“I had a marvelous time,” she told Damian as he started the engine.
“Me, too,” he said. “It’s been years since I’ve gone to Cannon Beach. Years since—” He stopped abruptly.
Jessica was reminded of what she’d heard about Damian—that he worked too hard and didn’t take time to enjoy life. It felt good to know that Damian had enjoyed her company. The memory of his laughter produced a sudden smile. He didn’t laugh often enough, and when he did she felt as if she’d been rewarded with a priceless gift.
Damian drove Jessica to her apartment building. It was after eleven by then, but she was keyed up with excitement. Somehow she felt it would all end when Damian went home, and she wasn’t ready to let that happen.
“Do you want to come up?” she asked, not really expecting he would, but hoping she could change his mind.
He glanced her way as though judging the sincerity of her offer. “All right.”
“I’ll put on a pot of coffee, and you can gloat over how much I enjoyed the roller coaster.”
“I’ll gloat, coffee or not.” He found a parking spot on the street, got out of the car and then went around to open her door. A true gentleman, she thought not for the first time.
Laughing and joking they strolled toward her building. One of her neighbors held the door for them and smiled at Jessica and the purple elephant.
The laughing and teasing continued as they stepped into the elevator for the ride up to the tenth floor. The doors glided shut and Jessica slumped against the mirrored wall in mock exhaustion.
“You sure you don’t want to close your eyes?” he said.
“Why?”
“This elevator is moving at death-defying speeds. Who knows the last time it was checked for safety.”
“Thursday” came her glib reply.
Damian laughed delightedly.
“I don’t know,” she teased. “You might be right.” Jokingly she squinted her eyes shut, but when she did, Damian kissed her.
It took Jessica a moment to realize what had happened. Damian had actually kissed her. It was a simple, uncomplicated kiss, the kind a brother gives a sister. One pair of lips touching another.
Only it didn’t feel simple.
If anything, it left her longing for much, much more. Dumbstruck, she stared up at him, not knowing how to respond.
“Don’t look so shocked,” Damian muttered.
“I …” She closed her mouth to stop herself from asking him to kiss her again.
“It was just a kiss.”
“I know,” she muttered. She sensed that he regretted the impulse and wished she knew of some way to tell him how thoroughly she’d enjoyed it. But before she could find the words, the elevator stopped.
Jessica led him to her apartment and unlocked the door. Turning on the light, she moved into the cheery yellow kitchen and, as was her habit, flipped the switch to her answering machine. Cathy Hudson’s voice greeted her.
“Jess. Hi, it’s me. I’m dying to hear how the barbecue went with lover boy today. Give me a call when you can.”
“So your friend knows about Evan?” Damian asked casually, making himself comfortable at her round oak table. He leafed through a newsmagazine she’d been reading that morning.
“I might’ve mentioned him, but certainly not as Lover Boy, if that’s what you’re asking.”
“That’s not what she said.”
“She’s teasing,” Jessica insisted. She hadn’t talked to her friend about her new feelings for Damian and was sorry now, because Cathy—like everyone else, it seemed—was intensely curious about the relationship between Jessica and Evan. “She knows I once had a crush on Evan and she assumed … Well, you just heard.” Jessica took out the coffee canister and poured some grounds into the paper filter. The rich coffee aroma filled the room. “This will only take a minute,” she promised.
“Listen, don’t bother. It’s later than I realized.”
“You’re sure?” Jessica said, disappointed.
“Positive.” He set aside the magazine and stood. Pausing in front of her, he drew his hand along the side of her face. “Thank you for a wonderful day, Jessica.”
“Thank you,” she whispered back.
The apartment seemed unnaturally empty when Damian was gone. She’d hoped he’d kiss her again before he left. He’d been tempted, she could see it in his eyes, but he’d resisted, apparently wanting to keep an emotional distance from her.
Jessica wasn’t at all tired and, needing to talk, dialed her friend’s number.
A groggy Cathy answered on the fourth ring.
“I didn’t wake you, did I?” Jessica said with a giggle, delighted to pay back her friend for all the times Cathy had phoned her in the middle of the night.
“From the dead. What are you doing calling so late and sounding so damned cheerful? There should be a law against that. Let me guess. You were with Evan.”
“No! Damian and I went to the—”
“Damian? You’re dating Evan’s brother?” Cathy seemed wide-awake now.
“I know in that silly romantic heart of yours you figured once I was working with Evan, all the unrequited love I’d stored up years ago would suddenly blossom.”
“Yup,” Cathy said. “You’re exactly right.”
“Cathy, listen to me. Evan Dryden is a terrific guy, but he isn’t the man for me.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“Because … well, because I just am.” Even now it was difficult to talk about her feelings for Damian. She couldn’t begin to describe them. “For one thing, Evan’s in no emotional shape to get involved in another romance, which is fine by me.”
“What happened?” Cathy demanded. “I thought he asked you to his family’s barbecue.”
“He did, but only because Damian prompted him. By the time I arrived, he’d met a lovely Frenchwoman and the two of them were inseparable.”
“How rude!”
If she’d had her heart set on Evan, it would’ve been devastating, but she didn’t, and as a consequence she’d spent a glorious night in Damian’s company. She wouldn’t have traded the evening for anything. “No, not at all,” she said.
“You aren’t disappointed?”
Apparently Cathy wasn’t as awake as Jessica had believed. “Not in the least. Damian and I drove out to Cannon Beach and rode the roller coaster.”
“You? The original wimp on that monster ride? You didn’t really, did you?”
“Yes, I did,” she replied proudly, “and it was fabulous.” She spent the next few minutes relaying the highlights of the evening—Damian’s winning the stuffed elephant for her and walking along the pier and sharing cotton candy. When she finished there was a short silence.
“Hmm,” said Cathy thoughtfully. “This could be very interesting.”
Jessica got to the office bright and early Monday morning. Evan had apparently been there at some point during the weekend, since he’d left her a list of instructions. His notes included a series of laws he needed her to research. Jessica got to the task right away.
Damian found her in the library some time