by Lori Foster
Sitting down on a bench so she could keep an eye on Smookie, she started to pull out her cell phone to call Whitney back, just to make sure her best friend hadn’t made a mistake. But deep down, Raquel knew she hadn’t. It all made perfect sense now. Whether or not she’d wanted to admit it, she had been attracted to Quest from the first, but had convinced herself her that dealing with him was strictly business, involving Smookie.
Her mind drifted back to her last phone call with Ren…or Quest. It seemed real, and even now the memory had her stomach muscles quivering as sensuous stirrings began running through her. The things they had done together that night had probably scorched the sheets and…
Suddenly, a shadow crossed directly in front of her and she felt increased stirrings in the pit of her stomach. She knew even before she glanced up who was standing there. But her breath was snatched from her lungs anyway when she looked up.
“Raquel,” he said in a deep, husky and throaty voice. “It’s nice seeing you here.”
It took a minute before she was finally able to respond. “Quest, it’s nice seeing you here as well.”
“Mind if I join you?”
She glanced around. “Where is Bandit?”
“Over in the park. You didn’t see when I unleashed him?”
“No,” she said, scooting over to make room on the bench when he made a move to sit down.
“I’m surprised. You were staring in that direction when he made a mad dash to Smookie. I assumed you saw us.”
Raquel knew she might have been staring in that direction, but her mind had been a million miles away. “I guess I was absorbed in other thoughts.” She bit back saying, Thoughts of my last hot wire conversation with you and how I can’t get you or the memory out of my mind.
He had slid down on the seat beside her. Close. He smelled good. Fresh. Robust and manly. Like her, he was wearing a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, and he was looking comfortable yet sexy all at the same time.
“I’m sorry if I interrupted your thoughts, Raquel.”
“No big deal.” She twisted slightly toward him. “So what brings you here this time of day? This is my usual time and I’ve never run into you before.”
He smiled and glanced over to where Smookie and Bandit were playing together in harmony.
“I know. I came home early from work and thought it was a nice day to take Bandit out.”
Like Quest, she watched their dogs playing. “They get along well together, considering…”
He looked over at her. “Considering what?”
She met his gaze. “Considering he got what he wanted from her and left, leaving her carrying the load, or the litter, in this case.”
He shook his head. “They’re dogs. They don’t have a sense of responsibility, and they don’t act on emotions when it comes to mating. They do it on instinct. If a female is in heat, the male goes for it.”
Pretty much like a typical man, Raquel thought. “Yes, I guess you’re right.”
“Trust me, I am.”
She dragged her gaze away from him and toward Smookie and Bandit, who were playing a game of hide-and-seek. She then glanced back at Quest. “About the male just going for it, what if the female’s not in the mood?”
He chuckled. “Doesn’t matter. However, if he was a man and not a dog, then it would matter, especially if she says no. And if the man was smart, he would put her in the mood. But then a female in heat is usually in the mood.”
She didn’t really have anything to say to that. Besides, he would know, since he’d certainly put her in the mood a couple of nights.
“When do you take Smookie back for her checkup?”
“In two weeks. Why?”
“I’d like to go with you when you do.”
That surprised her. “Why?” she repeated.
“Because I’m interested in how she’s doing. She’s so small and all.”
Raquel nodded. “So is Bandit. But he’s such a cutie. I bet they’ve made beautiful puppies.”
An aircraft flew overhead, and she looked up to see a sign trailing behind a small plane. Quest glanced up as well as she read the sign. “‘I’m Sorry, Becky.’ Looks like someone had to take to the skies in seeking Becky’s forgiveness. I hope she looks up and sees his apology.”
“Yeah, me too,” he said, staring up as well. A moment passed and then he asked, “What happened between you and your boyfriend?”
She shifted her gaze to his mouth, a mouth that—in her fantasies—had done a lot of things to her, stirred her in places she didn’t know could be stimulated. “Any reason you want to know?”
“Curious as to why a beautiful woman isn’t in a serious relationship.”
She leaned back and smiled over at him. “There are a lot of beautiful women who are not in serious relationships…and thanks for the compliment, by the way. So tell me, Quest. Are you in a serious relationship?”
Raquel saw him wince, although his smile remained intact. “No, I haven’t been in one for a number of years now.”
She could guess why. His fiancée’s infidelity. All too late, she recalled what Whitney had told her about it. She chimed in, “My ex, Derrick, was an ass.”
He cleared his throat. “Well, that’s certainly not sugarcoating words.”
She couldn’t help but smile. “No. And I don’t when it comes to him. He was selfish and thought only of himself. As soon as I became successful as a phone actress, he decided he shouldn’t be required to lift a finger. Claimed he was going through some sort of emotional meltdown and just wanted to be left alone—to eat my food, spend my money and do as he pleased. Now, tell me. Do I look like the kind of woman whose mother raised a fool?”
No, she most certainly didn’t, Quest thought. What she resembled was a woman any man would appreciate saying was his. “No, you don’t look that way at all,” he said. “So I can safely assume the two of you won’t be getting back together anytime soon?” he asked.
She snorted and it wasn’t all that ladylike. “Anytime ever.”
“You sound certain of that.”
She twisted her body around on the bench, getting in a comfortable position. “I am so positive anything negative won’t come my way.”
He looked at her. “Okay. Any questions for me?”
She cocked her head, tempted to ask why he was Quest by day and Ren by night. But then she thought, why knock it when she was definitely enjoying both. So she decided to play it safe and asked, “Will you tell me about your family?”
He chuckled. “No reason why I can’t, although I’m going to warn you, the Newmans are a pretty boring group.”
He stretched his legs out, leaned against the back of the bench and said, “My parents, both doctors, had three sons. My older brother, Brett, lives in Atlanta and is a private investigator. My twin, Quincy, recently got married and just returned from his honeymoon. He’s so much in love it’s sickening.”
Raquel’s mouth twitched in a smile. “It’s usually that way when two people are in love and marry, Quest.”
“I guess.”
“You don’t sound convinced.”
Instead of responding, he shrugged his shoulders. Moments later he asked, “What about you and your family? I know you said you lost your brother.”
She nodded. “Yes. He was my only sibling. I’m an air force brat. My father was stationed in England when I was in my teens. He and my mom loved it there and always said they would return to live out the rest of their days after Dad retired.”
Over the next half hour while their dogs played together nearby, Raquel and Quest shared conversation, exchanging tidbits about their childhood, their siblings and what they thought of the upcoming election and the candidates. She told him about her travels abroad and how her favorite country had been Germany, where she had lived for four years with her parents and brother.
And she talked about Jordan. She felt herself open up as she conversed with Quest, sharing with him the times she’d spent with her brother
and what a close relationship they had. She also shared that, had she known he would be taken away from her, she would have spent even more time with him.
“Every year on his birthday, I take a moment to recall the good times. It’s those times when I wish I could have been a better older sister and tolerated his mischievousness a lot more than I did. I regret not doing so.”
Quest could hear the tremble in her voice and saw a glimmer of tears in her eyes. Instinctively, he reached out and captured her hand in his. “But that’s just it, Raquel. We never know what life has in store for us—the good or the bad. I’m sure your brother didn’t expect you to act any differently. And I’m certain if he were here and I asked, he would say you were a great sister.”
At that instant Raquel knew that, although there was a lot she didn’t know about Quest, the one thing she did know was that he had a way of making her feel special. His words had been thoughtful, comforting and had touched her deeply.
They sat there and stared at each other, not saying anything. But she was fully aware he was still holding her hand. She was also aware of the frisson of heat that was slowly building between them.
And then she felt herself leaning toward him as he simultaneously leaned toward her. And when their mouths were merely inches apart, he reached out and stroked the side of her face with his fingertips and whispered in that deep, husky voice that was Ren’s. “Come closer.”
And she did, leaning in closer. And he swooped down on her lips in an openmouthed kiss that snatched the breath from her lungs.
Quest could actually taste her desire, as well as his own, in this kiss. It was strong, sharp and keen. They were sitting on a park bench, for heaven’s sake, out in public, but for the life of him he couldn’t let go of her tongue. The same tongue he dreamed about, and had devoured in their phone talks. Now he was actually tasting it. He’d meant for it to be a brief kiss, but brevity was the last thing on his mind at the moment. She had been temptation from the beginning, and now she was the promise of heated bliss.
A dog barking made them unlock lips, but because he couldn’t resist, he brushed another quick kiss across her mouth.
She stared at him, not saying anything, which propelled him to ask, “What’s going on in that pretty little head of yours, Raquel?”
A gentle breeze floated through the air, and Raquel picked up his scent as it was easily drawn into her nostrils. “What’s going on in yours?”
Quest wasn’t sure she would be able to handle his bluntness, especially after that kiss. Sitting beside her on this bench, he could see how gorgeous she really was. Granted, he had seen and met women just as beautiful, but there was something about her that was so knockdown, drag-out feminine and ultrasexy, that he was getting more aroused by the second. No woman had aroused him to this degree, either on or off the phone.
And speaking of phone…
They had a conversation scheduled tonight on the hot wire, and he couldn’t wait.
“What’s wrong, Quest? Cat got your tongue?”
He smiled, tempted to tell her that if the cat did have it, he would eagerly take it away and give it to her again. Deciding what the hell, he would leave her something to think about, he leaned close to her and whispered, “Why, you want it back?”
He saw how her eyes darkened and could hear the sound of her heart thumping in her chest. He watched as she eased to her feet. “I better not touch that one, Quest.”
“Umm, I wish you would.”
Raquel wished she would, too. That kiss had left her pretty dizzy. She broke eye contact with him and glanced over to where the dogs had evidently tired themselves out and lay stretched out under a shade tree.
Not bothering to comment on what Quest had said, she spoke. “I think it’s time for me to get Smookie home. I stayed out longer than usual and it’s past her dinnertime.”
He then stood as well. “I enjoyed your company, Raquel.”
“And I yours.”
She moved toward the fenced area, and he took her hand as they walked beside each other. Tiny flutters danced in her stomach at his touch.
“How’s school going?”
She glanced up at him. “How did you know I was in school?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess at some point in time you mentioned it.”
She nodded, knowing for certain that she hadn’t. “Yes, I must have.”
They gathered their doggies and, when Smookie pulled on the leash as if she wanted to follow Quest and Bandit, Raquel jokingly said, “Come on, girl. Haven’t you learned your lesson by now?”
Quest chuckled. “Hey, don’t try teaching her to be a hater.”
They walked away from the doggy park in silence and, when they got to where he would go his way and she would go hers, he said softly, “I would like to take you out sometime, Raquel.”
She tilted her head back to look up at him. “Why?”
“Mmm, why would any guy want to take a pretty girl out?”
“I don’t know, you tell me.”
He held her gaze. “To get to know her better. And personally, I like being with you.”
Good answer, Raquel thought. He’d said it in an intimate way, as if he had been out with her before and they’d spent time doing more than sharing a bench and a kiss. “I’d like that.”
“Okay, what about this weekend? I have a small boat that I take out on Coleman Lake.”
“How small?”
He grinned. “It won’t turn over, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
She hugged her arms around herself and asked, “Can we bring our doggies along? I don’t like leaving Smookie by herself too much these days.”
He smiled. “Sure. I’ve taken Bandit out with me several times before. He likes it and I’m sure Smookie will, too.”
She returned the smile while thinking she was certain that Smookie’s owner would like it as well.
Chapter Eight
Later that night, Raquel moved around the house checking everything before she entered her bedroom. Tonight would be different and she intended to make it so. She and Ren might be having off-the-charts phone sex, but tonight she wanted to set the mood with the lit candles she’d placed around her bedroom.
She glanced at the clock on her nightstand. He would be calling in twenty minutes and already her pulse was beating something fierce, and that wasn’t a good thing. She was supposed to be in control of the conversation, but Quest had pretty much taken that control away during the first call.
She touched her lips, still feeling a sharp tingling sensation there. The man definitely knew how to kiss. It was a good thing she’d already been sitting down, or else her knees would have buckled beneath her. He had sucked on her tongue as if he had every right to do so, and she’d let him as though he did.
Raquel eased the robe off her body and slid naked beneath the covers. She couldn’t help remembering how earlier he had almost given himself away when he’d mentioned her attending school. She could have called him out then, but chose not to. A part of her was curious to see how long he would play the game. But as long as she was one up on him, she would wait it out and see.
She glanced over at the clock again. She had less than fifteen minutes, and a part of her wished things were different. She wished that he was here with her in the flesh, in the bed with her…just as naked as she was. She could imagine them snuggled up close, skin to skin, with his muscled chest resting against her back in the spoon position. That would also mean that his groin would be pressing hard against her butt.
Raquel drew in a deep breath and tried taking her mind off the phone call that she was waiting for. She glanced around and thought the candles looked beautiful the way they were placed around the room.
Romantic.
Enticing passion.
At first she had felt silly when she’d gone around lighting them, but then decided she had no reason to feel that way. Men called her all the time to play out their fantasies, and now it was time tha
t she play out hers.
It had rained earlier, not long after she had returned from the doggy park, and she could still hear the steady drip of water falling off the roof. A wry grin touched her lips. What would Quest think to know she was fully aware he was her Ren? Maybe it was time to let him know she knew his identity. It was just a matter of time before one of them would give something away. Besides, why were they playing this game anyway?
She glanced over at the clock again, thinking she was playing the waiting game, but she had a feeling it would be well worth it tonight.
Quest moved around his condo, trying to convince himself he wasn’t counting the minutes before it was time to call into the hot wire. He had taken care of Bandit for the night. Usually the dog slept on the floor next to his bed, but tonight Quest didn’t want anyone, not even his dog, listening to his conversation with Raquel. He knew it was crazy, since Bandit wouldn’t understand a word he said anyway, but it didn’t matter. He wanted total privacy.
He couldn’t help but recall their time together at the doggy park and, although they’d tried ignoring it, there had been a primitive magnetism between them while sitting together on the bench. And he enjoyed listening to her talk, with that sultry voice of hers that put plenty of ideas into his head. More than once he’d been tempted to reach up and slide his fingers through her hair and pull her mouth closer to his.
He thought her mouth was perfect and her taste delicious. Even now he wanted to kiss her again, plenty of times. But he didn’t want to stop with just one kiss. He wanted to do all those things with his mouth they’d pretended to do during their phone talks.
He’d almost given something away when he’d mentioned her going to school. She’d never mentioned anything about taking classes to him. It had come directly from the report Brett had provided.
Turning off all the lights, he headed toward his bedroom. Usually he would sit in a chair in the office with his legs stretched out in a comfortable position during their calls. But tonight he wanted Raquel in her bedroom, and he intended to be in his.
His house was quiet, almost too quiet. Not that he was complaining, but he was realizing he’d lived a pretty lonely life since Monica’s betrayal. It wasn’t that he wasn’t over her, it was because he was. And as his brothers had told him, it was better to learn now what type of woman she was than to do so later. And just to think he had pretty much decided to ask her to be his wife. So finding out the truth had been a blessing.