Shadows of Yesterday
Page 10
“Yes, I aren’t… I’m not.” She shook her head in confusion.
“Greg?” he questioned softly. “Is he the reason why you’re still alone?”
She avoided his probing eyes. God, they were blue and deep and… Through the deep V in his shirt, the hair on his chest shone in the soft lighting of the lamp. “No. I can’t divorce myself from living because I lost a husband.”
“Is there another reason?”
She looked up at him then and laughed. “Well, frankly, a heavily pregnant widow isn’t exactly what every man dreams of.”
He joined her laughter, tilting his head back. The skin on his throat stretched taut over the corded muscles. It looked warm, vibrant. Smiling, he looked down at her again. “Did you have any problems after I took you to the hospital?”
“No.”
“You’re fine? Everything back to normal?”
She should have been embarrassed discussing such personal things with him, but strangely she wasn’t. “Yes, I got a clean bill of health from the doctor on my last visit.”
He sighed with relief. “God, the hours I agonized over what I might have done to you.”
“Chad.” She stretched her hand toward his arm, thought better of touching him, and drew it back. “Where were you afterward? I tried to look you up. You weren’t listed in the telephone directory.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why did you try to look me up?”
“I wanted to pay you for helping me. I—” She was stunned into silence by the scowl that quickly clouded his handsome features.
“I wouldn’t have taken any money from you, Leigh.” His breath hissed through his teeth as he looked away from her. “Damn,” he cursed softly, then impaled her again with his eyes. “Did you think I expected you to pay me?”
“I meant no offense, Chad. I only wanted you to know how much I appreciated…” Her bottom lip began to tremble. “I might have died without you. Sarah might have—”
“Shhhh,” he said, stepping forward to enfold her in his strong arms. She went into his embrace naturally. “I didn’t mean to upset you. Seems like all I’ve done since I got here is make you two women cry.” It was an attempt at humor and it worked. She laughed against his shirt front. He smelled good. Expensive and elusive.
He raised her chin with his finger until she was looking up into those captivating eyes. “Do you remember what happened in your hospital room before I left?”
She swallowed. “You brought me flowers.”
“What else?” She tried to lower her head, but he wouldn’t let her. “What else?”
“You kissed me.”
He nodded slowly. “I didn’t know if you remembered.” His hand smoothed over her jaw to frame her face. “Were you too drugged to fight me off or didn’t you mind my kissing you?”
She lowered her eyes shyly. “A combination of both, I guess.”
She felt the rumbling chuckle in his chest. “Then you wouldn’t mind if I kissed you again?” When she didn’t look at him, he said, “Leigh?”
She shook her head.
His breath was warm against her lips before she felt the gentle pressure of his mouth. His lips moved over hers in the way she remembered—slow, tender, sweet. His arms drew her tighter for a moment, then relaxed so his hands could enjoy the smooth expanse of her back.
She knew the instant his lips parted. The teeth that contributed to his gorgeous smile were against her lips, nipping them gently. Like a flower, they opened under that delightful insistence. For ponderous heartbeats their mouths remained open to each other, still, exchanging no more than breath. Waiting, waiting.
Then his tongue pressed past her lips and teeth to claim the inside of her mouth, rubbing against her own tongue with an intimacy that made her limbs go weak. Her hands went to his waist, clutching at him in hopes of maintaining a foothold on the world.
She was infused with life as her body surged toward his. Her breasts swelled and hardened against the muscular wall of his chest, and as he moved against them slightly, she heard the satisfied growl deep in his throat. His hands roamed her back, massaging, stroking, slipping around to her sides to tease along her ribs. Now one slid possessively past her waist to settle on the small of her back. With infinite care, he pressed her tightly against him.
The momentary shock at feeling his arousal was smothered by the instinctive need to know more of it. As she curved up against him what modicum of control had reined his passions disintegrated. His kiss became a fervent exploration. He learned her mouth thoroughly with his curious tongue, his tasting lips, his sampling teeth.
He kissed with thrusting pressure and tentative sips. He was bold. He was shy. At once avid, then tender. Demanding, then supplicant. As he probed her mouth, Leigh felt delicious, erotic sensations spread through her body, and her answering kiss was full of yearning.
Oxygen-starved, they pulled apart. He laid his fevered cheek against hers. Her arms had long since wound around his back. Their wheezing breaths echoed through the quiet room.
Slowly he stepped away from her and brushed back a strand of her hair. Leaning forward, he dropped a chaste kiss on her lips. “Good night, Leigh. I’ll be in touch.” As an afterthought at the door, he added, “Oh, and thanks for supper.”
Chapter Three
Leigh lay in bed the next morning long after the alarm had gone off. Not that she had needed it to awaken her. She hadn’t slept well and dawn was a welcome relief from the tossing and turning that had plagued her through the night. She had watched dumbstruck as Chad had picked up his navy blue blazer, shrugged into it, and left by the front door. As he had turned to deliver his farewell line, he had winked at her affectionately. For several moments she had stared at the door, not believing what had happened, not believing the very existence of Chad Dillon.
What kind of man was he? On first sight, she had pegged him dirty and possibly dangerous. His calm acceptance of her predicament and the sensitive manner in which he’d helped her through it had changed her mind. By the time he had left her in the hospital, she had regarded him as a diamond in the rough. Yet last night he had shown her still other facets of himself. His clothes bespoke elegance and sophistication, his manner breeding and education, not to mention charm. And his kiss…
“Greg?” he questioned softly. “Is he the reason why you’re still alone?”
She avoided his probing eyes. God, they were blue and deep and… Through the deep V in his shirt, the hair on his chest shone in the soft lighting of the lamp. “No. I can’t divorce myself from living because I lost a husband.”
“Is there another reason?”
She looked up at him then and laughed. “Well, frankly, a heavily pregnant widow isn’t exactly what every man dreams of.”
He joined her laughter, tilting his head back. The skin on his throat stretched taut over the corded muscles. It looked warm, vibrant. Smiling, he looked down at her again. “Did you have any problems after I took you to the hospital?”
“No.”
“You’re fine? Everything back to normal?”
She should have been embarrassed discussing such personal things with him, but strangely she wasn’t. “Yes, I got a clean bill of health from the doctor on my last visit.”
He sighed with relief. “God, the hours I agonized over what I might have done to you.”
“Chad.” She stretched her hand toward his arm, thought better of touching him, and drew it back. “Where were you afterward? I tried to look you up. You weren’t listed in the telephone directory.”
“Why?”
“Why what?”
“Why did you try to look me up?”
“I wanted to pay you for helping me. I—” She was stunned into silence by the scowl that quickly clouded his handsome features.
“I wouldn’t have taken any money from you, Leigh.” His breath hissed through his teeth as he looked away from her. “Damn,” he cursed softly, then impaled her again with his eyes. “Did you think I expected you to pay me?”
“I meant no offense, Chad. I only wanted you to know how much I appreciated…” Her bottom lip began to tremble. “I might have died without you. Sarah might have—”
“Shhhh,” he said, stepping forward to enfold her in his strong arms. She went into his embrace naturally. “I didn’t mean to upset you. Seems like all I’ve done since I got here is make you two women cry.” It was an attempt at humor and it worked. She laughed against his shirt front. He smelled good. Expensive and elusive.
He raised her chin with his finger until she was looking up into those captivating eyes. “Do you remember what happened in your hospital room before I left?”
She swallowed. “You brought me flowers.”
“What else?” She tried to lower her head, but he wouldn’t let her. “What else?”
“You kissed me.”
He nodded slowly. “I didn’t know if you remembered.” His hand smoothed over her jaw to frame her face. “Were you too drugged to fight me off or didn’t you mind my kissing you?”
She lowered her eyes shyly. “A combination of both, I guess.”
She felt the rumbling chuckle in his chest. “Then you wouldn’t mind if I kissed you again?” When she didn’t look at him, he said, “Leigh?”
She shook her head.
His breath was warm against her lips before she felt the gentle pressure of his mouth. His lips moved over hers in the way she remembered—slow, tender, sweet. His arms drew her tighter for a moment, then relaxed so his hands could enjoy the smooth expanse of her back.
She knew the instant his lips parted. The teeth that contributed to his gorgeous smile were against her lips, nipping them gently. Like a flower, they opened under that delightful insistence. For ponderous heartbeats their mouths remained open to each other, still, exchanging no more than breath. Waiting, waiting.
Then his tongue pressed past her lips and teeth to claim the inside of her mouth, rubbing against her own tongue with an intimacy that made her limbs go weak. Her hands went to his waist, clutching at him in hopes of maintaining a foothold on the world.
She was infused with life as her body surged toward his. Her breasts swelled and hardened against the muscular wall of his chest, and as he moved against them slightly, she heard the satisfied growl deep in his throat. His hands roamed her back, massaging, stroking, slipping around to her sides to tease along her ribs. Now one slid possessively past her waist to settle on the small of her back. With infinite care, he pressed her tightly against him.
The momentary shock at feeling his arousal was smothered by the instinctive need to know more of it. As she curved up against him what modicum of control had reined his passions disintegrated. His kiss became a fervent exploration. He learned her mouth thoroughly with his curious tongue, his tasting lips, his sampling teeth.
He kissed with thrusting pressure and tentative sips. He was bold. He was shy. At once avid, then tender. Demanding, then supplicant. As he probed her mouth, Leigh felt delicious, erotic sensations spread through her body, and her answering kiss was full of yearning.
Oxygen-starved, they pulled apart. He laid his fevered cheek against hers. Her arms had long since wound around his back. Their wheezing breaths echoed through the quiet room.
Slowly he stepped away from her and brushed back a strand of her hair. Leaning forward, he dropped a chaste kiss on her lips. “Good night, Leigh. I’ll be in touch.” As an afterthought at the door, he added, “Oh, and thanks for supper.”
Chapter Three
Leigh lay in bed the next morning long after the alarm had gone off. Not that she had needed it to awaken her. She hadn’t slept well and dawn was a welcome relief from the tossing and turning that had plagued her through the night. She had watched dumbstruck as Chad had picked up his navy blue blazer, shrugged into it, and left by the front door. As he had turned to deliver his farewell line, he had winked at her affectionately. For several moments she had stared at the door, not believing what had happened, not believing the very existence of Chad Dillon.
What kind of man was he? On first sight, she had pegged him dirty and possibly dangerous. His calm acceptance of her predicament and the sensitive manner in which he’d helped her through it had changed her mind. By the time he had left her in the hospital, she had regarded him as a diamond in the rough. Yet last night he had shown her still other facets of himself. His clothes bespoke elegance and sophistication, his manner breeding and education, not to mention charm. And his kiss…
