When Mom Meets Dad (6 page)

His expression became more serious.  "My high school reunion is on Saturday.  They're having it in the reception hall at the Bridgeton Center.  I was going to go alone, but it would definitely be more fun if I had a dance partner.  Would you like to go with me?"

The Bridgeton Center catered weddings and parties of all types.  It was elegant, and Amanda knew she would have to spend money on a new dress if she said yes.  So much for buying an air conditioner.  But it had been a very long time since a man had asked her out.  She and Jeff had met at a fraternity party, and she hadn't dated much up until that point.  He'd been attentive and serious about her almost right from the start.  She hadn't realized his controlling tendency could smother her and make her feel as though she couldn't make a correct decision until a year into their marriage when she was already pregnant.

She'd been raised to believe in marriage and to give it every chance, and with a baby on the way, she'd wanted to.  But Jeff's constant criticism, his orders, and finally his infidelity, had severed any bonds they had once forged.  She was still wary of getting involved with anyone, but Alex wasn't asking her to get involved.  He was asking her to accompany him to his high school reunion.

When she didn't respond right away, he frowned.  "If you already have plans..."

Quickly she shook her head.  "No.  No, I don't.  I think that sounds like fun."

He looked relieved, and she wondered why he hadn't asked someone prior to this.  Before she thought about it further, he asked, "Do you want Heather to come over and stay with Kristy, and I'll just take care of the sitter?"

"What time do you think we'll be home?

Alex shrugged.  "Probably around midnight."

"There's a teenager next door who babysits for me.  I think it'll be better if Heather just stays here."

Tilting his head, Alex studied her for a few moments.  Then he asked, "How long have you been divorced?"

"Three years."  She didn't like to talk about her marriage, how she'd felt while she was married, how foolish that she hadn't read Jeff better from the beginning.  So she turned the tables.  "How about you?" she asked.

Alex straightened.  "I've never been married."  Standing, he closed the subject.  "I'd better get Kristy home."

He'd never been married?

She wondered if he had wanted to marry Kristy's mother, or if marriage was a foreign word to him as it was to a lot of men.  Suddenly her decision to go out with him on Saturday night didn't seem to be such a good one.  But she had second-guessed herself too much in the past.  She wasn't going to start doing it now.  One night, one date.  It wouldn't ruin her life.  It didn't even have to complicate her life.

But as Alex called his daughter and Kristy came running to him, Amanda knew he was already complicating her life.

She'd just have to be careful and not do anything impulsive.

***

When Alex pulled up in front of Amanda's house and braked, he drew a deep breath.  He felt like a teenager on his first date.  Obviously, Amanda was used to dating.  She even had a babysitter on call.  He just wished this was as easy for him.  His secretary's daughter was staying with Kristy tonight.  Georgia had assured him her seventeen-year-old was reliable and dependable, but he'd made sure she had all the emergency numbers as well as his cell phone number, just in case.  He was so used to having his parents as a back-up where Kristy was concerned.

Opening his car door, he told himself he shouldn't expect too much from this evening.  After all, he and Amanda hardly knew each other.  Yet, on the other hand, he felt as if he'd known her a long time.  She apparently didn't want to talk about her divorce anymore than he wanted to talk about his relationship with Rhonda.  It had been such a mistake, except for Kristy.  He'd never considered his daughter a mistake.

Amanda's front door was open, but peering through the screen, he didn't see any sign of movement.  So he rang the bell.

Heather came running and opened the door.  "Mom's almost ready.  She's foolin' with her hair.  Come on in and wait.  I'm going out back.  Debbie's gonna paint my nails for me."

He supposed Debbie was the teenager who babysat.  Feeling a bit uncomfortable being alone in Amanda's house, he chose a Boston rocker, but immediately stopped rocking when Amanda came down the hall.

She was an absolute knockout.  She'd swept her blond hair to the top of her head where it lay in soft curls.  A few escaped strands wisped along her cheeks.  Around her neck, she wore a simple gold chain that sparkled when she moved and emphasized the creaminess of her skin and the elegance of her profile.  And the dress...it was black with no sleeves or straps and he wondered what the hell was holding it up.  It was covered in beads and molded to her curves perfectly.  The side slit showed enough of her leg to make him sweat, and as she walked toward him, he wanted her in a way he hadn't wanted a woman in years.

Coming to his feet, he said, "You look fantastic."

"Thank you.  You look pretty sharp yourself."

He'd dressed as he always did for this type of function--charcoal suit, white dress shirt, geometrically-designed black-and gray tie.  But he liked her gaze on him, and he couldn't wait for the first dance when he could hold her in his arms.  He had the feeling that dancing with Amanda was going to be an arousing experience.

With a smile of thanks for the compliment, he asked, "Are we ready?"

"I'll just say good-night to Heather and Debbie, then we can go."

The drive to the Bridgeton Center was short, and they hardly had time to get into conversation.  Alex asked Amanda if she liked living in Cedar Grove.  And she answered that she'd found it a friendly community, for the most part.  A good place to raise Heather.  He discovered that she'd moved here from the outskirts of Philadelphia, and that she enjoyed the close-knit community more than the big city.

The parking lot was almost full when they arrived at the Center.  "I guess everyone else came for the cocktail hour," he commented.

"Are you looking forward to seeing old friends?" she asked.

He wanted to say he was looking forward to spending the evening with her.  Instead he answered, "I keep in touch with friends from school who are still living in Cedar Grove.  And the others..."  He shook his head.  "When memories of high school are all you have in common, the conversation ends pretty quickly."  With that he climbed out and went around to her side to open her door.

When they went inside, Alex found his name tag on a long table, but he pocketed it instead of pinning it on his jacket.

"Don't want anyone to know who you are?" she teased.

"I'd rather someone looks at my face rather than my lapel," he responded with a smile.

Inside the immense room, crystal glimmered on white tablecloths.  Many tables were already filled, but as Alex glanced over the area, he saw someone waving to him.  "This way," he said to Amanda, guiding her with his hand in the small of her back.

Although Amanda was wearing spiked patent leather heels, she felt small beside Alex as he guided her toward a table.  The pressure of his hand on her back was gentle, but it was almost as if she could feel the heat of his hand through her dress.  The way he'd looked at her when he first saw her...she'd felt beautiful and desirable, in a way she'd hadn't in a long time.  But she kept telling herself she knew very little about this man, even though her heart raced and her skin tingled every time she was near him.

At the table, Alex introduced her to Ted Livingston.  "Ted's the loan officer over at Cedar Grove Trust," Alex explained.

Ted shook Amanda's hand.  "Alex told me he was coming alone.  I guess he wanted you to be a surprise."

Alex looked chagrinned for a moment, but then said glibly, "I decided it would be a lot more fun dancing with Amanda than talking to you about old football plays all night."

His friend laughed.  "I can see your point."  His gaze on Amanda was appreciatively appraising.  Ted's sun-bleached blond hair and snapping brown eyes, along with his roguish grin, reminded her more of a truant school boy than a loan officer, but neither his smile nor his gaze made her heart flip-flop the way Alex's did.

Two other couples joined them at the table as waitresses set salads at each place.  Alex pulled out Amanda's chair for her, and she sat, looking forward to the evening.  Conversation around the table became lively, including both anecdotes about  school days and updates on children and careers.  Amanda listened more than she talked, but she wasn't bored.  Every once in a while Alex would explain a comment and draw her into the conversation.  The others at the table soon learned she was a teacher with a daughter the same age as Kristy.

They were sipping coffee and eating cheesecake when music began playing.  To her surprise, Ted pushed his chair back and came over to stand beside her.  "Before Alex monopolizes you for the evening, how about a dance?"  She glanced at Alex, but his expression was neutral.  Not wanting to insult his friend, she said, "Sure," and accompanied Ted to the dance floor.

Ted was a good dancer, and she had no problems following him.  They talked as they danced and she learned that he had never been married.  He'd decided building a career was more important than a family, but now he was ready to settle down.  He remarked, "It's too bad Alex found you first."

Not wanting to give him the wrong impression, she started, "Oh, but Alex and I aren't--"

"You aren't what?" he asked when she stopped.

"We're not...dating."

"Then what's tonight?" Ted asked with a skeptical look.

"Our daughters are friends, and I don't think he wanted to come alone."

Ted leaned back and cocked his head.  "Alex isn't afraid of doing anything alone.  If he brought you, there's a reason.  And I doubt it has anything to do with your daughters being friends."

She really didn't know what to say to that.

"Are you telling me that you're available if I want to ask you out?" he persisted.

Not knowing how she'd gotten into this mess, she also didn't know how to bow out of it gracefully.  "I'm not committed to anyone."

He arched a brow.  "Well, good.  Then maybe I'll give you a call sometime."  With that he held her a little closer.

Despite what she'd said to Ted, she was relieved when the dance ended.

When they returned to the table, Alex wasn't there and she supposed he had decided to mingle.  Excusing herself, she went to the ladies room to freshen up.  After she returned, Alex was sitting by himself.

As she took her seat beside him, he said, "Ted tells me the two of you are going out sometime."  His voice was a little too clipped, a little too even.

"That's not true."

"He didn't ask you out?"

She blushed.  "He said he'd call sometime."

"And you said?"

"I didn't say anything.  What was I supposed to say?  Besides, what business is it of yours?"

He gave her a dark look.  "Right.  What business is it of mine?"  They sat there for a few minutes in silence until Alex asked, "Would you like to dance...with me?"

She wasn't sure she wanted to dance with anybody ever again, but the thought of being held in Alex's arms was too thrilling to resist in a moment of pique.  "Yes, I'd like to dance with you," she said simply.

A few moments later, they stood on the dance floor.  Alex took her hand and wrapped his arm around her.  She stiffened, but only until they started moving, only until the slow rhythm of the music became a beat as sure as her heart's.  Alex guided her expertly--a firm hold, slight pressure, and a familiarity that felt much too natural.  It was as if they had danced together for a lifetime.

When the lights dimmed, Alex seemed to tighten his hold and she settled a little closer.  He didn't say a word, and after that song ended and another began, they didn't move apart but continued dancing.  As he brought their hands into his chest, his cheek almost touched hers.  He wore the same spicy cologne she'd smelled the other day, and she remembered the feel of his hair under her fingertips.  She remembered altogether too much.  But even the warning bells ringing in her head couldn't keep her from enjoying the moment, from nestling against him, from letting his thighs guide her legs.  He was a powerful man, and she felt protected in his embrace.  Jeff had made her feel smothered, less than him.  She'd vowed she'd never let a man make feel that way again.

But with Alex's heat surrounding her, the brush of his skin a movement away, she forgot about her marriage...and Jeff...and a vow that didn't seem important right now.

This time when the song ended, faster tempoed music took its place.  Alex leaned back.  "Would you like to go out onto the terrace for a while?"

She wondered if he'd remembered what she'd said about not wanting to make a fool of herself anywhere.  "I'd like that."

Alex kept his arm around her as they crossed the dance floor, heading toward a row of French doors.  When he opened one, she preceded him outside.  The flagstone terrace was empty, dimly lit by torch lights around its perimeter.  Suddenly she felt self-conscious--alone out here with him.  "I guess most people prefer air conditioning to warm night air."

"And what do you prefer?" he asked seriously.  "The glitz and glimmer of in there or the scent of honeysuckle and the glow of moonlight?"

She looked up at the sky, a velvet canvas with a hundred twinkling designs that made the night almost magical.  "The moonlight," she said a bit breathlessly as she looked up at him.

As he looked down at her and searched her face, she knew her words were an invitation for him to kiss her.  Touching her cheek with his palm, he gently turned her face up to his.  His lips weren't gentle.  They were possessive.  But it was a sweet possession that she gladly surrendered to.  When his tongue seductively slid along her lower lip, she couldn't help but want more.  Alex's hands caressed her bare shoulders, his thumbs stroking her neck.  Her arms went around him, but his suitcoat kept her from feeling any more than his taut muscles.  The kiss flared into something as hot and brilliant as one of the stars above them.  She was caught up in it...caught up in him until a sharp beeping brought her speeding back to earth.