Their Child?

by Christine Rimmer

  He cocked his head and allowed a teasing grin to play across his lips. “Bored?”

  She quickly recovered. “Not at all. Just a little tired. I need to be at work by seven o’clock tomorrow morning for a meeting with my staff before we start our workday. It’s a once a month activity and tomorrow is the day…the first Monday of the month. So…I guess we should call it an evening.” The words were well intentioned, but deep down inside she didn’t mean them. She wanted to spend more time with Ry, a lot more time—possibly even the entire night. The realization of her thoughts shocked her. She quickly shook away the troublesome notion and all the enticing implications that went with it.

  Ry opened the car door for her, then slid in behind the wheel. It seemed as if only a few minutes had passed when he pulled into her driveway. He shut off the engine, then turned to face her as he glanced at his watch. “Are you sure you need to call it a night?” He took hold of her hand. “It’s not that late.”

  A tremor of excitement made its way through her body. She knew she needed to break the physical contact if she was going to maintain her determination to go inside alone while sending Ry home.

  “I’m sure. I was up very early this morning and need to be at work very early tomorrow morning.” She opened her car door and started to slide out of the seat.

  “Well,” he said, opening his car door, “the least you can do is let me walk you to your front door and see you safely inside.”

  As he had done the previous night, he took her key from her hand and unlocked the door for her. He hesitated a moment, hoping she would ask him in. When she took the key from his hand and stepped inside without offering an invitation for coffee, the disappointment flooded through him.

  He impulsively grasped her hand, pulled her toward him, then enfolded her in his embrace. A moment later he captured her mouth with a kiss that left nothing to the imagination about what he wanted. His tongue brushed against hers as he sought out the dark recesses of her mouth and reveled in her addictive taste. He twined his fingers in the silky strands of her hair and caressed her shoulders. A moment later a rush of excitement swept through his body as her arms encircled his neck.

  He stepped inside the entryway, Jean still wrapped in his arms and the tangible connection of the kiss still intact. He shoved the door shut with his foot. He did not want to leave. He did not want to give up her taste or the way she felt in his arms. He did not want to relinquish the way she drove his senses wild.

  Jean’s ragged breathing matched his. Her logic and common sense kept pushing at her to put a stop to what was happening before it went any further. Her desires, however, told her it might already be too late. Summoning all her emotional strength, she managed to break the kiss. She took a step back in an attempt to distance herself from the passion that had nearly overwhelmed her.

  “Please…” Her insides shook as she fought to bring her breathing under control. She tried, but was unable to keep the quaver out of her voice. “I think we should call it a night.”

  He cupped her face in his hands, then reached out a trembling finger and slowly traced the outline of her kissswollen lips. The husky quality of his voice said as much as his words. “Are you sure? I’d like very much to stay.”

  She took another step backward. “Not tonight.”

  He grasped her hand and started to pull her closer, but she quickly sidestepped his attempt. Her words came out in a breathless rush. “Please, Ry…”

  “Okay.” He released her hand and gave up a sigh of resignation. “I’ll leave, but I certainly don’t want to.” He placed his hands on her shoulders. “How about dinner tomorrow night?”

  “I can’t. I have a meeting of my little theater group after work.”

  “That means I won’t see you again until Tuesday evening when we have our dinner with Bill and Susan.”

  She attempted to force a casual smile which was far removed from the internal battle going on inside her. “Yes, it seems that way.”

  He drew her to him, placed a tender kiss on her lips, then turned loose of her. “I’ll see you Tuesday evening.”

  Jean watched as he backed out of her driveway and drove away. Would she live to regret the decision she had just made? She tried to approach it in a sensible manner. Spending the night with Ryland Collier was certainly a very appealing idea, but the entire concept was not practical. She could not allow her emotions to carry her away on a cloud of desire. The two of them may have resolved the hurt of the past, but in the present they were little more than strangers. Regardless of their conversation at dinner, their relationship seemed to be built around heated desires and sexual energy rather than really knowing each other as adults.

  She took a calming breath. Ry had her emotionally confused. She turned out the lights and went upstairs to her bedroom…alone. She undressed and climbed into bed…alone. She would spend the rest of the night…alone. It was not what she wanted, but she believed it was for the best. Was she only kidding herself?

  On Tuesday night, Ry extended a sincere smile across the table toward Bill and Susan. “That was a terrific meal.”

  Jean quickly agreed with him. “Yes, it was marvelous. Thank you for the treat.”

  Bill pointedly stared at the way Ry had scooted closer to Jean in the booth and put his arm around her shoulder. He shot a knowing look at Susan before acknowledging the comments. “It was our pleasure. The last couple of weeks have been so hectic. It was nice to be able to kick back and enjoy a quiet meal with good friends.”

  “And speaking of good friends—” Susan returned Bill’s knowing look, then turned her attention to Jean and Ry “—it seems that the two of you are certainly getting along well.”

  “Of course we are. We’ve known each other for several years.” Ry noted the surprised expressions on Bill’s and Susan’s faces. “It just took us a little while to figure it out. We went to high school together, lost contact with each other and now have renewed our friendship.”

  Susan leaned across the table toward Jean, her excitement evident in her voice. “This is a total surprise. Why didn’t you tell me the two of you knew each other?”

  Jean cast a sheepish glance toward the table, then out the window before returning to Susan. “I guess I didn’t think about it.”

  “Well, you’ll have to tell me all about this.”

  Bill put his arm around Susan’s shoulder and drew her closer to his side. “Don’t feel bad, Ry didn’t tell me about it, either.”

  Jean tried to offer what she hoped would be an adequate explanation without going into any of the details. “There really isn’t that much to tell. Ry was a year ahead of me in high school. We knew each other for a couple of years before he graduated, then he went away to college and I stayed here.”

  Ry sensed Jean’s reluctance at discussing the topic and moved quickly to relieve her discomfort. He lifted his wineglass toward Bill and Susan to offer a toast. “Here’s to a long and happy life for the two of you.”

  Ry saw the way Susan and Bill looked at each other before taking a drink to seal the toast. It was so obvious how much they loved each other. What must it be like to be so totally head-over-heels in love with someone? And marriage—if there was any such thing as a happy marriage it looked as if Susan and Bill would have it. A wave of despondency washed through him. Maybe it was possible for it to work for some people, but he knew he was not one of them.

  He drew Jean closer to him. He had a sudden craving for the closeness and comfort that being with her brought him. Was he getting in over his head? He didn’t know, but the possibility left him a little unnerved.

  The four of them lingered over coffee and dessert, enjoying casual conversation and an evening of friendship. It felt so real, so comfortable…so settled.

  The feeling continued to grow inside Ry as he drove Jean back to her condo. He tried to snap himself out of what he feared was a false sense of well-being. Maybe it felt good now, but it was an intangible that he knew couldn’t last. They arri
ved at her condo. Ry walked her to the door, then went inside without waiting to be invited.

  He closed the front door, then pulled her into his embrace. “It was a nice evening, wasn’t it? I enjoyed it.”

  “Yes, Susan and Bill are good company and such a perfect couple. It will be an ideal marriage.” Waves of excitement swept through her body as he held her tightly in his arms. It had been only a few days since they had come in contact with each other after fifteen years apart, only a few days since they had resolved the painful past. How could she possibly feel that way about someone in only a few short days?

  He placed his fingertips beneath her chin and gently lifted until he could see her eyes. He brushed a soft kiss across her lips, then took a calming breath. He wanted to make love to her, he wanted it more than anything.

  “Jean…” He didn’t know what to say. It had never been a problem for him before, initiating lovemaking with a desirable woman. But she was different. He captured her mouth with a kiss that quickly deepened in its intensity. His fingers made their way to the front of her blouse and unfastened each button until the garment fell open. He placed a tender kiss on her throat, then scooped her up in his arms.

  The cool air hit the bare skin of her chest sending a quick jolt of reality through her passion-clouded senses. What had been escalating euphoria a moment earlier quickly became tinged with a hint of panic. With a great deal of difficulty she broke off the delicious kiss that had worked its way into the very core of her desires. Her words came out as a breathless whisper, almost as much a question as a statement.

  “Put me down.”

  “Jean…”

  “Please…” Her eyes searched his, almost pleading. Her fear was not for her physical safety. Far from it. But it was most assuredly fear of the emotional entanglement making love would produce. He hesitated, then lowered her until her feet touched the floor and she stood on her own.

  She refastened a couple of the buttons on her blouse, then nervously ran her fingers through her hair smoothing it away from her face. She swallowed in an attempt to tamp down her anxiety. “You…you’re rushing me, Ry. I’m not sure I’m ready to take this large a step with you…” She drew in a steadying breath. “At least not yet. Please give me more time.”

  He pulled her into his embrace and nestled her head against his shoulder. He drew in several deep breaths and slowly exhaled before speaking. His insides trembled as he attempted to formulate his words. “I’m sorry, Jean. The last thing I want to do is make you feel uncomfortable.”

  Her words were barely above a whisper. “I know.”

  He continued to hold her for several minutes, neither of them saying anything. He wasn’t sure what he was experiencing at that moment. Certainly disappointment, but something else more intense. He cared about her feelings. He cared very much about her.

  He took another calming breath before speaking. “I have a business meeting tomorrow evening and I’m not sure how late it will last. Is it okay if I call you when the meeting is over?”

  “Yes, I’d like that.”

  “And the next night…Thursday…I have access to a couple of very good seats for the jazz concert.” He brushed a tender kiss against her lips. “Would you like to go with me?”

  A soft smile curled the corners of her lips. “I’d like that, too.”

  “I’ll call you tomorrow night.” He gave her a goodnight kiss that said far more than his words had.

  He reluctantly left her condo and drove back to his hotel. Jean had him completely confused about everything when he used to be so certain. Where he once had shunned the notion of a relationship based on anything more than physical desires, now he found the idea creeping into his thoughts more and more. And those thoughts centered around Jean.

  The former Sally Jean Potter, his special high school friend from long ago, now monopolized his thoughts as Jean Summerfield to an extent he never believed could be possible.

  And it truly frightened him more than anything ever had.

  On Wednesday evening, Ry opened the door to his hotel suite and greeted his visitor. “It’s nice to see you again, Matt.” He indicated the table where they would conduct their meeting.

  Matt Jarvis opened his attaché case and removed a file folder. “It’s like I explained to you, Ry, a furniture manufacturing company has some special problems not present in other manufacturing situations, especially ours where we do custom work and very little assembly-line-type of production. I know we are in serious need of instituting some new streamlined methods, but I don’t know where or how to begin. I’m particularly concerned about the personnel department. It seems to be a quagmire of unrelated things and I’m not sure how to straighten it out. My personnel manager does a marvelous job with what has been handed her, but there has to be some easier way to handle all the bits and pieces of stuff that gets thrown her way.”

  Matt leveled his steady gaze at Ry. “So, how do you want to proceed on Monday morning?”

  “It will probably be easier if you and I go from department to department where you can introduce me and explain why I’m there. It will be less disruptive than shutting down everything and calling all the employees together in one place. I’d like to spend the first week just observing the various departments and watching how they interrelate, then I’ll spend concentrated time in each department to study their flow system. At the end of the four weeks I’ll present you with a written report of my findings along with detailed recommendations for improved efficiency within each department and a better flow between departments and an overall restructuring plan for the company.”

  “That sounds good to me.” Matt opened a file folder. “Here are some of my concerns and areas where I’d like you to pay particular attention.” He handed several sheets of paper to Ry.

  The meeting continued for another three hours with Ry and Matt discussing the areas of concern and the procedures Ry would be using for his four week evaluation. Finally Matt closed his attaché case and left Ry’s hotel suite. Ry made some additional notes and added them to his file, then set the work project aside. His mind was filled with so many thoughts of Jean that any more work had become nearly impossible. Even if he couldn’t see her that night he could at least talk to her and hear her voice.

  He dialed her number. “Hi, I didn’t wake you, did I? I’m sorry to be calling so late.”

  “No, you didn’t wake me. I was watching the news.”

  “I would have called earlier, but my client just left. The meeting went a little longer than I had anticipated. I had hoped it would end early enough for us to still be able to do something tonight.” He hesitated, not sure of exactly how to express himself. “I’m still willing. How about you? I could be at your place in a few minutes.”

  A soft laugh traveled the phone line to his ear. “Not tonight. I’m already in my pajamas and will be headed for bed as soon as the news is over.”

  He started to make a comment about helping her to her bedroom, but held his words. Even though he knew she would tell him it was too late for them to see each other that night, it did not stop the twinge of disappointment from assailing his senses. “Yes, you’re right. It is too late. Are we still on for the jazz concert tomorrow night? I’ll pick you up at seven o’clock. Will that be okay?”

  “That will be perfect. I’ll see you then. Good night.”

  “Good night.” Ry hung up the phone, but allowed his hand to linger on the receiver after placing it in the cradle. He wanted to share everything with her, be part of everything she did. It was a very new feeling for him, something he had not experienced before. But exactly what did it mean? He didn’t really know if he wanted an answer to that question.

  Following the concert Thursday night, they returned to Jean’s condo. Ry unlocked Jean’s front door, then handed the key to her. “Great concert. I can still feel the electricity in the air,” he said.

  “I totally agree. What an exciting performance. The music is still coursing inside me.” Her w
ords may have been enthusiastic, but her concerns for what the evening’s culmination would bring had been growing inside her on the drive back to her condo. She stepped inside, hesitated, then moved aside so he could enter the living room.

  It was a moment that had been preying on her mind for the past half hour, ever since the end of the jazz concert. Would she be able to continue resisting his all-too-tempting manner? Or perhaps a better question might be to ask herself if she would be able to resist her own heated desires where Ry Collier was concerned.

  “Would you like some coffee?”

  “That would be nice, thank you.”

  She went to the kitchen with Ry following right behind her. As soon as she stopped walking, he pulled her into his embrace.

  She started to take a step backward as she emitted a bit of a self-conscious chuckle. “Ry, I haven’t had a chance to make the coffee yet.”

  “That’s okay. I don’t really want any coffee.” He quickly captured her mouth with a kiss that went from casual to passionate in less than a second. He ran his hand down her back, across her hip and finally cupped her bottom. He pulled her hips closer, snuggling them against his.

  The moment of her concern had arrived. She felt his growing hardness press against her. Then, as if her arms had a will and mind of their own, they circled around his neck and she returned his kiss with an amount of fervor equal to his. She felt herself being drawn further and further into the magnetic web of his masculinity. And with each passing second she grew less and less certain about her ability to maintain any control over what was happening. Her thoughts swirled around in a fog. One second she wanted to make love with Ry and then the next she knew she had to break it off before it was too late.

  With a great deal of difficulty she managed to end the delicious kiss that had consumed her much like an out of control wildfire. She fought to bring her ragged breathing under control before attempting to speak.

  “Please, Ry…you’re rushing me.”

  He attempted to force his labored breathing into a calmer mode without much success. “I don’t mean to.” He took another steadying breath as he cradled her head against his shoulder. “You are so desirable…and so very special. It’s just that I—” He bit off his words before he said any more. He had already said too much.