she’d hoped to lose her virginity. Nothing more. Nothing less. But now she realized there was more to her game plan.
Making love to Sullivan had merely been the first step. Reaching an orgasm would be the next. But she couldn’t imagine experiencing that with anyone other than Sullivan.
And she wondered what he’d do if she went back on her word and tried to seduce him again.
Chapter Seven
From the moment she and Sullivan entered the main house for dinner, Lissa acted as though nothing had happened between them. And Sullivan followed her lead.
It hadn’t been an easy pretense, especially when her mother nearly dropped a bowl of mashed potatoes onto the carpet when Lissa walked into the dining room.
Mom stood near the table, the china bowl now clenched safely against her chest. “Oh my goodness, honey. You mentioned getting your hair done and buying a new dress, but you’ve…you’ve…blossomed.”
“I thought that the wine and I could both use a fresh new look.” Lissa offered her mother a smile. It took all she had not to glance at Sullivan and check out his expression.
Was she afraid of what she might see? Or of what she might reveal?
Their lovemaking had touched her on a very personal level, making her complete. Making her feel like a desirable woman.
Had it been a positive experience for him, too?
“I can’t get over it,” her mom said, turning to Sullivan. “Lissa is absolutely beautiful. Don’t you agree?”
So much for avoiding eye contact with the man who’d sent her senses reeling, who’d helped her touch the moon and reach the stars.
Maybe it was her imagination but, for a moment, she thought she saw a glimmer of emotion in his eyes. But it quickly disappeared, as if it hadn’t been there at all.
“She looks great,” Sullivan said, sincerity in his gaze and truth in his tone. But not a hint of anything more.
It would have been nice to know what he was thinking or feeling, but he’d rolled back any evidence of his thoughts or emotions, tucking them way out of sight.
Well, what did she expect? She’d told him it would be their secret. And that she only wanted a one-time fling.
Hadn’t he said he wouldn’t allow their lovemaking to interfere with business? And hadn’t she agreed to do the same?
But Lissa hadn’t realized how difficult that would be. She couldn’t seem to get the smile-provoking memory of her first sexual encounter out of her mind.
The physical intimacy made her realize she wanted a man in her life, a lover. Not that the man had to be Sullivan, but that’s who came to mind.
Could another lover replicate Sullivan’s heated caresses and knee-buckling kisses?
She didn’t think so.
And as much as she hated to admit it, her feelings had been affected by their lovemaking. In what way, she couldn’t be sure.
Had Sullivan felt something, too? Something unexplainable?
She might never know, since she’d set the ball in motion by pretending they hadn’t done anything special. But her course was set.
If they ever were to make love again, Sullivan would have to make the next move.
“Have a seat,” her mother said, while placing the bowl of mashed potatoes onto the dining-room table. “I hope you like roast beef, Sullivan.”
“I appreciate home-cooked meals, since I rarely get a chance to enjoy them.” He took the seat across from Lissa. “And for the record, roast beef is one of my favorites.”
Lissa wondered what other meals he liked. In spite of their intimacy, there was a lot she didn’t know about the man. A lot she’d like to find out.
Her mom returned to the table with a platter of meat and a bowl of vegetables. “Lissa, your dad called. He talked Uncle Pete into selling the house and moving to Oregon.”
“Uncle Pete practically raised my father,” Lissa said to Sullivan.
“There’s a convalescent hospital not far from us,” Mom added, while taking her seat and addressed Sullivan. “So we can be close enough to visit. Uncle Pete’s wife died last summer. And since they’d never been blessed with children, he only has us.”
“I think we need to bring him home to live here,” Lissa said. “That way we can look after him.”
“But what about his medical care?” Mom said.
“I’ll be more than happy to help take care of him. And we can hire a nurse, if we need to. But I think Uncle Pete needs to spend the rest of his life with a family who loves him.”
“I’m sure your father will agree,” Mom said. “I’ll talk to him about it after he gets home.”
As Lissa passed the platter of beef to Sullivan, her mom clicked her tongue, slowly shook her head and grinned. “I can’t get over the change in you.”
Making love to Sullivan had been a stellar, lifechanging event. Was the loss of her virginity as obvious as it felt?
Mom scrunched her eyes and cocked her head to the side, her gaze still focused on Lissa. “What’s that?”
“What’s what?” Lissa picked up the bowl of gravy to hand to Sullivan.
“That red splotch on your face.”
Oh, Lordy. Her mom had spotted the faint abrasion from the light stubble of Sullivan’s afternoon shadow. Would she guess what they’d done this afternoon? Maybe insist upon having a little talk about sex being special and reserved for marriage?
Lissa’s grip on the bowl froze and she stole a peek at Sullivan, as though doing so would help her concoct a plausible explanation—other than the truth, of course. Her parents were pretty old-fashioned.
“You’re right, Donna.” Sullivan’s brows knit together. “Her face does look red and irritated.”
The big oaf. At first, Lissa thought seriously about kicking him under the table, but refrained.
He knew perfectly well what had caused the light abrasion, but was playing dumb rather than acting guilty and drawing more curiosity. Could Lissa play the game as easily? She’d never been very good at that sort of thing. Maybe because she couldn’t lie to save her soul.
She didn’t feel the least bit guilty for what they’d done, even if it didn’t mean anything to Sullivan. But she wasn’t in the mood for a well-intentioned lecture after her lover went back to the guest house.
Since Lissa couldn’t remember which cheek was red, she lifted her hands and touched them both. “I do feel kind of itchy. Maybe it’s an allergic reaction to the makeup they applied
