Without Limits: A BWWM Collection of Passion and Desire, page 95
“What else d’you have planned?”
I looked at my watch. “I thought we’d go to The Creative Club for a little sip and paint afterward. I missed lunch so I figured it would be better if I had a little something to eat before we go.”
“Anything else?”
Denise returned with our Red Stripe Light Beer and left with our order.
“Well, since tomorrow’s a work day, I wasn’t sure if you’d also want to do some dancing.”
“I’m not exactly an old fart, so I should be able to keep up.”
“Maybe we will, maybe we won’t. Let’s play it by ear.”
We both laughed and suspended our conversation when our shrimp platter came. We had an assortment of breaded, curried, and jerked shrimp.
“This looks delicious,” Scott said before we dug in.
“Be wary of the curry,” I said. “It has quite a kick.”
“Remember Ty?”
I nodded and my lips twisted in a smirk. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Scott poked a spoon into the curry and nodded with confidence. “Thanks, but I think I can handle it.”
Thirty seconds later, he reached for his glass and swigged some beer. His face went ruddy and his eyes were weepy.
“You okay?”
He sniffed and blinked several times. “I think so.”
I bit my lip and he stared at me, squinting a little.
“If you laugh, I’m gonna jab you with my fork, woman.”
That did it. Laughter poured out of me and it was a moment before I could contain myself. “I tried telling you, but you had to be Mr. Macho Guy.”
“You’re a wicked woman. You could have tried harder to dissuade me.”
My grin was sheepish. “So you’re going to put this on me?”
He sniffed again and nodded.
“Aw, poor baby. Would you like me to get you some sugar?”
“Nah,” he waved away my suggestion. “I’ll be fine. This is just a tad bit spicier than I’m used to eating.”
“You’ll get used to it.”
“That’s if I plan to have my tongue and the roof of my mouth set on fire again.”
Another grin escaped. “Next time, maybe you’ll listen.”
“Maybe I will and maybe I won’t.”
“Mmm-hmm, don’t blame me for any aftereffects either.”
He sipped more beer and then chuckled. “You’re not getting off that easy. Of course I’ll hold you responsible.”
“Maybe next time—”
His phone vibrated and he looked at it. His face went blank and I figured who’d made contact.
He looked up and into my eyes, but didn’t say anything.
“Have you called her?”
“How do you know it’s Lucy?”
“Call it woman’s intuition.” My smile came through bit by bit. “And the change in your vibe.”
“It’s that obvious, huh?”
Nodding, I chewed on a bit of shrimp. “Isn’t it easier to do what I suggested? If you talk to her, you’ll know exactly what she wants.”
His nostrils flared. “She knows I can’t give her that.”
His closed expression told me he wouldn’t welcome any further discussion, but something inside made me persist.
“All I’m saying is that if you get it over with, you’ll make things easier on yourself.”
“How d’you figure that?” he said, leaning back in his seat.
“When I walked in, you seemed aggravated.”
“Yeah.” He cocked his head sideways as if he expected me to suggest something outrageous.
“If she’s gonna spoil your mood like that, it only makes sense to deal with her once and for all. Like I said, you dragging this out is just going to make you annoyed forever and ever.”
He folded his arms and stared at me steadily. “Maybe you have a point.”
“You said that last time.”
Now he ran one hand over his hair. “I got busy.”
I lowered my chin and gave him a look I used on Angel when she was playing the fool.
He had the grace to laugh. “Okay, I’ll get to it.”
When I continued looking at him as if I didn’t believe a word, he added. “First thing in the morning.”
“You promised to do something about it on Sunday over lunch.”
“Yeah, well, work and all that.”
I dipped my chin again and he laughed.
“All right, I promise.”
He held up three fingers with his thumb and pinkie folded. “Scout’s honor.”
“If you say so.”
We exchanged a stare, and Scott shook his head as if to clear his thoughts.
“What’s that about?”
His smile spread as he stroked the hair on his face. “You are something special, you know that?”
With a cheeky grin, I said, “So you’ve told me before.”
When he continued staring at me, I cleared my throat. I wasn’t exactly uncomfortable, but I wasn’t ready for what I saw in his eyes. Neither of us was prepared for the intensity directed at me.
As though he felt my discomfort, Scott leaned forward and touched my cheek with his thumb. “Don’t worry. I don’t plan to take things there. We agreed.”
I tilted my head and looked away from him, amazed he understood exactly what was going on in my head.
His hand now cupped my cheek, while he stroked my skin with his thumb. “You ready?”
Even if I wasn’t, the thick air between us made me want to take a step back. My answer was soft. “Yeah.”
We finished our drinks and Scott got the attention of our waitress and asked for the chit. A few minutes went by before she returned with it. Scott got out his wallet and I watched him handling the bills. “If you don’t have change, I can…”
His cool shake of the head quelled my enthusiasm to help.
The moment Denise moved away, he laid both elbows on the table. “What kind of man d’you think I am?”
“The kind who accepts help when it’s clear he doesn’t know the currency he’s working with. It’s easy to give away a five thousand dollar bill if you don’t know what you’re doing.”
He quirked one brow. “Oh, yeah?”
Nodding, I said, “It’s similar to the five hundred dollar note, so you better watch how you flash them around.”
“Thanks very much, but you’re still not helping. Not with this anyhow.”
“I heard you the first time.”
Denise came back and while Scott accepted his change and gave her a tip, I got my phone out and sent a text to Mom. My answer came within seconds. Angel had just gone to sleep.
I raised my head and met Scott’s eyes. His were warm and soft. I suspected I was looking at him the same way. “Ready when you are,” I said.
“Who were you texting?”
“Sorry, it’s bad manners but I was checking on Angel.”
“Everything okay? You don’t have to apologize for being a good mother.”
“I’m not. I’d expect you to pay me the same courtesy if you were texting while I’m sitting here.”
“I hear you, boss lady,” he drawled and then chuckled.
In response, I rolled my eyes, something I rarely did. I got up and he was at my side, taking my elbow and guiding me to toward the doorway. The hostess told us good night and asked how we’d enjoyed our meal. I let Scott answer because his hand on my skin sent my internal thermometer haywire. My neck and face were flushed and I hoped I wouldn’t start perspiring. All of this disturbed the heck out of me.
When we stood on the sidewalk, I indicated that we’d be crossing the street. He squeezed my elbow and I looked up at him. Scott said nothing, and I frowned. “What?”
He shook his head, and a gentle breeze lifted a few strands of his hair.
I wanted to brush them away from his forehead, but couldn’t raise my hand. The heat in his gaze and his intention mesmerized me.
He lowered his head and like the whisper of a gentle breeze, his lips brushed mine.
Chapter Eleven
Scott leaned against the doorway of my office with his arms folded. The long-sleeve white shirt, folded back to his elbows and paired with jeans was sexy. He should have looked icky in the slim-fit pants, but they reminded me that he was wiry, not scrawny.
I said my goodbyes while taking in the loafers on his feet. When my gaze came back to his face, his smile said he knew I'd been scoping him out.
“So, what are we doing on Friday?” he asked, taking a seat in the visitor's chair.
“We have to switch to Saturday,” I said, hanging up the phone.
“What happened? Nothing major, I hope.”
“Something with Angel and school.” I was deliberately vague as I neatened the desk. In another few minutes, I'd be ready to leave the office. “Saturday works better.”
“No problem. So back to what we're doing.”
I gave him my full attention. “Sounds like you have plans that might interfere.”
Scott shook his head. “Can we go to the beach?”
“Where did that come from?”
“Don't forget you're supposed to be showing me some interesting sites.” He tipped his head sideways while peering at me. “Will it be a problem?”
Shaking my head, I said, “Not really. I'll work it out.”
“Will you bring Angel with you?”
That startled me because his question was in line with my thoughts. Shaking my head, I said, “I wasn't planning on it.”
“Why not?”
Shanelle, our receptionist-cum-typist, came to the doorway and knocked on the open door to get my attention. “Excuse me. Shevaughn, I'm about to leave now.”
“Okay, have a good evening.”
“You too.” She waved at both of us and walked away.
My gaze went back to Scott. “So how was the session?”
“Good,” he said, sitting up. “They're bright and eager to learn, so that's an advantage.”
“And you think this once-weekly thing will work until you finish your stint with Cybertronics?”
“Yeah, otherwise you'd have to wait eight weeks, like we discussed.”
“I don't have to tell you how much I appreciate you doing this for me.”
His smile was sweet and pulled one from me, although I was uneasy. I wanted to avoid meeting his eyes, but couldn't, so I pasted on a grin.
“You know you're welcome.”
The smile left his face and he studied me with such deep concentration that I couldn't look away. I licked my lip and his gaze shifted to my mouth.
“You're tempting,” he murmured. “I could kiss you right now.”
Although I knew everybody else had left the office, my eyes flicked toward the doorway before I said, “Don't you dare.”
“You're a coward.”
“Nope, I’m just careful about what I do around the office.”
“Party Pooper.”
“That's all right. Call me anything you like.” My laughter lessened the tension between us. “When you're back in Miami, I'll have to face these people.”
He shook his head. “The more time I spend with you, the less I look forward to going back home.”
Scott had a knack for saying things that left me speechless. This moment was a good example. If I had to be honest, I’d say I felt the same way. Against my wishes, I was getting attached to him. I picked up my phone off the desk and dropped it into my bag to give myself time to breathe.
He was still watching me when I looked up. Scott cocked one brow and looked as if he was going to break into a smile.
I exhaled loudly and laughed a little. “Okay, no need to fish. I think I might actually miss you too.”
“Might? I’m devastated.”
“Right.”
“Honest.” Scott raised both hands. “I love your company.”
We’d spent a lot of time together this past week. Scott’s base was ten minutes away, so we ate lunch together and when we weren’t doing that, we had drinks in the evenings, or we ended up at a sports bar he liked that had a gaming lounge.
“You’re kinda cool yourself.”
“Only kinda?” His brows lowered over his eyes and came close to meeting.
“You don’t strike me as the kind of man who needs to have his ego massaged.”
“Sweetheart, every guy needs a little reassurance now and then, especially when the lady he’s spending time with thinks he’s lukewarm in the cool department.”
His tone was light and his eyes danced.
Laughing, I got up. “I never said that. If you’re ready to go, I’ll leave you at your place.”
He took my cue and rose. “I can call Charles.”
I put my bag strap over my shoulder. “I’m gonna take you, so stop acting like you don't know.”
He blocked my path to the door. “Where you’re concerned, I take nothing for granted.”
“Why is that?” I asked, as if I didn’t understand what time of day it was.
“You’re all that, and more, and I know my time is limited.”
The thought of him leaving sank my stomach a little, but I tipped my lips into a smile. “We agreed to enjoy the time, so let’s do exactly that.”
He stepped in closer. “Yeah. Let’s do that.”
Scott’s gaze latched on to my lips and as his mouth hovered over mine, my eyes closed. He stroked my skin with his before nudging my mouth open. When our tongues met, a little moan got away from me.
Scott took it as encouragement and gripped the back of my head as he delved deeper. He explored my mouth as if he was in no hurry and while his tongue danced with mine, I forgot everything but what he aroused inside me. I would have stood there kissing him all evening.
Eventually, he withdrew, pressing soft kisses to my lips.
“I thought I told you not to do that,” I murmured.
“Yeah, you did.” His voice rumbled against my skin. “I chose not to listen.”
“I like men who work with my rules,” I said. “It keeps things simple.”
“I’ve never been someone who played by other people’s rules, so we may have a challenge.”
He sounded serious but I couldn’t be sure. One thing I wasn’t going to do was get my thoughts tangled over someone who wouldn’t be around for long.
We exchanged a stare and he looked at me in a way that said he was aware of something I wasn’t. I didn’t know what that could be and wasn’t sure I wanted to know.
I wriggled my toes as I looked at the television, which I’d turned down low. Angel sat at the table doing homework and I was on the sofa with the phone to my ear. Rita, was on the other end.
“So, is there a specific reason you don’t want to take Angel to the beach on Saturday. You know she loves the sea,” Rita said.
“And you know how I feel about introducing anybody new into her space.”
“How long have you known Scott now?”
“Just over five weeks. The one week we spent at the hotel, three while we chatted and negotiated, and a week and a half since he’s been here.”
“Would you say you guys clicked?”
“How can you ask that?” My voice had gone up by a couple of notches and Angel looked up at me. I smiled to reassure her all was well. She rubbed with the eraser and went back to writing.
Speaking at a lower pitch, I said, “We talk all the time.”
“So if you get along like that, why would you hesitate to have him meet Angel? It’s not like he’s moving in or you’re marrying him.”
“True, but you know I don’t want anybody upsetting the balance around her.”
Rita laughed, a throaty sound that made me join her. I pictured her perfect smile, long braids, and flashing eyes as she said, “Angel is the most well-balanced child I know, so you’re not making a lot of sense right now.”
“Trust me, I know what I’m doing.”
“If you say to me you don’t want to introduce her to someone who may disappear from her life in a short time, that I understand. Otherwise, you’re just being over protective. What harm can it do anyway?”
“What harm can it do if she stays with you and Renée?”
“Renée and I will be happy to have her visit. You know that. I just think you’re being silly.”
“It’s easier and less messy, in case of anything.”
“You do know people will come and go in Angel's life, right?”
“Stop treating me like I’m a five-year-old child.”
She laughed again. “You're reasoning like one.”
“I just like keeping things simple, that’s all.”
“Mmm. No problemo. Just let me know what time you plan to drop her off, but you better not tell her you’re going to the beach without her.”
“Is this some kind of guilt trip now?”
“Nope, I’m just keeping things real. She'd give you a hard time if she knew.”
“I appreciate it. Talk to you later in the week.”
“Yeah. Kiss Angel for me.”
“You do the same to Renée and tell Hugh hello.”
“Sure.”
A moment after I put the phone down, it rang. I put it back to my ear, smiling wide. “Scott, what’s up? Didn’t you say you had stuff to do?”
“I’m halfway done and needed a break. Can you talk?”
“Yeah, I’m free now.”
“So have you worked out what we’re doing yet?”
“Somebody is impatient.”
“Nope. I just like knowing what the plan is early.”
“I was finding out if my friend can keep Angel.”
“I still can't figure out why you wouldn’t bring her if we're going to the beach.”
“Um…I just didn’t plan to.”
Right then, I remembered he'd asked before and I'd given him the same answer.
He didn’t say anything for a few seconds, and I wasn’t sure what to make of his tone when he finally answered. “Okay.”
I'd forgot Angel was within range and remembered only when she moved. She closed her book, slid off the chair, and came to sit with me. I pulled my legs up to give her more space.
“Why is Auntie Rita keeping me and when?” she asked.
I squeezed her hand, “I'm talking, hon, just a minute.”
