Chapter Six

The reflection staring back at her told the world exactly what she wanted it to believe: She was a confident woman who had everything she wanted. What would the world think if it knew the truth? Sure, she possessed all the material items a person could want and had a family that loved her even if they didn’t always take her ambitions seriously. While her father and brothers supported her political aspirations, her mom believed she should be the wife of a politician, not a politician herself. As far as being confident, well that was a relative term. In some areas of her life, confidence flowed through her, and in others, insecurities plagued her, especially when it came to relationships. Too many times in the past she’d been burned, the worst being at the hands of Phillip. Memories of how he’d used her made her cringe. She should’ve seen through his ruse. Thank goodness she learned the truth before he could damage her father’s campaign.

I don’t need to worry about that with Christopher. He didn’t need money, and if he wanted connections, he already had them with Jake. If he wanted to see where things went between them, he must be attracted to her. Nothing else made sense.

Regardless, she didn’t know if getting involved with him was such a good idea. Before she made any decisions, she needed to consider Jake. How would a relationship with Christopher impact her relationship with him? How about Christopher and Jake’s friendship? What kind of effect might it have on that?

Frustrated by her indecision, Sara dabbed more concealer on the dark circles under her eyes. Last night after Christopher left, she went to bed but sleep refused to come until sometime around three this morning. Now she needed to hide the evidence of her sleepless night before Christopher arrived.

Once satisfied with her eyes, she covered her lips with a pale pink lipstick. “Not perfect, but it will do,” Sara said to her reflection in the bathroom mirror. With nothing else to do but wait, Sara fixed herself some hot tea and reviewed her e-mail.

Just before nine o’clock, a knock on the door pulled her attention from the e-mail on the screen. Christopher. They’d agreed to meet at nine, and he wasn’t the late type. In one fluid movement, she pushed back her chair and closed her laptop, a sense of anticipation surging through her body. When had she last felt that?

Sara pulled open the door without looking through the peephole. “Good morning. I’m all ready to go, just need to grab my things.” She turned on her heel before he could answer. Sara wanted to leave as soon as possible. If they stayed in her room, they might return to last night’s conversation. It was something they needed to address at some point, but not now. First, they needed today’s business out of the way. Then they could discuss things between them.

“We have time. No need to rush.”

Sara looked over her shoulder at him. Today he wore a black Armani suit, the same style Jake favored, with a light blue dress shirt and striped tie, and as he stood there with his legs braced slightly apart and his hands in his pockets. She was once again struck by how much he’d changed since their first meeting years ago. Nothing from his appearance back then even hinted at the gorgeous man he was now.

“I like to be early. It’s safer that way.” In fact, she couldn’t recall an instance when she hadn’t been early. It was simply the norm for her and everyone knew it.

Christopher opened the door when she approached. “Okay. I don’t have a problem with that.”

Sara expected him to lead her to a limo outside, but instead he opened the door to a midnight blue Maserati. “Did you buy this for your parents too?” she asked when he slid behind the wheel.

Christopher laughed. “Not exactly. I keep it in L.A. to use when I’m here. I’ve only convinced my father to try it once.” He shifted the car into first gear. With ease, he moved into traffic on the road. “He says it makes him nervous. He’d rather stick with his pickup. I keep telling him he doesn’t know what he’s missing,” he said as he accelerated and switched lanes.

She agreed with Christopher there. At the same time, she admired that his parents hadn’t changed as their son’s economic status grew. Or at least it sounded as if they hadn’t.

“Did you hear back from Senator Healy?”

Sara tapped her fingers against the leather portfolio on her lap. “He liked the changes. Said we should proceed as we see fit.” She never doubted that he’d agree. He had never ignored her suggestions since she’d been working for him.

“Excellent. I think we’ll get this wrapped up quickly then.” Christopher stopped at a red light and looked over at her, his eyes dropping to her fingers.

She followed his gaze and asked, “Are you anxious to get home?” An unexpected stab of pain shot through her chest. Had she read him wrong last night? Was he only looking for another couple nights of sex and used the line about giving her time as a way to soften her up? Maybe he thought she’d be more agreeable if he appeared to be a gentleman?

“It’s not that, though Los Angeles isn’t my favorite place. I thought the sooner we finished this up, the sooner people will learn about this new education initiative.”

His answer washed away her concerns. Los Angeles had never been one of her favorite cities either. True, it had fabulous shopping, but she much preferred New York or Washington overall if talking about US cities, though she couldn’t pinpoint exactly why. “What is your favorite place?”

“Depends on the time of year, but overall I’m not a huge fan of cities.” Christopher turned his gaze to the road.

Thanks to the image he’d cultivated over the last few years, she’d expected him to say New York or maybe London, so his answer surprised her. “I love the city. You can always find something to do,” Sara admitted. “But it is nice to get away from it too.”

When they entered Bruce Gordon’s office forty minutes later, his entire team was gathered around the conference table. Since Bruce was a well-known executive who had worked on ad campaigns for several senators and representatives, as well as the previous president, she’d expected someone older. Sara guessed Bruce was only in his mid to late forties. Yet, there was no denying the authority he held. There was also no missing the fact that he thought very highly of himself and assumed everyone shared his opinion.

“With some adjustments, we can work these ideas in,” Bruce said, his arm brushing against hers again.

Sara tried to inch away a little farther without moving onto Christopher’s lap. Already she’d moved away from Bruce while she explained the changes they wanted. The first time his arm touched hers, she considered it an accident. But it happened too many times now for it to be accidental, especially considering the space between them. The fabric of Christopher’s pants slid against Sara’s legs as she angled closer to him. He must think I’m nuts. I’m practically sitting on his lap. She’d have to explain later.

“How long will it take?” Christopher asked, his voice all business. The more carefree tone he’d used when he picked her up had disappeared the minute they walked into Gordon’s office.

“A day. Perhaps two. We should be able to start shooting on Thursday as planned.”

Sara liked it when everything ran smoothly. From the sound of it, even with the changes, everything was right on track. “I will let Senator Healy know.” She scanned the questions she had prepared earlier for the second time. A tiny check mark sat beside each one now. “We’ve covered everything on my agenda.” She closed the cover of the portfolio, ready to leave.

“Once the new scripts are ready, I can either have them e-mailed over or I could give them to you over dinner,” Bruce said.

It took every ounce of her control, but she kept herself from cringing at the suggestion. At least she thought she did.

“We have plans for this evening, Bruce. So e-mail them to Sara when they’re done,” Christopher said, his voice polite but insistent as he gripped her hand.

How had he guessed she didn’t want dinner with the ad executive? Maybe her expression gave her away after all. Whatever the reason for his interference, she’d have to thank him later. It had gotten her out of what could have been an uncomfortable situation.

By the way she kept moving closer to him during the meeting, he’d known she didn’t like Bruce Gordon. Not that he blamed her. In many ways, Bruce reminded him of the stereotypical used-car salesman seen in the movies. The man’s dinner invitation hadn’t come as any surprise to him either. Bruce’s eyes hadn’t moved off Sara since they walked in. When he’d heard the invitation and Sara’s sharp intake of breath, he’d reacted without any hesitation, just like the night he’d walked into the ballroom and saw her ex-boyfriend giving her a hard time. That night he’d reacted more out of a need to protect. Today, jealousy fueled his actions. Just the idea of Sara out with Bruce tied his stomach in knots. Rationally, he knew it shouldn’t. She hadn’t hinted about her feelings toward him. Still, the emotion had him moving in to protect what he perceived as his.

Now with Bruce and his office behind them, he felt more like himself again. “I hope I didn’t overstep back there. You didn’t look like you wanted to have dinner with Gordon.” Before she could open the car door, he pulled it open.

“No, thank you.” Sara placed a hand on his upper arm. The heat from her palm seeped through his suit jacket, branding his bicep. “And if you don’t already have plans, why don’t we get together.”

Her words sent a shot of adrenaline through his system. “You name it.”

Sara beamed up at him from the passenger seat, her large gray eyes bright and a full smile on her face. “I hoped you’d say that,” Sara answered before closing the car door and preventing him from responding.

A thousand different potential outings went through his head as he walked to the driver’s side of the car. None of them included dinner at the Charter House, an upscale seafood restaurant near the ocean and then listening to a local band play on the beach before a fireworks show. Yet that was exactly what Sara wanted to do that night.

“According to the hotel magazine, REAL plays every Tuesday at Venice,” Sara said while he turned onto the street.

He vaguely recognized the band’s name from the popular reality show Do You Have What It Takes. He knew the band hadn’t won but couldn’t remember how they’d done overall.

“I’d like to see them perform.”

“Fine with me.”

Since neither of them was dressed for a beach concert, he dropped her off at her hotel before returning to his apartment where the first thing he did was grab a quick snack. The meeting with Bruce and his associates had included lunch, yet his stomach already wanted food again and dinner was a few hours away. In fact, Christopher figured he had enough time to eat and get in a quick swim before he went back to the hotel for Sara.

The refrigerator contained a wide variety of items. Before arriving, he’d had the kitchen stocked, however nothing appealed to him. He wanted something simple and quick, nothing that required much preparation. As a kid, his favorite after school snack had been a marshmallow fluff and banana sandwich. Even to this day, he enjoyed the combination. He knew all three items were in the kitchen. Grabbing a bottle of iced coffee from the refrigerator, he closed the door and pulled the jar of fluff from the cupboard.

A few minutes later, he sat down with two sandwiches, his iced coffee, and his laptop. E-mails didn’t stop just because he wasn’t in the office. With the first bite of the sandwich, memories of coming home from school and spreading his homework out on the kitchen table hit him. It had been almost a ritual for him every day throughout elementary and middle school. By high school, he’d often go straight to his part-time job or the library after school. With four younger sisters, home wasn’t always the quietest place to study.

Halfway through the second sandwich, his cell phone rang. Christopher’s shoulders slumped when he heard the ringtone. Jake. He’d avoided his friend’s calls and texts for weeks. He couldn’t do it any longer.

“How’s it going?” Christopher asked after answering the phone.

“No complaints. You? I heard you’re working on an ad campaign with Sara.”

He instantly envisioned them kissing in her hotel room after the movie. What Jake didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him. “We should start shooting later this week.”

“Good luck with that. Listen, I wanted to thank you for keeping Sara company after the wedding. We all bailed on you two that night, it was poorly done on our part.”

Christopher bit back a curse. He didn’t need anyone reminding him of that night, especially not Jake. “We both understood. No big deal.” He leaned back in his chair and raked his fingers through his hair.

“I still wanted to thank you. By the time I rolled out of bed the next morning, you were gone.”

That morning in Hawaii, he had packed his bag and left the hotel less than half an hour after Sara left his room. He hadn’t seen anyone except Charlie’s mom. Even now he felt a bit like a robber sneaking away while everyone still slept.

“Don’t worry, we enjoyed ourselves.” More than you want to know.

“Good glad to hear it. Make sure she has some fun while she’s out there. She doesn’t have much time for fun anymore.”

Christopher shook his head. If his friend only knew what they’d done after the wedding in Hawaii, he’d probably be saying something much different now. “I’ll try.” And he planned to, despite all the complications.

“I need to go. Next time you’re in the area, stop by and join Charlie and me for dinner.”

After ending the call, Christopher finished the sandwich on his plate. His conversation with Jake only reinforced his guilt over his feelings toward Sara. His rational self told him to keep as far away from her as possible. They’d already crossed a line once and managed to avoid any negative consequences. Perhaps they should leave it at that. If they went back to their infrequent run-ins, his friendship with Jake would be safe.

His gut kept telling him something much different. In a way he’d never experienced before, he wanted to learn everything about Sara and be on the receiving end of her real smiles, not just the polite society smile she shared with most people. He wanted to hold her close while they watched movies and make love to her until the early morning hours.

Backing off last night had been torture, but it’d been the right thing to do. Under no circumstance did he want to push her into anything. Has she thought about it today?

Christopher pushed back from the table. He had more than two hours to kill before he went to pick her up. Would she have an answer for him tonight? Or would she pretend their conversation never happened? Only time would tell.

***

Multicolored lights from the stage flashed over the crowd as the sound of an electric guitar riff filled the night air. Prepared for the show, Christopher turned so his back rested against the stonewall. The popular L.A. based band played everything from classic Elvis songs to top-forty hits as well as their own songs. People gathered on the park grass and sidewalk to listen and dance as the group moved from one song to the next. Christopher could see why they’d done so well on the reality show. Not only were the members of the band musically talented, but they also had great charisma with the crowd.

Next to him, Sara swayed to the music. Every once in a while her arm brushed against his. Since the music began, they hadn’t spoken, but he never forgot she was there. And he wasn’t the only male present who knew Sara was at the show. So far he’d seen countless men look over in her direction. Some just passed an approving glance over her. Others outright ogled her. Whether they did it because they recognized her or because she was a beautiful woman, he didn’t know. Their attention accomplished one thing though. It had him looking in her direction repeatedly. From her outward appearance, Sara seemed oblivious to the attention she got from the men in the crowd.

Maybe she’s used to it. It’d probably been happening to her all her life. Perhaps she’d learned to ignore it.

On the stage, the group launched into what sounded like a remake of a classic rock ballad, the first slow song they played all night.

“I love this song. They performed it on Do You Have What It Takes.” Sara turned toward him.

“Interested in a dance then?” He didn’t love to dance, but he wasn’t above using the opportunity as an excuse to get her in his arms again. He still could remember exactly how it felt when they danced in Hawaii.

Sara stepped toward him and took his hand. “Love to.”

He led them into the crowd where other couples danced. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her toward him as they began to move to the music. “This sounds a lot like a Foreigner song,” he said as they moved to the music.

“Foreigner?”

“You’ve never heard of them?” He pulled back to look at her.

Sara shook her head, and Christopher decided at some point he needed to instruct her on classic rock bands. But now wasn’t the time. As the lead singer’s words filled the air, her body come in contact with his. He was uncertain whether she’d moved closer or he had. Honestly, he didn’t care. He liked the way she felt pressed against him. Having her in his arms felt natural. Gradually, one slow song flowed into another, and neither made any effort to move. Even when the band switched and played their last song, one with a faster beat, neither immediately moved apart. As the lead singer’s vocals blasted over the crowd, Christopher dropped his hands and took a step back.

“Let’s get out of the way.” The need to fill the silence between them drew out his words.

Sara reached for his hand and moved toward where they’d been standing earlier.

The crowd around them remained, even though the band had stopped playing and started to pack up their gear. Christopher didn’t blame the people for hanging around. The ocean breezes kept the temperatures hovering around seventy degrees, and a large full moon hung over the ocean. With no clouds in the sky, it was a perfect night for fireworks.

“Let’s go for a walk. I know a great place where we can watch the fireworks.” He reached for her hand again and led her through the crowd toward the beach.

“Almost forgot about them,” she said softly, falling into step next to him.

Even though they had broken away from the crowd, he continued to hold her hand, not wanting to lose the physical contact with her. He already missed the feel of her body pressed up against his while they danced.

When they reached the spot he wanted, Christopher sank down onto the sand and pulled Sara down next to him. At first he felt her reluctance and guessed she didn’t want sand on her outfit; however, she eventually sank down onto the sand next to him.

“What did you think of the show?” Sara tucked her legs under her.

“Not bad. Several of the songs were remakes of classics from bands popular in the seventies and eighties.” While they did a good job with the songs, he preferred bands that played their own original songs.

“Really? I didn’t recognize any of them.”

He couldn’t stop himself from leaning closer. “Then you don’t listen to the right music. I’ll have to introduce you to some good music.”

The moon provided just enough light for him to see her eyes searching his face for something. “I might hold you to that,” she said teasingly.

His eyes dropped to her lips, and he watched as her tongue darted out to moisten them. Overhead, the first volley of fireworks exploded, but the sound barely registered through the haze surrounding him. Christopher leaned toward her as if pulled by an invisible magnet.

“Anytime.” He tried to remember all the reasons he shouldn’t kiss her again, but his brain refused to concentrate on anything except her lips. Lips he had every intention of tasting again unless she stopped him. It hadn’t been his plan for this evening. He wanted her to have time and space to consider things. Yet he knew it was now inevitable. Only two things would prevent it, Sara herself or the end of the world.

Another firework exploded overhead but neither turned to look. Both focused only on each other. Reaching out, he placed a hand on her shoulder, her skin warm and smooth like velvet beneath his palm. Slowly he pulled her toward him.

“If you want me to stop, tell me now.” He managed to get out as he lowered his head toward Sara.

She answered with a simple shake of her head.

“Good.” He spoke the single word before settling his lips on hers.

Her mouth tasted like the strawberries she’d had for dessert. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her closer. The scent of her perfume teased his senses as she wound her arms around his neck and leaned against him. In the night sky, fireworks exploded, bathing the sky in color. Each explosion mimicked the ones going off in his head. Needing to deepen the connection, he teased the seam of her lips with his tongue until she opened them and then plunged in. Slowly, their tongues explored and mated, while at the same time he dug his fingers into her thick, silky hair.

As the firework display approached its finale, the sounds of the cheering crowd gradually penetrated the desire engulfing his mind. He needed to stop while he still could. One didn’t make out with a woman like Sara Sherbrooke in the middle of a very public beach surrounded by onlookers and secret service agents. There was no way to know who was watching. So even though it took almost all his determination, Christopher pulled his mouth away and let his hands drop to her shoulders. For a moment, Sara’s eyes remained closed, her lips slightly apart. When she finally opened her eyes, he saw the total confusion, and he knew the exact moment she realized where they were and what they’d been doing.

“I’ve been thinking a lot since yesterday,” Sara said, her eyes not meeting his.

“And?” He wanted her to look at him, but still she looked off down the beach. Lifting his hands off her shoulders, he moved so they were face to face.

“I’d like to see where things go.” She reached out and put her hand on his neck. The slight touch had his body craving so much more, but he held back. “But I don’t want to rush out and tell everyone, okay?” she added as her forehead furrowed with concern.

For once, having four younger sisters was coming in handy. He’d seen his sisters confused enough about their emotions to know a lot of uncertainty and fear lurked behind Sara’s decision.

“No one needs to know.” His body hummed with excitement. Before he could stop himself, he leaned forward and brushed his mouth against hers again. Nowhere near as intense as the kiss they’d just shared, it still warmed his insides.

The crowd walked around them, exiting the beach when the fireworks ended. He let his lips linger against hers for a few seconds but then pulled away while the kiss still remained light. “Do you have to leave at the end of the week?” He knew theirs would have to be a long-distance relationship, but since she was already in California, maybe they could extend their time together on this visit.

Sara tilted her head to one side and narrowed her eyes a little. He could almost see her running through her calendar in her mind. “I think David will survive for a little longer without me,” she said, a tiny smile lifting the corners of her mouth.

Christopher gripped her free hand in her lap. “Good, then when we’re finished with the commercial, why don’t you stay out here for a few days?” He couldn’t think of a better way to further develop their relationship. When she didn’t answer right away though, he wondered if he’d spooked her by trying to rush things.

“We can stay here in L.A. or go up to my place in Alicante or head down to San Diego, whatever you want,” he added. In the long run, it didn’t really matter where they were as long as they had the time together.

Sara’s smile grew wider. “I’ll let David know I’m staying for a few extra days when we finish the ads, and we can play it by ear.”

She leaned closer again and kissed him. Although not a high intensity kiss, it managed to call up the hunger he barely had contained. Without a second thought, he lifted her up and settled her on his lap. If people saw them and recognized them, they could deal with it tomorrow.

Sara pulled her mouth away from his, but her fingers continued to trace the skin on the back of his neck. “Why don’t we go back to your apartment? Maybe you can play those original songs for me.”

Did she have more than his music collection in mind or was he misreading her? “Are you sure? It’s late.”

Sara briefly broke eye contact. “Perhaps I can spend the night. On the way to the studio in the morning, we can stop at my hotel so I can change.” Pausing, she dropped a kiss on his cheek. “But if you’re tired and not up for company tonight, I understand.”

Not up for company? Evidently she had no clue as to how a guy’s brain worked. “I’m not even close to tired. Do you want to grab anything to eat on the way?”