By the time he walked her to her car, she knew she was in deep trouble and hoped he had found something terribly undesirable about her, so she wouldn't have to drum up any resistance on her own.
"Thank you again, Kyle. Not only are you a hero, you are delightful company." She held out her hand to shake his, but he brought it to his lips for a light kiss on her knuckles.
"It was my pleasure. Now, about dinner, how about tomorrow night?"
Resist, you weak-kneed, horny twit. You can't afford the complication or distraction of a man in your life. Especially not now. She swallowed hard. "I can't."
He moved an inch closer, turned her hand around and kissed her palm. "You could if you wanted to. And I think you want to." He cocked his head and stared into her eyes. "Interesting. Are you afraid of me?"
He pulled back her coat sleeve and kissed the inside of her wrist. She felt it all the way to her toes. "I'm not afraid of anything. I just have a lot of things going on in my life right now and dating would only make it more difficult."
"If things are that difficult, a night out could be just what you need."
His eyes promised her a night that would make her forget the rest of the world existed, which was only one of the things she was afraid of.
"All right," he said with a look of exasperation. "I'm going to pull out all the stops now and destroy my macho image. I've always wanted to believe in love at first sight and happily ever after, but it never happened for me. That's why I never got married. This afternoon, the first time our eyes met, I felt like I'd been gut-punched. Of course, it could be the flu, but unless my instincts have taken a vacation, I'd say you felt the same thing." His hands moved up her arms and into her hair.
She couldn't move. She could barely breathe. "It's only because of what you did," she murmured. "It was romantic, like a knight in shining armor and the maiden in distress. It doesn't mean anything."
"Oh, I see. Well, if you're right about that, this probably won't make any difference." He tilted her head back and lowered his.
His lips on hers were as light and velvety as a butterfly's wing. Barely touching, he brushed his mouth from side to side over hers then gently caressed each corner until she began to follow the rhythm he set. Only then did he kiss her in earnest, drawing her into his heat, making her want to ease her body closer, wrap her arms around him, give him anything he wanted to take.
His seduction worked. She felt as though they were having sex, despite half a dozen layers of clothing between them. When he freed her lips, she wasn't much more than a puddle at his feet.
"Am I still standing?" she whispered.
"Barely. I'm pretty sure we're holding each other up. And I'm definitely sure this isn't the flu or a fairy tale. I'll pick you up at seven tomorrow. Dinner, a movie or dancing, your choice. I'll have you home by midnight and I swear on my Boy Scout oath that I won't try for more than some heavy necking in your driveway before you go inside."
"I won't promise more than one date."
"Understood."
"And that's only if I can make arrangements for someone to sit with my son."
"Also understood. And to prove that I know when to back off, I won't even ask for your number. I'll wait for you to call me. I'm temporarily staying at the Hilton here in Richmond. I'll be in and out, apartment hunting, but leave a message and I'll call you back. You can give me directions then." He took a step away from her and shoved his hands in his coat pockets. "If I don't leave now, I'm going to lose my good behavior badge."
Fearing she had even less willpower than he did, she got in her car and escaped while she had the chance.
There was no way in hell she was keeping that date.
* * *
Kyle let out a low whistle as he watched Barbara's taillights disappear around the corner of the garage. His accidental meeting with her had turned out so much better than he'd planned that he decided it was a sure sign that he was doing the right thing.
He thought he'd figured every possible angle, but never in his most far-fetched ponderings had he imagined a mugger in the scene. Nor had he ever considered the possibility that he'd be attracted to her in such an elemental way.
The totally unexpected effect they had on each other convinced him that his original plan was no longer adequate, but he wasn't quite sure how to revise it.
As he folded his body into the driver's seat of his car and had to adjust the crotch of his slacks, he grinned. It looked like his body was way ahead of his mind on this one.
Despite her obvious interest in him, however, she hadn't jumped at the idea of seeing him again. In fact, now that he thought about it, he still got the impression that she was afraid of something, either him or what he made her feel. That didn't sound at all like the woman he'd heard about. That woman was passionate, strong, independent, and not afraid of anything or anyone. That woman would want to follow through with what they'd started. The woman who had just driven away probably intended to stand him up tomorrow night. Very interesting.
Fortunately, his accountant's brother at the IRS had supplied him with Barbara Johnson's home address as well as where she was employed.
There was no way in hell he was going to let her out of his grasp now that he'd finally found her.
Chapter 8
By noon on Saturday, Barbara had scratched off every chore on her list and was looking for some other way to burn off her surplus physical energy. She knew precisely what her problem was—Kyle Trent and his amazing chemistry. Her body was screaming for her to call and give him directions to her house, and the sooner he could get there, the better.
On the other hand, her mind kept sifting through choices of how best to get out of it. She could tell him she couldn't get a sitter or say she forgot about promising her parents to see them. But then he might push for another time. The best plan seemed to be not to call at all, to let him think she was rude and thoughtless.
When her phone rang, she worried that it might be him, then reminded herself that she hadn't given him her number. On the second ring, she fretted that it could be Russ or Decker. Though she hadn't given them her number, either, Decker had confirmed what she already knew from past experience—that they could get it if they were determined enough.
On the third ring, she looked at the caller ID and recognized the number that had just been given to her the day before. Desperate for a distraction, Barbara picked up the receiver. "Hi Tammy. I was just thinking of calling you."
"Cool. I'm bored out of my tree today. I had a terrible fight with Michael last night and I'd even come help you with your housework just to have somebody to talk to."
Barbara laughed. Listening to Tammy's problems would at least keep her mind off her own. "Then by all means, get yourself up here and we can spend the whole afternoon male-bashing." She gave her directions and told her she'd have lunch ready when she got there.
By the time Tammy arrived an hour later, Barbara had prepared chefs salads for the two of them and franks and beans for Matt. Even in jeans and a sweatshirt, the girl was endowed with all the attributes that turn men's brains into mush. It hadn't occurred to Barbara, however, that those attributes would have the same effect on a nine-year-old boy.
Matt came into the kitchen with food on his mind, took one look at Tammy and instantaneously lost his mental virginity. He spent the next hour playing with his food in order to stay at the table as long as possible. With enormous eyes he watched her every move and hung on every word she uttered. His mouth only closed when he absolutely had to swallow.
To Tammy's credit, she included him in her conversation and asked him questions about his friends and school.
"Do you like video games?" she asked.
His eyes sparkled a bit more. "Yeah. My gramma and grampap just got me an Xbox for my birthday. Kenny's been letting me borrow some of his games till I get more of my own. He's like a wizard but I'm getting pretty good too."
"Would you teach me one later on? I've always wanted to try it."
Barbara hid her smile as her son practically exploded with his first case of puppy love. "Matt, why don't you give Kenny a call and see if he wants to come over." When he hesitated, she gave him the look that told him it was time to leave the grownups alone.
After Matt left the kitchen, Barbara said, "I didn't want him to hear this, but since you'll probably find out about it on Monday, I wanted to tell you first. I had my purse snatched in the parking garage yesterday afternoon."
Tammy gasped. "You're kidding! What happened?"
Barbara gave her a recap of the incident.
"Do you mean to tell me that the man actually chased the little creep and didn't even know you? Wow. Was he cute?"
Barbara laughed. "As a matter of fact, he was almost as gorgeous as you are."
"So, did you ask him out?"
Barbara made a face at her. "Not the way you mean. I bought him a drink. To show my appreciation. That's all."
"Then why are you blushing?"
Barbara's hands touched her cheeks, then confessed. "He had a very strange effect on me."
"Strange good or strange bad?"
"Both. He was one of the sexiest men I've ever met, but I told you I swore off men after my ex-husband. He had a strange effect on me at first, too."
"You can't judge every man by one bad one. And nobody's saying you have to marry this guy. Just have some fun with him. Did he ask you for your phone number?"
"No." She paused, then decided to tell her the rest of it. "He gave me his. He thinks we're going out tonight."
Tammy was delighted. "Why didn't you say so to begin with?"
"Because I'm not going. Now tell me what happened between you and Michael."
"No way, girl. We solve your hang-up first. Why aren't you going?"
"I'm not interested."
"Fibber. The man has you sweating just talking about him!"
Barbara recalled her list of excuses. "I can't leave Matt alone."
"I'll stay with him," Tammy offered without hesitation.
"Oh, no. I couldn't impose on you like—"
"Matt!" Tammy called, and he appeared in a flash. "Your mom has a chance to go out and have a good time tonight. Would you mind terribly if I stayed and kept you company? Maybe we could even rent a new video game and learn it together."
Barbara knew she'd lost before Matt opened his mouth.
"That could be cool," he told Tammy in a voice as mature as he could manage. He looked at his mother with eyes that begged her to go away and leave him alone with the supermodel of his dreams. "You know, Mom, you really should go out and have fun with someone your own age once in a while."
That profound statement coming out of her baby's mouth was more than she could resist. To make things even easier for Barbara to get ready, Tammy offered to take Matt and Kenny out for fast food and an action movie at five o'clock.
As a last resort, she told Tammy the bare-bones facts about Russ stalking them for years and warned that he could show up anytime. But Tammy wasn't even slightly disturbed by that information. There was nothing Barbara could do to protect Matt that Tammy couldn't do. In fact, Matt would probably be safer in public with her and Kenny because Russ would be looking for Barbara and one little blond boy, not Tammy and two young men.
Before she knew it, the two of them had sided with her carnal urges and talked her into calling Kyle to confirm their date in spite of all her reasons why she shouldn't go.
Barbara made Tammy swear she wouldn't let the boys out of her sight for a second, that she'd keep her guard up for strangers approaching them, that she'd be back as soon as the movie ended and that she would call her cell if anything unusual occurred at all. Though she liked the idea of not having to introduce Matt to Kyle when he came to pick her up, under no circumstances did Barbara want Kyle bringing her home to an empty house.
That left only one problem, and it wasn't really that big a deal. In order for Tammy to be back before Barbara, she needed a key to get in. Because of Russ, Barbara was always overly careful about her keys, but if she didn't give a key to Tammy, the boys wouldn't get their outing and Tammy would think she wasn't trusted.
At five o'clock, the threesome took off, with a key, and stern reminders of everything she'd already said twice. Then Barbara headed for the bathroom to get ready for her first date in a decade.
She changed outfits three times, painted her nails, then took it off because her hands had been shaking too badly to do a neat job, snagged her stockings after she was all dressed and was still ready twenty minutes too early. She was a nervous wreck, and her antiperspirant had chosen that night to stop working. Having been certain this was a bad idea from the start, she called Kyle's hotel to cancel, but he'd already left.
It helped a little that Kyle showed up fifteen minutes early armed with flattery and a long-stemmed red rose.
"I hope I'm not too early," he said as he stepped inside. "I couldn't wait any longer to see you." His gaze slid from her hair to her shoes. "You look even more beautiful than you did yesterday. I love your hair like that."
She self-consciously touched her hair. All she'd done differently was brush it up and back on the sides and put clips in to hold it there. But it felt good that he noticed. Of course, she was also wearing eye makeup, which she never bothered with for work. The fact that she'd taken the extra effort to look nice for him reconfirmed how much trouble she was in.
"Where's your son?"
"Matt's having dinner with a friend. He'll be back any second."
He smiled and drew her close. "Then we're alone?"
She quickly pressed her hands against his chest and tilted her head back. "Not for long."
"Long enough for one kiss? To say hello. No more than that. I gave you my Boy Scout word of honor, remember?"
Barbara told herself she could say no. All she had to do was gather enough breath to say the word.
His head dipped down and she closed her eyes.
It occurred to her that he didn't actually kiss, as most people defined the word. He played with her mouth, nipped and tickled her lips, tasted and smelled her.
"You're much too good at this," she said, desperately struggling to retain her senses.
He winked and set her away from him. "Get your coat while you still can, milady. The carriage awaits."
The Hilton manager had recommended a restaurant in Richmond that also had a live band and a dance floor. Barbara had no preference as to where they went, so their date began with a long drive.
On the way, Kyle made her do most of the talking, since he felt he had monopolized their first conversation. As she usually did with new people, she avoided specific details about the last ten years and focused on her life before Howard or talked about Matthew or her job.
Sometime during dinner she told him about how she and her son had been at the scene of last week's train wreck and ended up with their picture all over the place.
"I must have seen it," he said with a laugh. "But I didn't pay any attention to it. Did you keep a copy?"
She nodded. "Matt wouldn't let me throw it away."
"I'll bet you heard from a few long-lost friends after it appeared."
The simple comment made her spine stiffen. "What do you mean?" His expression told her he noticed her reaction and she quickly relaxed her posture.
"You know, like when someone wins the lottery, relatives show up who the winner never even heard of before."
"Oh. Yes. I got a few calls but nothing special."
"Have you considered capitalizing on the publicity in some way, maybe do some interviews?"
Her cheek twitched as she tried to smile. "Definitely not my style."
His surprise showed. "Really? I would think someone who once had acting ambitions would enjoy the attention."
"That was a long time ago. Real life has a way of changing one's goals."
He reached across the table and covered her hand with his. "I'm sorry."
"What for?"
"Y
ou were laughing, having a good time, and I made you think of something that upset you."
She looked away but he gave her hand a squeeze and she brought her eyes back to his.
"I wish we had met when you still had your dreams of stardom. I would have prevented whatever it was that happened to change your attitude."
His thumb stroked the back of her hand as his eyes apologized for not being there.
"That's one of the sweetest things I've ever heard," she said, "and one of the corniest."
He pretended to look insulted but ended up chuckling. "Okay, you've told me a lot about the good things in your life. Will you tell me about him now?"
She tensed again. "Him?"
"I'm assuming your ex-husband was the monster who destroyed your dreams. I'd like to understand."
The urge to tell him everything was terribly strong, but she hadn't confided in any man in nine years and didn't intend to start now. Besides, sharing confidences was something friends did and, in spite of the chemistry between them, Kyle was still a virtual stranger. "I'd rather do something less depressing. I believe you promised to dance with me."
That had sounded like a good idea when she said it. But the moment they were on the dance floor and he took her in his arms, she realized how much safer sharing a confidence would have been.
Like his kisses, dancing with Kyle was no simple act. It wasn't that he performed any fancy footwork; it was what the rest of his body parts were doing while the music played. He had a way of stroking her back as though she were one of the instruments in the band. With each breath she took, he brought their bodies closer and closer, until there was no mystery left between them. He kissed her temple, her ear, her neck, inhaled her perfume then sighed with unmistakable pleasure.
The band played three slow songs without a break and by the time they changed the pace, Barbara's common sense had retired for the night.
Unnatural Relations (Lust and Lies Series, Book 1) Page 12