Chapter 9 #2
"That's how I felt when I saw Hailey. One minute I was fooling around, just shooting the breeze, and then there she was. I felt as if something had poked a hole inside me."
"That's ridiculous," Zane retorted.
"Is it?" David parried mildly. "You're here torturing yourself over her. I bet that ever since you met her, you haven't been able to think of anything else."
Zane turned and walked back to the fire. Sparks flew upward from a fallen log. Flames, bright orange and red, reminded him of the highlights in her hair. He couldn't concentrate on anything.
She was in his thoughts when he was awake and in his dreams when he fell asleep. He had tried staying away from her to get some perspective and give himself time to come to terms with what he was feeling. Nothing was working. So he had ended up going to the courthouse, just to lay eyes on her.
"She said I'm not her type," he murmured as if to himself.
"But she has changed her mind."
"Why?" That was what was muddling his brain.
"Don't look a gift-"
"Oh, shut the hell up!" Zane growled, grinning when his friend burst out laughing.
*****
Kara alternated between giddy excitement and palpable fear, and wondered if she had gone off the deep end. Her mother had called and given her a stinging lecture on the folly of her ways.
"Mark my words, Kara Simone Saunders. You're going to be sorry for what you're doing.
William is a very nice man and a catch. He would have made you a good husband.
You cannot simply throw your future away like that.
And he also told me you changed your appearance and went on a shopping spree. What on earth are you thinking?"
"That I'm an adult, an independent one who does not need anyone's approval. I see that you have William well trained. He keeps you up to date with the events of my life."
"He's concerned, and so am I. He's willing to look past all of this nonsense and give you a second chance."
"No, thanks. I'm not interested."
"You're making a mistake," she was warned.
"Then it's mine to make."
Sitting on the side of her bed, Kara wondered what her mother would think if she knew she had invited a man she had just met to come to her place for dinner and sex.
She would probably keel right over and die of mortification and puzzlement. Kara wasn't sure she was in the right frame of mind herself. Had Barry put something in the shampoo? Or had the ladies used a special oil to loosen her inhibitions while they massaged her? What on earth was she doing?
Rising, she went to the bathroom where the bath was set, the scent of lemon, rosemary and citrus filling the air.
She had added bath salts and had time to take a long soak.
Her legs were already shaved, and she had put out a pair of siren-red lace panties, a new pair to go under the almost see-through slinky black silk sheath she would be wearing.
Taking off her robe, she dipped her toe in and decided it was hot enough.
There was no turning back now. Her mind was made up.
Her sexual orientation would be tonight.
She was attracted to Zane, had been from the very start.
He was gorgeous, and from all appearances and from what she had read about him in the various magazines, he was highly experienced.
She wasn't looking for anything long-term.
After what she had gone through, the ennui of being in a relationship for two and something years, she was determined to have some fun.
That concept had been foreign to her before now.
She had stayed on the straight and narrow all of her life.
It was simply time to let loose and live a little.
Picking up the sponge, she ran it over her arms and shoulders and down her breasts.
*****
Everything he had rehearsed on the ride over dried up as his brain turned to mush as soon as she opened the door to admit him.
Her face glowed, her eyes and skin shimmered, and her lips were coated with a pale rose-colored gloss.
A smile curved those sultry lips and made him want to lean down and take a huge bite.
When she stepped back to let him in, it was all he could do to keep from reaching for her.
"You brought me flowers."
Tearing his eyes from her face, he looked down at his hands as if puzzled to see the things he was clutching.
"Ah-" He handed her the flowers.
"And wine." She was secretly delighted to see how flustered he was.
"White wine." His voice was rusty as if he hadn't used it in ages.
"It will go well with the lobster." Taking the bottle from him, she nodded toward the coat tree. "You can leave your jacket there."
He finally found his voice when he followed her into a very cozy kitchen, the scent of garlic and seafood spicing the air.
"Something smells mighty good."
Sending a smile over her left shoulder, she walked toward the granite counter, the rose silk sheath sliding over very seductive curves. It was not only the food; she smelled good enough to eat.
"What can I do?" He had to do something to take his mind off his raging desire.
"Nothing. Everything is about finished." She busied her hands with settling the wine into a bucket of ice.
He wasn't the only one flustered. She had opened the door, taken one look at him in his usual black, and wanted to jump him.
The man was lethal, especially in black, with the tangle of dark hair flowing freely down his shoulders.
Saliva was pooling at the corner of her mouth.
"We'll eat at the table." Making sure she stayed clear, Kara gestured to the already set table. A pretty bowl of fruit sat in the middle of it. "Make yourself at home."
He waited until she was taking the bowl of lobster drenched in garlic and butter to the table and took it from her.
"Thanks."
"No problem."
A large bay window overlooked a charming garden bursting with flowers. The chilly fall weather had done nothing to dampen the colors. In fact, the trees crowding the area added more colors: the red, gold and russet vibrant against a few willows with the leaves wafting in the breeze.
"Nice view," he commented.
"I love to watch it from here. The very reason I chose this location for the dining table."
He pulled out her chair and waited for her to be seated before sitting at the other end. The space was small enough to have their knees brushing.
"You cook," he murmured, picking up his utensils to take a sample.
"It relaxes me, but cooking for one isn't much fun. What do you think?"
He wanted to know if he had misconstrued the invitation and it was to be only dinner, but he decided to forgo the question. Taking a bite, he savored and then nodded. "As good as it smelled."
She beamed at him and scooped up wild rice. The crisp garden vegetables were arranged prettily on the plates, giving everything an appealing look. She poured wine and handed him a glass.
"Thanks." Searching around, he thought of several things to talk about and remained blank. "Why the invitation to dinner?" He could have bitten off his tongue as soon as the words were out.
Instead of being surprised by the question, she took it in stride. Lifting the glass to her lips, she took a sip and nodded in appreciation.
"You invited me to go and have coffee; I wanted dinner in this setting." Her beautiful mahogany eyes met his. "It seems to me that you're interested in more than just coffee. Was I right?"
He swallowed the delicately flavored lobster gamely down a throat that had gone as dry as dust and wondered why he didn't choke.
"Yes."
"Great. It seems we're on the same page."
"I had the feeling we weren't. Before." He really should stop talking, he mused grimly.
"Things changed."
"I noticed that." His eyes skimmed over her hair and her face. "How come?" Christ, man, give it a rest!
The tip of her tongue touched her bottom lip, a tiny movement that he would have missed if he hadn't been staring at her. A tiny movement that had his insides tangling and twisting. Heat spurted through his body like molten lava, leaving him shaken.
"I decided that it was time I took control of my life."
"I see," he murmured, even though that was far from the truth. "Ah, this is very good." He reached for the glass and took a gulp, thinking to ease his parched throat.
"Thank you." Her eyes twinkled, and he had a feeling she was laughing at him. "I hadn't seen you in a few days. Thought you had gone elsewhere."
"I was busy," he muttered. "There's a project-"
"Ah, yes." She was trying her best to appear in control and was failing. Up close, Zane Stanhope was the most virile man she had ever come across, and he was twisting her nerves into pieces. "I've read about the progress. It's an admirable project your company has undertaken."
Safe topic, he decided. Best to stick with it for the time being, he mused.
"We've gotten the entire community involved."
Kara nodded, feeling her insides settling slightly. She had to gain control for the second phase of the evening, the most important part of it.
"You had some trouble initially."
He nodded. "Drug runners and the former occupants of the old warehouse and burned-out buildings took offense at being uprooted.
" He polished off his meal and leaned back with his wine.
"Fire destroyed most of the buildings five years ago, and the area was taken over by criminal elements.
They were comfortably established and resented the intrusion. "
He answered her questions for the next few minutes and allowed her to steer the conversation.