Saving Sarah

by Nan Reinhardt

  “We sent her for brownies and another bottle of zin.” Henry rose and pulled out a chair next to Carrie for Sarah. “A seat of honor for the lovely Sarah.” He unfolded another lawn chair and squeezed it in beside Sarah. “And here you go, Tony.”

  “I don’t know wine all that well,” Sarah confessed as Tony set her pizza and an empty glass in front of her. “What does zin taste like?”

  “Zinfandel is a rich dry red,” Liam explained. “Great with chocolate, which is why we sent Soph for brownies. What’ve you got there, Deputy?” He took the frosty bottle from Tony and read the label. “Great choice, but don’t pour any of that yet.” He grabbed a near-empty bottle from the center of the table. “Try this first.” He poured a taste of deep ruby wine in both empty glasses while Tony settled into his chair.

  Will sauntered up carrying a stack of paper-plated pizza. “Hope you guys are still hungry. They brought out the margherita pizzas and that’s Jules’s favorite.” He set one plate in front of Julie and the others in the center of the table. “Here you go, babe.”

  “My hero.” Fluttering her lashes, Julie fake-swooned as Will scooched his chair in next to hers.

  “This is delicious!” Sarah exclaimed, holding up her glass. The zin was rich and full-bodied and she was sure it would go great with the pepperoni pizza sitting before her.

  The band, which covered mostly songs from the sixties, opened with a rollicking version of “Good Vibrations,” and then rolled right into “Under the Boardwalk.” The music took her back to her childhood and rainy Saturdays in her parents’ basement, listening to her mom’s records and dancing with her friends. As the group chattered and noshed, chowing down on pizza and brownies, she relaxed, basking in the camaraderie of good friends, good music, and good wine.

  The band geared down to “Hungry Eyes”—one of her favorites. Lounging, she bumped Tony’s warm arm, resting on the back of her chair. A shiver raised goose bumps on her neck when he leaned down to whisper, “Dance?”

  NINETEEN

  “Will you stop looking at me like that?” Tony’s dimples showed as he put the truck in Park and switched off the ignition.

  Chuckling, Sarah gave him wide innocent eyes. “Like what?” Releasing her seatbelt, she waited as he sauntered around the front of the vehicle to open her door. Her heart stuttered at the sight of his brawny frame silhouetted against the parking lot’s sodium-vapor lights. Dear Lord, how was she ever going to resist the urge to throw herself at him? The ache low in her belly only increased when he grinned at her as he held open her door.

  “Like a zoologist who’s just caught sight of a weird and obscure species of mammal,” he said, handing her out of the high seat and twining their fingers together as they headed for the docks.

  She snickered. “I think I have.”

  He glanced at her over the top of his glasses. “The elusive dancing bear?”

  “My God, Tony! You never said a word!” Releasing his hand, she leaned down to yank off her stiletto sandals while he supported her elbow. Her feet were done—she couldn’t take another step in the unfamiliar shoes. They might be sexy, but they definitely weren’t made for comfort—or hours of dancing. “You were amazing out there! I had to fight every other woman present just for a chance to dance with my own date.”

  He shrugged as he led her up the steps to her apartment. “You never asked if I could dance. You just assumed that because I’m not some lithe ballet-dancer type that I didn’t have any moves.” He held out his hand. “Keys?”

  “Unquestionably, you have got moves, my friend.” Still shaking her head, Sarah handed him her keys, then stepped inside, fully expecting Tony to follow. When he didn’t, she turned to gaze at him. “Are you coming in?”

  “Am I?” His amber eyes widened slightly, his expression eager, but not insistent. “It’s late.”

  “Please.” She nodded, tossing her shawl, clutch, and shoes on the chair by the door. When he hesitated, she gave him her best inviting smile. “I want you to.”

  “Lock up?” he asked as he pulled the door shut behind him, his hand hovering over the deadbolt.

  “Well, I do have a cop here with me, but, yeah, go ahead.” She switched on the pendant lights above the tall counter. “Coffee?”

  “No, I’m good, thanks.” He paced between the living room and the kitchen, jingling his own keys in the pocket of his khaki pants. Somehow the fact that he was clearly nervous made her feel a little less so. “When will Tessa have a final tally on what we made for the shelter tonight?”

  “Probably Monday, but if the crowd’s any indication, I think we did great.” Sarah fidgeted with her necklace, suddenly shy.

  Inviting him in was purely a reaction to desire. She wanted this—wanted him. She’d even prepared for it, but what if she couldn’t go through with it? She hadn’t had sex, real loving sex, since her honeymoon. After Macy was born, Paul had turned intimacy into an evil, terrifying power game that she lost every time. Even though she was certain that Tony would be loving and kind and gentle, the knot in her stomach got tighter.

  Tony removed his glasses, tucking them into his shirt pocket as he perused the CDs some previous tenant had left in the bookcase under the stairs. He held up one that she didn’t recognize. “Do you know her? Skyler Hiatt?”

  Sarah shook her head.

  “She’s a local torch singer. Incredible voice. She sometimes performs at the hotel lounge in Traverse City where Carrie plays piano.” After pushing a few buttons on the dated receiver and CD player that Noah had on top of the bookcase, he popped the CD in. “This one’s a few years old, but she sings standards, so it doesn’t matter.”

  Her heart sped up as Skyler’s rich contralto filled the high-ceilinged space—“The Nearness of You”—an old Ella Fitzgerald song she recognized from her mother’s record collection.

  When Tony toed off his shoes and quirked one brow in question, a shiver quivered through her. “I’m pretty sure I owe you at least a couple of dances after you kept getting cut in on all night.” He held out his hand, one finger crooked in a come-hither gesture that was impossible to resist.

  She didn’t even try.

  He walked toward her, big and sexy and smiling. She met him halfway, slipping into his arms and resting her head on his shoulder. They danced, his hand warm on her back, raising goose bumps where the crisscrossed straps left her skin bare. As he guided her to the gentle rhythm of the music, his breath stirred the hair over her ear. When he sang softly, tremors of delicious sensation zipped right to her core.

  Longing trumped fear as Tony’s fingers traced her spine and then slid lower—below the small of her back to tug her closer. The dance became merely swaying when he released her left hand and nudged it up to his shoulder. When his lips found that ultra-sensitive spot behind her ear, Sarah turned her head, yearning for more, seeking his mouth with hers.

  For the first time in too many years, she wanted heat and desire and most especially this man’s hands on her. The kiss that had started with a gentle touch of lips turned hungry as she met his tongue with her own, and they gave up all pretense of dancing. Sarah surged her body to his, coming up on her toes to deepen their kiss. When his erection pressed against her belly, for one fleeting moment, she clutched, and her heart rose to her throat. She almost pushed him away.

  No! This was Tony—kind, gentle Tony—and, dear God, how she wanted him.

  Shoving aside the fear, she pushed into his hands as they curved around her behind. His lips moved to her throat, dropping little nibbling kisses from her chin to her ear. His fingers gripped her, urgent and tender all at the same time. She licked his neck before reaching for the buttons on his shirt, kissing each patch of newly exposed skin as she released them.

  His chest was warm, lightly furred, and inviting as she slid her hands over his tanned torso. He leaned back to grant her access and when his rock-hard shaft pressed into her, that twinge of anxiety slithered through her mind. Once again, she forced it away. Resting her h
ead on his chest, she breathed in the scents of woodsy soap and male musk and desire.

  Tony bent his head to hers. “Sarah?” he whispered, and she detected wine and chocolate on his breath.

  For one inane moment her mind compartmentalized, and she thought of how much the sense of smell played into making love—his body, his breath, hers. Did the touches of the clean scent she’d dabbed behind her ears and on her throat still linger?

  Focus! This isn’t Paul. You don’t have to go someplace else. Stay right here—in this moment.

  He lifted her chin, gently insistent that she look at him. Desire glowed deep brown and amber in his eyes. “I want you,” he said, his voice husky with need. “I want you so bad I ache, but… I don’t know how to… tell me what to…” His teeth caught his lower lip and he tipped his head back. He sighed. “I can’t take you. Sarah.”

  God, how she loved this man.

  I love this man.

  Suddenly, it was easy and so clear. All the fear and doubt dissolved into desire. She kissed down the column of his neck. “Then let me take you,” she murmured without even a second’s hesitation.

  * * * *

  Tony nearly stopped breathing when Sarah stepped away and headed for the stairs. His breath did stop when she turned on the first step, offering her hand and a smile that suggested more than any words could ever express.

  Following her up the stairs, he halted at the open French doors that separated the bedroom from the loft, watching as she slipped the straps of her dress down over her shoulders, baring her beautiful back. The dress bunched at her waist and his groin tightened.

  Should he go to her? Take her in his arms? Shrug out of his clothes? Fifty-two years old, and yet he was as shy and terrified as a teenager in his parents’ basement on prom night.

  Dear God, don’t let me screw this up.

  When she glanced over her shoulder at him, the moon shining through the skylight above the bed gave her skin an ethereal glow. A slight hitch of her chin brought him to her side, and she swiveled, placing her arms around his chest, under his open shirt. He slid his hands over her back as she tugged the shirt off his shoulders and kissed his chest.

  Her tongue touched his nipple, sending sparks of heat surging throughout his whole body. He brought one hand around to cup her breast, the slight weight of it filling his palm. She shivered when he brushed the hardening tip with his thumb. Sliding her fingers in his hair, she astounded him when she leaned back and tugged his head down.

  He bent down and took her nipple between his lips, then lowered himself to his knees before her as she increased the pressure on the back of his head. Caressing her breasts, he suckled first one tightened bud and then other, hot hunger rising in him when she moaned. He longed to touch her everywhere, kiss every secret place, and worship her with his body. “Sarah,” he whispered against the heated skin of her belly. “You’re so beautiful…so incredibly beautiful.”

  He kissed and nibbled his way down to where the dress had dropped to her hips. He touched his tongue to her navel, amazed at the softness of her skin. She quivered as he moved his mouth lower, shoving the dress fabric with his chin.

  “Tony.” His name—spoken so softly he wasn’t sure she’d actually said anything until she raked her fingers through his hair. When he lifted his head, she was gazing down at him, her expression so full of emotion that, at first, he wasn’t sure of what he saw there. Then she chuckled, a gorgeous delighted laugh that brought him to his feet to sweep her into his arms and fall sideways onto the bed with her.

  “What?” he asked belatedly between long lingering kisses.

  “What?” She slipped her hands into the tight space between them and worked at the buckle of his belt.

  “You said Tony.” He touched his lips to her nose and then each cheek and then rested his forehead against hers, looking into her blue eyes.

  “I did?” A dreamy smile lit her face. “I don’t know. I think I just wanted to say your name out loud. Tony…” She kissed him and her brow furrowed slightly as she struggled with his belt.

  “Would you like some help down there?” His own hand was busy pushing the dress over her delectable behind. Truth was it was probably better for him to remove his own clothes. At this point, he was so aroused, he’d probably lose it at the first touch of her hand.

  “What kind of belt is this anyway?” She scooched back to frown at the recalcitrant buckle. “It’s like a freaking chastity belt.”

  Tony couldn’t stand her fingers brushing his erection another second. “How about we both just strip down?” He sat up, bringing her with him and pulling her to her feet. “Unless you want me to teach you how to open this thing. It is weird.” His voice trembled and he grimaced, certain he’d broken the mood with the offer to show her how the damn buckle worked.

  God, what an idiot.

  But Sarah only grinned and slowly slithered the dress down her body revealing the sexiest pair of lacy light-green hip-hugging underpants Tony had ever seen. “Your turn, Deputy.”

  * * * *

  Sarah slid the dainty panties down her legs and stood naked before him, shocked at her own audacity. But this was Tony, and the realization that she loved him lent her courage and gave her back the passion she thought she’d lost forever. Dr. Benton’s words—you deserve to be happy—reverberated in her head—you deserve to be happy… However, as she watched him unclip the belt buckle and start to yank it out of his pants, she had a second of panic. “No, don’t.” She stopped him mid-pull. “Leave it…please.”

  Bewildered, he simply stared at her for a moment, before his face fell and he closed his eyes in horror. “Oh, Jesus, Sarah. I’m so sor—”

  She put one hand to his lips. “Let me.” Stepping closer, she brushed her nipples against his chest, savoring the ticklish touch of the dusting of hair there. He had the perfect amount of chest hair, just enough to be sexy. Following the line of fur to his khakis, she opened the button and zipper and shoved his pants down.

  He stepped out of them, taking his socks along and kicking everything aside. “I didn’t think. I’m sorry,” he whispered as he wrapped his arms around her. “Please forgive me.” He was shaking when she slid her arms around his neck and pressed as close to him as she could. The erection that had been so evident earlier had softened slightly.

  “It’s okay.” Sarah kissed his throat, then strung nibbling kisses upward to his ear. “I’m okay,” she breathed. “Just love me.” Pulling back slightly, she gazed into his eyes, love for his tender heart welling up inside her. Hooking her fingers in the waistband of his knit boxers, she tugged them down, capturing him in her fingers, stroking and caressing him. “Let me love you.”

  Her words were like gasoline on a bonfire. Tony stepped out the boxers, scooped her up, and landed on the bed with her, covering her face, her neck, her collarbone with kisses. He stroked his big hands down her body, sending pinwheels and flames though her veins with every touch.

  Reaching for him, she couldn’t help smiling at how fast he’d become aroused again and she caressed him to the point he groaned aloud.

  “Sarah, you’re driving me insane,” he murmured against her breast.

  “I’m glad,” she said, skating her fingers over his thighs before grasping him again and tugging him gently closer to her.

  He pushed up on one elbow, clearly uncertain if he should swing his body over hers. A look of dismay came over his face and he dropped back on the bed. “I’m not prepared for this. I don’t have any protection,” he said on a frustrated breath.

  She quirked one brow and gave him as sexy a smile as she could muster. “I do.” Sitting up, she reached over him and yanked open the drawer in the bedside table. Now he was going to know she’d planned this, but at this point, she was beyond caring. All she wanted was Tony, big and hard inside her, a thought that surprised her as much as her behavior tonight was probably surprising him.

  “Oh, really?” Grinning, he accepted the strip of condoms, tearing one
off and tossing the rest back in the drawer. “How do you happen to have these so handy? Please don’t tell me they’re left over from a previous tenant.”

  “I bought them myself,” she replied saucily, taking the packet from his fingers, tearing it open, and rolling the condom over his rock-hard erection. “Stop asking questions, Deputy. I need you. Now, please.”

  “Oh, God.” His breath hitched when her fingers slid the condom down. He gasped when she kissed across his chest and then swung one leg over his thighs. His eyes widened when she leaned over to brush her breast on his chest, delighting in how his nipples tightened into little pebbles at the touch of hers. Slipping his hands under her, he grasped her hips. “Sarah, Sarah. What you do to me…”

  She ran her fingers through his hair and pressed her lips to his, showing him with her tongue what she wanted. In one swift move, he rolled them both over, and with a single gentle push, he was inside her. She opened her eyes to meet his smoldering gaze, so full of passion, and her heart nearly burst. Tightening her muscles around him, she basked in the long-forgotten pleasure of being filled to overflowing with love.

  He slid his hand between them, touching between her legs as he moved slowly within her, triggering a tsunami of sensations—intoxicating heat, hunger, electricity, joy, and then…ahhh…white-hot mindless rapture.

  Gasping for breath, she lifted her hips to meet Tony’s thrusts as another tremor shook her body. She clutched his shoulders and his mouth was on hers, kissing her frantically. Slipping one hand behind her thigh, he raised her hips and drove deeper, faster.

  “My love,” he whispered as his body shuddered, and they came together in a shattering climax.

  TWENTY

  The second time they made love was slower—long moments of touching and discovering ways to pleasure one another. Afterward, Sarah was starving, so she threw Tony’s shirt over her flushed, naked body and headed downstairs to find a snack. Tony pulled on his boxers and followed her to open the bottle of zinfandel he’d bought at the winery.