Ry removed his suit jacket. “Here, this should keep you warm.” He placed it around her shoulders, then they continued to stroll along the street hand in hand.
She snuggled into the warmth of the jacket. A hint of his aftershave clung to the fabric sending a tingle of anticipation through her senses. His touch thrilled her. His mere presence sent tremors of excitement through her body. She felt as if she was floating on a cloud made of hopes, dreams and expectations that touched every corner of her existence.
Jean’s emotions raced into high gear. She had never spent a more glorious evening in her entire life. The adult Ryland Collier had lived up to everything she had ever fantasized about him. He was charming, attentive, a sparkling conversationalist and a surprisingly good listener. He treated her as if she was the only woman in the world and the most important person he knew. Everything he said and did made her feel very special.
And underlying it all sizzled an incredible sexual energy resonating from him. It reached out and grabbed her on the most primal of levels. Her senses tingled with desire, leaving her nearly breathless and wanting more. The sensations bordered on frightening in their magnitude and intensity. As they drove back to her condo all the thoughts and feelings of an enchanting evening swirled around in her head, creating a warm glow of contentment more potent than any she had ever experienced.
Ry pulled his car into her driveway and turned off the engine. He walked Jean to her porch, then took the key from her hand and unlocked the front door for her. She impulsively turned toward him and blurted out the words before she had time to think about them. “Would you like to come in for a cup of coffee?”
He handed her the door key, his pleasure showing on his face. “Yes, I’d like that very much.”
Jean quickly made some coffee, carried two filled mugs into the living room, and placed them on the coffee table. They settled into the couch.
He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close to his side. “I’m so glad we were able to put our past behind us. I said more than I intended to, though. I must apologize for boring you yesterday with that story about my train. It just slipped out.” He placed a soft kiss on her forehead, then flashed a teasing smile. “Since you managed to get me to bare my soul to you last night, I think it would be fair if you took your turn.”
In spite of his grin, she saw the honesty in his eyes, a truth that spoke to her of sharing. It connected with her own unhappy and lonely childhood. He had shared some of his painful memories with her. She felt drawn to do the same.
Her words came out softly, filled with an irony she had not anticipated. “Well, it turns out that we have more in common than just having gone to high school together.”
“Oh? What else do we have in common?” Everything felt so natural. It was much like the sensation of closeness and friendship he had always experienced when he was around Sally Jean in high school—except now her perfume was driving him crazy, just touching her made his pulse race and seeing the beautiful woman she had become tugged at his lustful desires. But it wasn’t all surface beauty. He had the privilege of knowing the truly beautiful person who lived inside her, too.
“A miserable home life when we were in school.”
He cocked his head and shot her a questioning look. “Really? As long as we’re getting reacquainted and revealing painful secrets, would you like to tell me about it?” A teasing grin pulled at the corners of his mouth. “I showed you mine, now I think it’s your turn to show me yours…so to speak.”
He saw her eyes widen in surprise. He gave her shoulder an encouraging squeeze. “Seriously, I’m a good listener if you’d like to tell me about it.”
Once again he made her feel very special. She felt as if she could trust him with some of her past secrets. “I don’t know if you were aware or not, but my parents died in a plane crash when I was ten years old. I lived with my grandmother, a harsh and cold woman who had been raised on a farm by strict parents who didn’t hold with city ways or people who indulged in what they considered frivolous activities. I was so disappointed when you called to say you were sick and couldn’t go to the prom and was totally devastated when I saw you at the store later that night. Instead of emotional support to help ease my pain, all I got from my grandmother was an ‘I told you so…stay in your place…you’re not a fancy girl who should be going to fancy parties.’
“And then Monday it was the cruel laughter from the cheerleaders…the same group of girls who always teased me about my weight and old clothes. They had simply reinforced what my grandmother had always made me feel—that I was unattractive, dull and didn’t deserve any better than what I had and shouldn’t strive for more. It took me years and lots of hard work to overcome all those old insecurities.”
“I’m so sorry I put you through that. I’m also sorry that we weren’t able to share our troubles back then when we could have helped each other.” Ry leaned back and pulled her into his embrace. “Knowing you was the one bright spot of my high school days.”
She couldn’t stop the little laugh of surprise. “You mean being senior class president and captain of the football team weren’t bright spots in your life?”
“They were the facade I was living with, not the bright spots.” He placed a tender kiss on her cheek. “Even though you had an unhappy home life you certainly turned out well. You’re as beautiful on the outside as you’ve always been on the inside.”
The heat of embarrassment spread across her cheeks combining with the heat of desire that coursed through her veins. His words grabbed her much like an addictive drug. From the moment she had spotted Ry at the party the previous night her emotions had been on a roller coaster ride. But now it seemed that the ride had finally ended and she was safely back on firm ground.
Well, maybe safely wasn’t exactly the right word. A tingle of apprehension, edged with just a hint of fear, darted through her body. After her marriage and then the horrible relationship that followed with what she thought was the perfect man, she swore she would never give her heart to anyone again. But the infatuation of sixteen-year-old Sally Jean for seventeen-year-old Ry had never quite gone away. As an adult, could she hope to be able to win the heart of Ryland Collier, a man who had professed to being a confirmed bachelor? Could she trust him not to take advantage of her delicate emotions and vulnerability where he was concerned?
Maybe the trauma of the past had been resolved, but what about the ensuing week when they would be thrown together on numerous occasions in an atmosphere surrounded by love and wedding preparations? A quick jolt of panic left her uncertain about what the outcome of their new association would be.
Jean glanced at the clock above the fireplace as she rose from the couch. “Well, it’s getting late. Even though tomorrow is Sunday, I have several things that I need to do first thing in the morning—some last-minute items I promised Susan I’d help her with. So, perhaps we’d better say good-night.”
“It’s been a lovely evening. Thank you for sharing it with me. I’m so glad we’ve had the opportunity to put the past behind us.”
She glanced shyly at the floor. “Me, too.”
“Well, I guess I’ll be saying good night then.” He started to pull her into his embrace.
Another surge of panic hit her. Was this the moment when he would be expecting a good night kiss? A real kiss and not just a simple brushing of lips? A nervous jitter darted through her body leaving her apprehensive and unsure. In spite of his confession from the past, were his attentions only his response to the new Jean, just as they had been at the party when Susan had introduced them and he had looked her over and flirted shamelessly before he knew who she was? Would he be interested in pursuing a passionate kiss if she were still the plain, overweight Sally Jean?
She took a step back, her anxiety causing her to impulsively stick out her hand to offer a handshake. “Thank you so much for a delightful dinner.”
A visibly surprised Ry ignored her hand, pulled her into his embrace and
captured her mouth with a passionfilled kiss that spoke directly to her of the sensuality that was Ryland Collier. The moment his lips touched hers, every inch of her body tingled with excitement. The kiss was everything she ever imagined it would be…and more. At that moment she didn’t want him to ever let go of her.
Jean slipped her arms around Ry’s neck. She ran her fingers through his thick hair. Everything about him excited her more than she thought was possible. She had been totally unprepared for the amount of passion his kiss conveyed, a passion she returned without hesitation.
The earthiness of her kiss sent a wave of sensual energy burning through Ry that almost knocked him back on his heels. It was much more than what he had expected and even a little more than he had been prepared to handle at the moment. A surge of panic hit him when he realized the emotional impact attached to the kiss. It was a confusing mixture, the comfort and familiarity of a dear friend from the past combined with the incendiary temptation of a fascinating and sexy woman who pulled at every lustful desire he had ever harbored. It left him reeling without a clear direction.
He reluctantly broke off the kiss. He cradled her head against his shoulder as he tried to collect his thoughts and rein in his galloping libido. As much as he wanted to pursue the delectable Jean Summerfield, he did not want to take a chance on alienating Sally Jean Potter from his life again. He felt trapped in a no win situation.
He found his voice, but was not happy with the husky quality that surrounded his words. “It’s getting late. I’ll call you tomorrow afternoon. I have some work to do, a meeting and a few preliminary details to get out of the way before I start on my new work project. As far as the wedding activities are concerned, we have a dinner with Susan and Bill on Tuesday night, then there’s the traditional bachelor party on Friday night, the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner on Saturday evening followed by the wedding on Sunday. Maybe we could squeeze in dinner and a movie among all those other activities? Perhaps tomorrow evening?”
Jean managed to force out some words that she hoped weren’t too incoherent, but she feared they sounded more like gibberish than her agreement to a movie. She walked Ry to the front door and watched as he climbed into his car and backed out of the driveway. As she closed the door she touched her fingers to her lips where the burning intensity of his kiss still lingered. Her pulse raced and her heart continued to pound. Ryland Collier was definitely a force to be reckoned with, a dynamic man with enough sexual magnetism to fill a room.
She closed her eyes and leaned back against the door. What would the future bring? Did she have a chance to capture the heart of this dynamic man? Would they be seeing each other after Susan and Bill’s wedding was over?
A little scowl wrinkled across her forehead as a thought dampened her spirit. He had admitted to a brief marriage, but what had happened that would cause him to adamantly declare himself to be a confirmed bachelor? Was his marriage as miserable as hers had been? Did they have even more in common than an unhappy home life as a child? Whatever they had in common in the past, it certainly wasn’t something that a future could be built on.
Jean shook her head to clear out the wandering thoughts that had started down a strange path, a path that seemed to materialize out of nowhere based on nothing more than a passionate kiss and memories of a teenage crush.
She walked upstairs to her bedroom. Get a grip on yourself. You’re being ridiculous. It was dinner and a kiss…nothing more.
Somewhere in the back of her mind she knew she was lying to herself. It was more…a lot more. But was it more than she was prepared to handle? More than could ever be?
Three
Jean hurried home Sunday afternoon, rushing to her answering machine before even taking off her jacket. Her errands had taken longer than she anticipated and she feared she might have missed Ry’s promised call. At first she was pleased to see that there were no messages. She had gotten home in time. Then another thought hit her. What if he wasn’t going to call?
She tried to collect her scattered thoughts as she hung her jacket in the hall closet. After all, Ry had not said definitely about going to a movie and dinner. It had been left open, that he would call. Perhaps he had become involved in some kind of business meeting? She tried to shove her disappointment aside, but it told her just how attracted she was to Ry Collier and how much she wanted to see him again on a purely social basis having nothing to do with their wedding responsibilities as maid of honor and best man.
She glanced at her watch. It was two-thirty and she hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast. She wandered listlessly toward the kitchen. Then the phone rang. She raced to answer it, her heart pounding with excitement. It had to be Ry.
“Hi. I waited to call to make sure you’d had enough time to take care of all your business matters.”
As soon as she heard his voice a warm sensation washed through her. “Your timing is perfect. I’ve only been home for a couple of minutes.”
“Are we still on for a movie this afternoon and then dinner?”
“Yes, that sounds great.”
“Good. I’ll pick you up in an hour. Why don’t you check the movie listings and pick out a film you want to see and I’ll make reservations for dinner?”
“Anything special you want to see?”
“Whatever you pick will be fine with me. I’ll see you in a little while.”
Jean paused for a moment, her hand lingering on the phone receiver after hanging up. A smile turned the corners of her mouth as she thought about her upcoming afternoon and evening with Ry. In fact, he had been all she thought about the entire morning. The smile faded and was quickly replaced with a slight frown. Was she becoming too enamored of Ry Collier? Was it too much too quickly?
She forced the thought away as she grabbed the newspaper to check the movie listings.
Following the movie Ry and Jean entered the restaurant, her hand clasped tightly in his. They were seated at a window table overlooking the ocean.
“That was a great movie. I don’t know when I’ve laughed so much,” Jean said, enthusiastically.
“Same here.” He reached across the table and took her hand. His expression turned serious. “Thanks for sharing it with me. I’m glad you were able to take care of all your morning errands so that you were free this afternoon.” He felt so comfortable with her, more so than any other person he had ever been with. Once again he flashed on the way he could be himself around her without any pretenses. In high school, he had to live up to an image. As a successful businessman, he needed to appease clients and be diplomatic in strained situations, especially with department heads who felt threatened by his presence and intrusion into their realm.
But with Jean he could be Ry Collier without having to prove anything. He could relax and enjoy himself without having to impress anyone or sell himself as the high-powered executive. Even with the women he dated he never felt he could really be himself. Again, he always seemed to be living up to an image. It was a much needed break from his high profile, fast-paced world. It was an opportunity to sample a different and very appealing aspect of life far removed from his normal routine.
And he liked it.
He picked up his menu. “What captures your fancy?”
“I’m not sure what I have a taste for. Everything looks so good.”
Ry ordered a glass of wine for each of them as Jean studied the food selections. And while she was doing that, he studied Jean—the tilt of her head, her glossy hair, the shape of her delicious mouth. Yes, indeed—everything certainly did look good. He reached out and covered her hand with his. He seemed to crave physical contact with her even if it was nothing more than a gentle touching of their hands.
“I think I’m going to have the veal. How about you?”
Jean folded her menu and placed it on the table. “That sounds good to me, too.”
The waiter brought their glasses of wine and took their food order. Ry raised his glass toward Jean. “To a lovely lady and many more evenings
together.”
She felt the heat of her embarrassment flush across her cheeks. “Thank you.” Did she dare hope his words were heartfelt and true rather than merely the polite flattery that seemed to come to him so easily?
He reached across the table and placed his hand over hers. “So, what kind of things do you enjoy doing? We can’t continue to make going out to dinner our sole entertainment. Do you like concerts? Plays? Museums? Sporting events? Maybe something outdoors such as horseback riding, boating, skiing or hiking? What type of activity is your preference?”
“That’s quite a selection of possibilities. I’m not as keen on sporting events, but I like everything you mentioned.”
“That gives me a lot to choose from. Do you have any particular favorites?”
“Well, I like music and concerts. I think I’ve been to every museum in Seattle, some of them numerous times. And I love to do outdoor things. That’s one of the things I like so much about living in Seattle. We have both ocean and mountains right here.”
A warm sensation of contentment settled inside Jean. Ry seemed to be hanging on every word she said. He made her feel as if what she had to say was important to him. He appeared genuinely interested in what she was saying rather than simply waiting for her to finish so it would be his turn to talk. And he kept the conversation centered around her—what she thought, what she liked—without talking about himself. No one had ever paid that type of undivided attention to her, at least not in a social setting. No one had ever made her feel so very special.
They lingered over an after-dinner drink before leaving the restaurant. They walked hand in hand to his car.
“Thank you for another delightful evening. The movie, dinner—everything was marvelous.” She stifled a yawn as she waited for him to unlock the car door.
Their Child? Page 41