Falling Hard (8 page)

“Just over a year. You?”

“I’ve lived here for the last two years. Why haven’t I seen you at any of the other meetings?”

“I’m usually too busy grading papers to attend them.”

“Grading papers? What do you do for a living, Autumn?”

His steady regard allowed her to return his scrutiny without embarrassment. “I teach math at Community College.”

“At last! A woman I can talk numbers to and have her really understand. This is indeed my lucky night.”

She laughed. “What a wonderful man you must be, Seneka Elkhorn.” 

His smile turned into a wide grin. “Discerning as well as pretty.”

“Pretty?”

He nodded slowly, locking his gaze with hers. “Very, very pretty.”

A warm glow spread through her. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. So you’re discerning, very pretty, and modest. That’s quite a heady combination in one woman, Autumn.”

“And very full-figured.” There. She’d stated the obvious. If he had a problem with her weight, she wanted to know upfront before she lost herself in his smiling gaze.

He frowned. “You make that sound like a bad thing.”

She moistened her lips. “It is for some men.”

He shrugged. “Different strokes for different folks.”

She liked the turn the conversation had taken. “Oh?”

“I can’t see how a woman having an ample amount of curves is anything but a plus.” He grinned. “Besides, you’re discerning enough to realize I’m rather wonderful. How did you know? Does it ooze through my pores?”

She smiled, feeling completely relaxed with him. “Only a natural born charmer could make the ability to understand numbers sound like a compliment or make being full-figured sound like a plus.”

“Oh but it is a plus to men who prefer women with lots of curves.” He took a sip of his water. “I take it your ex didn’t?”

She sucked in a breath and slowly shook her head. “No. He didn’t.”

He glanced at her left hand. “Were you married?”

“Yes, but I’d rather not talk about him.”

“Okay. What would you like to talk about?”

“Seneka Elkhorn.”

“Me? Dull subject.”

She shook her head. “I doubt that.”

“All right. What would you like to know, Autumn?”

She’d never liked her name, but he almost made it sound like an endearment. “Elkhorn…is that…?” She paused. How did one ask a Native American what tribe he was from?

“My parents were Cherokee.”

“Your parents were Cherokee? That’s a unique way of stating your heritage.”

“I suppose it is.”

“What about you? Aren’t you Cherokee too?”

“Not so you’d notice.”

“You look…”

“My brothers and I are mainstream American.”

“Because of where you were born or for another reason?”

“At the time, our parents felt we’d do better if we strove to be Americans instead of highlighting the fact that we’re Native Americans.”

“Where are you from?”

“My parents were born in Oklahoma.”

“Were you born there?”

“No. I was born in California.”

“So you’re Cherokee?”

His lips twitched. “Yes, Autumn, Cherokee. Were you hoping I was from more movie famous stock like Comanche or Apache?”

“No!”

“No?”

She bit her lip and then laughed, but quickly sobered. “I’m sorry, Seneka. I meant no offense.”   

His smile held no trace of offense. “None taken. My brothers and I have grown used to non-Native women who read…what do you call them? Capture romances and then went on to weave fantasies of becoming a sex slave of a Comanche or an Apache warrior.”

Was he reading her mind?

He arched a brow. “Apparently such women suffer under the delusion that they make better captors and or lovers.”

She sipped her drink before she responded. “Do they?”

“Hell no.” He grinned. “Anytime you’d like proof, I’d be delighted to take you captive and make you my sex slave.”

The muscles in her stomach tightened and she swallowed hard. “Your sex slave?”

“My sex slave.” He shrugged. “Or maybe you’d like to turn the tables on me and I’d wind up being your sex slave.”

“My sex slave?”

He shrugged. “I’m a modern man—open to trying almost anything. Either way, count me in any time you’re in the mood to experiment.”

Take him up on his offer before he changes his mind or one of those blondes find a way to recapture his attention. She parted her lips. Did she really want a one-night stand with a man who lived in her complex that she’d have to worry about avoiding the day after?

Why worry about that when you’ve never encountered him in over a year? Take a chance for once in your life.

No. Go slowly.

She cleared her throat and tore her gaze from his. “What do you do for a living, Seneka?”

“Not feeling very adventurous tonight?”

Her cheeks burned. “I’ve never been particularly adventurous.”

“A certain level of reserve, like lush curves, can be a charming quality in a woman.”

Oh, damn, but he was smooth.

He gave her a reassuring smile. “But I don’t want you to be uncomfortable with me. I’m a CPA. My partner and I—”

“Your partner? Are you married or involved with anyone?” He didn’t wear a ring, but then married men on the prowl often didn’t. The unasked question had plagued her from the moment she set eyes on him.

He shook his head slowly. “No. By partner I meant my business partner. We’re both CPAs.”

He appeared to be in his thirties, which was well past the time when most men married. “Why aren’t you married, Seneka?”

“I haven’t met anyone I want to marry.”

“Never?”

He sighed, sitting back in his chair. “I was married.”

“What happened?”

“I married my college sweetheart after graduation.”

“You’re divorced too?”

“No. I’m a widower.” His Adam’s apple bobbed and he raked a hand through his hair.

Hearing the pain in his voice she decided his loss must be recent. “Can you talk about her?”

He sighed again. “She died a little over two years ago of lung cancer. It felt so unfair. Hell, neither of us even smoked.”

“Oh, I’m so sorry, Seneka.”

His jaw clenched. “Thanks. She was the love of my life. It’s been difficult trying to pick up the pieces without her, but she made me promise that’s what I’d do. I’ve finally learned to accept her death and to be thankful for the time we had together.”

“How long were you married?”

“Fourteen years.” He shook his head. “That wasn’t nearly long enough with her.”

Autumn suppressed a surge of jealousy. It must have been wonderful to be so loved your partner still mourned your death two years later. “Do you have any children?”

He shook his head. “No. We married young and were so in love with each other we thought we’d wait until we were both established in our professions and some of the luster wore off our relationship.”

“What happened?”

“The luster never wore off. I loved her even more the day she died than I did on our wedding day.”

Damn. His wife had been a lucky woman.

“By the time we decided we were ready to have a family…” He paused, his Adam’s apple bobbing again.

She reached across the table to brush her hand against the back of his clenched fist. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to raise what are clearly painful memories for you, Seneka.”

He gripped her hand and inhaled slowly before he responded. “It’s all right. When we were ready to start a family, we found out she had inoperable cancer.”

“Oh…no.”

“She wanted to try anyway, but I wasn’t willing to share her for the time we had left. I’m no longer sure that was the right decision. I’ve always wanted kids and having a child might have made the last two years less lonely. And I would have had something that was a part of her.”

“I’m so sorry. What was her name?”

“Kelli.” He hesitated. “Would you like to see a picture of her?”

What a strange question to ask on what was hopefully a first date. “Yes.”

He released her hand. “Yes?”

It was just as well to see the type of woman he liked. She nodded. “Yes.”

He rose, removed his wallet from the back pocket of his jeans and sat down again. He opened his wallet before he passed it across the table to her.

Autumn stared down at a headshot of a gorgeous, green-eyed, smiling blonde.

“There’s another one underneath.”

She flipped the picture over. The second photo showed the blonde in a beautiful white lace and satin wedding gown that complimented her plus-sized figure so well it must have been made especially for her.

Yes. He liked blondes, but he also clearly liked full-figured women. She closed the wallet and handed it back to him. “She was beautiful.”

“In body and spirit.” He shook his head. “But gushing over Kelli is hardly the way to make a good impression on a first date.”

“It’s all right.”

“No, it’s not all right. My propensity to whip out pictures of her and get maudlin might explain why there’s no one special in my life at the moment.”

“How long have you been dating?”

“I was very happily married to Kelli. I miss her and I miss being married, but I’m not interested in casual relationships, Autumn.”

So despite his talk of taking her captive and making her his sex slave, he wasn’t interested in spending the night with her. Great. “Oh. Does that mean…what does that mean, Seneka?”

“I’m thirty-seven.”

Thirty-seven was the perfect age for a nearly perfect man. “And?”

“And I still want to have kids so I don’t have time to pursue casual relationships.”

“How long have you been dating?”

“Including tonight?”

She nodded.

“One night,” he said.

“One night?”

“You’re the first woman I’ve asked out since I accepted the fact that it was time to move on with my life.”

She tensed as the two blondes walked in and took seats at the bar. She briefly locked gazes with the more stunning of the two before turning her attention back to Seneka. “I am? What about the two women you were talking with tonight?”

“What about them?”

“They seemed interested in getting to know you and you didn’t seem to mind. Are they friends?”

“No. We met tonight.”

He must have made a hell of an impression. “Are they likely prospects?”

“The blondes?”

“Yes. The blondes.”

“You’re the one I asked out, Autumn.”

She nodded. “I know, but they’re stunning.”

“You think so?”

“Don’t you?”

“I suppose they’re pretty enough.”

“But?”

He shrugged. “But they’re a little too slender for my personal preferences. I like women with lots of curves.”

She moistened her lips. “Oh.”

He arched a brow. “Oh? That’s it? No more questions? You know, you can ask me anything you like.”

She wanted to ask about her chances of spending the night with him, but couldn’t muster the courage. Despite his stated preference for full-figured women, his wife had been a blonde with very fair skin like the two blondes staring in their direction. Autumn had dark skin. “Thanks, but I think one or both of the blondes are determined to get your attention.”

“What makes you think that?”

“Because they’re seated at the bar staring this way.”

He turned to look towards the bar.

Both women smiled and waved.

He inclined his head and turned back to her. “They’re persistent if nothing else, but I’m not interested in discussing them. Let’s talk about you.”

“You have questions?”

“Yes.”

She smiled, pleased that he was interested enough to ask questions. “Shoot.”

“I know it’s very indelicate to ask, but how old are you?”

“I’m thirty.”

“And very pretty, but I’ve already said that.”

“So? You can say it as many times as you like.”