Coffee in Common (25 page)

Jillian leaned toward the window, but Paul put his hand on her arm. "Come on. No peeking. I want this to be a surprise."

She restrained her curiosity and settled back into the seat. "What's he checking out? Is this place dangerous?" She felt the car roll to a stop and heard the driver's door open, then close.

"No. It's not dangerous. But it
is
one-thirty in the morning. It never hurts to be careful."

She nodded, but could hardly control her eagerness to find out what Paul had saved for the end of their date.

"Thank you for being so nice back at the lounge. I'm pretty sure your plans hadn't included spending all that time with my friends."

"Don't be silly. They all seem like really good people." Jillian saw his face cloud. "But…ah…there was one thing…"

"Jenna."

"Right. Look, I didn't encourage her or anything. She just…"

"Was testing you. She told me what she did and I'm sorry. She and Liz are very protective and she decided to see if, well, you know."

Paul nodded. Friends protecting friends. He understood that. There was a short knock on the window. A few seconds later, Gary opened the door.

"Everything is fine."

Paul exited the car then helped Jillian slide out. No sooner had her feet touched the ground than she heard it.

 
I can't believe it!. He couldn't have hit on all four.

She lifted her head so her eyes could confirm what her ears already told her. Her heart leapt when she saw it and she threw her arms around him, almost knocking him back into Gary who'd been standing behind Paul holding the door open.

"Whoa," Paul cried, regaining his balance while holding on to her. "May I assume from this reaction that you
are
in the mood for a moonlight walk on the beach?"

"I
love
walking on the beach!"

She let go of him, hurried across the sidewalk to the break in the seawall, and took a deep breath of salt air. A very light breeze was blowing in off the water. It felt cool and refreshing. By all rights, it should have been downright cold this close to the water at this time of year. But like everything else tonight, some magic was keeping it comfortable for them. Still, she was glad she had the wrap.

Paul caught up with her and they started down the concrete ramp to the sand. As they neared the bottom, Jillian remembered what she was wearing.

"Damn," she said sharply as she stopped short.

"What's wrong?"

"Heels. I can't walk on the sand in heels."

"So take them off."

"I can't. Pantyhose. They'd be torn to shreds in seconds out here."

"Oh."

Crap! What can I do now? When I planned this, I never thought about how she might be dressed.

"Wait a minute. What was Gary checking before?"

"He wanted to make sure there were no other people on the beach or cars full of kids parked in the area. If there had been, we'd have tried another beach."

"So that means there's no one else around?"

"Just Gary in the car."

"Good. Turn around and face back up the ramp and don't turn back until I tell you to."

Paul turned as requested. "What's going on?"

"You just stay that way for a minute and then you'll find out."

Jillian peered in all directions. The bright moon made it easy to confirm there was no one else around. Then she slid her dress up to her waist and started to push down her pantyhose.

I can't believe I'm doing this. If a gust of wind ever blows this dress up…

The pantyhose was bunched around her ankles now, but she realized it would be impossible to balance on one foot on this incline while she undid the strap and removed the shoe and hose from the other.

She shuffled over to the tapered concrete wall. This far down, it was only about 18 inches high, too low to lean on.

"Damn."

"Are you okay?"

"Don't you dare turn around." It was a command. "I'm fine. Just another minute."

She would have to sit on the low wall. There was no other way. When she put her hand on it though, she discovered the surface was very rough. It would ruin her dress if she sat on it.

Lord, if he ever turns around I will absolutely die
. She again pushed her dress up to her waist and rested her bare backside on the wall. In seconds she was barefoot and hurried to stand and return her hemline to its proper location.

"Okay, all done. You can turn around."

When Paul saw her holding her shoes and hose in her hand he said, "Oh, you're barefoot. Good idea. I think I'll join you."

He kicked off his shoes and peeled off his socks. "Give me your stuff. I'll put everything on the seawall so we won't have to carry them."

When he returned, he began rolling up the legs of his trousers. "You know, I've had the pleasure of admiring your legs all night so I think it's only fair that you get to look at mine for a while."

When both pant legs were rolled securely above his knees, he offered her his arm and they walked out onto the sand.

Jillian squeezed his arm before they'd gone ten paces. "I need you to promise me something," she said shyly.

"What's that?"

"Promise me that if the wind starts blowing my dress around, you'll keep your eyes straight ahead."

He started chuckling. "Oh dear. You don't want me catching a glimpse of your lacy under…"

He stopped and moved a step away from her, eyes wide as it dawned on him why she wanted the promise.

"You're not wearing…you don't have anything…"

Jillian heard a long mournful groan escape his lips.

"No. No. Not again! Not two nights in a row. I'm not going to be able to sleep again. Why do they keep doing this to me?"

Jillian remembered what Priya had confided about Paul's reaction to her revelation the previous evening. She started to giggle.

"I'm sorry," she said playfully. "Maybe I shouldn't have said anything. I didn't realize you knowing what I'm not wearing under this dress would cause you such distress." She was teasing him unmercifully, but she couldn't help herself.

He groaned again. "Evil. You're an evil woman to do this to me."

She laughed, moved back beside him, and took his hand. "True, but do you promise?"

He promised.

They strolled for awhile in silence, listening to the surf, each wondering what the other was thinking.

Predictably, all Paul could think about was the thin wisp of cloth covering her otherwise bare skin. She was wondering, once again, how he could know so much about her. As wonderful as this all was, it seemed too good to be true, too good to be a happy coincidence. It was a question she could hold in no longer.

"I have to ask you something."

"Anything. Anything you want to know…as long as it's not about underwear."

She giggled, then took a deep breath. Maybe she didn't want to hear the answer to this. But she had to ask.

"How did you decide what to plan for our date tonight?"

"Well, you said that Italian food was your favorite, so I knew we'd be going to a nice Italian restaurant. That it was
Casa de Luna
was serendipitous, as you already know.

"I arranged the carriage ride because they always looked so romantic when I'd see them in movies. Then, I figured most girls like to dance, and I hadn't been to the
Candlelight
in a long time. If you hadn't liked it and wanted more action, I'd have suggested
Platinum
down the street. And this, well, I couldn't think of anything more romantic than a moonlight walk on the beach. And believe me, I tried."

She did believe him and moved closer, feeling guilty now. Her arm slipped around his waist while his angled across her back, his fingers resting on her side.

"I'm such a…I thought you might have talked with one of my girlfriends or something. I know it's silly. You didn't even know them until tonight, but you planned the exact romantic date I've always dreamed about. It was like you read my mind. And it made me a little nervous. I've…"

She hesitated.

Go on, you can tell him. You have to tell him.

"I've had some bad experiences in the past with guys, and, well, it's made me…cautious, I guess. Suspicious. And it's made me doubt you twice, no, three times counting the morning we met. But I won't doubt you again."

Paul snorted. "Of course you will. Doubt is part of life, part of any relationship. And sometimes you might have good cause to doubt. Something like, ohhh, seeing me kiss someone else."

He pulled her tighter for a second to let her know he was kidding.

"And I'll probably have doubts about you now and then. So what? All we have to do is talk when we have doubts. Not much can hurt us if we talk things through. It's the fears and the doubts we hold inside that eat away at us. So from now on,
our
rule number one is
Ask instead of keeping it inside
. Okay?"

"Okay."

They fell into a comfortable silence again as they moved down onto the wet sand, letting the incoming tide wash over their feet. It was chilly, but they found it stimulating. Her arm was around his waist again and his was resting as before, holding her close. Both were aware their conversation had alluded to a future together; that they were already starting to define their relationship.

Paul glanced down at the sand and surf. He noticed the shape of her feet and the way the moonlight made her bare skin almost glow. He thought about his feelings for her, how they seemed to have mushroomed since that first, chance meeting a few days ago. He felt the heat of her body pressing against him as they wandered aimlessly along the beach. He'd done everything he could to impress her, said everything he could think of to help her know him and know how he felt about her. Now, there was nothing left to say and only one thing left to do, the one thing that would let them both know if they were truly meant to be together.

They drifted back onto the dry sand and Paul turned to face her. He glanced up at the sky, then back down to meet her eyes.

"The moon
is
beautiful tonight."

"Yes it is."

"But not as beautiful as you."

Jillian's breath caught as he moved closer. It was time, she knew. On this deserted beach, under a bright, lovers' moon, with the soft sound of the surf behind them, in the most romantic setting she could think of, they would share their first kiss.

She felt his arms draw her to him, holding her gently, but firmly against his muscular chest. She felt one hand slide under the wrap and up to her neck as the other drifted down to the small of her back.

He held her close, reveling in the softness of her body against his. His hands came together below her shoulder blades and he pressed her more tightly to him.

"Mmm, you feel so good."

After a minute, he slid both hands down to her waist, pressing her hips to him as he leaned his head and shoulders back slightly away from her. He craned his neck in all directions.

"What are you looking for?" she whispered.

"Making sure there are no waitresses with trays nearby."

Jillian couldn't help herself. The laugh just burst out of her.

She felt one of his hands bury itself in the hair at the back of her head. The wrap fell open as she raised her arms and laced her fingers across the back of his neck. Both their grins faded as their eyes met and each sensed the time was right.

"I've wanted to do this from the moment I first met you," he said in a throaty whisper.

"Then stop talking and do it," she whispered back, closing her eyes.

She felt his lips, warm and moist, touch hers softly, moving gently as they tested her response. Then they pressed closer, more firmly against hers, always in motion, tasting her, thrilling her with their tender urgency. Her fingers began to caress the back of his head as his lips continued to fire her passions. A scent mingled with the salt air. Not cologne, but him. It made her head spin as if she'd had too much wine. His hand moved from her shoulder, slid lower, caressing her back as it moved, pulling her body closer to him. Velvety pleasure coursed through her, centering in her loins, as his tongue toyed expertly with her own. Her passion grew and grew until the whole universe became centered on her desire for him.

 She felt his passion, too, growing, pressing against her with its need. This proof of his desire for her was intoxicating, enhancing her pleasure until she could hardly bear it.

They remained locked in their rapturous embrace for long, luscious minutes, until their passion grew so intense it fairly exploded, driving their lips apart and leaving them gasping for air.

It had been the most amazing first kiss either of them had ever experienced. It had been perfect.

Although their lips parted, their bodies remained fused, as if their molecules had intertwined. Both were panting, the heat between them so intense Jillian felt small beads of perspiration gliding down between her breasts.

Her legs were weak and she clung to him as much for support as to feel his hard maleness against her delicate femininity.

Paul was virtually paralyzed by the experience. He could not believe one kiss could contain so much passion, so much raw pleasure, and at the same time, so much tenderness.

He lightly stroked her hair as they swayed placidly, aware only of the surf, the breeze, and each other.

Eventually, he found his voice. "That was…" He couldn't think of the right word.

"Amazing? Fantastic? Unbelievable? Magical?" she whispered.

"Yes. Yes. All that. But so much more. I'm not sure they've invented a word for it."

He felt her head nod against his chest.

"So what are the chances a girl like you would care to spend more time with a guy like me?"

"Pretty good, I think. Pretty good."

Jillian smiled. Her eyes were growing heavy. The activities of the night, coupled with the intensity of the emotions she'd experienced seemed to have drained her.

I think I could fall asleep right here in his arms if he'd agree to stand and support me for the next eight hours.