Two of a Kind (10 page)

“Gideon.”

Her friend’s dark eyes widened. “Gideon from Thailand? That Gideon?”

Felicia nodded.

“He’s here?”

“He owns two radio stations. We’ve had sex.”

That statement earned her a momentary jaw drop, which was very satisfying.

“I didn’t mean for that to happen. I went to talk to him, but as I spent more time with him, I found myself attracted to him.” She smiled. “It was late at night, and we did it on his deck. It was very primal.”

“You go, girl. And after?”

“He came to check on me. It was sweet. He seemed torn between worry and wanting to run.”

“That’s pretty typical for a guy. What did you do?”

“I asked him out. To a party. He said yes.” She could feel herself smiling. “It’s a date.”

“My little girl is all grown up.”

“Gideon explained he wasn’t a forever guy. It means—” She paused, remembering that she was the only one who had trouble with casual idioms. “You know what it means.”

“He’s not into commitment. Look, Felicia, when a guy tells you something like that, he’s not lying. When a man says he’s never been faithful or doesn’t want anything long-term, you should believe him.”

“I do. He has no reason to lie to me.”

“My point is, don’t fall for him.”

“If I spend time with him, I’m not sure I can control my emotions. I like being around him. I like anticipating seeing him, and I’m hoping we’ll have sex again. Doesn’t that, by definition, put me at risk of falling in love?”

Felicia knew her friend well enough to read the emotions moving across her face. Indecision joined worry, and she understood the cause for both.

“I want this,” Felicia admitted. “I want to know what it’s like to have butterflies in my stomach. I want to feel rather than think all the time. I’ve never been on a date, let alone fallen in love. If he hurts me, I’ll heal. People do.”

“It always sounds so easy,” Consuelo murmured. “Right before you get your heart ripped out. Fine. Go fall in love with Gideon and have great sex. Maybe it will all work out.”

Felicia grinned. “Maybe I won’t fall for him, although I do look forward to more sex.”

“It’s good to have a plan.” Consuelo slipped on her sunglasses and stood. “Come on, you. Show me this weird little town of yours. Tell me there are more than two stoplights.”

“There are. We also have California’s longest-serving mayor and festivals every month. At Christmas, there’s a Live Nativity. I heard last year there was an elephant.”

“At the nativity?”

Felicia nodded. “Her name’s Priscilla. She lives on a ranch with several goats and a pony. Want me to tell you about the Dog Days of Summer Fair?”

“Only if you promise to shoot me first.”

* * *

GIDEON ARRIVED FOR the meeting a few minutes early. As a business owner in town, there were events he was expected to attend. He did so just often enough that no one came calling to ask why he wasn’t involved. Easier to participate on his own terms, he thought, finding a seat in the back of the room.

After a couple of bad nights, he’d finally managed to get some sleep. He was always grateful when the dreams didn’t attack him.

He glanced around the room and nodded at a few people he knew. The mayor walked in with Charity Golden, the city planner. They moved to the front of the room. Mayor Marsha saw him and pointed to a seat up by the podium. He shook his head, and the older woman chuckled.

He watched the door, not sure if Felicia would be attending. While he wanted to see her, he wasn’t sure it was a good idea. He still couldn’t believe he’d let her spend the night. The sex he understood. Four years ago Felicia had been exactly what he’d been looking for—a wild, uncomplicated ride. She’d rocked his world, and he’d been disappointed to have things end so quickly. Discovering her a second time had been an added bonus.

When a woman like her expressed sexual interest, it would take more self-control than he had to say no. Sex was relatively easy—but spending the night? He didn’t do that. Didn’t like it. Yet he’d slept with her as easily as he’d made love with her. An uncomfortable truth he’d yet to reconcile.

She walked into the conference room with several other women. He recognized the chick who wanted to open a Christmas store, and he was pretty sure the tall blonde was named Isabel. She owned the shoe store or the dress shop.

For this meeting there wasn’t a conference table. Rather, chairs had been set up in rows. Felicia glanced toward him and smiled. He felt the kick in his gut, along with a jolt of heat that moved lower. Damn, she was beautiful, he thought.

She spoke to her friends, then moved to join the mayor and Charity at the front of the room. Isabel and the Christmas store woman walked back several rows and settled a few seats in front of him.

“Do you think he’ll be here?” Isabel asked, her voice carrying just enough for him to hear.

Her friend sighed. “You’re going to have to pick. Either you want to see Ford or you don’t.”

“Why do I have to decide, Noelle? Why can’t my decision change with my mood? I don’t always wear the same shoes.”

“Because you spend half your time trying to figure out where he’s going to be in town and the rest of the time avoiding that exact spot. It’s exhausting. Also, you have a thousand pairs of shoes. I’m surprised you wear any of them more than two days in a row.”

Isabel glanced at the door. “Oh, God. It’s Justice. Ford might be with him. I have to hide.”

Gideon followed her gaze and saw Justice walking in with Patience. The two of them took seats together in the second row. Isabel writhed in her seat.

“Looks like he’s not coming,” Noelle said. “Good news or bad news?”

Isabel slumped back in her seat. “I can’t decide.”

Several more people walked into the conference room. Gideon recognized the Stryker contingent. Rafe and his business partner, Dante, who owned a large real estate development company. Shane Stryker had a horse ranch. His brother Clay had started a Haycation business on the Castle Ranch. Rafe’s wife, Heidi, sat with them. She sold goat cheese and soap.

“Is anyone sitting here?”

He looked to his right and saw a petite blonde standing there. She had big hazel eyes and looked like she was maybe twelve.

“This is a meeting for adults,” he said. “Did you mean to be somewhere else?”

She laughed and settled next to him. “I’m twenty-four. Want to see my ID?”

He was sure the chagrin showed on his face. “Sorry, no.”

Her grin stayed in place. “Don’t worry. I’m used to it. It’s a size thing. I’m small and cute so people assume I’m still a child. The occasional tantrum doesn’t help the maturity meter, that’s for sure.”

He glanced to his left and thought about sliding a few seats over.

“The thing is,” she said in a conspiratorial whisper, “I’m not supposed to be here. Technically I haven’t started a new business.”

“You find city meetings compelling?”

“I’m
thinking
of opening a business. A street food cart. What you would call a trailer. I’m still renovating.” She paused, as if waiting for a reaction.

“Like a taco truck?”

She winced. “Okay, sort of. Slightly more gourmet than that, although I do love a good taco. Street food is very big these days. There are fairs in L.A. and San Francisco celebrating street food.”

“Good to know.”

“I’m Ana Raquel Hopkins, by the way.”

“Gideon.”

She tilted her head. “You’re the radio guy. You play that old ’60s music, right? My best friend’s grandmother loves you.”

Good to know he was popular with the seniors, he thought grimly.

“She says that bedroom eyes are what everybody talks about, but a bedroom voice is much better.” Ana Raquel grinned. “She’s going to be so excited I met you. I’m going to tell her you’re really hot. You know, for an older guy.”

He was thirty-six. Not exactly ready for his AARP card. But to a twenty-four year old, he was on the far side of interesting.

He looked toward the front where Mayor Marsha had stepped up to the podium.

“Thank you all for coming,” she began. “I thought it would be a good idea for those of you starting a new business in town to get to know each other. This isn’t going to be a formal presentation. I wanted a chance to welcome all of you to our community and answer any questions you might have. Also, I’ll be bringing in members of the city government you’re most likely to have contact with. I’m going to start with Felicia Swift. She recently took over our festivals, and we’re delighted to have her expertise and energy.”

There was more talking, but Gideon didn’t bother to listen. Instead he studied the leggy redhead and let his mind drift back to the feel of her mouth on his. She made love without inhibition. There was only the moment and the pleasure.

He liked that she didn’t play games. She was brutally honest. A man would always know where he stood with her. Not that he was looking to get involved, but she was a temptation.

“Wow!”

He turned to Ana Raquel and saw her staring at him.

She swung to face Felicia. “So you two are together.”

He stiffened. “Why do you say that?”

“Because of how you were looking at her. Jeez, if a guy ever looked at me with that combination of passion and need, I’d probably go up in flames.” She flopped back in her seat. “Is it hot in here, or is it me?”

He shifted uncomfortably. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

She grinned. “Right. I get it. You don’t want everyone to know. I can be discreet. Trust me, I know how sensitive guys can be.”

“I’m not sensitive. Don’t you have a trailer to remodel?”

“Yes, but that can wait. This is way more interesting.”

He crossed his arms over his chest. “Felicia and I are dating.”

“For how long?”

“Our first date is in a couple of weeks. A party.”

“Seriously? You’re going to wait that long for your first date? I don’t think you’ll last. Besides, look at her. You think someone else isn’t going to make a move?”

“It’s not like that.”

Ana Raquel patted his shoulder. “Sorry to tell you, but when a man looks at a woman the way you looked at her, it’s
always
like that.”

Gideon shifted his attention back to the presentation. Felicia was done speaking, and someone else from the mayor’s office had taken her place. He found himself glancing toward the woman in question, studying the curve of her cheek and how she was listening attentively, no doubt committing every word to memory.

She looked at him and smiled. Beside him, Ana Raquel muttered what sounded like a very smug “See?”

He ignored her.

But after the meeting, he found himself walking to the front of the room. He paused by Felicia, clueless as to what to say or do.

“Hi,” she said. “Wasn’t this great? I think Mayor Marsha is wise to help the new business owners create a social bond. We do better as a society when we have an emotional connection with each other. There’s strength in community.”

If he asked, she could probably write down the mathematical formula for the origin of the universe. He would guess she knew more than most engineers about flight and strength tolerances and everything else learnable. She spoke close to a dozen languages. But, as she’d admitted very recently, she’d never been on a date.

They were going to that party, he thought. It should be enough. But it wasn’t. He’d been her first lover—a fact that still made him break out in a cold sweat. Still, he couldn’t help thinking that he didn’t want some asshole taking advantage of her.

“Would you have dinner with me?” he asked. “Tonight? At my place?”

She pressed her lips together. “You’re asking me to dinner?”

“Yes.”

“Like a...”

“Date.”

“We already have a date. For the party.”

“Did you want to wait until then to have dinner with me?”

“No. I enjoy spending time with you. Thank you. Dinner would be nice.”

“I’ll see you at seven.”

She nodded.

He turned and saw Ana Raquel by the door. She grinned and gave him a thumbs-up. He held in a groan.

CHAPTER SIX

FELICIA KNEW WINE was a traditional gift when invited to dinner. She’d gone online and read about several other interesting options, including bringing a dish for the meal, or dessert, along with flowers or other hostess gifts. However, she was fairly certain Gideon wasn’t the pretty-silver-frame or napkins-in-a-matching-holder type.

She arrived on time, wine in hand, and knocked on the front door.

In the few seconds it took him to answer, she worked on her breathing to slow her heart rate and reduce her anxiety to something closer to anticipation. Nervousness wasn’t pleasant, and considering she hadn’t eaten much all day, the sudden need to throw up surprised her.

Perhaps she’d taken too long worrying about her appearance. She’d tried on several outfits, and although none of them had been inappropriate, she hadn’t been satisfied with any of them. Jeans had been too casual and a dress had seemed too formal. She’d finally decided on white crop pants and a dark green silk T-shirt. The V-neck dipped low enough to show the shadow of her cleavage, which men seemed to like. She wasn’t sure the choice was flattering but realized she didn’t know enough about fashion to be sure. It wasn’t an area she’d ever had reason to study.