Passion Never Dies (3 page)

“This is my wife, Natalie, and her best friend, Diana,” introduced Max. Diana swallowed softly as she watched Jake shake Natalie’s hand. Then he turned to her and she felt her hand being enveloped by his much larger one. She tried to smile, but her lips were frozen as she looked into his eyes, which were staring at her quizzically.

“You look familiar,” Jake said. Diana’s eyes widened. He couldn’t possibly have remembered her, had he?

“I, uh -” Diana started, not knowing what to say.

She glanced at Natalie, whose eyes had widened comically, but she could see no help from that corner, so she looked up at Jake again.

“We met many years ago,” she said, hoping that he wouldn’t remember. It was too humiliating to re-hash the past.

Jake’s eyebrows shot up inquisitively. He continued to stare at her until Max cleared his throat. Diana glanced at Max gratefully as he gestured to Jake to take a seat. Jake sat next to Max and across from Diana. He continued to stare at Diana intently. Her fingers clenched beneath the table as she tried to remain calm. Sitting across from the man who had invaded almost all her dreams during her college years was unnerving, to say the least.

“Are you ready to order?” asked a waiter.

Diana looked up along with Natalie and Max to give their orders. Diana felt Jake’s intense scrutiny of her, but she didn’t dare look directly at him even though every molecule in her body was aware of his presence.

“How was your flight?” asked Natalie glancing at Diana’s guarded expression.

Jake’s eyes never left Diana’s as he answered Natalie.

“Uneventful,” he replied distractedly with a strange note in his voice, which compelled Diana to look directly at him. She knew then that he had recognized her. His eyes widened a fraction and then became even more probing as his gaze wandered over her features. She gulped softly at his thorough inspection.

“I hope you don’t mind, Jake, but we’re also celebrating Diana’s birthday tonight,” said Max, unaware of the tension in his midst.

Diana could have kicked him under the table. Why did he have to reveal that information?

“Happy birthday, Diana,” Jake said softly as he smiled at her. “It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?”

“A long time since when?” she asked, knowing that all she could do now was to pretend not to know him, but she had never been a good actress.

“You don’t remember me?” he asked softly and her body temperature shot up at his teasing tone.

“My memory can be hazy sometimes,” Diana prevaricated.

“I can always refresh it,” he said provocatively, his green eyes glinting.

Diana let out a breath of pure surprise as she stared at him, slightly shocked by his words.

“Well,” said Natalie a tad too brightly, “isn’t this a coincidence?”

Diana glanced at Natalie, who had a fake, wide smile on her face. Max cleared his throat and adjusted his tie.

“I’m going to freshen up in the ladies’ room, if you all don’t mind,” Diana said quickly as she stood up abruptly and walked away.

“I’ll join you,” said Natalie and followed her.

In the restroom, Diana stared at her reflection in the mirror and tried to suppress the memories that had come flooding back, memories that seemed to be etched into her brain for all time.

“This is kind of awkward, don’t you think?” said Natalie as she walked into the restroom.

“You think? Natalie, you said he probably wouldn’t remember me,” Diana said. “It took him all of five minutes to recall who I was.”

“Who knew the man had the memory of an elephant? Nine years is a long time and it’s not as if you guys had even dated much less kept in touch all these years.”

Diana let out a heavy sigh. Natalie knew what had happened on the beach between her and Jake, so she understood her consternation. But what Natalie didn’t know was how much she had yearned to see Jake again for many years afterward. She had not been able to shake off the intense attraction and now it had come back to life again.

“Look, you just have to get through dinner.”

“Easy for you to say,” replied Diana and then paused, smiling apologetically at her best friend. “Sorry, this isn’t your fault. Don’t worry about me. I’ll manage to get through dinner somehow.”

“I promise to make this up to you,” said Natalie. “Let’s do a girl’s day out this weekend, okay?”

“I’ll take your offer. Now, come on. Let’s go rescue Max,” Diana said and hugged her best friend before they left the restroom together.

For the rest of the evening, Max valiantly tried to keep Jake’s attention as he peppered him with questions regarding Jake’s ideas on a luxury hotel which was slated to begin construction on the Vegas Strip.

Diana surmised from their conversation that Jake’s company had a major financial stake in this new hotel and was in partnership with Max’s company. She appreciated Max’s efforts at keeping Jake busy answering his questions while she tried to focus on her dinner instead of on Jake. It was an almost impossible feat though and by the time dessert had arrived, Diana knew her resolve not to look at him had considerably weakened.

“Are you enjoying your tiramisu, Diana?” asked Jake suddenly, interrupting his conversation with Max.

“It’s very good,” Diana answered as she licked her fork and looked up at him. She watched his eyes closely follow her tongue movements and she felt heat coil tightly within her. Discomfited, she immediately looked down at her dessert again.

“May I?” Jake asked suddenly, taking Diana by surprise as he reached over and dipped his fork into her tiramisu. She watched him eat her dessert and couldn’t stop herself from staring at his sensual lips.

“You’re right, this is very good. Care to share?” he asked in a wicked tone, which caused her internal heat to skyrocket.

“Um, no,” she answered awkwardly. “Don’t you like your own dessert?”

Diana pointedly looked at his chocolate mousse.

“I’d rather have yours,” he winked. Diana gulped softly.

He was flirting outrageously with her in front of Natalie and Max and she didn’t know what to do. Her gaze flew to Natalie, who was busy subduing a grin behind her napkin. Max cleared his throat uncomfortably.

“Did you have any other questions for me?” asked Max.

Diana smiled gratefully at him for steering the conversation away from her dessert.

“No, Max,” Jake said smoothly. “I’ll have my office call yours if there are any further details to work out. Thank you for inviting me to dinner. Now, I really must be going.”

Jake stood abruptly taking everyone by surprise. He shook Max’s and Natalie’s hand and then turned all his focus on Diana.

“Happy birthday, Diana,” he said, smiling down at her.

“Thank you,” she said politely, relieved that he was finally leaving, but surprised at his sudden departure. She firmly ignored the stab of disappointment in her chest.

“Did you come with Max and Natalie or did you come alone?” he asked.

Surprised by his question, she answered promptly, “Alone.”

“May I escort you to your car?”

Diana’s eyes widened as she stared at him in consternation. It was the last question she had expected from him. She looked at Natalie and Max, who looked equally startled by Jake’s request.

“Well,” she said slowly, “I wasn’t planning on going home yet.”

Jake grinned and said teasingly, “I didn’t say you were going home. I thought you and I could have coffee somewhere. My treat.”

Diana blinked. She wasn’t sure if she had heard him right. It had been nine years since she had last seen this man, but she was still highly attracted to him. Her mind was racing as she tried to think things through, but as he held his hand out to her, she knew she wasn’t going to deny him, just like that night nine years ago.

“Thank you, guys,” Diana said as she glanced quickly at Natalie and Max, uneasy with their questioning looks. “I’ll call you tomorrow, Natalie.”

Before her friends could say anything else, Diana allowed Jake to lead her out of the restaurant. Jake kept his hand on her lower back, which made Diana’s spine tingle. He opened the heavy front doors of the restaurant and walked outside to the parking lot.

“My car’s over there,” Diana said, pointing to an early model, light blue Mazda.

She felt as though she were walking back in time, to her eighteen-year-old self, caught in lust for an older man who had awakened all her senses. She knew that she was acting impulsively, but she couldn’t help herself. All her girlhood daydreams were now playing itself out with this unexpected reunion.

Upon reaching her driver’s side door, Diana turned and looked up at Jake. His green eyes glittered down at her and he brushed her silky, shoulder-length, brown hair aside. Her eyes widened at his gesture and her breathing hitched at his unexpected nearness.

“You do remember me, don’t you?” he asked softly.

Diana nodded. Her heart felt like it was going into overdrive at his intent look. He stepped closer and she backed into her car door, but the heat between them only became hotter.

“It’s hard to forget someone like you,” she said, hoping that the lights in the parking lot were dim enough to conceal the fluttering pulse at her throat.

“You’re not married, are you?” he asked in a hard voice, his eyes narrowed.

Diana shook her head quickly.

“Are you?” she asked, praying silently that he wasn’t.

Jake shook his head and grinned widely. His smile took her breath away. He fingered the necklace with the star pendant at her throat. Gently, he stroked her delicate collarbone with his thumb and Diana gulped.

“A lovely necklace for a lovely girl,” he said, coming closer until their bodies touched. Diana could feel his hard body press into hers and her arousal level rose to a fever pitch.

“I’m not a girl anymore,” she said breathlessly and placed her hands against his chest. She could feel his heart beating strongly through his white shirt.

“To me you’ll always be that gorgeous girl on the beach that night, Diana,” he answered, his voice deepening.

Diana felt herself melt at his words.

“You remember everything?”

“Every detail,” he said, grinning boyishly.

Suddenly, Jake bent and touched his lips to hers. Taken by complete surprise, Diana allowed him to search her lips, but her mind was spinning. This couldn’t be happening. His breath was an intoxicating mix of wine and pure masculine flavor. Before she knew it, she had her arms wrapped around his neck and her body arched up to plaster itself against his. Jake groaned at her enthusiastic response and angled his head to deepen the kiss.

She felt his hands wander down to her behind and caress her below. He gently ground his pelvis against hers and moaned as their tongues tangled. He deepened the kiss, opening her mouth farther until she felt as though she couldn’t breathe. Suddenly, he released her lips and pressed himself against her soft body.

“Damn, you’re as good as I remember,” he said in a roughened voice as he unbuttoned the top buttons of her lace blouse.

“Jake, I don’t think this is a good idea,” she said hesitatingly, watching him open her blouse until he could see her black lace bra.

“I think this is a very good idea,” he answered and bent down to kiss the top of her breast.

She moaned as he continued to caress her bottom with one hand while he caressed her breast with the other.

“In fact,” he said bending down, his voice muffled against her lace-covered breast, “I think this is long overdue.”

Diana bit her lip to keep herself from moaning as Jake kissed her breast, his tongue gently licking her nipple.

“Hey, get a room!” said a teasing voice not too far away.

Diana gasped and pushed away from Jake. She watched a man get into a car parked a few feet away from hers and drive off. She felt a blush rising as she looked up at Jake, who smiled sheepishly down at her. She immediately began to button up her blouse.

“Sorry, maybe we should go somewhere more private?” he asked, his eyes intent on hers.

“Well, I -”

Diana’s cell phone interrupted her as it rang in her purse.

“Excuse me,” she said distractedly as she fumbled inside her purse and found her phone.

It was Richard, the man she had been casually dating for a little over a year. He wasn’t exactly her boyfriend, but he deserved her loyalty. Diana frowned, feeling guilt streak through her body. She had completely forgotten about him. Looking at Jake, his handsome features took her breath away and her body intensely craved his, but she knew it wasn’t fair to Richard.

“I have to go,” said Diana. Her body cried out no, but her mind agreed wholeheartedly.

“What do you mean?” Jake asked, frowning.

Diana tugged down on her skirt and bit her lip. This was more than awkward: it was downright embarrassing. How could she be doing this with a near-stranger?

“I, uh, have an early meeting tomorrow and um, I should really get going,” she said anxiously, suddenly unable to look into his eyes. She knew it was a lame excuse, but she couldn’t think of anything else with him standing so close.

Jake placed a finger underneath her chin so he could stare into her brown eyes. She held her breath as he probed hers.

“I rushed this, didn’t I?” he said, looking a bit chagrined.

Diana shook her head in denial, but secretly agreed with him.

“No, it’s just that I really don’t know you, Jake. I think we got carried away right now. Your sudden appearance after all these years is a bit of a shock,” she said honestly.

Jake grinned and ran a hand through his thick blond hair making Diana crave him more.

“Look, I’m in town for a while, so why don’t we take this slow and get to know one another?” He added mischievously, “I promise not to bite.”

“I don’t know...” Diana’s voice trailed away, her mind in conflict.

She had the feeling that Jake was going to be more than she could handle.

“I apologize for coming on too strong tonight, but there’s something extraordinary between us. I felt it years ago and, as crazy as it sounds, I’m feeling it again. I know you must feel it too by your reaction to me tonight. So why don’t we find out what it is?” he asked, his eyes urging her to agree.