"It's called Lumiere," she replied.
He nodded absently. "I've never smelled that on anyone else. And now I don't want to smell it on anyone but you. It's perfect for you, soft and feminine just like you," he said, still looking into her eyes. He could have stared at her for the rest of the day and been perfectly content, but he knew he was making her uncomfortable. "I'm trying to memorize your face. I want to learn everything about the way you look, so that when I'm not with you can I remember you accurately and get excited about the next time I'll see you."
Lisette's hands started shaking again and she set her cup down rather abruptly. "That was very beautiful. It was ... poetic," she said shyly.
Warren smiled and took her small delicate hand in his. "Don't be shy with me, Lisette. I hope you know I would never hurt you or disrespect you in any way," he said solemnly.
Lisette looked at him with equal seriousness. "I know that, Warren. I trust you," she said simply.
They continued to sit that way, with her tiny hand resting in Warren's big, capable one. Lisette was smiling and she looked perfectly happy. Warren began rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb, slowly tracing a circle on her soft skin. "I need to ask you something, honey. I know we don't know each other well, but I want to remedy that. I want to get to know you and I want you to know me. What I want," he said in a soft voice so unlike his normal booming tone that Lisette had to strain to hear him, "is to spend some time with you." He looked at her hand and brought it to his mouth, caressing it with his lips until she sighed. "That's not completely accurate, Lisette. I don't want to ‘spend some time' with you; I want to date you, if you think we suit each other. I want..."
Lisette finally squeezed his hand to silence him. "Yes, Warren, I think that's a brilliant idea. I think we will suit each other nicely." She smiled and reached across the table to stroke his cheek with her free hand. "And I think you should kiss me."
Warren's handsome face broke into a wide smile. His eyes lit up with passion and pure happiness. "Your wish is my command Lisette."
He stood up and held out his other hand to her. She rose and came around to his side of the table. He pulled her into his arms and they held one another for a long, delirious moment before their lips found each other. They opened their mouths to taste the sweetness that awaited them, their coffee-flavored tongues mating and dancing over each other in an awakening of passion so satisfying it was almost like pain. When they finally pulled away from each other, Warren was alarmed to see tears in Lisette's long lashes.
"What's wrong, honey? Didn't you like it?" he whispered.
Lisette smiled at the concern in his voice. She rubbed her face against his big broad chest like a sleepy kitten and looked up at him with yearning and surrender. "I loved it," she confessed. "And I want some more, please."
"Well, then, more is what we'll have," he replied before bending to her lips again.
***
After Angelique got over her initial shock at Donnie's remark, she realized he was just playing with words, teasing her. She regained her equanimity and told him they needed extra ice for the party. "And maybe some wine or beer or something," she added. Donnie drove around until he found a Merchant of Vino, a big market that specialized in spirits and gourmet foods. He parked the car and they went inside in a companionable silence. Donnie asked her what kind of wine she wanted and she confessed that she wasn't much of a drinker. "It all tastes the same to me, especially champagne. What do you think would be good?" She looked up at him with a smile.
Donnie almost stumbled as he looked down into her face. She looked adorable, as always. The bright red hat she wore made her toffee skin glow, and her clear lip gloss made her mouth look edible. Her fragrance had the usual effect on him and her happy mood made him want to do something really crazy. Instead he found a cart and tried to act as though her presence at his side wasn't affecting him in the way it was. He selected a few bottles of Mondavi Chardonnay and a few bottles of a great merlot from Australia called Black Opal. Placing them in the cart, he looked down at Angelique, whose hand was resting next to his on the cart. "Now what? Can you think of anything else we need?"
Angelique bit her lower lip very gently as she thought. The simple gesture brought that old lovin' feeling back, to a body part Donnie would prefer remained inert. She suddenly stopped biting her lip and ran her tongue across it, ending in the corner where the cute little beauty mark resided. She did it so quickly and naturally, Donnie knew it was unintentional, but it was like something had reached inside him and gave him a good squeeze. Luckily for him, Angelique spoke and it seemed to break the spell.
"Do you think we need more beer? We have a case, I think, but is that enough?" Again she turned her face up to Donnie, so sweetly and naturally that for a moment it felt like they were a couple. He cleared his throat and gruffly replied to her question.
"I think that's plenty. If the guys want some more they can go get it. Maybe some pop for the kids, but that's about it."
"Oh, we have fruit juice for the kids-too much soda is bad for their teeth. That's the leading cause of tooth decay; I'll bet you didn't know that, did you? Oh, look," she said as she darted off down the aisle.
Donnie looked at her as she was exclaiming over something in the gourmet section. The mention of teeth made him think about the time he'd taken her to the endodontist, something he hadn't thought about in a long time. She'd been in so much pain that day and so frightened that it hurt him to look at her. The memory of that afternoon was permanently etched in his brain. He'd had to hold her like a child to convince her to let him take her in, and once they were there, the thought of him leaving her side was out of the question. He had to stifle a chuckle as he recalled the fact that no one on the office staff dared tell him to sit in the waiting area.
He'd pulled a stool up next to the chair where she was being treated and held her hand the entire time. Anytime she made so much as a whimper, he'd glared at his friend John Taylor, the endodontist who'd been kind enough to take her in as an emergency. Afterward, he'd apologized to John, who waved it away like it was nothing. "Don't worry about it, Donnie. I'm the same way with my wife. You should've seen me in the delivery room when we had our last kid. I'm pretty sure I'm permanently banned from the hospital," he'd told him.
Angelique rejoined Donnie before his reverie got any weirder. She showed off her prize, a big jar of marinated artichoke hearts, something she and Paris both adored. He led the way to the checkout where he took out a platinum card to pay for everything. They left the store in a few minutes and drove to his house to get the dogs.
"You know, we really don't have to get them," he said.
"Yes, we do! I haven't seen them in such a long time, and I'm sure they don't like being home alone. Besides," she glanced at the dashboard's digital clock, "I can't go home yet."
That caught Donnie's interest. "What are you up to, Evie? Why are you running me all over town and trying not to go back to your own home, hmm?"
Angelique gave him a smile that was both sheepish and defiant at the same time. "I'm, umm, well, we're matchmaking, if you must know. Paris and I are both doing this, so I guess we have to share the blame. Lisette is crazy about Warren and we're trying to give them some time alone," she said. "I think he likes her, too, at least it looks like that to me. What do you think?"
By now they'd reached Donnie's bungalow and he brought the Jaguar to a stop in the driveway by the rear entrance. He turned off the ignition and turned to look at her. "I think it's about time somebody busted a move. Warren is crazy about her, too. How much longer do we have to be gone?"
"About a half hour or so. Do you mind?" she asked with a shy smile.
"Not at all, this is just what Warren needs."
He swung his long legs out of the car and went around to the passenger side to let Angelique out. Even though the drive had been neatly shoveled and there were no icy patches, he held her arm until they got to the back door. He opened the door and apologized for going in first.