Moonlight and Margaritas (26 page)

She took a deep breath, feeling as though she stood on the edge of a high cliff overlooking the Pacific, ready to jump.  "Okay.  I'll agree to one date.  But there are no promises, no expectations of a future.  I can't give you those.  Not now.  Maybe not ever."  Her nerves spiraled as if she'd taken the plunge and was free-falling.

A victorious grin curved his lips.  She could hear her counselor talking in the back of her head, reminding her that most men wanted to share a life and not control hers.  "I'm good with that.  For now.  Though I reserve the right to try to change your mind later on."

Her heart lurched.  She'd given him an inch, and already he was asking for more.  "I can't think about that, Joe."  If things became too involved, if her control slipped, she'd end it.  She took a step back, and a thorn from the rosebush scratched her arm.  "I need you to understand that you can't expect anything from me."

He moved closer.  "Agreed, as long as you understand that I intend to make you fall in love with me." 

She shook her head as she shivered.  That seemed like such an impossibility.  It was a fairy tale idea that he'd be able to ease into her life, providing love and support without demanding control.  Lovely, but not likely.  She'd seen too many instances to the contrary, including one very painful one of her own.

She folded her arms and stood her ground.  "You can claim your intentions, but know that
I
have no intention of falling in love with anyone for a very long time."  If ever again.  She wouldn't say that out loud because people would dismiss her sincerity, telling her she would find someone in time…but she didn't know that.  She couldn't be certain if her heart would ever heal enough to let her trust someone that much again.

The corners of his mouth lifted.  "It sounds like we have an understanding."  He put a hand on each side of her waist, pulling her to him, trapping her folded arms between them.  "Here's your first chance to tell me no."  He leaned closer, his lips almost touching hers.  "Do you want me to back off now?" The scent of his familiar cologne instantly took her back to their sultry nights, and her body heated in response. 

Her heart warred with her brain.  It wasn't fair.  This was what she wanted.  Every cell of her ached for him.  He was here, flesh and blood.  No longer a fantasy, no longer a dream.  She wanted him. 

She held his gaze and shook her head.  "No, I don't want you to back off."

He needed no further encouragement.  His lips touched hers, and she was lost.  Lost in his demanding kiss.  Now that they'd hammered out their expectations, she allowed herself to relax.  All thoughts of control were replaced by need.  She wiggled her arms free, wrapping them around his neck, running her fingers over his new haircut.  He held her to him, one hand on the back of her neck, the other firmly on her backside.

Having spent the last several weeks apart intensified her yearning.  She took what she needed from him, what she'd been wanting from the moment she'd left Mexico, and she didn't regret it for an instant.  He seemed eager to give, so she didn't stop.  She wanted more. 

He found his way under her silk shirt, caressing the sensitive skin on her back.  He slid his other hand up the back of her neck, burying it in her hair.  She shivered, feeling the tug as he messed with her updo. 

"I missed you," she whispered between heated kisses.

"I missed you, too." 

She couldn't believe how much she wanted him.  "Joe…"

"Get a room, for hell's sake."

They jerked apart as an elderly man garbed in a thin blue sweater hobbled toward them, intruding on their secluded park.  Stunned, she watched as he walked with a newspaper in one hand and a cane in the other.  A surly look wrinkled his features as he sat on a bench near them, eyeing them with annoyance.  "This city's full of inns.  Go find one.  I'd like to read in peace."  He sat down and snapped open his paper, dismissing them.

Elena didn't know if she should laugh or cry.  She'd been so caught up in Joe that she'd forgotten time and place.  Her conscience warned her to be cautious.  This man was capable of making her do things she'd never consider otherwise.

"Come on."  Joe tugged on her hand, and she followed him to the edge of the park.  "Let's find someplace else." 

But the moment was lost.  Reality jumped in, and she'd been reminded they were no longer in Cabo.  "Joe, I can't.  I have to work today."  She glanced at her watch.  She'd been gone for a half-hour already.  "Cassie opened the shop, but she's expecting me to return."

"Just for a while?"  His eyes pleaded with her.  "Let's wander around Carmel, and I'll buy you lunch."

So much for him letting her have control.  No, she had to set the standard now.  She shook her head.  "I have to work.  After that, I promised to spend the rest of the day with Cassie."

"I can't change your mind?" 

More than anything, she wanted to be with him, but this was a perfect example of how distracting he could be.  She had to be strong and keep her focus.  "No, I can't.  I'll call you tomorrow."

He hesitated, capturing her with his gaze and arching his brows seductively.  She recognized the invitation, but had to resist.  She couldn't let him know that he had that power over her.  Finally, he conceded.  "I'll wait for your call, then."

She met his gaze, feeling unsettled over the agreement she'd made with him.  Balancing her aching need to be with Joe and her responsibility to her business wasn't going to be easy.  "Okay."  She stood on tiptoe and gave him a quick kiss, careful not to rekindle the inferno.  "I have to go."  She rushed across the street without looking back. 

The bells on her quaint shop jingled as she opened the door, and there was her daughter waiting for her with expectant eyes.  Luckily, there was no one else about.  Elena continued through the shop and into the workroom with Cassie hot on her tail.

"Well, woo-hoo, Mom."  Cassie's eyes sparkled with excitement.  "Where did you guys go?"

"To the park to talk." 

"Just to talk, huh?"  Her daughter gave her a quick once-over, still grinning.

What?  Did Joe leave hand and lip prints all over her body?  "Yes, to talk."

The front door chimed again, and Cassie smiled.  "I'll be out front."  Her smile grew more mischievous.  "You might want to fix your hair before you come out."

Elena hurried into the employee bathroom and looked in the mirror.  "Oh, hell."  She looked like she'd been caught in a whirlwind.  Her updo hung limply to the side, as tendrils of hair danced around her face.  Scarce remnants of lipstick clung to her kiss-swollen lips, and most of her blouse was no longer tucked into her slacks. 

She began pulling the pins out of her hair in an effort to fix it.  If he could do this to her appearance in broad daylight in the middle of a park, what was he going to do to her life?

Elena glanced at the clock on her nightstand and sighed.  Glowing green numbers disclosed that it had been three minutes since the last time she'd checked.  Outside, a breeze danced in the darkened treetops, causing branches to scratch against her windows and the roof of her house, keeping her awake.  Or at least that's what she'd claim kept her from sleep.

She rolled over and buried her head beneath a soft cotton pillow.  She needed to quit thinking about Joe so she could get some rest, but the image of his eyes lighting up when she'd agreed to date him wouldn't go away.  Nor would the feel of his exquisite kiss on her lips.  It didn't help that she was wearing his shirt, but she couldn't bring herself to change.

Oh, god.  She was a wreck.

She wanted him, but she'd convinced herself she shouldn't have him.  Then she'd agreed to date him even though her brain told her it was a mistake.  And now that he was back in her life, she wanted him in her bed that minute.

She groaned. 

Her need for him was worse than the chocolate craving that hit her once a month.  Even worse than the caffeine withdrawal she'd encountered when she'd tried to give up coffee.  "Ahh…"  She rolled again, punching her pillow.  Why was she being tortured like this?

She watched the numbers on her clock switch to the other side of midnight.  Twelve-o-one.

Technically, it was the next day.  She'd told him she'd call him tomorrow, and now it was tomorrow. 

She sat up and turned on her bedside light.  The antique lamp spread a yellow glow over her hand-quilted floral bedspread and onto her cherry wood furniture.  The note he'd given her in Cabo with his number sat next to her phone—not that she needed it.  She wondered if, subconsciously, she'd planned to call him.

She decided she didn't care to consider what that might mean.  She turned on her cell and dialed his number.  Her heart thudded in her chest as adrenaline poured through her veins, leaving her giddy and nauseous at the same time.

At the first ring, she hung up. 

What was she doing?  He'd most likely be asleep.  Tomorrow morning would be a better time to call.  Seriously.  If she wanted to maintain control, she had to start with herself.

She turned off the light and lay back down.  Tomorrow would be soon enough.  It would be.

Her cell rang, and she scrambled to sit up, knocking her phone from the nightstand to the floor.  She cursed and then groped in the darkness until she located it and answered the call.

"Hello?"  Elena's voice came across the line soft and sultry, and Joe couldn't stop his lips from sliding into a grin.  There hadn't been a name attached to the number on his caller ID, so he wasn't sure it had been her who had called.  But he'd hoped, and he hadn't been disappointed.

"Why did you hang up?" 

"I realized how late it was.  I'm sorry if I woke you." 

"It's okay."  He wasn't about to tell her that he'd been camped out in front of the TV, thoughts of her keeping him awake.  "What's up?"

"I wondered if there was a chance we could have dinner tomorrow night.  Normally, I’m pretty busy, but I happen to be free then."

He almost laughed out loud.  Of course, he didn't doubt she had a busy schedule, but he was pretty sure she was using that excuse more from fear than actual time commitments.  It warmed his heart to know she couldn't wait to see him, either.

"I'm free as well." 

"Good.  That's great."  An edgy note colored her voice. 

He liked knowing he affected her.  Like knowing that she was up late, thinking about him.  "How about I pick you up around six and take you to dinner?  If you're available after that, I'm thinking of spending some time poking around Carmel.  It's been a long time since I've enjoyed the town."

"Dinner sounds lovely.  I'm looking forward to it."

Uncertain.  Too polished.  She was nervous, and he couldn't blame her.  Their time in Cabo had been surreal, with none of life's constraints.  He wasn't naïve.  Taking their relationship into the real world would have its challenges, but he'd prove to her it could have its benefits, too. 

He needed to reassure her, to lighten the mood and let her know dating him would be something to relieve her stress, not add to it.  "You should know, when my phone rang and it was after midnight, I thought maybe you were calling for phone sex."  He grinned as her gasp came across the line. 

"Excuse me?"

"You know, it starts out with 'what are you wearing'?"

She paused and then chuckled.  "Actually, I'm wearing your shirt."

Uh-huh.  "And what color are your panties?"

"No, really, Joe.  I'm wearing your shirt.  You left it in my room in Cabo."

No, kidding.  The memory came back in an instant.  He'd been so pissed over her ditching him after they'd first made love that he'd forgotten all about leaving his shirt.  And she was wearing it to bed?  "I like the sound of that."  His grin grew bigger.  That was a good sign. 

"And I'm not wearing any panties," she whispered.

Desire slammed into him, making him hard, and he realized the folly of taking the conversation in this direction.  He hadn't told her, but he'd decided to start their relationship over and take the conventional route this time, allowing them to really get to know each other before he made love with her again.  He'd realized Elena was more than special to him, and he wanted to do this right.  Talking about sex with sexy Elena had backfired right in his face.

"Oh, Elena.  Now, that's just torture."  He left his recliner and headed outside to his townhouse patio where the air was cooler.  How on earth was he supposed to court her properly if she kept talking like that? 

"Maybe I want to torture you.  I like you thinking about me all night, unable to sleep."

Like he hadn't been already.  He sank into a wicker patio chair and gazed up at the darkened sky.  "Trust me, sweetheart, you do that just fine without saying a word."

"Really?"  Her voice was soft, sexy…and damn, he wanted her.  Bad.

"Really."  In fact, if he wasn't intent on making a good impression, he'd be zipping over to her house immediately to quench his thirst.  "I'm going to say goodnight now, Elena."  Then he would jump into a cold shower.  "I'll see you tomorrow." 

"No more phone sex?  We were just getting started."