Dream Lover (13 page)

She chuckled lightly, looking back down at her menu, as John picked up his own.

She sighed contently. “Everything looks so wonderful.”

“Mmm hmm,” he mumbled in agreeance.

When the waitress returned, they'd decided on what they wanted to eat, given their orders to the waitress and handed her their menus. John turned his full attention back on her. His dimples winked at her as he smiled at her.

“Have you gotten to use any of your new techniques since you got back from Seattle yesterday?” He smiled remembering her surprising greeting when they'd seen each other.

Her eyes grew wide. “I forgot to tell you! I met with Anjelah Martin today! We've scheduled my art show.”

He sat there staring at her for a moment. He would have asked her how could she forget to mention something so amazing to him; then he remembered the events that had occurred earlier in the day. Instead, his smile grew wider as he said, “That's amazing Lizzie! When is it?”

“In about two months.” She gave him the exact date.

“I've got to start thinking of what will be served.”

She looked at him shocked. “Johnny there is no way you're working that night.”

He gave her a serious look for a moment. “There is no way my woman isn't going to have the finest catering at her debut art show. And since I'm the best, that's what you're getting.”

She opened her mouth to speak but he stopped her. “I will make everything ahead of time, and put Marnee in charge.”

Liz closed her mouth and simply nodded.

He leaned towards her, causing her to do the same as if they were magnets. He gave her a tender kiss. “I'm very proud of you Peaches.”

She smiled and sat back, right when the waitress came back with their food.

They sat in a companionable silence as they ate their food. Occasionally they raved about how delicious something on their plate was and insisted the other try it while feeding each other. John thought he would jump out of his skin when he heard Liz moan her appreciation after he fed her, and Liz felt equally aroused when John licked his lips after she'd fed him.

John desperately needed to feel her as much as he needed his next breath to continue living.

He stood up and held out his hand to her. “Dance with me?”

She gave him a dazzling smile as she took his hand. “I would love to.”

He led her to the dance floor, then spun her around and pulled her close to him. She pressed her head against his chest and wrapped her arms around his neck as he settled one hand on her lower back and the other on her ample hip.

He inhaled the scent of her hair. “You smell so good.”

She smiled, not looking up. “Black orchids.”

He kissed her hair. “I'm buying you a case of it tomorrow.”

Liz pressed even closer to him. She could feel his arousal for her. “If you keep moving like that against me,” he whispered in her ear, “we might end up in jail tonight for indecent exposure.”

She stopped dancing and looked up into his eyes shocked. He pulled her back flush against his body and continued to dance until the song was over.

Once they got back to the table, he pulled two large bills out of his wallet and laid them down on the table. “Let's get out of here,” he said grabbing her hand.

They got back to Liz's apartment shortly after leaving the restaurant. As soon as the elevator closed, John pulled Liz into his arms, his mouth crashing down on hers. She responded just as eagerly. When she moaned, he dipped his tongue into her mouth, tasting the wine she'd had earlier.

He wrapped an arm around her, crushing her to him while he propped his other arm against the wall. They quickly came out of their haze of passion when the bell of the elevator alerted them that they'd reached her floor. She pulled away and straightened her dress. The doors slowly opened and she began to walk out. He grabbed her wrist and pulled her back in. He pushed the button to close the elevator doors then punched the stop switch, trapping them inside.

He ran his hands through her hair and pulled her mouth up to his again. He couldn't help himself, he felt like she was a habit he couldn't break. He had no intentions of trying either. Realizing the alarm would soon sound, he pressed the button to free them from the elevator.

Once they arrived at her door, she turned and gazed into his eyes. Her already full lips, looked even fuller since she had been thoroughly kissed.

“You certainly know how to woo a girl, Mr. Parker.”

“You make it very easy to woo, Ms. Wheeler.”

She looked down at her shoes. “Do you want to come in?”

He brought her chin up so she would look at him again. “I'd love to, but I know you're going to wake up early and get started on your sculpture. And I've got to help do food prep in the morning for a catering job.”

He kissed her on the tip of her nose. “Sleep well baby.”

She went in, locked the door and slumped against the door. She ran her hands through her hair. She couldn't believe that she'd just made out in an elevator! She headed to her bedroom and changed into a silk nightgown then climbed into bed.

Her first date with John had gone exceptionally well. Much better than she thought. She smiled as she fell into a dreamless sleep. The day had gone from good to bad to great. She thought things would only get better from here on out.

John was in high spirits the next day when he went into Johnny's to help prep for the catering job. He was so on top of his game, they got finished in record time. He sent his crew off pleased with the work they'd done and decided to take the rest of the day off.

He knew Liz would be working on her sculpture so he went straight home. He smiled when he saw that Liz had her window open and was perched on a stool, hair pulled back in a ponytail looking completely focused on the task at hand. He thought she looked incredibly sexy when she was deep in thought.

He shook his head as he wondered how he'd never had these feelings before. He'd seen her make the same faces a million times, but never before had they made him feel the way he felt now.

A few hours passed and he was beginning to miss her. He decided instead of going over to her place to cook for her, he would do what he'd always did when he wanted to get her attention from his place and her window was open. He opened his own window and began to cook. He knew the smells of his cooking would waft through the air and soon she would be sniffing, then calling him.

The first time it happened was a complete accident, but it worked every time he'd done it since.

Not long after he'd started cooking his phone rang. “Hey Peaches.”

“What is that divine food I smell?”

“Why don't you take a break and come over to find out?”

“Are you trying to lure me over there?”

“Maybe.”

“I'll be there in fifteen minutes.”

She came over and they'd enjoyed a good meal together and were now lounging on the couch. John had one leg lying on the couch and the other resting on the ground and Liz was comfortable in between his legs. Their fingers were intertwined as they sat staring at their hands.

Liz finally broke the silence. “I'm going up to see Mom and Neil on Saturday for the weekend. Neil said he could use your handyman skills.”

She felt his chest rise and fall against her back as he chuckled. “I haven't taken a weekend off in a while.”

She turned and looked at him over his shoulder. “You took a weekend off three weeks ago.”

He wrapped his arms around her. “I did, didn't I?” He shrugged. “Well, I guess that's the great thing about being the boss.” He kissed the top of her head. “What time do you want to head out?”

“Nine or
ten, “she said settle back against his chest, closing her eyes.

He nodded. “That's fine. You can come over and I'll make breakfast. We can take my car.”

She sighed as she began to fall asleep. “That sounds good.”

The forty-five minute drive up north to Elaine and Neil's cottage was a peaceful drive.

After they'd gotten married, Neil had a cottage built for Elaine on a massive amount of land. He had several walking trails made that led into the wooded area behind the cottage. The trails went in various directions all leading to the same place, a clearing through the woods with a small lake in the center. They had a small boat that they occasionally took out on the lake on beautiful days.

As they pulled into the circular drive, the door swung open and Elaine Wheeler came bounding down the stairs. Liz got out of the car and Elaine hugged her daughter tightly. John smiled at the two women as they embraced.

Elaine looked wonderful for fifty years old. She didn't look a day over forty. The woman took the term 'aging gracefully' to a whole new level. John knew what he had to look forward to when Liz got older. If Elaine was twenty-five years younger, she and Liz could pass for twins.

John met Elaine at the front of the car and gave her a bear hug lifting her off her feet. Elaine giggled like a teenage girl. “Put me down you old devil before Neil comes out here.”

“You're looking as gorgeous as ever Miss Lainie.”

“Get your own woman,” came a deep voice from the porch. Neil Foster was just as handsome as Elaine was beautiful. There was no doubt that even at fifty-five Neil still garnered looks from woman, young and old alike. Neil came down the steps reaching for John's hand and giving him a quick, masculine one armed embrace.

“I hear you've got some work for me.”

He gave his wife a sidelong glance then looked back at John. “A few shingles got messed up in the last storm. Lainie thinks we should call someone in to do it.”

He pretended to
look shocked. “We can have that done in thirty minutes.”

Neil gave him a smirk agreeing with John. He hooked his thumb over his shoulder and said, “That's what I told her, but she seems to think I'm an old man since I turned fifty-five.”

“You
are
an old man,” Elaine countered as she walked up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist.

“Old? Woman I am no such thing. You know my doctor told me I could outrun someone fifteen years my junior.”

“Mmm hmm, I wonder how much he exaggerated.”

“
You
know how youthful I am.”

Elaine gasped and hit his arm. “You hush your mouth Neil Foster!”

Liz stifled a laugh as she noticed her mother's cheeks burning with embarrassment.

“You two women go on in the house and let us
men folk bring the bags in.”

They were still laughing lightly as they entered the kitchen. There was enough food to feed an army. “Mama! Why do you have all of this food?”

Elaine looked at her daughter as if she'd lost her mind. “We're celebrating you getting your own art show of course! Do you want some tea?”

“Sure.”

She tilted her head to a basket of corn. “Gone over there and start shucking that corn.”

“Yes ma'am.”

Liz was always delegated to shucking corn and snapping peas since she didn't cook that well. She'd tried to cook, but she always ended up burning something, because she got too focused on a painting or sculpture and forgot about the food.

Elaine was standing at the sink filling the teakettle, with her back facing Liz when she spoke. “I wasn't sure if I needed to make up one bedroom or two this time for you and Johnathon.”

Liz's mouth dropped open and she nearly dropped the ear of corn in her hand. “Close your mouth Lizzie, you know what I always say about flies.”

“Mother! Why would you say such a thing?”

“Oh for heaven's sake Elizabeth, I'm no fool. And I'm no prude either. It
is
the twenty-first century.” She put the kettle on the stove and turned it on then turned to face her daughter.

“I could hear it in your voice when we spoke on the phone. I knew for sure when I saw the way you looked at him.”

Liz looked down focusing heavily on the corn in her hand. Her mother stepped towards her daughter. “Are you in love with him?”

She shrugged her shoulders the same way she did as a child to avoid her mother's questions. “Mama you know I love Johnny.”

“Don't get evasive with me Elizabeth Catherine Wheeler.” Her mother grabbed her chin and lifted it so they were looking each other in they eyes. “That's not what I asked and you know it. I asked if you were
in
love with him.”

She looked over her shoulder then leaned towards her mother. “The way things are now is so new Mama. I think so, but I'm not sure.”

“Well, you better figure it out soon. Johnathon is a good man.” She looked at her daughter and smiled. “You look even happier now, I must admit. He was always good for you though.” She pushed a loose strand of hair out of her daughter's face and noticed the scar on her forehead she'd gotten when she was thirteen. It had faded over the years, but was still visible.

A pained expression came across her mothers face. She looked at Liz again. “Have you told him how you got that scar yet?” She moved away from her mother's hand that had cradled her face.