Lovers and Other Strangers Box Set: The Boston Stories (18 page)

"No, I was two years behind you."

"That explains it. You knew who I was but I didn't really know you, did I."

"I guess."

"But that still leaves the question of what nice thing I could have done that would be worth what you paid to redeem the favor? Are you going to tell me?"

"Ugh, no! The fact is, it was something so insignificant to you that you don't remember it but still, it meant the world to me and if I tell you now I'll die of embarrassment."

"You do realize I'm a cop. I am wired to figure out mysteries so there is no way I am letting this go. Which means... I'm not leaving till I find out what I did that would make you remember me this much later."

Evie didn't even want to look but she did. Yep, same smile invented by the devil himself. He might be a good looking guy but when he smiled, he could stop her heart then and it was still true. She couldn't help herself and smiled back at him.

"I told you, you don't need to do that. I was happy to make the donation. I never really expected to follow through with it."

"Oh this has nothing to do with the auction. I'm asking you out for purely selfish reasons, one, my ego needs to spend time with a beautiful woman, two, I find you fascinating and mysterious, and the ever popular, if I take you out there is at least a decent shot of at least getting a kiss in there somewhere. Unless of course you'd like to kiss me right now?"

"Oh, you haven't changed a bit, have you? Same sweet talker just like you were then."

"I'd like to think I've gotten better at it, to tell you the truth. Oh God, I didn't sleep with you in high school, did I?"

The look of horror on his face was so perfect she actually thought for a second about saying yes but decided the truth would be better in the long run.

"We didn't sleep together. We didn't even date so you're off the hook. I'm not some lunatic looking for revenge."

He let out a deep breath. "Thank God! I had the start of some weird horror movie plot running through my head. So will you go out with me, please?"

"I guess."

"I'll have to work on your enthusiasm. Go get changed and we can go."

"What? Now?"

"Yeah, now. You bolted on me last time so I want to make sure you don't give me the slip again." The devil's grin was back.

"I can't, I have to go to a friend's opening later."

"Perfect! I'll take you to lunch and we can go to the opening together."

Evie shook her head. "Are you always this persistent?"

"Just with beautiful women." Evie blushed to her toes. That was the second time in a couple of minutes that he had called her beautiful. If he kept this up she start believing him soon. "Fine," she laughed trying to sound nonchalant "I give up in the face of your overwhelming charm. Let me go wash the stone dust off me and get into clean clothes. Enjoy your coffee I'll be back soon. She walked to an alcove and lifted the gate on an old freight elevator.

Cam turned away to hide his smile. An elevator to her bedroom, how convenient. Actually he was more pleased with her going out with him than he would have imagined. He liked women so it always felt good to spend time with them but she was different from most of the women he knew or had dated. She was quieter that's for sure. She also brought out all his protective instincts which seemed crazy since she looked like she could take care of herself just fine. He wandered around her place looking at the art work on the walls and drinking his coffee. Eventually he wandered out to her work area and started circling the piece she had been working on when he came in. He was still out there when she found him.

She had changed into a wool skirt and sweater, somehow it was not sexy and totally sexy at the same time. It just reinforced the idea he always had that women were a hell of a lot more complicated than men.

"Tell me about this sculpture."

"Its not near done yet. I've roughed out the shape but there is still a ways to go on it. Why don't you tell me what you see?"

"I don't know anything about art."

"I'm not looking for a critique, just what does it make you think of, or feel. What is your gut level response to it?"

"I don't know? The part you were working on smoothing out looks soft even though I know its stone. It looks like you could rest your head there and everything would be alright. I like the way this rougher area down here is chipped. It feels good to run your hand over it. Except, in museums you're not allowed to touch anything so it would be kind of frustrating if this were in a museum."

Evie started laughing and Cam turned bright red. "Look, I said I didn't know anything about art."

"No, those were wonderful responses, so much more interesting and honest than any art critic gives. I was laughing because I wish people could touch my work in museums. I understand the museum's need to preserve the piece but I always find it frustrating too. As an artist I want my work to have a sensual element to it and touch is the most easily understood sense but everybody is afraid to touch art even if it is outside and no one is watching."

Cam started laughing. "Good, then you won't mind that I had my hands all over this instead of you. After all you were still upstairs."

Evie just shook her head "You're horrible."

"I prefer to think of it as honest to a fault. So is your work in museums?"

"Some, smaller good ones, I am proud to say. Mass MoCA, Williams College, Yale Art Gallery, I'm not dead or scandalous enough for the big ones in New York or California. I also have some wealthy clients who are collectors."

"Sounds like you are a big shot to me. So can this lowly public servant take the famous artist to lunch now?"

"I'd love that!"

"That sounded suspiciously like enthusiasm."

"Horrible man." Cam grabbed her hand and kissed the back of it. He wanted to haul her down on top of him and kiss her senseless right then but he thought she'd bolt if he tried. On the one hand he'd never been this fascinated by a woman, not just aroused but wanting to find out more about what she's thinking, while on the other hand he'd never met a woman that seemed to want to take off any minute the way she did. He didn't know how he was going to get her to settle down long enough for him to get to know her better but walking away from her at this point seemed out of the question.

"Where should we go for lunch? Is there someplace nice that is close or did you want to go into Cambridge. I know a great bistro, kind of a hole in the wall place but the food is good and its dark and romantic."

"I think somewhere around here is fine. There's a great diner around the corner. We wouldn't even need the car. You okay with Greek food?"

"Love it. The bistro can be our second date."

"Hmm, awfully confident, aren't you." She was smiling when she said it.

"Sweetheart, you're the one that came up with three grand to repay some debt you won't tell me about. I figure you gotta like me a little. If the place is that close, you wanna ride on my lap?"

Evie almost choked. "No!"

"Hey, it was worth a shot. Lead on, good lady."

About half way through lunch Evie realized she was relaxed -and on a date! That had never happened in her life. Okay, there weren't a lot of dates she could compare it to admittedly, but this one was feeling really nice. Joseph was being cute and complimentary. He'd honestly seemed interested in her work and the art world in general. He had outrageous stories to tell about when he had worked as a beat cop and from when he'd gone to the police academy. He was happy to fill any empty spaces in the conversation so she didn't feel spooked if they happened. The craziest moment was when he reached over, wiped some tzatzki sauce from the corner of her mouth then licked it off his thumb, like they were some old married couple. She just sat there with her heart pounding in her throat and watched him. She couldn't remember the last time she felt like that. Wait, yes she could and it was the last time she'd fantasized about him. Wouldn't mister sex appeal choke if he knew how recently that had been.

Of course that had been the old him. This guy sitting across from her was better than anything in her fantasies. She had always hoped there was a heart of gold under the high school bad boy but that he'd turn into this sweet, funny heartthrob was hard to believe.

"Hey, Earth to Evie. Where are you right now?"

Evie slid a french fry off his plate and ate it. "Can't tell you officer, on the grounds I'll incriminate myself." and then she winked at him. Oh God, why had she tried to flirt with him! With any luck he'd just ignore it. No way. Cam was just staring at her.

"Evie Tolland, are you, flirting with me?"

Evie turned scarlet and felt like she was going to burst into flames her cheeks were so hot. She covered her face with her hands and closed her eyes. Then she felt him peel one of her hands away and hold it. She opened her eyes and he was right there.

"I hope to hell you are because all through lunch I've wanted to do this." He peeled her other hand down and held them both with one of his hands. With the other he held her chin, stroking it with his thumb. He wasn't looking into her eyes he was staring at her lips and licking his. She thought she was going to cry if he didn't kiss her soon. Then he moved to stroke across her lower lip. It took every bit of her will not to reach her tongue out to taste it, to soothe the fire he was setting on her lips. When she had completely forgotten how to breathe anymore, he bent his head down and touched his lips to hers lighter than a butterfly's brush.

She lost it and whimpered. Her eyes glazed over and drooped to half mast. He must have been waiting for that because when she let her guard down he took possession of her mouth like he owned it. Sucking her lower lip between his lips, raising the blood in it. Sweeping his tongue across and into the corner of her mouth. When her mouth opened he found her tongue and after exploring every morsel of it, sucked it into his mouth so she could explore him. She whimpered again but this time it was because he was still holding her hands trapped and she wanted to touch him. She tried pulling her hands out from his but he refused to let them go. Finally he pulled away and Evie thought she should scream.

"Oh no missy, if you start touching me, I won't make it back your loft let alone to your friend's opening. I'd end up tearing your clothes off right here and this is a family place." Evie was barely coherent. All she could think about was sliding her lips along his jaw and feeling the stubble against them. She was almost panting, thankfully so was he.

He backed away and released her hands.

"Check, please! Mmm, you know the entrees here are good but the dessert is so much better." Evie let out something that sounded like 'eep' and Joseph laughed at her but he took both her hands in his and kissed them till the waitress came with the check.

When they were walking down the ramp, Joseph took one of her hands and kissed it again.

"You know we could skip the opening and just go back to your place and spend the afternoon in bed?"

"No!"

"No -no opening or No -no going to bed?"

"No going to bed. I'm sorry, I... I didn't mean to lead you on. I am as surprised by how I acted as you were. I have to go to this opening."

Cam could see she was embarrassed.

"Hey, just a thought. I'm a little like your sculptures, I'm a little too sensual for my own good and I want to be touched. I don't kiss many women like that."

He'd gotten her to smile at him and she looked like she was back to regular blushing and not looking like she was going to pass out.

"Evie, I've got to warn you. I am attracted to you in a way that I haven't felt, well, ever. I know its just our first date but I am going to do everything I can to seduce you. Consider yourself warned."

Now she was just standing there gapping at him. She looked like someone had asked her to set herself on fire.

"Oh don't look so surprised. Like you didn't know you had me in the palm of your hand."

"Are you always so... blunt? I mean can you even..."

"You're talking to a guy in a wheelchair and while the legs don't work, um, the rest does, give me half a chance and I'd love to show you just how well. Anyway, after I got shot I decided that I didn't really want to play games anymore. So I tell my family I love them because I do. I tell people when they are pissing me off and how. Not to be an obnoxious jerk but everybody is so wrapped up in their own worlds that sometimes you need a wake up call. You, lovely lady most definitely need a wake up call."

"Me, what did I do to piss you off?"

"Oh you don't need one for that reason. I have never met anyone that had their fire turned down so low."

"What does that mean?"

"It means, pretty lady, that when I finally get you into bed. The weather service is going to issue a volcano warning. Enough talking about sex, I'm only human, and you insist we go to this art opening. Please tell me they'll at least have alcohol there. I need a drink you're making me so crazy."

Evie giggled like the young pretty girl he made her feel like and pulled him in the direction they needed to go. It had started getting chilly and while the wool skirt and cashmere sweater were warm her bare legs were not. She couldn't suppress a shiver. Joseph saw it and pulled her on to his lap. He opened up his pea coat and snugged it around her.

"Better?"

"Yeah, actually. This isn't uncomfortable for you? I mean I don't want to hurt you or anything."

"Trust me its the 'or anything' part that is going to be the problem. Hang on I'll drive, you navigate."

She tucked herself in against his chest and wondered what the hell had come over her. She was not the girl that plopped down on the lap of some guy she barely knew. She was also not the girl who flirted or the girl that let some guy just waltz into her loft and life and whisk her off on a date. This was strange and wonderful and exciting. She definitely was not an exciting girl in any way shape or form. Did the fact that Joseph was sort of a known quantity make the difference but the truth was that she really didn't know him at all.

All she really knew were the fantasies she'd been having about him for the last twenty years. If he'd been cold, or boring, or hadn't looked exactly like what he should, then she could have just dismissed him and gone back to her fantasy version. Instead he'd been everything she had been dreaming about and more. Admittedly, the wheelchair threw her at least at first but he didn't seem thrown by it so maybe it wasn't such a big deal. It didn't seem to have hurt his sex drive any and if that kiss was an indication, wow, volcanos were gonna be jealous.