by Curry, Edna
Trace stared at her in surprise, looking doubtful, almost angry. What was his problem, anyway? This was her business, wasn’t it? Her money she was spending?
“I’ll need a good laser printer, too, but it doesn’t need to do color.” Lisa ignored Trace and listened carefully while Luke explained the merits of each of the various computers and software packages he showed her. Once he was finished explaining the merits of each one, she chose her new computer.
Luke agreed to install the new software on her hard drive and get it ready to run. He added up the prices of the various items and she agreed to the total, then picked out a printer, a supply of CDs, jump drives and paper and added them to her order, agreeing to pay cash when she picked it all up the next day.
As Trace stood by, tight lipped, but saying nothing, Luke promised her it would be ready to pick up the next afternoon.
Chapter 9
On the way back to the college to pick up her car, Lisa said, “Why didn’t you tell me Luke was deaf?”
Trace shrugged and kept his eyes on the road. “It puts some people off. I wasn’t sure you would still want to shop there if you didn’t meet him first.”
“I fail to see what difference it makes.”
“You’d be surprised how many people think it does.”
“He seems very competent.”
“He is very competent. The best we have in this town.” Trace turned to regard her thoughtfully, then turned back to watch the road. He said guardedly, “You didn’t tell me you had enough money to pay cash for the computer or that you had a stock portfolio to watch.”
“You knew I sold my house,” she said quietly.
“Well, yes,” he admitted. “I did.”
“All the while my husband was ill, and for the two years since he died, I’ve had to pinch pennies. The huge old house was left to us by Bill’s parents and they’d let it run down. It meant a lot to Bill to live there, even if we could no longer afford to keep it up after Bill became ill and we no longer had his good salary. So, we made do, even though it was in pretty bad shape.”
“I see.”
“Do you? Trace, I’m thoroughly sick of making do. I can afford a new thing or two now, and I’m going to enjoy it, whether you like the idea or not. It is, after all, my money.”
Trace turned his head to stare at her, openmouthed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to....”
“Bill liked the stock market,” Lisa continued, only half listening to him. “I had to learn about it in self defense. Otherwise I was entirely left out of the conversation whenever we had dinner at the club.”
“At the club?”
She shrugged and explained, “The local country club. The men usually spent the afternoon golfing, and then the wives joined them for a drink and dinner. Most of the members were well off, and a lot of them invested in the stock market. So, I either had to learn about stocks or not understand what they were talking about. I never did like being left out of conversations.”
“True. You always were a regular chatterbox. I remember you and Sam arguing like—”
“Never mind about that.” Lisa said quickly, not wanting to be reminded of their often noisy quarrels. She and Sam had probably fought no more than other siblings, and had eventually built a better than usual relationship, perhaps because they had only each other outside of their grandparents.
He put out a hand and covered hers on her knee. “I’m sorry it sounded like I was interfering. Am I forgiven?”
Warm desire crept along her leg. How could she stay mad at him when he touched her like that? Maybe he hadn’t meant to boss her. She sighed and said, “Sure.”
“I’m starved. Do you mind if we eat before we go back? I love the grilled chicken salad they serve here.”
Consulting her stomach, she laughed and shook her head. “No, that sounds great. I’m hungry, too.”
He pulled into a restaurant parking lot, parked and killed the engine. “Food’s not all I’m hungry for,” he grinned, and leaned over to kiss her lips.
“Trace! People can see us!”
“So what? Let them look. I want to tell the whole world that I’ve found this lovely lady, and I don’t care who knows it.” He dropped a second firm kiss on her lips, then winked and got out of the car.
Lisa stared at him in wonder. Was he just kidding around again? Or was he getting serious? Her heart pounded in confused excitement, then panic. Should she believe him? Should she avoid him? The last thing she needed was being tied down again. She was just beginning to enjoy her freedom. But no, surely he was only kidding. There was no reason to complicate their friendship.
He walked around the car and opened her door for her, as though the comments he’d made had been about the weather. Such a man! She tried to calm her pulse and follow his lead.
Commenting on the restaurant’s decor, Trace held the door open for her, gallantly allowing another couple and their two tow-headed boys to enter ahead of him as well.
One of the little boys whined, “I have to go potty, Mommy.”
Lisa swallowed a giggle, while Trace just grinned and directed the embarrassed young father to the restroom. Trace was obviously no stranger to the ways of youngsters, Lisa thought, surprised.
A very thin hostess, who was seventy if she was a day, walked toward them. “Professor Marsley! How nice to see you again,” she exclaimed with a smile.
“I’ve been busy, Hannah. This is my friend and next door neighbor, Lisa Bickford.”
Hannah put out a bony, blue veined hand to Lisa, looking her over with piercing blue eyes as they exchanged greetings. Then she marched stiffly ahead of them into the dimly lit dining room and seated them at a rear table. “Your waitress will be with you in a minute,” she said, giving them a parting smile.
“They certainly don’t have a mandatory retirement age here, do they?” Lisa whispered to Trace.
“Shh! She’ll hear you,” Trace scolded, looking anxiously after the snowy-haired lady who was just disappearing back toward the entrance. “Do you want us to be thrown out? She owns the place.”
“You’re kidding.”
He raised an eyebrow. “Why would I kid you about that?”
Lisa shrugged. “But, Trace, This is a nice restaurant. Why would she work at her age if she owns the place?”
In a moment Hannah was back, ushering in the young family. Lisa met her smile as Hannah discreetly seated them along the opposite wall, obviously so that any noise the children might make wouldn’t disturb the other guests.
Trace smiled. “Hannah works because she loves this place, and says she enjoys meeting all the people. She tried retirement several years ago, and told me she was ‘bored out of her skull.’”
“Really? I can’t imagine that.”
“You’ve never been bored?”
“Yes, of course, but… I mean I’ve always had so many things I wanted to do that I never had time for. My husband and family always seemed to take up all my time. You know the old saying, ‘A woman’s work is never done.’”
His mouth twisted. “I’m sure that must depend on the woman. My ex always found time for the fun things she wanted to do, whether or not any of the housework got done. I finally had to agree to hire a cleaning service.”
Trace’s voice had a bitter edge that made Lisa sad.
She could think of no suitable reply, and breathed a sigh of relief when a very young waitress in a perky red and white uniform appeared with water and menus.
“Would you like coffee?” she asked, eyeing Trace, her appreciative smile erasing his frown.
They’re never too young, Lisa thought wryly. She watched Trace charm the girl as he ordered. “I’ll try the grilled chicken salad, too,” Lisa said, stifling a giggle as the girl reluctantly left.
Not that she could blame the girl, Lisa thought, taking a sip of her ice water. Trace was definitely a delicious hunk of man. A stray dark blond curl had slipped down onto his forehead, lending a jaunty air to his rugged features. T
he line of his nose was slightly uneven, and his strong chin sported an endearing dent. Her fingers ached to stroke the line of his cheekbones, and follow the long lines of his jaw. Long lashes shaded his hazel eyes as he watched the girl cross between the white linen covered tables to the kitchen to place their orders.
A wave of unreasonable jealousy flowed through her, even though she knew he couldn’t possibly be interested in the young waitress. What was the matter with her anyway? She had no claim on Trace and she certainly didn’t want one. She was going to be free to pursue her own interests. She was not going to get tangled up in other people’s lives. That way laid enslavement.
“Lisa?”
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t listening. What did you say?”
“You were certainly far away. A penny for your thoughts?”
“I’m sure they weren’t worth one,” she said, blushing. No way was she going to tell him what she’d been thinking.
“Considering your pink cheeks, I think they might be worth a whole lot more than a penny,” he said, reaching out to place a hand over hers. His action sent a shimmer of awareness racing along her nerves.
“Your orders, sir.” The waitress placed a large tray on the next table and proceeded to arrange hot, crusty rolls and their salads in front of them. She poured their coffee and left.
The food was delicious. While they ate, Lisa and Trace spent a pleasant half-hour talking about the various programs she’d ordered to run her new computer. She was relieved to have the conversation back on safe ground, and very interested in all that Trace could tell her about the new programs.
Lisa watched Hannah walk through the dining room. Hannah stopped to chat with various clients who were obviously also her good friends. She stopped by their table, seeming to reserve special attention for Trace. “Is everything okay?” she asked, an anxious smile lighting her soft, lined face.
“Delicious, as usual, Hannah,” Trace assured her.
“Very good,” Lisa agreed.
Hannah’s sweet face took on a satisfied smile and she moved back toward the entrance to greet the next group of people waiting for a table.
They lingered over coffee, both reluctant to end the pleasant time together. At last, they headed home.
“You all come back, now,” Hannah told them as they left the restaurant.
“We certainly will,” Trace assured her with a brilliant smile.
“Does she always pay you special attention?” Lisa asked as they drove home.
“Did you mind?” Trace asked, slyly, sending her a questioning glance. He stopped at a red light and put his hand over hers on the seat between them.
Heat sizzled along Lisa’s fingers and ignited a warm tingle deep within her. Did she mind? Damn right, she minded. She was jealous of any other female paying attention to him, no matter that Hannah was a senior citizen! Of course, she couldn’t tell him that.
“Of course not,” Lisa denied. “But, well, when Hannah personally stopped by our table to ask if everything was all right, I thought maybe you were special friends of her family.”
“That’s just her way,” Trace assured her. Lisa noticed that his grin remained, as though he were especially pleased about something.
Looking away, she tried to think of something safe to talk about.
Suddenly he swore softly, slowed the car and signaled to turn.
“What’s the matter?”
“I forgot about your car.”
“Oh,” Lisa said, embarrassed. “So did I.” Honestly, the man was driving her to distraction. When was the last time she’d done something as dumb as forgetting her own car?
He backtracked their route, then followed the steep, narrow road up the hill to the college. In the nearly deserted parking lot, he pulled up next to her little red Chevy and stopped, then turned to her and said, “It’s still early. Do you want to get in some more practice time on my computer?”
Lisa wasn’t ready to end their time together either. “Sure,” she said, trying not to sound overly eager.
A pleased grin spread across Trace’s tanned face. He nodded and said, “I’ll follow you home. See you there.” Leaning toward her in the dark car, he kissed her softly.
Her heartbeats speeded to overdrive, and he put his arms around her and brought her close for another, more heated kiss. Then he let her go and murmured, “Drive carefully. I’ll be following close behind you.”
“Thanks. See you there.”
Luckily the traffic was light, because she had trouble concentrating on the road. Her gaze kept shifting to the rear view mirror and Trace’s small blue Buick following her. A shimmer of heat settled in her midriff at the thought of spending more time close together in his office.
Two hours later, the tension was still building. He sat beside her and coached as she practiced moving words around on the screen. The business suit jackets they’d both worn that day hung on the chairs behind them, and bare arms occasionally brushed as they worked. He’d taught her the various commands for burning CDs, storing files, retrieving files, and printing hard copies of her data. The commands for the new program were really not so different from those for the one she’d used at her former job. They shouldn’t be hard for her to learn and remember, she thought.
His presence was interfering with her ability to concentrate. She was sure she’d have forgotten most of what he was saying by tomorrow. Several times his thigh brushed hers, sending deliciously warm sensations racing along her nerves, and making her long for more. Watching his long, tanned fingers tapping the keys as he explained a feature of the new program to her, she found herself wondering instead what those fingers would feel like exploring her bare skin.
What was she thinking of? It was long past time to go home! Rolling the office chair back, she started to tell him so.
He turned to look at her when she moved, and his hands dropped from the keyboard.
Their eyes met. The tension that had been building all evening sparked between them, and the words to tell him she was leaving refused to come out of her mouth.
Not taking his eyes off of hers, he leaned forward to kiss her lips. Both sets of eyelids fluttered closed and soft sighs mingled as their mouths met.
Shuddering with longing, she abandoned her plan to leave, and gave herself up to his embrace.
He rolled his chair closer to hers, and drew her onto his lap, wrapping his strong arms securely around her. The kiss deepened and extended to exploration. She opened her mouth, allowing his tongue access. His hands explored her body, sending a symphony of sensations playing along her veins.
Blind need raged inside her, making her respond with flaming urgency.
Encouraged by her response, his fingers unbuttoned her blouse, his eyes on hers, asking permission. She was long past refusing him. She wanted him beyond saying no, whatever the consequences.
She forgot her intention not to get involved. Her feelings were already wrapped up in this man, and suddenly the word “free” included being free to make love when she wanted.
Her fingers mimicked his, sliding each flat white pearl button of his shirt through its slot in turn, until she had ready access to his chest. With a soft sigh of satisfaction, she ran her fingers through the crisp blond hairs, and leaned against him to rub her cheek on its furry surface.
He turned her slightly, and she tried to object until she realized he merely wanted access to the soft mounds he had uncovered. He reached behind her to unhook her bra, pushed it aside, then cupped her breasts in his hands with a sigh of pleasure, rubbing a warm thumb over each dark tip in delighted exploration.
He covered her lips with a kiss to smother the murmur of pleasure that escaped them, then trailed kisses down the sensitive side of her throat. When she squirmed and hunched her shoulder to escape the delicious sensation, he picked her up and carried her down the hall and up the stairs to his bedroom.
Pulling back the covers, he put her gently down on the bed. He knelt beside her and leaned over her, kissin
g her. He seemed to know every sensitive spot, which now seemed to be every one that he touched. Tossing her blouse and bra onto the stuffed blue chair beside his bed, he explored every inch of her bare skin with mobile lips.
“You are so beautiful,” he murmured softly, trailing kisses down one breast, then cupping the other and treating the other one to the same. “Delicious, too.”
Squirming away, she sat up and returned the favor. She quickly disposed of his shirt and belt. Other articles of their attire followed in quick succession, until both were naked and free to admire and explore the other.
When neither could stand the waiting, he paused to get protection from his bedside table.
She watched, admiring the large rosy rod he was covering, and closed her eyes in happy anticipation as he returned to her and slipped it gently inside her. She raised her hips in welcome and his lips claimed hers.
The spicy scent of his aftershave blended with the manly scent of his heated skin, warming her own senses to the boiling point. She wanted him to move, now! With her hips and tongue she told him so.
With a groan of pleasure, he obeyed and she urged him on, meeting each movement with enthusiasm.
The age-old urge engulfed them both and joined them in pleasure as they moved together. The rhythm of lips and tongues, kisses and touches at last led to the soaring burst of colors. Lisa wished she could stay aloft that rainbow, but of course, soon found herself floating down again.
Trace opened his eyes and kissed her again, smiling happily. Then, with a pleased sigh, they relaxed in each other’s arms.
“That felt so nice,” she told him softly, brushing back the damp blond curl which had fallen over his forehead.
“Mm, very good,” he agreed sleepily. He kissed her again, then lay back and closed his eyes, a slight grin crooking his lips.