“Do your brothers and sisters feel the same way you do?”
“Yeah, but we don’t talk about it anymore. It brings up bad memories – those we wish to leave buried.”
“Thanks for telling me,” she said sweetly.
When he met her eyes again, his heart softened. The terrible memories of his childhood disappeared quickly. He enjoyed her pleasant expression as she stared at him. He couldn’t see pity on her face at all. Hope leapt inside his heart, but he pushed it away. He knew he’d inevitably be shot down.
“Well, it’s getting late and we both have early days tomorrow.” He pushed away from the table and grabbed the half-empty containers of food.
She rose and reached to take his. “I’ll clean up. You go to bed.”
“It’s okay. I already have them.” He held them up and winked. “And the garbage is on my way out.”
She met him at the garbage, depositing her containers. Their arms accidentally brushed against each other. Ripples of delight ran through his body. Her touch had always done that to him. But he noticed she had felt something, too. Why couldn’t she admit that she was attracted to him – if only a little?
He started to move past her, but she loosely took hold of his hand. His heart shot up to his throat and he couldn’t swallow. Her eyes were so blue. He could stare at them all night long and not become bored.
“Hey, Calvin. I just wanted you to know that I really appreciate what you did for me. If not for you...” She shrugged. “I guess I’d still be selling one dress a day.”
He swept his fingers along the side of her face, moving away her damp hair. “I was happy to do it. One of these days, you’re going to be a big fashion designer. In fact, I’m sure sales will only grow from this point forward.”
Rayne’s gaze dropped to his mouth. His heartbeat pounded out a faster rhythm, but he still tried to keep his excitement in check.
Her smile relaxed. “Why did you have to be so wonderful?”
He held his breath. Had he heard her correctly? “Wh-what?”
“Calvin Gates, you really are the sweetest man I’ve ever met.”
She leaned up and kissed his cheek. Electricity charged through him and he jumped. Before she could pull away, he turned his face toward hers. His mouth brushed across hers. She sucked in a quick breath of her own, but didn’t move as she stared into his eyes.
He couldn’t allow this moment to get away without tempting fate. Acting quickly before she changed her mind, he moved closer to brush his lips across hers again. He watched her reaction. Her eyes locked with his.
But still she didn’t pull away. He moved his mouth to hers, holding it there this time. Closing his eyes, he slipped his arms around her waist and urged her up against him. Slowly, her palms slid up his bare chest, all the way to his shoulders, and then up a little more until they hooked around his neck.
This kiss was far different from any others they’d shared – light and almost hesitant as if each one worried the other would pull away. But he needed more than just light pecks.
He tightened his hold, and her body aligned perfectly to his. Tilting his head, he deepened the kiss. A ragged moan escaped her throat as she relaxed into his embrace.
Happiness swelled inside him as his heartbeat knocked crazily against his ribs. He kissed her exactly how he’d wanted to since their wedding ceremony... passionately and with abandon.
The moment her fingers threaded through his hair, the kiss turned up a notch. He hadn’t realized they’d moved until he had her pushed against the wall. But neither of them seemed to mind.
Calvin’s chest burst with so much emotion he could scarcely breathe. Thoughts of lifting her in his arms and carrying her to his room filled his head. After all, it wasn’t wrong. They were married.
Just as he shifted his arms to pick her up, the loud buzzing of her cell phone disturbed the passionate moment. Before he could stop her, she moved away from him. Her breaths were ragged as she fumbled for her phone.
“Hello?” she answered in a strangled voice.
He couldn’t tear his eyes from her, and thankfully, her gaze was locked with his.
“Oh. Hi, Sally.” Her chest heaved as she leaned against the wall.
He waited for her to tell him with her eyes that the kiss was over for the night, but so far, he hadn’t received that silent message. Would she get upset if he slowly stepped toward her and wrapped her in his arms once again?
“What?” Rayne’s voice grew louder as she turned away from him and walked into the living room.
Groaning, he pressed his head against the wall. There was the message he’d hoped she wouldn’t give him. But at least she’d kissed him. She had made the first move, even if it was to kiss his cheek. Since they had gone this far tonight, what would tomorrow night be like?
He’d have to somehow keep her from feeling guilty. As long as that feeling didn’t enter her mind, Calvin Gates just might have a chance at winning his wife’s affections.
RAYNE SAT BEHIND THE counter as she stared out the large picture window of her shop. The early afternoon sun was almost too bright, so she’d kept her sunglasses on. Dusti and Lacey made jokes about her tying one on last night, but Rayne wouldn’t tell her friends what had really happened last night to make her lose sleep and wake up with a dull headache.
Kissing Calvin hadn’t been planned, but when it finally happened, it was like a dream come true. And yet, she wondered why she’d been having dreams of kissing him in the first place. Every second of their passionate moment had been wonderful. She hadn’t wanted it to end.
When Sally had called, Rayne had known her cousin needed her undivided attention since she was going through a divorce. Sally was the closest relative Rayne had and she didn’t want to lose that bond, even if it meant stopping the most passionate kiss she’d ever had.
One of the reasons she hadn’t slept last night was because she felt guilty for not remembering Eddie’s passionate kisses. Had he kissed her to the point that she’d lost contact with everything around her and only focused on the man holding her? She couldn’t recall feeling like that with Eddie. Calvin had somehow erased her memory of other men.
“Hey, why don’t you take your lunch now?” Lacey asked as she stopped in front of a wall mirror and rearranged the blue streak of hair on her head. “I’m sure you’ll want to see if your yummy husband would like to take a lunch with you. Right?” Through the mirror Lacey met Rayne’s gaze and she waggled her eyebrows.
“If you must know,” Rayne moved away from the counter, “my husband’s firm is working on a big case. He won’t have time to take an hour out of his day to have lunch with me.”
Lacey shrugged and moved toward the front counter. “Well, then just take an hour and enjoy the pretty day.”
“I guess I can do that.” Rayne grabbed her purse. “See you later.”
She walked out of the shop and inhaled the fresh air. Somewhere nearby there was a lilac bush, because she could smell the lovely scent. She couldn’t remember being aware of smells in the air while walking to her car. Of course, being around an incredibly handsome man who smelled so good, she was bound to find those things in life that were pleasing.
She walked to the parking lot and clicked on her remote to unlock the doors. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a man rushing toward her. She jumped and focused on him just as he reached her and took her in his arms.
She gasped and pressed her hands against his chest, stopping him from getting any closer. Her heartbeat thudded faster as adrenaline shot through her. “Eddie? What are you doing out here? You scared me to death rushing up like that.”
“Sorry. I wanted to surprise you.” He bent his head and snuggled his face in the crook of her neck. She hitched a breath. Slowly anger filled her. She shoved him back and glared. “What do you think you’re doing?”
He arched an eyebrow in question. “Kissing the woman I love.”
She shook her head. “Eddie, I’m married – and not to
you. Have you forgotten that we can’t do this until after I’m divorced?” For some reason, saying the word divorced made her heart wrench as if she had just lost her best friend.
“I’m sorry.” He dropped his hands to his sides. “I’ve missed you so much.”
She exhaled slowly. “I know, Eddie. I’ve missed you, but we can’t have an affair.”
“You mean I can’t even hold you?”
“No.”
“I can’t take you out to lunch, or spend time with you after work?”
“No, Eddie. Not until I’m... not married anymore.”
He frowned and folded his arms. “Can I at least call you?”
“Yes, of course. I want to keep in contact with you. Twelve months is a long time.”
“These past few months have been insane for me. I miss you so much.”
Her heart twisted. Sadly, she couldn’t bring herself to say those words. She missed him, but not so much. “I know, Eddie, but we both need to be strong.”
He motioned toward her car. “Are you going to lunch?”
“Yes.”
“Can I go with you?”
“No. Not unless we have other people with us.”
“Fine,” he snapped. His lips thinned as his jaw hardened. “Then I guess I’ll have to find some other friends to hang out with.” He turned and walked away. “Catch you later,” he said over his shoulder as he flipped his hand in the air.
She climbed in her car and locked the door, but she just sat there as she assessed her emotions. She should feel devastated, but she wasn’t. Perhaps she really needed to analyze her feelings for Eddie to see if he really was worth waiting for.
NINE
Calvin really disliked it when his firm planned a dinner meeting with their clients. He agreed they all had to eat, but he didn’t like going to a nice restaurant without his wife. Since their heated kiss the other day, all he wanted to do was stay home with her and enjoy her company. Unfortunately, that wasn’t on his schedule.
He couldn’t believe he’d let almost two days go by without seeing her. They’d texted back and forth as he let her know how his busy schedule was going, but that wasn’t the same as staring into her enchanting eyes. And most of all, he wanted another chance to kiss her and to see if she would let him kiss her.
As he sat in his chair with the group around the large table, he listened to the other partners in the firm joke about things that had happened in their lives. Although he chuckled, he still didn’t feel that connected to the group. Not when his mind was on a very beautiful woman.
His cell phone buzzed in his pocket, and he quickly withdrew it. Caller ID read Rayne. Excitement grew in his chest as he pushed away from the table. “I hope you’ll excuse me for a moment. This call is important.”
They nodded but continued their stories as if he wasn’t that significant.
He hurried out into the lobby. “Hello,” he answered.
“Hi. I’m sorry to interrupt your meeting.”
He smiled. Her voice was like angels singing to his lonely ears. “No. You can never interrupt. Don’t you know that wives are the exception to the rule?”
“Are you still in the meeting then?”
“We took the meeting to Breezy Hideaway.” He sighed. “You don’t know how much I wish you were here.”
“They have good food. We’ll have to go there by ourselves next time.”
Butterflies flipped in his chest, and he loved the feeling. “Yes. It’s a date.”
“But I just called to tell you that I’m going to Sally’s tonight. She’s so distraught. Her soon-to-be-ex is trying to take her for all she has.”
The lobby became full of patrons, and the noise level grew. He stepped out the side door to the patio and stayed next to the brick wall. “She didn’t sign a prenuptial agreement?”
“No.”
Calvin frowned. “Well, let’s hope she can get a really good lawyer then. From the few things you’ve told me about her husband, he’s a real jerk. I’d hate to see him get even one penny of their assets.”
“No kidding. That wouldn’t be fair at all.”
“Let me know if I can help. Call me anytime.”
“I might be late getting home.”
He glanced back inside the restaurant. “Yeah, I’ll probably be late, too.” He chuckled lightly. “But seriously, call me if Sally has any more legal questions.”
“I will. Thanks, Calvin.”
“I’ll see you later.”
“Okay. Bye.”
As he clicked off his phone, he stared at the ground, wondering if they’d ever get a moment together. With both having busy schedules, their marriage could slip right by without them getting to know each other. He couldn’t have that.”
The deep laughter of a woman in one of the nearby tables drew his attention. Out on the patio, the tables were more secluded because of the vine-covered alcove that was sprinkled with tiny lights to make it appear as a night sky. He glanced at the couple snuggling together as the man kissed the woman’s neck. The woman’s gurgled sighs let Calvin know how much she enjoyed her date’s attention.
He quickly turned away, not wanting to hear or see them because it would make him wish that he and Rayne were the ones cuddling and kissing.
“Oh, Eddie...” the woman sighed.
Calvin had reached for the door, but when he heard the familiar name, he froze. Eddie? As in Rayne’s Eddie?
Shaking his head, he tried to convince himself that there was more than one guy named Eddie in this town. But curiosity got the better of him, and Calvin slowly moved away from the door and toward the couple. They both had their backs toward him, and with the seclusion out here on the patio, he wondered if he’d even see them at all.
A waiter moved passed Calvin. An idea sprang to his mind, so he reached out and grasped the waiter’s arm and motioned him to come closer. The young man, whose baby-face made Calvin wonder if he was still in college, scrunched his forehead and he came closer. Calvin reached into his pocket and pulled out a twenty-dollar bill.
As he handed the money to the waiter, Calvin whispered, “Do me a favor. Go to that table over there and ask if they need anything.”
The waiter’s gaze jumped back and forth between Calvin and the couple at the table. “But they just ordered.”
Calvin withdrew the twenty-dollar bill. “Then I guess this isn’t necessary—”
“But I can see if they’d like their drinks refilled,” the young man added quickly.
“Yes. That’s a good idea. But when you go to their table, stand closer to the light. I want to see who they are. I think I know them.”
The man nodded and held out his hand to take the money.
“But don’t tell them I’m here.” Calvin arched an eyebrow.
“Got it.” The waiter nodded, took the money, and moved to the table.
Calvin stepped back, more into the shadows of the building. He watched the waiter interrupt them. When the man named Eddie sat upright, Calvin sucked in his breath. That was Rayne’s Eddie!
Fisting his hands by his side, Calvin gritted his teeth. How could he tell Rayne? And if he told her, would she think he was just trying to break them up so that Calvin could have her? Inwardly, he groaned. She needed to know, and yet...
No, he couldn’t tell her. Calvin didn’t want to be the one who broke her heart.
With a frown, he turned and walked back into the restaurant, knowing he wasn’t going to say anything.
RAYNE TRIED CONCENTRATING on Sally’s problems. Really, she did. If only her mind wasn’t on other things right now.
She shifted on the couch again – probably for the tenth time in one hour – giving her cousin empathetic smiles and handing her a tissue every once in a while. Sally’s father and Rayne’s father were brothers. As part of the Kennedy clan, Sally’s family was probably just as powerful – if not more – than Rayne’s since her father was the older brother.
When Sally took a break from crying
, Rayne leaned over and patted her cousin’s bent knee resting on the couch. “Have you got yourself a good lawyer?”
She nodded. “I’ll use Father’s.”
“Good. Because Calvin said you’re going to need a good lawyer to stop Jeff from taking you for a ride during this divorce.”
“I know.” She dabbed the tissue to the corner of her eyes. “I’m starting to think he just married me for my money.”
Rayne leaned against the cushions of the couch. “What were the signs that he wanted you for your money?”
Growling softly, Sally raked her fingers through her mass of red hair. “When we were dating, my father kept trying to push the prenuptial agreement, but Jeff would get upset. He told me that if I loved him, I wouldn’t make him sign it. He wanted to know that we loved each other equally, and especially, that we trusted each other.” She rolled her eyes. “I should have known then that he wanted my money, but he was so sweet and charming, and I thought I was in love.”
“What were the signs during the marriage?” Rayne wondered.
“When we married, he had a well-paying job. Slowly, he became more and more lazy and didn’t want to go to work. He wanted to hang out with his new friends from the club and spend all morning golfing. He was fired, and my father and I tried to convince him to find another job. Jeff told us he was looking, and yet he spent all of his time at the club.” She sniffed and wiped the tissue under her nose. “We argued about money more. He wanted me to buy him clothes or a new car. When I refused, he made me feel like I was calling him useless because he didn’t have a job. So, because I felt guilty, I gave in and bought him what he wanted.” She swallowed hard. “Then, during our last argument, I snapped. I told him that if he wanted new golf clubs, he could find himself a job and buy them himself.” She took a shaky breath as tears filled her eyes again. “Then I lied to him. I told him I was running out of money. That’s when he yelled at me and called me names... that I don’t even want to repeat. He told me that he was tired of being married to a worthless woman, and that’s when he left.”
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