Seasoned

by Delaney Diamond

  “Sounds nice. Make sure you have a towel to clean your feet after you go down to the beach,” Yvonne said.

  “Yes, ma’am. Anything else?”

  “I think you got it.” Yvonne tilted her head to the side. “Nervous?”

  “A little. I really like her, Yvonne. She’s the one, and if she’s interested, I’m going to stay in San Diego.”

  Yvonne gasped. “You’re serious?”

  “Yeah. I might as well. Hell, I’m not getting any younger. I want to spend the rest of my days with someone whose company I enjoy and who I have things in common with. I want what you and Patrick have.”

  Her features softened. “I’m definitely lucky.”

  Patrick came back onto the screen with a can of Coke in hand and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “I’m the lucky one. I’m going upstairs. Good luck tonight.”

  “Thanks, man.” Tyson waited until Patrick was gone before he continued. “He’s right, you know. You’re a good woman. If anyone is lucky, it’s him.”

  “Thank you, and I hope Jackie knows what a catch you are. You’ve changed a lot, for the better. You’re not the same man I divorced over twenty years ago.”

  “The selfish, immature man who only cared about having a good time?”

  “Don’t beat yourself up. I, for one, am proud to call you my friend.”

  “Thanks, sweetheart.” Tyson inhaled a deep breath. “Okay, so the striped tie, right?”

  “Definitely.”

  “This is date number three. My last opportunity to convince her to give me a chance.”

  “I’ll keep my fingers crossed for you. Good luck.”

  “Thanks.”

  9

  Was it possible to swallow your tongue?

  Based on his inability to speak when he saw Jackie, Tyson was certain it was possible. She came to the door wearing a long wig with wavy dark hair that lay over the tops of her breasts. Her makeup was minimal and natural looking, cheeks highlighted with bronzer and her thick, luscious lips painted the same brown color, which made them look moist and enticing.

  As if that wasn’t enough, her dress was unspeakably sexy. Black, with loose long sleeves and a neckline that dipped to the wide black belt around her waist. The material lay on her more-than-a-handful-sized breasts in an eye-catching way, but that wasn’t the best part. Two slits, one on either side, stopped almost to her pelvis, leaving him to wonder if she was wearing any panties. And if she was, what color were they? What do they look like—a thong, a cheeky, lacy or cotton? He had so many questions.

  “Are you just going to stand there and stare?” Jackie asked with an amused expression on her face, a hand on the doorframe.

  Tyson shook his head. “Forgive me, but you need to warn a man before you appear looking like his every fantasy.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind,” she said softly. Her voice had taken on a huskier tone, and the skin on the back of his neck prickled, sending a signal that he’d only just picked up.

  The Jackie standing before him was different from the woman who’d gone on the previous two dates with him. This Jackie, he was almost certain, would sleep with him tonight if he played his cards right. That sultry look in her eyes, and the way she eyed him like he was a cool drink of water after a run in the park, indicated that his chances of getting laid tonight were definitely good.

  With a faster heartbeat, he took her hand and kissed the middle knuckle. Don’t screw this up, he warned himself.

  Jackie retrieved her hand and locked the door. “Where are we going tonight?”

  “Ever been to The Glass Door?” Tyson asked, mesmerized by the sway of her ample bottom as they made their way to the Cadillac.

  “Yes, but it’s been a few years. Great food and even better views, especially at sunset.”

  Tyson opened the passenger door. “I heard about the sunset, and that’s why I picked the restaurant. Then after dinner, if you’re up to it, we could go for a walk on the beach.”

  Jackie settled into the seat. “I’m always up for a walk on the beach.”

  She looked him directly in the eyes, and his stomach contracted. If he wasn’t careful, he’d come in his pants before the night was over.

  “Good.”

  Walking to the driver side, Tyson breathed in and out very slowly to calm his raging libido. He climbed in and they were soon on their way to the restaurant. They arrived at the perfect time to get seated and have a good view. The Glass Door was located atop the Porto Vista Hotel on a hill in Little Italy, with views of the rooftops of homes and businesses and San Diego Bay only a few blocks away.

  The dining room contained approximately forty tables, but they opted to sit in one of the high-back chairs in front of the long counter that looked out at the scenery. A barrage of vintage lamps hung from the ceiling and cast a faint glow of light over the guests.

  “How is your drink?” Tyson asked, breaking the silence between them. Her predinner drink contained orange and red, reflecting the orange and red colors splashed across the late afternoon sky as the sun set.

  Jackie took another sip and set it on the bar. “Delicious. Better than delicious.”

  “With a name like foreplay, it better be darn near orgasmic,” Tyson said, sliding an arm across the back of her chair.

  “That’s not why I chose it.” I mean, how could you go wrong with peach schnapps, grenadine, and pineapple? Want to taste?”

  She positioned the glass between them and Tyson took a sip. He nodded his agreement. “Definitely good.” He licked his lips.

  Jackie laughed and shot him a glance through her lashes. “Told you.”

  Yep, she was definitely feeling him, definitely flirting.

  Boldly, he rubbed his thumb along the nape of her neck under her hair. She didn’t move or slide away, a good sign.

  “How did you find this place?” she asked.

  “I did my research. Unlike the last time.”

  She frowned in confusion.

  “Ten years ago, Thursday night, we were both starving and turned up at the restaurant—I can’t even remember the name now—but it was one of those trendy, popular places that gets written up in the magazines and makes all the lists. All I knew was that the food was good, they had violinists playing in the dining room, and I wanted to impress you.”

  Jackie laughed, nodding her head as the memory came back. “That’s right. We showed up, and the place was closed. Looked like they’d been closed for months.”

  “At least. And I was completely humiliated because I talked it up so much.”

  “Don’t worry, I didn’t hold it against you.”

  “I was worried.”

  She laid her right hand on his thigh, and his quadriceps muscles tensed. Leaning on her left elbow, she turned her entire body toward him. She opened her mouth to speak, but right then the waitress arrived to take their order.

  The moment was lost, and Jackie straightened in the chair. She chose the grilled pork chop with truffled pasta, and he ordered the pan seared beef tenderloin with vegetables. They both chose red wine for dinner.

  “So what made you decide to come to San Diego?” Jackie asked.

  “I wanted to establish a better relationship with Kendrick. I have a good relationship with my daughters, but for some reason he and I have never gotten along. I suppose it’s because he’s the youngest and didn’t have as much time with me as the girls did. He still resents me for leaving and for not spending as much time with him as I should have.” Frowning, he twisted the gold ring on his little finger. “My ex-wife is actually the one who suggested I come here and spend time with him and see if I could repair our relationship since nothing else had worked. He and I talked, but our conversations were always short and stilted. I take full responsibility for that, though.”

  “You have an interesting relationship with your ex-wife.”

  He nodded. “Some people find it strange, but the truth is, she and I used to be friends. We grew up next door to each other, o
ur parents knew each other, we went to the same school. She was one of my best friends.”

  “How did you end up hooking up?” Jackie asked. She took a sip of her drink.

  “I made a pass at her and she caught it. My fault again.”

  “If she accepted the pass, then it’s not exactly your fault. She was at the very least a willing participant.”

  “True. But had I not made a pass at her, we would have continued being friends, and she wouldn’t have gotten pregnant. Don’t get me wrong, I always thought that she was attractive. She thought the same about me, too, but we never acted on our feelings because we were friends.”

  “Until you made that pass,” Jackie interjected.

  “Yes, until I made that pass. It was prom night and neither of us had a date, so we went together. We ended up hanging out in a hotel room with a bunch of other kids playing spin the bottle, and the bottle landed on her and I had to kiss her. Frankly, it wasn’t bad, it was…great, actually. And, instead of taking her home like I should have, like her parents trusted me to, we parked somewhere and had sex.”

  Jackie’s eyebrows shot higher. “And then what happened?”

  “And then we continued hooking up. Next thing I know, she’s my girlfriend, and we were with each other all the time because it was summertime. Everything kind of snowballed. A few months later, she told me she was pregnant, and a few months after that we were standing in the courthouse getting married.”

  “Wow.” Jackie’s chin rested on her hand, eyes never leaving his face as she listened intently to him recount the story.

  “The marriage worked for a while, but after some years we had to admit that being married to each other was not what either of us wanted.”

  “And eventually you started seeing other people.”

  “Yes. We stayed together to save money on the bills, but when she fell in love with Patrick—and he knew about our unique situation—it was time for me to get lost.”

  He didn’t talk much about his marriage and his failure as a father with other people, but he felt comfortable telling her and didn’t see judgment in her eyes. “OK, your turn.”

  “Me?” Her eyes widened.

  “Yeah, you. Who’s the guy that broke off the engagement?”

  “He was my banker.” She grimaced.

  “You dated your banker?”

  “He was a great guy!” she said defensively. “But it was completely inappropriate for him to ask me out in the middle of processing my loan application. At first I thought he was using the loan as some kind of leverage, but then I realized he was too nice of a guy for that. His timing was just off. We dated for about a year, and then he asked me to marry him. I said yes. But then…”

  “But then what?”

  Jackie shrugged. “But then I broke off the engagement because I realized that he wasn’t what I was looking for. Sure, he was stable and good to me, but there was no passion. No excitement. I wanted what my parents had. I wanted what my best friend Adelaide had with her husband, and I didn’t want to settle for less. I didn’t need him for security because I could take care of myself. But what I really needed, he wasn’t offering, and I eventually had to tell him so.”

  “Bet that was a tough conversation to have,” Tyson mused.

  She nodded emphatically. “It was. Painful, but necessary. There was no way I could marry him, because I knew that in another five years or so, I would be asking for divorce. I took the advice of another girlfriend, one who’s been married three times.”

  “What was her advice?”

  “Never settle for good enough. Because it’s never actually…good enough.”

  10

  Hand in hand, Jackie and Tyson strolled the sand at La Jolla Cove. The sea lions had converged on the beach, barking and grunting as if to get the attention of the smattering of people leisurely walking along the shore.

  “This is the perfect end to the evening,” Jackie remarked.

  “I agree.” Tyson squeezed her hand. He carried her shoes in his right hand.

  Great food and great conversation meant a memorable night. No doubt she’d fallen for Tyson ten years ago, but the man she’d come to know over the past three dates was intriguing in a different way. She not only enjoyed his company and the sexy undertones of attraction, they were connecting on a deeper level, opening up and sharing more about their lives.

  “When do you go back?” Jackie asked, thinking about how much harder the separation would be this time.

  They stopped and Tyson stood with his back to the water. “I told you before I can stay as long as I want.” His eyes searched her face. Is that what you want? he seemed to ask.

  Jackie glanced away at the dark water. She couldn’t answer the unspoken question yet because as much as she enjoyed her time with Tyson, she was still overwhelmed.

  “What were you about to say back at the restaurant, before the waitress arrived to take our order?”

  She had to think for a minute because the incident had occurred a couple of hours before. “I was going to tell you that not only did I not hold the mistake of the restaurant against you in Atlanta, I always had a good time whenever we were together.” Her cheeks heated.

  “That means a lot to me, and I can’t tell you again how much I regret not following up. I should have, but I didn’t.”

  She shrugged. “We all make mistakes.”

  “We shouldn’t make life-altering mistakes like that.” He tugged her closer and placed his lips against her cheek. It wasn’t a kiss. More like a snuggle or simple show of affection. Nonetheless, being held so close awakened her desire for him. She played with the button on his shirt, glad for the cool ocean breeze blowing on her heated skin.

  “I have a surprise for you,” Tyson whispered.

  “You do, do you?” Jackie arched an eyebrow.

  Tilting back her head, she rose up on her toes. She had a surprise for him, too, and it included the two of them going back to her place and—

  The sounds of violins pierced the night air. Startled, she turned and her mouth fell open at the sight of three tuxedo-clad men coming toward them on the sand.

  “Tyson…” she whispered, her throat clogging with emotion.

  He hooked an arm around her waist and pulled her back into his body. “Surprise,” he whispered.

  People gathered around as the three men serenaded them on the beach. Tyson kept his arm closed around Jackie as if he couldn’t let her go. She enjoyed the close contact, being held by him, in the warm circle of his arm. The surprise was over-the-top, romantic, and she loved it.

  When the violinists finished playing, they and the small crowd that had gathered clapped profusely and whistled their appreciation. The men bowed, smiled, and then began their retreat. The crowd dispersed, and Jackie and Tyson were alone once again.

  “You are really knocking it out of the park tonight,” she said, taking hold of one of the buttons on his vest.

  “Go hard or go home. That’s my philosophy.”

  Jackie gazed up at him. The cool wind coming in from the water gently blew her dress and the slits exposed her thighs.

  “I want you to stay, as long as you can. I want this. I want you.” She was laying her soul bare to him, and it was terrifying. If he wasn’t the same man he was ten years ago, she was in for a treat. If he was, she would be devastated all over again. But she hadn’t gotten where she was in business without taking risks, and maybe it was time for her to take a risk in her personal life—one that would pay great dividends.

  “I want you, too. More than I’ve ever wanted any woman.” He touched his forehead to hers and wrapped his arms around her. “You’re it for me. You’re what’s been missing from my life.”

  Tears came to her eyes, and she lowered her lids to keep them from falling. Tightening her fingers into the material of his vest, she ached to tell him about what had been missing from her life. The fact that she wanted her own family and was so close to getting that now. Would he understand? Would he
want to be a part of her plans? If they seriously talked about a future together, was he willing to become a parent again?

  Those questions needed to be answered, but not tonight. Tonight, she wanted to make hot, fiery love to him, forget all the doubts, and just enjoy being with this man who she’d never forgotten.

  “There’s no woman waiting for you in Atlanta or anywhere else, is there?”

  “Absolutely not. I can’t believe you asked.”

  “I had to ask. I had to be sure. When you first arrived, Kendrick mentioned your friend, Carrie.” She arched a brow.

  He nodded with a wry twist of his lips. “Ancient history, and I promise you, there’s no one else.”

  “In that case,” Jackie said quietly, leaning in close, “how about you take me back to my place, and I’ll show you how much I missed you.”

  Eyes gleaming with desire, Tyson cupped her face in one hand and planted a hard, wet kiss on her mouth. “Your wish is my command,” he whispered, his warm breath brushing her lips.

  They took their time walking across the sand and climbed the stairs hand in hand to the top where Tyson had parked the SUV. Strolling along with the other pedestrians, they passed restaurants where guests dined al fresco as they gazed out at the dark ocean.

  Tyson opened the rear door of the vehicle. “Have a seat,” he said.

  When Jackie sat down, he pulled a towel from the back and crouched in front of her. He proceeded to clean the sand from her feet.

  Flexing her toes, she said, “I feel like a princess.”

  “Does that make me your prince?”

  “Do you want to be?”

  Their gazes idled on each other.

  “You should already know the answer, but if there’s any doubt, the answer is yes, unequivocally yes.”

  With a full heart, Jackie watched as Tyson slipped the shoes back onto her feet and then kissed each of her ankles. The gentle press of his mouth sparked fire on her skin and inflamed her lust even more.

  They left the beach, and on the way back to her house, chatted about mundane topics, their gazes lingering, and the occasional touch on the thigh or arm amping up the tension between them. By the time he pulled in front of her garage and helped her from the vehicle, her panties were wet and her sex was throbbing with need for him.