Pandora's Box (previously Worth the Wait, a Zebra print best seller) (13 page)

When Damian arrived, Erik looked through the peephole, then swung the door wide and relieved him of two large bags. “Thanks. We’ll see you around. Come on, Shelly. Four’s a crowd.”

“Hey. Leave some of that food for me,” Charlie complained.

Erik took the sack of beer and a couple of sandwiches from the other bag and set the rest on the counter. With a tiny wink of amusement, he took Shelly’s hand and left the apartment.

Damian stood in the middle of the room looking perplexed. “I would have sworn that when I called there was a roomful of people here. What happened?”

“They knew you were coming and ran for cover.”

“So, how come you didn’t run?” He came up behind her and folded his arms around her. As the silk of his shirt slid over the skin of her stomach, a ripple of pleasure ran through her body. She tried to hide her reaction, but Damian laughed a throaty laugh. “You missed me, huh?”

“I never gave you a second thought”

“Turn around and say that to my face.”

“No.”

He spun her around and pulled her back into his embrace, carefully leaving her arms free. “You’re a coward. Now, tell me you didn’t miss me.”

She refused to meet his eyes. “I owe you ten dollars.”

“Don’t change the subject I’m not going to let you go until you admit it.”

“Then you’ll have to hold me like this all night.”

Damian cupped her face in his hands, stroking her cheek with his thumb. “Now that’s an offer too good to pass up. Don’t admit it.”

“All right. I . . .” Her words were cut off by warm kiss to her lips. “I ...” He kissed her again. “I . . . oh, forget it” She wrapped her arms around his neck and returned the kiss. Her fingers slipped into the soft hair at the back of his head, holding him to her.

He scooped her up into his arms and carried her to the sofa. Startled and not a little anxious, she squirmed to free herself, sending him tumbling backwards into the soft cushions, with her in his lap.

His embarrassed expression dissolved her apprehension. She covered her mouth to keep from giggling in his face, but her wide eyes filled with tears of laughter. “How graceful!”

“I never claimed to be a swan. Are you going to admit you missed me a little?”

She held two fingers an inch apart and smiled. “A little.”

“How come you’re not at work tonight?”

“I quit. And, yes, I have enough money until I start working for you. My rent is paid through the end of July,” she added, reading his thoughts.

“I wanted to talk to you about that. I thought you might stay at my apartment in New York—”

“No,” she cut him off stubbornly.

He arched his eyebrow. “May I finish?”

She nodded warily.

“I’m away on business most of the time and I need someone to look after my plants. You could save on the commuting expenses and only go back for weekends, if you wanted.”

“It’s not a good idea. And it’s not fair to you.”

“Let me decide what’s fair to me. I stay in your apartment.”

“Only because you threaten to turn yourself into an alcoholic if I try to make you leave.”

He placed his hand on her cheek and slowly eased her head onto his shoulder. “Will you think about it?”

“I’ll think about it”

“Now, will you say it like you mean it?”

Charlie rolled her eyes and sighed. “I’ll think about it. Okay? If I agree, and I’m not saying I will, it would only be during the week, and because you needed me to take care of the plants.”

He grinned broadly, apparently convinced he would get his way in the end. “Okay. I brought sustenance. Now, hit the books. I don’t hire anyone who can’t distinguish me from a Neanderthal.”

She let out an exasperated yelp and sprang from his lap. The man was too arrogant for his own good, and much too handsome for hers.

“You are a Neanderthal. And I already took that exam, keeping you in mind the entire time. I think I aced it”

His rich laughter filled the room. As she scooted across the floor she knew he was staring at her rear end. Feeling safe and a little playful, she added an extra wiggle to her walk. “Eat your heart out, Bam-Bam.”

He groaned. “Could you hand me something cold to drink. It’s very hot tonight”

The words hit her like a slap in the face. She was behaving like a tease and that wasn’t fair. Damian was extremely patient with her, but he was still a man. Flirting was not only cruel, it could be dangerous.

“Don’t do that,” he ordered.

Startled, she turned back, pulling at her sweatshirt until it came down over her hips. “I’m sorry.”

His expression softened. “I wasn’t talking about the flirting. If I can’t handle it, I know where the door is. Don’t start making yourself afraid of me.”

Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. She turned away and busied herself with the packages. “Why do you put up with me?”

Damian came up to the kitchen counter and leaned over it as she removed the food from the bag. “I don’t know. All I know is I find myself looking forward to seeing the one person who makes me work for a smile.”

“Even if this is the most we’d ever have?”

“Yes.”

“Are you trying to tell me that sex isn’t important to you in a relationship?”

“Do you want me to lie? Yes it’s important, but it’s not the only thing. Sex for the sake of sex is not gratifying.”

Charlie shot him a dubious look. “You’d never convince the guys on campus of that.”

“That’s not making love; it’s getting laid. There’s a world of difference between the two. Settling for less is cheating yourself.” He looked at her steadily. “It’s worth the wait.”

Charlie pulled out a bottle of mineral water and took an enthusiastic interest in the label. His blunt answer caught her by surprise. Sex was not a subject she discussed with anyone.

“Is the conversation making you uncomfortable?” Damian asked.

“Not really,” she lied.

“A little,” he corrected for her.

She held her fingers inches apart. “A little.”

“Then feed me, woman. It’s the only way to shut me up.”

She smirked. “Should I pop peeled grapes into your mouth while fanning you, oh, lord and master?”

It didn’t take her long to recover her sarcasm, he noted wryly. Someday he would find a way to break through that shell of hers. “It’s a start.”

“Sure. You go lie down on the sofa and wait for me. I have to make a quick run to California for the grapes. I’ll be back with your car in say . . . two weeks.”

“I’ll settle for a roast beef sandwich.”

“You’ll settle for turkey. Your brother swiped the good stuff.”

“That was your brother. My brother would never do something like that He’s been brought up better than that.”

She winked at him. “That’s why my brother is so much more fun than yours. ”

“You know, I think you’re right about that. I know this is horrible to say, but I like your brother better than mine.”

He envied the easy relationship Charlie had with Erik. For many years he’d been so married to his work that he’d never noticed Erik had grown up. He’d never noticed a lot of things. Important details that would have made finding out about Peter’s daughter less of a shock.

“What’s this?”

Damian shook his head and focused on the bag Charlie was holding up. “A gift I picked up for you while I was in Italy.”

Charlie tensed and angrily pushed the bag at him. “You know I won’t accept it.”

“It’s a birthday present.”

“My birthday was three months ago. You didn’t know me then.”

“Well, damn it, I should have.” Peter should have insisted that his mother accept her into their home. He couldn’t understand how someone as seemingly kind as Peter could do something like that to his own daughter.

“Should have. Could have. Would have. The three most useless expressions in the English language. They always come when it’s too late.”

“Then it’s a graduation present. I’ll hold it until next week.” He reached for the bag.

Charlie held on, tugging slightly as he tried to take it from her. “If it’s a graduation present—”

“No. Now, you’ll have to wait. Unless you’re willing to accept it as a souvenir from a friend.”

She held the package less firmly now, apparently undecided whether she should remain stubborn or give in. “My friends don’t normally pop over to Italy for gifts.”

“I did.” Damian arched his eyebrow. “Come on. You know you want to see what it is. I saw it in a store window and it was calling out your name.”

She paused and seemed about to pass up the gift. “I’m spineless,” she moaned, tearing at the tape across the top of the bag. Layers of tissue paper surrounded the contents and, like a child at Christmas, she tossed the wrappings carelessly on the floor. Finally, she got to the bottom and pulled out a purse. “It’s red!”

“To match your high-tops. I wouldn’t want you to get caught in your evening gown and sneakers again without a matching purse. It’s so gauche.”

“You bought a Gucci bag to match my sneakers? You’re not having a midlife crisis. It’s senility. You’ve completely lost your mind.”

Damian growled. “Can’t you just accept it gracefully?”

She stood up on her toes and kissed his cheek. “It’s beautiful. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. Now feed me. I have jet lag and I need some sleep. I’ll set up the table.”

“Oh, no. Let’s be decadent. Open out the sofa instead and turn on the idiot box.”

“Are you going to let me sleep on the bed?”

Charlie hesitated. Was that what she meant? She didn’t feel panicked by the idea. “Okay. But if you cross over to my half, you get maced.”

“I’ll carry that thought into my dreams.”

CHAPTER NINE

The morning sun streaming through the window made Damian uncomfortably hot. His arm was trapped and he couldn’t untangle himself from the heavy quilt. As consciousness set in, he jerked awake and gazed around the room. Relief washed over him. He had not crossed over the invisible line, as promised.

Charlie had moved to his side of the bed and curled up with her back to him. Her long ringlets of hair fell across his arm and chest. He tried to ease his pinned arm out from under her neck. She turned over and cuddled against him, draping one arm across his waist.

The wiser course would be to wake her before she flew into a panic, but she was sleeping so peacefully that he didn’t have the heart. He could get used to the feel of her curled up in his arms. It was more than just physical desire. She touched him in a place no one had ever touched him in his life. His heart.

After ten minutes she began to stir. Her sleepy eyes opened halfway and shut again. She arched and threw her head back to stretch while mumbling something that could have passed for “good morning.”

“Charlie?”

“Mm.” She opened her eyes again. A contented smile lifted the corners of her mouth.

Encouraged by her contentment, Damian pushed the hair away from her cheek and let his hand rest on the side of her face. She nestled closer and brushed a kiss against his mouth. Uncertain as to whether or not she knew what she was doing, he let her take the lead.

She led with a sigh and followed it up with another kiss, deeper and more passionate than the one before. She hooked her arm under his and put her flat palm on his shoulder to pull him down onto her chest. His elbows rested on either side of her to keep his full weight off of her.

Her hands roamed daringly under his tee-shirt, kneading the skin below his shoulder blades. She appeared to be conquering her fears as she teased his mouth with the tip of her tongue.

Then he made a fatal mistake. He moved. In the split second it took for him to find a more comfortable position for both of them, Charlie’s calm evaporated. She didn’t panic, which marked an improvement in their relationship, but her body tensed and her eyes glazed over.

Damian slid off but kept her cradled in his arms. She tried to free herself. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “It’s over, but we can’t work it through if you run away. You have to trust me.”

“I’m sorry.” She buried her face under the pillow.

He pulled the pillow off her head and tossed it onto the floor. “I need you to talk to me, Charlie. What am I doing that makes you afraid?”

“I told you. It’s not you; it’s me. Why don’t you accept the fact that I can’t do this? There’s something wrong with me.”

“The only fact I’ll accept is that you’re not ready. When you are, you’ll see there’s nothing wrong with you.”

“You are a misguided optimist.”

“No, I’m not. I happen to think that you’re someone very special. One day you are going to believe that, too.”

She shook her head. “There’s nothing special about me.”

“Yes, there is. You had a lousy childhood, but you didn’t take the easy way out. I don’t know anyone I have more respect for.”