Between Darkness and Daylight (10 page)

Nova giggled, realizing how prying she must have sounded to him. "I called for another reason. But I was just concerned."

"Don't be. I'm a big boy, and I can take care of myself."

"No doubt," Nova murmured, remembering exactly how big, in every way. She was under no illusions about her reasons for wanting to get close to him. From his wide shoulders to his six-feet-two height, and back to the hard cock in his jeans, she wanted him with an intensity she'd never experienced before, not even with the man she'd been engaged to marry.

"How about lunch?"

"You treating?"

"Would you have a problem with that?"

"Not a one. You're legal, remember?"

"Ah, a man who doesn't mind a woman footing the bill. I like that sort of security."

"Security? More like realistic. I'm broke and you make more than twice what I do."

She doubted very much that he was broke. The man seemed too

responsible an individual to allow himself to get into such a capricious state of affairs as "broke".

"How would you know what I make, Mr. Youngblood?"

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"I'm a social worker-slash-career and guidance counselor. Have to keep up with the trends, Ms. Foxx."

"You wear a lot of hats," she said. If she’d had a career and guidance counselor that looked like him when she was in school, she would have never gone to classes and practically flunked out of school just to spend time in his office.

"Actually, it was a wild guess, but I'm a good guesser."

Nova laughed. The man was full of surprises. A curious sort and a good guesser. Dangerous combination.

Thing was, he was probably right. She just hoped he wouldn't let the differences in their paychecks get in the way of their getting together, not to mention getting him out for lunch.

"So, do we have a date?" She crossed her fingers as the shiver went through her again. If he said no, she'd just have to waylay him at the school, hope she could catch him before the mysterious stalker did.

"Tell me where to meet you."

Nova exhaled and told him.

* * * *

Zane sipped his soda, eyes on the entrance, anticipation sitting in his gut like a rock.

He thought about having a beer, but didn't want anything close to alcohol touching his lips while he was on duty. The last thing he wanted was for a student or a parent to think someone they looked to for advice and guidance was hitting the sauce. Besides, he didn't want to make the wrong impression on Nova.

She meant something to him, and her thoughts and impressions of him were important. He didn't know whether this was a good or bad state of affairs, was only concerned that they were occurring so early in their association.

He saw her enter through the front door. His heart skipped and danced as she traversed the linoleum floor and made her way towards the table he'd taken at the rear of Ramano's Pizzeria.

Zane stood as she approached, took her in his arms once she was close and kissed her on the lips as if it was second nature. Her lips fit to his like 68

Gracie C. McKeever

the right puzzle piece, her taste and touch as familiar as his own face in a mirror. "A prompt woman. I like that."

"We aims to please."

"How high?"

She smirked and threw her purse in the booth as she slid in to take a seat. She motioned to the space beside her and Zane slid in without hesitation. "You like testing me."

He turned in his seat to face her, tilted his head to one side as he rested an arm on the back of the booth, and let his fingertips just brush the hair at her nape. He wasn’t sure what to make of her statement, especially since she’d so closely pegged what he was doing.

Where did her loyalties lie and with whom? Was it all some cosmic accident that had brought them together? Or was something else at play?

He wasn't normally so paranoid, but lately it had become second nature. He couldn't say whether it was a negative or positive thing yet but saw nothing wrong in keeping up his guard. For now.

"Does it bother you?" he blurted.

"That you don't trust me?"

"If you put it that way."

"I do, and why should you trust me? I'm a perfect stranger. You have every right to question me."

He should have been comforted by her tolerance, but it put him more on guard than if she'd made a fuss or been affronted by his suspicions. It was as if she'd anticipated his thoughts and objections and headed them off with the right conciliatory attitude and phrases.

She must be a master chess player.

"You order yet?"

"I thought I'd wait for you."

Nova nodded, picked up a menu, and gave it a cursory glance. She put it down after a few seconds, folding her hands on top of it like she already knew what she wanted.

"Let me guess. Pizza?"

"With everything." She grinned, reached take his hands in hers, and he let her. "How was your day going before I called?"

Zane shrugged. "Usual. Yours?"

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A waitress came over to take their orders and he ordered for them both. He turned back to look at Nova once the waitress had left.

"You're not like most men. You don't like talking about yourself, your job."

He shrugged again, unsure of how to answer, or if he needed to at all.

"Considering I don't know what your usual day is like, your answer doesn't enlighten me."

Zane took a deep breath, unaccustomed to anyone showing interest in his work, besides the people it directly affected. Sinny had been supportive, but a little on the self-centered side when it came to her work versus his. She'd ask about his day, but the minute he went into details, she'd tune out. He'd gotten used to keeping the professional part of his life to himself, had learned early on Sinny's interest was mostly perfunctory.

He caressed Nova's knuckles with his thumbs. He liked this hand-holding thing, liked the way her soft skin felt against his rough palms. "If you really must know…"

"I really must know, Coy."

He grinned. "Well, I had a meeting with a young lady this morning, sweetest kid, intelligent, has a lot going for her…"

"But?"

"She's pregnant, two months along. She hasn't started to show yet, and she's not sure what she wants to do about it. I've tried to get her to tell me who the father is, to at least get his involvement. She won't give the guy up. At least not yet."

"Boy, that's rough. Parents?"

"She was taken away from them and placed in a foster home. Actually a little before we found out she was pregnant."

"Abuse?"

Zane nodded, swallowing hard. He hadn't said his next words out loud to anyone yet, their ramifications too unthinkable to bear, but something in her eyes told him that he could tell her. "I'm pretty sure her father's the father of her baby."

"Oh God, that's horrible."

"If it's true, I think the best thing for her to do is have an abortion.

Kid's a devout Catholic, though, clams up whenever I mention it. But I can't not outline all her options."

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The waitress brought over their slices, two with everything, slid the tray across their table, and left as unobtrusively as she'd arrived.

Nova leaned forward, squeezing his hands as she stared at him. "So this is what you mean when you say
usual
?"

"Pretty much. Not that all of my kids have issues near as serious as incest, molestation, and out-of-wedlock pregnancy, but they all have some sort of behavioral or social problems at home, which of course translates to problems at school, and that's usually where I get involved." He stopped, frowning at the dimples-exposing grin on her face. "What are you smiling at?"

"You said
my kids
."

"Well, they are my kids."

Nova nodded. "All what, couple thousand of them?"

"Give or take." He grinned.

"So, this meeting took up most of the morning?"

"Most of it. Had a couple of parents drop by for consultations, a group counseling session, no real crises, thank God. Couple of students who needed some advice on rearranging their program cards. That sort of stu—

Why are you smiling now?"

Nova shook her head as if she hadn't realized the look she was giving him—amused and all kinds of wicked. He felt as if his body and soul had been stripped bare.

"I like your dedication, that's all."

"You do, do you?"

"Mmm…" She released his hands and reached for him under the table, one hand boldly caressing the already burgeoning erection that jutted behind his zipper.

Zane hissed, but made no attempt to stop her, just closed his eyes and pitched his hips into her hand. "You're killing me."

"Not yet," she murmured and reached further until she cupped his balls, stroking for several long moments before she leaned forward to take his mouth with hers. She ran her tongue along his parted lips then drove it in when he groaned low in his throat.

Shit, she had him acting like one of his randy teens, indulging public displays of affection with no thought of the consequences. He couldn't count the times he'd had to break up a hot and horny couple in one of the
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stairwells or a vacant classroom during changeover. Now he was acting like one of them, wishing, hoping that she’d unzip him right here, right now.

Zane didn't know what it was about the woman that made him want to let go and be reckless, didn’t know what made him feel younger than he had since high school. The burdens of his job had been daily concerns for so long he’d forgotten what it was like to flirt, to just be himself and accept an invitation like Nova’s without worrying about who he might hurt, or what Ran and his other charges would think of Mr. Youngblood getting his swerve on.

She retreated slightly to bite his bottom lip before sitting back in her seat and regarding him with a heated look that about had him coming in his pants. "So, how's Ran doing?"

Rather than dousing his lust with cold water, her interest only made his desire grow. "Ah, so the truth comes out. You're really interested in my nephew."

She chuckled and slapped his wrist, then took a bite of her pizza and washed it down with some soda before answering. "Of course I am. I initially called you with the idea of inviting you guys out rock climbing this Saturday."

"Before you got sidetracked by my personal security issues."

"Yes. Before that." She gave him an expectant look. "So? Any plans?"

"Other than being at your service?"

"I think it would be a nice break from work. We'll pick it up the week after next. And he mentioned that he wanted to go."

"Do you do everything a kid says he wants to do?"

"Will I be stepping on toes if I answer that in the affirmative?"

Zane stopped himself from responding right away, catching her conciliatory tone again.

She knew him all too well, diffusing his usually non-existent temper before it had a chance to ignite.

"At least you hit me by myself and not when I was with Ran so that you guys could double-team me."

She put a palm on her chest. "
I
don't double-team."

"Not without your partner."

"So, is it a date or not, smarty-pants?"

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Gracie C. McKeever

"Hmmm…." Zane rubbed his chin, peering at her. "How dangerous is this rock climbing?"

"Not very."

He looked at her, silent.

"I'll take it easy on him. Besides kids are natural climbers anyway and he'll be supervised at all times by a trained climber. And, of course, I'll be there."

"That's right. You mentioned you rock climb." He felt her tense, even though they were no longer holding hands and touching. Something about the sport put her on edge. Why would she extol its merits, yet shy away from it at the same time? "How long have you been climbing?"

"Oh, years." She waved a hand at him, raised her cup to her lips to sip more soda, and he noticed the slight tremor in her hand.

"So, you're what we'd call advanced? Experienced?"

"Pretty much." She gave him a piercing look, almost made him drop the cup he'd just lifted to his lips before she even spoke her next words. "I wouldn't put Ransom in jeopardy."

"I didn't think that you would." He sipped his soda.

"Besides, that wouldn't be the most effective way to get back at him for beating me up and trying to take my purse."

He burst out laughing, glad he'd already swallowed his soda or he'd have sprayed her pretty good. "I like the way your mind works, lady."

She just smiled an enigmatic smile that he resolved to unravel.

"I think Ransom would beg to differ on that one, though. He says you beat him up."

"He started it."

Zane chuckled, couldn't remember the last time he'd laughed so hard, so much, in the middle of a workday.

"You're coming too."

"Climbing?"

She nodded.

"Then you'd have two beginners on your hands."

"I can handle you."

He was sure that she could. But the question was, could he handle her?

* * * *

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73

Nova took Zane's hand as they maneuvered through the crowded downtown streets, thinking of her conservative father and what his reaction would be.

She never doubted her parents' love for each other, but she didn't often see them display any affection in public, which was saying something since her mother was pretty effusive, as far as her emotions went.

Desmond Foxx's restraint tempered that, however, at least when her parents were out together. At home, all bets were off, with her mother making up for any kisses and hugs she didn't get outside the home once she had her husband behind closed doors.

Not holding onto Zane in some fashion would have made it difficult to stay as close to him as she wanted, or keep up with his long-legged stride.

As it was, she had to practically run to stay even with him. She'd never felt so slow and short in her life as she did next to his clear six-foot-two.