Happy Mother's Day: Ready for Romance / Ready for Marriage

Damian chuckled, settled the bill, and together they walked back to the office high-rise. The evening was glorious, and Jessica felt wonderful. She wasn’t sure if it was the result of the weather, the delicious food and wine or the company—or maybe all of them.

“Thank you,” she said in the elevator.

“You’re welcome.” Damian fell strangely quiet as they walked to the law library. Before she left for the night, Jessica wanted to shelve the volumes she’d been studying. Damian helped her silently. When they were finished, he preceded her from the room, automatically turning off the light.

The room was suddenly dark and Jessica bumped into a table.

“Jessica.”

“I’m fine,” she assured him, moving toward the hall light.

“That’s the problem,” he muttered, reaching for her. She was in his arms before she realized it. “I’m not.” With that his mouth came down on hers.

Five

This kiss wasn’t brotherly, nor was it uncomplicated. Damian’s mouth fit over hers, warm and coaxing. Jessica sighed and relaxed against him, giving herself up to the sensation. It felt right to be in his arms, that was all there was to it.

Her hands gripped the lapels of his jacket, her fingers crushing the soft wool as his mouth moved against hers. Damian’s hand curved around the side of her neck, his touch tender as though he feared hurting her.

The kiss was unlike any Jessica had ever experienced. She felt the sensual power of it all the way to her toes, the impact stealing her breath. She moaned and Damian did, too. When they broke apart, neither spoke. Jessica wished he’d say something, anything, to break the silence. She needed him to explain what was happening, because she was lost, taken by surprise, yet delighted to the very depths of her being.

Instead, Damian turned and walked away.

She couldn’t believe it. A tear slipped unnoticed down her cheek and dropped onto her silk blouse, the droplet bleeding into a small circle. She raised her hand to her face, taken aback by the tear.

Funny that when she couldn’t find the words to say what she felt, a tear would speak for her. She’d learned that lesson years earlier. Her mother’s tears had fallen onto her grandmother’s casket, and they’d said far more than a whispered farewell. Tearstains on a letter revealed more than its words.

A tear on her cheek now, after she’d shared a kiss with this man, spoke volumes. Only, to Jessica the language was one she couldn’t fully understand.

The sudden need to escape overwhelmed her. Collecting her purse, she stepped out of the library and proceeded down the hallway. She paused outside Damian’s open door. She saw him standing in front of his window, gazing into the night. His hands were clasped behind his back.

“Good night,” she called softly.

He turned and smiled briefly. “Good night, Jessica. See you in the morning.”

She wished they could sit down and discuss what had happened, but one look told her Damian was confused and not nearly as delighted as she was. He seemed troubled, burdened somehow. She wondered if he regretted having kissed her.

“Thank you for dinner,” she said. “You were right. It’s the best Italian food I’ve ever had.” She didn’t want to leave, but didn’t have an excuse to stay.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

Jessica headed for the elevator. Her thoughts remained so muddled that she nearly missed her subway stop on the ride home. The first thing she did when she walked into her apartment was reach for the purple elephant Damian had won for her. She wrapped her arms around it and hugged it tight. It made her feel close to Damian. All she needed to do was shut her eyes and the memories of their night together at Cannon Beach filled her mind. She could almost hear the sound of the carousel and the echo of her own laughter when Damian insisted on winning her the elephant. She could hear the roller coaster as the riders shrieked past and smell the popcorn, candy apples and hot dogs.

Still holding the elephant, Jessica slumped into the overstuffed chair and reached for her phone, calling her best friend. Cathy was far more insightful in these matters than she was. She would help her make sense of Damian’s kiss.

“Hi,” Jessica murmured when her friend answered.

Her greeting was met with a slight hesitation. “What’s wrong?”

Her friend knew her so well. “What makes you think anything’s wrong?”

“I can tell from your voice.”

Smiling to herself, Jessica brought up her knees and rested her chin there as she assembled her thoughts. There didn’t seem to be an easy way of explaining. Best just to blurt it out. “Damian kissed me tonight.”

“And you liked it, didn’t you?”

Cathy sounded gleeful, as though tempted to break into song. Jessica supposed this was what she got for having a theater-arts major for a best friend.

“Yeah—but I’m totally confused,” Jessica admitted quietly. This jumble of mixed feelings was her main problem.

“Surprises you, doesn’t it?” Cathy asked, then chuckled softly, again with that note of delight. “I’ve seen the writing on the wall ever since you mentioned Damian Saturday night. The guy’s perfect for you.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“What’s ridiculous about it?”

“I haven’t thought of him … that way. Well, I have recently, and frankly, it frightens me to death. I’ve already made a fool of myself over one Dryden. I don’t want to make the same mistake with another one.”

“You were a kid the first time. There’s a world of difference between what happened then and what’s happening now.”

“Maybe,” was all Jessica was willing to concede.

“Think, woman,” Cathy said dramatically. “The man’s obviously attracted to you, too. Otherwise he wouldn’t be kissing you.”

“I don’t know that, and you don’t, either. We kissed, and then he acted as if it was the worst thing he could’ve done. He didn’t say a word and he just walked away. I don’t know what to think. I’m so confused.” She pressed a hand to her forehead.

“So you feel he regretted it?”

“He must have. Otherwise … otherwise everything would’ve turned out differently. He looked at me as if I were a stranger, as if he didn’t want to see me again.”

“What was he supposed to do? Confess undying love? Didn’t you tell me you had the whole situation figured out? The only reason Damian hired you was to bolster his brother’s spirits. The man has integrity, Jess. He can’t very well start dating you himself if he believes you might still have some feelings for his younger brother.”

“It drives me crazy that he’d think that!”

“I know, but you’ve got to see it from his point of view.”

“At the cost of my own sanity?”

“For now,” Cathy said sympathetically.

“I don’t know what to do!” Jessica cried, chagrined at the amount of emotion that spilled into the words.

“There’s more,” Cathy said, warming to the subject. “If you’re interested in Damian, it makes perfect sense that you’re going to have to make the first move. Damian’s hands are tied as long as he thinks there’s the slightest chance you’re interested in his brother. The guy’s in a real bind here.”

“Him! This whole thing with Evan’s gotten out of hand. The poor guy’s suffocating under everyone’s concern. I actually feel sorry for him. He got the raw end of a deal in a relationship, and all he needed was some time to work out his pain,” Jessica lamented. “Instead, Damian cut his work load until he’s bored out of his mind. His parents, especially his mother, are dishing out sympathy by the truckload, and it’s all Evan can do to stay afloat.”

She paused for breath, then went on, “The only reason Damian hired me was that he thought I’d pull Evan out of the doldrums. I haven’t talked to Evan, but I’m sure he resents all this nonsense. And I don’t blame him.”