Pink Champagne (10 page)

Her hands trembled, and her knees weren’t so steady, either.

“You look like you need something hot.” His eyes were soft yet intense.

“Huh?” she said weakly.

He nodded to a booth near where they stood. “Cider. I meant they have hot cider over there.”

She cleared her throat and hoped her face didn’t look as hot as it felt. “Yeah. Yeah I guess that’d be good.”

He grinned and steered her in the direction of the booth. “You’re actin’ real strange. Adorable, but strange.”

Yeah, well, it’s your fault,
she thought.

Moments later, her hands were wrapped around a warm paper cup filled with cider. She took a sip. Warm, a little spicy, and very delicious.

“Thank you.”

“No problem.”

“You know, I don’t know very much about you at all, Caleb Fletcher-Smith. You should share some more of those secrets with me.”

“Oh? What would you like to know, Miz Quenby?”

“Tell me about Georgia. About your family. I dunno—anything.”

“Not much to tell. I have an older brother. Dad’s a surgeon, and nothing you could ever do will ever be good enough for him if you’re his son. Even if one of us became president, he’d probably say, ‘You’re screwing up the whole country, not just your own life now. Way to go, son.’ Mom’s a worrier and always trying to marry either me or my brother off. That woman loves to play matchmaker.”

“You’re a very to the point kind of person, huh?”

He shrugged. “What’s the point in not being that way?”

“I dunno. It’s just that some people aren’t that open.” Derek had treated every detail in his life outside of Quenby like one huge secret. Sometimes, she felt like he didn’t even like talking to her.

“Well, I am. Anything you want from me, I’ll give it up,” Caleb said, his gaze giving her the impression he was talking about something else entirely. “Now, how’s that cider?”

“Really good. You want a sip?” Quenby asked, holding the cup out to him.

He took it, his fingers lingering on hers a moment before wrapping around the cup. After sipping from the cup, he handed it back to her. “You’re right. Good stuff.”

Quenby smiled and took another sip of the cider.

Everything about the afternoon was perfect. The faint smell of burning wood in the air, the gold and rust colored leaves on the trees, Caleb so close and so attentive. Pretty much everything she could want. Especially when Caleb put his arm around her and left it there for most of the afternoon.

They drove to Charlottesville for dinner. Before eating, they took a walk around the Downtown Mall, a pedestrian mall, where they window-shopped and people watched.

“So tell me more about you,” Caleb said when they stopped to look into the window of an art shop at the paintings on display.

“What’s the point?” Quenby blurted out. “I mean, you’re leaving tomorrow.” She pretended to be concentrating really hard on one of the watercolors.

“I don’t want to be.”

“You’re in med school. You kind of have to.”

“I wish you’d say this won’t be the last time we see each other. Is it so hard for you to say that?”

“It probably won’t be. Macon’s one of my closest friends. I might go down to Georgia to visit her sometimes.”

“That’s not what I meant.” He captured her chin between his thumb and index finger. She forced her gaze to the street and watched a couple walking over the cobblestones with their golden retriever happily trotting along between them. He brought his lips close to her ear, redirecting her attention to him. “And I think you know what I meant.”

“I just got out of a bad relationship. That’s kinda how we met, remember? I’m not looking for a serious relationship right now.”

He kissed her cheek. “That’s not what I asked you.”

“Would my saying we’ll see each other again really make any difference? This week has been wonderful, but nothing about it is the kind of stuff a real, long-lasting relationship is built on.”
 

“It is to me.” He rubbed his hand over his jaw. “I mean, I think it could be. Eventually, that is. If you let it.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Quenby said.

He moved closer to her and said in a low voice, “I want to spend more time with you.”

“That’s going to be kind of hard to do from Georgia.” She pulled away, those red-hot feelings she’d felt for Caleb all week threatening to get her in trouble again. Biting her lower lip, she thought about what it would be like to bite his. “Long distance relationships don’t work.”

“It’s just—you’re all I think about. And I had to say something.”

“I’m hungry. You hungry? We should grab dinner now.” She shoved her hands into her pockets.

He nodded and looked down the mall. “Let’s go.”

The two of them walked past the Paramount Theater and toward the restaurant they had decided on earlier. She pulled her jacket closer to her when what she really wanted to do was pull Caleb to her.

Chapter 14

When they got back from dinner in Charlottesville, she kept her arms folded against her body after letting them into the condo. “I had a good time today. But I think…I think we need to be realistic about this before somebody gets hurt.”

Caleb took a seat on the arm of her sofa and looked at her, not saying a word.

“It was a fling, no strings attached, no hard feelings.”

He tapped his skilled, surgeon-in-training fingers against his thighs and held her gaze. She thought about the things those fingers had done to her all week long. Very skilled. He didn’t back down, didn’t say a word.

“Anything we feel right now? It’s lust,” she said, trying to convince both herself and him of that. “It won’t last. It’s stupid and silly to think we can make anything more than what we shared work. It was great, hot, but that’s all. Just some great sex. And you’re a wonderful person, but…I mean, there are just so many reasons it won’t work.” She wasn’t used to being the dumper. She’d been with Derek for over five years, and even before that, she hadn’t often been the dumper. The way she was making a mess of things proved that. She didn’t know what she wanted to say really. Maybe part of the problem was she didn’t want to say any of it. She knew that was the way things had to be, though.

Besides, it wasn’t like they’d even had anything real. But it’d sure felt real. No, she had to stop thinking like that. “I mean, you understand, don’t you?” She raked her hands through her hair.

He shrugged, but still wouldn’t say a word.

“And…and I think it’s best if you slept out here tonight.” Because she was close to the point of no return. If he touched her one more time, she wasn’t sure she could keep up her resolve to keep him out.

He stood. She backed away, shaking her head.

Please
, she thought.
Please don’t make me fall for you
.

Caleb moved closer. “What if I kissed you right now?” His voice was low and soft, his words lengthened by the drawl of his Southern accent. The type of voice that could seduce all by itself without the aid of hands or lips.

“I think I want you to,” she said, betraying herself. With him so close, she couldn’t think straight.

“You think? You’re not sure?” He put his hands on her triceps, his thumbs rubbing hypnotic circles against them.

“I want you to. Please.” Quenby closed her eyes and melted into his fingers. His lips closed over hers. His tongue moved over hers in a seductive dance that made her give up all thoughts of pushing him away. She locked her hands behind his neck and kissed him back the way she’d imagined doing it all day.

“I won’t hurt you,” he whispered over her lips before kissing her again. He pulled back from the kiss a little to say, “I heard every word you said. All I have to say in return is, I’m going to make sweet, slow, perfect love to you tonight.” Caleb pressed his forehead to hers. “That’s all.”

Those perfect hazel eyes were all she could see. She moved closer until their noses touched and closed her eyes.

Caleb’s hands traveled over the thin fabric of her skirt, lingering on her bum. The desire she felt for him flared even hotter as his fingers explored areas very close to where she ached for him.

“I need you,” she whispered before biting at his earlobe.

“I know. Need you, too,” he said huskily before spinning her back to him again and pulling her close so that she felt exactly how much he needed her.

With his body pressed so close and his hands everywhere, her entire body screamed out for him. She wanted him closer. She wanted him more than anything.

“You’re too good at this,” Quenby said as his hands moved over her sides, his fingers playing into her flesh.

“At what?” he murmured against her cheek.

“Making me never want you to stop touching me.”

“Good.” He walked her to the bedroom. Still standing behind her, he unbuttoned her blouse, letting his finger trail over every new inch of skin he exposed. She shivered with delight at every touch, sure that her knees would stop supporting her every time, but somehow they held her up.

“It’s been a long, frustrating day of fighting this and I…”

“What? You what, Quenby?” He undid the last button and pushed her blouse off her shoulders. The silk brushed against her skin as it slipped down her arms. She watched it hit the floor. His fingers danced down her neck and over her shoulders, sending shivers up and down her spine.

“When did I take off my jacket?” she murmured, dazed. She was love—no passion, definitely passion—drunk.

“Out there in the living room,” he whispered, his lips brushing her ear.

“You never did say what you think about all this out there in the living room,” she said.

“‘Cause you already know.”

“Do I?” she said before gasping as he massaged her breasts through the lacy fabric of her bra.

“Might be pissed. Definitely horny. A little scared. ‘Cause I think I’m in love.” Every word was emphasized by a kiss in a lower location on her body. When he kissed her navel, just at the top of her skirt, her knees buckled. She would’ve fallen over if his hands hadn’t been firmly gripping her hips.

“I need a shower,” she said, her voice weak with desire. It was one last—and admittedly weak—attempt at getting away.

“I want you. Right here, right now,” Caleb said. He tugged at her skirt, pulling it off her hips. The black fabric pooled at her ankles. He stood and licked his lips slowly, removing her bra with slow sweetness. She shivered as his smooth hands moved over her hot flesh. She arched her back, moaning as he teased one of her nipples with his teeth, moving the pad of his thumb in torturously slow circles against the other.

“I want you so much. Screw me now.”

“No. I told you what I want tonight, and I’m gonna get it.” He pushed her back until she was lying on the bed. He lay on top of her and pressed his cheek to hers for a moment before torturing her with his maddeningly slow and sexy touches and kisses once again.

She felt the hard length of his erection pressed against her bare thigh. Even through his jeans, she could feel how much he wanted her. She moaned, wrapping her legs around his waist.

“No, no,” he whispered, easing her legs from his waist and then spreading them wide. She arched her hips in anticipation as he traveled downward.

Just at the moment when she thought she wouldn’t be able to take it anymore, he slid his tongue into her. She whimpered with relief. His tongue moved persistently. His kisses were deep and made her craving for him almost unbearable. She was close to orgasmic bliss when he teased the most sensitive part outside of her while his finger found her g-spot inside. Right at the moment she would’ve shattered, giving over to mind-numbing bliss, he stopped.

“No,” she moaned. “Don’t stop.”

He kissed the insides of her thighs in answer. Trailing kisses back up to her breasts, he let her feel again how much he wanted her.

“You’re killing me,” she whispered.

Caleb whispered as he entered her, “Same here.”

She closed her eyes and smiled, wrapping her legs around him once again. She had her first triple orgasm the first time they made love that night. That didn’t take away from the excitement of the second, third, or fourth times they made love at all.

Chapter 15

The next morning, Quenby sat cross-legged in the bed, staring down at Caleb, waiting for him to wake up. His blond hair fell across his face, obscuring it. His strong, muscled back rippled every time he shifted position, sending ripples of delight through her.

She’d made her decision the night before as she fell asleep in his arms. Caleb was the most amazing man she’d ever met. And she’d tried to run through reasons to be afraid of him and what she felt for him and realized she couldn’t find any because there were none.

Sure, she’d been with hot guys before who tried too hard to impress her in the beginning and she’d fallen too hard and that had always led to disaster. But none of them had ever looked at her like Caleb did. None had ever cared so much about what she needed or wanted—inside or outside of the bedroom. No one had brought her lunch at work before the way Caleb had Friday even though she’d pissed him off the night before. Even Isaac, the cocky commercial loan officer at her branch, had been jealous of that.