Jacquie D’Alessandro - Why Not Tonight?

Her shocked concern must have shown on her face because he quickly shook his head. “Not a heart attack. Doctor said it was stress. That if I didn’t change my lifestyle, reduce my stress levels, learn to relax, given my family history I was headed in the exact direction I’d sworn I’d never take. Couple weeks later I sold my seat on the exchange. Called it a thirtieth birthday present to myself-a gift that would insure I was around to celebrate my fortieth and live to a ripe old age.”

“So you’ve been working at Picture This for the past two months?”

“No. My mom and grandmother moved to South Carolina after my dad died. I spent the first three weeks visiting them.” A crooked smile curved his lips. “It was great. I hadn’t taken a vacation in five years, and they spoiled me rotten. Home-cooked meals every night, sleeping in late. I can’t remember the last time I felt so relaxed.

“Then I spent the next month finishing the basement in Nick’s house for him. With the baby on the way, he needed the extra room, and I really enjoyed working with my hands again. Nothing like hammering in Sheetrock and smearing Spackle to clear the mind.”

A memory of him, shirtless, sweaty, gorgeous, wielding a hammer as he built a shed in his family’s backyard, flashed through her mind, leaving a trail of heat in its wake. Forcing a smile, she said, “I’ll take your word for it-but I recall that you liked to spackle and smear.”

“Yup. When I finished the basement, Nick asked me if I’d like to pitch in at the studio until after the baby was born. Since I had the time and hadn’t decided what I wanted to do career-wise yet, I figured why not? I started two days before you walked through the door.”

Her brows shot upward. “Two days? Just how much experience do you have as a photographer?”

He grinned. “You were my first customer.”

Fire rushed into her cheeks. She folded her arms across her chest and drummed her fingers against her arm, half annoyed, half amused. “You failed to mention that before I started posing in my lingerie.”

“Damn right. Do you think I’m stupid?”

“Incorrigible is more like it.”

“A minute ago I was a knight in shining armor.”

“Times change.”

He held up his hands in mock surrender. “Hey, it’s not as if I’d never used a camera before. You’re looking at the former vice president of Kennedy High School’s photography club.”

Her lips twitched. “A ringing endorsement.”

He didn’t add, And it’s not as if I haven’t seen you wearing less, but he didn’t need to-the heated gleam in his eyes said it all. And made her want to squirm in her seat.

“Take a look at the pictures,” he said. “If you don’t like them, I’ll reschedule you so Nick can take them.”

The instant the words left Adam’s mouth, he felt a frown pull down his brows. Somehow the thought of Nick taking photos of Mallory in her sexy lingerie didn’t sit well.

Cripes, he was really losing his marbles. Nick was happily married. And Mallory had a boyfriend-the guy these pictures were taken for. And somehow that thought didn’t sit well, either. Damn.

And it suddenly hit him that this lunch hadn’t been a good idea. Seeing her, spending time with her, reminiscing with her, remembering how she’d felt in his arms, under him, over him, wrapped around him, was serving no purpose other than to torture him-something he hadn’t really expected. So why the hell was he tortured? She was taken. Unavailable. He was about to head for Europe for three months as a carefree bachelor. Available for a fling with any woman who struck his fancy. He and Mallory were wrong for each other in every way.

Yet even knowing that, the mere sight of her seemed to turn him inside out. It wouldn’t be so bad if he weren’t still so damned attracted to her, but he was. Painfully so. But he couldn’t just stand up and leave. He’d have to see this through. Besides, standing up wasn’t a good idea if he didn’t want to advertise exactly how her nearness affected him.

And damn it, how annoying was that? He was a grown man-not some horny, hormonal teenager who couldn’t control his body. Yeah-a statement that had been perfectly true until he’d sat across from her. Looked into those warm brown eyes. Shared memories of the past. Of them naked, making love all afternoon on a rented boat. Until she’d touched him. Then in a heartbeat it was goodbye in-control-grown-man, hello hard-on. Definitely not good.

“I’m anxious to see the photos,” she said, “but the waitress is approaching with our food. I’d better wait till after we eat so I don’t get bacon cheeseburger on the pictures.”

Forcefully redirecting his thoughts to their lunch, he said, “Good idea. Nothing worse than cholesterol on your lingerie.” Oh, that’s brilliant-the perfect way to lose the hard-on. Think of her in that satin teddy.

As soon as the waitress left, Adam raised his burger in a toast, determined to eat his lunch then get the hell out of Dodge. “Here’s to old times.”

“And old friends,” she said with a smile, tapping the edge of her bun against his.

Adam took a bite, then groaned. If he had to suffer through a torturous lunch, at least it was with the best-tasting burger he’d ever eaten. He swallowed, then looked at Mallory, whose eyes were closed in ecstasy as she chewed, and he went perfectly still.

Damn. How did she manage to look so unbelievably sexy eating a freakin’ hamburger? He didn’t know, but he couldn’t deny he’d always found it incredibly arousing that she enjoyed food with such abandon.

After she swallowed, Mallory opened her eyes and grinned. “Wow. I feel like I need a cigarette-and I don’t even smoke. And that’s after just one bite.” She bit into an oversize onion ring and moaned. “Ooooh, baby. That is soooo good.” She reached out her hand. “Taste.”

Adam instantly recalled how she liked to share food. A crystal-clear memory of them, sharing a chocolate ice-cream cone, laughing, licking, sugary tongues dancing, chilled lips touching, slammed into his mind, skimming another layer of heat beneath his skin. After that ice cream, they’d parked on a dark, quiet street and made love in the backseat of his car.

With the memory fresh in his mind, and unable to stop himself, he leaned forward and took a bite of her offering. His lips inadvertently brushed against her fingertips, yet she appeared not to notice.

He wished like hell he hadn’t noticed.

This damn meal was growing more torturous by the minute. And he feared that if it didn’t end soon, she’d realize that he was all but enveloped in a cloud of lust.

While he chewed, he watched her pop the last bit into her mouth. “I’m going to want these bad boys every day,” she said, casting a wistful glance at her plate of onion rings. Then she turned her attention to her shake and took a long draw.

“How is it?” Adam asked, his gaze riveted on the way her full glossy lips surrounded the red-and-white-striped straw. He had to swallow to stifle a groan. When the hell had watching a woman drink become so erotic?

“I can sum it up in one word- ohmigod . ”

Adam tasted his shake and nodded in agreement, hoping the icy slide down his throat would help cool his overheated body.

“So what are your plans for your future?” she asked.

Thank God-something to concentrate on other than her lips. And red-hot memories of those lips wrapped around him instead of that straw.

“For my immediate future, travel. I’m leaving the day after tomorrow for my long-awaited trek around Europe.”

“I remember you always wanted to go…” Her voice trailed off and he could clearly see she recalled he’d planned to go the summer after his college graduation. The summer she’d thrown all his plans into disarray. “You’ve never made it over there?”