Carae's Touch (Long Line of Love, #4) (15 page)

Thank God!

When the man didn't respond, she touched his arm. "Jim? Are you all right?"

He shook his head slowly before looking at her. "Rae, this guy is nuts!"

She shrugged. "Maybe so...hell...probably so, but I want to hear what he has to say."

"And I'm supposed to just leave you with him?"

"Yes. I'm in no danger at all."

But you are if you don't shut the fuck up!

"You're sure, Rae?"

"Yes." She squeezed his hand and then kissed his cheek.

He stared at Brandon, who returned his cold look, before turning and going inside.

"Thank you," he said.

She turned to look at him. "How are you?"

"I'm better now," he said.

"Good. So talk."

"Out here?"

"You want to go into the lobby?"

"I want to go somewhere we can talk privately."

"Like where?"

"We can go out to dinner and then go to my place to talk."

"Going home with you didn't work out too well the last time I did that."

"I know, but things will be different this time."

"How?"

"I won't be pretending that I don't want you there and I won't touch you...unless you want it as much as I do."

"So that's what this is about? You suddenly want to be intimate with me?"

He shook his head. "You know it's not sudden. I've never made any secret of the fact that I was attracted to you the moment we met."

She stared at him before she sighed. "You know that I like you."

He caressed her cheek. "I like you too."

She turned her head and kissed his hand. "No, Brandon. I mean I really like you...a lot."

He nodded. "I know you do, sweetheart and the feeling is more than mutual."

"How much more?"

"A lot more."

"Oh, Brandon. Do you mean it?"

"Of course I do. Come with me and I'll show you. Will you come?"

She nodded. "Yes."

"To dinner and then—"

"I don't have much appetite. We can eat at your place, talk, and then you can bring me back home."

"Or you can spend the night or the weekend."

"Don't you think three is going to be a crowd?"

He inhaled and shook his head. "There won't be anyone there but you and me."

"What about her and her picture?"

"I removed her pictures."

"Oh, Brandon." She took his hand from her cheek and squeezed it. "You did?"

"Yes."

"For me?"

"For you, Carae."

"What did you do with...them?" She frowned. "I only saw...there was more than one?"

He nodded. "There was a second one in my New York apartment."

"Oh. Of course. Well, I hope you didn't misunderstand and do something drastic with them because that's not what I wanted or expected."

"Drastic?"

"Yes. You know...tear them up or destroy them. That's not what I wanted, Brandon."

Her words touched him. "Layton and Tempest hung one in their family room."

"And the other one?"

"Bancroft has it in his den. He and she were close."

"Are you all right with that?"

He shrugged. "I wasn't. However, everyone kept telling me it was time. Still, I didn't want to hear it."

"What happened? Did she ask you to move them?"

He frowned. "She? She who?"

"Rissa."

"She's dead, Carae."

"I know, but hasn't she ever...come to you in a vision?"

"No. She hasn't. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious. You sound as if you had a perfect relationship and—"

"It wasn't perfect but it was as close as I'd ever been to romantic perfection at the time. And I...but now it's time to move on. I realized I had to remove her pictures because having them hanging in my bedrooms no longer worked for me because it didn't work for you. I wanted to show you that I was serious about wanting a relationship with you."

"Oh, Brandon. You have no idea how glad I am to hear that."

"I will if you tell me."

"I will...but not now. Now I just want to absorb and relish the fact that you pursued me this time."

"Why not pack a bag and you can absorb and relish it all weekend?"

"Let's stick to the plan. Dinner, talk, and then you bring me home."

He offered her his arm.

She pushed hers through his and he walked her across the street to his vehicle, helped her in, and then slipped in beside her. Then, instead of starting the engine and pulling into traffic, he sat staring at her profile until she turned to look and then slowly smile at him.

He leaned over and kissed the side of her neck and ear. "I've missed you."

She rubbed her cheek against his before sitting back against her seat. "Then why did it take so long for you to do this?"

"I think your memory must be playing tricks on you. I've spent the last three plus weeks having you hang up on me—on the rare occasions that you actually answered my call."

"I had my reasons."

"What were they?"

She shook her head. "I'll tell you later. Right now I need to call Jim."

"Why?"

"So he won't worry."

He started the car and drove off. "You told me your physical relationship with him was over."

"And it is."

"You were kissing him on the sidewalk for all the world to see, Carae."

"He kissed me. See the difference?"

"No. I don't."

"And neither did I when you were claiming other women were the ones doing the kissing."

"You should know by now that I have zero interest in any other woman, Carae."

"I'm glad to hear it, Brandon."

"Aren't you going to reciprocate?"

"No. I'm not."

"Why not?"

"Considering how you made me chase you, I think a little groveling is long overdue."

"As it happens, Carae, I'm more than willing to do that."

"And I'm more than willing to have you do it," she said, sounding amused. "But first I want to take you out to dinner."

"I'm flattered."

"You should be. In some ways I'm very old-fashioned. I don't spend my hard earned money taking every Tom, Dick, or Harry out who winks at me."

"Too bad for them and lucky for me. Where are you taking me?"

"To Joni's." She said of one of Philadelphia's most expensive restaurants. "Interested?"

"Joni's? Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"Have you eaten there before?"

"Yes. Once. I loved the fact that some people were dressed to kill while others were stupid casual in jeans and a pullover."

"Do you have reservations?"

"Not exactly."

"Maybe I can help. Both Layton and Randall have standing reservations there. Let me call Randall to see if he's using his."

"Great. While you do, I'll call Jim."

He activated his Bluetooth and called Randall. "I need a favor."

"Name it, Hawk."

"If you're not using your reservations to Joni's, I'd like to use it tonight."

"With Carae?"

"Yes."

"You're welcome to it. Good luck."

"Thanks." He glanced at Carae. "I have a feeling I'm going to need it. Give Benai and Randy my love," he said of Randall's wife and son.

"I will."

He ended the call and listened to Carae, still talking.

"Yes...I know, Jim. Yes. I'm sure. I'm fine. Don't worry. Go out and enjoy your Friday night. I'm going to enjoy mine. Yes..." She turned to smile at Brandon before speaking again. "With him...me too."

"We can use Randall and Benai's reservations," he said when she'd ended her call.

"Great. I'm looking forward to taking you out to dinner."

"I'm flattered, Carae, but I'd be just as happy to go somewhere less expensive."

"No. That's where I'm taking you."

"Okay. Joni's here we come."

"You know what I'd like?"

"What would you like, Carae?"

"Sing to me, sweetie."

"What would you like to hear?"

"Anything you want to sing."

He started his m3p player. After several moments
If You Were Mine
started. He sang along with it.

"Oh, Brandon, you have a...when you sing to me, you send chills all through me."

"Hmm. That sounds like a condition you should give some attention to. It sounds unpleasant."

She laughed. "Would I be giving away too much if I said that I missed you too?"

He sighed in relief, but kept his gaze on the road ahead. "Does this mean you've forgiven me for that night and—"

"I already did that, Brandon."

"The last time we saw each other you said—"

"I was upset. Now I'm just happy to see you."

"And ready to give me another chance to make a better second impression than the bad first one I made?"

"You didn't make a bad first impression, Brandon."

"But I made a bad last one?"

She sighed. "We need to talk."

"You have my undivided attention."

"Not now. Not tonight. Tonight and this weekend, I just want to get to know you better."

"I hope you mean in the biblical sense."

"I'm not sure what I mean."

Damn. Just when he was ready to blow a gasket, she decided she wasn't sure she wanted a physical relationship. He thought of the kiss between her and her so-called ex-boyfriend. Maybe she just didn't want one with him. "Do you want it with him?"

"If by him you mean Jim, then no. I don't. I told you our physical relationship was over."

"Then why were you kissing?"

"I was feeling a little down. He's my friend—"

"I have female friends that I don't go around trading spit with in public."

She shrugged. "He's a guy."

"Meaning what?"

"He tends to equate comfort with sex. I was upset so he kissed me in an effort to comfort me."

"And were you comforted?"

"Yes, but it was just comfort he was offering, Brandon. We're the best of friends, but not lovers."

"Does he know that?"

"Of course he does."

"Then he'd do well to keep his lips to himself or at least off you."

"And if he doesn't?"

"He just might slip and break his damned neck."

"Are you threatening him?"

Damn right. "No. Of course not."

"Good because outside of my sister, he's my best friend. Threatening him will get you nowhere with me."

"Understood. Why were you upset?"

"I suppose you'd like me to say because of the state of our relationship or the lack of a relationship."

"Yeah. I would like you to say that. Would it be true?"

"It's complicated."

"I believe I've told you that I can multitask. I can also do complicated."

"I need some time to decide what I want to do. Can we talk about something else?"

"Sure. What would you like to talk about?"

"Actually, I'd love to have you sing to me again."

"What shall it be this time?"

"If You Were Mine," she said.

"I just sang that."

"I can never hear it too much."

So he sang it to her again.

S
itting in the dimly lit car listening to Brandon sing about what life would be like if she were his, Carae struggled with the urge to admit why she'd refused to talk to or see him. But if she did that, she wasn't sure how he'd react or even if he weren't still in love with his Rissa. Yes, he'd removed her pictures from his apartments. Removing them from his heart probably wouldn't be so easy.

When they arrived, he helped her out of the car and took her hand in his. He kissed her fingers before retaining her hand.

Inside the restaurant, once they'd ordered, he reached across the table to reclaim her hand. "How have you been?"

She shook her head. "I'm not sure. What about you?"

"Me? I've spent the last three weeks sending flowers and been either hung up on or ignored. I've enjoyed much better weeks, as you might imagine. In short, I've been downright miserable."

"Have you been miserable alone or did you have company?"

"If that's your charming way of asking if I've been dating, then the answer is no. And you?"

She shrugged. "I might have been out a few times during the first two weeks or so."

"I see and did you enjoy yourself?"

"Not so you'd notice."

"I'm glad to hear that."

"Charming."

He squeezed her hand. "You can hardly expect me to want you to enjoy yourself with other men, Carae."

"I don't know what I'm supposed to make of you, Brandon. I don't know what you want from me."

"At the moment, I think you do."

She tugged at her hand until he released it. "Is that all you want?"

"If it were, I know several women who would be willing to accommodate me."

"I'll just bet you do."

"But I haven't been with any of them. I wasn't even tempted. When I wasn't working, I've spent most of my time trying to come up with a plan to get you to see me again. When I say I really missed you, I mean it." He extended his hand again.

She placed her hand in his.  

"Tell me about Caren."

She smiled. "A sure way to get on my good side is to show interest in her. She's incredibly smart, funny, generous, and so in my corner. I've always called her my personal cheerleader. And of course, she's very attractive."

"I'll just bet she is."

"And according to her, I'm the greatest thing since the invention of fire."

He smiled. "She sounds as supportive as Bancroft is."

"She is and I miss her so much. We talk at least once a week, but it's not the same as seeing her in person and crying on her shoulder when I need to. And right now, I need her support and her real shoulder more than ever."

"Why do you need her more now than ever, Carae?"

She shrugged. "Because I obviously like you a lot more than you do me."

"Why do I get the feeling that you're not being completely honest with me?"

"Probably because I'm not, but that's all I'm prepared to say now."

"What can I do to help?"

"You can promise not to invade my thoughts in an effort to force a confidence I'm not ready to share with you."

"I wish you felt comfortable enough with me to confide in me."