Monica tried for a nonchalant shrug, even though she was ready to burst inside. That smile on Dr. Slessinger’s face was genuine gratitude.
Yes! This is what she had been hoping for; this was her goal—recognition for a job well done. Monica had to stifle the elated scream that was dangerously close to escaping.
“All we have to do is get people out there,” she said instead. “But, don’t worry, we have that covered, too. I’ve been in touch with several of the local radio stations, and I’m waiting to hear back from the CBS affiliate about a spot on the early morning news.”
“Excellent!” Slessinger said, rewarding her with a pat on the shoulder.
The rest of the room’s occupants started to file out, and soon she and Eli were alone in the conference room.
“That went well,” he said, perching a hip on the table.
“Except for Doubting Adele.”
He brushed that off with a wave of his hands. “If you told her you had Usher singing the National Anthem, she’d ask if you were sure he could pull it off.”
Monica started to laugh at his quip, then something occurred to her. “Just how connected is Toby to the music industry?” she asked, an idea forming.
“If you asked him, he’s in like Flynn. I’m not convinced he knows half the people he claims too, though. Why? What are you thinking?”
“Well, we want to attract people across the entire spectrum, from every age group, ethnicity, and background, right?”
“Yes,” Eli answered, cautiously nodding his head.
Monica started pacing as she thought aloud. “That singer, Aria Jordan?”
“What about her?”
“I’ve been hearing her song nonstop on the radio, at night especially during the eight to ten o’clock time slot.”
“When most of the teeny boppers are calling in to hear a song that’s been played a hundred times already that day? What are you doing listening to the radio then?”
“It’s when I workout,” Monica explained. “What do you think about having Aria Jordan headlining the entertainment? Even if it’s only a couple of ballads, I know she can bring in a good number of people. Her fan base is growing everyday.”
Eli shrugged. “We can give it a shot. I’ll talk to Toby tonight. And speaking of tonight...” he said, moving toward her.
The seductive timbre of his voice made Monica’s throat suddenly dry. She had not given much thought to all the elements a relationship entailed, especially when she had not engaged in particular elements in quite some time. She wasn’t ready to take that step just yet, and she needed to set the pace before Eli’s sexy eyes and stimulating voice had her doing something she would later regret. But no doubt enjoy.
Monica held up one hand, halting his progression. “We haven’t had a chance to discuss what our expectations of this...this new situation are, but I know what I am willing to do. And what has to wait.”
“Monica, I don’t expect you to jump into bed with me just because we’ve decided to make this real.”
“You don’t,” she asked, not really believing him.
“I’m not saying I would turn you down, but no, I’m not expecting anything to happen. Yet,” he made sure to include. “Tonight, I just want to hang out. Rent a DVD, pop some popcorn. You know, just chill.”
Monica wasn’t so sure she was buying the innocent act, but his plan seemed harmless enough.
“Okay,” she agreed. “Do you want to come over to my place?”
His bright smile made his handsome face even more devastating. “I’ll pick up the movie and snacks. You provide the drinks.”
“Deal,” Monica said, still questioning the wisdom of ‘making this real’, as Eli had put it.
“I’ll see you at seven?” he asked.
“Seven sounds good.”
They stood there, unsure of the next move. Monica thought he was going to kiss her, but he didn’t. He only smiled, then walked out of the conference room, leaving her alone with a mixture of anxiety, fear, and she had to admit, a good bit of excitement.
Chapter Eighteen
Eli should have known better.
In fact, he should have expected it. This wasn’t the first time she’d stood him up.
He switched the plastic bag from his right hand to his left and knocked on the door again. Two long minutes later, just as he raised his fist to deliver another round of knocks, Monica turned the corner and came walking up the hallway.
“I’m so sorry,” she said. “I got stuck at work.”
“But you were not on shift today, were you?” Eli asked, silently acknowledging the spurt of relief that coursed through his veins at the realization that she hadn’t stood him up.
“I was on call,” Monica explained. “Of course, I didn’t find that out until I got paged.”
She looked whipped. Eli didn’t want her to feel obligated to spend time with him just because she had agreed to it earlier. But he didn’t want to leave. He had been thinking about her ever since this morning’s meeting.
“Are you sure you still want to do this? We can save it for another time,” he said, despite his brain’s protest.
“No. I can use the down time. I’ve been looking forward to this all day.”
Her words caused a delicious shudder to rumble through him. Eli moved to the side as she took out a key and inserted it, unlocking the door.
“What did you rent?” She opened the door and let him in.
“Actually, I picked something from my personal collection. You like action movies?”
She turned and placed a hand over her chest. “A man after my own heart,” Monica said with exaggerated dramatic flair.
Her words were too close to the truth for Eli to keep his feelings from showing on his face. They stared at each other for long moments as an invisible web of sensual awareness wrapped itself around them. Monica was the first to break free of its hold.
“I, uh, need to freshen up,” she said, slowly backing away from where they still stood in the door’s entrance.
Eli couldn’t tear his gaze away as she walked to the apartment’s back rooms. He set up the movie and popped the popcorn while Monica showered and changed. He was emptying a bag of peanut M&M’s into a bowl when she walked in dressed in a peach lounging set.
His stomach tightened.
This was going to be a test of his willpower. If he could spend an evening with her and refrain from touching her, Eli knew he could accomplish damn near anything.
“That feels so much better,” Monica said, taking a seat on the sofa.
Eli followed. He deposited the bowl of chocolate on the coffee table and picked up the remote from the arm of the sofa. He’d chosen Passenger 57, and was happy, though a little surprised, when Monica said she had never seen it.
“I love DVDs,” she said, popping a few M&M’s. “I watch everything, from the director interviews to the deleted scenes.”
“The added features are cool,” Eli agreed.
“Hey, you won’t be disgusted if I mix my popcorn and M&M’s will you?”
“Do you mean in the bowl?”
“No, just in my hand. Pat—an old friend of mine used to get grossed out whenever I did that.”
An old friend, huh? He thought about Nia’s card sitting snugly in his wallet. Now he had a name to go on when he contacted her. He was going to find out what part this Pat guy played in Monica’s life.
Monica picked out a couple of M&M’s and some of the fluffy popcorn and popped them into her mouth.
“That is kind of strange,” Eli said, glancing at her.
“The sweet and salty tastes play upon each other. It’s good. You want to try it?” She held out a handful of her strange snack mix.
Eli’s head reared back. “I’ll pass. But,” he rose from the couch and walked over to the kitchen. He grabbed one of the small soup bowls from the dish rack. He grabbed a handful of M&M’s and poured the popcorn over it, then gently tossed the concoction around like a salad.
“There you go,” Eli said, handing her the bowl.
She took it from his hand, an odd look on her face.
“Why are you looking at me that way?
She shook her head. “I...umm...nothing. Let’s watch the movie.”
As the night wore on, Eli felt more and more like a teenager on his first date, with tiny bubbles of elation bursting within whenever they got a little closer to each other. They began the night sitting side by side on Monica’s loveseat. Eli kicked it up a notch by draping his arm over the back of the couch. Then, during an exceptionally suspenseful part of the flick, Monica nudged closer toward him. By the time the credits rolled, her head was resting on his shoulder, and Eli was feeling pretty good about himself.
“Wow, that was good,” Monica said, rising from her lounging position.
“I’ve seen that movie a thousand times,” Eli said, ejecting the DVD and placing it back into the slim case.
“I don’t know how I missed that one. I love action films.”
“Maybe we can have a Die Hard marathon one of these days.”
“Ah, Bruce Willis jumping out of a skyscraper. Sounds like a plan.” Thoughts of the smile her face displayed would keep Eli company for the rest of the night.
He dusted his hands on his khakis because he didn’t know what else to do with them. He knew what he wanted to do. The thought had been at the forefront of his mind from the second she walked out of her bedroom. Visions of his hands running up the inside of her shirt, along the waistband of her pants. It was enough to drive him crazy.
But he had promised Monica they would take it slow and he was not about to mess this up by pressuring her into something she wasn’t ready to do.
When the time was right, they would take it to the next level. And if there was one thing he was certain of, it’s that Monica Gardner was worth waiting for.
“We should probably call it a night,” Eli said. “You’ve had a rough day.”
“But tonight really helped,” she answered, sincere appreciation in her eyes. “It’s been a long time since I’ve just laid back and kicked it, you know? Nia is always looking to go out and do something. Sometimes, it’s nice to just...just be.”
“I know what you mean,” Eli agreed.
And he did. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d enjoyed himself as much as he had tonight; just relaxing on a couch watching one of his favorite movies with someone who wanted to be with him, not because he was a doctor, or because of how he looked. Monica wanted to be with him because she had seen something in him. That meant more to him than Eli had ever thought possible.
“Well, I guess this is good night,” Monica said. She walked him to the door.
“I probably won’t see you tomorrow. I’ve got a C-section scheduled about ten minutes before your shift ends.”
Wait. Was that... disappointment he noted in her eyes?
A few weeks ago, if anyone had suggested Monica Gardner would have been disappointed at the thought of not seeing him, Eli would have had him admitted to the psych ward.
“I need to visit a couple of bakeries anyway,” Monica said. “The pastry chef that usually works with the caterer has a prior engagement scheduled for the night of the banquet.”
“How unfair is that? You drag me along to look at dusty old plantations, but when it’s time to sample pastries you leave me out.”
“Hmm, now that you mention it, you did get the raw end of the deal,” Monica replied, a mischievous grin creating a dimple in her cheek. The effects of her smile were heart-stopping. An overwhelming rush of desire cloaked itself around Eli’s body. Suddenly, all he could think about was covering Monica’s lips with his own.
Eli lost all sense of time and place as he stared into a pair of the most seductive eyes ever known to man. When her tongue darted out to nervously lick her lips, the fledging willpower Eli had been clinging to vanished as his body erupted in a blaze of raging need.
“I have to do this,” was all he managed before dipping his head low and capturing her soft, lush lips. He moved his mouth over hers, savoring the sweet tenderness of her kiss. The sensation was mind-boggling. His legs could barely support him as wave upon wave of aching want crashed through him.
His hands came up to grip Monica’s shoulders as he plied her mouth with his kiss, gently running his tongue along the seam of her lips, urging her mouth open.
She moaned, and he lost it.
Eli crushed her body against the door, and plunged into her open mouth. Their tongues engaged in a spirited dance, instinctively finding each other again and again. He sucked at her bottom lip, growling at how good she tasted.
“No,” she purred. “No...not yet.” Monica pushed at his chest.
Eli reluctantly released her lips. The instant ache of not being connected to her nearly crippled him.
“I’m sorry,” he said through a battered sigh.
Monica stepped back, rubbing her hands up and down her arms as if she were cold.
“Monica, I’m—”
“It’s okay,” she said, though Eli could tell it was anything but okay. She looked confused and afraid. The one thing he did not want to do was frighten her.
“No, it’s not okay. I said I would not go there with you until you were ready.” He shook his head. There was no excuse for his behavior. “All I can do is apologize and promise not to touch you until you’re ready.”
She raised her head. The sight of her doe-like eyes caused his chest to tighten.
“Thank you,” she said, her voice a mere whisper. She moved back to where he stood near the door, all traces of the fear he’d glimpsed gone.
Monica brought her hand up and placed a warm palm on his cheek. Eli melted into her hand, relishing the sensation of her delicate caress.
“I won’t make you wait forever. I’m just not ready yet.”
Eli captured the hand that covered his cheek. He brought it to his lips and gave the crest of her fingers a light kiss.
“It will never happen again, Monica. I swear to you.”
“Never?” The makings of a smile graced her lips, softening her features and making her even more alluring in the dim light of the foyer.
“Well, not until you make the call.”
“Thank you for being so understanding.”
She was thanking him for being understanding?
It was at that moment Eli realized the person standing before him was no ordinary woman. She was a rare jewel, a being so precious it would be a sin to let her go without exploring all she had to offer to his life.
“I’m going to try to see you tomorrow.”
“Of course you will,” She grinned. “You want that éclair.”
“You caught me,” Eli winked.
He turned and opened the door, dreading the fact that he had to leave her. He wanted to stay right where he was, even if it meant fighting this unrelenting surge of almost painful lust. Just being near her was enough to assuage all hurt.
But it was not meant to be. Not tonight. They would take it slow. She was worth waiting for.
“Good night, Eli.” Monica rested on the edge of the door. Her sorrowful expression made him feel marginally better. She didn’t want him to go either.
He ran his hand down the length of her hair, capturing her upper arm and giving it a light squeeze. “Get some sleep.”
“I will. Drive safely.”
“See you tomorrow.”
“See you.”
As she closed the door, a strange sensation tugged at Eli’s heart. He had never felt this sudden flood of longing after leaving a woman. He’d never felt any of these emotions before, at least not to this extent. This was new territory.
Proving, yet again, Monica Gardner was rare, indeed.
Amanda was numb.
For the past ten minutes, as she sat in the increasingly uncomfortable chair, she had tethered between stages of shock, outrage, panic, and now...nothing. She could barely understand the words coming from the hand
some doctor’s mouth. From the moment he said the Parenting Center may be closing, her brain had shutdown.
It would have been easier to handle if her first errand of the day had gone differently. The visit to the bank was a lesson in fortitude. Not many people would have been able to maintain a straight face as they learned their bank account was completely depleted. Of course, with the technology of online banking, Amanda had had the advantage of knowing that tidbit before her meeting with the bank’s customer service representative.
She’d spent it all. Every last cent.
The spending sprees had gotten her in trouble once before, when she’d run out of her bipolar meds and crashed into a volatile manic episode. Jeffrey had been out of town, thank goodness, and she had been able to cash in her life insurance policy to cover her tracks. But how would she pay off the debt this time?
She was broke. The restricted activity Dr. Holmes had consigned her to required that Amanda start her leave nearly two months earlier than originally planned, so there was no extra money coming in. And, if what Dr. Holmes just told her was true and not a figment of her admittedly overactive imagination, there was a possibility she wouldn’t have the free medical care she depended on.
“We are trying everything we can to make sure the center stays open, Mrs. Daniels. We won’t let it go down without a fight.” He folded his hands on the desk. “I just wanted to warn my patients of what could happen,” Dr. Holmes finished.
“So.” Amanda cleared her throat, still trying to wrap her mind around everything she’d heard in the last half hour. “So, there’s still a chance the Parenting Center will remain open?”
He hunched his shoulders. “Like I said, we’re trying. I don’t want you to worry, though. In fact, I’ve grown so confident that the center will remain open that I held off telling you. I don’t want you needlessly upset. You concentrate on keeping yourself healthy. You need as much rest and relaxation as possible.”
He rose from behind the desk and came to help her from her chair. How unsettling that she would accept assistance from a virtual stranger, yet balked when her husband so much as touched her. Emotion lodged in her throat.
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