Light of Day by Ruth Wind, Barbara Samuel Page B

your way once already this week.”
    He had his keys in his hand, brooking no argument. He spoke to the bartender and the waitresses briefly, then took Lila’s arm and led her outside. “You’re bossy, aren’t you?” Lila commented.
    “Sensible.” He looked at her. “A good quality in moderation.”
    “Overrated,” Lila said with a smile.
    At the car he paused. “Would you like to drive?”
    She stopped dead. “Really?” She grinned. “I’d love to.”
    He dropped the ring in her hand with a quirk of his brows. Inside the car he pointed out all the controls for her, then leaned back comfortably. She had to pull the seat up a bit, but other than that, it was a perfect fit and she started it with a sense of excitement. It rumbled to life under her feet, responding smoothly as she pulled out of the parking area and onto the street beyond.
    “Oh, Samuel,” she exclaimed, “this is wonderful!” She rolled down the window to let the air flow through her hair, enjoying the quick, hard bite of it on her bare shoulders. When her shawl started slapping her arms, she whipped it off and flung it on the seat beside her.
    “I’m glad you like it,” he replied quietly. Her skirt had tightened over her long slender thighs, and the angle of her hands on the wheel outlined her full breasts and slender waist. Moonlight fell on her shoulders as the wind played in her hair, and there was a gleam of wild excitement on her features. It made him feel young to look at her, young and full of desire. In lieu of touching her, he lit another cigarette.
    The drive to her house was not a long one. She parked and turned to him exuberantly. “Let me repay you. Come inside. I have a lovely bottle of wine.”
    As she spoke, she leaned forward, and Samuel caught a glimpse of the full flesh hidden so carefully below her dress. He lowered his eyes to the pale orange tip of his cigarette, assailed suddenly with an acute and persuasive vision of Lila beneath him on the silken pillows of her living room, the flavor of wine upon her full lips. He swallowed, met her eager, wide-open gaze. “It’s impossible tonight,” he said. “Another time, perhaps.”
    Her face sobered. “Are you in some kind of trouble, Samuel?”
    “Yes,” he said simply, moving away from her. “I don’t want you involved.”
    “All right.” She picked up her shawl. “Thanks for letting me drive. It was fun.” She opened the door and left him.
    Inside her house Lila deposited her small purse and shawl on a table by the door, kicked off her shoes, then slumped on a pile of pillows without turning on a light. Her stomach quivered with the exhilarating drive and the distinctly sexual awareness she’d discovered with Samuel.
    It shocked her a little to realize she would have fed him wine and more, wouldn’t have minded kisses leading to other pleasures. While she touted a carefree attitude, that breeziness had never extended to her bedroom. There had been men in her life—one or two, anyway—but the entire display of those encounters now seemed very pale in comparison to what Samuel did to her by simply talking.
    She laughed as she realized she was staring into the darkness, twirling her hair around her fingers in dreamy excitement. Her attraction to Samuel was thrilling and new and delightful. Wherever that led her, she discovered she was willing to follow it.
    Odd that she was able to so willingly contemplate becoming involved with a man who could obviously offer her no permanence. He was in danger, was perhaps dangerous himself. It didn’t matter. Nor did it matter that she thought he was resisting his attraction to her.
    Enough, she told herself, and struggled to her feet. It would take a few months for Samuel to make the changes necessary to get the restaurant going well again. There was time to explore the implications and delights of his presence in her life another day. Wincing against the pain clawing her lower back, she limped into the bathroom and