A Better Man(58)

"You were married," he said. "Surely you've had a man desire you so much he can't think of anything but you."

"Yes. I was married. But I can assure you, the last thing my ex ever thought of was me."

He grabbed their dessert-­filled plates. "Come on. Let's go sit down. I'd hate to waste all this. Unless you really would rather I take you home."

She eyed the chocolate-­covered treats. "I didn't get to taste the Rice Krispies."

Relief washed over him and he smiled. He'd talked her into staying. Now hopefully he could get her to open up about what had gone wrong in her marriage. Not only because he wanted to know her better, but because he couldn't imagine a man not being obsessed with her body, mind, and soul.

Lucy bit into the chocolate-­covered treat and knew that once she started devouring the sugary delights, she'd have a hard time stopping. Especially if it delayed her having to answer the questions she knew were on the tip of Jordan's tongue.

She'd never had a man blatantly admit that he wanted her.

Scratch that.

She'd never had a man tell her he wanted her, period.

It was new, uncharted territory. And as much as it intimidated her, it also delivered a powerful punch of yearning. It went without saying that Jordan Kincade was the most attractive man she'd ever met, but the closer she got, the more she realized it was the heart of the man that might very well be his most appealing quality. 

To say she'd been shocked when he'd placed her hand on his sizable erection would be an understatement. It had been a blunt, bold move. It had also intrigued her and fed into the fantasies she'd had since he'd first walked through her classroom door. What would it be like to be made love to by a man like him?

"Which one is your favorite?" he asked, licking marshmallow and chocolate off his thumb.

Did watching him lick marshmallow and chocolate off his fingers count?

"It's a toss-­up. The Krispies treats call to my inner child who never had such luxuries. But the strawberries are just so . . . decadent. What's your favorite?"

"Watching you eat the decadent strawberries."

"I don't know what to say to that, Mr. Kincade. You keep catching me off guard."

"Then my plan is working, Ms. Diamond." The genuine smile he gave her put her completely at ease. "I'd really like to get to know you better. To know what went wrong with your marriage."

At ease until he said that.

"Why is it so important to you?"

"Because you're important to me, Lucy. Don't you get that?"

As much as their past history said otherwise, she wanted to believe him.

"Never mind. I don't want to pressure you." He stood and held out his hand as if he understood how difficult the topic might be for her. "So how about we dance?"

Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful" played softly through the speakers, and Lucy had to wonder who'd put together this wonderfully romantic mix of music. Anxious to break the tension of the conversation, she wiped her hands with the cloth napkin, then placed her hand in his.

Instead of leading her out to the dance floor, he took her in his arms right there by the table. He held her close, and for maybe the very first time in her life she felt safe.

Jordan knew he'd pushed her too hard. He hadn't brought her here tonight, hadn't jumped through all the hoops to make tonight happen, just to interrogate her. If he could take back the last part of the conversation, he would. He liked the feel of her in his arms and he didn't want her running off anywhere because he'd opened his big mouth and stuck his entire size 13½ foot inside.

"We met during the last semester of college." She said the words so quietly he barely heard her over the music. "At first I didn't really notice him because I was focused on graduating at the top of my class. Next thing I knew he was in one of my study groups. Then he came into the bookstore where I worked."

Jordan tried to get her to look up at him, but she kept her cheek firmly planted on his chest as she continued.

"We met a couple of times after I got off work and he talked me into going out with him on an actual date. He was handsome, and charming, and his family was very wealthy from old money. In the town where they live they were like the Kennedys-­almost royalty. I'd never had a man pay attention to me before and I'm ashamed to say he literally swept me off my feet."

"I don't know why you'd be ashamed."

"Because I only knew him for a short time before he asked me to move in with him after graduation."