several rolls and croissants for her to choose from.
“Thanks,” she said and chose a croissant, waiting as he served her some of the salad and avocados and then served himself. Afterward, he lifted a pitcher and offered her a drink. “Fresh lemonade or I can go inside and get some soda.”
“The lemonade will be fine, thanks,” she replied. “This is all very nice, but you don’t have to go out of your way, Paul.”
Paul studied her, not sure she was being totally honest. In his general circle of acquaintances, everyone expected something. But as he examined her face, it was open and without any hint of deception. He wanted to return some of that honesty. “The people I’m usually with -- my family’s friends and acquaintances -- always want things just so, expect certain niceties that are some somehow supposed to --”
“Make you think that you care?” she interrupted and reached out for his hand. “Is that what all our dates have been about? Don’t you know that you don’t have to prove yourself to me? I like you just the way you are.”
Paul nodded, unable to find his voice, but held onto her hand tighter.
Carmen winced from the grip of his hand and he tempered his hold. But she seemed to know he needed more right now. She rose, walked to him, and he shifted his chair away from the table. She sat on his lap and drew his head near, cradling it to her breasts. “We’ve had a lot of fun the past few weeks. But I think we could have fun just being together, without you always trying to live up to all those expectations.”
He wrapped his arms around her waist and savored her caring, the security her arms offered. After long minutes, he whispered hoarsely, “I like you, too. Just the way you are.”
Carmen dropped a kiss along the edge of his brow, softly whispering, “I’m glad, because I wasn’t sure I could live up to your expectations.”
He pulled away and raised his head until his lips were brushing hers. “You shattered all my expectations, Carmen. You’re more than I could ever have hoped for.” Paul moved his mouth against hers then, telling her even more with the language of his lips.
Carmen sensed it in the way he held her, gave her his heart with the way his lips cradled hers, loving, treasuring. She gripped him tighter, wanting him to know she cared as much as he. The kiss went on and on, gentle, tentative, giving. When it finally ended, she felt cherished in a way she never had before.
She looked at him and he was smiling easily, his aquamarine eyes glittering brightly. She dropped one quick kiss on his lips, jumped up, and announced, “Time for lunch and then work, remember?”
Paul chuckled, wiping at the stray tear at the edge of his eye. As she returned to her chair and settled herself in to finish lunch, Paul filled her glass. She smiled at him, forked up some of the shrimp salad he had made, and he smiled back, thanked whoever it was up there that had brought her to him.
Chapter 7
In the shade of the tree, it stayed cool throughout the day as Paul read his case files and Carmen copiously took notes and highlighted portions of a review book.
Paul had glanced over more than once as she worked, noticing her intensity as she studied the materials for her upcoming test. It was a new side of her and it intrigued him. He wondered whether she gave everything she was interested in this much attention.
She raised her head, seemingly musing over something she had just read, and noticed his perusal. “Something wrong?”
He shook his head and laid down the file he had just finished reading. “Just fascinated.”
“An interesting case?” she asked, clearly unaware she was the object of his attentions.
“Very,” he replied and rose, afraid he would be unable to stop himself from blurting out too much too soon. “I’m going to fix some dinner.”
Carmen put aside her books, pen, and highlighter. “Let me help.”
He hesitated for a second then nodded, held out his hand
“Thanks,” she said and chose a croissant, waiting as he served her some of the salad and avocados and then served himself. Afterward, he lifted a pitcher and offered her a drink. “Fresh lemonade or I can go inside and get some soda.”
“The lemonade will be fine, thanks,” she replied. “This is all very nice, but you don’t have to go out of your way, Paul.”
Paul studied her, not sure she was being totally honest. In his general circle of acquaintances, everyone expected something. But as he examined her face, it was open and without any hint of deception. He wanted to return some of that honesty. “The people I’m usually with -- my family’s friends and acquaintances -- always want things just so, expect certain niceties that are some somehow supposed to --”
“Make you think that you care?” she interrupted and reached out for his hand. “Is that what all our dates have been about? Don’t you know that you don’t have to prove yourself to me? I like you just the way you are.”
Paul nodded, unable to find his voice, but held onto her hand tighter.
Carmen winced from the grip of his hand and he tempered his hold. But she seemed to know he needed more right now. She rose, walked to him, and he shifted his chair away from the table. She sat on his lap and drew his head near, cradling it to her breasts. “We’ve had a lot of fun the past few weeks. But I think we could have fun just being together, without you always trying to live up to all those expectations.”
He wrapped his arms around her waist and savored her caring, the security her arms offered. After long minutes, he whispered hoarsely, “I like you, too. Just the way you are.”
Carmen dropped a kiss along the edge of his brow, softly whispering, “I’m glad, because I wasn’t sure I could live up to your expectations.”
He pulled away and raised his head until his lips were brushing hers. “You shattered all my expectations, Carmen. You’re more than I could ever have hoped for.” Paul moved his mouth against hers then, telling her even more with the language of his lips.
Carmen sensed it in the way he held her, gave her his heart with the way his lips cradled hers, loving, treasuring. She gripped him tighter, wanting him to know she cared as much as he. The kiss went on and on, gentle, tentative, giving. When it finally ended, she felt cherished in a way she never had before.
She looked at him and he was smiling easily, his aquamarine eyes glittering brightly. She dropped one quick kiss on his lips, jumped up, and announced, “Time for lunch and then work, remember?”
Paul chuckled, wiping at the stray tear at the edge of his eye. As she returned to her chair and settled herself in to finish lunch, Paul filled her glass. She smiled at him, forked up some of the shrimp salad he had made, and he smiled back, thanked whoever it was up there that had brought her to him.
Chapter 7
In the shade of the tree, it stayed cool throughout the day as Paul read his case files and Carmen copiously took notes and highlighted portions of a review book.
Paul had glanced over more than once as she worked, noticing her intensity as she studied the materials for her upcoming test. It was a new side of her and it intrigued him. He wondered whether she gave everything she was interested in this much attention.
She raised her head, seemingly musing over something she had just read, and noticed his perusal. “Something wrong?”
He shook his head and laid down the file he had just finished reading. “Just fascinated.”
“An interesting case?” she asked, clearly unaware she was the object of his attentions.
“Very,” he replied and rose, afraid he would be unable to stop himself from blurting out too much too soon. “I’m going to fix some dinner.”
Carmen put aside her books, pen, and highlighter. “Let me help.”
He hesitated for a second then nodded, held out his hand
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