Package Deal (16 page)

“I don’t think w
e
should b
e
doing this.
As you said, i
t’s only our second date.
”

He looked puzzled.
“
Why do I get the impression y
ou want
to
?
Why ar
e
you holding back?”

“I n
ee
d
to b
e
v
e
ry sur
e
of mys
e
lf,
for on
e
thing.” H
e
r
own
hands
slid across
his ch
e
st
, brushing his
skin
where his shirt was open
.
She was reluctant to move away from him, a
ware of the tension
her touch
created in him
.
She
couldn’t take her eyes o
ff him, the blue of his eyes
reminding her
of a pool of infinite depth.

“I’d ask you another question, but maybe another time.” He paused.
“
Would yo
u like some tea?
My stove’s gas, so it works even without electricity.
A book to read, maybe,
even if it’s only by candlelight?”

“Tea. That’s
a good idea. Even after drying off, I feel a little chilly.”

“Sit by the fire
, then
. I’ll get it.
”
He went into the kitchen while she stood with her back to the fire, warmed by its glow and reassured by the cracking and popping of the wood. When he handed her a mug, she
grasped
it in both hands.

“Mm. That’s better—heat inside and out.” She smiled at him. “I really appreciate you coming to get us. Or did I tell you that already?”

He looked up from where he’d taken a seat. “You did. A
nd, you’re welcome. My students,
the ones who have a clas
s from you,
seem to think you’re a great addition to the English department. We can’t have you leaving just becaus
e of a freak storm. I consider
it my civic duty to keep y
ou safe.” He smirked
and then gave her a slow wink, replete with sexual implications
. “Besides an
y personal reasons
I might have
.”

She couldn’t help but smile at his remark and took a seat closer to him on the couch. “Regardless of your motives, I’m glad
you did. I’m sure this is nicer, more comfortable,
than the a
rmory.” She leaned
for
ward and kissed him.

“I’ll take that as a thank-
you,” he murmured, before putting an arm around her shoulder and kissing her back. When she lay her
head
on his shoulder, he asked, “Tired?”

“
It’s been a lo
ng day—more exciting,
more
stressful
than I expected.”

“Close your eyes
then
. Relax.” He brushed a hand against her cheek. “How’s that?”

“Nice,” she whispered, imagining falling asleep next to him, his arms around her, cushioning her
, wishing he would kiss her
.
As if he’d read her thoughts, she felt his lips brush hers, then come back to explore her mouth again,
if
only
briefly.
For an instant, she found herself comparing his gentle kiss to Dylan’s, always so demanding.
She lay
still for several minutes
,
enjoying the quiet broken only by the occasional pop and hiss from the fire, the warmth of his body next to her. T
hen
she
opened her eyes
, afraid of what she might initiate if she stayed there much longer
. “I need to see how Cece’s doing.”

“Take a candle with you
.” H
e
hesitated for a moment then rose and
walked her toward the door of the bedroom
and kissed her once more
. Was it her imagination
or did she detect
a desire to do more—in him as well as herself—
before
she left him and shut the door behind her
?

She
hung up h
e
r cloth
e
s and
slipp
e
d
und
e
r th
e
cov
e
rs
n
e
xt to C
e
c
e
lia
,
who was spr
e
ad-
e
agl
e
d
across th
e
b
e
d
.
She
slid h
e
r da
ught
e
r ov
e
r a bit and lay th
e
r
e
.
Part of
her wanted to go back out there
to be with him, but the way her body reacted to him told her
she was courting danger
—like jumping off a cliff and not knowing how far she would fall before landing—and
into
what? The
images in her brain
kept rocketing
back to
Marcus,
the
s
e
nsations
his touch inspired
, doubly intense now that she was alone.
He was right. S
he
did want
more, but part of her feared going too quickly into a relationship. They
worked at
the same
college
. What if it
did
n’t work
out
? How would
that affect their seeing each
other—at meetings, on campus?
Her thoughts
took h
e
r back to Dylan, b
e
for
e
th
e
ir graduation and his l
e
aving for th
e
Army,
and
again
wh
e
n h
e
r
e
turn
e
d
and l
e
ft his l
e
gacy in C
e
c
e
lia.
Her grief at his death and her
ongoing
anxiety
about
raising
a
child
alone
—in spite of
her mother’s disapproval
,
voiced nearly every time they saw each other—reminded
Amanda
of her determination never to rely on another man.

Yet s
he
ach
e
d
for a p
e
rman
e
nt r
e
lationship and imagin
e
d
what it might b
e
lik
e
to hav
e
a husband and a
fa
ther for Cecelia
,
if only she could get over her fear that
marrying
someone meant he
would
leav
e her when she least expected
…
like Dylan
had
.
But would Marcus settle for a relationship without a formal commitment?
Some things he’d said after one of the general faculty meetings when he’d walked her back to her department made her think that wasn’t his style.
Sh
e
turn
e
d
on h
e
r sid
e
and pr
e
ss
e
d
h
e
r h
e
ad into th
e
pillow. Sh
e
br
e
ath
e
d
i
n Marcus’
scent
and f
e
ll asl
ee
p dr
e
aming of making lov
e
with
him.

In th
e
morning,
Amanda
wok
e
to find C
e
c
e
lia’s l
e
g snuggl
e
d
next
to h
e
rs. Sh
e
smil
e
d
, r
e
m
e
mb
e
ring how, as a toddl
e
r and pr
e
school
e
r, C
e
c
e
lia always found a way to touch som
e
portion of h
e
r body wh
e
n
e
v
e
r th
e
y shar
e
d
the same
sl
ee
ping spac
e
.

She
slipp
e
d
out of b
e
d
, wrapp
e
d
a larg
e
tow
e
l
over
h
e
r
bra and panties
and tipto
e
d
toward
th
e
bathroom. Sh
e
knock
e
d
on th
e
closed
door
, not sure if
the room
was empty
. Th
e
door op
e
n
e
d
abruptly.

Marcus stood th
e
r
e
, a tow
e
l
wrapped around his hips
, his hair still dripping. H
e
smil
e
d
and st
e
pp
e
d
out of the door, past her
.“
I didn’t want to wake you.
Look at us,
lik
e
an old marri
e
d
coupl
e
comp
e
ting for
th
e
b
athroom
.” He grinned
.
“
It’s all yours.” H
e
saunter
e
d
down th
e
short
hall to th
e
living room.

Amanda
smiled to herself, no longer needing to imagine what his bare chest looked like, or those strong shoulders, and the tat
too
of a shooting star on the back of
the
left
one
. When
had
he
got
it, why
, and what was its significance?
Would he ever tell her? As she
show
e
r
e
d
,
she fantasized about touching it
,
and other parts
of his body
too. After dressing, she
shook
C
e
c
e
lia’s should
e
r. “Tim
e
to g
e
t up, hon
e
y. W
e
n
ee
d
to go back hom
e
to s
ee
what
happened last night
.Marcus—
e
r,
Professor
Dunbar
is making br
e
akfast.”