In hindsight, she understood his hesitation. But at the time, shed thought he was being narrow-minded.
Her attention was jerked back to the present when the lights dropped down low and the band switched gears to a slow song.
Maybe we should sit this one out, Natalie said nervously.
But Josh didnt look nervous at all. Aw, come on, Nat, lighten up. Its a twenty-fifth class reunion. Comes along once in a lifetime. Youre supposed to get a little bit crazy.
Who says? But she didnt object when he put his arms around her and pulled her closer. They did a slow glide around the dance floor, passing Melissa and her husband, Beau. Melissa grinned and winked at Natalie. Little did she know the revenge Natalie was planning even now.
By the end of the song, Natalie had relaxed to the point she was resting her head on Joshs shoulder and thinking about things she shouldnt. It had been a very long time since shed been intimate with a man. Years, in fact. Thered been a couple of boyfriends after her divorce, but every time a relationship seemed as if it might take a turn for the serious, Natalie had ended it. She hadnt been able to bear the thought of falling in love with a man, then telling him she couldnt have children.
Then shed adopted one-year-old Mary. After that, she simply hadnt had time for any other relationshipsif anyone had wanted to be with her, which they hadnt. It wasnt a myth, that most men viewed single moms as if they had leprosy. But she hadnt cared. Raising a daughter was completely fulfillingshe hadnt needed a man in her life, hadnt even missed having one.
Or maybe she had.
Shed forgotten how good Josh smelled. Oh, my God.
What?
Youre wearing Stetson aftershave.
I might be. She heard the grin in his voice.
It was one of the first gifts shed ever given him, a bottle of Stetson. The smell had seemed incredibly macho to her back when she was seventeen. Hed worn it for her, and it had been a couple of years before hed been brave enough to tell her he didnt really like aftershave, that he preferred to smell simply like soap.
Yet hed worn it tonight. Is it that same bottle?
The old bottle turned to turpentine some years ago. I went out and bought a new one.
But you dont like aftershave.
Sure I do.
No, he most certainly didnt. His decision to stop wearing it had hurt her feelings, so she darn well remembered it. Lets go get something cold to drink.
On the way back to their table, Bobby Salazar stepped into their path. He stared at them drunkenly. Thought you two got divorced.
Josh slapped the other mans shoulder. Hey, Bobby. Thought you got sober.
It took Bobby a moment to process the comment. Heh, good one. Then he grinned and staggered off.
Im sure were confusing a number of people, Natalie said as they reached their table.
Yeah, but we wont see them again for another twenty or so years, so do we care?
She shrugged. Not really.
Ill go get us a couple more beers.
Melissa, of course, made a beeline for Natalie as soon as she was alone. So, yall are getting along, it looks like.
Natalie narrowed her eyes. You are in so much trouble. You lied to both of us.
They were just little white lies. Oh, Nat, you two should be together. I always told you so. Now theres nothing keeping you apart. Hes been divorced from Beverly for, like, eons, and youre single.
Theres a lot of painful history keeping us apart, she reminded her friend. We cant undo the train wreck we made of our marriage.
But you were so young back then. Youd do better now.
Would they? Certainly shed matured in the past twenty years. She had mellowed, didnt see things as black or white anymore.
Weve built separate lives, Natalie said.
So? You could merge them again. I mean, the issue, the big issuethats not even relevant anymore, right?
She shot Melissa a dangerous look. Melissa. Stop it.
Melissa sighed. Youre missing a great opportunity.
Josh returned with the beers, which ended that particular conversation. Natalie was hot and thirstythe old air-conditioning system in the VFW Hall didnt begin to keep up with the heat, which was why Natalie had worn a sundress and most of the men had removed their jackets and ties, including Josh.
She took a long sip of beer and appreciated how good he looked in a starched white shirt. His chest was so broad now. Nice.
Soon Melissa had them all up and dancing again. This time they were line dancing, so it didnt seem quite so weird, though Josh was there at her right. When the dance called for them to link up, he slid his arm around her waist, letting his hand stray briefly to her hip.
She felt a jolt of awareness all the way to her toes. Josh!
Sorry. He didnt look sorry at all. The funny thing was, Natalie wasnt sorry, either. Maybe it was the beer or the heat or the adrenaline, but she wanted him to touch her again.
After twenty minutes on the dance floor, Natalie was hot and sweaty and actually having a good time. But she needed some fresh air. When the band took a break, she excused herself to the restroom to brush her hair and reapply her lipstick, then slipped out a side door into the parking lot.
It was early June in Texas, which meant it wasnt exactly cool. But a breeze was blowing, refreshing her face a bit. She thought about just getting in her car and driving back to Melissas house, where she was spending the night. Shed already gotten more than shed bargained for at this reunion. But she probably shouldnt drive just yet. Those one-and-a half beers had gone to her head. She would have to wait a couple of hours.
I wondered where youd gone to.
She whirled around, startled. Josh!
He slipped an arm around her waist, just like when theyd been dancing. Except this time they were utterly alone and in the dark.
Im glad youre doing so well, he said. For years I worried about you, all alone in the big city.
She forced herself to relax as they naturally fell into a slow walk, heading for an area behind the building where a few picnic tables were scattered under some ancient live oak trees.
I was never alone. My sisters in Dallas. That was why shed applied to nursing schools there instead of Houston. That, and because shed wanted to get as far away from Josh as she could, so she wouldnt be tempted to go back. Ending their marriage had been the most painful decision of her life. She hadnt wanted to go through it more than once.
Yeah, but you didnt have me.
Undeniably true. But by some miracle, I muddled through without you. Or any man.
He took her hand and led her over to the tables, bending down to squint at the top of first one, then another.
What are you doing?
Ah, here it is. He took his key chain out of his pocket. It had a little LED flashlight attached, and he shined it on the top of the picnic table.
The beam of light illuminated a heart, with the initials J.C. and N.B. enclosed. Josh had carved it into the table when theyd first started dating their junior year. The carving had been painted over many times, but it survived along with about a hundred others.
Defacing public property. Shame on you.
I wanted everyone to know you were mine. He reached up and smoothed her hair behind her ear. You havent changed. I mean, really. People say that, but you still look just as I remember you. Nobetter.
Its the soft lighting, she joked, but inside she was quaking. She couldnt think clearly when he was touching her. She knew there was a very good reason not to be out here alone with Josh Carlson, but none came to mind. Nothing came to her mind except a hot desire shed been sure was a part of her adolescent past.
Then he leaned in and kissed her, and she ceased thinking altogether.
Chapter Two
Josh couldnt believe how good it felt to have Natalie in his arms and his mouth on hers. She looked the same, she smelled the same, she even tasted the same, which was unlike any other girl hed ever been with.
Despite what hed told her, hed known ahead of time she would be at the reunion. Melissa had warned him. But the warning had been more of an enticement, really. Hed wanted to see how shed turned out. They were still practically kids when theyd split upjust twenty-three.
Hed half hoped Natalie would be fat and matronly, with plenty of wrinkles and gray hair. Some of the girls hed gone to high school with certainly had aged in that way. But not Natalie.
Physically, shed hardly changed at all. Oh, shed put on a few poundsweight that was sorely needed. As a teenager shed been way too thin. Now her still-slender figure had real womanly curves. He liked thema lot.
She had the same high cheekbones and lush lips, same thick, dark hair, slightly wavy, the ends curling about her bare shoulders.
And she still kissed with no holds barred. He wondered if he could turn her on as easily as he once had. He knew where to touch. But even after a couple of beers, he questioned the wisdom of lighting her fire. They were grown-ups now, and sex wasnt a game anymore. Sex had repercussions, and not just physical ones.
Yet, he couldnt stop kissing her.
A door opened and he heard raucous rock music pouring out. He removed his hand from Natalies breast, where it had mysteriously strayed without his conscious decision.
We really shouldnt be doing this, Natalie said, her chest heaving so hard she was about to come out of her sundress.
Why not? he asked, though he knew the answer.
Because some memories should be left alone.
And some memories should be taken out and examined, he countered. To see if theyre really as good as you remember.
He coaxed a smile out of her. And was it? she asked.
I dont know yet. I have more examining to do.
She allowed him to kiss her again. Kissing was innocent, after all. They couldnt exactly rip their clothes off and make love right here.
As he delved into her mouth with his tongue, he wished he hadnt thought about ripping off clothes. Because knowing they couldnt get naked right here had only made him wonder where they could get naked.
Ive got a room at the Holiday Inn, he whispered in her ear. But only because he wanted to get her reaction. Not because he thought she would take him up on his proposition.
He expected her to express shock or anger or at least issue a curt refusal. But she was the one to surprise him. I cant. Im staying with Melissa. Her voice was filled with regret.
Do you really think shed object if you went off with me? Shes been campaigning for us to get back together ever since our divorce.
Yeah. Get together, get married, live happily ever after. She paused to kiss him some more, pulling the tails of his shirt from his pants so she could slide her hands up his bare back. The touch of her warm, soft hands made him shudder with desire. Oh, what this woman could do to him. He would be her slave if she wanted it. She would not approve of what weretalking about doing, Natalie concluded.
Its a class reunion.
You keep saying that. She reached for his hand and placed it back on her breast. Like a class reunion is some kind of free ticket to bad behavior.
He dipped his head down and kissed the top of her breast. And were doing more than talking. If they didnt come to a satisfactory plan very soon, they would be out of their clothes in a much-too-public place. Hed forgotten just how crazy Natalie could make him.
He forced himself to pull away, and push the strap of her dress up her arm and back on her shoulder where it belonged. My car is twenty steps away. You can call Melissas cell from there. Better yet, leave a message on her home phone.
Yeah, with one of her kids. Tell Mommy her slutty friend Natalie is getting laid instead of coming home tonight.
Josh chuckled. Cmon, Nat. I wore Stetson for you, you know. Normally I never touch the stuff. But the smell of it had brought back all kinds of memories. Really good ones.
Sensing her reluctance, he kissed her againkissed her until, one by one, her tense muscles relaxed and she became liquid in his arms.
All right, she finally said with a naughty gleam in her eye. Forget Melissa. Im mad at her anyway for lying to me.
Adrenaline shot through Joshs body. Shed said yes. He and Natalie were going to make love.
He hadnt come here to seduce Natalie. Yeah, hed worn the Stetson cologne, but that was more to see if she would rememberand maybe to remind her of the good times, not the bad. But the moment hed seen her, looking not so different from the teenage girl hed fallen in love with, hed known that he wanted her in his bed that night.
Hed given up one-night stands a long time ago. And since two marriages with bad endings had proved he wasnt good husband material, marriage was out of the question.
This was different, though. This was Natalie, the woman hed once loved so desperately, probably more than anyone on earth except his kids. Spending one night with her would not be the same as some empty, frantic one-nighter. This would be a trip down memory lane, a welcome oasis of nostalgia in a life that was so caught up in work and raising kids that he never had time for just Josh anymore.
By the time they reached his Jaguar, hed beeped open the lock. He settled her on the leather passenger seat.
Nice, she commented.
He looked down at her bare leg, a lot of which had been exposed when her dress rode up as she sat down. Nice, he murmured right back. Natalies long legs had always driven him wild, but theyd been colts legs twenty years ago. Now they were strong, elegant and shapely.
He ran around to the drivers door and quickly climbed inside, not wanting to waste any time. Before he turned the ignition, however, he slid his hand under Natalies hair to grasp the back of her neck, and pulled her in for another kiss. He didnt want to give her too much time to think because he knew shed let reason talk her out of what they both wanted.
But once he started kissing her, he couldnt stop. He had his hands all over her, and before he knew it shed scrambled over the gearshift to straddle his lap.
They were no strangers to car sex. During their senior year, his car had been a beat-up compact pickup truck with even less space than the Jaguar, but it had afforded them the privacy theyd needed. He pushed his seat all the way back, then reclined it until they were almost horizontal.