. That had been her goal since she got her first doll and played her first game of house.
But what now? She was still a mother but no longer a wife. How could she play only part of the game? Everyone knew you needed a mother and a father to play house.
Jeremy wouldn't fit into the game. His life was Hollywood. Lights, camera, action. Soon he'd go back to his world, and she'd go back to hers.
They had now, a little voice inside her said. She could have him tonight. She could make every fantasy about sex come true with him. Instinctively, she knew that. She'd never before met a man who could drive every logical thought out of her head with one kiss.
"Maggie! Maggie!"
She turned to see Jeremy waving impatiently at her from the other side of the courtyard. She hurried over to him. "What's wrong?"
"I just saw Serena. Come on."
He ran down the path toward the train station. Maggie hoped they wouldn't be too late.
By the time they got to the station, the train was just pulling away.
"Sorry, folks," the operator said. "The next one will be up in a few minutes."
Maggie caught her breath at the sight of the two people on the train. A woman turned around and looked back at the winery.
"Serena," Jeremy said.
He waved, but the woman didn't wave back. Instead she laughed and swayed as the man next to her nuzzled her neck.
The man's face was buried behind Serena's long blond hair, so Maggie couldn't get a good look at him. The next thing she knew, Serena had turned around and kissed the man on the mouth. Then the train disappeared from sight.
Maggie couldn't speak. The sight of Serena kissing that man had caused her blood to run cold. Keith had never kissed her like that.
"Damn it all," she said in frustration, stamping her foot like an annoyed child. "I can't believe we missed them again. We were so close."
"Was it him?"
"I think so," she said, wishing she didn't have any doubts, but she still hadn't gotten a good look at his face. "The hair color is exactly the same, but I need to look into his eyes."
"You will. We're close."
"We've been close for the past three days."
"It hasn't been all bad," Jeremy reminded her.
"I know, but..." She walked over and sat down on the bench.
"But what?"
"I'm running out of time."
"When do you have to be back in San Diego?"
"I should have been back yesterday." She got to her feet, restless again. "And I'm sure you have better things to do than chase after Serena."
"Not really." Jeremy tipped his head toward the station, where another train had arrived. "Let's go down the hill and see if we can catch them in the parking lot."
The ride down was a lot shorter than the ride up, with no unexpected stops, and Maggie was too tense to even think about fooling around again. When they exited the train, the parking lot was empty.
Maggie felt her heart sink once again, even though she hadn't really expected them to be there.
"I'm sorry," Jeremy said. "I know you're disappointed."
"It's not your fault. I guess we just aren't meant to catch them." She walked toward their rental car, which was now the only one left in the parking lot. "We might as well go back to the hotel."
"Might as well." Jeremy unlocked the passenger door but paused before opening it. "If your husband truly left you for Serena, he's a fool. You are a beautiful, smart, and exceptionally wonderful woman."
Summer Reads Box Set, Books 4-6 Page 23
