Misunderstood: In Love with the Nerd (The Miss Series Book 2) (10 page)

Her mind began to drift and she wondered what Daniel would think if he were there.  Would he compliment her on her singing vocals?  Would he praise her ability to achieve her dreams?  Would he tell her she had the talent to go as far as she wanted?

That was the thing about Daniel.  He never chastised her dreams.  No matter how ludicrous or different they appeared from his perception of success.  He had the ability to make her believe in herself without having to say a word.

A tiny spark of sorrow caught her off guard when she realized that she wished Daniel could have been there.

* * *

Life appeared to be falling into a predetermined destiny.  Sonya continued to play Monday nights to a meager crowd while Daniel’s personal life began to pick up.  He seemed to be spending more and more time with Jamie and little time with Sonya.  This was probably for the best, but she couldn’t shake the feeling of testiness whenever he had to hurry off in fear of being late with Jamie.

Happily, she still had Saturday morning.  They jogged side by side in the wooded park on the dirt trail they followed every Saturday.  Daniel was a good jogger.  They picked up the sport together almost from the first Saturday after he moved in.  It was a mutual activity they both enjoyed; therefore, it was understandable they would meet routinely from that point on.

They had just started down the narrow path on their way back, when she told him slightly out of breath, “The house band has asked me to be lead vocal on some of their songs.”

He smiled over at her.  “That’s great.”

“I’ll get to perform every night with them.”  She told him between heavy pants.

“What about waitressing?”  His voice, on the other hand, did not sound in the least bit breathless.

“I’ll have to split my shifts so that I can sing one or two songs per night.”  Holding her hand to her chest, she slowed to a walking pace and took deep breaths of air.

Daniel stopped jogging to walk beside her.  More out of courtesy than fatigue as he hardly looked like he broke a sweat.

“I’ll be performing tonight.”  She informed him and rubbed the back of her hand against a sweaty brow where she felt a vein pulsating rapidly.  “My first real audience.”

“I’m sure you’ll do great.”  He walked with his hands on his hips, causing Sonya to wonder idly if maybe he got cramps after all from jogging.  His face, on the contrary, looked far from painful.  The jagged dirt path they were using became slightly narrow and forced them to walk in a single line.

Sonya watched his back, then asked as casual as she could, “So what’s on your schedule tonight?”

“Jamie and I have to adjust a system glitch and then retest the entire network—”

“Daniel, do you never take time off!”  Exasperated, Sonya drew to a stop.

He stopped and looked back at her.  “It needs to be done this weekend when no one is there to activate one of the many channels—”

She shook her head angrily at his alien jargon and covered her throbbing head with her hands.  “I meant, isn’t there someone else who can do the work.  Why must it always be you?”

“It’s my job.”  He stated so matter-of-fact it occurred to Sonya that he not only conceded it as his duty but he also did it out of passion.  She had a feeling he wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

Sighing, she began walking again.  “You’re spending an awful lot of time with Jamie.”

Daniel frowned, turning to study her profile as she walked briskly beside him.  “That’s what interns do.”

“Well, maybe Jamie would like to do something different from working all the time.”

He frowned as if the idea had sincerely never occurred to him.  “I suppose.”

“Daniel, you’re unbelievable.”  Sonya threw her hands up in vexation.  She really had to teach this boy a thing or two about women.  “Why don’t you give you and Jamie a break?  Say, later, after you’re all done down at the Institute.”

He drew his bottom lip up in acknowledgement and admittedly nodded his head. “Yeah, we could do that.”

Sonya grinned.  “Maybe Jamie might be in the mood for dinner and wine and some music—”

“I guess I could order pizza and maybe rent a movie.”

“Pizza?”

“Chinese?”

Sonya’s smile vanished.  A romantic dinner at Daniel’s apartment?  Unwelcome images suddenly began to form in her head.  She could see a naked Daniel stretched out on his leather sofa with a beautiful redheaded starlet draped over him.  Her hair would be drawn up in a severe bun and she would be wearing a matching pair of glasses.  Dressed in form fitting tailored grey pantsuit, she would straddle him and seductively remove each piece of clothing until at last she was just as stark naked.  Daniel would then reach up and remove her glasses and unpin her hair to allow it to flow freely against his bare chest.

With an angry thrust Sonya pushed the image aside and broke into a run, overcome by a sudden urge to get back to her apartment and have a clean cold shower.  No surprise, Daniel kept abreast the entire way back.

Chapter 6

Between getting ready for work and psyching herself up for tonight’s performance, Sonya loitered near her apartment window that overlooked the parking lot.  She kept telling herself it was to will the time away and keep up with the happenings of her building, but it was Daniel’s vehicle that she kept a watchful eye out for.

His life was no concern of hers.  She continued to tell herself that, but she worried so much for him.  Daniel was so naïve in this field.  Sonya, on the other hand, was practically an expert.  She nearly jumped with relief when she saw his car pull in an hour before she was to leave for work.  When she heard his footsteps coming down the corridor she allowed him time to enter his apartment before she scurried across the hall and rapped on his door.

He couldn’t have gotten too far because the door opened all at once.  He looked startled to see her, as if expecting someone else.  “Sonya.”

“I thought you had to work?”

“Lunch.”  He stared down at her, then blinked and took a step back.  “I forgot my phone so thought I might as well grab a bite while I’m here.  Besides, I’m making beef stew tonight for Jamie and I, and it’s probably a good idea to get the slow cooker going.”

“Jamie’s coming then?”

“Yes.”  He glanced behind him then gestured for Sonya to follow.  “I’ve only got a short time before we need to get back.”

She followed him into his apartment.  “We?”

“Jamie’s waiting down in my car.”

This caught her attention.  “Really?”

He didn’t hear or bother to register what she said.  His mind seemed to be focused elsewhere.  Sonya could only bet.  Time to do her neighborly duty.  “Actually, Daniel, I wanted to talk to you about tonight.”

“Hmm?”  He disappeared into his spare room and Sonya trailed behind him.

“I know you’re the most responsible guy around but sometimes things can get out of hand and the most astute minds can go to mush.”

Daniel glanced up from a desk he was rummaging through and pushed his glasses up his nose.  He stared at her blankly as he if was replaying her words in his head.  Finally, frowning, he shook his head and asked, “I’m not following.  What are you talking about?”

“Well, I think you probably covered the basics in junior high, but I wouldn’t doubt it’s been a long time since you’ve had a refresher.”

His brows drew even closer together.  “I really haven’t a clue what you’re getting at, but could you do me a favor and start looking through that cabinet.”

She glanced at the cabinet he pointed to and nodded absently.  “What am I looking for?”

He sighed, and repeated, “My cell phone.”

“Right.”  She nodded and got to work hunting absent-mindedly in the appointed cabinet as her focus was entirely on her own objective.  “Anyway, I thought I would return the service you always provide me with before a date.”  She didn’t see any phone in the bookcase so she turned back around to give him her undivided attention.

He too had stopped looking and was staring at her with an odd look in his eyes.  “Date?”

“Yes, Daniel, that’s what we call it.”  She smirked at his innocence.  It really was too sweet.  “Tonight, when you bring Jamie back here for dinner you should really have some wine ready and play some soft music on the stereo.  It’ll help create a romantic static in the air.  It’s rather nice, quite like magic really.  It’s amazing what can transpire when you remove all that work fuss and concentrate on what’s really lurking beneath the surface.”

“Romantic?”  He seemed to be losing his train of thought.  Or rather hers.

Sighing, Sonya dug into the back pocket of her jeans and retrieved a small packet and held it out for Daniel.  “You’re too decent of a guy to think this far, so I’m doing the honors for you.  This is one field, Daniel, where your brain matter can’t help you out.  But this little guy can.”

Daniel reached out in confusion and took the condom from her hand.  Then looking back into her face, asked, “What am I supposed to do with this?”

Sonya couldn’t prevent the chuckle.  “Use it, silly.  Tonight when you’re with Jamie you may have an overwhelming urge to vent your male needs.”

His eyes popped out of their sockets and he literally took a retreating step backwards.  “I don’t think so.”

Sonya found herself pleased by his sudden aversion to the idea, but then just as quickly pushed the feeling aside.  “Don’t be so old-fashioned.  It’s perfectly all right to feel—”

“Just wait a second!”  He exploded, holding up his hands.  “I am not having sex tonight.  Especially with Jamie.”

“Why not?  I assumed you must like her an awful lot,” she stated.  “You’ve been spending so much time together.”

He stilled then and stared blankly at her for the longest time before finally saying, “Let me get this right.  You’re encouraging me to have sex with Jamie?”

“Well, not exactly encouraging.  More like, supporting.”  She grinned.  Yes, it was high time she repaid the favor.

Still speaking slowly, he told her, “Tonight would technically be considered a first date.  Call me old-fashion, if you like, but I don’t believe in taking advantage and manipulating my dates into submission.”

She didn’t like the small flicker of pride his words invoked.  Daniel had to stop thinking so noble.  The world was moving fast and if he didn’t pick up speed he would be left behind.

“Fine.  But you do plan on kissing her goodnight, don’t you?”

Daniel really wanted to see where she was going with this, but he glanced at his watch in exasperation.  The network reconfiguration at the Institute was on a program.  He and Jamie needed to get back soon.  Brushing past her, he smelled the scent of incense candles in her hair and wished his apartment wasn’t so small.  He had a feeling it would take the width of a warehouse in order to leave him unaffected by her nearness.

Sonya followed him into the outer room, undaunted by his tight schedule.  “What type of kiss you share makes all the difference in the world.”

“Type of kiss?”  He couldn’t resist asking, lifting his brows in disbelief.

“Of course.”  She looked at him as if he were from another planet.  “What have you been doing all these years?”

“Apparently not kissing.”  He told her as he pulled out a drawer in a table in the living room.  “All right.  What type of kisses are there?”

“You have the emphatic-no-kiss, which is a quick peck on the cheek out of politeness but in no uncertain terms will this go any further.”

“So why bother in the first place?”

“Out of—”

“Politeness.”  Recalling her words.  “Right.  What else?”

“The friendly-and-sincere-kiss.  Which is a gentle but an out-of-service kiss on the mouth.”

He stood up and looked across the room at her.  “Out of service?”

“Not open for business.  A closed mouth.”  She supplied.  Then, “Here, let me show you.”

Before he could fathom what she meant to do, she closed the distance between them in a few short strides, reached up and cupped his face between her hands.  Her lips covered his in a warm and soft touch, but far too quickly.

As she stepped back, he blinked and had to clear his throat before asking, “And that would be to imply—?”

“I had a really nice time but we have nothing in common.  We can only be friends.”

“Right.”  The irony of her words gave a painful twist inside.  Daniel had to strain his voice to a normal pitch. “That would be because the pheromone receptors used to act as an aphrodisiac are unavailing in their attempt to trigger a chemical response—“

”Rrrr-ight,” she interrupted him with a sudden grin.  “No chemistry.”

“Is that it?”

“No, there’s the final kiss.”  She licked her lips, nearly driving him insane, then continued. “The hot-on-the-burner-kiss.”

All right, this sounded a little more interesting.  He raised his brow and encouraged her to continue.

“I’m very much interested in pursuing this relationship and am willing to consider exploring its advantages in your apartment.”

“And,” he began, then stumbled over the frog lodged in his throat.  “Is that with a closed mouth as well?”

“No, rather with an open mouth.  Like this.”  Once again she advanced on him, capturing his face between her hands as she had done before.  Their lips came together as naturally as the earth and the sky, but this time she delighted him even more when she used the tip of her tongue to push his lips apart and explore the interior of his mouth.

The smell of incense candles surrounded him and filled his senses, while with expertise she devoured his mouth, drawing and sucking the very air from which he breathed.  Her lips were soft and moist and explored every inch of his mouth.  A cascade of warmth engulfed him yet sent a shiver of delight down his spine.  His male response was swift.  A burning ache shot through his veins toward the center of his being.  Restrained emotions were released at last.  His passion for this woman would not be held in check any longer.

Her kiss all at once changed.  No longer was she bestowing him with practiced kisses but with a hungered frenzy.  Her hands slid from his face to around his neck and shoulders drawing him closer until he could feel the heat of her pelvis pressed wantonly against his.  Both their breathing became fierce and jagged as their lips clung desperately to each other.

Daniel’s arms, which had hung limp and stupefied at his side, now came up and captured her around the waist drawing her closer still.  He relished the taste of her lips and the feel of her body.  His fingers unfolded and expanded across her back, touching as much of her as possible.

Then, through the thick fog of desire he heard the sound of a knock.  At first it didn’t register.  But when it did, Sonya, who must have also heard it, began to pull away.  He immediately resented whoever was on the other side of that door.

They stood there staring at each other with complete looks of bewilderment across their faces, yet lust still burned so clearly within their eyes.  When the knock came again, it was Daniel that blinked first, drawn grudgingly back to reality.

“I think my preference is the third one.”

Sonya watched him walk toward his apartment door hardly believing what just happened.  Was that Daniel she held in her arms and kissed so passionately?  Lord, she had no idea he possessed so much ardor.

Behind her Daniel entered the room followed by another man she did not recognize.  Looking slightly sheepish, he offered, “This is my neighbor, Sonya.”

The younger man stuck out a hand and gave her a wide grin.  “Nice to finally meet you.  Daniel talks about you all the time.”  Then held out a cell phone to Daniel.  “It was down in your car the whole time.”

She offered the beginnings of a smile but turned to Daniel inquisitively.

“Sonya, this is my intern.”  He startled her by announcing.  “Jamie.”

“Oh.”  Her face dropped completely, the shock evidently revealed on her face.  This was Jamie?  That couldn’t be.  There must be some kind of mistake.  Daniel’s Jamie was a woman.  Daniel had a date with a woman tonight.  Possibly a redheaded woman.  She stared at the man who still grinned at her from ear to ear, then her eyes grew wide all at once in understanding.  “Oh.”

Daniel frowned.  “What?”

She blinked at him and felt an overwhelming sense of depression wash over her.  “I completely understand.  There’s nothing wrong with that.  Truly.”

“With what?”  His face was beginning to look strained.  Then his eyes grew large in comprehension.  “No.”

“No, really.  It’s all right.”  She began to walk backwards towards the exit.  “That explains a lot.”

“Wait, Sonya,” he called after her but she was already in her apartment and shutting the door behind her, a sense of gloom washed over her for no reason.  Then, before she had a chance to explore this emotion, the door to her apartment swung back open.  Daniel sailed into her apartment uninvited and looking rather irate.

“Daniel, you don’t need to explain.  This is the twenty-first century.  Anything goes.  Things are different, times are changing.”

“Nothing is changing.”  He bit out.

“It’s perfectly acceptable for you—for Jamie—”

He swore, which surprised Sonya since she couldn’t recall ever having heard him swear before, then was startled when he reached out and seized her by the shoulders.  His mouth came crashing down on hers.  This time he held nothing back.  His kiss was fierce and demanding.  He ground out a response from her just before he let her go.  “Was that the kiss of a man interested in the same sex?”

She shuddered, taken aback by his forceful onslaught then sudden release.  Touching her lips, she slowly shook her head.  “No.”

He stared down at her.  “Good.”

Clearing her throat, she dropped her hand and straightened her back.  “Then why did you lead me to believe that you were having a relationship with Jamie?”

“I never implied any such thing.”  He answered without so much as a trace of guilt.

She gasped.  “Yes you did.  What was all that kissing talk and practice all about?”

“I never instigated any of those kisses, except for this one, and that was because I had a point to make.  You were the one who jumped to conclusions about Jamie’s identity.  I had no idea you believed Jamie was a female until just now.”