“Then tonight,” he persisted. “My son and I are going to have pizza and watch the hockey playoffs. Do you like hockey? If not, we could rent some movies.”
She shook her head, her heart feeling as if it were being ripped from her chest. She wanted nothing more than to watch movies and have pizza with him and Billy. “I can’t.”
He stepped back and swiped the towel over himself, then his hair, making it stand on end. After dropping the towel to the floor, he planted his hands on his naked hips and frowned. “Why do I get the feeling you’re giving me a brush-off?”
Because she was. Her time with him was over. Once she walked out the front door of his apartment, she’d have to lay Carol Barnes to rest and go back to her real world. Liam Taggert and his sexy body weren’t part of her life. Not in any way but as the parent of one of her students.
He shook his head. “I don’t think so, Carol. I want to see you again.”
“I can’t,” she whispered, her throat tight with tears. God, but she wanted to.
He turned away and stalked through the open door. “Get dressed and meet me in the kitchen. We’re going to talk about this.”
She stood in stunned silence for a moment before her feet decided to move. She passed him in the narrow hallway, and he didn’t even look at her. She found her stupid lacy thong and pulled it on, then shook out her wrinkled dress and wriggled into it, contorting to zip up the back. Huffing out a breath, she headed for the kitchen, picking up her discarded shoes along the way.
Tagg had pulled on a pair of jeans. His back was to her when she entered the kitchen and slid onto one of the two stools by the breakfast bar. She didn’t want to talk to him. She wanted to call a cab and get the heck out of there, but she realized how unfair that would be to him.
She’d used him for her own means. She was no better than… She clenched her eyes shut and bowed her head into her hands. No better than what he’d originally thought she was, only she hadn’t wanted his money, she’d only wanted his body.
“My fridge is pretty bare. Is an English muffin all right?”
She so wasn’t hungry. “That’ll be fine, thank you.”
Standing across the breakfast bar from her, he buttered a toasted muffin, and then slid it across to her on a paper napkin. He grabbed up the coffee carafe from the maker, poured a cup for her, and set it by her plate. “Sugar or milk?” he asked.
She shook her head.
“Why do you wear those?”
The mug halfway to her lips, she looked up at him. “What?”
“Those colored lenses. I would have liked to see your eyes.”
She took a careful sip of her steaming coffee. This wasn’t a good idea. She should have called a cab instead of having breakfast with him. He was going to interrogate her now. “I’m blind as a bat without them.”
Tagg leaned his elbows on the counter and sipped his coffee. “You don’t wear glasses at all?”
“Sometimes.” She picked up her muffin and took a bite. “When I’m at home.” And work, and anywhere else but with you.
“What about tomorrow? Will you have dinner with me?”
She choked on her muffin and dropped it onto the plate. Tagg rounded the counter and rubbed her back as she coughed. His big, warm hands made a return of the sparkling tingles and she wanted to moan. She took a calming breath, which didn’t do much for her since Tagg’s hand had settled on her side, just above her hip, and his fingers were flexing against her. And he smelled so very good. Musky and male and...absolutely delicious.
“Tagg, I’m sorry.” She couldn’t look at him, so she concentrated on the crumbs on her plate. “It was just for last night.” Her face heated with embarrassment and shame.
Tagg wrapped both arms around her from behind and his chin settled on the top of her head. “I want to see you again, Carol. And not just—last night was wonderful, don’t get me wrong—but I’d like to get to know you better.”
He may as well have just stabbed her in the heart. She wanted so badly to see him again, but she couldn’t. She wasn’t the woman he’d met last night. She didn’t wear sexy dresses and sexy shoes—she hated them. They were uncomfortable and made her miserable. She wore denim and cotton and thick glasses. She spent her days with kids—his son, for one—and her evenings were spent with other teachers and more kids. Even her weekends were taken up with volunteering for this or that or tutoring. She sat at home and read books, and cuddled up with her little dog, Boo. She wasn’t the sexy woman he wanted. She was just plain old Carol Haley. Not a woman Liam Taggert would be interested in getting to know. Heck, she wasn’t even interesting to herself.
“It’s really not a good idea, Tagg,” she said, her throat so tight it hurt.
“Tell me something,” he said so close to her ear she could feel his warm breath, scented with the coffee he’d drunk. “What was last night all about?”
Chapter Eight
Carol swallowed. She couldn’t say it. It was on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn’t say those words to him. She’d used him and now she felt like the lowest of the low. And the worst part was, he was so nice. If he’d been a jerk, or if he hadn’t been so gentle and caring, seeing to all her needs—needs she hadn’t even known she had—she could have been frank with him. Now he wanted to see her again, a dream come true. But a dream she couldn’t allow herself to follow.
All right. Fine. Time for the truth. Or at least part of it. She swiveled around in the chair to face him, and immediately wished she hadn’t. Darn it, he should be angry, not be standing there with such a sweet, tender expression in his eyes.
“I’m twenty-seven years old and, until last night, I’d only been with one man my whole life. He was nothing to brag about. I think it’s obvious what last night was about for me. I don’t plan on making this a habit. I just...wanted to know what it would be like with another man. That’s all.”
“That was really stupid. You could have wound up with a guy who—”
“Save it. I’ve gotten enough criticism from my best friend.” She put her hand on his chest, just to feel his skin one last time. “I’m sorry if you expected more from me. I’m very much a loner, and want to stay that way. I just didn’t want to get too old before...before...you know.”
“I get it.” He placed his hand on top of hers against his chest. “But I don’t like it, and I want to see you again. I admit that I brought you home last night for sex. I didn’t expect to have feelings for you, but I do. At least let me take you to dinner or something.”
“You can’t have feelings for me. We only just met.”
“Yeah, we did. So let me get to know you better. I don’t want you to just walk out of my life. It’s been too long since anything felt as right as last night did.”
Carol did her best to roll her eyes and act exasperated, but inside she was shivering with happiness at his sweet words. It had felt right.
“Come on, babe. If you can honestly look me in the eye and tell me you feel nothing for me, then I’ll drop it. Can you do that?”
She looked him in the eyes, even opened her mouth to deny she felt anything, but didn’t say anything because he’d know darned well she was lying. He’d ferreted out every lie she’d ever told him.
A slow, wicked grin spread across his handsome face, and she had to laugh at herself.
“Okay. One dinner,” she said, even though she knew it was the biggest mistake of her life. “That’s it.”
“When?”
She mentally went over her tutoring schedule for the next week. She was booked through Wednesday, and Thursday she was giving a workshop at the local library. “I’m busy until Friday.”
“Friday’s good.” He bent and placed an achingly sweet kiss on her lips. “Thank you,” he whispered.
“Why do I feel like I’m getting in too deep? I’m not ready.”
Tagg’s hands slid down her back to her hips and he flexed his fingers, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “I thought I was the one in prett
y deep last night.” His lips captured hers, and this time the kiss was anything but sweet. It was deep, carnal, and hot.
Carol wound her arms around his neck and returned the kiss with as much fire as he gave. He spread her knees with his hands and moved between them, pressing himself against her so there was no mistaking the fact that he wanted her again. She moaned and wrapped her legs around him. He felt so good. He was so hard and hot. How did he do it? Any normal man would be sprawled on the bed comatose after the night they’d had—and after what had happened in the shower.
“Carol,” he breathed as he trailed kisses along her jaw to her ear. “Can I take you back to bed?” He was already lifting her, his hands on her bottom. With her legs wound around his waist, and her dress pushed up to her hips, he carried her down the hall.
She nodded and let out a small moan as his teeth teased the sensitive tendons of her neck. He made her feel like a priceless treasure. And he wasn’t ready to let her go.
How would she ever survive?
* * * * *
Carol stepped out of the cab to see Gracie sitting on her front stoop. First she’d had to battle with Tagg to let her take a cab home, and then she’d argued with him over exchanging phone numbers. They’d also argued about the fact that she wanted to meet him at the restaurant next Friday instead of letting him pick her up. And then he’d refused to let her walk out the door without one of his gigantic shirts over her slinky dress, saying that she wasn’t going out in the bright light of day in so little clothing— like he was her overprotective, jealous boyfriend. He’d even gone so far was to threaten her by saying she’d probably be arrested for streetwalking if she did. Funny, he hadn’t seemed to mind her wearing it last night in the bar. Or on the sidewalk outside the bar. Or once they got back to his place—until it had come off.
Now she had to deal with Gracie.
She hadn’t given Tagg her number. He was a cop. He could find out her name and where she lived, where she worked, if she gave him her number. He’d wanted her cell phone number, and then didn’t believe her when she said it was her friend’s phone. She’d accepted the paper he’d given her with his phone numbers on it—home, work, cell—but she knew she wouldn’t use them, although it was mighty tempting.
Gracie crossed her arms and scowled her best my students are misbehaving scowl. “Do you have any idea what time it is? I’ve been calling you all morning, the cell phone wasn’t on, and you’re not home.” Her eyes narrowed. “Is that his shirt?”
Carol couldn’t stop the smile that tickled her lips. “Yeah.” And God, it felt so good to be able to just duck her head and breathe in his glorious scent.
“Yeah what?” Gracie demanded as Carol unlocked her front door.
“Yeah, it’s his shirt. Yeah, the phone was off. Yeah, I wasn’t home.” She dropped her keys on the kitchen counter as she walked in, pulled the phone from her purse, and handed it back to Gracie.
Her little white shih tzu-poo, Boo, came scurrying around the corner from the bedroom and leapt at her. “Hi, my precious,” she said as she scooped the little dog into her arms and scratched his belly. “Did you miss me?” The dog licked her chin, sniffed her hair, and then let out one bark to let her know he was ready to get down.
“What the hell did you do to your eyes? And your hair...oh my God. Are you wearing anything under that shirt? I was about to call the police station and find out where that bum lived so I could make sure you were all right. You could have called me, you know.”
“Sorry.” Carol grinned and kissed Gracie on the cheek. “I was...busy.” After kicking off her shoes, she stripped off Tagg’s shirt and reverently laid it across the back of the couch, and couldn’t miss Gracie’s expression of surprise at her dress.
“Damn it, Carol! You went out in public in that thing?”
Unperturbed by Gracie’s outburst, Carol walked into her bedroom. “Yes, I did,” she said as she reached behind her for the zipper, remembering how Tagg had zipped her into it this morning after they’d made love again; slowly, placing kisses up her spine before he covered her skin with the stretchy material. “And it got me an amazing night with Detective Taggert and a date for next Friday night.”
“Yeah, I’ll bet. Who’d pass up a quick roll in the hay with someone dressed like you?”
Carol slipped the dress from her body and pulled on her fluffy pink terrycloth robe. “For your information, Ms. Know-it-all, we’re having dinner at Lowery’s. And it was anything but a quick roll in the hay.”
Carol was pleased to see Gracie’s shocked expression. Lowery’s was the classiest restaurant in town. Expensive. Very expensive. Carol had never been there, but she was sure looking forward to it. She went into the tiny bathroom off of the bedroom and pulled out her contacts, placing them into their little holder. Darn, she’d left her bottle of saline sitting on the counter in his bathroom. She’d have to pick up another bottle before she met him on Friday. Shoving her glasses on her nose, she then pulled her hair down from its knot.
“Come on, Carol. Let’s have some coffee and talk about this.” Gracie took her by the hand and pulled her into the kitchen like a naughty child. At home in anyone’s kitchen, Gracie set to work making a pot of coffee. “Talk,” she commanded after Carol had seated herself at the tiny two-person table.
Carol just grinned. She felt good. Better than good. She couldn’t remember ever feeling so bloody amazing. This morning he’d laid her on that huge bed, and then slowly peeled her out of the slinky dress, kissing her so tenderly, so sweetly, it had made her cry.
“You’re in love,” Gracie accused as she sat down across the table from Carol, slashing agitated fingers through her long red hair.
“It doesn’t matter,” Carol said on a sigh, not really wanting to think about what would happen after their date. “I’ll see him next Friday and that will be it. I’m not living in a fairy tale.”
“What’s with the hair and the eyes and I’m assuming...makeup?”
Carol raised her eyebrows at Gracie. “Pah-leeze. You said it yourself. Who would go for—” She swept her hands down her body, pointing out her worn out pink robe. “…this?”
Gracie tapped her finger on her chin. “Why do I get the impression that he has no idea who you really are?”
“Because he doesn’t. He wouldn’t have looked twice if he had. How many times has he seen me at the school and walked right passed me? Sure, he’s always been polite, but...” She shrugged. With a crooked smile, she added, “He wasn’t polite last night. Carol Haley doesn’t instill lust into anyone. So I wasn’t Carol Haley last night.”
“He didn’t even have the decency to drive you home, for God’s sake!” Gracie jumped from the chair and paced the miniscule kitchen.
“I wouldn’t let him. I don’t want him to know where I live. I don’t want him knowing anything about me. When I was with him I could be whoever I wanted to be, not who I really am; just a mousy, shy librarian.” She got up and grabbed two coffee mugs from the cupboard. “I was a hot blonde babe last night. It was fun.” She raised her hand to stop Gracie’s words. “I’m not going to make it a habit, so stop worrying about me. I got what I wanted out of it. I got Tagg. Even if it was just for one night...maybe two, if things go well on Friday.”
“Tagg?” Gracie asked when Carol was seated once again.
“Yeah. He said to call him Tagg. I think it’s sexy.”
“What does he call you?”
“Carol.” Then she laughed. “Carol of-the-fake-last-name-and-no-known-occupation. He doesn’t know anything about me other than I’m blonde, wear colored contacts and tight dresses, and until last night had only been with one man.”
Grace shook her head. “Well, I’m assuming from that statement, he took care of what you considered a problem and was gentle about it.”
“Gentle? Oh, Gracie, he was so wonderful.” Carol knew she must look like one of those lovesick girls wandering the halls at the high school mooning over boys, but she didn’t care.
Just this one week. She wanted to feel this special for one week. She’d worry about her heart next Saturday.
Gracie sighed. “Well, hon, I think you’re making a monstrous mistake. But I’m your friend and you know where I am when you need a shoulder to cry on.”
“And I love you for that, Gracie. Tagg is wonderful and he’s made me happy. For now at least. Let me enjoy it while it lasts, okay?”
“If he’s so wonderful, why not tell him the truth? If he’s so perfect, don’t you think he’d accept you for who you are?”
“Yeah, right.” Carol took a sip of her coffee. “After practically lying to him—no—I did lie to him. I acted like I didn’t know him, and then when he was telling me about his son, I acted like I didn’t know him either. Tagg isn’t someone who’d accept lies. He’s a cop, for goodness sake.”
Gracie shut her eyes and bowed her head over her coffee as if in prayer. “Toby said he would have taken you out if you’d ever accepted his offers.”
Carol narrowed her eyes at Gracie. “You told them what I was doing last night?”
“Of course not. I just told them you went out. Alone. None of the guys liked the idea. Especially Toby. And I practically had to restrain Steve from going off to find you after you turned off the phone. Don’t you know how many people worry about you?”
Carol rubbed her eyes beneath her glasses. They felt scratchy from lack of sleep and wearing contacts all night. “Toby’s a nice kid, but he’s four years younger than me. And...I don’t feel anything for him.”
“I know you’ve had this thing for Detective Taggert for a while now. What would you have done if he hadn’t shown up in that bar?”
She shrugged. “Probably come home alone. The pickin’s were pretty slim.” For some secret reason she couldn’t exactly name, she still didn’t want Gracie to know that she’d set out to entice no one else. That Tagg had responded was pure happenstance. A little luck on her side.
Anna Leigh Keaton & Madison Layle - Serve & Protect 02 - One Night of Paradise Page 6