Her Pregnancy Surprise (30 page)

He escorted her to the small dance floor and swept her into his arms. The music was seductive. Or being held by such a sexy man was. Whatever, Sara felt like she was a princess. They moved together as if they’d been dance partners for years. She rested her forehead against his lower jaw, relishing the touch of skin against skin. His arm encircled her, his hand splayed over her the small of her back. The slightest pressure guided her. His other hand, large and strong, held hers. It made her feel safe.

She’d always been the strong one in their family of two. It felt odd to feel sheltered. Odd, but nice.

“When do you return to San Francisco?” he asked.

“Not for a few days. I’m on vacation.”

“Spend it with me.”

S
ARA
pulled back a little so she could see his face. “Spend my vacation with you? Here at the hotel?”

“I’m staying here, so are you. We could spend our time together. You can tell me more about your job. Or where you’d travel if you had no limits. Do you ski? We could go skiing. Or if you’d rather gamble—”

“I’m afraid I don’t gamble, and I don’t ski. I planned to walk along the lake, catch up on some reading, maybe indulge myself at the spa again.”

“Change your plans,” he suggested.

Sara didn’t hesitate beyond a split second. Wasn’t she yearning for adventure? Wanting something different from the last two decades? What better than to share an exciting vacation with an interesting man? No one knew her at Lake Tahoe. No one had expectations about how she should behave. No one could censure her for taking a chance.

Throwing caution to the wind and feeling very adventuresome, she nodded. “I would love that. You can tell me all about where you’ve been, to help me decide where I should go first. And I’ll tell you what I can about my own job.” As long as she could figure out a way to make it sound glamorous, she could keep him intrigued. A mysterious woman to share his vacation with. What fun it was to be responsible solely for herself at long last.

An empty nest was a wondrous thing.

Matt settled her against him, relishing the feel of her feminine body against his. She fascinated him. She wasn’t pestering him to reveal his intimate most secrets. She wasn’t trying to impress him with all her fantastic accomplishments, or all the compliments she received from other men. Consequently he didn’t feel the need to try to impress or put the make on her. He wanted her, that was a given. She was beautiful, and fun to be with—unlike the women he’d been seeing most recently, always wanting more of his time, attention, money.

She seemed content with his idea of spending their vacation together. He’d relax and enjoy his time away from work—or as much as he could allow. There would still be time in the early mornings to catch up on things via the Internet.

For a moment cynicism rose. Was she too good to be true? She seemed eager to embrace the exact life he enjoyed. Was it a ploy or was she genuinely excited about traveling?

If so, maybe she could go with him on a trip or two. Visiting some of his favorite spots took on a new meaning when he thought about showing them to Sara. She’d be enchanted with Paris. Fascinated by Rome or Athens. Probably amazed by the bustle and energy of crowded Hong Kong. He could envision her eyes lighting up in delight, the curve of her lips when she smiled.

Suddenly he wondered what she’d look like in bed—a combination of all the above?

Too soon the combo took a break.

“It’s getting late,” Sara said as they returned to their table. “If we’re going to be up early tomorrow, I’d better get some sleep.”

“Are we getting up early?” For a moment he almost suggested they finish the evening in his room. But something held him back. Sara wasn’t like the women he generally saw. She was special. He wasn’t going to risk ruining what they had together by rushing things. There were several days ahead of them. The conquest would be all the sweeter for waiting.

“I don’t want to waste a minute of vacation,” she said. “Besides, who knows how long the weather will hold. It could snow again any day.”

He paid the check and escorted her to the elevator. They rode down, changed at the lobby and took one of the other elevators to the rooms. She told him which floor she was on. When he walked her to her door he almost invited himself in. But he resisted the impulse. He could wait. Not easily, but he wasn’t some randy young teenager. He’d acquired some polish over the last decade or so.

“I’ll meet you for breakfast at eight,” he suggested.

“Fine. By the elevator?”

He nodded. Raising his hand, he toyed with a short lock of her soft honey-brown hair. She’d had it cut between the first time he’d seen her and dinner. The new style suited her. Had it been highlighted? Or were the strands of gold mixed in natural? Whatever, the style made her look more sophisticated than he suspected she really was. Studying her, he was struck again by how much he wanted her.

He leaned in and kissed her gently. Her lips were soft and warm. She responded with an enthusiasm which surprised him. Maybe he was wrong about waiting.

Then she stepped back, fumbled with the card and opened her door. “Thanks again for tonight.” She shut the door in his face.

Matt rocked back on his heels and looked up at the ceiling, drawing in a deep breath. Maybe he’d miscalculated. Maybe she would have been more receptive than he’d thought.

It wasn’t even midnight, but he might as well get to bed. He didn’t want to be a second late for breakfast.

“Wow. Oh, wow!” Sara said softly, leaning against the door. He’d kissed her! She hadn’t been kissed since that sloppy attempt by Jack Renner seven years ago. She couldn’t call that a kiss, more like a wet puppy’s salutation.

Matt Tucker, on the other hand, could corner the market on kisses. She felt herself tingle all over, and the smile wouldn’t stop. Pushing away from the door, she danced around the room, imagining Matt’s arms around her. She’d
loved
their evening together.

A week of his company. She couldn’t believe it. Would they get bored? Or find they wanted more than a week? They both lived in San Francisco. Maybe he’d ask her out when they returned home.

She got ready for bed, thinking of all the possibilities, feeling almost giddy with happiness. The worry about Amber and Jimmy was long forgotten.

The next day was one of the best Sara ever spent. At breakfast Matt tried to talk her into skiing. But she refused, choosing instead to walk along the water’s edge. She suggested he go with his friend and meet
her later. She would be disappointed, but that she could handle. She didn’t relish making a fool of herself the first day trying to learn to ski with an expert watching.

To her gratification, Matt had dismissed her suggestions and insisted he’d rather spend the day with her.

“I’ve been skiing for years. And have had two good days here already. The mountains will always be here. Let’s get some coffee to keep us warm and tackle that walk.”

The snow had melted enough to reveal the sandy beach. They battled the wind that swept across the lake, but with the sunshine and warm jackets, the day felt exhilarating.

Matt bought coffee for them to take, and when they found a sheltered spot, complete with bench, they sat down to sip the warm beverage. The wavelets breaking against the shore, driven by the wind, rendered a soft melodious background. The water sparkled in the sunshine. The snow on the surrounding peaks gleamed like thousands of diamonds with the tall deep green conifers and deep blue sky startling contrasts.

Sara drank in the beauty as she tried to imprint every aspect of the day on her memory. Especially the man beside her.

“Tell me about Moscow,” Sara invited, looking at him over the edge of her cup as she took another welcomed sip.

“If we take turns.”

“But you know all about San Francisco,” she said.

“But not all about you. I want every speck of information I can get,” Matt said.

Flattered, she nodded, hugging the compliment to herself. Don’t get carried away, she admonished. He’s on vacation and making the most of it.

“Okay, but you start with Moscow,” she said, yearning to hear about his travels, his work, every scrap of information he’d give. Did he really feel the same about her?

“Tenacious,” he commented, then began to describe the events of his last trip.

When he’d finished, she frowned. “If I’d been there, I’d have visited the museums, walked in Red Square, even done some shopping. You went to work, and back to the hotel. Boring.”

“It’s my fourth visit. Besides, winter in Moscow doesn’t exactly lend itself to saunters around town. To say the least, it’s cold there. And I had a job to do.”

She watched the way his eyes seemed to delve into her. He looked at her a lot, as if he liked what he saw. She felt flustered.

What had they been talking about? Oh, the weather. Somehow in her fantasies about travel, it had always been perpetual summer.

“Tell me how you cope with the language barrier. Or do you speak Russian?” she asked, wishing he’d talk all day. She liked his voice, the expressions on his face, the way his eyes looked at her, into her. She had never felt another’s attention so completely.

“I don’t speak Russian, but I do speak a few other languages that come in handy in Europe. When in Russia, I hire an interpreter. This trip I had an old guy who loved to wax poetic about the glory days of the empire—which ended about forty years before he was born.”

He continued telling her some of the funny things his guide had said. His descriptions of the bleak winters in Moscow gave her shivers.

He had a way with words that painted pictures in her mind of the sights he’d seen. She felt as if she’d been to Moscow, though she sure would have done more. Would he want to do more in his free time if he had someone to share the adventure with?

By the time they finished their coffee, they were ready to walk again. It was too cold to sit for long.

“Now I want to hear about you and your exciting job,” Matt said, taking her hand. Sara glanced at their linked hands, then laughed in sheer joy.

“I’m so sorry to disappoint you, Matt, but it’s not so exciting.” She regretted her attempts to make herself more than she was. Would he be disgusted at her ploy?

“Ferreting out hidden facts? Detection work, right?”

“Some of it. Actually I’m an accountant. I audit books for companies, and work on taxes. Not very exciting, I’m afraid. But I like it.”

“You sound defensive. I would assume you’d like your work, or you’d do something else,” he said easily.

At least he wasn’t annoyed she’d tried to make it sound more glamorous than it was. She nodded, never having thought about it that way. She liked dealing with numbers. They were logical and predictable. They would never let her down like people did. They were safe.

The day flew by as they explored their section of the shoreline. Pleasure boats were tied at a marina, covered
and unused in winter. Many of the large homes that fronted the lake were also closed, though here and there smoke came from chimneys of ones occupied. They ventured onto Main Street, wandering around the shops selling crafts and memorabilia.

Lunch had been at an outdoor cafe, with heaters to keep the patrons warm. In the best of the German tradition, they’d eaten brockworst and sauerkraut. Surrounding them were skiers taking a lunch break and an occasional family with children running around and playing in the snow near the deck.

“I’ll meet you here at seven,” Matt said when they reached the elevator bank in the hotel in the late afternoon. “Do you want to eat at the Starlight room again, or try another place?” he asked.

“Surprise me,” she said, taking her shopping bags from his fingers, her own brushing his at the transfer.

He’d touched her often during the day, holding her hand while they walked along the beach, placing his hands on her shoulders when they had to go single file in some of the crowded shops. She should be getting used to his touch, but she felt flustered every time.

“Till seven, then,” he said, leaning over to brush his lips against hers.

It didn’t bother him they were in the busy lobby of a major hotel, with dozens of people milling around and slot machines sounding. It was just a brief touch, but Sara felt it to her toes. Stunned, she stepped into the elevator and watched the doors close between them. She needed to watch herself, he was way out of her league. This was only a vacation, a piece of time out of the ordinary.

But as she remembered every moment of the day,
she fantasized about sharing more than a vacation with him. That’s what being married should have been like. What building a life together could have been. She’d missed out on so much when Bill left. She should have done something about it years ago but she’d put relationships on hold for Amber’s sake.

Or was it about meeting a special man who had her fantasizing about such things?

She quickly dumped the packages on her bed in her room and then headed back down to the lobby shops in search of another dress. The only dresses she had were her mother-of-the-bride dress and the new one she’d bought yesterday. The rest of her wardrobe consisted of the warm pants and thick tops which were all she had anticipated needing for her vacation.

Matt had seen yesterday’s purchase, she wanted something new for tonight.

She chose a subdued dress in dark hunter-green and splurged on a gold chain necklace. The two went together perfectly. Dashing back up to her room, she showered, dressed and got ready for the evening. Excitement built as she impatiently waited for seven o’clock. She missed him—and it had only been two hours since she’d seen him.

She couldn’t believe how easily the two of them had meshed. Conversation never lagged, yet there were still worlds to share. Dancing, holding hand, kisses—she couldn’t wait.

Sara awoke Wednesday morning with a feeling of impeding doom. Today was her last day of vacation. She had to head for home this afternoon, and start back at the office tomorrow.

She didn’t want to end their idyllic time.

Lying back she snuggled beneath the covers, remembering every moment she and Matt has spent over the last few days. Every single one had been special. She was afraid she was falling in love. How crazy was that? He was younger than she by several years, though neither had made mention of the fact. He traveled the world while she had never been much farther from San Francisco than Nevada.

And he was so sexy it made her teeth ache. His casual touch set her heart racing. His kisses each night had grown more ardent. Last night she thought for sure he’d push for more than a few hot kisses. But he remained a gentlemen every time.

Or maybe he didn’t feel as she did. Perhaps it was no hardship to leave her at her door and saunter away in that sexy male walk of his. It could be she was just someone to spend his vacation with beside Dexter. Somehow being a notch above his shaggy-haired friend wasn’t the best comparison.