Tonight and Forever (3 page)

Until now.

Dear heaven, I have to get away from him. I can’t allow myself to become attracted to him.

She quickly turned to Syneda. “Do me a favor and call me a cab.”

“What? You’re leaving? Now?”

“Yeah.”

Syneda saw Justin approaching. “The brother has really gotten next to you, hasn’t he?”

Lorren didn’t pretend not to know to whom Syneda was referring. “Yeah, and I can’t…I just can’t deal with it now.”

“It’s been a year since your divorce, Lorren. When will you be able to deal with Justin Madaris, or any man for that matter?”

“I don’t know, Syneda. I really don’t know.” She turned and hurried out the door.

Justin stopped his approach and watched Lorren walk out the door. That was the second time tonight she’d deliberately avoided him, and he was contemplating going after her.

He was incredulous. The desire to chase after a woman—any woman—had never come over him before. But then, he’d never before encountered a woman with the ability to send fire coursing through his veins, or one who made him feel so stimulated.

Not even Denise had done that.

His hand closed over the coin medallion nestled on his chest. He could feel it through the soft material of his shirt. Denise had given the gold chain from which hung a gold coin to him on their wedding night, and he’d worn it constantly, seeing no reason to take it off—even after her death. It was a visible, tangible sign of the strong love the two of them had shared, and the commitment they’d made. He had loved her with every breath in his body.

Over the years, he’d met and dated a number of attractive women, women who’d tempted his passions but hadn’t been able to tangle his emotions. His thoughts shifted back to Lorren. Tonight she had done exactly that.

He frowned. The last thing he needed after years of striving for inner peace, of pushing away painful memories, was to become involved with a bitter woman consumed in disappointment and heartache over a broken marriage. A cynical, frustrated woman who could become a threat to the harmonious niche he’d created for himself since Denise’s death.

It was obvious Lorren had locked her feelings away from any man who dared to get close. The moment he’d suggested they go out, the expression on her face had been anxious, almost stricken. He resented her ability to reawaken his protective instincts. After she’d told him of her views on love and marriage, he had wanted to find her ex-husband and do the man in. He must have been some kind of a jerk.

Justin sighed deeply. Some inexplicable need made dismissing her from his mind totally impossible. Lorren Jacobs was a puzzle, one he wanted to solve. In order to do that, he’d have to see her again. And he intended to do just that.

Lorren felt exhausted during the cab ride.

Her concentration turned to the darkened countryside beyond the car window. The cab’s headlights occasionally shone on the huge signs along the interstate denoting the Bluebonnet Trails.

Four well-marked trails covering approximately forty miles of good, all-weather roads had been laid out years ago by the Ennis Garden Club. The vast fields of bluebonnets had been slowly disappearing as a result of the growth of the cattle industry. The trails were intended to preserve bluebonnets for future generations to enjoy. No section of the state had broader acres or wider expanses of bluebonnets than the countryside surrounding Ennis. She smiled, remembering her bicycle rides on the trails each spring.

“Here you are, lady.” The rough voice of the cabdriver interrupted her thoughts.

“Thanks.” She paid her fare and was glad she’d left quite a few outside lights burning. Only five houses surrounded Elliot Lake on the outskirts of town, between Dallas and Ennis. Mama Nora owned the lake house Lorren would be occupying. The other owners were out-of-towners who usually came to the lake only during the heat of the summer months.

According to Mama Nora, the son of the owners of the house next to hers was currently occupying it. Lorren hadn’t seen any sign of anyone when she’d arrived earlier in the day.

Before she could step out of the vehicle, bright headlights shone through the back window of the cab. A car had pulled off the main road and onto the single lane leading toward the lake houses.

“Expecting someone, miss?” the cabdriver asked when he noticed her hesitation in getting out of his cab.

Lorren welcomed the concern in his voice. “No, but since this is the only road to the lake, it’s probably my neighbor coming home. But still, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t leave just yet.”

“No problem. I have a granddaughter about your age. I worry about her comings and goings all the time. We’re living in dangerous times. Places aren’t safe like they used to be. Why would you want to be out this far by yourself anyway? There’s nothing around here but woods. The closest store is the Davises’ gas station five miles back.”

Lorren sighed. Mama Nora had asked her the same thing. “I want privacy.”

“Well, you sure got it out here.”

The sound of a car’s engine came closer, and, moments later, a candy apple red Corvette pulled up beside the cab.

“Oh, that’s the doctor, miss. You’re safe. Good night.”

A funny feeling settled in the pit of Lorren’s stomach. “The doctor?”

“Yeah. He’s been in town almost a year now and…”

The man’s last words were lost on Lorren as she quickly exited from the cab. Her anger had reached its boiling point. The nerve of Justin Madaris following her home. Well, it was time to throw down on the brother, who at that moment was getting out of the sports car.

Lorren watched as the cab pulled off, leaving her and Justin alone. She turned to face him, totally ticked off. “Is there a reason you followed me, Dr. Madaris?”

“I didn’t follow you, Lorren.”

She glared up at him. “What are you talking about? If you didn’t follow me, then why’re you here?”

A smile tilted Justin’s lips. “I live in the lake house through the trees. I’m your neighbor.”

J
ustin’s statement rendered Lorren speechless.
He was her neighbor? He lived a stone’s throw from her house?

“My neighbor!” she exclaimed as a cloud of anxiety swept over her, and her power of speech returned. “Is this supposed to be a joke?”

Justin gave her a huge smile. “No, ma’am. I thought you knew.”

Lorren frowned. “There’s no way you could have thought that. And just how long have you known?”

Justin shrugged. “I’ve known for a week or so that someone would be occupying Ms. Nora’s lake house. I only found out tonight it was you.”

She lifted a dark brow. “Exactly when tonight?”

“Moments after you left the party. I think Ms. Nora was under the impression we both knew already.”

Lorren tried remembering her conversation with Mama Nora when she’d asked to stay at the lake house. Mama Nora had said the oldest son of the owners was occupying the lake house next to hers, and he had moved to Ennis almost a year ago. Mama Nora
had
mentioned the man was a doctor in town. Hell’s bells! How could she have forgotten that?

“Lorren, are you all right?”

Tilting her head back, she looked up at him. “Yes, I’m fine,” she replied. “I’m just surprised.”

“So was I when Ms. Nora told me. She’s worried about you being out here alone. I told her I’d keep an eye out for you.”

Lorren’s chin raised to a stubborn slant. “You may be my neighbor, but you aren’t my keeper. Do try remembering that. Good night, Dr. Madaris.”

“If you’d give me the key, I’ll open the door for you.”

“I can do it myself.”

Justin leaned back against the wood column fronting the lake house. “Just trying to be neighborly.”

Lorren didn’t know if it was the key not cooperating or the fact she couldn’t get her fingers to relax, but the door lock wouldn’t budge. When seconds ticked into minutes, she realized the futility of the situation. However, she was determined not to ask Justin for help even if she had to stay out there till morning.

“Here, let me try.” Not giving her a chance to step aside, Justin’s arms slid around her to the door, where the key was partially inserted inside the lock.

Lorren could feel the hardness of Justin’s chest pressed against her back. His closeness overwhelmed her, and the clean manly scent of him caused her flesh to tingle. The feel of his heated breath on her neck made a pulsing knot form in her stomach.

For crying out loud. I’ve never experienced anything like this before in my life! What in the name of heaven is happening to me?

“There you go. You may want to get that lock changed. It’s kind of old.”

Lorren swallowed deeply when Justin stepped back to give her the space she needed to turn around. She did so slowly. Feeling his gaze on her face, she refused to lift her head to meet it. At least not until she felt a little less shaky, and until the tremors quivering inside of her wouldn’t affect her voice.

Justin stared at Lorren, trying to cope with the feelings engulfing him from her closeness. He became enmeshed in memories of them dancing together, of him holding her in his arms, his hands wrapped around her waist, and their bodies moving slowly to the music. He also remembered her dancing with her friends on the dance floor. And how the black silk material of her dress clung to her body with every movement.

His voice was thick and unsteady when he spoke. “Do you want me to check inside to make sure everything’s okay before you go in?”

“That won’t be necessary.”

“All right.” Justin’s gaze held hers, then dropped to her mouth, a mouth freshly moistened by the nervous sweep of her tongue. His muscles clenched. Heat raced through him as he tried to retain a hold on his sanity. His gaze returned to her eyes. That same electrical shock of awareness he’d experienced twice at the party hit him full force.

Lorren watched him, unsure of his next move as he stood silhouetted under the porch lights. He took a step that brought him closer to her. Automatically, she took a step back. “It’s late, Justin. I’m going inside.”

“Don’t forget, I’m next door if you need anything. No matter how late it is.”

Eyes hooded, Lorren pursed her lips and nodded before taking another step backward into the house. “Good night, Justin.”

“Good night.” He turned and walked away as she closed the door.

Lorren leaned against the door and closed her eyes. Emotional turmoil churned through her. This was not supposed to be happening. She’d been in town less than twenty-four hours, and already she had met a man who could turn her life topsy-turvy and become a threat to the placid existence she’d planned for herself in Ennis.

And if that didn’t beat all, he was her neighbor. Her closest and
only
neighbor…for miles. She drew in a long breath, feeling tears trickle down her cheeks. She hadn’t cried since that day in the judge’s chamber almost a year ago. It had been the day her marriage to Scott had ended.

The tears hadn’t been for the finality of her marriage; she’d been overjoyed about that. They had been for the cruel words Scott had leveled at her in the presence of the judge and their attorneys. He’d informed her he was glad to be rid of her since she had never been able to perform the natural womanly function of a wife during their marriage.

She would never forget the quick look that had passed between the other three men before the judge warned Scott against any further outburst. It had been the most humiliating day of her life. Scott had succeeded in degrading her until the very end.

Lorren slowly opened her eyes. She was too tired, both mentally and physically, to relive memories of her past or to begin pondering her future. At the moment, all she wanted was to forget about everything and go to bed.

Wiping the tears from her eyes, she straightened and went into the bedroom.

Intrusive bright sunlight flooded the bedroom, awakening Lorren. Shifting her head on the pillow, she gazed up at the ceiling. Unfortunately for her, sleep hadn’t come easily. Long after going to bed last night, she’d tossed and turned. The room had been naturally cooled by the breeze blowing off the lake through the window, but her body had been hot and restless. She had been acutely aware of every inch of her naked skin left bare by the skimpy gown she’d worn to bed.

How was one man capable of making her feel things in the space of a few hours when Scott hadn’t made her feel anything during the two years they’d been married? In the beginning she’d been attracted to Scott, or so she’d thought. But this attraction she felt toward Justin Madaris was completely different. And it scared her to death.

Sighing, she threw back the bedcovers and reached for her bathrobe. Putting it on, she belted it firmly around her waist and headed for the bathroom.

A little while later, she stepped into the shower. Hot water rushed through her lathered hair, soaking her brown skin. Closing her eyes, she relished the feel of it streaming over her. Turning her face into the spray, she let the shampoo’s foam slide down her back, thighs, and legs. She felt a warm glow inside her body as she remembered the feel of Justin’s hard, muscular chest pressed against the curve of her back and the roundness of her bottom when he’d opened the door for her last night.

Adjusting the showerhead to release a lighter spray, Lorren threw her head back, arching her neck against the flow of water, liking the feel of it wetting her lips.

Then the unimaginable happened.

Her mind conjured up a mental image of Justin in the shower with her, placing light kisses on her lips and softly caressing her back and shoulders, and the tender skin between her breasts.

The depth of Lorren’s sensual mental diversion startled her back to reality. She snapped her eyes open.
For Pete’s sake! What’s happening to me?
Turning off the water, she quickly stepped out of the shower and hurriedly dried herself with a thick velour towel.

First last night, and now this. It’s bad enough being isolated out here with the man, without starting to have sexual fantasies about him. Girl, you better get your act together.

Stepping into her robe, she tightened the sash at the waist just as the doorbell chimed. She walked out of the bathroom to the living room.

“Who is it?” she asked, peering through the tiny glass peephole in the door. A hot ache grew in her throat. The flaps of a shirt gaped open and a dark, muscular, hair-covered chest dominated her view. She sucked in a quick breath. It was as if her fantasies had zapped Justin to her doorstep.

“It’s me Lorren, Justin.”

Lorren reached a trembling hand for the doorknob. Her palms became sweaty. Her mouth felt dry. Slowly, she opened the door.

Justin stood before her dressed in a pair of outlandishly sexy swimming shorts and a camp shirt. Somehow she managed to speak. “What do you want, Justin?”

Justin’s gaze swept over Lorren. Even with her hair damp from a recent shower and her face scrubbed clean of makeup, she was breathtaking. He would bet the keys to his Vette she wasn’t wearing anything under her robe. X-ray vision was something he’d give just about anything to have at the moment.

“Good morning, Lorren. I happened to be in the neighborhood,” he teased as a smile touched his lips, “and was wondering if you’d like to join me in an early morning swim?”

Lorren looked at him, trying not to notice how the hair on his chest tapered down his sides, spreading out again along his navel until it disappeared beneath the waistband of his shorts. She marveled at the splendor of his trim flanks and long muscular legs. There wasn’t an ounce of spare flesh on him.

“I—I can’t,” she stuttered, forcing her gaze from his body to his eyes.

Justin smiled. “What is it you can’t do? You can’t join me, or you can’t swim?”

“I—I can’t join you because I haven’t had breakfast yet,” Lorren answered, her tongue stumbling over the first excuse she could think of.

Justin’s eyes twinkled. “Never fear, the doctor’s here.” From behind him, he produced a bag. “It occurred to me, since you’d just arrived yesterday, you hadn’t had a chance to go to the grocery store. So being the friendly and considerate neighbor that I am, I decided breakfast would be my treat to officially welcome you to the neighborhood. With your permission, I plan to take your kitchen by storm.”

Lorren had a feeling that wasn’t the only thing he would take by storm if given the chance. Common sense told her to refuse his generosity. However, it suddenly dawned on her that common sense was something she seemed to lack around him.

Whether she liked it or not, he
was
living next door, so she might as well follow his lead and try to be neighborly. Besides, she really was hungry. “How can I reject such an offer?” she said, stepping aside.

A subtle hint of pure male, and the crisp, clean scent of aftershave, permeated the air as Justin swept past Lorren. He turned to face her, his gaze moving from the top of her damp head to the polished toes of her bare feet peeking from under her robe. His gaze slowly retraced its path. “I’ll fix the main course.”

Lorren nodded. “All right. And I’ll make the coffee. I noticed a full can last night.”

Justin followed Lorren into the kitchen. She tried to concentrate on taking the cups out of the cabinet. Spinning around and colliding with the hard wall of his chest, she slowly lifted her gaze to his. There was something about his features she hadn’t noticed last night. His sculptured cheekbones added a greater dimension to his already dark handsome face.

“Sorry. I didn’t realize you were so close,” she said, swallowing hard. She turned to the sink to pour water in the coffeemaker. Even with her back to Justin, she was aware of his blatant scrutiny.

“Did you get a good night’s sleep?” he asked.

Lorren turned around. “Yes,” she lied. “What about you?”

“Best sleep I’ve had in a long time.”

“Glad to hear it. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get dressed.”

Justin blocked her way out of the kitchen and made no attempt to step aside. “Why? I like what you’re wearing. The color peach looks good on you.”

Lorren looked down at her robe. Although the thick material hid a lot from Justin’s eyes, it wasn’t the proper thing to wear when entertaining a male guest.

“Thanks, but I like the color I’m changing into even better,” she said. “I’ll be back in a minute. If you need anything while I’m gone, check inside the cabinets or the closet.” She walked around him and out of the kitchen to the bedroom.

Lorren was slightly unsettled getting dressed. After blow-drying her hair and applying light makeup, she headed back to the kitchen. The rich aroma of eggs and bacon filled the air.

She paused at the kitchen’s entrance. Justin had evidently searched the place and found a hand-crocheted cotton lace tablecloth. The table was set and there was also a beautiful bouquet of bluebonnets for the centerpiece. He was leaning over the stove, tending to a tray of pancakes.

She was amazed. “I wasn’t gone that long. How in the world did you accomplish all this in that short time?”

A gleam shone in Justin’s eyes. “I work fast. I don’t believe in beating around the bush or taking things slow.”

Lorren knew he was talking about more than his cooking abilities. “Well, your swiftness at getting things done is appreciated this morning. I’m starving.” She crossed the room to the counter.

Justin’s gaze followed her movement. The soft material of her blue romper did more than hint at the feminine curves it covered. He watched her hips sway provocatively with each step, enticing him with an allure that was as old as mankind. She turned around to face him.

“How do you like it?”

Justin blinked twice. He swallowed hard. “Excuse me?” he asked huskily.

“Your coffee. How do you like it? Or should I ask, how do you take it?”

He cleared his throat and said the first words that came to his muddled mind. “Black and hot.”

“What?” Lorren stared at him dumbfounded.

“Oh, I meant black with sugar. Sorry.”

Lorren poured the steaming hot liquid into a cup, then added a spoon of sugar. Walking over to him, she handed him the cup, careful to avoid touching him. It was bad enough keeping her gaze from roaming over his physique.