by Leigh, Jo
She glanced down, then back up at him, although he could see it wasn’t easy for her. She wanted to run, and there was a part of him that wanted her to. Life had been a lot simpler just a little over a day ago. Boring, maybe, but simpler.
“I’ll admit something is going on between us,” she said. “But I think it’s pretty basic. We’re attracted to each other. Physically. It’s nothing more than hormones at work.”
He shook his head. “That would be easier, but you know it’s not true.”
“No, I don’t know that. I don’t know what to think. I’ve known you only a day, and you’re asking me to come to New York and be your mistress. How is that supposed to make sense?”
“Who said anything about being a mistress?”
She blinked. “You mean that was a proposal?”
“Well, no. Not exactly.”
“Then what, exactly?”
This wasn’t going well. He’d said too much without thinking things through, which wasn’t like him at all. The reason he was so successful in business was that he’d been trained for logic. To extrapolate, to consider all sides. And here he was blundering around like a fool. “I don’t know,” he said, opting for honesty. “Maybe we just need time to figure that out.”
“And what if you figure out that it’s all been a mistake? That it was, in fact, just hormones? What then?”
“That wouldn’t happen.”
She laughed. “No? Your crystal ball is that good?”
He shook his head. “No. But my instincts are telling me that we can’t drop this here, Dani. I’ve learned to trust my instincts.”
“I have, too, Alex. And mine are on full alert. You’ll forgive me if I don’t believe the fairy tale. But in my experience, no one really lives happily ever after.”
“Maybe your experience is about to change.”
She sighed. It was a hard sound to listen to, so filled with resignation.
“We’ll never know. I’ve really got to get back to work. You can come and see Pete if you like.”
“I want to get that washer fixed.”
“Oh, yeah. Thanks. But after that, why don’t you come by? Mimi will be here at three to wait for Chloe.”
He nodded. “Okay. But Dani?”
“Hmm?”
“Just think about it? Please? Don’t just dismiss me out of hand.”
Her lips came together and her brows came down, but only for a second. “All right. I will. But you have to promise to think about it, too. Not just the romantic side to this, but the practical side. The wash-and-wear side.”
He smiled. “It’s a deal.” But as she walked away, his smile faltered. She seemed so in control. So certain of her reactions. Yet he was behaving as if he were a schoolboy. Then he noticed she’d left her purse sitting on the counter. Maybe she wasn’t so certain after all.
“YOO-HOO! MR. BRADLEY!”
Alex stopped at the sound of his name and looked around to see who was calling him. He knew he was on the right street to find Dani’s clinic, but he didn’t remember how far he had to go to get there. He’d just passed the ice-cream parlor, and was now in front of a dry cleaner’s. Behind him, he saw a woman waving and hurrying toward him. He couldn’t tell if this was one of the women he’d met before, or someone new.
As she got closer, he could make out the details of her face. Middle-aged, brown hair in a sort of pageboy, no makeup, friendly smile. Nope, this was someone he hadn’t met.
She reached him, but didn’t say anything for a minute. She just gave him a warm smile as she caught her breath. He smiled back, wondering if it was an autograph she wanted, or something more.
“Thanks for stopping,” she said, still sounding a bit breathless.
“No problem.”
“I just wanted to say thank you.”
“For what?”
She shifted her heavy-looking purse from one shoulder to the other. Like Dani, this woman seemed to be a real person. No impossibly high heels or, tight dress or bare midriff. Just jeans and a T-shirt.
“For agreeing to come to the Main Street festival.”
“Is that what I agreed to do? I never did hear the details.”
“Yep, that’s it. We’re trying to bring trade back to Main Street. It’s been over five years in the planning, and now, we’re ready to roll. Dani didn’t tell you?”
He shook his head. “She’s been a little busy.”
“Hmm. Nobody should be that busy. I’m Laura Phelps, by the way. Dani’s aunt.”
He stuck out his hand and she grabbed it. The shake was friendly and warm, like her smile. “Pleasure.
She laughed. “I’ll bet. This place must seem like Dullsville to you, huh?”
“Not at all. It’s been pretty lively since I arrived.”
“I’ve heard about all your company,” she said, raising her brows meaningfully. “Don’t judge us all by a few silly women. Most of us here are salt-of-the-earth folk. Not glamorous by any stretch, but basically honest and good.”
“That beats glamorous any day.”
She nodded, but at the same time she was busy taking him in. Her intelligent gaze swept over him slowly from head to toe. Funny, he wanted her to approve. She was Dani’s aunt after all. Perhaps a good word from her would go far.
“You know that half the proceeds from the festival are earmarked for Dani’s animal shelter?”
“Karen mentioned something about that.”
“With you on board, that’s going to turn out to be quite a bit of money, I’m thinking.”
“I don’t know. I don’t think salt-of-the-earth folks give too big a damn about someone like me.”
Her smile widened. “Even us salty types like a little celebrity spice now and then. We’ll get us a turnout. You just watch.”
“Well, I’m glad to help.”
“That shelter means a heck of a lot to our girl.”
He folded his arms over his chest and studied her for a moment. Something was going on, and it only took him a few more seconds to get it. “So what’s the overall budget of this shelter?” he asked.
“Around one hundred thousand.”
“And what do you expect to earn at this festival?”
“With you there? Maybe ten thousand. Maybe a little less.”
He nodded. “I assume you’d take anonymous donations?”
Her smile was relieved, and pleased. “You betcha.”
“I mean it about the anonymous part.”
She crossed her heart with her index finger. “I’ll never tell a soul.”
“It’s a deal.”
“Um, mind telling me what this donation is going to be?”
He grinned. “I really hope you’re in sales. It would be a pity to waste your talent.”
“Real estate. Number one in the county.”
“Uh-huh. Well, Aunt Laura, you can put me down for the balance.”
Her eyes widened. “You sure? That’s quite a chunk of change.”
“I can write it off.”
“Hot damn,” she said, rubbing her hands together. “I like your style.”
“Yours isn’t too bad, either,” he said.
She winked at him. “Number one in the county. Well, I’ve kept you long enough. I’ll be sure and find you on Saturday.”
“I figured.”
“You be good now,” she said cheerfully. Then she moved off, but before she got too far away she stopped and turned to face him. “A lot of people here love Dani, you know.”
“That’s no surprise.”
“We care what happens to her.”
“Uh-huh.”
“As nice as you’ve been, I don’t think there’s anything to worry about, but you just remember. This is her home. Her town. She’s one of our own.”
“I have no intention of hurting her,” he said.
“Good.” She turned once more but only got one step away before she stopped again. “Alex?”
He nodded.
“It’s been a lon
g time between boyfriends, you know.”
His eyes narrowed. What was she getting at? “Yes?”
“I’m thinking it wouldn’t do either of you any harm to do some smooching.”
He grinned. “I like the way you think.”
“Smooching, bucko. That’s all. You want to do more, you’d better be looking at rings.”
“I see.”
“Okay then.” With that, she turned again and this time he watched her walk all the way down to the bank and go inside.
Looking at rings. Just the mention of the small gold bands had him shaking his head. He wasn’t ready for marriage, and Dani... He had made peace with the idea of wanting her beyond reason, but marriage? How could he forget everything he’d ever learned, toss his whole history aside? There hadn’t been many hard and fast rules in his life, but the ones that were there were stringent. The kind of woman that equaled success was as clear to him as the bright afternoon sun. She had to be a little timid. Not too bright. Model pretty. A good hostess. A dutiful wife who understood her place in the scheme of things.
Dani was none of those things. Well, nothing except pretty, but even there she wasn’t the kind of pretty his father had meant. A sudden thought stopped him. Was he attracted to Dani just because she wasn’t his ideal? Was this all an act of rebellion, and not true desire?
He continued to walk toward the clinic, but slowly, thinking. He’d had plenty of time in his life to rebel. Why would he start now? There was much more involved here than making a statement against his father’s way of life. If he hadn’t seen for himself that the rules worked, that would be one thing. But he had. He’d seen his father’s power and success. Seen how his own mother had been part of that success. True, he’d wondered from time to time if his father wouldn’t have been happier married to one of his mistresses. But once he’d discovered his mother had a lover of her own, it all made sense.
It was civilized as hell, and no one seemed to get hurt. At least he’d never heard them complain.
Of course he could never have Dani as his mistress. It wouldn’t be anything so old-fashioned. Of course he’d help her financially, but that just made sense. The one thing he had plenty of was money. But he’d never expect Dani to stop her practice. To live her life just for his pleasure. He’d encourage her to get the most out of life. To do the things she’d always wanted to. They could be friends, and lovers, and companions. So what if they weren’t married? That wasn’t so important these days. Besides, she was so independent, she probably didn’t even want to many.
He finally reached the clinic, and pulled open the glass door. Several people were in the waiting room, along with their pets. Two dogs, one a Great Dane, the other a terrier, were busy sniffing each other. A cat, held by a teenage boy with several earrings in his right ear and his nose, meowed loudly. He also saw a bird, a snake in a box and a hamster.
All of the owners, with the exception of the teenage boy, stared at him. It wasn’t the usual polite look people gave when a newcomer joined the party, but full-out gawking. He smiled, but his heart wasn’t in it. He was in no mood to be a celebrity this afternoon.
Moving to the reception desk, he saw the young woman who’d helped him the other day. She didn’t wait for him to ask for admittance. She just went to the door and opened it for him.
“Dani’s in with a patient now, but you can go back and see Pete. Last door on the right.”
“Thanks,” he said, heading back.
He heard her long sigh, and knew without checking that she was watching him. Probably checking out his butt. Oh, well. There was nothing he could do about that.
He turned the corner and entered the large room he’d been in last night. Pete was already on his feet, wagging his whole body. Damn, it felt good to see his old friend looking so good. His coat was shinier than it had been in ages. Even from here, Alex could see his breathing was better.
He went to the cage and opened it up. Pete was on him in a flash, and when Alex sat down, Pete licked his face with such affection Alex laughed out loud. Which wasn’t such a smart move. He loved Pete, but not enough to French kiss.
“I think he missed you a little.”
Alex looked up to see Dani standing by the door. She looked so beautiful in her white lab coat. Why something so plain should make her look so good was a question for the fashion experts. All he knew was that he wanted her. Right then and there. “I’ve missed you,” he said.
“Well, don’t go licking my face to show me,” she said, walking toward the cage. “He’s really doing well. His respiration is back to normal, he’s eating. But he’s still a little dehydrated.”
“Then you want him here for another night?”
She nodded. “It would be best, I think. If he were a little younger I wouldn’t be so concerned.”
“I don’t want to take any risks.”
“Good. But you can spring him tomorrow. No reason to keep him here after that.”
“Would you mind if I brought him to your place?”
She shook her head. “No. But there’s really no need to. It’s really not necessary for you to stay over the weekend. I mean, it was nice of you to agree and all, but if you’re staying out of some feeling of obligation...”
“I’m not. I want to stay.”
“It’s going to be a zoo. And you’re going to be the prize exhibit.”
“I can take it.”
“Take it? Or want it?”
He really looked at her then. She wouldn’t meet his gaze, and he saw a slight flush on her cheeks. “Dani?”
“Yes?”
“What’s this about?”
She still didn’t look at him. “Nothing.”
“No, you said something earlier, back at the house. Something about me enjoying the attention.”
“Don’t you?”
He shook his head. “You think I want to stay here because I want a bunch of strange women pawing me?”
“I think that’s part of it.”
He sighed. “Dani, my sweet. For a smart woman, you can be awfully dumb.”
She straightened, and the first look she gave him head-on was full of indignation. “I beg your pardon?”
He stood up and walked over to her. Damn, she made him so crazy. “There’s only one thing that could keep me in this town once Pete is well and that’s you.”
He waited patiently for her to meet his gaze. When she did, her eyes weren’t troubled, as he’d anticipated. They were filled with fire.
“So let me ask you something, Mr. I-only-tell-the-truth. If I sleep with you tonight, are you still going to want to stick around tomorrow?”
Chapter Ten
Dani could barely believe she’d asked him the question. His face told her he was having trouble believing it as well. But darn it, she wanted to know. Of course, no matter what his answer was, she would still have her doubts. But maybe there would be a hint of guilt in his eyes, a flash of remorse on his face that would tell her the truth. She studied him intently, but she didn’t see a sign of either.
What she did see was hurt. Confusion. Desire.
“You think all I want is to make love to you?” he asked. “Honestly?”
“I think it’s a possibility.”
He sighed as he studied her. “What we have here is a problem. If we don’t have sex, you won’t come with me because you’ll think I just want to have sex, and that’ll be that. But I don’t want to have sex just to prove something to you.” He stepped closer and brushed the back of his hand against her cheek. “The thing is, I want to make love with you. That requires two people, both of whom want to share something intimate and special. Not a scientific experiment.”
She melted into his caress. The feel of his hand on her skin made her close her eyes to concentrate. She reached up and held his hand steady, not willing to let him go. “That is a problem,” she whispered.
“It doesn’t have to be.”
It was her turn to sigh. And open her eyes. She didn’t
just let go of his hand, but took it in hers and brought it down to his side. There she left it, although it brought a quick lump to her throat. “Maybe you should just leave tomorrow.”
“Is that what you want?”
She almost said yes. She tried to say yes. But the word wouldn’t come. “I don’t know,” she said, finally.
“Here’s what I think.” He didn’t bring his hand to her cheek again. Instead he circled her waist with his arms and pulled her very close against him. His body and hers touched from knee to chest. Her nipples immediately hardened against him, although she didn’t think he could feel it. She, however, felt his arousal against her lower belly and the thought of him so hard just from talking about making love with her was enough to make her dizzy.
“I think you don’t know me well enough yet,” he said. “If you did, the problem would be solved.”
His little grin told her he was kidding. Well, almost kidding. She had to concentrate on his grin, because if she thought about her body, or his, this conversation would be moot in about three hot seconds. She swallowed, and hoped her voice wouldn’t betray the heat that was coursing through her. “Boy, that’s some ego you have there.”
“Hey, I promised I’d only tell you the truth. Besides, some information is hard to disguise.” He pulled her tighter to prove his point.
Despite the voice inside her head that kept repeating the urgent warning to leave, right now, she brought her arms up and circled his neck. Her ability to speak had fled, and all she could do was look up into those beautiful dark eyes. The confusion and hurt were gone, leaving his desire so plain and clear that it made her stomach clench to see it.
He moved his head down, slowly, while he kept her gaze locked on his. Was her expression a reflection of his own? Could he see how much she wanted him?
When his lips touched hers, she knew he could read her like a book. He was right. Some things couldn’t be disguised.
“Dani—oh!”
Dani pulled away from Alex, and stepped back until her heel hit Pete’s cage. Connie stood in the doorway. Her startled gaze went from Alex to Dani, and then her expression changed to one of pure amazement. Dani recognized the look. She’d seen it often enough when she’d been with Randy. The unasked question was always there. What would a man like him be doing with a woman like her. She couldn’t blame Connie, though. The question was quite reasonable.