by Skye Taylor
She stepped out into the hall and leaned against the wall. Suddenly, it seemed like her life had shifted into the fast lane. Sam was growing up by leaps and bounds. The comfortable years she and her son had shared since she’d stopped grieving for Ed were slipping away, and the life she’d built for the two of them wasn’t big enough for Sam anymore. Considering her reaction to Will’s brief kiss, maybe their secure little world was growing too small for her, too.
Telling herself she was not interested in anything more than friendship with the man wasn’t working. But getting involved was risky. Letting herself care might only end up with her getting hurt again. She touched her cheek where Will’s lips had left their invisible but undeniable mark.
I’m not going to fall in love with the man. I don’t care what Zoe says. Or even Ed.
WILL SAT ON HIS deck, looking out over the swimming pools and tennis courts, thinking about the way Bree had appeared standing in her doorway looking up at him. All the stubbornness had gone out of her, and that beautiful smile of hers lit up her whole face. All the way to her eyes. She had such expressive eyes. Whiskey-colored eyes that had glimmered with the light from the hallway and set his pulse racing. The provocative floral scent she wore enveloped him as soon as be bent to kiss her cheek, and it had taken all his willpower not to move that extra inch and capture her mouth instead.
It was meant to be a kiss of apology and friendship, and he’d damn near turned it into a declaration of passion and possession. They hadn’t even been out on a date yet. Unless you counted the fishing expedition to the beach with his brother’s family. And why hadn’t he invited her out yet?
He’d never been this hesitant about asking any other woman he’d taken an interest in out on a date. Sure, she frequently referred to their friendship, but so had other women before her. Some of them really were friends and nothing more. Some had been angling for a whole lot more. Bree didn’t seem like either type, but he had a hard time reading her.
One minute they’d be laughing together over something that amused them both, then she’d touch him without thinking, only to yank her hand back as if he’d burned her.
He was slipping. They’d known each other for over a month now. A month since he’d moved into this building. Maybe it was time to step up to the plate and take a swing. Can’t get to first base until you get up to bat.
Perhaps he should accept that strange vibe that said I’m not interested and move on. Except he was already in too deep. The way his heart had shuddered to a near halt when she’d told him where she’d been this afternoon and what she’d seen there made that pretty clear. She was more than a pretty face and a sexy body. She was interesting and spunky, and he was already halfway in love with her.
When she’d softened tonight, perhaps he should have asked her out instead of kissing her.
Bruce wandered out onto the deck, rubbed himself against Will’s leg, and jumped up onto his lap. Will patted him, grinning at the way Bruce arched his back, pressing into Will’s hand with each stroke. Like a woman when you make love to her. The thought of Bree arching into his touch flitted into his head, and he gave himself up to imagining how she would look. Her blond hair spilling over the sheets. Those enticing whiskey-colored eyes hot with passion. Her voice husky with desire as she said his name.
It took only that image to arouse every need that had been growing in him for weeks. He was abruptly hard and aching.
“Ouch!” Will jumped to his feet, dumping the cat out of his lap. The cat should be declawed. Or I need a cold shower.
Bruce dashed back into the apartment and sat, studiously ignoring Will when he followed the cat inside. “Sorry, Bruce.” Will scratched the top of the cat’s head, but Bruce continued to ignore him and had begun to groom himself with undivided concentration.
“I’ll ask her out the next time I see her,” he told the unconcerned cat. “Maybe she’ll surprise me.”
Chapter 13
AT THE SOUND of footsteps stopping in her office doorway, Bree looked up. Will stood there immaculately clad in his trooper’s uniform but looking a lot less sure of himself than the last time she’d seen him wearing it. Or even the last time she’d seen him period.
Surprise didn’t begin to describe the emotions running through her. To start with, he was the last person she expected to show up in her office. She hadn’t returned to the Jolee Plantation nor broken any laws that she knew of. There was no official reason for him to be here.
Which left personal. She hadn’t forgotten her reaction to his kiss or the thoughts that had run rampant through her head as he’d turned away and headed down the hall.
“Hi. What brings you here?”
“May I come in?”
“Of course.” She gestured to the chair in front of her desk.
He stepped into the office but did not sit down. He seemed to fill the office, and her heart began to thump a little harder.
“I came to ask if you’d like to go out for dinner. And a movie maybe.” He fidgeted with the strap of the helmet he carried but didn’t take his gaze off hers.
Her heart roared into overdrive. Every effort to avoid giving him the wrong impression had failed. But the worst part was that she wanted to say yes in spite of herself. She swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and smiled. Or at least she tried to smile.
“I don’t think—”
“Don’t think. Just say yes.”
His eyes were bluer than she’d ever seen them and more intense.
“But I’m not interested in dating.”
“You were dating Bob when I first met you,” he argued reasonably.
“That was different.” Bob had not been a threat to her equilibrium or her good sense.
Will’s gaze became even more intense, if that was possible. “Is it me you’re not interested in dating or just dating in general?”
“You,” Bree blurted without meaning to. “I mean—” She swallowed again. “That didn’t come out the way I meant it.”
Now his hands were completely still as he gripped the strap of his helmet. He took a step closer and lowered himself into the chair she’d offered before. “Then how did you mean it?”
“I meant we’re friends. A date seems so . . .” So what? So not something friends did? Or something dangerous to go on with this particular man?
“Then it’ll just be a friendly date. Friends go out to eat all the time. They go to movies too.”
He smiled, and his dimple appeared. It was his beguiling, boyish look. Does he do that on purpose, or is he just clueless about what it does to a woman? To me?
“We can even go dutch if it makes you feel any safer.”
“Safer?” Safer than what? Who paid for the meal or the movie was the last of her worries.
“More like friends.”
Bree hesitated. Part of her wanted desperately to say yes. The other half was just as desperately afraid that yes was the last thing she should say.
“Is Friday good?” Will got to his feet. “Meg says Sam can stay over.” He backed toward the door. He was back to juggling the helmet. “I’ll pick you up at six. You can choose the movie.”
Before Bree could gather her wits, Will touched his fingers to his lips and blew the imaginary kiss her way. He turned and disappeared toward the hotel lobby, his motorcycle boots clicking confidently across the ceramic tiled floor.
SAM WENT HOME from school with Rick, which left Bree a whole hour after work to get ready for her non-date with Will. She showered but then couldn’t decide what to wear. The first thing she took off the hanger was too—seductive. Not the sort of dress she would have worn to eat with Zoe, therefore, not the sort of dress she should wear out to eat with Will. She stripped it off over her head and tossed it on the bed.
She tried a pair of slacks and a lacy top with her favorite blazer and flats next. She
studied herself in the mirror. She looked like she was going to work. She pulled the slacks off and replaced them with a dressy pair of jeans. Okay. That was better. Now for the jewelry.
A knock sounded at her door, and she glanced at the clock. Two minutes to six. Where had her hour gone? Her heart beat in a crazy staccato rhythm as she hurried to the front door. She paused for a moment, trying to quell the breathless feeling of anticipation, and opened the door.
Her greeting caught in her throat. Will looked incredibly handsome in khaki slacks and a blue pullover sweater. The color of the sweater made his eyes look bluer than ever, and the soft cashmere wool made her want to run her hands over his chest. Pulling herself together, she gestured for him to come in. “You look—you look really nice.”
Will’s gaze returned the compliment. “You took the words out of my mouth.” He stepped into her living room, and the teasing scent of cedar and leather he favored swamped what remained of her senses.
“I’ll just be a minute.” She dashed back into her bedroom and grabbed the first pair of earrings she came to and the necklace Ed had given her when Sam was born. The one that depicted a mother and child. It was her favorite, even if the chain was a bit long and it hung a little too low. She braced her hands on the edge of her dresser and closed her eyes.
This is just a friendly dinner. Not a date. It’s not a date.
She had to collect her wits and her purse and go back out there. She hadn’t even offered him a seat. In another minute he’d be calling out to see if she was all right.
One last look in the mirror. One last reminder that this was not a date. She turned to go.
DINNER WAS A lot more easygoing than Bree expected. Except for the dangerous lifestyle Will led, they had more in common than they differed on. They had similar tastes in literature, and they talked about recently read books for most of the meal. Although politics and religion were usually not good choices for friendly conversation, they agreed on both, so those had been touched on too.
Will let her run on about the latest committee meeting for the plantation restoration and even offered a few ideas of his own that she thought were pretty good. Then they talked about Sam.
“I try not to have favorites,” Will said as he stabbed the last piece of his steak. “But out of eight kids in the den, Sam is . . .” Will bit his lip as if trying to decide how to finish his comment. “Sam is special.”
“Well, I certainly think so, but then, I’m his mom. I’m supposed to think that.”
“He’s pretty mature for his age, I think. I’m not an expert. I’m not even a parent. But when I compare him to the rest of the group, he’s got an edge. Maybe it comes of being the man of the family. I don’t know. But he thinks about others a lot more than the rest of the scouts. He takes more responsibility. You’ve done a remarkable job raising him.”
Will’s words of praise filled Bree with warmth. “Thank you.”
“I mean it. My brother—my brothers are pretty hands-on kinds of dads anyway, but they’ve both had to do more than most fathers. Ben when Meg was deployed and Jake after his wife walked out on them. So, I have an idea just how hard it must be. And I wanted to tell you what a terrific job I think you’re doing.”
Bree looked down at her plate to hide the tears that suddenly filled her eyes. She finished the last of her dinner while trying to marshal a reply and banish the tears. It was hard being a single parent. It was especially hard when things didn’t go smoothly and extra burdens like money and problems at work cropped up. Those were the times she’d wished for a shoulder to lean on, for someone else to share the worry and the work. But the last place she’d have looked for understanding was a bachelor like Will.
“I hope you don’t resent me.” Will’s soft comment surprised her.
Her gaze flew up to meet his. “Why would I resent you?”
“For sticking my nose into your business. For getting involved with Sam outside of scouts. He’s a remarkable kid, but it just seemed like he needed a little extra . . . something.”
He needs a man in his life. “I’m glad he has you butting into his life. He’s been—he’s blossomed. You’ve given him—” Bree floundered for the right words. She didn’t want Will to think she expected the extra attention to be permanent. Just to let him know she’d noticed the changes in her son and appreciated Will’s part in making them happen. “You’ve given him guy things to talk about. Even if I don’t always show my appreciation, I do value it. Things like the zip line and the fishing. And especially your Cub Scout ring.”
Will winked. “I could teach you to fish, too, if you want.”
The waiter arrived to remove their plates, saving Bree from having to respond. Which was a good thing since the first image that popped into her head was of them standing thigh-deep in water with Will’s body braced behind hers, his arms about her as he helped her learn how to cast. Given the current crazy ideas that took over her brain when Will was around, such a scene would not have been about fishing for very long. Please, God, don’t let me look as flustered as I feel.
Will said no to coffee or dessert, and the waiter hurried away to prepare the bill.
“I think he’s glad to get rid of us finally. Maybe he still has time to get a turnover on our table.”
Bree glanced at her wrist and remembered she wasn’t wearing her watch. “What time is it?”
“We’ve been here over two hours.”
Two hours! Where had the time gone?
The waiter returned, but instead of splitting the bill as he’d promised, Will slipped the man several bills and got to his feet. “Ready to go see what’s playing?”
“You said we were going dutch,” Bree said as she buckled herself into Will’s Jeep.
“Next time you can buy me dinner.” He started the engine, grinned at her across the dark interior, and backed out of the parking space.
Next time? What next time? She started to voice her protest when a pickup truck swerved around the corner and nearly rammed the passenger side door as it swooped into the newly vacated space. If it hadn’t been for Will’s skillful driving, her next stop might have been the emergency room instead of the theater.
“Aren’t you going to say anything to him?” she pulled herself together to ask.
Will didn’t respond until he’d reached the end of the lot and stopped to wait for the light. “Are you okay?”
“I’m shaking a little, but I’m okay. No thanks to that idiot. Can’t you do something about drivers like that?”
“It’s private property for one thing. He didn’t hit us, and I’m off duty. If I got out to give the jackass a piece of my mind, it would just escalate into a nasty confrontation and accomplish nothing.”
For the rest of the short drive to the theater, Bree didn’t say anything as she contemplated the seeming contradiction that was Will. In nearly everything else he seemed the typical alpha male, competitive, arrogant, and a take-charge kind of guy. Okay, maybe only a little arrogant. But he’d let the other driver get away with his dangerous antics. Will was a lot more complicated than she’d given him credit for.
At the theater, they studied the options. The only Hallmark-type drama was a romance, and the last thing Bree wanted to watch was two people falling in love. But she didn’t want to sit through the film that featured soldiers any more than she wanted to see the cop flick, both of which she figured were probably more Will’s style. They settled on the only comedy showing.
When Will stepped up to the window to purchase the tickets, Bree was prepared. She shoved a twenty across the counter before he could stop her.
“Can I at least buy the popcorn?” Will tweaked one eyebrow higher than the other.
She patted her stomach and shook her head. “I’m stuffed.”
“A soda then?”
She shook her head
again and reached for the tickets and her change.
“Then let’s go.” He put a hand to the small of her back and directed her toward the theater entrances.
She hurried ahead, afraid to let his hand linger too long, seeping warmth and desire into her that she didn’t want to feel. The comedy was a popular choice, and it took a while before they spotted two empty seats at the end of a row about halfway down.
“Better than right up front where I’d get a crick in my neck,” Will muttered as they inched their way past more than a dozen pairs of knees.
“Or up back where the teenagers are exploring each other’s tonsils even before the lights go down.” She dropped into the first seat while Will stepped past her and took the seat on the end.
Will chuckled. “Are you telling me you never did that?”
Did I actually say that about teenagers French kissing aloud? “Never did what?” she said, pretending not to understand his question.
“Go to the movies so you could sit in the back row and make out.”
The hot flush surging up her neck couldn’t have been more embarrassing. The fortunate timing of the lights being dimmed hid her flaming cheeks.
“You’re never too old, you know,” Will whispered into her ear with a suggestive snort. He was too close, and his proximity was doing odd things to her breathing again.
“Will Cameron!” She tried to sound shocked, but suddenly laughter boiled up inside her and ruined the effect.
Thank God he was only kidding. At least they weren’t in the back row, so she didn’t have to put that theory to the test.
“I like your laugh. You should do it more often.”
The laughter died as quickly as it had come. There was something in Will’s voice that touched her.
As the trailers ended and the movie got underway, Will reached over the arm of the chair and took her hand in his. He dragged it back into his own lap as he bent close. “It’s okay if we hold hands. I have it on the best authority that friends always hold hands.”