Part 9 (2/2)
”This one has music on it. There are also ones that hold information for computers, and now they put movies on them, too.”
”Ah,” he said, giving it back to her with an air of satisfied curiosity. ”We use chips for similar purposes.”
She put the CD into the player and touched the appropriate b.u.t.tons, causing Vivaldi's Four Seasons to stream from the speakers in a cascade of lovely sound. She had purposely picked something accessible, something that most people were capable of appreciating, although her own tastes in cla.s.sical music ran more to somewhat esoteric composers such as Takemitsu and Gla.s.s.
James leaned forward and listened intently. She sat down on the sofa next to him without speaking, respectful of his evident desire to listen in silence. When the first movement of the ”Spring” concerto ended, he turned to her with an odd expression on his face.
”This is exceptionally beautiful.” ”Even better than the Beatles'”
He tilted his head thoughtfully. ”I wouldn't go that far.”
Annie burst out laughing. ”James,” she said when she got her giggles under control, ”you have to be the sweetest man I've ever met. And the funniest.”
He looked chagrined. ”I did not intend to be amusing. You asked for my opinion and I rendered one.”
”I didn't mean to hurt your feelings,” she said hastily, choking back her laughter. ”I'm glad you like it.”
”I do. It is lovely.”
He turned back to the speakers and continued listening. Annie curled her feet up on the couch, feeling peculiarly comfortable as she sat next to him in companionable silence. It was not often she found someone who liked to listen to cla.s.sical music with her. Kay liked music, but she was the exception rather than the rule.
After a few minutes, James leaned back. He regarded her with a thoughtful look, then slowly, hesitantly, slid an arm around her shoulders.
It felt good. It felt right. She knew she should discourage him, but she couldn't have moved away if her life depended on it. She snuggled up in the curve of his arm and leaned her head against his chest.
Tentatively, he reached up with his other hand and began to stroke her hair.
The careful touch of his fingers sent a s.h.i.+ver through her, all the way down to her toes. She slitted her eyes in contentment. ”Aren't you listening to the music any more, James'”
”The music is beautiful,” he said softly. ”But you are more so.”
His fingers threaded gently through the length of her hair, exploring it as if he'd never touched a woman's hair before. Perhaps he hadn't. She supposed a woman who used a man for selfish s.e.xual pleasure wasn't interested in having her hair caressed any more than she was interested in kissing. Evidently his job had been to provide s.e.xual satisfaction, and nothing more.
She pressed her cheek against his chest. Apparently taking her reaction as encouragement, he let his lips brush the top of her head. She trembled. There was nothing more in the world she would have liked to do than lift her head and kiss him. But something--something that felt very much like guilt--stopped her.
Somewhere, in the back of her mind, sanity was making a comeback. Sanity, laced liberally with shame. She sat up and moved away from him. ”I think I should go to bed now,” she said, avoiding his forthright cobalt gaze.
James stared at her in a way that made her suspect he could see right down to the depths of her soul. ”Did I frighten you'”
That was the very last question she wanted to answer right now. Standing up hastily, she stalked across the room. ”I can't do this,” she said hoa.r.s.ely. ”I really can't. My husband--” James stood. He made no effort to follow her, simply looked at her with compa.s.sion. ”You told me your husband has been dead for a year.”
”Yes.”
”Perhaps it is time to start letting him go.”
”How'” She turned on him with sudden anger. ”By having s.e.x with a stranger' How will that help'”
”Am I a stranger'”
Annie closed her eyes, bewildered by the conflicting emotions that warred within her. ”I've only known
you two days,” she murmured. ”Two days isn't long enough. You can't replace Steve. You can't.”
”I am not attempting to replace him. I am certain that nothing will ever take his place in your heart.”
She covered her face with her hands. ”I'm afraid,” she whispered brokenly. ”I'm afraid that you could.”
James said nothing. For long moments there was no sound except the sweetly flowing Vivaldi. At last he
spoke.
”I only want to give you joy, Annie.”
She lowered her hands and looked at him, unaware there were tears on her cheeks until he stepped
closer and began brus.h.i.+ng them away. ”Don't cry. Please don't. I didn't mean to make you unhappy.”
The sincere distress in his voice was her undoing. He was so kind, so inexpressibly sweet. Her guilt and
confusion splintered into shards and melted away in the warmth of his gaze. Unable to stop herself, she pulled his head down and kissed him.
It was nothing like the first fumbling kiss they had shared. She did not feel in the least tentative or shy.
She felt powerful and s.e.xy. He was an extraordinary man, the most remarkable man she'd ever met, and she wanted him as much as she'd ever wanted anything. Not merely because he was beautiful, but because he was kind, thoughtful, and gentle.
Because she had become convinced he was a good man. Her kiss was forceful, determined, and his lips parted almost at once. She thrust her tongue inside his mouth, collapsing against him when his tongue found hers and stroked it. She let her hands run freely across his body, exploring and caressing, as she'd been longing to do since she first saw him. She cupped his gorgeous tight b.u.t.t and pulled him against her, feeling the heavy bulge of his erection against her abdomen, rubbing against him with nearly desperate haste. Kay had been right. It had been much, much too long since she'd made love to a man. She reached down between their bodies and found his erection, straining against the fabric of his slacks.
He was incredibly huge, she thought with a shock. Evidently some scientist had figured out how to engineer that as well. She ran her fingers experimentally along the length of him, and he stiffened.
”Annie.”
At the startled alarm in his voice, she paused. ”Don't you like that'” she murmured against his lips.
He caught her hand. ”Don't.”
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