Henry called Liz the next morning. “How does this sound, dinner at The Garden Inn to round out your sister’s list, then we’ll check out a few houses?”
Silence wasn’t what he expected to hear. “Everything okay?” he asked.
“It’s fine. I’ll meet you there at six. But we really need to get down to business. I need to find a house.”
“Of course.” He was about to say, it’s a date. But he didn’t, because he still wasn’t exactly sure what was happening, especially after that kiss. God, how had that happened? But he didn’t want to bother himself with those details. Just like he was advising Liz, he was following his heart not his brain.
After pouring wine and ordering dinner, he hoped the surprise he had in store for her later was a good idea. Her eyes weren’t as bright as usual. “Something’s wrong. Is this whole maid-of-honor duty getting you down?” He buttered a roll and handed it to her.
She took it but didn’t eat it. “We got in a pretty big fight. She told me she didn’t want me to be her maid-of-honor anymore.”
Instinct had him reaching across the table to squeeze her hand. “I’m sorry. Want to talk about it?”
Her eyes were moist and she looked up at the ceiling. “Just help me find a house. It’s really important to me to have…something.”
He squeezed her hand tightly. “I promise, we’ll find a house you love.”
She closed her eyes and nodded.
He left go and poured her more wine. “My brother Frank and I once got in a fight that last for six months. But it all worked out eventually.”
Taking a long drink, she pressed her lips together and looked at him. “Let me guess. It was over a girl?”
His laughter caught him by surprise. “Jenny Wilkins. Cute little blonde, two grades below me. I was crazy about her. Unfortunately, that’s how she felt about Frank.” He could still remember the pain in his gut when Frank brought her home. “I took a swing at him when he came back from their first date. He knew I liked her. Frank was younger, but he looked older than me. He was kind of the hot guy on campus, while I was still a dweeby nobody, even junior year.”
“I find that very hard to believe.”
He held up two fingers, like he was a boy scout again. “God’s honest truth. Thankfully, that all changed by senior year. Grew three inches that summer and gained twenty pounds.”
“How did you and your brother ever make up?” The sadness was fading from her eyes.
“I took the girl he liked to homecoming senior year. We haven’t had a harsh word since.”
She tore at the roll on her plate. “Your mother had her hands full.”
“She did. And you’re not alone in the sibling woe department or the heartbreak department.”
She rested her chin in her palm and looked so adorable he wanted to kiss her again. “A high school crush is a little different from what happened to me.”
His hands curled into fists. “I wish I had a few minutes alone with the guy who did this to you.
She shrugged. “If it wasn’t him, it would have been somebody else.”
He looked at her sad eyes and set down his glass. Wait one damn minute. Henry sat up straight. That’s it. He didn’t have to just get her to look differently at what she wanted in a house, but men, too. Show her a few good ones were still kicking around if he ever wanted a chance with her.
And where the hell did that idea come from? Holy Jekyll and Hyde, Batman, this was bad news. But there was no stopping him. He had to see where this thing between them might go. “I’ve got a very special place for you to see tonight. Are you interested?”
She stared at him, running her finger round the rim of her wine glass. “A showing late at night?” She sounded skeptical.
“The showings I set up for you are never, typical. You know that.”
She seemed to be thinking about it for a long time and he was getting nervous, but then she said, “I’ll follow you there.”
***
She pulled up in front of the address and did a double take.
“What do you think?” He spread his arms wide in front of a sprawling lakeside home.
“This can’t be in my price range.” Unless it’s haunted or the scene of a mass murder. “Why did you bring me here?”
“For a few reasons.” He grabbed a blanket and a picnic basket and led her around the side to the back yard. He reached for her hand, but she pretended not to notice. She had to keep this professional. But Henry certainly had something else in mind.
The backyard was like something from a home designer magazine. A huge white gazebo covered in roses stood in the middle of the back yard overlooking the lake.
“Wow.” She’d never seen a place like this, not in person anyway.
“Sensory overload. I’m going to engage all your senses so you can’t help but respond to what you really like.”
Her breath caught as she stepped into the gazebo, wondering if she stood a chance against this guy. “Where are the owners?” And what are the penalties for trespassing?
“It’s a foreclosure. Don’t worry, no one will find us here.”
“You’re sure?” She glanced left and right, wondering if they were in view of neighbors.
He pressed two fingers against her lips. “Shh.” He spread the blanket on the floor of the gazebo and pulled out two glasses, a bottle of champagne and a bowl of strawberries. The smile that unfurled was wicked.
She sat, frozen. Should she do this? He was trying to draw out her real desires. She appreciated that. The logical part of her did. But what about that uncontrollable heart of hers that hadn’t been let out for a run in years? It was bound to trip and fall. She reached for a big red strawberry and took a bite. A dribble of juice raced down her chin.
“Let me get that.” Henry rubbed his thumb across her chin, catching the juice. He licked it off his finger.
Elizabeth stopped breathing for a moment. “Thanks,” she whispered. She finished the berry and swiped her tongue across her lips. Henry plucked another one from the bowl and offered it to her. Their eyes locked as she sunk her teeth into it. He brought it to his mouth and bit off the rest up to the stem, watching her.
Perched on her knees, she brought a berry to his lips. His eyelids lowered and he nibbled it, catching the tips of her fingers with his lips and tongue.
A bead of sweat slalomed down her back.
“Don’t look now, but I think you’re unwinding.”
She ran her finger across his bottom lip. “I guess so.”
Henry kissed her fingertip. “Champagne?” He pulled away and reached for the bottle.
Fuel on the fire. “Shouldn’t we save that for when I finally decide on a house? We don’t seem to be headed in that direction.”
He popped open the bottle. “Don’t worry. I’m going to keep doing this until we find you the perfect place.”
She nodded. And after that? She took the glass from him and closed her eyes, letting the gold, bubbly liquid slide down her throat.
“Do you feel relaxed?”
“You could say that.”
He brushed her hair off her face and stroked the back of her neck. “I like the unwound Liz.”
She closed her eyes and nodded. She was unwinding all right; unwinding all of her good sense.
He leaned over and bit her bottom lip softly, like a berry. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she nibbled back.
He pressed her down onto the deck, bracing himself over her. He grazed her breasts with his fingers, tracing their outline straining against the fabric of her shirt. She moaned beneath him, her insides roaring to life like an old car that’d been left back in the barn for ages. She hadn’t been touched like this in a long time.
He rolled her onto her side next to him, twining one hand through her hair. She snaked a leg around his, her heart battering her chest.
“Let’s go check out the private beach,” he whispered.
She nodded, telling herself it was a good idea to stop. He pulled her up by the hand and they walked down to a golden stretch of sand. They sat in front of a fire pit and Henry set it ablaze. She tucked her legs underneath her and leaned into him as they watched the fire crack and pop while the sun continued its descent. She scooped up a handful of sand and let it run through her fingers.
“Tell me how this feels.” He wrapped his hand around hers. The sand spilled through their fingers.
Her eyes locked on his. “Amazing.” And absolutely terrifying.
His lips found hers while the fire snapped and crackled, the heat between them blazing even hotter. She was ready to give him everything; she wanted it more than anything. But warning bells chimed in her head. It was too easy to pretend this was real. This was just a lark, a ruse to help pinpoint her desires. She was going to get hurt. Her survival instinct was much stronger than her lust.
She pulled away from their kiss. “I can’t do this. I know you’re trying to help, but this is too much. I’ve got to go.” Stumbling as she stood up, she gathered her things and made a mad dash into the night.