When Megan pulled away, Eleanor wiped at her own now- damp eyes. “We knew two people who argued as much as you two belonged together.”
“And I know you and Jake belong together. He’s had you off your beat since he got here. Even Carl’s noticed it.”
“We’re business associates,” Eleanor stated emphatically.
“Understatement of the year. Did you sleep with him in your quest to get me and Carl together?”
Eleanor hit her with the pillow. “Of course not.”
“But I bet you kissed him.”
“Maybe.”
Megan pushed her pillow away. “Maybe nothing. Come on, girl, tell me.”
“Okay, I kissed him.”
Megan jumped up and gave the high-five sign. “I knew it. I knew it. I told Carl . . .”
“You told Carl what?”
Megan settled back down. “Nothing. I didn’t tell him anything.”
“Yes, you did. Now tell me what it was.”
“Don’t bust your britches. Carl and I want you to be as happy as we are.”
“And . . .”
“And we think Jake could be the guy for you.”
She’d been having thoughts along that line herself. “Me and Jake?”
“Yes, you and Jake. You’re perfect for each other.”
“Why do you think that?”
Megan leaned back on the bed and smiled confidently. “Because he’s the first man to make you get your panties in a snit.”
***
“Want to go for a drink tonight?” Jake asked Carl after everybody had filed out of the conference room at the end of the weekly status meeting.
Carl grinned. ‘Not tonight. My lady’s waiting for me.”
Jake walked over and propped on the edge of the table in front of his friend. “You’ve got it bad. You know that, don’t you?”
Carl whirled around in his chair. “If this is bad, I don’t think I could handle good.”
Jake laughed. “I knew there was something between you and Megan.”
“Well, you knew more than I did. I’m glad you and Eleanor decided to make us come to our senses before it was too late. Thanks, man.”
Jake slapped him on the back. “It was nothing. Eleanor and I did it for ourselves as much as we did it for you and Megan.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“If we didn’t get you two together, you would’ve killed us with your constant bickering.”
Carl gave a smile, then quickly sobered. “I love her, man.”
At that moment, Jake felt envy deep in his bones. Though he’d dated many women in his lifetime and he’d loved them all, he’d never been in love with any of them. When he saw Carl like this though, it made him wonder what he’d missed. “I’m happy for both of you.”
“Thanks, man.” Carl leaned back in his chair, linked his fingers and rested them on his stomach. “Megan tells me things are heating up with you and Eleanor.”
That was new to Jake. He leaned closer. “What did Eleanor tell her?”
Carl shrugged. “She mentioned something about a kiss.”
So, Jake thought, Eleanor couldn’t get that kiss out of her mind either. “Well, that’s about the extent of what’s happened.”
“Don’t discount it, man. A kiss is a good thing. Maybe somewhere along the line your playacting became real.”
Jake shook his head. “I doubt it. Eleanor’s not interested in pursuing a relationship with the enemy.”
Carl chuckled. “You’re still the enemy?”
He thought about their last discussion of Our Family. “I’m gaining ground, but I still have a long way to go yet.”
Carl shook his head. “What are you going to do about it?”
“What can I do?”
Carl studied him, before shaking his head. “If you don’t know, man. I can’t tell you.”
“Yeah, yeah. When a brother falls in love, he wants every other man to be in love.”
Carl grinned, but he didn’t deny it. “It’s great, man. You should try it.”
“You mean, Megan’s great.”
“She is.”
Those simple words expressed to Jake the love Carl felt for Megan even more than his earlier declaration of love. “You’re a lucky man.”
“You’re telling me. Can you believe a woman like Megan waited for me?” Carl shook his head, then spoke without waiting for Jake’s response. “She was a virgin, man,” he said, his voice full of awe. “I was the first guy she was with. Do you know how that makes me feel?”
So he’d been right about Megan. He did know women. “Would it have made a difference if she wasn’t?”
“Maybe to her,” Carl said.
“What does that mean?”
Carl looked up at Jake. “I was inexperienced, too.”
“What?” Jake exclaimed. “You’ve got to be kidding. You mean, you’d never . . .”
Carl shook his head. “Never.”
Jake stood up and slipped his hands in his pockets. “I don’t believe this. How old are you?”
Carl began gathering his papers. “I’m twenty-eight, the same age as Megan and Eleanor. And don’t go making a big deal about this. I can’t believe I told you anyway.”
Jake sobered, then clapped Carl on the back. “I think it’s great for you and Megan.”
Carl nodded. “It makes me glad I waited.” Carl grinned as if he’d remembered a funny joke.
“What?”
Carl’s grin broadened. “Now I can’t seem to get enough. Fortunately, neither can Megan.”
“You lucky dog,” Jake said in good humor.
“I’m not a dog,” Carl replied with mock pique. He stood up and put his papers under his arm. “My cupcake says I’m a sweetie.”
Jake laughed as Carl strutted out of the conference room.
***
On Thursday night of his seventh week in Lamar, Jake stared out the French doors of the Sanders living room wondering if he should go to Eleanor. She’d fled his presence as soon as possible after dinner with him and her father. He reached for the door latch for the fourth time. Should he go to her?
He dropped his hand. If she didn’t want anything to happen between them, then he should respect her wishes. He placed his hand on the door latch again. On the other hand, her position was going to drive them both crazy before the summer was over, so he’d be doing them both a favor by forcing the issue.
He snatched the door open and stepped outside before he talked himself out of making the trek to her cottage. He strode past the pool and followed the lane to her front door.
He lifted his hand to rap on the door, then dropped it. Was he ready to face the consequences of sleeping with Eleanor? He knew she wasn’t a woman he could casually make love to, then walk away from. But then he’d never done that. Every woman he’d been with had known the score. When he was with a woman, he was faithful. Yes, serial monogamy was his MO. But when he was ready to move on, he moved on. Since he’d made no commitments, he felt no guilt.
But what about Eleanor? Not only was she a special woman, she was his business associate and the daughter of his father’s best friend. What the hell was he doing knocking on her door?
Before he could answer that question, Eleanor opened the door and peeked out. The answer to his question no longer mattered.
“What are you doing here, Jake?” she asked, her breath coming in short spurts. He wondered what she’d been doing.
“I want to talk to you,” he lied.
Her eyes squinted and he knew she didn’t believe him. “I saw you at dinner. You could have talked to me then.”
He grinned. “I don’t think you want your father to hear the things I have to say.”
“Jake . . .” There was a plea in her voice.
He put his hand on the door in an attempt to push it open farther. “Fifteen minutes. Give me fifteen minutes.”
He s
aw the indecision in her eyes.
“You must have it bad for me,” he challenged, studying the hand that rested on the door as if he were indifferent to her answer, “if you don’t trust yourself to be alone with me for fifteen minutes.”
She grunted. “It’s not me I don’t trust, it’s you.”
He grinned again. “Scared?”
“You wish,” she said, stepping back from the door and allowing him to push it open farther so he could enter. “I hope I don’t regret this,” she said when he was inside.
He couldn’t form a response. Actually, he couldn’t close his mouth. As he admired her form in the thigh-length fluffy white robe, he wondered if everything she owned was white. And skimpy.
His eyes traveled her full length, causing her to pull the collar of her robe closer. Unfortunately for her, the action only caused her breasts to be better outlined.
“You wanted to talk,” she said, turning around and walking to the overstuffed white couch.
He followed her, again admiring the sway of the lush hips atop her long, firm legs. “Yes,” he said, stalling for time to clear his mind. He deliberately sat next to her on the couch and pretended to ignore the raised brow she directed at him because of the action.
“I’m waiting,” she said, apparently eager for him to get on with it.
Jake wondered again if he was doing the right thing. He shuffled through the magazines on the table in front of him, then picked up Family Focus. “Studying the competition?”
That was the right thing to say, because Eleanor immediately relaxed, leaned forward, and picked up a copy of Southern Families. “Yes, if you can call it that. These magazines aren’t directed at African-Americans, but they demonstrate the concept. Look at this one. The article on the fading nuclear family is the kind of story I’d like to do in Our Family.”
Jake looked at her, about to comment, but the sight of the tops of her breasts peeking out from her robe made him forget what he was about to say.
“What do you think?” she asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
I think I’m in trouble, he said to himself. “Let me see.” He briefly scanned the article, glad for a reason to take his eyes off her yet disappointed he couldn’t look his fill. “Not bad.”
“Not bad?” She took the magazine from him and scanned the article as if to make sure it was the one she was thinking about. “How can you say ‘Not bad’? That’s exactly the kind of article I want us to do in Our Family.”
Her eyes were shooting sparks now. He liked it. “I don’t see anything unique about it.”
She breathed deeply and he knew she was about to blow her stack. “Maybe you don’t know a good article when you see one,” she said calmly.
He fought to keep from grinning. “Maybe.” Pause. “Maybe not.”
She threw the magazine down on the table and crossed her arms. “What did you want to talk about?”
He chuckled. “I liked the article, Eleanor.”
She dropped her arms and rolled her eyes. “Then why didn’t you say so?”
“Maybe I like to see you squirm.”
Jake knew by the flash of passion in her eyes that the erotic picture his words painted in his mind was also painted in hers. “I can’t stop thinking about that kiss,” he whispered.
“Jake . . .”
He reached for her hand and rubbed it between the two of his. “I bet you’ve been thinking about it, too.”
She attempted to remove her hand from his, but he wouldn’t release it. Instead, he pulled it to his lips and kissed it. “Your skin’s so soft,” he murmured.
“Don’t.”
He looked up at her and knew the passion in her eyes was mirrored in his. “Don’t what? Don’t want you? That’s impossible.”
“But—”
“But you’re afraid?” He released her hand. “What are you afraid of, Eleanor?”
She lowered her eyes, but she didn’t answer.
He leaned closer and placed a soft kiss on her exposed neck. “Are you afraid of what you’re feeling?” he whispered.
She inclined her head more and he began a row of kisses up and down her thin neck.
“Tell me what you’re feeling,” Jake whispered. “Tell me, Eleanor. I see it in your eyes when you look at me. I felt it in your kiss when you kissed me. Everything about you tells me we’d be good together. From the gentle sway of your hips when you walk to the way you chew the ends of your pens when you’re working.”
“Jake,” she murmured, inching away from him.
He pulled back and lifted her chin so that she stared into his eyes. “Can’t you see that I feel the same way?”
She shook her head, but she didn’t say anything.
He took her hand and placed it near his heart. “Can’t you feel how much I want you?”
She felt the rapid beat of his heart, then flashed her eyes to his and quickly removed her hand.
“I want to touch you,” he said, then raised his hand to the top opening of her robe and touched her chest. His eyes never left hers. “May I touch you?” he asked, but he didn’t wait for an answer. He slid his hand down her soft, smooth skin. His eyes closed at the pleasure that shot through him.
“Jake,” Eleanor pleaded in a thick voice. Her hand covered his own and he opened his eyes.
“Do you like that?” he asked.
A rap sounded at the door before Eleanor could answer.
Fifteen
The interruption brought Eleanor to her senses and she finally had the strength and the desire to move away from Jake.
“Damn,” Jake said when his hand fell away from her breast.
“Eleanor, it’s me,” Megan called from outside the door.
Jake dropped his head and muttered, “Talk about bad timing.”
“I’d better get that,” Eleanor said, straightening the collar of her robe.
She got up on wobbly legs, glared down at Jake, and headed for the door.
“What took you so long?” Megan asked as soon as Eleanor opened the door. “I’ve been knocking for five minutes.”
Five minutes, Eleanor thought. Had she been so involved with Jake she’d missed five minutes of knocking?
Megan strode past her and stopped in her tracks as soon as she saw Jake.
He stood up. “Hi, Megan.”
Megan, eyes dancing, turned around and faced Eleanor. “I’m sorry, girl, I didn’t know you had company.”
Eleanor strode past her and took a seat in the overstuffed chair next to the couch. “It’s not company. It’s Jake.”
Megan made a beeline for the couch. “Hope I didn’t interrupt anything?” She sat down next to Jake. “Actually, I hope I did interrupt something.”
Jake laughed and Eleanor rolled her eyes.
“Where’s your shadow?” Jake asked, then stood up and stuffed his hands in his pockets.
That dreamy look of love came over Megan’s face. “Carl stopped by the house to see you. It didn’t occur to us you’d be here. I guess he’ll be along in a minute or so.”
“I’m sure he will,” Eleanor muttered. “He doesn’t let you out of his sight for more than ten minutes at a time.”
Megan ignored Eleanor. “Why don’t you sit down, Jake? There’s no need to rush off. Carl and I won’t stay long.”
“He was leaving anyway,” Eleanor said, but Jake contradicted her words when he sat back down on the couch.
Megan grinned. “I guess he changed his mind.”
Eleanor chose to ignore that. “What brings you and Carl out?”
“Oh, we wondered if you and Jake wanted to see that new Robert Townsend movie with us.”
“Not tonight,” Jake and Eleanor said at the same time.
Megan looked from one to the other and grinned. “No, I didn’t think you’d be interested. Seems like you already have plans for the evening.”
Carl’s rap on the door saved Eleanor and Jake
from having to respond.
“You’d better put on some clothes,” Jake said to Eleanor, then stood up again. “I’ll let Carl in.”
Eleanor’s mouth dropped open.
“Bossy, isn’t he?” Megan said with a giggle. “But he has a point. Carl will probably be a little uncomfortable with you dressed like that.”
Eleanor looked down at herself, remembering that she wore nothing underneath the skimpy robe. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
“I’ll go with you.” Megan got up and followed Eleanor to her bedroom. When the bedroom door closed, she dropped down on the bed and asked, “What was going on?”
“Nothing.” Eleanor opened the sash on her robe and stepped into her closet. After slipping on a pair of satin bikini briefs, she pulled on a pair of jean shorts and one of her old high school T- shirts. First, she tucked the shirt into her shorts, then decided she best wear it out since her shorts were pretty short.
Megan grinned at her when she walked out of the closet. “I know it wasn’t nothing. So tell me what happened.”
“I don’t want to talk about it now, Megan. Let’s get back out there before Carl comes looking for you.”
Megan got up from the bed. “Isn’t he sweet?” she said in that dreamy voice.
“As syrup,” Eleanor responded dryly.
“No need to be nasty, Eleanor. Just because you’re having problems with Jake doesn’t mean you have to be mean to my Carl.” Eleanor dropped down on the foot of the bed. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what’s wrong with me.”
“I do, girl. You’ve got it bad.” Megan moved to sit on the bed next to her. “You’re falling for him, aren’t you?”
All Eleanor could do was nod. In spite of all her efforts to stop him, Jake Mason had gotten under her skin. Deep. It was so stupid. Why did she have to fall for a man who was only going to be around for the summer, for about another five or six weeks to be exact. If she and Jake were different people, a long-distance relationship might have a chance. But they were who they were and she didn’t see them in a long-distance relationship. Once he left Lamar, he’d forget her and her heart would break.
“Well,” Megan said, in a sage-like voice, “the good news is he’s fallen for you, too.”
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