her bag. She looked up at him. He was frowning. “I’m tired. I
just want to get home and go to bed.” She moved past him and into the waiting
room. “Bye ladies,” she called. She barely heard their responses. Solomon had
followed her.
“Please.” He put a hand on her arm.
Lucy paused, mouth going dry. Just that simple touch set her heart
racing. “What is there to talk about?”
He smiled wryly. “I didn’t mean to dash off after our first kiss.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. ‘First kiss,’ implies that there will
be more, she mused, suddenly nervous. “All right,” she said. It wasn’t like
she didn’t want to go with him. She wanted to quite badly. Except the mixed
signals he gave off freaked her out. Did he really want to just talk? Or did he
want more? And if he did want more, was that something she was willing to give
him?
****
Solomon watched the emotions play across Lucy’s face and stifled a
stab of remorse. He could feel her fear of rejection and knew her worry was his
fault. I never meant to hurt her, he thought, even as he once again told
himself that he could never truly be with her. He’d tried that once, and it had
gone horribly wrong.
“Fine, lead the way,” she said, walking past him towards the door.
He followed her outside. “Did you drive to work?” He watched her
silky curls bounce as she moved. He wanted to stroke her hair. He wanted to
hold her and never let go.
She grimaced. “No. I still don’t have a car. I usually walk home.
It takes about a half hour.”
He gently steered her past the parking lot and toward the trees
that lined the back of the building. When he touched her, his fingers tingled.
She exuded sensuality. He didn’t think she had any idea of how alluring she was.
He traced down her arm and let his palm linger on her wrist. Heat shot through
him.
She gasped softly and pulled away, rubbing her arm. “My parents’
house is the other direction.”
He nodded, willing his libido to calm the hell down. Her proximity
eroded his hard-won determination to leave her alone. Their affinity for each
other seduced him. “I know. I brought a starship,” he said, struggling to keep
his hands to himself.
“A starship?” She stopped short. “You’re kidding, right?”
Solomon raised his eyebrows. “You rode in one before. Twice.”
“Yeah, but I was unconscious the first time and mostly unconscious
the second time.”
He smiled. “Then you should enjoy the ride.” He urged her into the
woods and down the trail. After a short walk, the trees thinned into a clearing
where he’d parked the starship.
“Wow,” Lucy said, walking up to it. “It’s very silver.”
Solomon followed her and touched the side, activating the power
with his energy. The transparent bubble that covered the cockpit
dematerialized. “You’ll sit behind me,” he said.
She looked at him, lips pursed. “This will be like the tail
wagging the dog. It’s easier just to walk home.” Her brown eyes were dark and
worried. She fiddled with the silver ring he’d given her.
Solomon couldn’t help himself. He cupped her cheek, savoring the
softness of her skin under his palm. “I am not taking you back to your parents’
house. I’m taking you home to mine.”
She stepped back. “Oh, no you’re not.”
He moved forward, pinning her against the ship. Her soft curves
felt like heaven against his weary muscles. “Lucy, please come home with me.”
He wanted her to say yes, so he leaned down and kissed her lightly.
She trembled. “Why? Why do you want me to come with you?”
He sighed and rested his forehead on hers. “Because I am tired of
worrying about you.”
“That’s ridiculous. I’m fine.” She didn’t step away, though he
sensed her frustration with him. He’d have to choose his words more carefully
if he didn’t want her to bolt.
“I can take care of myself. I’m not
your responsibility,” she said tartly. “It’s not my fault you’re stressed
just want to get home and go to bed.” She moved past him and into the waiting
room. “Bye ladies,” she called. She barely heard their responses. Solomon had
followed her.
“Please.” He put a hand on her arm.
Lucy paused, mouth going dry. Just that simple touch set her heart
racing. “What is there to talk about?”
He smiled wryly. “I didn’t mean to dash off after our first kiss.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. ‘First kiss,’ implies that there will
be more, she mused, suddenly nervous. “All right,” she said. It wasn’t like
she didn’t want to go with him. She wanted to quite badly. Except the mixed
signals he gave off freaked her out. Did he really want to just talk? Or did he
want more? And if he did want more, was that something she was willing to give
him?
****
Solomon watched the emotions play across Lucy’s face and stifled a
stab of remorse. He could feel her fear of rejection and knew her worry was his
fault. I never meant to hurt her, he thought, even as he once again told
himself that he could never truly be with her. He’d tried that once, and it had
gone horribly wrong.
“Fine, lead the way,” she said, walking past him towards the door.
He followed her outside. “Did you drive to work?” He watched her
silky curls bounce as she moved. He wanted to stroke her hair. He wanted to
hold her and never let go.
She grimaced. “No. I still don’t have a car. I usually walk home.
It takes about a half hour.”
He gently steered her past the parking lot and toward the trees
that lined the back of the building. When he touched her, his fingers tingled.
She exuded sensuality. He didn’t think she had any idea of how alluring she was.
He traced down her arm and let his palm linger on her wrist. Heat shot through
him.
She gasped softly and pulled away, rubbing her arm. “My parents’
house is the other direction.”
He nodded, willing his libido to calm the hell down. Her proximity
eroded his hard-won determination to leave her alone. Their affinity for each
other seduced him. “I know. I brought a starship,” he said, struggling to keep
his hands to himself.
“A starship?” She stopped short. “You’re kidding, right?”
Solomon raised his eyebrows. “You rode in one before. Twice.”
“Yeah, but I was unconscious the first time and mostly unconscious
the second time.”
He smiled. “Then you should enjoy the ride.” He urged her into the
woods and down the trail. After a short walk, the trees thinned into a clearing
where he’d parked the starship.
“Wow,” Lucy said, walking up to it. “It’s very silver.”
Solomon followed her and touched the side, activating the power
with his energy. The transparent bubble that covered the cockpit
dematerialized. “You’ll sit behind me,” he said.
She looked at him, lips pursed. “This will be like the tail
wagging the dog. It’s easier just to walk home.” Her brown eyes were dark and
worried. She fiddled with the silver ring he’d given her.
Solomon couldn’t help himself. He cupped her cheek, savoring the
softness of her skin under his palm. “I am not taking you back to your parents’
house. I’m taking you home to mine.”
She stepped back. “Oh, no you’re not.”
He moved forward, pinning her against the ship. Her soft curves
felt like heaven against his weary muscles. “Lucy, please come home with me.”
He wanted her to say yes, so he leaned down and kissed her lightly.
She trembled. “Why? Why do you want me to come with you?”
He sighed and rested his forehead on hers. “Because I am tired of
worrying about you.”
“That’s ridiculous. I’m fine.” She didn’t step away, though he
sensed her frustration with him. He’d have to choose his words more carefully
if he didn’t want her to bolt.
“I can take care of myself. I’m not
your responsibility,” she said tartly. “It’s not my fault you’re stressed
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