A New York Love Story (13 page)

Half an hour later he joined Clover. Lost in his reveries and focused on the preparation of dinner, he hadn't worried about her. The light noise he heard coming from the living room had reassured him. She was still in there. He had no idea what Clover had found in his friend Philip's boxes, but undoubtedly it was something interesting enough to keep her busy.

As soon as he walked into the room, he couldn't help but smile. He should have suspected it. Clover was standing on a chair putting Christmas decorations around a window – garlands, glass spheres, small lights and random knick-knacks were all around.

The room looked different, more cheerful and lived-in. The candles she had lit gave it an enchanting glow. And that girl, standing on the chair, illuminated everything just with her presence.

He was damn close to losing his head for her!

This thought caught him by surprise. It was unnerving, but he couldn't chase it away. It had been ages since he had experienced any honest, deep feelings for a woman without even having touched her! He didn't know the exact moment he had started seeing her with different eyes – maybe that evening at Rockefeller Center. Whenever it was, his attraction for her had grown at incredible speed and was continuing to grow.

He came over to her. Impulsively he wanted to touch her body. He didn't know how, but he felt a powerful need to stroke her skin. He wanted to feel her warm and alive under his fingers. When he was within a few steps of her he observed her slender legs wrapped in tight black jeans and her well shaped butt. She wore a tiny orange sweater that had risen up, exposing a small, inviting part of her back, the color of milk.

Now he knew
how
he wanted to touch her…

“Stop where you are!” Clover said, raising her hands.

“Why? What's happening?”

“Do you respect traditions?”

He looked up at the mistletoe hanging above her head. “Absolutely! I respect traditions v
ery
much.”

“In that case, don't move,” she stepped down from the chair. “I wouldn't want you to come up with any crazy ideas…”

Cade chuckled. “Too late, honey. My thoughts have already taken that direction. Why did you hang up the mistletoe, if you really feared possible
repercussions
?”

“I had to use everything in the boxes! By the way, I didn't find that much… you don't even have a fake Christmas tree! Plus, I couldn't stand to see this room so bare!”

“If you think this isn't much, I can't even imagine what you did in your house!”

“Well, if that damn locksmith doesn't show up, you'll never know…” as she crossed her arms, Cade found his gaze drawn to her pretty breasts under the soft wool.
Hell – he couldn't think of anything else!

“I hope you don't mind.” Clover was saying…

“Mind?”

“… I've transformed your friend's house into a Christmas chaos!”

“If this makes you happy, I'm happy too.”

“Please, don't be corny with me!” But her eyes were shining.

“Alright, I'll do my best.” He offered his hand to her, saying, “Shall we eat?”

After a little bit of a struggle and some hesitation, she took his hand. Cade closed his palm around her slim fingers, enjoying the contact, and led her to the kitchen.

Clover didn't seem angry any more, but she still seemed cautious. That one single kiss had definitely changed things between them. It wasn't clear how, but the change was indisputable. Although he didn't have any intention of going back, he knew he had to proceed carefully. After all, he had no idea what thoughts might be spinning around inside her head. Maybe Clover was attracted to him… just maybe.

Yet, he could still feel the sting of her words accusing him of
acting
in real life. This had hurt him, even though he had heard it before. He wondered now if Clover's scepticism and lack of trust were insurmountable. He had kissed her simply out of desire, without thinking about it, and certainly with no ulterior motives. Honestly, he didn't know yet where these feelings would take him, but he didn't care too much about it. Enjoying his time with her and obtaining her trust were his priorities now.

After a quick dinner they came back to the living room, both feeling definitely more relaxed. To avoid any embarrassment, they had carefully avoided mentioning the kiss or even acknowledged the attraction they felt for each other. On one hand, the tension between them had eased, and on the other hand, it felt like their relationship had strengthened. And this made it difficult for both to accept that the evening was almost over – even though they didn't admit it. The locksmith would arrive at any moment.

Clover had noticed Cade checking his watch a few times. She wasn't sure how to interpret it. Was he eager to see her leave, or did he hope – as she did – to have a little more time to spend together?

In spite of all her resolutions, she couldn't help but feel herself shaking just by looking at him. It wasn't only that he was handsome. She had met very attractive guys before, but without feeling that she would melt under their gaze! Cade Harrison had something more: charisma, directness, and a kindness and attentiveness that especially touched her. He seemed to listen to her with sincere curiosity. Often he completely surprised her. A man like him could be with any woman in the world, yet he seemed to enjoy spending time with her.

Since they had that argument in the taxi, she noticed that he seemed more anxious around her. After their kiss out in the snow, he had begun looking at her more intensely, with a warm glow in his eyes. Was this desire? Now Clover was even more confused than ever.

At first she thought that his kiss was a way to flatter her, so she had accused him of
acting
… but the more she thought about the way he was looking at her all evening, and his smiles… the less she understood him.

Was Cade feeling something for her or did he just want to take her to bed? Not that she disliked the idea, but she wasn't keen on casual sex, and Cade was just passing through New York…

“What are you thinking?” Cade's voice brought her back. She stopped staring at the fire and turned towards him. He stood near the window with his arms crossed. He had taken off his sweater and he was in shirt sleeves and jeans. She tried not to look at his tanned neck, slightly exposed by his open shirt… but she couldn't help it… she kept thinking how much she wanted to feel its warmth and scent with her lips. Jesus! She realized she was staring at his neck like a silly teenager.

“What did you say?”

“You seemed to be concentrating on something. Actually, kind of worried about something, but now it looks like that concerned expression has disappeared.”

Clover suddenly felt agitated. He looked at her like a lion, staring at its prey.

“I was thinking about work.” she lied. “Tomorrow the most chaotic period of the year begins…”

“When do you think you will have some time for me? We should really finish shopping for my family's gifts, right?”

Of course she knew she would blow off all her appointments just to be with him. But she definitely couldn't say that. On the contrary, she had to try to put some distance between them. “Honestly, I don't know. The next few days will be very busy for me. Anyway, you already had several good ideas and you listened to my suggestions. I don't think you really need me.”

“Ah! I get it. You're dumping me…” he faked carelessness, but Clover caught a deep disappointment in his eyes, before he turned towards the window.

Did he really wanted her to believe that he was sad about not spending more time with her? Whatever his purpose, she ended up feeling guilty. She wanted to go over to him and hug him so badly.

Hold on, Clover!
She didn't know him at all. She must be careful. Cade Harrison was used to always getting everything he wanted. Maybe this was the only thing that intrigued him about her…

“Do you see how it's snowing? I haven't seen a snowfall like this in ages! In LA it never happens.”

Clover moved closer to the window to watch the whirling tempest of snowflakes. “What a beautiful scene! Snow always radically changes the landscape. Everything becomes poetic, even the ugliest street is transformed by this blanket of white. Don't you…”

She couldn't continue. Cade's hands grasped her hips to turn her around and face him. “Sorry to interrupt you, but may I remind you of a tradition? We are under the mistletoe… if I don't kiss you immediately, I'll risk a year of bad luck.” He touched her lips with his.

It wasn't just the very sweet kiss – Clover understood from his muffled voice, his gaze and the urgency of his touch, that Cade had waited all evening for this moment. This time he wouldn't accept a lukewarm participation or a rejection. He embraced her tightly and kissed her passionately. He challenged her… forcing Clover to abandon herself to his desire.

Suddenly she felt on fire. Their bodies clung together, a perfect fit. Hungry lips were exploring each other, their breathing had become almost frantic. She couldn't think any more. There was no way of going back. Cade's hands caressed her body, slowly from her hips up to her neck. When his fingers slipped under her sweater, she was breathless. The warmth of that intimate touch fogged her mind. She had only one single thought – to feel his body even closer to hers. She opened her mouth and put her arms round his neck. He began to move his hips into hers, slowly rocking them both, with a suggestive rhythm that made her moan. She felt a throbbing, powerful surge of desire between her legs. Their lips separated for a second to take a breath, then Cade started to kiss her neck, while his hand grasped her hair to pull her closer. Clover caressed his back and then, instinctively, she slipped her trembling fingers under his shirt, stroking his hot, smooth skin. The deep groan coming from his throat excited her even more.

And yet, somehow his passion and desire scared her – the way he looked at her was so intense that she was totally overwhelmed by her own emotions. She had never wanted anything that badly. She was afraid that she would never feel this way again, that her future would be probably without Cade. A future that was around the corner. He had a whole life that had nothing to do with her; he would be thousands of miles away, and he would be leaving soon. She was dreading the heart break she knew she would feel when he left for LA.

She turned away to avoid his lips. Cade felt the change and his hands anxiously grasped at her hips to hold her. At that moment they heard the sound of a pick-up truck. She thanked god as the truck stopped in front of the house, and she heard a door slam.

“The locksmith is here…” she mumbled, with a hint of uncertainty.

Cade looked out of the window, and she took the opportunity to move away. With shaking hands, she grabbed her coat. “Thanks for the dinner and the hospitality.”

“You could stay until they finish…” Cade's eyes were still full of desire.

She shook her head. If she stayed there, in that house, for another minute, she would most certainly surrender to the passion she felt. Then she knew she would have to pay a high price for a very long time.

“No, thank you.” She felt protected by her coat. “I'm going now… goodnight.” She ran out of the door.

Her heart, body and mind were fighting her resolution to run away from a magnificent man – the one man who wanted her and made her feel like no one had ever done before! Perhaps the people who considered her crazy, weren't so wrong… her mother would be pulling out her hair in frustration, if she knew!

Yes, she was still ambivalent, but her rational side had won. She repeated to herself over and over that she had made the wisest decision – to not get completely dragged into this dangerous game.

He had avoided it for too long, but they had to face it. Something was happening between them. Maybe he hadn't defined it yet, but it was powerful. He couldn't just sit there, doing nothing, waiting for her to understand and accept whatever this was.

He recognized and accepted his own feelings, and hoped that Clover could accept this reality too. He had already spent four days away from her, respecting her wishes; yet he had missed her deeply. He didn't want to push her. He had read her expression, and he saw a lot of fear in those large hazel eyes. The idea of scaring her made him nervous.

Somehow, he felt he understood her. Even though the desire to take her in his arms was intense, he knew he couldn't treat the whole situation lightly. It was complicated. He was heading straight into a hornet's nest – and he knew that feeling well. But he had never felt happier to run such a big risk in his entire life.

Today was Clover's birthday and he had no intention of staying away. He wanted to invite her out for dinner and enjoy her company. First of all though, he needed to be sure she was out of the house so the big surprise – her birthday gift – could be secretly delivered.

That morning Clover had gone to work, but he knew she would be back home in the afternoon. He had called the store and spoken to Eric. He knew that Clover would be home early to get ready for the birthday dinner with her family. Actually, this information was a bit of a cold shower for Cade. Now his plans for the evening seemed to have gone up in smoke, but he consoled himself at the thought of her big surprise when she saw the gift he had in store for her.

As soon as he saw that she was home, he put on his jacket and sped across the street now lined with big piles of snow. The cold was biting, but there was a beautiful sun; a bright moment before the expected snowfall that evening. It was exactly the kind of day Clover loved – everything was covered by a white blanket that glittered in the sun. Thinking of what Clover had said about her relationship with her family, he was afraid that her birthday might be spoiled. He didn't want that. He hoped to make her laugh with happiness.