Promises, Promises

by Sandy Loyd

  Once he could breathe again, his scan appraised without hiding male appreciation. He’d already made a fool of himself with staring, so why stop now?

  Her tall, slender frame wasn’t Barbie-doll perfect, but he never liked that kind of perfection anyway. He much preferred hers. Small but rounded breasts, a slim waist, and she had just enough curves on her hips to attract him. And being a leg man, he couldn’t ignore hers. Long, never ending, and sexy—legs that even Barbie would envy.

  His gaze moved higher. Natural highlights streaked through hair the color of wheat before harvest, catching and reflecting the light whenever her head moved.

  She laughed at something one of her friends said and he felt a strong jolt, as expressive jade green eyes lit with intelligent humor met his for the briefest moment.

  He finally found his common sense and quit gaping outright. Yet, he couldn’t contain his interest, hiding it behind sipping at his beer.

  Her regal bearing and expensive clothes reeked of money, so he prayed she wasn’t one of those spoiled sorority partiers he had no use for. She only seemed interested in her group of girlfriends, and she nursed one drink the entire time he watched her, another good sign.

  His number one rule of dating was never get involved with someone who drank too much. Mac rarely drank more than two drinks at any event, party or not. He’d made it through grad school on his own merits, not on Mommy and Daddy’s money, so he had little time for hangovers. Nor did he waste time on someone who did. He wasn’t one to spend time with someone too wasted to know who she was with. If he chose to acknowledge someone by putting out the effort of getting to know her at a party like this one, he was arrogant enough to want her to make the same effort. Call it a quirk, but that’s how he felt.

  He finally excused himself from a partier hanging on his every word and started toward the angel he’d been observing. She looked up and noticed his advance. His gaze caught hers and held the contact, electrifying him with a sensation of connection.

  Her only reaction, once he stopped at a point where he could fully appreciate the way her eyes assessed him, was a cool smile. There was a bit of a dare thrown out in that smile. And Mac never backed away from a challenge, especially one promising to be as entertaining as this beautiful creature presented.

  “Dance with me,” he commanded in the firm tone of a man used to getting what he wanted. He reached for her hand, linked fingers, and propelled her with him to the middle of the crowded room.

  Mac only had eyes for her. With an enormous amount of willpower, he resisted the zing of attraction surging through his veins and gently placed her arms on his shoulders. Sensing wariness, he worked to soothe, keeping a bit of distance for the simple reason he didn’t want her to bolt.

  “Now that we’re so close, I guess I should introduce myself. My friends call me Mac.” When she didn’t respond right away, he prodded, “How about you? What do your friends call you?”

  “Jude.” She offered another cool smile that was beginning to drive him nuts. “You can call me Judith.”

  Undaunted, he laughed. Definitely a challenge. But he decided he preferred one when the women he usually met seemed too available, until they discovered his lowly status.

  He sensed Judith was different. Or maybe he just wanted her to be different from all those social-climbing parasites who thought him the perfect man to have a good time with, but not good enough for happily-ever-after.

  He pushed the disturbing thoughts aside. It didn’t matter. He wasn’t looking for long term. Not anymore. Right now, getting to know her was his main priority.

  “I’m surprised we haven’t met before,” Mac said. “I thought I knew all of James’ friends.” Slowly they danced, moving in the direction of an open door leading to a huge deck.

  “Let’s find someplace we can talk, okay?” Mac’s hold tightened when he felt her stepping away.

  “I think you have the wrong idea about me,” she said, drawing his gaze.

  Her cool smile had taken on a touch of haughtiness that now mocked as she held his attention without flinching. His blonde goddess had spunk.

  “What idea?”

  “I’m not into going to bed with anyone, especially you.”

  Mac stared at her, totally taken aback. Maybe he had come on a little strong, but usually he was the one who slowed things down. It was bad enough that she thought so little of him, but that she could dismiss him so readily, really stung.

  “I’m crushed that you’d think such a thing about me.”

  Her haughty brow rose an inch. “Am I wrong?”

  “Um…um…” Shit, he was too stunned to answer her.

  “Thought so,” she said in a clipped, annoyed tone, pulling abruptly out of his grasp. With a straight spine, she turned to leave.

  His jaw dropped lower and he gaped. She was actually walking away. “Wait. Don’t go.” He grabbed for her hand, but caught air instead.

  Instantly, Mac knew he had made a tactical error and had to figure out what to say to keep her from fleeing. Now, more than ever, he knew she was someone worth pursuing. And more than anything, he wanted to break through her calm, aloof barrier.

  “I didn’t mean to come on so strong. I’m sorry if I offended you. Please stay.” Once the apology was out, he couldn’t help but notice the sincerity in his voice. He meant every word.

  She stopped and turned around. She did a good job of hiding her emotions, but for an instant he spied indecision in those bright green eyes before the calm, cool smile returned.

  “Okay. But don’t disappoint me.”

  Relief swept through him as he reached for her hand, this time connecting and bringing it to his lips in a silent thank-you.

  They headed outside and sat on the steps of the crowded deck. Mac had to shout to be heard over the noise despite her sitting only inches away. The two yelled back and forth for several minutes.

  Finally, Mac stood and held out his hand. “Come on. It’s too noisy here. I know a place we can go where it’s quiet and we can talk. That’s all, I promise.”

  She nodded and locked fingers with his. He guided her through a maze of trees and bushes.

  Green space, and lots of it, surrounded the house tucked away in the hills of Woodside, California. Having been a frequent visitor over the last five years, Mac headed through the familiar terrain for one of his favorite spots, knowing it would be secluded and quiet.

  No one from the party knew about the spot but him…and James, of course.

  When they reached the gazebo, faint strains of distant music drifted from the house creating a romantic setting complete with bushes blocking the structure from view.

  Mac led her to the one of the outdoor sofas. She sat and looked at him expectantly, waiting.

  “Now that we can hear each other, let’s start over.” He put on an innocent grin in an effort to charm. “Pretend you just met me and have no preconceived notions about my personality. I’m Mac. I live in Palo Alto, and I’m about to graduate from Stanford with an MBA. And yes, I’m trying like hell to impress you by telling you that.” He paused. His grin stretched. “Now it’s your turn.”

  His introduction earned a slight smile and the knot in his stomach eased a bit.

  “I’m Judith. I’m majoring in interior design at San Jose State.”

  “Really? What year?” Good. She was talking.

  “I’ll be a junior next year.” Judith’s breath came out in a small sigh while the firm line of her shoulders softened into a curve.

  “So, you’re a decorator?”

  “That’s one facet.” She shook her head and laughed softly. “But I’m more interested in designing commercial buildings, from the outside in.” Judith gave him a brief description of the planning involved, ending with, “Once the walls are in place, I’ll be the one adding lighting and flooring and everything in between. Business interiors are difficult to design because of the expense involved and amount of wear and tear commercial buildings endure.”


  She stopped to take a breath.

  Mac smiled. Her feminine voice rose and fell in a pleasing cadence as she continued explaining a subject she obviously loved. He couldn’t take his gaze off her face.

  “I’m really interested in refurbishing old buildings, especially from the early nineteen hundreds or earlier. Sometimes they’re easier to tear down, but if that happens, we lose a part of history. And many of those buildings are so well built, it’s better to update them. San Francisco has hundreds of them, one I especially love.”

  “That’s awesome.” He asked question after question, unable to hide his interest. She was fascinating to listen to. He could do it all night.

  “Have you ever felt you were destined to do something?” she asked earnestly, once the conversation died down.

  “I don’t know,” he answered honestly. He shrugged. “I’ve never thought about it before. I’m driven, but I’m not sure if it’s destiny or, as my mother says, plain obstinacy.”

  “Well, I believe in destiny now.” When he allowed the question to form in his eyes, she grinned. “I used to feel as if I never fit in anywhere. When I was younger, I was kind of a shy loner and hated school.”

  He chuckled and shook his head. “I can’t imagine you being shy.”

  “I was. I daydreamed a lot, especially on the way to school. There’s this run-down building. On Hyde Street, close to Geary. I passed by it every day.”

  She stopped talking as if lost in thought. Mac watched her. Before his eyes, Judith’s expression turned diffident, giving him a glimpse of the girl she used to be.

  “I’m being silly.” She glanced at her hands, twisting them as his stare remained fastened on her lips. She cleared her throat and offered another shy smile. “You’re probably laughing at this.”

  “No. Tell me. I’m dying to know,” he shot back, realizing he was dead serious. He wanted to learn everything about her.

  “Okay,” she said, laughing. “But you asked for it.”

  Damn, if she didn’t have the sweetest laugh.

  “It was a lonely building, as if it didn’t belong or fit in either. I don’t know why, but whenever I’d walk past it, I’d feel something. Though old and worn-out, sitting out of place among the newer buildings on the street, I noticed so much beauty. I forgot about it once I went to high school. In college I discovered commercial designing, and the memory came back.” She shrugged. “I remembered how my building used to make me feel. Special. Like we shared something in common. I found out why I exist. To bring buildings like that one back to life.”

  “I’ll never look at an old building again in the same way.” His answer produced another one of her heart-stopping smiles, and instantly his empty notions of long term and love vanished.

  “I know you’re teasing, but I don’t care. Someday I’ll have my own business specializing in refurbishing because there’s so much hidden beauty in those old buildings.”

  “I take it you’ll be doing this in San Francisco, not San Jose?”

  “I hope to. I’m from the city,” Judith said, nodding. “My family’s been there for generations. They’re very old-fashioned and a little overprotective.” She sighed. “I’m sure they think I was dropped on their doorstep because I’m so different.”

  Mac’s eyebrows shot up. “How so?”

  “My mom’s the typical wife of her generation, a whiz at organizing parties, and she’s always involved with several committees. She’s never held a job and doesn’t understand my need to work when I don’t have to. Chairing a committee is about as far away as you can get from what I want for my life.” She tugged at the hem of her shorts. “I don’t mean to disappoint either of them, but they just don’t get me.”

  “You’re lucky to have two caring parents,” he said softly a moment later. This time Judith’s eyebrows rose in question.

  He laughed. “I have my mom, but my dad’s a loser who never paid child support. I haven’t seen him since I was little. So it was just the two of us.”

  Her eyes reflected compassion.

  “Oh, don’t get me wrong,” he quickly added. “My mom’s the best. She’s my biggest supporter, but I know it was hard for her, being a single parent and all.”

  He told Judith all about his unprivileged childhood in San Leandro, California.

  Usually, he never talked freely to the wealthy women he met in his best friend’s crowd, having become cynical regarding them for good reason.

  Judith definitely came from money, but she was nothing like those social-climbing vultures. Mac found himself opening up. Like a faucet going full blast, the story of his life poured forth.

  “In high school, computers fascinated me,” he said. Wanting to impress her, he detailed his successes. “I had a great teacher in my freshman year, Mr. Dobson. I used to help him after school. He taught me how business works, and showed me how to use my brain to earn money. My first company was so successful, I created a couple more.”

  “So you just started companies? In high school? How exciting.”

  “It was nothing, especially since there was a big demand for what I knew.” He couldn’t keep the pride out of his voice after glimpsing admiration in her animated expression. “My small companies are centered on computers and are very profitable. I create websites and design systems most people have no clue about. But it’s only the beginning. I made it through Stanford on full scholarship. I’m going to the top and I won’t stop till I have my own major company. My plans are already in the works.”

  They sat talking in the gazebo for hours, but to Mac it seemed like minutes. He’d never felt so alive. He felt a true connection with her. Only James and his mother knew more about him after the time spent alone with her. He’d certainly never shared such a big part of himself with any other woman.

  When their conversation ebbed, a quiet peacefulness surrounded them. He was very comfortable with the silence and considering her relaxed pose, she was too.

  Finally, Mac glanced at Judith. Their gazes locked. He saw a soul mate in those liquid jade eyes. Her cool expression was gone. In its place was a warm, inviting smile, drawing him in deeper with the force of a riptide.

  He had to kiss that mouth. He angled his head. Slowly, his lips met hers. The moment they did, he knew he’d found paradise.

  When her mouth opened on a small sigh, giving him all the invitation he needed, he deepened the kiss. His tongue invaded, eliciting her response. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer as sensation after sensation rolled over him. Like waves hitting the beach, his blood pounded, filling him with need.

  He couldn’t get enough. He couldn’t stop. She was as intoxicating as the most potent drug.

  Her soft moans set him on fire. He burned for her. Too swept away with the pleasure her lips gave, he positioned her pliant body underneath his on the sofa, still kissing.

  She was perfection. So soft. So warm. So yielding.

  His hands moved of their own volition. Roaming, straying, feeling, and touching. After unsnapping her bra, one hand found exactly what it had been searching for, heaven in his palm, as he kneaded and squeezed the perfect breast.

  His movements intensified as his hunger and want grew. She was made for him. No one had ever held him this close to the edge of losing sanity before. And that’s right where he was. The edge of sanity.

  She seemed as caught up in the moment as he and this urged him forward. He unzipped her shorts.

  He was hard with a driving need to be inside of her, to get as close to her as possible.

  Someone called her name from a distance. She stiffened. His brain registered the fact, but they were secluded. No one knew where they were. Now, more than ever, Mac needed to be inside her.

  He broke contact with her lips. “It’s okay,” he soothed, as someone called her name again. Only this time, the sound was louder and much closer.

  His hands left her body and he caught Judith’s look of horror. She redid the clasp on her bra with shaking hands, zippe
d up her shorts, then jumped up and ran from the gazebo.

  When the full magnitude of her actions hit Mac, he sat back in stunned silence and stared at the empty space. What the hell?

  Did she have a boyfriend and not tell him?

  He slammed a fist into a post. It took minutes for his breathing and other body parts to return to normal. Then he started after her.

  Mac entered the house from the deck, hurried to the foyer, and strode briskly toward James Morrison, who was at the front door waving good-bye to someone.

  James closed the door, spun around, then noticed him and smiled broadly. “Hey, Mac, where’ve you been hiding?”

  “Did you see Judith?” he asked.

  “Yeah, she just left in a hurry. Why?”

  Mac ran to the door and jerked it open as a sporty car shot down the street.

  “Damn!” he said under his breath and turned back to see James following with a puzzled expression.

  “Hey, you’re not interested in her, are you? If so, you should rethink. I call her the Ice Queen. Even your charm and good looks can’t break through all her cold.”

  “You know her?” Mac asked, glancing at James.

  “Paul’s interested in her. He’s known her for years. I’ve always thought her a little aloof, above us underlings.” He offered a careless shrug. “She’s a lot younger than our crowd, so I was surprised to see her here tonight. I assumed she came with Paul.”

  “I don’t even know her last name,” Mac whispered, looking down the road the car had taken.

  “It’s Reid…Judith Reid. She may be gorgeous to look at, but no’s her favorite word. Paul’s been trying for the last year to get a date with her and she shoots him down every time he asks. I don’t know why he still tries.”

  Mac remembered James’ younger brother; they’d met a time or two before. Paul was younger than them, about three years or so. He looked a lot like his older brother, but was a little taller and leaner.

  James focused on Mac’s face. His grin spread. Then he broke into a full-blown laugh. “You struck out with her, didn’t you?” he taunted.