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  She nodded and sighed again. “Yes, and looking back, that was unfair of me. We had a night with no expectations beyond and certainly didn’t divulge anything personal. So, it was completely irrational of me to have become angry when you were just doing your job. For that, I truly am sorry. I can’t even explain why I reacted so badly.” Another sigh slipped from her lips, and she added, “As I mentioned earlier, my life has had some big changes recently, and I suppose I’ve been a bit more emotional. That’s not a good excuse, just a reason.”

  Eric’s gaze drifted over to the opposite wall, where several framed pictures were hung. Lydia turned her head and followed his line of vision. She smiled, and said, “That’s my pride and joy. My daughter, Caroline. She recently left for college for the first time. So, it’s just me now.”

  12

  Eric had been on pins and needles walking up to Lydia’s door, not knowing what her reaction was going to be. When she had finally let him in and invited him to stay for dinner, he jumped at the chance to do whatever it took to stay in her presence.

  Her house was small and simply furnished, and he wondered if she had been living there long. The entryway opened directly into the living room and to the right was an area that had probably been intended for a small dining room but was being used as an office. A desk, complete with laptop, printer, and various papers and magazines piled on top, sat in the corner. A comfortable chair next to a floor lamp completed the space.

  Her kitchen was an eat-in, with a small table at the window overlooking the yard. Now that the meal was finished and they were ensconced in the living room, Eric hoped Lydia would continue to share about her life. She seemed incapable of holding a grudge and had not only apologized, which was something he had not been seeking, but she had begun to talk, and he loved hearing about her work.

  Now, as she mentioned her daughter, he watched her face light up in a smile, and he wanted to keep that smile on her face.

  “Jim mentioned that you had a daughter in college, but it’s hard to believe. You must have had her very young.”

  Her eyes widened, and she said, “I can’t imagine why Jim would mention that!” She chuckled and fiddled with the hem of her shirt. “But I suppose I talk about her a lot.”

  “Tell me about her.” Lydia’s gaze jumped back to his, doubt in her eyes, and he said, “Really. I’d love to hear about her.”

  Her smile brightened her face again, and she said, “I was young when I had her. My high school boyfriend, Tim, worked in his father’s garage. He was two years older than me, and by the time I was a senior, he was already making decent money as a mechanic. Of course, typical teenage hormones took over, and we were not as responsible as we should have been. I got pregnant just before my eighteenth birthday, right when I graduated from high school. I know you might think that our families would have been very disappointed in us, but both sets were happy to be having a grandchild.”

  “So, you had Caroline when you were only eighteen. No wonder you look so young…you are young.”

  Laughing, she said, “I’ll be thirty-nine on my next birthday.”

  “And, Tim?” Part of him hated to ask, but he really wanted to know what happened with Caroline’s father.

  “Oh, we got married and, against the odds, we were very happy. I actually got a job as a receptionist in a veterinarian’s office, and Tim continued to work for his dad. We weren’t rich, but we did fine. I gave birth to Caroline, and she was the light of our lives. Between our two moms, we saved a lot of money on childcare, put money down on a little house, and I thought all of my dreams had come true. Of course, life has a way of giving and other times jerking the rug right out from underneath you.”

  Eric held his breath, uncertain what was coming next. The chair Lydia was sitting in was close to the sofa and he leaned forward, taking her hand in his. “You don’t have to tell me.”

  Holding his gaze, Lydia shook her head slowly. “I know that’s not what we are to each other…you know, confidants.”

  “That’s not what I meant. I would love to know, but only if you want to tell me.”

  She hesitated, and he wondered if she was going to continue to speak. He found himself wanting to know and gave her hand a little squeeze, hoping to communicate how much he yearned to have her share more with him. As though understanding his silent request, she nodded.

  “Tim and his dad were out one day in the snow and ice, going to tow a car that had gotten stuck in a snowbank. A dump truck skidded on the ice going around a curve and slammed into them. They were both killed instantly.”

  “I’m so sorry,” he said, hating the sadness in her voice. “You must have been devastated.”

  Nodding, she said, “I lost my husband and my father-in-law at the same time. And, essentially, I lost my mother-in-law as well. She’s still living but is a shell of the woman that she was, never having moved on after losing her husband and son. But I had Caroline to live for, and my daughter is what had me continue to get up and function on the days that I wanted to pull the covers over my head. I had hoped that Caroline would be able to do that for my mother-in-law as well, but I don’t think anything can really reach her.”

  “Is that when you decided to become a veterinarian?”

  Nodding, she said, “Yes. The veterinarian that I worked for encouraged me to go to school. So, I went to the local community college and became a vet tech, so that I could make more money since I was now a single parent. I did that for a few years, and then went back to school to get my undergraduate degree in biology while still working. As soon as I had that, I applied to VetMed schools. That meant that Caroline and I had to move, which was hard because my parents had continued to be my support system. Caroline was ten years old at the time, but thankfully I was accepted to the closest school possible, so my parents were still able to be involved in her life.”

  Shaking his head, Eric was filled with admiration and humbled at her willingness to move forward in the face of such devastation.

  “So, there’s not much more to tell.”

  “You sum those years up so succinctly, but I can’t imagine that any of that was easy.”

  She shook her head and smiled. “No, it wasn’t easy. Money was tight. I had set aside the insurance money from Tim’s death for Caroline’s college fund. Since she was so young at the time he died, the money has had a chance to be invested, and she can now go to college debt-free. I confess that I had to use a little bit for me, but with grants and some scholarships, I was able to take care of most of my college needs. I worked for several years and finally paid off all loans. I was given a stipend for my internship, and when I accepted the job here at NBAF, good money and benefits finally started rolling in.”

  “So, for the first time in your life, money is not an issue but now your daughter’s gone.” He said the words, meaning to show his understanding, but as soon as they left his mouth, he spied the tears gathering in her eyes. “Oh, Lydia, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to say anything insensitive.”

  Lydia chuckled even as she lifted her hand to wipe a stray tear. “Goodness, Eric, it’s not you. It’s just been Caroline and me for so long. As a parent, you raise your child to be independent and, yet, when they become that way, you miss them.”

  Shaking her head, as though to clear her mind, she said, “This is ridiculous. I’ve done nothing but talk about me the entire time you’ve been here. Tell me about yourself.”

  Guilt stabbed him as he viewed her guileless face. He had wanted to see her again, wanted to know more about her, and his visit this evening had accomplished that. She was as beautiful on the inside as she was on the outside, and his admiration for her had increased beyond his imaginings. And now? She was waiting for him to explain his life and how he had become a journalist. Fuck. I should’ve just left things alone. To stay and continue talking would only exacerbate the lie and, while it was his mission, he no longer liked the pretense.

  Eric moved his hand away from hers and offered a self-d
eprecating shrug. “There’s not much to tell, definitely not a moving story like yours.” He glanced at his watch and faked surprise at the time. “Oh, wow, I’m sorry. I had no idea it was getting so late, and we both have to get up tomorrow for work.” He stood, trying to ignore the hurt that passed through her eyes.

  Jumping to her feet, Lydia began walking toward the door. Suddenly stopping, she whirled around, and he had to come to a quick halt to keep from running into her. Her eyes searched his and she rushed out, “Would you like to stay the night?”

  Multiple thoughts ran through his mind, slamming into each other. He wanted to shout ‘yes’ from the top of his lungs but knew it would be unfair to her. Chivalry won out, but as though she knew what he was about to say, she rushed in again.

  “It’s only a night, Eric. I don’t need to know anything more about you. I don’t need to know your background, your job, your history. I know you’ll be leaving in a few days and, honestly, right now, that’s fine with me. I’m not looking for a man. I’m not looking for a relationship. But you were right earlier when you said what we had was a good thing. It was special, and it’s been a long time since I’ve had special. So, if you’re willing for just one more night, I’d love to have you stay.”

  His eyes devoured her face and he saw nothing but sincerity staring back at him. He knew he should walk out the door but could not deny how much he wanted her. To hold her again for just one more night. It was a risk, maybe more to him than her considering he knew they would be making love, not fucking. But at that moment he could not deny her request. After all, it was his deepest desire, as well.

  Eric lifted his hands, placing them softly on either side of her jaw, with his fingers sweeping back her hair and his thumbs caressing her cheeks. He pulled her gently toward him until their bodies were aligned and her head was tilted back as she held his gaze. He did not take his eyes from hers, but felt her hands slide from his waist to around his back, her fingers gripping his shirt.

  He bent his head, angling slightly so their noses would not bump, and said, “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be tonight, than here with you, in your arms.”

  Lydia’s lips curved into a smile that shot straight to his heart. Leaning forward the final inch, he settled his lips over hers. The feel, the texture, the taste was every bit as sweet as he remembered. As he moved his lips over hers, she opened her mouth, and he felt her slight sigh down to his gut. He slid his tongue into her mouth, gently memorizing every crevice, thinking to take it slow. But she had other ideas, and her fingers gripped his shirt tightly as her tongue began to tangle with his.

  The feeling of her tongue dancing wildly with his shot straight to his cock, which was already pressing against his jeans at the thought of another night spent with her. His fingertips on the back of her head held her tightly as he plundered the depths of her mouth, seeking and finding every glorious nuance. Her breasts pressed against his chest, and as he lowered one hand to slide down her back, her hips pressed in, creating an unbelievable need.

  Lifting his head, he dragged in a raspy breath, stunned that this woman could kiss in a way that made him think of nothing but getting her naked and horizontal. Her eyes stared back at him, glassy and unfocused, as though the kiss had been a drug to her as well.

  “Bed.”

  He only managed to utter one word and was glad when she understood his meaning. With a quick nod, she stepped back and linked fingers with his. Just past the kitchen was a short hall, three doors opening from it. He assumed one, the small second bedroom, was probably for Caroline when she came home to visit. The other would be a bathroom, and the third door, the one she led him through, was a small master bedroom with its own adjoining bathroom.

  That was the only observation he managed before his eyes alighted on the bed, and his brain short-circuited to anything other than getting her on it.

  Whatever switch had been flipped with Lydia, as soon as they walked into her bedroom, she went even wilder. Before he had a chance to make the move himself, she whipped her shirt over her head, baring her torso, her breasts covered in a light pink satin bra. He grinned as she slid her thumbs into the waistband of her sweatpants and shucked them off her legs, kicking them to the side.

  Glancing down, she chuckled before lifting her gaze and saying, “I can’t believe that, for once, my bra matches my panties.”

  Barely registering her words as his gaze moved from head to toe, he finally landed back on her face, and asked, “Is that actually a thing?”

  Nodding, she said, “Yeah, I suppose so. At least, for some women it’s important.”

  “All I want to do is get you naked so I can’t imagine that your bra and panties matching would ever make any difference. Quite honestly, I can’t imagine any guy giving a fuck, because the only thing a guy wants is to get the girl naked.”

  Her eyes widened as another chuckle slipped from her kiss-swollen lips. “Well, I guess that’s honest,” she admitted, “but, I think there’s a lot of women that would be very disappointed in that.”

  “Baby, if you’re dressed, everything underneath is still left to the man’s imagination. If a man ever gets a woman to the point where she’s standing in front of him in just a bra and panties, he’s only a second away from learning whether or not his imagination did her justice. Basically, he doesn’t care what they look like.”

  Lydia planted her hands on her hips and tilted her head to the side, “So I could be wearing a white, cotton bra and granny panties, and you wouldn’t care?”

  “Babe,” he said, jerking his shirt over his head, grinning as he watched her gaze drop down over his torso. “I can’t believe we’re having this conversation right now, but yeah…you could be in an old bra and ratty underwear and I wouldn’t give a fuck, because they’d be coming off in about two seconds.”

  To prove his point, he stepped forward and, with the flip of his fingers, undid her bra. As her breasts were freed, he lifted one and bent to suckle, causing her to gasp as her hands gripped his shoulders.

  He moved from one breast to the other, sucking each nipple deep, then hooked his thumbs in her panties and shoved them down over her hips as far as he could reach. Her breasts jiggled as her body bounced slightly in her effort to kick her panties off her feet.

  Standing up, he slowly moved his gaze from her beautiful face down to her generous curves, all the way to her painted toenails. Dragging his gaze back up to her face, he grinned. “Now, that, is the prize I want, no matter what packaging might be around it.”

  13

  Lydia’s gaze dropped to Eric’s jeans and she said, “You’re not the only one who likes what’s under the packaging.”

  Throwing his head back in laughter, his hands went to his zipper, and as he stepped out of his jeans and boxers, he bent to retrieve his wallet.

  “Don’t just pull out one,” she said, laughing at the wide-eyed expression on his face. “If this is to be our final night together, let’s make it last.”

  He pulled out several condoms and tossed them to the bed before turning toward her, his fist encircling his cock. “You want it, babe, you’ve got it.”

  Watching his hand move up and down his cock, she felt the air rush from her lungs, “Oh, yeah, I want it.” She almost did not recognize her voice, her words raspy with need. She dropped to her knees and licked the drop of pre-cum, hearing a hiss leave his lips. He reached out, burying his fingertips in her thick hair as she slid her mouth over the tip, tonguing the sensitive rim. This time, the hiss was accompanied by a, “Fuck”, and she grinned while taking as much of him as she could.

  She worked his cock with her mouth, bobbing up and down, gliding her tongue along the ridges, changing her speed, and adding just enough suction that he swelled even more. With the heady experience of knowing how much pleasure she was giving this strong man, she desired to make him feel as good as he had made her feel the other night.

  Suddenly, his cock was no longer in her mouth and he bent, snagged her up under
her arms and, as though she weighed nothing, gave her a gentle toss back onto the bed.

  She pouted, “I wasn’t finished.”

  “I come, I come inside you.”

  Her nostrils flared as the pout dropped from her face, desire overriding everything. Lying on her back, she reached her hand down and drew it through her slick folds, circling her clit. “Then by all means, come on,” she invited.

  He crawled onto the bed, his eyes glued to her hand on her sex. “Now, you’re being a tease.”

  A grin was her only reply as she opened her legs wider. He rolled on the condom, then replaced her hand with his, and she knew he would find her ready. Holding his body up with his right hand planted on the mattress near her, he positioned his cock at her entrance, moving the tip, gathering her juices.

  He shifted his hips forward, impaling her, and a gasp left her lips at the fullness. She wrapped her legs around his waist, her heels urging him forward as they dug into his muscular ass. He took her hint and began thrusting, slow to begin with and then faster, building the friction they both craved.

  Her hands wrapped around him, first clutching his waist and then sliding up to his shoulders, feeling his muscles bunch and tighten with every movement. There was such power in his body and yet he handled her with such gentleness.

  She knew what this was…just one more night, but she did not care. She wanted this, she wanted this man and, if one more night was all she could have, she would take it gladly. For the first time in a long time, she felt like a woman. Not a mom, or a daughter, or a veterinarian, or an employee…just a desirable woman.

  She felt the cusp of her orgasm as her inner muscles tightened and heat moved across her body. As she shuddered through her release, she kept her eyes open, not wanting to miss one second of seeing his face as his body moved into hers.

  She did not have to wait long, for with a few more thrusts he followed her with his own release, his head thrown back and her name leaving his lips. That, she supposed, was the sweetest sound of all.