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I hear you and Sam are planning to hang out on Wednesday night.” His expression remained controlled, she noticed.

      “Yes. It’s been a while since I’ve been on the D.C. scene. It should be fun.” His gaze rolled questioningly over her tight expression. “Problem?”

      “No,” she said a bit too quickly, then rose. “Why should there be?”

      “Just asking, Simone. Are you all right? You seem tense.”

      “Not at all. I just have a lot on my mind. Listen, I’ve got to get going. I have a meeting at three.” She headed for the door.

      Chad trailed her by several paces. “We never did get that chance to talk.”

      “No, we didn’t.” She kept her back to him, refusing to allow him to see the hurt in her eyes. “But that’s old news and a long time ago.”

      Chad flinched, but held his tongue.

      “Take care, Chad.”

      “You make it sound as if we won’t see each other again.”

      She spun to face him. “You’ve obviously decided on what you want to do, Chad. And that’s cool with me. We’re both adults.”

      He frowned. “Wait a minute. We’ve always been honest with each other, Simone. Why do I feel that’s not what’s happening now? If you have something on your mind, say it.”

      Her mouth stretched into a tight, meaningless smile. “Have fun Wednesday.” She turned away, then stopped, looked at him over her shoulder. “Don’t hurt her, Chad. She’s nothing like me. She’ll want more than one night.” With that she left, leaving him with the sting of her parting words and unresolved feelings they had yet to share.

      Chapter 9

      Blue Light was packed and there was a line of people waiting for tables, most of whom would have to wait for the second set. Samantha and Chad had arrived early and secured great seats right up front.

      Chad dipped a buffalo wing in the blue cheese dressing and savored the spicy flavor. “Hmmm,” he hummed in reverie. “I can’t remember the last time I had these.”

      Samantha laughed. “I can tell,” she said, eyeing the half-empty bowl.

      “That bad, huh?”

      “Absolutely.”

      He wiped his mouth with a pale green paper napkin. “Making up for lost time. What can I tell you?”

      “Hey, enjoy yourself.”

      He looked at her for a moment, took in the sparkle in her eyes and in her smile, the smoothness of her skin, the way her body fit so perfectly in her dress.

      “You really look great,” he said as if truly seeing her for the first time.

      Her face heated, but she didn’t look away. “Thanks.” She’d worried for hours about what she would wear. Nothing too provocative and nothing too conservative. Finally, she’d settled on a simple peach silk sheath with spaghetti straps and just enough material to cover her from the swell of her breasts to above her knees. Her only accessories were her thin gold watch and a mesh shawl that matched her dress and looked as if it was sprinkled with diamond dust.

      “Did you…date at all while you were away?” she asked, raising the glass of water to her lips.

      “No. I didn’t. I was too involved with my work.”

      “All the time? Even at night? Didn’t you get lonely?”

      “Sure I got lonely. And no, I wasn’t busy all the time, but enough to keep me occupied. Besides, I didn’t want to put myself in a position where I became involved with someone and knew I wouldn’t be around long enough to take it any further.”

      Samantha thought about Mia’s observation: Afraid of being a woman. She took a breath. “What about now?”

      “What are you asking me, Sam?”

      “Are you planning on staying in D.C. long enough to see if your involvement with anyone will work?”

      “I plan to stay in D.C. I don’t have any immediate plans for involvement, but things change—every day.”

      The band, Magique, launched into their first song and further conversation was curtailed—at least for the moment.

      “Thanks for tonight, Sam. I had a great time. It was good being out again,” Chad said as Samantha eased her car to a stop in front of her parents’ home.

      “Maybe we can do it again sometime.”

      “Whenever you’re ready. I’m game.”

      They were quiet for a moment, caught in that questioning moment of “what next?”

      “I, uh, would invite you in, but that’s kind of ridiculous since you have a key.”

      They laughed.

      “Thanks, but I’ll head home. Have a busy day tomorrow. When do you think you’ll be ready for us to get together and plan a strategy?”

      “Uh, I’m going to try to do as much of it as I can. Believe me, I understand how busy everyone is. And—”

      “My father talked to you, didn’t he?”

      “No. Well…”

      “You don’t have to cover for him. I know he said something. It wouldn’t be like him not to.”

      “He’s just concerned, Sam. And I don’t blame him. I should have thought it through before I tried to involve you and Simone. If I were Justin I would feel the same way.”

      Samantha could feel herself seething. How dare he? She was a grown woman, capable of making her own decisions. When was he going to let her live her own life? She gripped the steering wheel.

      “Take it easy, Sam,” he soothed, covering her hands with his.

      “That’s not the point, Chad, and you know it.”

      “He told me about the threats. And I’m worried.”

      She pressed her lips together and stared out her window. “I can take care of myself.”

      “That doesn’t stop your folks from worrying, Samantha…or me.”

      Slowly, she turned toward him, her eyes glimmering in the soft night light.

      Chad gently cupped her chin. “I wouldn’t want to be the cause of anything happening to you,” he said softly. “I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.” His eyes held her and she wondered if he could hear the pounding of her heart, hear the one thought racing through her head: kiss me, kiss me.

      Never in his life had he felt so torn. The urge to take her in his arms, feel the softness of her against him, nearly blocked out the fact that once upon a time he’d slept with her sister, carried that one night with him for four years. Did she know? Did it matter to her? And yet, here he was, inches away from her lips, wanting her with an intensity that rocked him. He was afraid. Afraid of what that meant and where this simple kiss would take them.

      And then all at once he tasted her, the shivering sweet sensation of her. He gave in to the tender pull of her mouth against his. Memory faded. It was only the here and now, with Samantha.

      She let go, let the moment seize her, savored it, took and gave, and it was just as she thought it would be, only better.

      An eternity passed, but it was only seconds, seconds that changed everything—and them.

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