to Washington, he’d turned to Karen. They had dated in college and law school, and known each other since high school, so their relationship seemed only natural once she’d accepted a job in DC working in the office of a friend of her father’s.
Nick couldn’t work things out with Claire and Karen was there, in DC, wanting to go out, charming him and filling a big void. She was from Dallas, their parents were friends and she would live wherever he wanted. She had wanted marriage. His firm wanted their young attorneys married and so did his parents. He still loved Claire but he knew it was over between them.
Doing what his family, his firm and his career indicated he should, he had proposed to Karen. He could still remember a moment at his wedding when he had been hit by a wall of longing, knowing that it should have been Claire beside him, but he had banked those feelings. Karen had been a good wife, seductive and beautiful, and he had grown to appreciate her more each year. She catered to him, bolstered his career, moved with him, and in return he gave her the social life she wanted. Both sets of parents were happy. Claire was out of his life.
But he had never forgotten her.
Even now, as he danced with her, he had to remind himself that there wasn’t any point in trying to see her again after tonight. She was tied to her family and to Houston more than ever, while he had his life in Dallas and DC and he had a political career that held golden promises for the future.
What about the sizzling current he felt as they danced? There was no denying she still had a physical effect on him, but that might simply be because he had been alone for so long now.
As he spun her around and dipped her in time to the music, he was swept away by vivid memories of holding her tightly, kissing her, making love to her. For an instant desire flashed, hot and unwanted, as he looked down at her mouth, wanting to hold her close, feel her softness while he kissed her. He remembered how soft and sweet her lips had been, and more than anything he wanted to taste them again. The desire was undeniable. Lust slammed into him, rising to the surface and surprising him after two long years of total numbness.
But he wouldn’t kiss her.
He couldn’t.
He swung her up to continue dancing, trying to cool down, to forget the scalding memories. There was no future in seeing Claire and he would not start that again.
Trying to divert his mind from taking her right there on the dance floor, he began questioning her. “Who’s the man in your life, Claire?” he asked, certain there had to be one.
She shook her head. “There isn’t one. No time. I’m too busy running the office, making sales myself, taking care of my family, visiting Grandpa five days a week. I don’t have a social life except through the office, church and family. I keep thinking it will change and things will settle down, but that hasn’t happened.”
“Maybe you’re working too hard. How big is your agency?” He was grateful for the safe path the conversation now took.
“I have three offices and almost seventy salespeople. We deal in commercial and residential properties.”
“That’s a big business,” he said. Studying her, Nick guessed she was tied into work most of her waking hours. “How many offices did you have when your grandfather turned things over to you? I thought there was only one.”
“One is correct,” she replied. “Good memory, Nick. I’ve been very lucky and have some great people who work for me.”
“I imagine luck is only a part of it. Congratulations. I’m impressed,” he said, meaning it. “You have to be a busy woman.”
“I am busy. And I’ve got a full day tomorrow. I’m flying home at six in the morning. Have to be at the airport at four because I’m not one to run out there at the last minute.”
“I’ll take you to the airport.”
She laughed, her eyes suddenly twinkling, stirring another flash of desire as he remembered the fun he once had with her. “Thanks, Nick, but that’s beyond the call of ‘for old times’ sake.’ I already have a limo reserved. Thanks, anyway. That’s very nice of you.”
“If you change your mind, the offer stands.”
The number ended and a fast one started. As they danced and he watched her hips move, he was assailed by memories once again. He couldn’t help remembering making love with her. He couldn’t help wanting her now, which shocked him again. He had a reaction to Claire that he hadn’t had to any other woman since Karen. Maybe it was time for him to come back into the world. Yet, even as he thought that, he knew he didn’t want to get involved with any woman at this time in his life. Definitely not Claire. He’d been there and done that and gotten hurt badly.
Trying to stop watching Claire so closely and shutting down the erotic images in his memory, he was grateful when the song ended. “Ready to sit one out? I’d like a sip of wine.” They returned to the table.
They talked through their dinners—steak for him and salmon for her, which he noticed she barely ate. She had to be worried about something at home, her family or business, because she seemed preoccupied. He felt a wall between them, but he didn’t particularly care. After a polite goodbye, he wouldn’t see her again, so it didn’t matter.
If she had said she was seeing someone, he would have not been surprised. The invisible barrier between them kept her restrained, as if she had accepted his invitation tonight to be polite and she would be glad to tell him goodbye. Two or three times he had caught her looking at him with an intensity that startled him. Was she still thinking about their last angry moments together? Each time she had quickly looked away, her face had flushed. So there was something disturbing her, keeping a wall up...
Was it him? But that was impossible, unless she was still hurting from their breakup. But he couldn’t imagine that she hadn’t gone on with her life. Or was it—
No. He had to stop attempting to figure out what she might be thinking. Soon she would be out of his life again, this time probably for good.
She may have been thinking the same thing, because she put down her coffee cup and said, “Nick, it’s been interesting to see you and I know it’s not late, but I have an early flight.”
“Sure,” he said, picking up on her need to leave. He signed for the check and led her out, telling himself it was for the best. But he couldn’t help the disappointment that he never would know the reason for those intense looks.
* * *
As Nick drove her back to the hotel, Claire rehearsed asking him to come in for a few minutes. She knew that, being the gentleman he was, he would see her to her door. Once there, it would be so simple to invite him in. But there would be nothing simple about confessing to him she had given birth to his son. Informing him that he had a three-year-old son was not the sort of thing to tell him over dinner in a public place. She had to be alone with him and her last opportunity was approaching.
At the hotel, he gave his car to the valet, saying he’d be right back.
She shivered as they walked into the lobby, blaming the chilly evening air. As they rode up in the elevator and walked to her door, her stomach was in knots and she dreaded breaking the news to him. Nick still seemed wrapped in mourning for his wife, but the fact that he had lost his unborn child made it imperative to inform him of his son.
She
