What a Woman Wants (12 page)

“
Shannon didn’t come
home last night.”

Faith glanced at Monique over the rim of her coffee cup. She heard the panicked tone of her friend’s voice and noted the worried look on her face. “Yes, I know. I told you last night she left a note on the fridge saying a possibility existed that she wouldn’t.”

“Yes, but I didn’t take that note seriously. I can’t believe she did that. Shannon really don’t know this guy.”

A smile curved Faith’s lips. “Trust me, knowing Shannon, she’s getting firsthand knowledge of everything she needs to know.”

Monique dropped in the chair across from Faith after glancing toward the clock. She didn’t have to meet Lyle for another thirty minutes for their morning jog. “And you find her behavior amusing? I can’t believe you aren’t worried.”

Faith shook her head. “Shannon is a thirty-three-year-old woman who knows the score, Monique. The last thing she needs is for us to start acting like her mother.”

“I know, but—”

“No, buts,” Faith interrupted. “And although we haven’t met this guy, I have it on good authority that he’s okay and is probably what she needs.”

Monique leaned back in the chair. “Really? Did you talk to someone who knows him?”

“Not exactly.”

Monique leaned forward. “So what exactly? Our best friend spends the night with a total stranger and you’re fine with it?”

“No, but like I said, someone told me not to worry.”

A frustrated frown appeared on Monique’s face. “Who is this someone?”

“You won’t believe me when I tell you.”

Monique crossed her arms over her chest. Her patience was wearing thin. “Try me.”

Faith didn’t say anything for a moment, then she said, “Cely. Cely said it’s okay.”

Monique took a
moment to think about what Faith said before asking, “Cely? Our Cely?”

Faith nodded. “Yes, and I know it sounds crazy, but it was the weirdest thing. I was standing here in the middle of the kitchen and had pulled Shannon’s note off the fridge and then went into a state of panic—the same way you did when you discovered she hadn’t come in last night. Anyway, I could actually feel my blood pressure rising to my head when I could have sworn that I heard Cely, in that calming voice of hers telling me it was okay, to leave Shannon alone and that she would be fine.”

Monique waved her words away. “You were imagining things. And you did say you had a little too much wine at lunch yesterday.”

“Yes, and you’re probably right, but still I was left with this feeling that Shannon has finally met her match, but not in a bad way.”

“With the guy who’s a mechanic?”

Faith met Monique’s befuddled stare and nodded again. “Yes, with him.”

“
Your friend Faith
is right, Nicky. Shannon’s a grown woman who’s responsible for her own actions.”

Monique was standing at the window in Lyle’s condo looking out at the beauty of the early morning sunrise. Out of the corner of her eye she could see him removing his T-shirt, and she couldn’t help but breathe in a sigh of female appreciation. This morning they had run a little longer than their usual hour. Unlike the previous mornings, today a cool mist had covered the beach, making running that much more exhilarating. Neither had wanted to stop.

Lucky for her that she had taken him up on his standing offer for her to use his shower, so she had come prepared. She had taken her shower, and he was about to take his.

“I know that, Lyle,” she said turning around—against her will— then wishing that she hadn’t. He had stripped down to his running shorts, and his body was as solid as any male body could be. A luscious flutter went off in her stomach and, beneath her scoop-neck tank top, her breasts began to feel achy, her nipples straining the lace material of her bra.

“If I recall, Shannon was the youngest of the four of you, right?”

Monique nodded. “Yes, a year younger, and she was always the most outrageous and nothing has changed.”

“Well, like I said, I wouldn’t worry about it too much.” He crossed the room and took her hand in his. “She’s a big girl.”

Monique’s breasts came to life when Lyle touched her hand. She summoned all the control she could muster to say, “I know you’re right. I guess I’m nothing but a worrywart.”

He smiled. “And a pretty one at that. Give me a few minutes for my shower, and I’ll be ready to go.”

“All right.” They had decided to go out to breakfast at a restaurant not far away.

“And how about dinner this evening?” he said, stepping a little closer. “I need to go somewhere to celebrate the start of the weekend. And speaking of weekends, do you have anything planned?”

Her legs were trembling from his closeness, and she tried to keep her eyes from locking onto his bare chest. What on earth was wrong with her? This was her friend Lyle, for heaven’s sake! She cleared her voice and said, “Dinner tonight would be nice, and so far I don’t have plans for the weekend, but I’d like to check with Faith and Shannon first to make sure they haven’t made plans I don’t know about yet.”

“Fair enough. And I thought we could drive over to Beaufort and take a tour on Saturday, check into a hotel, and stay until Sunday. Hilton Head is nice, but I’m beginning to get island fever.”

Check into a hotel
... Monique could only assume he meant with separate rooms.
Of course he does. He wouldn’t mean anything else,
she thought to herself. “A weekend in Beaufort sounds wonderful, and I’ll let you know at dinner if I’ll be able to make the trip with you.”

“All right. I’ll be back in a minute. Make yourself at home.”

The moment she heard the bathroom door close behind him, she let out a deep sigh. Lyle was pushing some buttons that she had deactivated years ago. She needed to talk to somebody and wished Cely was there. God, she missed her friend and felt the familiar loss come over her. She turned back to the window and the warm, light shining through it was a welcoming sign for another beautiful day. She wouldn’t ruin it by worrying about her intense attraction to a certain man.

“
I like your
new shoes.”

Faith smiled as she glanced up at Shane. “They aren’t as cute as the ones I had on yesterday.”

“No,” he agreed. “But much more practical. Ready for lesson number two?”

“Yes.”

For the next hour or so, Shane went into training mode, and Faith was once again amazed at what a serious instructor he was. Today he had tossed her a few balls so she could get used to the movement of her feet. By the time her lesson was over, she was glad she had taken his advice on the shoes.

“You did a good job today, Faith.”

She smiled, pleased with his compliment. “Thanks, and you’re a great teacher. How did you start playing tennis?”

He grinned. “As a teen, I used to practically live at the park near my home. My mom worked during the day, so we got involved in a lot of the summer programs there. There was this one counselor who’d always wanted to become a tennis player but didn’t. So he spent his time showing anyone interested how to play. I was one of those interested.”

She nodded. They had reached the clubhouse lobby, and then Shane turned to her. “How about lunch again today?”

Faith drew in a deep breath. Having lunch with him again today might not be a smart idea. “Mmm, thanks, but I’m not all that hungry. What I’d like to do is spend a day on the beach. With today being Friday, chances are the beach will be real crowded tomorrow.”

“You’re probably right about the crowds. I have an idea.”

She raised a brow. “What?”

“My place.”

“Your place?”

“Yes, a summer home I purchased earlier this year on a private beach. And it’s really quite nice.”

Faith could just imagine it was, but still. . . “I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Shane.”

His eyes held hers. “Why? Don’t you trust me yet?”

She had to smile. “Technically, we just met.”

“Yes, and more than just technically, I’m trying for us to get to know each other.”

“Why?”

“I think that would be obvious, Faith.” The look in his dark eyes pretty much said it all. He was man, she was woman, and he felt the chemistry just as she had.

“I didn’t come to Hilton Head for an affair,” she said as affably as she could.

“Neither did I. And I don’t recall asking you to engage in an affair with me, Faith.”

She actually had to blush at that. He had definitely put her in her place. “I know that, but—”

“But what? What are you afraid of? I hope it’s not me. Is it getting into another relationship after your divorce?”

Faith could hardly believe that such a question had come out of Shane’s mouth. She’d mentioned her divorce to him over lunch yesterday. What on earth gave him the idea that she was afraid of putting her heart on the line again? “That’s not it,” she said brusquely. “I’ve dated a number of times since my divorce.”

“Oh,” he said. “Then that could only mean you’re questioning my motives as well as my character for some reason.”

Faith shook her head. His motives and character had nothing to do with it. It was all that sex appeal. The man was practically oozing it, and she didn’t know quite how to deal with it.

“I promise I won’t bite.”

Faith couldn’t help but smile. “You promise?”

“Scout’s honor.”

She exhaled shakily. Monique had made plans to go shopping after having breakfast with Lyle, and there was no telling when they would hear from Shannon today. The thought of spending the day on a private beach had merit. “Well, as long as you promise not to bite,” she said as another smile touched her lips, “then I guess you’re safe.”

Faith then found herself wondering which of them she was really trying to convince.

“
Ready for that
swim?”

Faith turned to the sound of Shane’s voice and had to clear her throat to speak. “Yes, I’m ready.”

He had changed into swimming trucks that left very little to the imagination. He was the perfect male in the body department. She had seen him in denim, khaki, and cotton. Now seeing him shirtless in a pair of short nylon trunks only added to his masculine perfection.

To get her pulse back to normal, she turned and glanced back out the window. “You could have told me what you have here isn’t just a house on a private beach. It’s paradise,” she said softly.

What he hadn’t told her was that in addition to a great view of the ocean, it also had a beautiful winding lagoon embraced by lush foliage and numerous tropical plants. And from where she was standing at the huge floor-to-ceiling window in his living room, what she saw left her breathless. But then all she had to do was turn around and admire the spacious house and beautiful furniture to know that the beautifully restored older home was the most picturesque place she’d ever seen.

She felt the heat of him even before he came to stand directly behind her. She tried quashing the warmth flooding her entire body.

“I thought that the first time I saw it myself. I was fourteen, and my brothers and I had formed this yard service over the summer. The older couple who used to own the house was one of our first clients here on the island.” He chuckled. “I think we stood there a full half hour with our mouths open, we were that much in awe. My mom had dropped us off that morning and made the trip back for us that afternoon, and I remember telling her that first day that one day this house would be mine. I clearly remember her looking at me and saying, ‘If you can conceive it, Shane, then you can achieve it.’“

Faith turned slightly and took a deep breath. He was standing closer to her. If she turned completely around, their bodies would connect. “And you did achieve it,” she said, quickly turning back to the window. “I could stand at this window all day and look out.”

“Yes, but then you wouldn’t get any swimming in, and you’re only allowing yourself two hours to stay here—so let’s go,” he said, gently taking her arm.

As he led her across the living room and out through a pair of French doors, she had to concede that she was more than mildly surprised she was there at all. As she’d told him earlier, technically they were still strangers. Oh, she knew what he’d shared with her that day at lunch and she doubted very seriously that he was an ax-murderer or anything like that, but still, she’d always made it a point to get to thoroughly know the men who asked her out. And although, as Cely would often tell her, you will never, ever know everything because men often had secrets just like women, because of Virgil she’d developed a tendency to be overly cautious. She doubted she could handle another heartbreak.

“Shouldn’t I change into my suit first?” she asked him when their bare feet left the last porch step to sink into the beach sand.

He glanced over at her. “You did say you were wearing your swimsuit under that sundress, right?”

“Yes?” She had pulled on a short cotton sundress over the swim-suit, thinking it was more appropriate than the knitted crocheted robe she usually wore.

“Then all you have to do is not be shy and take your clothes off in front of me.” He smiled over at her in a way that gave her the impression he was teasing and dead serious all at the same time. An unwelcome shiver raced through her gut, and she noticed his hands were still holding hers. They were strong hands that felt dependable, trustworthy, and capable of bringing whatever pleasure a woman wanted.

Her pulse leaped at the thought.

“So you did hear from your friend?”

“Yes.” She hadn’t told him the full story, that Shannon hadn’t come home last night. It wasn’t any of his business. What she had told him was that she was expecting a call from Shannon.

Shannon had called from her cell phone, and the only thing she said was that she was on her way home. Faith couldn’t wait until the three of them were together later so they could talk. Although she and Monique never divulged the intimate details of any relationships they were involved in, Shannon was always colorful with information when it came to hers.

“Last one in the water has to cook dinner for the other one tomorrow night.”

Shane’s statement reclaimed Faith’s attention only in time enough to see him head toward the beach. “Not fair!” she screamed. She had to take her dress off first, and he damn well knew it. She quickly pulled the dress over her head and tossed it aside and took off after him, wondering why she bothered, when he was bound to hit the water first. Besides, who said anything about the two of them being together at any time tomorrow for either of them to cook for the other?