Pure Temptation (15 page)

“He has a new wife, Margaret, and she told me at my graduation that if I ever needed a place to stay I could come live with them.”

“So she knew about your situation, how you were treated by your aunt?”

Nina nodded. “Margaret is wonderful. She’s like my real mom. She doesn’t have any other children so there’s no competition there,” she chuckled.

I smiled. I was happy for Nina but scolded myself for being so self-centered and for choosing to take the blind side. Why didn’t I help her back in high school? I could have done more. Teenage life can be so messed up.

I took her hand. “Nina, I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you back then. You were my lab partner in Chemistry class. You were my classmate and I should have helped you with this.”

She blinked rapidly. “It’s okay. We were kids, all trying to fit in and make friends. It’s not your fault at all. High school can be a cruel place.”

I gave her hand a slight squeeze. “Thanks for telling me all this. I’m so glad that things worked out.”

“Thanks, Dani. You’ve always been my inspiration. I wanted to be just like you. I still do.” She laughed.

“So why are you are here with your aunt? I mean, since you don’t live with her anymore?”

She shrugged and pursed her lips. “That’s the power of my aunt’s control. I’m doing it to help keep the peace between my uncle and my aunt. When he and Margaret took me in, my aunt got furious and threatened to make life miserable for all of us. And knowing how much of a controlling bitch she is, that could have turned out bad. So I made this compromise to stay with her for three weeks every summer and a week at Christmas.”

I was shaking my head, speechless.

“Trust me, Dani. It’s not because she wants to spend time with me. It’s all about power and control. She wants to win and regarded my leaving her as if she had lost a round to my uncle.”

Nina sat back in the chair, exhausted from spilling her guts to me.

It was a lot to take in and the mood was getting heavy, time to lighten things up.

I lifted my glass. “Well, here’s to new beginnings. Tonight, we’re forgetting the past and letting loose.” We clinked our glasses and emptied them like there was one drop in the bottom.

I slammed my glass on the table and shouted, “Waiter, another round here.” And we both laughed.

“So, where are we going after this?” I could see the hopeful glint in her eyes. I hadn’t planned on spending the entire evening with Nina, but after hearing her story, there was no way I could send her back to her aunt so soon. “Have you been to that place yet called The Bar?”

She shook her head. “I haven’t been anywhere at night.”

“Let’s go there then. They usually have a band and it is a fun place to go. Lots of cute guys.”
 

We finished our dinner and half an hour later we walked into The Bar. It almost felt like coming home again. Not that that made any sense, after all, I had only been here once before, and that had been nearly two weeks ago. But I had a fond memory of it from spending my first evening with John here. The place was filling up fast with sea side vacationers. Some wore sandals while others wanted the authentic experience and wore cowboy boots. We managed to score the last available high tables along the side. No sooner had we sat down before the cute bartender from last time came to our table.

“Not working in the bar tonight, Jasper?” I said, casting my eyes over the crowd. I was scouting the place for any signs of John. I was dying to see him again but how would I explain Nina, my lab partner from high school …from New York, not Boston?

“I’m impressed,” Jasper replied. “You remembered my name. I’m just helping out with the dinner crowd. Don’t worry, I’ll rule the bar later.” His smile got wider. “So, you came back,” he narrowed his eyes. I could see the gears churning in his head. “Dani…ella, right?” He pointed at me.

I clapped my hands together. Well, that sucked. He remembered my real name. “Very good, but don’t forget that everyone calls me Hanna now.”

“Right,” he nodded and smiled. “So what can I get you ladies? Are we having any food?”

“No, just drinks. I’ll take a vodka and cranberry,” I said.

Nina chimed in, “I’ll have the same.”

“Great. If I just can see your ID?” he said to Nina.

She showed her driver’s license and he did a doubled check on her picture. Nina looked so much better now. “Thanks Nina,” he said and winked at her. “Your drinks are coming right up.”

He walked away and Nina looked at me with her mouth wide open. “OH. MY. GOD. He is so hot.”

I chuckled, “I told you there were cute guys here.”

“Hell yea.” She looked around. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen this many hotties in one place before. If I lived in this town, I would come here every day.” She laughed. “Hey, tell me, what was that Hanna stuff about?”

“Oh, it’s just something I like to do when I go out,” I lied. “Also, if anyone asks I am from Boston, not New York, okay?” I raised my brow.

 
She took a hit of her drink and looked at me suspiciously then let it go. “Okay,
Hanna.
I’ll play your silly little game.”

Three cranberry and vodka’s later, we dominated the dance floor with some ridiculous “twerking” to the delight of the on lookers. Neither one of us cared how we looked. We were having a blast, dancing and singing along to the songs with our own version of the lyrics created out of the cloudy, vodka induced haze in our brains.

“I need a breather,” Nina said breathless and headed back to our table. I made a stop at the bar and ordered another round from Jasper who was back in charge behind the counter. Then I saw him.

John!

John walked through the door.

My heart flipped and I ducked over to our table, slipping into my chair before he could spot me. Maybe if I slouched down low, I would be invisible. Too late. Damn these high top tables and chairs. He pushed through the crowd wearing a big smile. “I was hoping I might find you here, Hanna. Just thought I would stop by and say hi.”

“John, I’m glad you came.” I pointed to Nina. “John, this is—“

Dominique,” Nina interrupted. “My name is Dominique.”

I had to turn my head away to stifled a spontaneous laugh. John’s face was unreadable. But had I noticed a hint of amusement in his eyes? Maybe it was just his smile.

“Great to meet you, Dominique. So how do you two know each other?”

“We were lab partners back in high school,” I replied, almost choking on my fourth vodka cranberry.

“Oh, so you’re from Boston too?”

Nina played along. “Yeah, we were best friends all through high school. Um, how’d you two meet?” Real smooth, Nina.

“At the bus station.” We spoke at the same time and laughed.

“We sort of bumped into each other …literally,” John added.

The waitress came with our drinks and John ordered a beer. He spotted an empty chair and brought it to our table, sitting between us.

He looked straight at me. “I’m glad I found you tonight. I was home thinking about our date tomorrow, getting all lonely and feeling sorry for myself. I missed you.”

Nina looked at me with confusion. “Date? You told me you were leaving town tomorrow.”

“I am …but I promised to have a breakfast date with John before I leave for Charleston, right John?” I kicked him under the table and I saw his jaw twitch.

John turned stiffly toward Nina. “Right…of course, that’s what I meant. We’re both going on a little trip.”

“We are?” I blurted out.

He shot me a sideways glance and then focused on Nina. “I’ve never been to Charleston and Hanna promised to show me around for a weekend trip.”

“Right,” I chimed in and clung to John’s upper arm. “I’m so excited for our trip together, sweetie.” This shit was getting complicated. Our weekend trip to Charleston was a ridiculous story and the timing of our delivery sucked. Keeping all these lies straight hurt my brain, one lie led to another, and soon there was an entire web of lies to get caught in and I didn’t know if I could keep myself from getting entangled in them.

Nina looked at me suspiciously, but she bought it. “Wish I could come with you guys, but there’s no way my aunt would let me go. She has big plans to take me sightseeing all day tomorrow.” She sighed and checked the time on her phone. I glanced over as she stared at her phone and I could tell by the glowing text on the screen that there were at least five messages from her aunt.

“I should get back to my hotel,” Nina said looking back up at me. “Thank you so much for taking me out tonight. I really needed it. You’re the best.”

I could see the emptiness in her eyes and I felt awful for Nina. No doubt, an earful was waiting for her back at the motel room. I wished I could have done more but this was between Nina and her aunt. She would have to sort it out herself, but at least she had made big strides by moving out from under her aunt’s shadow.

“I’ll walk with you, Nina,” I said.

John looked at both of us and emptied his beer. “I’ll come along and make sure you girls get home safely.”

We dropped off Nina at the lobby of her hotel and said good night. John slipped his hand over mine and turned me in the direction of Emma’s bed and breakfast. As our feet hit the pavement outside the glass doors of the Inn, John swept me up in his arms and pulled me to his chest.

His eyes locked on mine and with his lips a breath away he said, “I’ve been waiting all night to do this.”

He pressed his lips to mine and held me possessively against his waist. My thoughts turned to his rock hard body which I felt through the thin fabric of his shirt and the sensation of his tongue thrusting in my mouth shot hot tingles of excitement down between my legs. It made my toes curl and I felt the Hanna side of me coming out. I wanted to be wild and lustful and free, to run my tongue over his firm stomach. It made my head spin to be in his arms, to have his powerful body up against mine, swaddling me, protecting me. From what, I didn’t know. I had forgotten about the money and all other thoughts about people following me. I didn’t care about anything right now except being in John’s arms. I settled back down on my heels from our kiss and looked around the star lit street of this lazy little town. The streets were practically empty as all the vacationers had gone to bed.

I started to walk, pulling him by the hand. “Hey, wait, why are we headed in the direction of Emma’s place? I thought you were taking me to breakfast?”

He looked at me confused. “It’s the middle of the night.”

“Exactly.” I gazed up at him from beneath my long lashes.

“Ah, breakfast …after we …” He pointed back and forth between us. “The two of us …you and me …spend the night.”