Not In My Wildest Dreams (Dream Series) (19 page)

“Jack. This definitely crosses the line. I can’t poss—”

“Beth. This is your necklace. Please, do not deny me.” I stared at her, willing her to accept this gift.

“But Jack, this is too expensive.”

“Don’t spoil this for me. I’ve never had the desire to buy anything like this for anyone before. All of the women that I’ve ever dated have only wanted to be with me because I was a famous model, or the owner of a modeling agency,” I pleaded. I didn’t mention Kari; it wasn’t necessary. “You were with me knowing full well who I was, and I don’t mean the me of the past thirty years. You know my past. Where I come from. An uneducated family. I’m sure you know I’m the first to go to college.”

She nodded.

“You want to be with me for everything that I am. Just like I want you for everything you are. You haven’t judged me one bit. You have given your trust and your body to me. This is a small token as to how much that means to me.”

Her eyes welled with tears as she looked into mine. I was not exaggerating when I said that I could look into those eyes for the rest of my days and be a happy man. I pulled a kerchief from my pocket and carefully pressed it under each eye, collecting the tears before they could stain her face or ruin her makeup. “No crying. You’re too beautiful and your make-up is perfect. Don’t ruin those eyes for me.”

I was itching to see the pendant hang from her sensual neck and rest on her porcelain skin. Setting the kerchief aside, I worked the jewelry out of its hold. “May I?” I held the piece up for her. “There’s a nice touch to this necklace that is perfect for this dress—a smaller pendant for the back, to take advantage of the dress’s back, or lack thereof.” I pointed out the smaller version of the main pendant that would grace her back. The thought gave me shivers.

She stood and turned, showing me the incredible back of the dress for which this necklace was made. “You have a gorgeous back,” I breathed on her neck. Her scent mixed with her perfume was intoxicating. I fumbled with the clasp. Being this close to her, and when I’d had her back exposed to me, I trembled. I recalled flogging her to a glorious rose color. I was a mess. I wanted to grab her and sink my aching cock into her sweet spot. Finally finding success with the clasp after a few tries, I laid the back pendant down perfectly, then kept my finger trailing down her spine.

I leaned in and kissed the nape of her neck and pressed my arousal into her lower back, to which she responded by pressing her bum into me. Sitting next to her for the next five hours or so was going to be torture.

“Turn, I’d like to see the front,” I groaned. But when she turned, I had a hard time looking to the pendant. Her eyes were full of desire. Slowly, I tore my eyes from hers and got a good look at the pendant resting just between the swell of her breast.

“Perfect. Just like you.” I extended an elbow toward her. “Shall we?” I offered.

*     *     *

T
he pendant was now hanging from a shorter chain, but the longer chain would have hidden the gem in the shirt. I couldn’t help myself. I reached forward and touched it. My eyes teared slightly.
Man, I was really turning into a fucking girl!
She vibrated under my touch.
There it is. Our connection.

She smiled and brought her hand over mine that touched the pendant. “The rest of it is in my jewelry box. It just didn’t work with this new blouse.”

“New?” I asked.

“I saw it this afternoon when Jessica and I were shopping,” she shrugged. “It just spoke to me.”

“It certainly is your color,” I agreed.

She locked the door, and I walked quietly with her to the car. After we were situated, I pulled out of the driveway. As soon as we took off down the road, I took her hand in mine. Touching her felt so natural. My fingers instantly found something that hadn’t been there in most of our time together back in Manhattan. A solitaire and band on her ring finger of the left hand I held. Running my thumb over it, I glanced at Beth. She wouldn’t look at me. “You look phenomenal,” I said, avoiding the awkward elephant detected in the car.

Her right hand reached up and touched the ends that curled softly on the left side of her neck, just over that spot behind her ear, the spot that makes her moan when I kiss her there. I wanted to pull the car over and fuck her like a teenager. Everything about her made me crave her, when I was with her, and even when I wasn’t.

“Thank you,” she giggled softly. I loved that sound. I missed it so much. “My hair dresser still hasn’t seen what I’ve done. He’s going to pass out when I go in for my regular appointment. Neighbors and friends have really been thrown for a loop.”

“Well, I think the style suits you perfectly.” I had so many questions that I wanted to ask her. And so many of those answers I didn’t want to hear. Had her homecoming been a happy one? A hard one? No matter how she answered those questions, I feared it would crush me.

“So, what business did you have out this way? Wouldn’t business have been more in the L.A. area?”

Busted.
“Well, location shoots can be anywhere. I thought perhaps a spread in the vineyards would be an interesting back drop.” I hoped she didn’t know that my job didn’t entail location shooting for the models. I negotiated the models contracts, not where they worked. That was up to the client. She started to point out the vineyards along the way, the people (her friends) who ran them, and the varietals grown there. She said she could talk to any of them if the location worked for what I was thinking about. I should have ‘fessed up, but I enjoyed her enthusiasm.

We turned off Main Street onto Charter Oak and into the parking lot of Tra Vigne. “You hungry?” I asked.

A smile exploded on her breathtaking face. “Starved!” she said.

I
jumped out of the driver’s seat and ran around to open Beth’s door, but she was already half out. “What are you doing?” I said, trying to sound as playful as I could. I wanted to open her door and hold her hand as I helped her out of the passenger seat.

“We’re just friends, Jack. Remember, I live here. I
know
these people. They
know
me.” She looked me in the eye conveying the rest of her message. I got it. She was a married woman here. My heart sank. But she did accept my dinner invitation.

I shoved my hands in my pants pockets, playing it cool, and winked at her. I could play by her rules. I didn’t need my hands to win this fight. She’d be mine by the night’s end.

Walking into the restaurant without touching her was agony. I wanted to have her slim hand in mine, or my arm draped around her graceful shoulders. As we approached the hostess stand, the woman behind the podium glanced up and smiled at us. I saw recognition in her face as she eyed Beth.

“Elizabeth Fairchild! It has been too long, and I love what you’ve done with your hair!” the pert brunette exclaimed with a slight accent. “Così chic!” she added in Italian as she rounded the podium to hug Beth and take a closer look at her hair. “But I didn’t see your name on the reservations tonight, honey. Where is Greg? Parking the car?” she asked looking toward the door.

“No, Marissa,” Beth answered, taking my arm and pulling me forward. I relished that she was touching me. Pulling me along. Calling the shots. It was quite a turn on. “I’m here with a friend of mine who is in from out of town. Marissa, this is Jack Stevens, an old friend of mine from New York.”
There she is with that ‘
old friend’
bit.
Of course, I did refresh her of the idea a couple of hours ago. “Jack, this is Marissa Mancini. Marissa was one of my first friends in Napa Valley.”

It would figure I’d choose a restaurant where Beth would know people.

“Oh,” Marissa cooed, looking me up and down. I wasn’t unaccustomed to such attention and generally I liked it, but not anymore, and especially since I was standing next to Beth. “Yes. Stevens. I did see that name on the list. And I have your table as requested.” She shot a look at Beth, cocked a perfectly shaped eyebrow at her. I was suddenly very nervous that I had made things uncomfortable for Beth.

We were led through the restaurant to the patio and a very secluded table for two. We passed under the arched trellis that served as doorway to the table I had requested, and got a very interesting look from Marissa. I couldn’t see Beth’s face, but I could see that her neck had flushed a delicious crimson color. I suddenly wished I hadn’t been so bold in my table request, but in the same wish, I just wanted to be alone with Beth.

Once we were seated, I noted Beth’s unease. I took her menu and set it with mine. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been so bold.”

“No, it’s okay,” she said turning her gorgeous brown eyes to me. “I’ve always wanted to sit at this table. I just have to make sure to chat with Marissa later. It’s good, really.”

“How is Jessica?” I asked, changing the topic, taking her hand in mine.

Beth sighed. “She’s okay. Handling all of this so much better than I would. So, a couple weeks ago she found a lump, and—” She took a steadying breath. I held her hand a bit tighter. “You don’t want to hear this…” she said her voice trailing off.

“I do. If it’s important to you, I want to hear all about it.” She looked at me, disbelieving. “Go on. What did her doctor say?”

“She went with her sister late last week for a mammogram and the doctor found a couple of abnormalities. This morning, I took her in for a biopsy. I would be out of my mind.”

I lifted the hand I’d been holding and kissed the back of it. “I would be at your side every step of the way. When do her results come back?”

“Could be as early as tomorrow, but doubtful. Probably Wednesday or Thursday.”

“If there’s anything I can do, please let me help.”

“You are something else.”

“If it’s important to you, it’s important to me.” I searched her eyes. They were full of sadness and concern. “I’m sorry you came home to such heartache. I’ll put in a call to the medical center and have them move Jessica’s tests to the top of the pile. She’ll have her answer by tomorrow.

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I want to. Jessica needs peace of mind. Doctors play God with taking their time, not realizing the impact their actions take. Like a round of golf is more important. It’s done and you can’t stop me.”

“Jack Stevens, you amaze me.” The way she looked at me made me feel like the king of the world. I vowed right then and there that I would do anything and everything to keep that smile there. “Okay, where is that waiter?” she asked. “What? I told you. I’m starving! I could eat a horse!” she said, perhaps noting my expression. Just like the first time we went out for dinner, I loved the refreshing change of pace to eat with someone who actually
ate.

As if on cue, a waiter appeared. “Marcus! So good to see you! How was your first year at Napa Valley College?” she asked him.
God, did I ever choose the wrong place to dine quietly.

“Really good, Mrs. Fairchild. Your advice on the courses schedule was perfect, thank you.”

“It’s the least I could do. Would you be a dear, and bring us a bottle of the …”

I had not yet looked at the menu, but Beth took no notice. Or didn’t care. I had no idea what just happened, but Beth took the reigns full on and ordered us an entire meal. From Primi to Secondi to Dolci and the wines to go with each. I was somewhere in limbo between feeling completely emasculated to totally impressed and turned on. Wasn’t it my job to order for the lady?

“I’ll be back in just a moment,” Marcus said and slipped away.

“Well, I am impressed,” I said, opting for the high road, and took a sip of water.

“You could say I
know the menu
,” she said, smirking. God almighty how I wanted to consume that mouth of hers. But no chance as the sommelier appeared quietly presenting a bottle of wine to Beth.

“Thank you, André, but Mr. Stevens should have the honor,” Beth said, shooting me a glance.
This woman will be the end of me,
I thought. And I’d like it no other way.