Make Me Yours (5 page)

“Let’s focus on the future.” She put her hand on his shoulder and kissed him gently on the mouth. “Call me in the morning. We’ll make plans for our great cell phone hunt.”

“I will.”

He stood on the porch and watched her car until the taillights faded from view. For a long time he stood there, staring up at the stars. He was sure he would have trouble sleeping again tonight, tormented not only by what it would have been like if she’d stayed the night but also by what she might be thinking, and deciding, about him. She was flattered by his attention and forwardness, it seemed to him, because it showed how much he wanted her. Everyone liked to feel wanted and needed. Then again, even if she had harbored a small flame for him all those years, that didn’t mean she was ready to light a blazing campfire that could be seen for miles around. She obviously hadn’t forgotten about those budding feelings, if he was any judge of her reactions to his words and his touch, and perhaps she had thought of him often with a certain fondness. At the same time, he was sure she hadn’t thought about him as often as he’d thought about her. That was another thing he had to remind himself of constantly. He didn’t want to become so paranoid he hardly knew how to act around her, but his heart was finding it hard to hit the balance his head told him he needed. She’d said she didn’t think he’d be disappointed when he said he was looking for love. He prayed that was true. Even after only two days, he couldn’t imagine going back to a life without her.

Chapter Four

Susan sat on the couch and stared up at the ceiling. Were they going to have sex tonight? She felt a little silly focusing on that one issue so much, but she couldn’t forget the way his touch had made her feel. His mouth on her breast had been maddening, and she’d had to bite her tongue to keep from begging him to continue touching her. He was being so wonderful, so romantic. It made her feel special, more so after he’d answered some of the questions that had been floating around in her mind ever since he’d sent her that first text. As much as she’d wanted him to make her come right there on the couch, she knew letting him make love to her “properly” would be worth the wait.

“So where’s your lover boy?” David asked as he settled down beside her.

“He’ll be here in a few minutes.”

“How are things going?”

“It’s been three days. We aren’t moving in together or anything.”

“I know, but he’s not exactly a stranger. It’s a new relationship, but there’s a very long friendship that comes with it.” He shrugged. “Just curious.”

“Things are good. He hasn’t seduced me yet, if that’s what you’re asking.”

David paused, looking very serious.

“What?”

“You sound disappointed. We just love teasing you. You could tell me if you did, but I didn’t really think you two were just going to go out and have an all night sexual spree or anything. You know that, right?”

“Of course I do.” She never quite knew how to handle David when he was not joking around with her. “I don’t mind the teasing. It gets a little old, but that’s how you guys show affection.”

He shrugged again. “I guess so.” He shook his head and halfway smiled, though it didn’t look very genuine to her. “Yeah, you’re right. You know we’re joking. It’s hard not to assume certain things though.”

Assume what things? Was he talking about Erik or something else? “I appreciate the concern, but you guys shouldn’t worry about me. You made a good point. Erik isn’t a stranger. I trust him.” She wanted to leave it at that, but Erik’s mention of David as a potential suitor crept into her mind. She told herself it was silly, but she still felt compelled to ask, “Is there any reason you’re so interested?”

He shrugged again. “After what you said the other night, I kind of thought—”

A knock at the door made him stop.

“Thought what?” she asked softly. “He can wait a second.”

“I thought you might move pretty fast, given how he made you feel that first night.” He jumped up and in a very clipped tone said, “Answer the door. This is none of my business.”

She stared after him as he left the room. What was his problem? She went to open the door, and she sincerely hoped this was not the first sign of David actually turning into a protective big brother. Did he feel the need to take care of her because of Mark’s death? Did he miss taking care of someone since his own wife’s death?

She opened the door and smiled at Erik. At least she knew where she stood with him. “Hey, you.”

He hesitated but then smiled. “Hello, beautiful. How are you today?”

“Good. Let me grab my purse.”

He squeezed her hand as they left, and she instantly felt calmer. She’d have a little chat with David later. Whatever was bothering him could probably be easily cleared up once they had a chance to talk.

* * * *

As they drove to the mall, Erik kept seeing Susan and David sitting on the couch together. They obviously hadn’t remembered, at least at that particular moment, that people outside could see in through the small window in the middle of Jeremiah’s front door. Then again, Susan might have assumed he wouldn’t be peeking in. Either way, she hadn’t looked up and they’d continued talking after his knock. Even though it was only for about fifteen seconds, it bothered him. Plus, David had seemed agitated. He remembered that David had been the one to answer the door the first night he and Susan had gone out. David had acted like a teasing big brother that night, but Erik still thought he probably had some feelings for Susan. He couldn’t prove that, and he didn’t want to bring the subject up again. He didn’t suspect Susan of having feelings for David, but he still didn’t want her to think about the situation too much. What if she gave it serious thought and found she had feelings for David as well? Erik didn’t want to seem jealous, but he was. David was around her all the time, and they were going to work together. They lived in the same house. What if Susan dating someone else gave him the courage to declare how he felt? And what did he feel? Was he just attracted to her? Did she seem like the perfect alternative after his wife’s death? Was he in love with her too?

“You’re awfully quiet.”

Erik jumped and turned to see Susan staring at him with a questioning smile on her face. “Sorry. Just thinking about something.”

“Am I allowed to ask what?” she asked as he put her hand gently on his leg.

How to get you away from here and make you fall in love with me.
He patted her hand. “Nothing important. Just another errand I need to run while we’re out.”

“What? Can we do it at the mall? Since the others nearby closed down, this one actually has more stores now.”

He didn’t actually have an errand to run at all. After thinking for a moment, he said, “Well, I need to stop by the drugstore.”

She squeezed his leg. “Yes, we definitely need to do that. You need to stock up on… certain things.”

He’d planned on saying he needed vitamins, but the tone of her voice actually made his cock twitch. She’d thought he meant condoms and very obviously thought it was advisable. Tomorrow was Sunday, so he didn’t have to work. They were definitely going to make the detour to get some. “Glad you approve.”

“You said you were looking for something different from your past relationships. Am I moving too fast?”

“No, Susan, you aren’t. I’m the one who nearly ravaged you on a narrow couch.”

She laughed. “Your couch is very comfy and roomy. You can come on to me there any day.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.” His mood brightened immediately as he thought about spending a whole evening snuggling and kissing on the couch. “How are things going with the bookstore?”

“We’re going to do some painting next week. Not sure which day. David and I are going to work on cataloging the books in a new computer program we bought.”

“Didn’t David work in the library at school?”

“Yeah, he did.”

Erik nodded.

“Can I ask you something a little weird?”

“As long as it’s only a little weird.”

She laughed softly. “It’s about what you said a few nights ago. About David.”

“Yes?” What was she going to ask? What had they been talking about so seriously back at the house?

“You asked about him Thursday night. You mentioned that some people would’ve expected us to get together.”

His heart sank. He tried to keep his tone light and neutral. “Has David said something?”

“Kind of. He was asking how things were going between us, and I joked that we weren’t getting ready to move in together because it had only been a few days, but David seemed very serious. I felt he was trying to be protective, which was strange because he acted so happy when you contacted me. He was teasing me nonstop before that conversation. I didn’t know what to make of it, but I have an idea.”

“And what is that?”

“I think he’s really lonely and misses taking care of someone. You didn’t know his wife Bethany, but she was very timid. She was the sweetest girl in the world, but she had no confidence at all. She depended on David for everything. I mean, she had a job and friends and a life before David, but she really did like to be taken care of. She seemed to need it in some ways. Now, I’m the only woman in his life, and I think he’s trying to do just that. He wants to take care of me because he still feels that need. It’s part of missing her.”

He felt a little relieved. At least David hadn’t said anything along the lines Erik had at first suspected. He wanted to tell Susan she was at least partly right. He could easily believe David wanted to take care of Susan, but he disagreed about the reasons and the extent.

“I think you may be right. He probably is very lonely, and he wants to fill that void in his life. Just be careful.”

“Be careful? What do you mean?”

He’d meant he wanted her to be careful she didn’t encourage him, but instead he said, “You could hurt his feelings. For example, if you told him to stop being protective of you, he might take it the wrong way.”

She nodded. “You’re right. He thinks he’s doing something good. I’ll talk to him about it tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow?”

She tried to hide a smile. “I’m hoping I won’t be sleeping at home tonight.”

“Oh, you have plans? I wish you’d told me. What time do I need to have you back to get ready?”

She slapped him on the arm. “I should make you take me home right now.”

“No, you shouldn’t.” He pulled into a parking space and turned off the engine. He undid his seatbelt and leaned across the seat to embrace her. He pressed her shoulders against the seat and kissed her roughly. He was turned on and still feeling a twinge of jealousy. He couldn’t understand why she didn’t see how perfect she was and why so many men would want her. He planned on showing her thoroughly that night.

She gasped for breath when he released her. She trembled as she reached a hand up to touch his face. “You’re right. I shouldn’t.”

He smiled at her. “Let’s go before mall security sees us. We can’t have a scandal, can we?”

“No, we can’t. You’re a respectable, successful doctor now.” She touched his lips. “That’s a rather roguish smile though.”

“I hope that was a sufficiently roguish kiss.”

She nodded slowly. “It was. I rather liked it.” A mysterious smile played across her face. “Let’s go get this silly errand over with.”

He hopped out of the car and went around to open her door. He put his arm possessively around her as they walked toward the mall entrance. Real or imagined, a little healthy competition might be good for him. The challenge of making her immune to every other man’s charms might prove incredibly pleasurable for both of them.

* * * *

Susan changed the background on her phone again and showed it to Erik. “How about this one?”

He rubbed his chin and nodded slowly. “That one’s nice. I still like the blue one.”

“That’s part of the factory settings!”

“But it’s easy to read.”

She held the camera up between them. “I need to take your picture again.”

He took the phone from her hand. “No, I need to take a picture of you.”

“No! I hate pictures. You know that. I look awful.”

He lowered the phone. “You came out on a date with me thinking you look awful?” He raised the phone again. “I think you look perfect.”

She kept her head turned away. “You know what I mean. I don’t like pictures.”

“Come on. It’s your phone. You can delete it later. Indulge me.”

She turned back to him and nibbled her bottom lip as her mind lingered on those last two words. “Okay. Take it.”

“Fluff your hair up.”

She did so.

“Turn toward me a bit.”

She changed her position on the couch.

“Unbutton your blouse.”

She snatched her phone away from him. “That’s enough playtime for you.”

He laughed and then took the phone back, setting it down on the coffee table. “You’re absolutely right. It’s time to stop playing.” He took her face in his hands and kissed her gently. It was the sweetest yet sexiest kiss she had ever experienced. His lips were amazingly gentle, but then his tongue slowly became more insistent. Their tongues danced against one another as he explored the embrace. He ran his hands lightly down her neck and finally let them settle on her hands. When their lips parted, he brought both of her hands up to his lips and kissed them. “I want to make love with you tonight, more than you know. Are you sure this is what you want?”

She nodded and squeezed his hands. “Yes.” She could hardly raise her voice above a whisper. Her breath was already coming in shallow gasps, and she could feel the wetness in her panties. She’d never been so sure of wanting anything in her life.

He stood and then pulled her up into his embrace. His mischievous smile appeared, and he swept her up into his arms and carried her to the bedroom. “Step one of doing this properly,” he whispered.

“I definitely approve.”

He set her down on the bed and knelt to take her shoes off. He ran his hands up her legs. His hands were warm against her bare skin. He stopped at the hem of her skirt. Spreading her legs, he ran his fingers up her thighs, touching her very lightly. She shivered. He stopped at her panty line and moved his hands back down. He untucked her blouse and began unbuttoning it, letting it fall off her shoulders as he moved closer to her. He kissed her neck and slowly worked his way down to the hollow between her breasts. As he unfastened her bra, he looked into her eyes. He pulled it down and dropped it on the floor as he turned his attention back to her breasts. He cupped them in his hands, pushing them up and together. His tongue encircled each nipple before his mouth settled over her right breast.