The porch light brought out the gold highlights in the wisps of hair that had escaped her braid and framed her pretty face. Jack positioned his hands on her waist and closed even more of the distance between them. He tilted his head to the right, and she did the same. Their lips finally came together, first in a feather-light touch, but that initial hesitation didn't last.
Jack nibbled his way across the soft curve of her smile and back again. He liked that she was the one to deepen the kiss, her tongue darting in and out of his mouth as if inviting his to come out and play. God, she tasted so damn sweet.
Despite the late hour, he was in no hurry to leave, especially when she leaned into his chest and pressed all of her soft curves against him. He'd almost forgotten how sweet it was to hold a warm and willing woman in his arms. His hands moved further south, tracing the curve of her waist, the flare of her hips, and then on to the lush feel of her backside. The only thing better would be if his hands were sliding across bare skin instead of the silky fabric of her dress. It was tempting to tug her skirt up far enough to do that exact thing.
But evidently his conscience won the argument that had been waging in his mind, reminding him they were standing outside her front door in the glow of the porch light where anyone driving by could see them. He moved his hands to safer territory rather than allowing them to continue exploring and silently promised them it would be different next time.
If there was a next time. Maybe he should make sure of that before getting in his SUV and driving home to his lonely bed. He gentled the kiss and hoped she sensed his regret. "Maybe we can catch a movie one evening this week."
Caitlyn didn't hesitate. "I'd like that. I think Wednesday is the only night I'm already booked."
"Why don't we aim for Friday night?"
Mainly because it was unlikely that either of them would have to get up early the next morning. It also didn't hurt that Saturday wasn't one of Ricky's scheduled sessions with Caitlyn. "And now I'd better go while my good intentions are still mostly intact."
"And while I'm strong enough to let you go."
Caitlyn traced his jawline with her fingertips settling over his lips when she started to speak. "This evening was perfect, Jack. I like being with you, and it's tempting to invite you inside to pick up where we just left off-"
He nipped at her fingers and then finished the sentence for her. "But it's too soon. I get that."
There was real regret in her gray eyes. "Forgive me?"
Jack took a half step back but kept his hands right where they were. "There's nothing to forgive, Caitlyn. Just know when you're ready to issue that invitation, I'll be only too happy to accept."
After kissing her one last time, he waited while she let herself inside and locked the door before walking away. He liked that she watched from the front window until he was ready to drive away. She waved one last time and then turned off the porch light.
Jack cranked up the stereo and hummed along with the song as he drove home. All in all, it had been one hell of a night, one for the record books. Good food, great dancing, and a beautiful woman who had already committed to a second date. A man couldn't ask for much more than that.
-
Ricky was watching the ball game with Jack in the living room while Marlene read some book with a guy wearing a kilt on the cover.
He was about to head to the kitchen for a refill on his iced tea when he noticed Jack was grinning again. The big jerk had been doing that all morning, especially when he didn't think anyone would notice. Ricky had his suspicions about the cause behind Jack's good mood, but he had no desire at all to find out if he was right.
Then Marlene asked the question anyway. "So judging by that smile on your face, I take it your date with Caitlyn went well last night."
Her son glanced in Ricky's direction before answering. "Yeah, indeed it did. I took her to the seafood restaurant you recommended. Then we went to that club Tino and Mikhail told me about. We stayed until they threw us out at closing. I can tell you this much, Mom, that woman loves to dance."
Marlene immediately brightened up. "Really? So you finally see the value in those dance lessons?"
Ricky snorted and punched Jack on the arm. "You took dancing lessons?"
Instead of getting defensive, Jack snickered. "Boy, you're in for it now!"
Ricky sat up straighter and looked from mother to son. She was frowning while Jack looked smug and ready for the battle to begin. "What did I do?"
Marlene calmly set aside her book after marking her place. "Jack, put on the music while I change shoes."
He groaned. "Aw, come on, Mom. I've been waiting all week to watch this game. Besides, he's the one who said something stupid. Not me."
Despite his protests, Jack immediately muted the television and headed over to study the pile of CDs laying beside the small stereo on the table in the corner.
Somebody needed to fill Ricky in on what was happening. "What's going on?"
Jack picked out a CD to play before answering. "Mom believes every man should learn how to dance and dance right. To hear my father tell it, she made that a requirement if he wanted to date her. As it turned out, he ended up really enjoying it. As far as I know, he never complained when every so often she dragged him off to some dance studio to learn a new style. In turn, she taught my two brothers and me. And thanks to that smart mouth of yours, now it's your turn."
"Seriously?"
"Seriously, young man." Marlene was back. "While you live under my roof, you'll learn how to dance. Just as I told my three sons, I don't mean that herky-jerky stuff you young people do to music. That definitely has its place, but there are other styles of dancing you should master."
Feeling pretty desperate, Ricky turned to Jack for help. "If I apologize for making fun of you, will you stop her?"
"Nope, not a chance. It wouldn't work. Besides, she's right." Jack flopped back down on the couch. "Seriously, I can tell you from personal experience that women really love that kind of shi-"
He stopped mid-word and shot a guilty look in Marlene's direction. "Oops, sorry, Mom. I meant to say that women really love that stuff. If you don't believe me, ask Caitlyn the next time you see her. I'm telling you straight up that she was impressed by my dance skills."
The smug look on Jack's face made Ricky wonder if they were the only moves the man had shown Caitlyn last night. On second thought, he'd heard Jack drive up a little before three. If they really had been kicked out of the club at closing, that left only enough time for Jack to have driven Caitlyn back to her place before coming home. Good.
Meanwhile, Marlene pushed some furniture back out of the way to open up more space in the center of the room. When she was satisfied with the arrangement, she held out a hand toward Ricky. "Okay, young man, let's get started. It will be a bit awkward with your arm in a cast, but we'll manage."
With his last excuse shot down, Ricky joined her in the center of the room. She placed his right hand at her waist and took his left hand in her right. After making a few adjustments in the pose, she said, "This is the frame. Everything else is built on this position."
God, it was weird to be standing there holding onto Marlene. There was no way she'd miss the way his hands were shaking, but he hoped that Jack couldn't tell. When he glanced in his direction, Jack gave him a thumbs-up and then started the music.
Marlene was talking again. "Normally the last thing I'd want you to do is watch our feet as we dance, but we'll start off that way so you can see what I'm talking about. As soon as you have down the basic steps, we'll move on from there."
Of course, he stomped on her foot right off the bat, but she only laughed. "Don't worry about it, Ricky. Why do you think I put on my leather walking shoes?"
Then she jerked her head in Jack's direction. "I learned that lesson when I taught him to dance. Can you imagine those size thirteens coming down hard on your toes?"
Her son immediately protested. "Hey, I wasn't that bad."
"If you say so, Jack." Marlene smiled and winked at Ricky. "And I had three boys and a husband to teach, Ricky. My poor toes sure took a real beating there for a while. Now, let's start again, but this time don't watch our feet."
"Okay." But as soon as she started counting off the steps, Ricky automatically looked down to make sure he was keeping a safe distance between his feet and hers. Besides, it was hard to stand this close to Marlene and look her in the eye.