Last Night's Kiss (20 page)

“You are a wicked woman.”

“Only when I’m with you.”

“Aren’t you tired?”

She shook her head. She should have been dead on her feet. A day like today would usually leave her wanting a long bath and an early night, but she felt energized.

“Good,” he said.

“Why?” she asked. “What have you got planned?”

“You’ll see.”

Pulling her arm through his, he led her to the door. Rosa smelled buttercream the moment she walked inside. The smell took her back years, to her ninth birthday. Her brothers baked the cake and the smell was delicious. The icing was delicious, but the cake was raw inside and burned on the outside.

“You baked a cake?” she asked.

“Candles,” he corrected.

For a moment, she didn’t understand. “Oh, you bought candles.” She looked at the several lighted jars around the room.

“Now you’re going to go upstairs and take a bubble bath while I fix us something to eat.”

She smiled as he walked her to the steps. “I could get used to this pampering.”

He kissed her lightly on the lips. “You ain’t seen nothing yet.” Then he patted her on the behind and sent her up the stairs.

Rosa walked slowly, keeping her eyes on Adam. He watched her, too, until she reached the bathroom door and disappeared inside. One of her dresses hung from the shower rack. “I guess I’m supposed to wear this,” she said to herself. It was the dress she’d bought in Butte the day Adam had taken her there.

Rosa smiled at the memory of that day. They had disliked each other then. He was only trying to help Vida, keeping her from driving. But the truth was, they were both putting up barriers, hiding their feelings even from themselves.

Turning on the taps and pouring bath salts into the tub, Rosa found several candles had been left on the shelf of the tub. She lit the candles. Their scent immediately mixed with the bath salts and a pleasing fragrance filled the room.

Stripping, Rosa pulled her hair up and anchored it on top of her head. Then she lowered herself into the hot water. Tension she wasn’t even aware of eased from her muscles. She let the water wash over her, making her weightless as her arms floated freely to the surface.

A soft knock had her looking at the door. It opened and Adam came in carrying a glass of wine. He smiled and set it on the tub’s lip. No words were exchanged. None were necessary. Rosa spoke with her eyes and her heart. She picked up the glass and tasted the sweet wine.

“You look beautiful there,” Adam said.

“Join me,” she offered.

“How I would love to,” he said. “But if I did we’d never get to dinner.”

“I can wait,” she told him, her voice several notes lower than normal. Her eyes were steady, and she didn’t hide their meaning. She wanted him here and now.

“Hold that thought,” he said as if he could read her mind. “We
will
get to it.”

He left with a smile. Rosa had never been so bold. She knew her time was short and she wanted Adam, but the summer would be ending soon. Taking a drink of her wine, she relaxed in the hot water, and when it cooled, she got out and dried herself. Taking the dress into the bedroom, she spent several minutes lotioning and perfuming her body. Then she slipped into the fundamentals of underwear and covered herself with the dress. It was red, scarlet actually, and it still fit as if it were made for her.

Rosa thought she’d never have an occasion to wear the gown in the Valley. And while she didn’t expect to go anywhere other than downstairs, this was an occasion. She opened the bedroom door and started a slow walk along the catwalk. Her heels clicked on the wooden flooring. Adam looked up at her. He’d changed from the khakis and polo shirt into a dark suit and white shirt. The lights had been lowered and only the candles posed any illumination. He was gorgeous.

The expression on his face told her he appreciated her, too.

He met her as she descended the stairs. He kissed her lightly on the mouth, a promise of more to come. Rosa submitted her own promise.

“I thought I could picture what you’d look like in that dress, but I was
wrong
,” he said. He pushed her back a little and admired every bit of her. “My imagination is not that good. You look like a queen.”

“I could get used to compliments like that.”

“You will,” he promised.

“The food smells great,” Rosa said, hiding her confusion over his comment. “What are we having?”

“Mademoiselle, to start we have champagne framboise garnished with fresh raspberries. This will be followed with a fresh lobster bisque on an island of lobster mousse and continued with bouchée of escargots and morel mushrooms in a cognac-roasted garlic cream sauce and chives. Then—”

“Then? There’s more?” Rosa asked.

“Ah, mademoiselle, a meal is to be enjoyed.”

Rosa laughed at his mock French accent.

“We will go on with the salad course, a chiffonade of Boston lettuce with Belgium endive and hearts of palm. This is enhanced with an arugula balsamic vinaigrette. To clear your palate for the main course, an interlude of passion fruit sorbet with a splash of passion fruit liqueur.”

“I get it. If food doesn’t work, use liqueur,” she teased.

Adam smiled, but continued with the menu. “The main dish, maigret of duck Martiniquaise with caramelized leg confit and banana tempura in a Caribbean rum sauce. I trust you will love it.”

“Absolutely,” Rosa agreed.

“To conclude this wondrous occasion, we have
profiterolles au chocolat
.”

“That sounds wonderful. What is it?”

“A cream puff filled with crème patisserie, topped with warm chocolate sauce, flavored with Grand Marnier and cognac, and garnished with fresh whipped cream and toasted almonds.”

“I can hardly wait.”

“Be seated and we can begin making love to our palates.”

He held her chair and Rosa sat down. “When did you have time to do all this?”

“Didn’t I tell you I was a magician?”

“No, I mean, I know you have a certain paranormal attraction for the opposite sex. There must be something magical about that. However, a master chef is not on the list.”

Rosa tasted her meal. “This is delicious,” she said. “We look like we’re celebrating something. Are we?”

“It’s Tuesday. We’re here. That’s enough to celebrate.” He poured wine into her glass, his eyes fixed on hers and not the wineglass. Yet not a drop was spilled.

“I’ll take that,” she said, raising her glass to her lips. She, too, didn’t take her eyes off Adam. Throughout the meal they seemed to play the sex game, both of them looking at each other as if the food on their plates wasn’t as delicious as each other would be.

“I saw you writing today. Are you filing a story on the shoot?”

“I thought I might.”

“You didn’t think it was boring?”

“Boring?”

“I mean compared to stories you’re used to covering, world events, presidential inaugurations, wars.”

“You think your work is boring?”

“No, but I don’t expect to see it on the front page, either.”

“It won’t make the front page unless someone dies. It will make the fashion pages where it will mean something.

Light dawned in Rosa’s brain. “You’re doing this for Vida? Her collection?”

He winked instead of nodding.

“That’s wonderful. I take it she doesn’t know about it?”

“I didn’t mention it, but when I saw Tommie and the clothes, I got the idea.”

“And since you always have your pen and paper at hand…” She left the sentence hanging. Adam didn’t use paper and pencil. He had a small electronic device that he typed into. “Does she know?”

He nodded. “While Tommie was modeling her creations, I interviewed her.”

“Adam, this is wonderful. It’ll help her so much.”

“So that’s what we’re celebrating…Vida’s new company.”

“Then why are we celebrating for her? Shouldn’t she be here?”

Adam cut a piece of his duck and ate it. “I believe she and Mike are having their own celebration.”

Rosa’s ears suddenly went white hot as she pictured them having their own private dinner with dessert to come. “You know Mike proposed to her?”

“She told me. All I can say is, it’s about time.”

“I suppose it is.”

“What’s the matter?” Adam asked.

“Nothing.” Rosa put her chin in her hand and stared across the short table into his eyes.

“If you keep that up, this dinner is going to be ruined.”

“I know,” she said, holding on to the last syllable.

Adam moved first. Soft music played in the background, but Rosa only just heard it when he got up. Everything seemed to move in slow motion. Him leaving his chair, the few steps it took to get to her. Adam offered his hands. Rosa put hers in them and stood up. Without thinking about it, she leaned into him, her arms following the curve of his shoulders and closing around his neck.

They began swaying to the music. Adam danced her about the room. Rosa lay her head on his shoulder and let herself be lost in the feel of him. They danced well together. She anticipated his steps, following him flawlessly, matching his movements one by one. Adam’s hands caressed her back, sliding upward to her neck and down to her waist, each time going slightly lower than the time before. Rosa’s eyes closed at the delirium of the moment. Her breath came in small, controlled puffs. Adam’s arms were strong and tender at the same time. She felt loved, her entire body sensitive to his touch.

His lips touched her temple, then her forehead. His mouth lingered over her brow. Rosa felt spirals of sensation radiating within her. Need bubbled up and gripped her. She’d anticipated this moment all evening and now that it was here, she wanted it to go on a little longer. She wanted to hold on to the memory of each touch, the feel of Adam’s fingers against her sensitive skin, the smell of his aftershave, the silkiness of the fabric of his jacket. She wanted to capture the moment as if she were snapping a photograph that she could pull out and revisit at will. Only this one would be placed in the vault of her heart.

Rosa lost count of the times they circled the room or they could have stood in one spot; she was unaware of time passing, of the music moving from one note to the next. Her total being was consumed by the man holding her in his arms. She looked up at him. His eyes were dark with need. His head descended. Rosa went up on her toes to meet his mouth. Their touch was like the spark that started the universe, exciting, bright, explosive. Adam didn’t try to deepen the kiss. He teased her lips, lifting his mouth and joining it with hers again and again. The kiss was more tender than anything Rosa had ever felt. Yet their joining was no less flammable.

She could feel the burn, the need to have him, the arousal of her body as it craved his touch, his invasion, the sweet surrender of intimacy. Her arms went higher on his shoulders, her body curved into his as if a well had been created in her exact shape. Adam crushed her to him and his mouth devoured hers. His tongue pushed past her teeth and swept inside her mouth. Rosa moaned at the whirring sound in her ears, like holding a seashell up and listening to the ocean. Only this tide was of her own creation.

Without her realizing it, her feet left the floor. Adam lifted her. Like a ballet dancer, her legs came up and he cradled her body while his mouth continued to work magic over hers. They broke the kiss and Rosa took in a huge breath. She hugged Adam as he walked to the stairs and carried her up to the loft.

She slid down him. For a moment they looked at each other. Rosa reached up and pushed his suit jacket from his shoulders. It fell to the floor. In the distance the music still played, but she could barely hear it. Her fingers opened the buttons on his shirt and her hands flattened against his moist skin. Heat generated inside him, too. Rosa rubbed her fingers across his nipples, feeling them rise into hard nubs. Adam lowered his head and kissed her naked shoulders. His mouth seemed to sizzle on her skin and it felt so good. Her knees threatened to buckle as his tongue wet her heated skin.

Then Rosa felt the zipper on her dress opening. Adam slowly pulled it down. She could hardly breathe. Her fingers fumbled with his belt. She got it open, then lowered his zipper. As each article of clothing was removed, their bodies entwined, skin touched skin, heat connected with heat, mouths burned.

By the time Adam lowered her to the bed, her body was ready for his, but he wasn’t about to satisfy her yet. He kissed her shoulders and traveled down her body. Tiny moans issued from her of their own volition, the outward expression of the pleasure that seemed to spawn in every cell of her body.

Briefly he stopped at her breasts. As he’d done with her lips, he teased her nipples. Rosa sucked in air as waves of rapture gripped her. Grabbing handfuls of bedding, she held on, letting Adam bring her live body to white-hot sensation. At her belly, his tongue dipped into her navel. Rosa never thought there was any sensation in her navel, but when his tongue circled it, she felt a pull, a huge craving, all the way through her body.

“Adam, now.” Rosa heard a strangled voice call Adam’s name. It was her voice, but she barely recognized it. She was vaguely aware of him tearing open a condom and covering himself before his warmth returned to her, covering her.