Connections of the Mind by Roseanne Dowell Page A

her breath to reply.
    “Thought we’d pick up where we left off the other night.” He patted her butt.
    Rebecca picked up her clothes, which had fallen to the floor. Her face was on fire, as well as the rest of her body. She wanted him as much today as ever. Wanted him but wasn’t about to give in. Good grief, she didn’t sleep with men so soon after meeting them. No matter what the physical attraction—she wouldn’t, couldn’t, give in. Heck, she hardly knew him. Yet she knew everything about him. Everything important that is. But still, she couldn’t give in. She had to put some space between them and darn quick.
    Maybe moving to the hotel wasn’t such a good idea.
    “I need to shower.” She started for the bathroom.
    “Shower later.” He moved toward her, but she backed away.
    “Look, Jeremy, I’m sorry, I can’t do this.” Running her fingers through her hair, she looked at him. How was she going to explain this? Yes, she desired him. Had almost given in. “I mean we hardly know each other.” Sure, in this day and age, casual sex was nothing unusual but not for her. “It isn’t that I don’t want to. I just can’t.”
    “Okay, you have a point. But damn, I want you. It’s not just sex either. I like everything about you.” He shook his head. “I enjoyed spending time with you. Hell, I feel like I’ve known you my whole life. Okay, I can wait. For a while anyway. I won’t push you.” He walked toward her, patted her back. “Go take your shower, and we’ll get some breakfast,” he said.
     
    Rebecca didn’t wait for him to change his mind. She hurried into the bathroom and almost locked the door but thought better of it. She trusted Jeremy. He wouldn’t do anything until she was ready. Damn, she was so close to ready. Yet she couldn’t, not yet.
    She snapped off the water and pulled back the curtain. One thing she hated about hotel bathrooms, the exhaust fans never worked sufficiently. If Jeremy wasn’t here, she’d open the door and let some of the steam out. Dare she open the door? Why not? Jeremy understood her feelings. She cracked the door and wrapped her hair in a towel and grabbed another towel to dry off.
    A sound from the other room stopped her. Jeremy was moving around. What was he doing? Not searching her stuff, she was sure. Heck if he had wanted to do that, he had ample opportunity when her things had been scattered all over the room at the motel.
    She shrugged and blew dry her hair. Dressed and makeup finished, Rebecca pulled open the door, smoothed her shirt, and went out to her room.
    Jeremy sat on the chair, just as she’d left him. On the table in front of him, a tablecloth was spread, and two trays sat on top with breakfast.
    “Hungry?” Jeremy grinned.
    “Actually I am. How did you do this?”
    “Picked up the phone and ordered it. Hope you like scrambled eggs, bacon, potatoes, and orange juice.”
    “Love them.” Rebecca sat down across from him and picked up the lid. “Smells delicious.”
    “What do you want to do today?”
    “You know, I’m thinking about taking a web designing class at Morrisville. Thought I might check more into it. Who knows, maybe I’ll even register.”
    “Sounds like you’re planning on staying.”
    “Well, for a while. The course is only eleven weeks.”
    “Eleven weeks, huh? Are you going to live on campus or what?” Jeremy sipped his juice. “So, I have eleven weeks to convince you to stay permanently.”
    Rebecca couldn’t believe it. He wanted her in his life. Little did he know, she was already a part of it.
    “Not sure yet. I might just stay here.”
    Her cellphone rang, interrupting their conversation.
    Rebecca picked it up. “Hello.”
    “Beck, what’s going on? Why did you change hotels?”
    “Hi, Les, nothing’s going on.” She didn’t dare tell her brother about the break-in. “This is a nicer hotel that’s all.”
    “When are you coming home? Now that you met the guy, what’s keeping