"I think she has a line of very expensive lingerie, right?"
Leah nodded. John blushed.
"Undies, huh? Live in Manhattan?" John asked, changing the subject.
"Actually I'm staying with a friend in Connecticut right now. But I do apartment sit in Manhattan for a friend when she comes up here. You might know her, Nina Wells. She and her husband, Clint Hayworth, have a weekend house somewhere in Pine Grove."
"Oh, that short, actress lady and the tall fella she lives with?"
"He's her husband, John," Mary corrected.
"That's them," Leah grinned before taking another sip of her wine.
"So you don't have your own place?" Mary asked.
"Not right now. I'm going…"
"What's for dinner?" Colin interrupted.
"All your favorites: roast beef, scalloped potatoes and green beans almondine." Mary grinned at her son.
"Great. I'm starved."
"Have a piece of cheese. I thought we could take a little time to get to know Leah first."
Mary picked up the small platter and handed it to him.
"Are you from New York?"
"Born and bred. I've lived there all my life."
"Breathe a little clean country air while you're here, might put some meat on your bones," John said.
Color flooded Leah's face as she sensed John's disapproval.
"Leah's bones are just fine…better than fine, in fact," Colin said.
"Are you working on any special designs now?" Mary asked.
"I am. I'm taking costumes from the Old West and…"
"Are you sure we can't eat now?" Colin asked, interrupting again.
His cheeks turned pink. Can't talk about going to Paris. Can't talk about what I design. Hmm. Who am I supposed to be?
"Colin! Don't interrupt," Mary said.
"Have you lived here all your life, John?"
"Yup. Don't get me wrong. I enjoy visiting the city but I'm always glad to get back to the peace and good air up here."
"I haven't seen much, but the little I've seen is beautiful. Colin's apartment is much nicer than I thought it would be."
"He makes decent money at the school." Mary stiffened slightly.
"No, no, I meant…you know, guys sometimes have messy places…sort of thrown together." Embarrassment tinged her cheeks again.
"The apartment in the Dailey's house is quite nice. Laura's a talented seamstress. I believe she made the bedcovers and curtains," Mary said.
"Hell, Barney can fix anything. So can their nephew, Gavin, for that matter," John added.
A heavy silence hung in the air like a rain cloud. Leah fidgeted with the hem of her sweater. Colin wiped his palms on a napkin while Mary and John continued to look Leah over.
"Do you want children?" popped out of Mary's mouth. She slapped her hand over her lips but it was too late.
Leah stared at her as her eyes filled with tears. Colin stood up.
"Mom!"
"Excuse me," Leah said, reaching for her handbag, blinking furiously. "Where's the bathroom?"
Colin took her by the hand to lead her down the hall. Leah closed and locked the door. She rested her forehead against the mirror over the sink then took several deep breaths.
She doesn't know you, Leah. Calm down. It's not a shot. You're with her son. Breathe.
Leah stayed in the bathroom for a few more minutes. When she had composed herself, she returned to the living room. Mary got up and put an arm around her.
"I'm sorry if my rude question upset you. Please forgive me."
Leah stayed in the woman's embrace for a moment.
"It's okay. Doesn't have anything to do with you all or Colin."
"Mary, I think it's time to go in to dinner," John said, rising from the sofa then picking up the cheese tray.
Colin took Leah by the hand, sitting her next to him at the table. John carved the meat while Mary passed around the vegetables. More wine was poured and a toast was made.
"To Colin's new friend, Leah. Long and healthy life," John said, raising his glass.
Conversation turned to the death of Angus Davenport and news of their friends in town.
Colin rested his hand on top of Leah's between courses. She spied his parents each steal a glance at their coupled hands. Are they happy or unhappy? Can't tell. What if they don't like me? I'll be gone in a few months anyway. Out of their lives and their son's life, too. She cast a wistful eye at Colin but turned away before he noticed. This might be harder than I thought. Surely harder to leave him than the others. Enjoy the meal and stop worrying.
Taking her own advice, Leah put a succulent piece of roast beef in her mouth and savored the delectable flavor. Colin entertained his parents with stories of their time together in New York City. He was careful to avoid any controversial topics, like where he slept. Mary and John appeared content to listen to his stories and ask questions. After dessert, Colin stretched his arms up, then made an excuse to leave.
Leah was grateful to get in the car. They entered through the private entrance instead of going through Laura and Barney Dailey's house. Once Leah shed her coat, Colin swept her into his arms for a passionate kiss.
"You look so adorable, I've been dying to kiss you all night."
"Why didn't you?"
"Kiss you in front of my parents? Don't think so. They'd have us engaged."
"Didn't you ever bring a girl home?"
"Sure, plenty of times but nothing serious."
"Never kissed a girl, even a peck, with them in the room?"
"Nope. Don't plan to start now. What they don't know will save me grief."
"You think they don't know we're sleeping together?"
"Haven't thought about it. Don't care to."
She laughed. "You are naïve. How do you think you got here?"
"Don't want to probe that question, either. Come over here. Let's not waste time." Colin had his shirt half unbuttoned, a gleam of lust shone in his eye.
"Let me finish that for you," she said, grinning.
Sunday afternoon, Colin and Leah stopped at Homer's for an early dinner. She planned to make a six o'clock bus back to New York. As they drank their coffee, a reluctance to leave swept over Leah. Nice life up here.
"Your dream…before this one…the one about a house and family…can I talk about that?"
She nodded.
"Was it kind of like what my parents have?"
"Sort of. Except the house was a simple farm house, not a big Victorian. Don't get me wrong. I love Victorian houses and your parent's place is fabulous. The farm house was always my dream. Big old fashioned stove, maybe a wood burning stove, too. Real acreage, not less than, oh…say, ten acres?"
"How many kids?"
"Three."
The continued to drink their coffee in silence. Colin sliced into a piece of chocolate cake with his fork.
"Why do you ask?" She cocked her head slightly.
"No reason. Just curious." He shoveled a big piece of cake in his mouth, his eyes avoiding hers.
"You're not a 'no reason' kinda guy, Colin. Give."
They sat quietly while he chewed. Leah sat back against the booth and nodded when the waitress asked if she wanted more coffee.
"Don't we have to get to the bus?" Colin asked.
"Plenty of time. Give."
He dropped his gaze while he played with cake crumbs on his plate with his fork. Leah added milk and sugar to her coffee, keeping her eyes trained on him.
"I guess I was…wondering if you'd consider that dream again…if something happened to this dream. Not that I'm hoping for that or expecting it! I expect you'll be a big success. Just saying…if you were to change your mind about Paris or something; would you consider that again?"
"Haven't thought about it. If something happens to Paris…I'd have to start all over again. Who knows what dream I might be pursuing then?"
Colin placed his hand over hers.
"If that should happen…God forbid…I hope your new dream
would include me."
Good question. Would it? Would I go back to that old dream, pencil in Colin? Maybe. Leaving today is sure harder than I thought it would be.
"Let's not go there. One dream at a time. Right now this dream does include you." She pushed out of the booth, stood up and grabbed her coat.
They drove to the bus station in silence. Colin went to the ticket window. When he returned, he handed a ticket to Leah.
"Come back next weekend."
"What?"
"You heard me. Come back next weekend, and the weekend after…every weekend until I come to New York for spring break. This is a ten ride ticket."
Leah stared at him.
"I want to be with you every minute you're not working."
Pulling her into his arms, he gave her a long, passionate kiss. Applause broke out when they parted. Leah's pulse raced, she felt lightheaded. Leaning against him for support, she concentrated on bringing her breathing back to normal.
"Say you'll come," he whispered.
She stepped back, her gaze connecting with his and nodded.
"If you want me…"
He grinned, pulling her into his arms for a hug.
"Last call for the seven o'clock to New York," the driver announced.
Leah broke, kissed him quickly then ran to the bus. She waved to Colin as the bus rolled out of the station, heading for the highway. Her finger touched her lips as she looked out the window. Every weekend. She smiled. Pine Grove does have its charm. As the bus rolled along, Leah sat back, closed her eyes and lost herself in a dream.
Chapter Eleven
End of March, New York City
As Carrie was laying out silverware for dinner, Grey entered from the den, snapping his phone shut. He eyed the table.
"Dinner for four…Janice and Harv again?"
"Yup. Sorry."
"No apology necessary," he kissed her quickly. "I've got to go out of town for a day or two tomorrow."
"Oh?" She cocked an eyebrow.
"Business. A new company." He paced for a moment before plucking a bottle of red wine from the wine rack.
"Perfect. Meatloaf tonight." She folded napkins.
"Hmm, love your meatloaf."
"Love yours, too," she quipped, shooting him a wicked grin.
"How much time do we have?" He sidled up to her, placing his hands on her waist, his lips on her neck.
She checked her watch. "Not enough. They're due in fifteen minutes."
"Damn! Still time for a little warm-up, though."
He continued kissing her neck then slid one hand up her chest to capture her breast and the other under her skirt. He squeezed her bottom before running his fingers along the edge of her panties. Carrie dropped the napkins on the table and shut her eyes. A low moan escaped her mouth as she lost herself in his caresses. She gripped his shoulders to keep from falling as her knees grew weak. He can turn me to mush in seconds.
Carrie pushed her hips against him. Feeling seems to be mutual. She chuckled in his ear. "You are so wonderfully wicked," she whispered.
He moved back, a lusty light still gleaming in his eye. "Chemistry…but I have to…uh…return to normal. They'll be here soon."
"You could have taken me right here on the floor."
"But now I've got your motor running and as soon as they leave…we'll play."
He shot her his most sexy grin, making her laugh. Before he could reply, the doorbell rang.
"You get it. I'm still…" Grey was in a tizzy until he picked up a large bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon and held it in front of his pants.
Carrie moved to the front door but stopped. Grey gave her thumbs up. She bit her cheek to keep from laughing as she opened the door, admitting her parents. Hugs and kisses were exchanged by all. Carrie avoided looking directly at Grey so she could maintain a serious demeanor and not giggle. She had no desire to explain to her parents what was so funny.
Conversation at dinner was mostly about the wedding. Carrie and her mother disagreed about flowers, desserts and bridesmaid's dresses.
"I'm only having two bridesmaids, Mom."
"Only two?" Janice's eyebrows shot up.
"This is a small wedding. Delia will be my matron of honor and Leah my bridesmaid. Period. End of discussion."
"Nice to know you're so open-minded," Janice said.
"Great meatloaf, honey," Grey said,
His cell phone went off. He looked at the display and excused himself. "Sorry, I have to take this." He got up from the table and disappeared into the den, closing the door.
"Does he always get calls during dinner and take them…privately?" Janice cocked an eyebrow at Carrie.
"Mom, don't be silly."
"But, really, Carrie…"
"Jan! Let it be. Carrie knows her man. Great meatloaf, Bunny."
"Thanks, dad."
The silence at the table made the muffled sound of Grey's conversation from the den barely audible.
"Don't cry…I know how you feel…but…"
That was all they could hear. Carrie caught the look her mother shot at her father and decided to ignore it. Mom making trouble again. I'm not worried. Grey is mine. No doubt about that. Grey returned to the table. His face was a little flushed. He stopped to kiss Carrie quickly before he sat down. The touch of his lips reassured her.
"Sorry about that. A few details before my trip tomorrow."
"Where are you going?" Janice asked.
"Mother!"
"It's a fair question." Janice shrugged.
"Boston. In fact, I'll probably have a couple of trips up there just for a day or two in the next two months, Carrie." Grey turned to face his fiancée.
"No problem. I can get caught up on my writing. In fact, I have edits to tackle tonight, so we need to make this a quick dinner. I hope you understand." She began clearing the dirty dishes from the table.
"Of course, Bunny. An author has to dance to her publisher's tune. I respect that. Read your first book and loved it."
Carrie beamed at her father.
"What's for dessert?" Janice asked.
"Brownies, with vanilla ice cream, Grey's favorite," she replied, stopping to kiss him on her way to the sink.
Grey helped clear the table while Carrie prepared four dishes with brownies and added ice cream. She gave her father a larger portion, knowing his sweet tooth. He deserves a reward for reading my book!
As soon as the last drop of coffee was drunk, Harv took Janice by the arm and headed for the front door.
"We've imposed long enough, Jan."
"But we haven't finished about the bridesmaid's dresses…"
"We have for tonight."
His tone was firm and before Carrie knew what happened, her parents were bidding them farewell and going out the door. She looked at the clock, only eight thirty. Still time to tackle those edits.
"I'll finish up down here if you want to start your edits," Grey said, rolling up his sleeves.
"How did I find you? Just lucky, I guess." She planted a kiss on his lips.
"Actually I found you. I'm the lucky one."
Carrie climbed the stairs, undressing along the way. She took a quick shower and threw on a raspberry velour robe before padding down the stairs with her laptop under her arm. She set up on the sofa, resting her computer against her bent knees. Grey brought some papers over and plopped down next to her. He put on his wire-rimmed reading glasses, clicked his pen, and began reading. The house was quiet as the two lovers turned their attention to their work.
After half an hour, Carrie sighed and stretched her arms over her head. She spied Grey, deep in thought. God, he's handsome. So sexy with those glasses, like some nerd you'd want to seduce. He is so seducible. Is that a word? Have to check with my editor.
Trying to turn her attention back to her manuscript, she couldn't resist sneaking her bare foot up against his thigh. Her eyes looked up at the same time his gaze sought hers. They smiled at each other and went back to work. Within five minut
es, Carrie's foot had moved up slowly to the top of this thigh. She spied Grey peeking over at her as his hand closed over her foot. Her robe was hiked up to her knees. She wore nothing underneath. Peering up over her computer screen, Carrie saw Grey's gaze turn toward her legs then travel up to her face.
While his eyes were connected with hers, he took his pen and raised the hem of her robe slightly. She watched him bend a bit trying to see underneath.
"Wearing anything?"
She shook her head, smiling. A huge grin spread across his face and a lustful gleam shone from his eyes. Grey's fingers closed around her ankle then moved up slowly. He squeezed her calf, his fingers caressed her skin.
"So soft, even your legs. Incredible."
His hand slid up and down her calf, inching higher and higher every time. Pretending to look at her computer, the tingle he created traveled up from her legs to her core. Desire grew as she willed him to bring his touch higher and higher. As if by telepathy, his hands slid up to her thighs. Her breathing became uneven. She saw a few beads of sweat break out on his forehead. Still his hands rose higher, pushing the robe up, out of the way. When it reached mid-thigh, the light shone on her. Grey's gaze left her and zeroed in on her bared body. He whistled low and sexy.
"Just the way I like you…"
He moved his hand down the inside of her thighs, making her squirm when he pulled it away, teasing her, refusing to touch her where she wanted. Carrie inched her bottom down, closer to him, enticing him.
"Want something?" He feigned innocence.
"Yeah…you…" she breathed.
He couldn't resist. Dumping the papers he was perusing on the coffee table, he lunged upward, one hand closing over her core while his lips locked on hers. At the touch of his fingers teasing, coaxing her sensitive flesh, she groaned, opening wider to make room for him. He kissed his way down her belly, settling between her legs. She gasped when his tongue touched her.
He settled his weight on his knees, nestled comfortably between her legs as his mouth devoured her. She moaned, losing her hands in his hair, moving him to the exact spot to send her desire skyward. He pushed up, his lips kissing a trail to her chest. He nibbled on one breast before settling his mouth over hers. A demanding kiss melted Carrie further. Her arms wound around his neck, her body soft, hot and willing beneath his. When he came up for air, she stared into eyes that burned with fire, radiating heat, warming her blood.
The Dating List Page 13