The Dating List (4 page)

"I've spent time traveling and being in the City. I'm
not naïve. Don't think I'm going to talk about cows all day…I have
nothing to do with cows."

"Sweetheart, don't go all defensive on me. I like
country boys. Means they know how to do things…fix stuff…are big
and strong. From what I saw this morning, I'd say you fit that
bill."

It was Colin's turn to blush.

What are you doing? Leading this boy on like
that!

"Well, in that case, guess I'm happy to be considered
country
."

A slow smile raised the corners of his mouth. His
hand covered hers. Leah looked into his eyes. His sweet, sexy
expression sent a chill racing up her spine.
Time to go.
She
focused on the ice cream, eating as fast as she could without
getting brain freeze. They ate in silence for a while. Warmth from
him traveled across the table to her, making her completely aware
of his presence. His heat seemed to melt the ice cream faster than
usual causing her to chuckle to herself.

"What's so funny?" He asked before putting a spoonful
of the cold confection in his mouth.

"Nothing." She shook her head.

"Come on…give." His hand closed around her
forearm.

"You're so hot, you're melting the ice cream."

He burst out laughing. "That heat's coming from you,
honey."

No one had called her honey, sweetie, or baby in such
a long time. Her words caught in her throat for a second. She
blinked back tears. Colin picked up on her stumble, his smile
faded.

"Is it all right for me to call you that?" He eased
his hand off her.

She nodded, afraid to trust her voice.

"Whew! Good. For a minute there…"

"It's fine…" She rested her hand on his for a few
seconds.

"I didn't mean to be overly familiar. Your eyes are
the color of honey."

"That's…lovely, Colin."

He scooped up a spoonful of the melting ice cream and
hot fudge sauce and poised it in front of her lips. She opened her
mouth, keeping her gaze trained on his. They finished the rest of
the ice cream in silence.
Hot fudge sundaes were never like this
before.

When the waitress dropped off the check, Colin placed
his hand over it to keep her from paying. She shot him a
questioning glance.

"It's the least I can do after your patience,
outfitting me. Thank you, Leah for your time and expertise."

"It was a pleasure." She meant every word but perhaps
not in the way he'd expect.

Once they reached the sidewalk, she was relieved to
see the sun had broken through warming the air enough to be
bearable. Colin looked right then left. Leah took his hand and
directed him uptown.

"It's not bad out. Shall we walk a bit? Walk off that
sundae. Why'd I ever let you talk me into that?"

He laughed.

"I could see you wanted me to coax you."

"Oh? All that from my expression yet you hardly know
me?"

"A situation I intend to fix…quickly." He smiled down
at her and the heat of his stare warmed her right to her toes.

"Tell me about your work," Leah said, redirecting the
conversation.

"I'm a high school gym teacher now, but I want to
teach college."

"Phys. Ed?"

"Environmental Science. I have a Masters. I coach the
wrestling team, too."

"Hard to find a college teaching job nowadays, I'd
guess."

"There's an opening coming up at Kensington State
next fall."

"Have you applied?"

He shook his head, directing his gaze on the
sidewalk.

"Why not?"

"I don't have college teaching experience."

"But you're a coach, too. Couldn't that help? Do they
have wrestling at Kensington?"

"That's the one hook I have. The dean there told me
they want to start a wrestling team."

"So why don't you apply? How many applicants have a
Masters
and
coach wrestling?"

"Never thought of it that way."

"Well you should."

"I don't know…" his voice trailed off.

"I'll help you. Let's go to Nina and Clint's, where
I'm staying. You need to do this before someone else gets there
first."

Leah broke from him, stepping into the street and
raised her hand. She didn't have long to wait as a yellow cab
pulled right up. Colin opened the door and they got in.

"Central Park West at 77
^th
Street," she
said to the driver, then sat back against the seat.

When they reached the luxury building, Colin got out
of the cab first, offering his hand to Leah. They walked across the
sidewalk wet with melted snow. She threw a dazzling smile at Lance,
the chunky doorman as he held the door for them. Once in the
apartment, Colin stopped at the door, his jaw hanging open. Leah
tossed her sheepskin coat over the chair in the foyer, then she
held out her hands for his coat.

"I forget…people aren't used to this place. Coat.
Come on. Give."

He peeled off his coat and laid it across her
outstretched arms.

"Is this your place?"

"It belongs to my friends, Nina and Clint. They're
upstate…somewhere in or near your little town, I think. They always
go there for holidays and the summer. They invite me to stay. I
water their plants and enjoy the city."

"Where do you normally live?"

Leah's face reddened.

"I've been living with Carrie's' Aunt, Delia Tucker
in Connecticut."

"Not on your own?"

"It's a long story. So I'm always happy to give Delia
a rest from me and to have my own place for a little while. It's
such a gorgeous apartment, isn't it?"

"It's a friggin' palace!"

"Come on, let's get started," she tugged on his arm.
"I promise to take you on a tour after we're done."

Leah pulled out a chair at the rectangular chrome and
glass dining room table where she had her laptop set up. Colin
plopped down in the chair next to her. For the next half hour they
focused on Colin's resume and cover letter. When she was convinced
it was the best it could be, Leah addressed it to Dean Mac Caldwell
at Kensington State and hit the
send
button. Colin got up
and stretched.

"Thank you so much, Leah."

"No biggie. I hope you get the job."

"What about that tour you promised?" He leaned
against the thick glass table.

Leah stood up, stretched her hands over her head and
smiled.

"Right this way." She led him into the large,
efficient kitchen with stainless steel everywhere complemented by
warm wood cabinets and stunning granite countertops. The modern
living room had a few small tables in chrome and glass. White
couches and loveseats provided pristine but comfortable seating
facing several large windows and a pair of French doors. Large,
vivid, modern oil paintings hung on the wall, adding the only color
in the room. The guest room, used for Clint's son and as a den was
smaller, a quick stop. Leah opened the French doors to the large
terrace overlooking Central Park.

"It's too cold now to stay out here but in the other
seasons, this is the most awesome part of the apartment."

She pointed out sights to him both in the park and on
Fifth Avenue until they started to shiver.

"Hot chocolate?" Leah asked, wrapping her arms around
her torso.

Colin pulled on her arm.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" He pointed toward
a closed door down the hallway on the left.

"Oh, yes," she replied, unsure if she wanted to be in
that room with him. She threw open the door and Colin strolled
in.

"Wow, some bedroom!"

He sat down on the king sized bed and bounced a
little.

"Pretty big for a woman your size. Do you sleep here
alone?"

Leah's eyebrows shot up. "That's a very personal
question."

"To a lady who had her hands in my pants today…I
don't think so." His eyes twinkled, his lips curled up in a
devilish grin.

"I didn't have my hands…I was measuring the…uh…"

"Well?" He cocked an eyebrow at her.

"I'm sleeping here alone…if you must know."
Embarrassment made color stain her face.

"Good."

"Oh?" She raised her eyebrows.

Colin approached her, taking her gently into his
arms.

"Maybe I can fix that," he said, lowering his lips to
hers.

Before Leah knew what was happening, Colin had his
arms around her. His lips toyed with hers for a moment before
getting serious. The heat from his mouth zinged through her body,
straight to her core. Tingles shot up and down her spine as his
tongue swept across her bottom lip. She held her breath, her
fingers closed over his wide shoulders as he slowly pressed his
body against hers. After rising up on tiptoes, she parted her lips
for his invasion. His tongue caressed hers and all thought fled
from her mind. His fingers splayed on her back. A moan escaped from
her and his hand slid down her back to rest on her hip pulling her
closer, making her nipples harden.

As quick as the assault happened, it stopped. Colin
stepped back, his breathing ragged, his hands hung down in front,
almost hiding his erection. His eyes glittered, darkening with
desire.
Wow
.

"I got carried away…I shouldn't have done…"

Leah waved her hand at him, trying to catch her
breath.

"No problem…really." She licked her lower lip.

"Please don't do that," he said.

"Do what? Oh…sorry." Her eyelashes fluttered for a
second.

"I apologize. I shouldn't have taken advantage…guess
being in the bedroom with you, I lost my head." He inched closer to
her.

"Don't apologize…it was…breathtaking," she whispered,
closing her fingers over his forearm.

"You're not mad?"

She shook her head.

"Well, then…"

Leah blocked his attempt to kiss her again.

"You don't know me very well. This is too fast even
for me. I'm not a prude or anything but…"

"I understand." He retreated, dropping his hand from
her waist. "I find you fascinating…captivating…exciting…whatever
the word is. I feel drawn to you like leaves to sunlight. Please
excuse me. I don't usually behave like this even on a first
date…which this isn't…even."

She smiled at him.
He means it.

"I've never met a woman like you."

"I'm nothing special…"

"Are you kidding? You're the most special woman to
come into my life…ever," he spoke softly, making her believe his
words.
I am?

"Perhaps we should go to the living room." Leah
opened the bedroom door.

"Good idea. Good idea," he agreed, nodding.

They stood by in awkward silence.

"Are you going to come back to Grey's with me for
dinner? Colin asked.

"I was thinking of meeting you all at the restaurant.
Can you call me?" She rested her hand on his forearm, briefly.

"Of course."

Colin tapped Leah's cell number into his phone. His
eyebrows shot up. "Shit, look at the time! Six o'clock. Grey's
going to be furious."

Leah leaned over and glanced at his cell phone.

"You were expected home? Aren't you over
twenty-one?"

"Yeah, but they have these dinner plans and he
doesn't know where I am. He's a big brother, he worries."

What a sweetie!

"You run on home. The dinner reservation is for eight
o'clock. Call me and tell me where we're going and I'll meet you
there." Leah took Colin's coat out of the closet and held it for
him to put on.

"Thanks again for everything." He blushed. "I mean
for helping with the clothes and all."

"I know what you mean." She shot him a wicked
grin.

He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss then headed
to the elevator. Leah watched him go, a grin refusing to leave her
face. When the elevator ding'd and the door shut, an emptiness
swept over her. Without Colin's large, cheerful, exuberant
presence, the apartment seemed sterile and empty. She sighed as she
headed to shower and change.

****

Grey paced in front of the fireplace. He stopped to
place another log on the fire to brighten the room as evening
shadows crept in. He resumed striding to and fro, stopping only to
glance at his watch.

"Colin should have been back hours ago."

"I'm sure he's fine," Carrie said as she arranged
pink carnations with yellow and white mums. "What could happen to
him? He's with Leah." Carrie slipped a slender lily into the
vase.

Grey snickered. "He could be in bed with her, that's
what could happen."

"Oh, stop." Carrie gave him a soft punch in the
arm.

"Look, just guessing here."

"Isn't he a little young for her? She's thirty-four
and he's twenty-nine, right?"

"Maybe, but Colin has the Andrews charm. Women love
him."

"Oh? Andrews men wrote the book on charm?" Carrie
cocked an eyebrow at him in mock anger.

"Won
you
over, didn't I?" He moved closer to
deliver a kiss.

"You certainly did."

"Dammit, wish he were home." Grey picked up the
newspaper from the coffee table and plopped down on the sofa.

Carrie put the last flowers in the vase and placed it
on the counter. "I love when you bring me flowers in the winter.
They're so damn cheerful. Reminds me what spring looks like."

"You're as beautiful as spring," he said.

She gestured to him. He stood up to accept her kiss
then folded his newspaper before picking up half a corned beef
sandwich and taking a bite.

"You're right. Artie's does make the best corned
beef," he said when he was done chewing. Grey sat on a stool at the
counter next to Carrie while she cleaned up the cut stems and extra
leaves. He leaned over, nibbling on her neck. "After I finish this
sandwich, I'm gonna take a bite out of you."

She grinned at him. "Is that a promise?"