The Time of Her Life (18 page)

It had felt like forever, anyway.

Her sigh broke against his lips in a warm burst. Their breaths
mingled. Their tongues tangled as so many months of wanting welled up
inside.

One kiss granted permission to stop resisting, to stop
rationalizing all the reasons they shouldn’t want each other.

Right now there was no work between them.

No age difference.

No disparity between all she’d done with her family and all he
hoped to do with his life.

There wasn’t even the inevitability of his departure, leaving
her behind to run his family legacy.

There was only his kiss.

And the way he swept his tongue inside her mouth and the taste
of his warm breaths, his need.

There was only the way he locked her against him with one arm
and brought the other to her face, fingers slipping around her jaw to tip her up
and deepen their kiss, tangling his tongue with hers, exploring her mouth as if
he’d waited forever, too.

There was only the way he leaned backward enough to force her
whole body into the action. Muscular thighs braced her as he pressed the swell
of his maleness into her belly, using his arm around her waist to pull her
impossibly closer until all she could feel was
him,
everywhere.

The sheer masculinity of him was unfamiliar, but drew a
response so enticingly familiar, long ago forgotten.

The purely physical awareness of
him.

Her every breath dragged in the wet scent of his skin, the
taste of his warm mouth, the sound of his ragged breathing. Heat surged to life
deep inside her, made her body feel weighted and heavy with anticipation. There
was no hesitation, only the ebb and flow of a rhythm that made her ache from the
inside out.

There was only the needy way she touched him, her hands
fluttering up, hesitating only a bare instant before instinct took over.
Dragging her palms along his broad back, she traced the length of the sodden
sweatshirt clinging to the hard strength of his muscles below, learning the feel
of his shoulders, his ribs, his waist, the hard curve of his butt beneath those
clingy running pants.

She couldn’t stop touching him.

Didn’t want to stop.

The radio crackled through the waterlogged quiet, shattered the
unreality of the moment and jarred her from the trance.

“Chester here, Mr. C.” came the announcement. “I’m on the
property. You need me to get down to the street or did you get the leak
stopped?”

That breathless kiss ended as suddenly as it had started.

The moment disconnected because their bodies still pressed
provocatively together. Jay’s gaze held hers, the intense green of his eyes
hard, angry even, and she only stared at him, barely able to shake off her
stupor.

Reason returned, but oh, so slowly, starting with the knowledge
that they were wrapped around each other in Mrs. Harper’s bathroom where anyone
might walk in.

Knowledge reflected in Jay’s scowl, the hard lines transforming
his face. Why? Because he hadn’t been able to resist kissing her? Because she’d
responded to him? Or because they’d been interrupted?

If only she could read his mind, because she sensed his
agitation, recognized it when his chest rose on a sharp breath.

But still he didn’t let her go.

“This isn’t smart on any level, Jay.” Her voice echoed in the
confines of the tiled bathroom like the sounds of their ragged breaths. Reason.
One of them should.

“No,” he agreed. “It’s not.”

There, that was all settled.

Now he just needed to let her go. With a slight shake of his
head, he sent wet hair tumbling over his forehead. She resisted the urge to
brush back the silky strands from his face, the droplets coursing down his
temple onto his cheek.

His tension eased as he released the vise around her waist,
allowed her to catch her breath as they parted.

She exhaled a deep sigh that was a little relief.

And a lot of regret.

“Come on,” he ground out in a rough-edged tone as he braced a
hand on the vanity and helped her stand. “Be careful.”

Perfunctory touches that had only moments before been intimate.
They dodged each other’s gaze while drying off with towels as best they could,
patted themselves down in the quiet hallway while residents slept and someone
spoke in hushed tones in the admin office at the end of the hall.

Reality separated them again in a big way even before Susanna
said unnecessarily, “We’re going to leave a trail.”

Jay followed her gaze to the long expanse of hallway that led
to the employee stairs outside the security doors. “Take our shoes off?”

“Anything’s got to help.” Susanna slid off her deck shoes and
carried them as she and Jay ran lightly, a vain attempt to keep wet cuffs from
dragging on the carpet.

The scene would have been comical had it not been for the
shattered lack of restraint that had changed everything.

They didn’t bother stopping to put shoes back on, even though
the employee stairs were concrete, until emerging in the stairwell on the first
floor that had been transformed into a makeshift office.

Puddles slowly grew around their feet while they conferred with
everyone on the action plan. Jay spoke with Chester, who already had the wet-vac
in tow, while Susanna stood in the midst of her coworkers dripping wet
with no bra
as if she’d just participated in a wet
T-shirt contest.

She assigned Kimberly as duty manager so Walter could go home
to dry off.

Then Jay was beside her again, saying, “Come on, I’ll give you
a lift home.”

“I drove my car.”

He stared down at her with a gaze that softened while traveling
the wet length of her. The hard edges of his expression faded, replaced by a bit
of humor. The return of the man she knew. “Sure you don’t mind soaking your
front seat?”

Oh.

He grimaced rather animatedly, stroked his chin. “Laundry has
patient gowns. We can turn one backward and maybe get you out of here
without—”

“I’ll go with you, thank you.” Even though the thought of being
alone with Jay right now, to address what had passed between them made the heat
crawl slowly to her cheeks.

God only knows why. She was an adult, not a ninth-grader.
Owning responsibility for her actions came with the turf. Unfortunately.

Spurring everyone into action with a few words, Jay slipped his
fingers over her elbow and guided her through the front lobby, where Robbie let
them through the door.

“Thanks for coming, bosses,” he said with a chuckle as the
doors hissed shut again and the lock clicked.

The night air hit hard. Susanna should have been grateful for a
chance to cool off. Suddenly she could feel every wet inch of her as if it were
icing over.

“You going to be okay?” Jay asked, always perceptive, always
thoughtful. “Robbie can bring a blanket—”

“No, thanks. I’ll be fine.”

He took her at her word and didn’t look surprised.

Then they were maneuvering around the well-lit facility and
onto the dark path. Jay drove the way easily, as if the light of the waxing moon
wasn’t necessary to keep him on the path. But that moon illuminated the still
surface of the lake, cast the world in a glow as surreal as she felt, sitting
beside this man, his strong fingers clasping the steering wheel, those fingers
that had touched her so possessively, so demanding.

Neither of them said a word. The only sound to disturb the
still night was the steady hum of the engine and the tires grinding over hard
ground, breaking the occasional twig or crunching over a fallen bough of
leaves.

The vinyl seats withstood their drenched selves, but she clung
to the windshield frame for balance so she wouldn’t tumble off the slick seat as
he whipped along at top speed.

Was he trying to get her home quickly? Surely he must be
frozen, too. Or maybe he was only reacting to their earlier indiscretion. He
must be wondering where they went from here, as well. Did they show up for work
in the morning and pretend nothing had happened?

Susanna’s inclination was to address the situation and
negotiate a resolution, but that would mean discussing the kiss. She couldn’t
even think about his arms around her, about the needy way she’d responded. Not
without her heartbeat speeding up dangerously.

Embarrassment?

She wished. The only safe thing to do right now was keep her
mouth shut. She’d wake up fresh and able to think more clearly after a good
night’s sleep.

If
she managed to close her eyes.
She somehow doubted sleep would be part of the equation for the rest of this
night.

And then he wheeled into her driveway. She’d had the foresight
to leave the porch light on but didn’t argue when he hopped out to escort her to
her door.

This was Gentleman Jay, after all.

Gentleman Jay, who’d kissed her.

Dragging her cold, wet self onto the porch, she unlocked the
front door. Then she turned to say goodbye...they might as well break the ice
now, so tomorrow would be less awkward. If that was even possible.

Susanna was busy rallying every ounce of her resolve to present
herself as nonchalant and unaffected, so she didn’t notice that Jay had stepped
in behind her. But he was so close she nearly landed back in his arms when she
turned.

“Jay!” she said, surprised.

Planting a hand on the door above her head, he towered over
her, forcing Susanna to tip her head back to meet his gaze. And what she saw in
his face made her heart slam a slow hard beat.

He was going to kiss her
again.

No sooner had the thought popped into her head than he lowered
his face to hers.

Every shred of reason rebelled. Not at the insanity of
continuing what they’d started in Mrs. Harper’s room, but at the thought of
denying him, and herself, in this moment.

Though reason demanded she open her mouth and say one very
simple word, “No!” she leaned up on her tiptoes to bridge the distance between
them.

Then his mouth was on hers again.

And this was no kiss like the first, all loss of restraint and
urgency. No, this was a premeditated kiss, a kiss designed to control the
moment, a kiss meant to seduce an invitation.

He dragged his tongue across hers, a lingering stroke, savoring
the taste of her before pressing his advantage. And the advantage was all his.
He kissed her as though he never wanted to stop, so honest with his need that
she had no choice but to be honest back, to lift her hands until she could touch
his jaw, a featherlight touch just to make sure he was real, and this moment was
real, and the sensation welling deep was real.

He blocked out the night with his body, trapped her with that
hand braced over her head, as his free hand slid along her waist, beneath her
sweatshirt. The feel of his hand on her bare skin made her gasp aloud, but he
caught the sound with his mouth, dragged his palm up over her ribs.

Her breath hitched when he made contact with the sensitive
curve of her breast, a bold stroke that made every nerve tingle until she could
feel the heaviness of her breasts and the graze of wet fabric against the tight
peaks, the cool air that slipped in against his warm hand that fondled her.

With the same perception that he displayed everywhere else in
his life, he noticed her body’s response.

And considered it an invitation to keep touching.

Thumbing the taut peak, he sent sensation spiraling through
her, pooling in her most private places, making her breasts grow heavy with
desire, making her yearn.

“Let me come inside, Susanna.” He breathed the words against
her mouth with warm breaths that become part of their kiss. “Let me make love to
you.”

Those bold words caused her own breath to catch in her throat,
made her struggle to find a response as he gently tugged at her bottom lip with
his teeth, thumbed her nipple until her knees felt liquid beneath her.

“We agreed this wasn’t smart.” She finally found the words,
forced them out in a rush.

“Just because it isn’t smart doesn’t mean we can’t do it.”

Well, he had Susanna there.

And didn’t let her go. He crowded out the night with his body,
stole her reason with his kisses, promised her pleasure by the way he touched
her, coaxing a response from deep, deep inside, a need that had been asleep so
long.

The only thing left was to pull out of his arms, to tell him
no, that she didn’t want to kiss him.

And that would be a lie.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

J
AY
WAITED
. H
E
STOOD
THERE
staring into Susanna’s exquisite face, her delicate
features cast in the golden warm glow of the porch light’s single bulb. He tried
to interpret the fleeting play of emotions over her expression. Surprise widened
her eyes. Uncertainty played around her brow. Desire made her kiss-swollen mouth
part around shallow breaths.

He thought she might be warring as hard as he was, but couldn’t
be sure.

And wanted to be.

Jay was done with wanting, and waiting. Giving in to their
attraction made no sense. Not with him leaving and her staying. But this would
be his only time to know this woman intimately, to discover how to coax those
wispy sighs from her lips, to make her tremble with desire, for him.

They had no possible future, but they might have now.

This time. This day. This moment. That was all anyone had.
Susanna had said that to him once.

He wanted this time with her.

So he waited with his breath lodged in his chest. Every muscle
locked tight. Only the grainy wood beneath his palm grounded him, his only point
of contact with reality.

The reality that she might deny him.

No matter how much she wanted him.

And she did.

She might be warring with herself about being practical—there
was so much against him. But she wanted him.

He’d felt her want in his gut, in her response.

Would she deny him, herself,
them,
their moment to be together?

He didn’t know. But Jay knew if he touched her again, he
wouldn’t be able to stop.

So he waited as indecision and desire battled across her
expression, while he realized with each passing instant how much he wanted her
to give them the gift of this moment.

The seconds passed, marked only by the heavy beats of his
heart, the steady drip, drip, drip of their clothing on the porch. Then Susanna
caught a hard breath, a determined gasp that filtered through the quiet, and
him, because Jay knew in that instant she’d made her decision.

A tiny smile tipped the corners of her mouth as she raised her
hands and speared her fingers into his hair, lifting up on tiptoe to meet him in
a kiss.

Their mouths met, clinching the deal, and he savored the taste
of her
yes.
She was suddenly all fire in his arms,
determination to make the most of their moment. And that was his last rational
thought because opportunity presented itself, the chance to coax soft sighs from
Susanna’s lips, to explore this chemistry they made together.

His body yielded to instinct, to his need for this woman, and
with one deliberate move, he slipped his arms around her, brought her tightly
against him.

Her body molded exactly as if she’d been designed to fit
against him. The swell of her breasts crushed his chest. One slight tilting of
her hips, and she cradled the heat of his growing arousal.

Grazing light fingers along his jaw, down his neck, she left a
simmering heat in the wake of her touch, warmth to heat the clammy cold of his
skin.

He groaned aloud, startled by the sound coming from his own
mouth, by how hard his need spiked now that she’d committed to the course and
met his kiss with a demand of her own.

With a throaty laugh, she dragged her mouth from his, dropped
light kisses along his jaw, down the length of his neck, trailing fire in the
wake of her touch.

Apparently she would be a force to be reckoned with. Burying
his face in her damp hair, he inhaled deeply, drinking in the fresh scent that
had driven him crazy since they’d met.

Suddenly he wanted to feel her everywhere. And didn’t temper
the need. Sliding a hand along the curve of her waist, he moved beneath that
chilly sweatshirt, sought the feel of her silken skin, dragged his open palm
along her back, her spine, until she trembled against him.

He was impatient to explore, but to do that he needed to get
her off this porch and inside. In the part of his brain still capable of reason,
he acknowledged a perk to his home. There was no one around. This was their
world right now to do with as they pleased.

Hooking his thumbs into her waistband, Jay tugged her
sweatpants over her hips. Gravity obliged, and the wet mess fell to the porch
with a muffled thump.

With a yelp, Susanna stepped out of the circle of fabric. Then
she caught his gaze, and he recognized laughter in her beautiful face. He
realized what she was going to do a split second before she broke away with a
laugh. Spinning easily on her toes, she headed inside, bare bottom and long pale
legs flexing sleekly with every light step.

He stood there like a total idiot, rooted to the spot by the
sight of all that flashing skin, the strands of damp hair clinging to her
shoulders. He might have pursued but before she cleared the living room, she
raised her arms and dragged the sweatshirt over her head, revealing pale skin
and trim curves in all her glorious nudity.

More laughter echoed from the confines of the house as she
vanished from sight before Jay shook off his paralysis, ditched his own wet
clothes in a pile right on the porch and headed after her. The door slammed
behind him with more force than he’d intended, warning her of his approach.

He found her in the bedroom, exactly where he’d hoped she’d be,
illuminated only by the moonlight through the windows and a small glow from the
bathroom. With that cloud of dark hair tumbling over her profile and all that
glowing fair skin, she presented a vision of such loveliness, she stole his
breath. And again he found himself struck speechless, by the sight of her and
the effect she had on him by just being there.

She’d turned down the comforter. She must have sensed his
presence because she twisted around to face him, casual with her nudity but
seemingly surprised by his.

“Oh.” Her mouth pursed around the slight exclamation as her
gaze trailed from his face down his body.

She inhaled a halting breath but couldn’t seem to drag her gaze
from the sight of him. And everything about her in that moment suggested she
liked what she saw. Right then Jay knew he was in more trouble than he’d ever
imagined because his body responded to her appreciation with an urgency that
nearly brought him to his knees.

Out of necessity he closed the distance between them, guided
her to the bed, where they were suddenly in each other’s arms, and kissed the
gasp from her lips. They stretched out together, legs twining eagerly, bodies
curving close to savor the heat of each other and the silky warmth of the
bedding a relief to waterlogged skin.

His hands trembled as he skimmed his fingers over her, barely
daring to touch as anticipation built the excitement between them.

He could tell she liked these almost-touches because she
shivered lightly, inviting him to greater boldness as he explored the smooth
swell of her breasts, idly thumbed a nipple, until the rosy skin grew taut and
she trembled again. Bracing on an elbow, he leaned forward to catch that tight
peak with a gentle kiss, and she moaned, a yearning sound in the quiet dark.

His body pulsed with awareness as she arched upward into his
erotic touch, her fingers lingering softly through his hair then down his back
with whispery strokes.

Trailing kisses along the expanse of her chest, he worked his
way up the slim column of her neck, tasting her eagerness, savoring the taste of
her arousal. Then their mouths came together again, and their bodies sought each
other, swayed gently, mimicking the rhythm that would bring them together.

Coaxing her legs apart, she was suddenly straddling his
erection with those smooth thighs, cradling him. She tilted back erotically, all
pale skin glowing in the moonlight. Then he pressed into her softness, causing
her body to arch in liquid motion, all trembling curves and excitement.

Why now? He’d lived his entire life on these sixty acres,
thirty-two years, and this woman finally shows up during his last metaphoric
minutes. Jay sought his answers by driving deep inside her, by abandoning
himself into yielding softness, by locking his fingers into her hips and hanging
on for stroke after delicious stroke until he forgot the question
completely.

* * *

S
USANNA
SHOULD
HAVE
passed out, but she lay there as the night deepened
then faded beyond the windows. Jay had held her for a long time, but eventually
did what she couldn’t do—sleep.

She simply had too much racing through her mind, all beginning
and ending with the man who lay wrapped around her, a beautiful, thoughtful,
overly burdened man who, for these precious few hours, had allowed himself to
just
be.

Susanna had been working beside him for nearly three months,
had trained with him, argued with him, shared companionable moments and lusted
after him. But not until tonight had she realized how much he kept packed away
deep inside his personable, capable demeanor.

Not until he’d lost all restraint in her arms.

He carried the weight of the world on his shoulders, this one
did, and she had never realized it until this very second when he was naked
inside her, the strength of his warm body all around her, just savoring the
moment, the two of them without personality, without commitment or obligation or
responsibility. Just the two of them, savoring the excitement of their first
time together. The way their bodies fitted together. All her soft places molded
the contours of his hard body as if she’d been made to fit perfectly against
him.

Their legs twined beneath the sheets, hers smooth-shaven silk,
his roughly muscled strength. The contrast made her aware of how very long it
had been since her body had tingled with a desire that began deep inside and
radiated outward, until every inch of her was heightened sensation.

And his strong arms held her. His big body surrounded her.
There was only Jay, and her. The only place in the world she wanted to be, safe
in his arms in the dark.

He was a man who cared about so many.

And as she listened to the even sounds of his breathing, she
asked herself how could she
not
have known how much
he kept locked away inside his oh, so capable self?

She glimpsed his urgency to put The Arbors and everything
associated with it behind him.

Including her.

Because without her, he couldn’t leave.

Sleeping with him had been such a mistake. But what else could
Susanna have done? Lied to him. She
had
wanted to
kiss him, even knowing where those kisses would eventually lead.

Susanna didn’t believe in lying. Lies of omission, maybe. To
spare someone’s feelings. To avoid a situation she would only complicate with
her opinions. To allow her children to find their own ways, make their own
decisions, learn to trust their instincts and gain confidence. To not fuel the
fires with Karan back in the days whenever her BFF restlessly manufactured drama
to keep life interesting.

To Skip when it became clear he was losing his battle with
cancer, yet worried about how she was holding up...

“I’m hanging in there, hon. As long as
you’re with me.”

Definitely not a lie.

Why was she even thinking about Skip right now, staring into
the darkness wrapped around another man? She supposed it was natural. Skip had
been her one and only. Until now.

But there was tomorrow to contend with, the aftermath of this
pleasurable night. Susanna didn’t have a clue if there’d be awkwardness or more
arguments or even if she’d undermined the acquisition. But in this drowsy
contentment, the wake of a satisfaction she’d almost forgotten, she thought
about the last time she and Skip had made love as normal lovers, without illness
between them, without the realization that each time they made love might be
their last, sex without the burden of life and death.

She couldn’t remember the last time.

Because the night before Skip had gone to the doctor for a
prescription of antibiotics to deal with the bug he couldn’t shake, he’d rolled
over and kissed her. He’d wanted to make love, but she’d been too tired, too
worried about his health, too wrapped up in the things that comprised their
lives—kids, illness, work, lunches, homework, dinner and on and on. If she had
expressed an interest in sex, they’d have made love.

But she’d only kissed him, uninterested in anything more than
the lingering taste of his mouth, the warm strength of his arms cradling her
close as she’d fallen asleep.

Susanna remembered that.

She’d sacrificed their last time as normal lovers. It had never
once occurred to her their time together would be limited. They were planning to
grow old together, to chase their children wherever life led them, to dote on
grandchildren as active grandparents. She’d taken their time together for
granted.

And missed their last time completely.

In that moment, Susanna knew. No matter what tomorrow would
bring with Jay—the potential awkwardness, the problems, the age difference, the
inevitable parting....

She was still glad they’d had tonight.

* * *

J
AY
STARED
AT
A
SLEEPING
Susanna, soft waves
partially hiding her face, the sky paling to dawn beyond the windows. He could
feel every warm inch of her pressed against him, her body so perfectly aligned
with his.

How was it she felt familiar in his arms, this woman he hadn’t
known but for an instant against the backdrop of a lifetime? Jay didn’t know,
but he could lie here forever wrapped around her, his cheek resting on the top
of her head, inhaling the cool scent of her hair with every breath.