A sommelier arrived almost instantly to ask what wine they’d like. After a short consultation, he departed and Crystal closed her eyes to enjoy the ambience created by soft piano music, the tinkling of crystal glassware, muted voices and the heavenly smells of excellent food.
“You certainly know the way to my heart,” Crystal quipped. “Food.” She inhaled with deep enjoyment.
Key laughed. “My plan is to feed you so well that you’ll melt in my hands.”
Crystal’s heartbeat thudded. She looked away and began to chatter about insignificant things.
They began their meal with an appetizer of tender spiced escargot, a plate of soft cheeses and a mixed salad of fresh greens and tomatoes with a flawless vinaigrette. A different wine accompanied her dinner of lemon sole sautéed in an almond crust. The sole’s tender meat melted on her tongue. Key had ordered the roast rack of lamb served with garlic mashed potatoes, roasted red peppers and vegetables. The smell was so tantalizing that she couldn’t resist begging for a taste. He fed her a bit on his fork and she saw the way his eyes followed the movement of her tongue. Heat flooded her womanly core and she sighed in delicious pleasure. Not just the food but his blazing focus on her made her feel alive.
“Want to taste mine?” she asked in a low voice. Without waiting for a reply, she forked up a piece of her sole. She watched his tongue flick out and capture the flaky tender meat, sliding it into his mouth, swallowing….
Her eyes met his and for a moment she couldn’t move, watching as fire leapt up in the dark depths. He took her hand with a light hold, pulling it closer so that he could run his lips along the side of her fingers holding the fork. Gently he placed her limp hand on the table.
“I like that, baby,” he murmured.
“Me, too.” Her breathing was shallow and rapid, making her slightly dizzy. They both knew they weren’t talking about the food.
They were beginning a dance of seduction. Here, in the dim restaurant exposed to casual strangers, immersed in one another, they were forced to hold back for the sake of propriety.
They talked about the food, their personal tastes and other small details of life. They laughed now and then as they gazed into one another’s eyes with silent promises.
And all the while, they found ways to secretively arouse one another. Under the table she let her leg slide against his. His hand rubbed her thigh slowly through the silky fabric.
By the time they got to the dessert, she was flushed with wine and arousal. The food, the drinks, the secretive bumping of their legs under the table and their hands touching in fleeting caresses had her dizzy with romantic anticipation. She felt herself drowning in a pool and surrendered willingly.
A waiter placing dessert in front of them pulled them back from the brink. She inhaled the caramel scent wafting from the crème brûlée before digging in. A platter of French cheeses with fruit was left for them, along with the black leather case containing the bill.
Smiling, Crystal traced a series of figure eights on the tablecloth with one fingertip.
“I must say, Mr. Emerson, you do know how to romance a girl,” she murmured.
He captured her hand in his, squeezing so that she looked up with an inviting smile.
“My sweet Crystal,” he said, and the blood in her veins rushed to her groin with urgent demand.
The smile faded from her lips as her love for this man rushed through her. This one man had become the center of her desires, of her life. Her heart hammered in her throat and, momentarily afraid of the strength of her own feeling, she looked down in confusion.
“Crystal,” he said again, stroking her cheek to make her look at him. “I have to admit I had an ulterior motive for this dinner tonight.”
“What?” she asked, a thread of concern making her voice quaver slightly.
He lowered his gaze to her hand, stroking his thumb on the back of it in a gentle massage. “You’ve made me incredibly happy the last few weeks. I hope you feel the same.”
She flashed a quick smile. “I do, Key,” she said, struggling to hold back insane words.
“Are you happy enough to move in with me?” he asked in a serious voice, looking directly at her again.
“Oh, Key!” she breathed. Gently, slowly, she detached her hand to finger the medallion necklace she wore. “Key, I didn’t expect—”
“You don’t have to answer me now. But I want to move our relationship to the next level. I’m tired of sneaking around. I want to tell the whole world that you’re my lady. I want to come home to you every night.”
Crystal gazed in awe at the magnetic, kind, sensitive man sitting before her making this declaration while violins played in the background and her stomach rumbled pleasantly with the delightfully sensual meal she’d just finished. “You aren’t making it easy to say no.”
“I didn’t intend to,” he said with a crooked smile. Picking up his wine glass, he drained it.
Setting the glass down, he cleared his throat. “How do you feel about me?”
She hugged her elbows, hesitating, words suddenly elusive. “I care about you so much, Key. Sometimes it scares me,” she admitted in a small voice.
She saw a brief flash of triumph in his eyes, clouded almost immediately with concern. “Scares you? Why?”
“I’m not very good with men, Key,” she admitted ruefully.
Now he looked incredulous. “Sweetheart, you’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever known!”
She laughed self-consciously. “How can you say that?” she asked. “You’ve been with—”
“Not like you,” he broke in, shaking his head. “Not like you, Crystal.”
The look in his eyes made her skin sizzle. There was no doubt that he found her desirable and wanted to do all kinds of things to her that would make her sing with pleasure. God help her, she wanted him to make love to her and let her love him as well.
“That’s why I want you to move in with me.”
She eased her body slightly away from his, just now realizing how close their faces were. “This is a big step, Key. There are so many things to consider.”
He grinned. “I knew you’d say that.” He picked up the leather portfolio and slid a credit card into it. “Come on, let’s go somewhere else to talk. I’m warning you, though, I’ve thought this out and there isn’t one argument you can bring up that I can’t knock down.”
Crystal silently waited with him for the receipt and followed when he took her hand to lead her outside. He sneaked a light kiss on the side of her neck at the door.
Despite the romantic evening, his declarations and his big question, he hadn’t spoken of love.
She watched him as he tipped the valet. Was that why she felt a sense of emptiness just beneath the surface? Three months ago, an evening like this would have been a dream come true. She could totally appreciate the romance of his words. But somehow something was missing. What more could she want?
Didn’t all this mean he loved her? She knew she had fallen very much in love with him somewhere along the way.
As the car sped back toward home they talked about where and when and how. When he asked her to come to his apartment, she agreed. Key was right; he had a practical answer for all her reservations. She could continue paying her half of the condo rent until Shonté found a new roommate. She and Key could work out a financial agreement in which they would both contribute to the household while retaining control over their personal financial decisions.
When he asked what she would like to drink, she chose water. In silence they both sipped ice water.
Finally Crystal asked, “Why do you want to do this, Key?”
He wrapped his arms around her. She closed her eyes, fighting the sense of completion. “Because you are a torment, woman. You drive me wild. You make me want to do crazy, insane things. I want to be with you.”
That was exactly what she wanted. Wasn’t it? He was willing to commit to her. Wasn’t he? All the theories of human behavior she had been t
aught said that this need was normal, perhaps inevitable. But wasn’t there something more? What was it she missed?
Hesitantly she asked, “But are you ready to make a commitment like this?”
“Yes. With you. I’ll tell you something else. I’ve even been thinking about the big M.”
Crystal felt dizzy. He was proposing? Her shock must have shown on her face because he chuckled at her look.
“Yeah, I know it’s way too soon to talk about that. But I do want you to know that I’m ready to settle down. And I want to do it with my best friend.”
“How do you know I’m the one who’s right for you? We’re so different, Key. You’re athletic. I’m…not. You’re good with people. I don’t socialize well. I tend to be a workaholic. You like to kick back.”
He moved closer to her, his expression earnest and entreating. “None of us can know for sure, Crystal. I can’t give you any guarantees. All I know is that I’m going to do my best to make you happy.”
Key’s arms slid around her. With one hand grasping her breast and the other wrapped around her waist, he started kissing and nibbling the back of her neck. Even though she was still riddled with uncertainty, her body couldn’t help responding to his touch. He led her into the bedroom and undressed her as she did him. He kissed and stroked her skin as they eased to the bed. She could feel her nipples hardening as he gently tweaked them. He parted her legs to fondle her with gentle deliberation and finesse.
Then she was moaning “Yes” over and over again, stroking his throbbing shaft. Hot and ready for him, she opened herself to welcome him. Instead, he slid down her body until he tasted her wetness, bringing her hips up off the bed in quivering pleasure.
When she thought she would explode he abruptly lifted up, entering her with violent demand that instantly turned to tender possession. She wrapped her legs around his hips to claim her own refuge. For what seemed like an eternity their bodies rocked together in a storm of passion.
Up and down, over and around, licking and suckling. Over and over, she came to the edge of exploding but their lovemaking took her higher still. She held his head and stared into his eyes, seeking answers to the questions in her heart. Finally unable to hold on any longer, she climaxed in a series of strong spasms that shook her whole being. Key threw back his head with a roar of satisfaction.
He came to rest with his head lying on her chest just below her breasts. For minutes they lay panting, both of them slick with sweat. Crystal stroked his braided hair with one finger, her hand moving in a slow, lazy movement.
As her breathing slowed, one certainty filled her. She had loved him as a friend, as a crush, as an erotic lover. But now her roller coaster ride was coming to its end. Now she loved Keyandré Emerson with a power that filled her soul. There was more at stake than ever.
His talk tonight told her that he recognized on some level that they were ready for a change. But there were no guarantees, just as Key had said.
Finally Key lifted himself on straightened arms and kissed her face tenderly.
She stroked his damp face. “I’ve got to go, Key,” she whispered.
“Can’t you stay, sweetheart?” he pleaded.
She was so tempted that it was almost a physical ache to say no. “No, I have to get up and go to work tomorrow. Besides, I don’t want Shonté to be worried.”
With a sigh, he moved off her. “Okay, I’ll drive you.”
“No, sweetie, I can drive.”
“I want to see you home safely.”
They shared a quick shower where he used his hands on her wet body to coax her again to stay.
“No,” she moaned softly against his mouth, laughing and frustrated at the same time.
“Okay, okay,” he relented. “But this is another point for my argument. If we live together, we don’t have to go through this.”
Instead of answering, she grabbed his head and pulled him to her for a long deep kiss as the warm shower spray streamed down their bodies. It was a desperate hold, full of regret and longing.
When she pulled back she stepped quickly out of the shower without speaking. He followed a minute or two later and in a short while they were both dressed. He picked up his keys and they went out into the chilly night air to his car.
Key insisted on taking her home in his car. The drive to her condo was short but it took a couple of minutes to heat the interior of the vehicle. Winter had finally reached North Carolina, reminding her that they were nearing the end of another year. So many changes in her life this year.
Key’s voice startled her out of her drifting reverie.
“You’re not going to move in with me, are you?” he said in a quiet voice.
Crystal glanced uncertainly at his profile. He looked resigned, his mouth a little tight, one hand draped over the top of the steering wheel, eyes straight ahead.
“I said I’d think about it,” she said carefully.
He flicked a sardonic look at her and gave a soft snort. “I know you, girl. I can practically see that mind of yours clicking away. And I can feel it in the way you kiss me—like it’s the last time.” His voice broke slightly at the end and he tightened his mouth in a harsh check.
“No, Key, no!” she said breathlessly, touching his arm and gazing beseechingly at his profile. “I don’t want to end it. I just want to take it a little slower.”
He said nothing for a minute. Finally he gave a curt nod. “How slow?”
“Can’t we just date awhile and see how things go?”
“But you don’t want to live with me?”
She pushed her hands through her hair. She hadn’t intended to have this conversation tonight. In fact, she was still sorting out just what she felt. Shaking her head, she burst out with the first thing that popped into her head. “As much as I’m tempted to, I keep hearing your mother’s voice in the back of my head telling me and Shonté about free milk and a cow.”
He started and turned a wide-eyed, shocked look on her. “You think I’m using you?”
“No, I don’t believe that’s your intent.”
“I should hope you know me better than that,” he grumbled. He stopped the car for a red light and turned to look at her again. “So what’s the problem?”
“I think you care about me and you’re enjoying having me as your lover. Having me move in with you gives you the best of both worlds. You get your friend along with some fringe benefits.”
His forehead furrowed deeply. “So what are you telling me? You’re gonna cut me off until you get a wedding ring?”
“No! That’s not it at all. I’m not trying to make you do anything you’re not ready for. But I want to be sure this is right for us.”
“It’s right for me, Crystal.”
“Is it? And what about me?” she asked, urgency in the questions.
The car behind them tooted a sharp reminder. Key shifted his foot to the gas pedal and drove forward, going a little too fast, she noted.
“But I want us to learn about each other. This is the way to do it, isn’t it?”
“Maybe. For some people,” she admitted. “But I don’t want to play house. Aside from the statistical data that says we’re not likely to have a lasting relationship if we do that, it just doesn’t feel right to me. When I’m ready to live with a man, I want it to be a full and mutual commitment.”
He gnawed his lower lip for a second or two. “So I’m just your sexual playmate of the moment?”
He turned a corner with a slight squealing of tires.
She grabbed the armrest and peeked at him warily. “I think that’s my line,” she murmured.
It took a beat, but he snorted with a reluctant laugh.
He slowed the car down and they didn’t speak for the remaining few minutes to the condo. He brought the SUV to a halt behind the row of cars parked at the curb. With the engine idling, he turned to give her a rueful smile. “We’ll do it your way for now. But I haven’t given up. I want you to be happy, and I believe you want me as mu
ch as I want you. I’m going to break down your psychobabble and your theories and make you just admit that you want me.”
Her lips parted with the impulse to do just that. His fingers were on her jawline, and his breath on her face carried the scent of wine. He stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers, sending longing pulsing through her veins. Leaning in, he kissed her with slow, deliberate sensuality. His tongue slid inside her mouth, flicking over her teeth and the soft tissues on the sides, melting her bones. He drew back slowly.
“So I’ll see you later today?” he asked, slightly breathless.
Her throat choked, she nodded. She cleared her throat. “Call me. We’ll work out a time when we can both meet Shonté and tell her about us.”
His smile lit up. She snatched a quick kiss and then slid out of the car and ran to her front door. Opening it, she waved goodbye and stepped inside. She locked the door and at last, let her whole face and body sag with the weight of her decision.
Maybe she was the biggest fool in the world and would one day regret letting an opportunity like this slip away. The man of her dreams wanted to live with her and love her body and soul. Was he right that she was too concerned with analyzing everything?
* * *
On Saturday, when the doorbell rang, Crystal came downstairs and opened the door to a delivery man who cradled a magnificent crystal vase filled with a frothy mass of pale pink lilies, roses, tulips, hydrangeas, orchids, and peonies. Crystal sucked in air, her world brightened by the sight of the magnificent arrangement. Key?
The man returned her smile. “Ms. Emerson?”
Her excitement dimmed. Of course, no one sent her arrangements like that. She called over her shoulder for Shonté.
Who's That Lady? Page 19