Looking Out for Lexy

by Kristine Dalton

  Lexy dropped her head a moment, caught off guard by his admission. His laughter brought her head jerking up.

  “What’s so funny?” Planting her feet apart, she yanked him around toward her.

  “You are. I’ve never been with a girl who blushes at the word naked. It’s a natural thing you know.” Jack grinned, amused at her confusion.

  “I am not blushing. And I don’t mind....you know...hearing about people getting...taking their clothes off. It’s just not something I would do, you know, on the spur of the moment. I’ve heard about those kinds of parties. I almost went to one once.” Lexy grimaced as she remembered Tom trying to force her to drink at a bash held at a friend’s cottage. That, among other things had led to their recent break-up. She wasn’t the wild type the captain of the football team was looking for. At least not in her eyes. He just couldn’t seem to let it go though. He still called her all the time and bugged her at school. Then Jack had walked into the school and at that moment Lexy knew her heart would never be the same. And here she was, with the boy of her dreams.

  Jack pulled her closer. “I’m just playing with you Lexy. I knew from the moment I saw you walking down the hall with your friends that you were different from the rest. I had to meet you.” His dark head bent closer to her uplifted face. “Would you mind if I kiss you now?” His lips were a breadth away from hers. She closed her eyes in anticipation.

  Slowly his lips grazed hers. Softly his lips pressed against her half opened mouth. A sigh escaped her lips as his mouth explored hers. Lexy’s eye’s fluttered open as Jack released their first kiss. His hands were caressing her soft, glimmering hair. She laid her head against his chest.

  “Jack. I didn’t know it could be like this. Feel like this.” She sighed again and nuzzled his jacket.

  “Me either, angel. Me either.” Jack held her tightly, never wanting to release her.

  “I have to get back soon. Mom is picking me up in half an hour.” Lexy gazed up at him, infatuated by his cool, calm, yet loving demeanor.

  His lips brushed the top of her head. “ I know. And we wouldn’t want your mom to see you with me, would we?”

  “I’m going to have to get her used to the idea first, Jack. You know that you are everything a parent with a daughter is afraid of. They don’t know that you are just a boy like that who likes a girl like me. Does that make any sense to you?” Glancing up at him, Lexy hoped that he would understand it would take time. Her parents liked a boy like Tom. If they only knew what the high school hero was really like. Parents of girls tend to stereotype any boy their daughter goes out with.

  “Yeah, I get it. It’s ok, Lexy. We’ll find a way. I will find a way to make them like me. You’ll see.” He glanced up at the hot sun. “We better get you back to McDonald’s before she gets there or it will be over before it begins.”

  Jack grabbed her hand and they ran toward the bike. “Be careful. The seat will be hot.” The boy scooped up a handful of sand and rubbed the leather good. He felt the seat. “Ok, hop on.” He jumped on in front of Lexy and started the cycle with a roar. Lexy put her arms around him securely and held on for dear life as the bike leapt to life. Jack Wyatt held her heart firmly in the palm of his hand now. Somehow she would make her parents see his goodness. She hoped they could look past the tough exterior and see the tenderness of the boy she was falling in love with.

  Jack knew was a goner. One kiss and that was it. His fate was sealed. They had to make her parents see that he was truly good enough for her. But was he?

  Seven

  Jack inspected himself in the full length mirror and decided she wouldn’t be able to resist him. Right Wyatt. Like he had been out with a really decent woman since her.

  He cut a fine figure in his camel Armani sport jacket, dark t-shirt and pants. With his salary, he could afford a few luxuries. It allowed him the satisfaction of going unnoticed when he dressed up. No one was looking for Jack Wyatt looking like a normal human being.

  A little dinner, dancing and then, come what may. Hey Sexy Lexy, I’m ready for you, I think! Running his hands through his dark locks, he glanced at the mantle clock on his way out. It was 7:45. Jack Wyatt didn’t noticed the decorations at all. He had other things on his mind. Like the woman of his dreams.

  Lexy opened the door. She looked terrific in a simple, black, off the shoulder cocktail dress with her strawberry blond hair laying softly on her bare shoulders. Jack wanted to back her into the room and take her right then and there. He gave her his arm instead.

  He’d try to be more of a gentleman. The type she was probably used to being with. His eyes strayed to her copious breasts, which were modestly covered. The dress couldn’t hide the fact that she was curvaceous, nicely put together. She had great legs too. So sexy. Sexy Lexy.

  Lexy was so enamored of Jack by now she didn’t even notice the once over. He was devastatingly handsome in his attire. Silently she handed him her coat.

  “You are as beautiful as I remember, Lexy.” He took her coat, draping it over his arm.

  “And you are just as handsome, Jack. I love you just the way you are.” Lexy was horrified that she let that slip out!

  “I....I mean I.....I love the way you look!”

  “Don’t worry baby, I got ya covered.”

  Now what the hell did he mean by that dumb remark? Damn again! Jack rolled his eyes again. This woman was turning his brain to pulp.

  Dinner. That would clear his head. A couple of drinks and he'd be all right again. He ushered her out the door before either of them could put their foot in their mouth a second time.

  They were having dinner in the hotel restaurant which was as exquisite as Lexy's suite. A rather majestic Christmas tree held court in the elegant restaurant. It was decorated entirely in the same gold and silver angels, with thousands of tiny lights interwoven throughout the branches.

  Why it was the most breathtaking thing I have ever seen, she thought to herself as she studied it. Lexy could hardly eat. She was so excited about everything, and every time Jack would lift those chestnut eyes of his and stare into hers, Lexy felt like she’d melt. She loved the way a few strands of his dark, chocolate colored hair fell haphazardly into his eyes. She resisted the temptation to reach over and brush it back from his face. Instead she twisted her napkin in her lap. Nervously, Lexy began to speak.

  “I’ve been divorced for a year now. My two children are teenagers. Jessie is fourteen and Ryan is eighteen. You spoke to, uh, Ryan when you called the other night.”

  “Yeah. Thea told me you dumped the jer-er-guy. And I bet your kids keep you very busy, Lexy.” He kept his gaze cool and aloof. Two teenagers. And the boy was seventeen. She hadn’t wasted any time in that department. There was definitely much, much more to this lady than he had first perceived. But then, what should he have expected. That she’d remain celebrate and waste away waiting for him? Obviously not.

  She sighed. Jack loved the way she sighed. He remembered she’d sighed that way when.....

  “They are very active. Ryan plays basketball and soccer. Jess likes theater and softball.” She laughed softly, a fond look on her face. “They are quite a pair.” Lexy was thinking of Ryan’s dark good looks compared to Jess’s soft blonde hair and blue eyes. Like hers. And Ryan’s. Like.....

  “You must be very proud of them. I can see who they take after.” A sweet, angelic voice echoed in his mind.

  He briefly thought of his own childhood and quickly ended that thought. He wanted to ask about her ex-husband, Tom, but didn’t have the nerve. He couldn’t for the life of him see how any man could let her go. Now, if he had been her husband....Whoa! Get that thought out of your head, man. What was he thinking! Husband. Not this guy!

  Lexy's voice interrupted his reverie. “What about your family, Jack? How’s your aunt?” Her soft contralto voice wafted gently over the dull noise of other voices.

  “Uh, she’s fine. How’s the wine?” He certainly didn’t want to talk about his family history. Even thou
gh he'd become a successful man, his childhood sometimes made him feel like a loser.

  “Jack. I didn't mean to intrude on your personal life.” Lexy looked at him with her smoky indigo eyes that were filled with sympathy for him. She was very empathetic, and other people’s pain was very apparent to her.

  Jack looked away. He couldn’t stand it when anyone looked at him with pity, even though he knew it wasn’t really sympathy she felt. He knew somehow that she really felt his pain. For a moment he felt a twinge of fear at the thought of Lexy Kane being able to read him so well. He swept those feelings aside, regaining his macho composure.

  “It’s no big deal anyway. I have everything I want in life, and more. I don’t intend to share it with anyone and I don’t need anyone either. I made myself what I am today. I am going to reap the benefits of my work. There’s no room in my life for anyone else.” Pausing briefly, he looked directly at her. "Well, maybe there's room...for a weekend."

  Jack glimpsed a fleeting moment of pain and confusion in those fathomless sapphire eyes of hers. He looked away defiantly. Those eyes of hers tore at his soul, slowly ripping it to shreds. As they'd done when he'd first met her. She wasn't like any other woman he’d known before, that was for certain. He swiftly shoved aside those thoughts, looking at her again.

  Lexy recovered quickly from his statements. She recognized that they were the statements of someone who’d been deeply hurt in his life. She'd had plenty of experience in that department. Discussing Tom would be taboo also. She figured that she’d react much the same way if that subject came up.

  Still, his declarations had hurt her. She’d have to try even harder now to make him see the error of his ways, that he needed someone like her to look after him. She would have to tread softly where his heart was concerned.

  Lexy screwed up her courage, looking him straight in the eye. Oh no. Not again. Those cool, mahogany eyes commanded hers as long as he wanted them to. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe he was in charge. Oh dear. She was in a little bit of trouble again now wasn’t she?

  He gazed into the abstruse depths of Lexy's eyes, almost losing his control of the situation while his hand slid over to take hers quietly. She withdrew it hastily, the light, feathery caress sending a bolt of electricity straight to her heart. Those butterflies were back with a vengeance now. How could he be so cool and collected while she was slowly coming apart? He broke into a grin then and dropped his eyes, concentrating on the salad before him.

  Lexy's face glowed a rosy color. She lowered her long, dark lashes. No matter what she said, he could turn it into a sexual innuendo. It was frustrating to her that he could turn it off and on like a faucet. She knew then that she was in danger for sure. Taking a big gulp of her water, she turned the conversation to his work.

  Now that was a subject Jack could talk about, at least until they finished dinner.

  “Actually, things are going along fairly well with this video. We have a shoot out of the country coming up, but that should be a piece of cake. I’ve done it many times before.”

  “It must be so exciting, going all over the world and seeing all those places.” Lexy set her fork down, listening intently as she urged him on, hanging on his every word. The small tremors in her stomach continued to get stronger. She needed to think about something other than the way his lips would feel against hers, his body hot against her own.

  “Yeah, yeah, I’ve been to a lot of places.” He wasn’t about to tell her that what he saw was the insides of a lot of foreign bars, and not the national treasures of the country he happened to be in at the time.

  “Tell me more. I’ve only read about the places you’ve been to. I would love to travel abroad some day. There must be so much to see and do. Jack, you are so fortunate. Most people only get to see what you have seen in movies and on television.” Lexy put her quivering elbows on the table, resting her chin in the palm of her hands, staring intently at him, trying to look smooth. She needed to collect herself. Control her rollercoaster emotions.

  “You’ve really done all right for yourself and I think it’s wonderful.”

  “I’ll tell you all about it later. Let’s talk about you.” He abruptly changed the subject. Her sweet smile with that cute dimple was making him nuts. He smothered the urge to reach out and stroke her cheek, to trail his fingers over the sensuous depression near her seductive mouth.

  How could he tell her he hadn’t bothered to see any of the famous sites in the cities he’d been in? Maybe it had been a big mistake. He just had never taken the time. He turned the conversation back to her own children.

  “It must be tough raising two teenagers besides working full time.”

  “It does have it’s moments. But I can handle it.” Lexy smiled a kind, heart warming smile as she thought fondly of Ryan and Jessie. “They can be so aggravating at times. Then, sometimes at night, I tiptoe into their bedroom and watch them sleep. They just steal my heart right back.”

  “Stealing your heart. You make it sound so easy, Lexy.”

  One sure thought flitted across her jumbled mind You ought to know, Jack. The quaking inside returned just as she'd managed to almost quell the commotion.

  Jack stared at her from under long, dusky lashes, obscuring his eyes in a mysterious way that had always taken her breath away. Lexy caught her breath sharply as she was again mesmerized momentarily by his captivating look. Returning her hands to her lap and shaking her head she was finally able to reply.

  “Not so easy as you think, Jack. I have my priorities.” She looked at him rather haughtily, but wanting to fall into his arms at the same time.

  He leaned back causally. “I hope to be one of those priorities, Lexy.” Way to go, dummy. Open the door a little more. He added, “At least while you are here.”

  Before she could say anymore he'd beckoned the waiter for the check. Small talk returned as he ushered her out the door to a waiting taxi. He slipped his arm around her loosely, once inside.

  “Well, Lexy, are you ready for a couple of drinks and some dancing?” Lexy settled back against his arm. He seemed safe enough here.

  “That sounds like fun, Jack. I haven’t danced in years. It sounds wonderful.”

  It had been years. Tom hadn’t taken her out much during their marriage.

  “Good. I like dancing. I always liked like getting close to you, Lexy.” He said it softly, his lips a wisp away from her ear. He could almost feel the softness of her cheek against his. Her skin still looked as smooth as silk. He longed to fondle her face with his hands. To run his rough fingers over her soft, full ripe lips. To lower his mouth slowly, watching her as she waited breathlessly for their lips to meet. Jack Wyatt was losing ground fast.

  Lexy held her breath a moment. What would she do if he kissed her now? She knew he wanted to. His breath tickled her nose. He was so close. All Lexy had to do was turn slightly. No. It was too soon. Too soon. Lexy forced herself to turn away from temptation, pretending to observe the night life in the big city. Her heart was hammering wildly against her chest.

  The cab pulled up to one of the small, intimate places Jack often frequented while in the city.

  “I love it.” Lexy was nearly out of breath, glancing around as they hurried out of the frosty air into the warmth of the small, intimate establishment. The soft glow of the low hanging lamps at each table, combined with the rather unaffected atmosphere of the place, gave her a comfortable feeling. Like being in a small town, not New York City.

  “I don’t get out much at home. This is very nice. Very cozy.”

  “What a waste.” Jack looked down at her, the lights giving her face a soft, romantic glow, reminiscent of old black and white movies. He ached to take her in his arms and kiss her properly, long and passionately. As he’d done so long ago.

  “What do you mean, a waste?” Lexy stared up at him, a puzzled look on her face.

  “I mean, a gorgeous woman like you sitting at home is a waste.”

  “I don’t waste my time, Jack. As
a single working mother of two, I don’t have time to waste.”

  “You got me all wrong, Lexy. I meant, I mean, Oh hell. I didn’t mean you were wasting your time. I meant, ah, you should get out more socially. You know the saying, all work and no play makes Isabel a dull girl.”

  “Are you saying I’m dull? And the saying is, makes Jack a dull boy.” She cocked her head, peering at him expectantly.

  “No, no, Geez, that’s not what I was saying at all.”

  Man, Lexy was making him feel like he was seventeen again. He hadn’t meant that at all. He ran his fingers back and forth through his dark hair.

  Lexy smiled sweetly, enjoying her little game. It was his turn to be nervous.

  “Well then, Jack, what was it that you were implying.”

  “I just meant to say, that a good-looking ba-woman like you should have some fun once in a while. You should get out more, you know, get away from your work.”

  “I see. You took care of that for me, Jack. I’m taking a break now, on your invitation. I guess you wanted to see if single mothers from small towns were dull or not.” Lexy had a serious, questioning look on her face again.

  “No, no, you are taking this all wrong, Lexy. I don’t think you are dull at all.” He groped around for the right thing to say. This wasn’t going well. He wasn’t in command of the situation here.

  “It was your letter. I-” He ran both of his hands through his hair. The handsome rock star began anew.

  “I wanted to see you again. You don’t realize what kind of people I’m around all day. People in the entertainment always want something. They want a piece of you. And it’s all the time. You were always so genuine, so nice, so sincere. I wanted to spend time with someone who wasn’t after me for my image. You took me as I was, Lexy. You were always open and honest about your feelings. I'd never accuse you of being dull.”

  Lexy laughed openly then. “I was only teasing you, Jack. Do you always take everything so seriously?”