what she does and designed the house my parents live in.” Randi rook a sip of her tea before asking, “What about your mother? Does she work outside the home?”
She noted the drooping of his shoulders when he said, “My mom passed away when I was fourteen.”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
“Thanks. It’s been a long time, but I still miss her. She and I were close.” And then, as if he needed to switch topics, he said, “I shouldn’t be drinking this.”
She watched him add sugar to his coffee and stir it with a spoon. “Why?”
“I’ve consumed too many cups already, starting when I returned to my hotel room last night. I wanted to be awake in case you called. My only regret in not getting any sleep last night was that I missed having my dreams,” he said in a deep, throaty tone.
Randi lifted a curious brow. “Your dreams?”
“Yeah. My dreams of you. They’ve been coming pretty steadily since that night I first saw you.”
“Oh.” She didn’t know what else to say and honestly couldn’t believe he would admit such a thing. No way would she confess that he’d been invading her dreams pretty steadily, as well.
“To be honest, they should be classified as hot fantasies rather than dreams,” he added in a voice that had gotten even huskier.
Hot fantasies? Randi swallowed when she felt a swelling in her nipples and heat settling between her legs. All the dreams she’d had of him could have been considered hot fantasies, as well. Last night’s dreams had been hotter than ever after seeing him again at the Kennedy Center. But nothing could compare to seeing him today, this close-up while sharing space with him.
When she’d come up the sidewalk and seen the waitress flirting with him, admittedly she’d gotten jealous. But what woman wouldn’t be tempted to flirt when he was such a gorgeous specimen of a man? Even Haywood and Anna had commented about him last night. And now this handsome hunk just admitted to having fantasies about her? Hot fantasies?
“How’s your tea, Randi?”
It took her a second to realize she’d been caught staring. “Excuse me?”
“I asked how your tea is,” he said, not taking his eyes off her face.
“Delicious.” She picked up her cup to take another sip. Although she knew she shouldn’t ask, she couldn’t help doing so. “You want to tell me about those hot fantasies?”
She noticed his eyes suddenly shone with wicked pleasure. “I’d rather not. There are some things a woman shouldn’t know. Especially if it’s a woman a man desires.”
Whew. She needed more than hot tea right now. A cold glass of iced tea might have been better. But she took another sip anyway, enjoying the taste, and licked her lips afterward. When she saw his gaze lower to her mouth, her skin began tingling.
“Delicious?”
She felt that unmistakable connection whenever their eyes locked, and it resulted in a shiver oozing down her spine. “Yes. Very delicious.”
Her belly clenched, and she broke eye contact with him. She was grateful when the waitress appeared with their pancakes.
“THANK YOU FOR BREAKFAST, Quasar. I enjoyed it.”
He pushed his plate aside. “So did I.” More than anything, he had enjoyed her company. The sexual attraction hadn’t lessened; if anything, it was stronger than ever. She was beautiful, and as a man, his entire body couldn’t help reacting. There was something about her eyes that seemed to smile at him whenever he talked. Then there were the times her brows creased when she was concentrating on what he was saying.
He’d dated woman who’d pretended to do both, feign interest just to score brownie points. Women who really hadn’t a clue what he was talking about. That was not the case with Randi.
Whenever their gazes locked, something akin to a sharp electrical current would zap him. And the thought that she wasn’t involved in a serious relationship, didn’t have a significant other in her life, a lover of any kind, gave him pause. Any man would want her in his bed. Not just sometimes but all the time. Every night, if possible.
She had to know that he wanted her, just like he could tell she wanted him. He had the hots for her, and every time he looked into her eyes, he could tell the desire was reciprocated. He would have given anything to seduce her.
It was hard as hell to push those thoughts from his mind. And when she’d asked about his hot fantasies, he’d gotten an erection just thinking about them. It had been difficult sitting across from her and not suggesting they go somewhere and take care of their desires. That might be all it took to get her out of his system.
They’d eaten their pancakes and had refills on coffee and tea. Now they were just sitting and talking, taking their time. Neither seemed in a hurry to leave, knowing when they did they would be going their separate ways. The breakfast crowd was moving out and the lunch seekers were arriving. Waiters and waitresses were hustling about, clearing off tables, passing menus, serving drinks and food. Randi was glancing around, watching all the activity. And he was watching her.
“Why aren’t you involved in a relationship, Randi?” he decided to ask. He had speculated long enough.
“Why aren’t you?”
He hadn’t expected her counter or the intensity in her gaze when she made it. He had no problem giving his answer first. He could say he just hadn’t met the right woman yet. The woman he’d want to settle down with, have his babies, share his life with, yada yada. Or he could tell her the truth. That at one time he thought he’d met such a woman and had been wrong. And it was a mistake he wouldn’t make again.
Quasar decided to be honest with her.
“I was involved in a long-term relationship at one time.” No need to tell her it was a relationship that had started in high school. The kind you’d think would last forever. “Less than a year after graduating from college, I was jailed for a crime. I spent three years in the slammer, and she decided not to wait. Since then, I’ve decided long-term doesn’t work for me.”
No need to elaborate that he much preferred casual relations, and one-night stands were even better. He didn’t need to get caught up in anything other than the moment. Which just went to show how mixed up his mind was when it came to her, because she definitely didn’t look like a casual dater or a one-night-stand sort of woman. “So what’s your reason?” he asked her.
Randi met his gaze and tried to ignore the sizzle she always felt whenever she did. “I guess you can say the reason is mostly my work. I’m not sure when I might get a call asking for my assistance, or where that call might take me and for how long. And then...”
He lifted a brow when she paused. “And then what?”
She lifted her cup of tea, took a sip and eyed him over the rim. “And then there are the guys who see me as a freak for having such a gift. Those who don’t see me as a freak consider me a threat.”
