away. “You were hesitant when we spoke. I was afraid you
might change your mind.”
“I was at work.”
He placed a hand on my lower back and moved me forward. “I’m
sorry if I made you uncomfortable. Thank you for coming. How about dinner?”
I halted. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to be seen
in public together.” For all I knew, he was still engaged. They might have simply
postponed the wedding.
“Don’t worry, I’ve reserved a private area of the
restaurant. Apart from the waiters, we’ll be alone.”
I nodded. He escorted me to a part of the restaurant that
was so well hidden, most guests probably had no idea it even existed.
We sat, and I turned to him. “What did you want to tell me?”
Better to know as soon as possible before I got my hopes up, only to have them
dashed again.
“Shall we order first?” He waved the waiter over.
I ordered a Greek salad, and Nick the steak and potatoes.
“Carlene,” he said. “I can’t get you out of my mind.”
I pressed my lips together and said nothing for a while. Those
words warmed my heart, but I had to be realistic. “What do you want me to do
with this information?” He would never leave a woman like Elizabeth for me.
Best to accept it and move on. Maybe it was a good thing I came to meet him, to
get closure.
“No woman has ever made me feel this way. I thought you
should know.”
His words reflected my own feelings for him. “But... Aren’t
you still engaged to Elizabeth?”
“No.” He cupped my hand with both of his. His heat warmed my
skin and reached into my very core. “Not anymore. It’s over.”
Electricity jolted through my body, but before I could
respond, the waiter brought our food. When he left, I pressed the fork into my
salad as Nick cut into his steak. “You mean...?”
“Yes. I called off the wedding the night before it was
supposed to happen. Elizabeth and I had been together for four years, but we
weren’t right for each other. I know that now. She was more interested in my
money.”
I laughed. “It was obvious when you came to buy the ring.” I
couldn’t help myself. I had to say it.
He nodded. “I couldn’t see how wrong she was for me until I
met you.”
“She was beautiful.”
He looked seriously at me. “That’s not enough. I don’t want
to stay with someone just because they’re beautiful. I want that special
connection. The kind you and I have. Besides, you’re even more beautiful,
Carlene. The first time I saw you, something inside of me changed.”
I inhaled slowly, breathing in his words. An involuntary
smile formed on my lips, and tears burned the backs of my eyes. “You mean that?”
“More than anything. I needed to see you. To see where this
leads.”
“Where does it lead?” I whispered, still unable to believe
what was unfolding.
“I need to spend more time with you to find that out. I know
you feel something for me too. I see it in your eyes. It was unmistakable at
the launch party.”
Was I such an open book? I looked down into my glass of
white wine.
Nick put his fork on his plate and placed a finger under my
chin, lifting it. “It’s Friday. Why don’t we do something crazy, spend the
weekend together? Here. We can have time to talk.”
“That’s crazy.” I wanted to say yes, to spend more time with
him, allow him to sweep me off my feet. “But we’re still strangers.”
“You still think that? After everything that’s happened? We
kissed. That should make us more than strangers, surely. But we can get to know
each other more if you accept my invitation.”
“I don’t know.” I bit my lip. Why the hell was I hesitating?
The man of my dreams was professing his love for me, and I was thinking twice?
“Come on,” he said, his eyes dancing, “spend the weekend
with me. Or just the night.” He paused. “You can walk away, if I don’t convince
you to stay in my life.”
Joy raced through me, leaving warmth in its path. He’d said
it. He
might change your mind.”
“I was at work.”
He placed a hand on my lower back and moved me forward. “I’m
sorry if I made you uncomfortable. Thank you for coming. How about dinner?”
I halted. “I don’t think it’s a good idea for us to be seen
in public together.” For all I knew, he was still engaged. They might have simply
postponed the wedding.
“Don’t worry, I’ve reserved a private area of the
restaurant. Apart from the waiters, we’ll be alone.”
I nodded. He escorted me to a part of the restaurant that
was so well hidden, most guests probably had no idea it even existed.
We sat, and I turned to him. “What did you want to tell me?”
Better to know as soon as possible before I got my hopes up, only to have them
dashed again.
“Shall we order first?” He waved the waiter over.
I ordered a Greek salad, and Nick the steak and potatoes.
“Carlene,” he said. “I can’t get you out of my mind.”
I pressed my lips together and said nothing for a while. Those
words warmed my heart, but I had to be realistic. “What do you want me to do
with this information?” He would never leave a woman like Elizabeth for me.
Best to accept it and move on. Maybe it was a good thing I came to meet him, to
get closure.
“No woman has ever made me feel this way. I thought you
should know.”
His words reflected my own feelings for him. “But... Aren’t
you still engaged to Elizabeth?”
“No.” He cupped my hand with both of his. His heat warmed my
skin and reached into my very core. “Not anymore. It’s over.”
Electricity jolted through my body, but before I could
respond, the waiter brought our food. When he left, I pressed the fork into my
salad as Nick cut into his steak. “You mean...?”
“Yes. I called off the wedding the night before it was
supposed to happen. Elizabeth and I had been together for four years, but we
weren’t right for each other. I know that now. She was more interested in my
money.”
I laughed. “It was obvious when you came to buy the ring.” I
couldn’t help myself. I had to say it.
He nodded. “I couldn’t see how wrong she was for me until I
met you.”
“She was beautiful.”
He looked seriously at me. “That’s not enough. I don’t want
to stay with someone just because they’re beautiful. I want that special
connection. The kind you and I have. Besides, you’re even more beautiful,
Carlene. The first time I saw you, something inside of me changed.”
I inhaled slowly, breathing in his words. An involuntary
smile formed on my lips, and tears burned the backs of my eyes. “You mean that?”
“More than anything. I needed to see you. To see where this
leads.”
“Where does it lead?” I whispered, still unable to believe
what was unfolding.
“I need to spend more time with you to find that out. I know
you feel something for me too. I see it in your eyes. It was unmistakable at
the launch party.”
Was I such an open book? I looked down into my glass of
white wine.
Nick put his fork on his plate and placed a finger under my
chin, lifting it. “It’s Friday. Why don’t we do something crazy, spend the
weekend together? Here. We can have time to talk.”
“That’s crazy.” I wanted to say yes, to spend more time with
him, allow him to sweep me off my feet. “But we’re still strangers.”
“You still think that? After everything that’s happened? We
kissed. That should make us more than strangers, surely. But we can get to know
each other more if you accept my invitation.”
“I don’t know.” I bit my lip. Why the hell was I hesitating?
The man of my dreams was professing his love for me, and I was thinking twice?
“Come on,” he said, his eyes dancing, “spend the weekend
with me. Or just the night.” He paused. “You can walk away, if I don’t convince
you to stay in my life.”
Joy raced through me, leaving warmth in its path. He’d said
it. He
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