where we started.”
He smiled. “In that case…”
His mouth covered hers in a hot, demanding kiss that rocked her back on her heels, stole her breath, and made the twenty years apart fade away. She was that young woman again – in love and lust, and her whole world was Alex. His arms wrapped around her waist and she pressed against his hard, solid chest, knowing every second that she should push him away but unable to find the strength.
It was Alex who finally broke away, the heat from their breath sending wisps of fog in the air between them. His eyes glittered in the moonlight, his jaw tightening as he took a step back.
“Damn,” he said. “You can still kiss like no one else.”
“So can you.”
“You need to go home, Carly.”
She stared back at him for a long moment. “That’s the last thing I need.”
* * *
“Where are we going now?” Liz asked as John helped her into yet another taxi after they’d finished off way too many chili cheese fries, washed down by too many cups of coffee. She was so wired, she felt impatient and a little reckless. Going home was not an option in her mind. In fact, she couldn’t imagine going to sleep. She wanted to keep trying new things. She wanted to keep talking. Now that she’d told him about her parents, she had nothing left to hide, no reason to be guarded, and it was the first time in a long time she’d felt so free.
“Remember how I told you I was going to sail a boat under the Golden Gate Bridge on my birthday?” he asked.
“Yes.”
He showed her his watch. “It’s after midnight. It’s no longer your birthday. It’s mine.”
“You’re going to need to wait for daylight to set sail.”
“We can do some pre-planning.”
“We?” she queried. “This is your birthday resolution, not mine.”
“I helped you celebrate. You don’t want to return the favor?”
“I have no idea how to sail.”
He smiled. “Neither do I. It will be a new experience, another chance to do what we don’t ordinarily do. Your resolution has to last for at least more than one night.”
“I never said that was my resolution,” she said, smiling back at him because he was so damned good-looking that she couldn’t help herself. If she wasn’t careful, she’d find herself saying yes to anything he asked. Maybe that wouldn’t be so bad; he hadn’t steered her wrong yet.
“Do you have to work tomorrow?” John asked.
“No, I’m off.”
“Then you don’t have any reason to get home.”
“Except that it’s late and most people sleep during this time of the night.”
“We’re not most people, Liz – at least, not tonight.”
“I’m never this spontaneous,” she said. “I usually think long and hard before I act.”
“You’re not your father, Liz.”
“Where did that come from?” she asked in surprise.
“I think you’re afraid to be reckless, because that feeling reminds you of him.”
“He was reckless. He hurt a lot of people. He didn’t think about anyone but himself.”
“And you think about everyone before yourself. It’s a nice trait. But sometimes it’s okay to be a little selfish. You’re entitled.”
“You’re very good at reading people.” She paused, tilting her head to one side. “You could be using me, conning me, and how would I know?”
“I guess you wouldn’t, but you can leave any time you want.”
“That’s just it. You make it so I don’t want to leave. Tell me something else about you, John. Tell me about the girl who broke your heart.”
“How do you know there’s a girl?” he asked.
“Because there is,” she said, meeting his gaze. “You described her to me when we first met on the roof – the martini type. What happened to her?”
John sighed. “She picked someone else.”
“Why? What’s wrong with you?”
He grinned. “She had a fairly long list of what’s wrong with me.”
“Give me an example.”
He hesitated for a long minute. “I used to get lost in my writing.
He smiled. “In that case…”
His mouth covered hers in a hot, demanding kiss that rocked her back on her heels, stole her breath, and made the twenty years apart fade away. She was that young woman again – in love and lust, and her whole world was Alex. His arms wrapped around her waist and she pressed against his hard, solid chest, knowing every second that she should push him away but unable to find the strength.
It was Alex who finally broke away, the heat from their breath sending wisps of fog in the air between them. His eyes glittered in the moonlight, his jaw tightening as he took a step back.
“Damn,” he said. “You can still kiss like no one else.”
“So can you.”
“You need to go home, Carly.”
She stared back at him for a long moment. “That’s the last thing I need.”
* * *
“Where are we going now?” Liz asked as John helped her into yet another taxi after they’d finished off way too many chili cheese fries, washed down by too many cups of coffee. She was so wired, she felt impatient and a little reckless. Going home was not an option in her mind. In fact, she couldn’t imagine going to sleep. She wanted to keep trying new things. She wanted to keep talking. Now that she’d told him about her parents, she had nothing left to hide, no reason to be guarded, and it was the first time in a long time she’d felt so free.
“Remember how I told you I was going to sail a boat under the Golden Gate Bridge on my birthday?” he asked.
“Yes.”
He showed her his watch. “It’s after midnight. It’s no longer your birthday. It’s mine.”
“You’re going to need to wait for daylight to set sail.”
“We can do some pre-planning.”
“We?” she queried. “This is your birthday resolution, not mine.”
“I helped you celebrate. You don’t want to return the favor?”
“I have no idea how to sail.”
He smiled. “Neither do I. It will be a new experience, another chance to do what we don’t ordinarily do. Your resolution has to last for at least more than one night.”
“I never said that was my resolution,” she said, smiling back at him because he was so damned good-looking that she couldn’t help herself. If she wasn’t careful, she’d find herself saying yes to anything he asked. Maybe that wouldn’t be so bad; he hadn’t steered her wrong yet.
“Do you have to work tomorrow?” John asked.
“No, I’m off.”
“Then you don’t have any reason to get home.”
“Except that it’s late and most people sleep during this time of the night.”
“We’re not most people, Liz – at least, not tonight.”
“I’m never this spontaneous,” she said. “I usually think long and hard before I act.”
“You’re not your father, Liz.”
“Where did that come from?” she asked in surprise.
“I think you’re afraid to be reckless, because that feeling reminds you of him.”
“He was reckless. He hurt a lot of people. He didn’t think about anyone but himself.”
“And you think about everyone before yourself. It’s a nice trait. But sometimes it’s okay to be a little selfish. You’re entitled.”
“You’re very good at reading people.” She paused, tilting her head to one side. “You could be using me, conning me, and how would I know?”
“I guess you wouldn’t, but you can leave any time you want.”
“That’s just it. You make it so I don’t want to leave. Tell me something else about you, John. Tell me about the girl who broke your heart.”
“How do you know there’s a girl?” he asked.
“Because there is,” she said, meeting his gaze. “You described her to me when we first met on the roof – the martini type. What happened to her?”
John sighed. “She picked someone else.”
“Why? What’s wrong with you?”
He grinned. “She had a fairly long list of what’s wrong with me.”
“Give me an example.”
He hesitated for a long minute. “I used to get lost in my writing.
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