"I'd like to. You know I'm crazy about the little princess."

  "Okay." She smiled before turning to Adam. "I guess we'd better get back up there before they send out a search party for us."

  Adam just grinned. “See you later, Nate. Maybe we can get together before I head back to UG.”

  “I’d like that, Adam. It was good to see you again.”

  “Yeah, man. You, too. Come on, Fee.”

  Nate watched as Adam and Felicia made their way through the crowds and back up into the stand. Right before they disappeared from his sight, he saw Felicia sneak a quick glance back at him. He smiled.

  Chapter Nine

  School kept things very busy for both her and for Samantha. Luckily, the little girl’s exuberance and naturally outgoing personality had completely returned, and one day she came home from her preschool filled with talk of her teacher, “Miz Gibbs”, and her new best friend, Brittney. “She’s weally, weally nice, Mama. And you know what? Her daddy isn’t divorced. He still says at home with her mommy,” her young daughter had reported, eager to share with her mother everything she had learned about her new friend.

  Felicia had forced a smile to her face at that news. “Really, Princess? Well, that’s nice.”

  Samantha had nodded. “Yep. She gots a cat, too. Only his name is Tiger and he has stripes. And you know what else? She gots a brudder. He’s mean as snot.”

  Stifling a laugh, Felicia had asked. “Ah, sweetheart, that’s not very nice, is it? Where on earth did you hear that expression?”

  Casually her daughter had replied, “Brittney tol’ me.”

  Samantha had continued to come home every day enthusiastic and filled with the news of her new friends and preschool. At least that was one worry gone, Felicia thought to herself while she watched her daughter coloring a picture she had brought home that afternoon. Now if she could figure out what to do about Nate.

  As if in answer to her thoughts, the phone rang, and when she lifted the receiver, Nate’s warm voice came distinctly through the line. “Hi, sweetheart. So how was school today?”

  “It was good.”

  “I meant to ask you before, is Samantha settling in all right at the preschool?”

  “Oh, yes. She already has a new best friend named Brittney Carlisle who has a mean as snot brother.”

  Nate snorted. “I know exactly who she means. She’s the daughter of a client of mine, Edward Carlisle. I enclosed their garage last fall. And the boy is mean as snot. The little brat kicked me in the shin the first time he met me.”

  Felicia couldn’t help but laugh, and he joined in.

  “I’m glad you know them. Sam’s been invited for a sleepover Friday night, but I wasn’t too sure about letting her go since I didn’t know the family. I only met them yesterday afternoon when I picked Sam up.”

  “They’re good people, sweetheart,” Nate reassured her. “Ed’s a pharmacist. And Shelley, his wife, is a stay-at-home mom. Samantha’ll have a great time over there. Even with that hellion of a brother.”

  Felicia smiled in relief. “That’s good to know.”

  Nate’s voice deepened to a husky murmur that had her pussy pulsing with arousal. “When can I see you again? I’ve missed you, baby. It’s been too long. God, I need you again, Felicia.”

  “I know.”

  “So … when? I want to kiss you, taste you so bad.”

  “Oh, Nate.” She darted a glance toward Sam, but she was engrossed in her picture. She lowered her voice just in case. “It’s hard. You know that. You knew what it would be like.”

  She heard his frustrated sigh. “Yeah, baby. I know. Look, if Samantha is spending the night with the Carlisle’s, maybe we could have a grown-up sleepover at my place?”

  She gnawed at her bottom lip, very tempted, but worried at the same time. “I don’t know, Nate…”

  “Oh, come on, sweetheart. We’ll be careful. You can park in my garage. No one will even know you’re here. I need to be with you.” He added in a much lighter tone, “And I cook a mean lasagna.”

  She closed her eyes against the hot need she heard in his voice. “Okay, Nate. Friday night.”

  “Great, sweetheart. You can come here straight from work. Just bring an overnight bag. I’ll take care of everything else.”

  “Okay.”

  His voice lowered to a husky whisper. “I can’t wait, Felicia.”

  “Me, too, Nate.” She couldn’t prevent the smile that rose to her lips at his obvious enthusiasm for her company. She was pretty enthusiastic herself.

  He told her goodbye, saying that he would call again tomorrow. She slowly replaced the receiver on its cradle, pondering their relationship. She wasn’t exactly sure how to describe what was going on with the two of them. He had called at least once a day since the ballgame. Sometimes he called in the afternoon. For nothing special, he said. Just to chat. And sometimes his calls came right as she was getting ready for bed. Those late-night calls had become more and more heated, leaving her squirming and needy. But they hadn’t actually seen each other alone since Saturday. When he came over to work on the kitchen, she was usually at work. And when she was home, they both kept things strictly professional because of Samantha.

  Felicia was discovering that having a secret affair was not as easy as it might sound in the pages of a romance novel. Finding time when they could be alone together had proved incredibly difficult, mainly because she didn’t want Samantha to be aware of what was going on. She didn’t want her daughter hurt when things between them ended, as surely they must. She'd seen how much fun Sam had had with Nate when he took her onto the field. Samantha was already way too attached to him.

  After all, he was young and sexy as hell, besides the fact that he owned his own business. She was aware that he probably had tons of women he could pick and choose from. He would eventually tire of the titillation of an affair with an older woman and return to his normal dating habits. Even though he had intimated several times that he had feelings for her, Felicia knew that she would have to be prepared for the pain that was inevitable at this point. Despite her own determination that their affair would stay strictly physical, her feelings for Nate had grown, how much she was afraid to admit, even to herself. She didn’t want her daughter to have to suffer along with her when things ended.

  Whenever Nate was at the house, Felicia deliberately kept things very casual between them. Even so, it was obvious that her daughter had begun developing a huge crush on him. Yes, it was vital that Samantha didn’t grow too attached to Nate.

  The phone rang again, startling her from her contemplation. This time it was her sister.

  “Felicia? Hey, sweetie. How is everything going? Are you still enjoying your classes?”

  Felicia set aside the problems with Nate and let her sister’s chatter wash over her. Meg was in a talkative mood, and all Felicia had to do was mutter a “yes” or a “really” every now and then to keep the conversation rolling. After about fifteen minutes, she glanced over and noticed that Samantha had finished her coloring.

  “Hang on a minute, Meg.” She laid the phone down on the counter and walked over to the table where Sam had been working. “That’s a great job, Sammy. I know your teacher will be very pleased. Why don’t you go find Fluffy? Take him out back and you two play for a little while. But don’t leave the yard. Supper will be ready in a bit.”

  “What are we having, Momma?” she wanted to know.

  “Your favorite, baby. Spaghetti.”

  “I luvs basghetti.” Samantha gave her a huge grin.

  “I know you do. That’s why I’m making it.”

  “You know what, Momma? Nate loves basghetti, too. He tol’ me. Maybe we should call and ax him if he wants to come over and eat sum with us.”

  Felicia reached out to ruffle her daughter’s hair. Wishing she could do as Samantha asked. Wishing it were that easy.

  “Maybe next time, okay, sweetheart.”

  “Okay, Momma.” She skipped off to find her kitten.

  She picked the phone back up. “Are you still there?”

  Meg laughed. “Still here. And I luvs basghetti, too.”

  “You heard?”

  “Oh, yeah. She likes Nate, doesn’t she?”

  “I think that might be an understatement.”

  "Well, he’s a great guy. Anyway, the real reason I called is to tell you about the party I’m planning. I thought we’d do it Labor Day weekend, but I wanted to check with you because I want you and Sam to be the guests of honor. You know, give you a chance to meet some new people.”

  “A party?”

  “Yeah. Maybe a barbecue. Something casual. I’m going to ask Jonathan and Nate, of course, and some other friends you haven’t had an opportunity to meet yet. Maybe even some other eligible bachelors.”

  “Meg…” Felicia couldn’t keep the warning tone from her voice.

  Meg smiled. “I know, I know, you’re not ready to date yet. But, hey, it won’t hurt you to see what’s out there. Just in case. I mean, so you and Jonathan didn't hit it off. There are plenty of other available men in town."

  Felicia rolled her eyes, wondering what her sister would say if she knew she’d already hit it off with someone … Nate. Good, Lord, her sister would die.

  Meg’s voice continued, “So, is that good for you?”

  “Oh, I don’t want you to go to all that trouble.” Felicia protested, but she knew she was wasting her time. Once Meg got an idea in her head, it was incredibly hard, if not impossible, to change her mind.

  “Nonsense,” her sister brushed aside her protest, and Felicia couldn’t help but smile at Meg’s typical response. “It’s no trouble at all. You know how much I enjoy parties.”

  “Okay. It sounds great, I guess. I’d enjoy meeting your friends, but please … no fix-ups. Honest, I’m not interested.”

  “I understand. No problem, Sis.”

  Felicia hung up the phone a few minutes later, hoping her sister had taken her word for it that she was not interested in meeting anyone. But she seriously doubted it. Meg was a woman on a mission, and Felicia was afraid that she knew what that mission was. Get Felicia a man so that she will not be lonely and remember that asshole who left her for a younger woman. Oh, well. At least the barbecue would be good. Meg was one hell of a cook.

  * * * *

  The next day as Felicia was walking across the parking lot to the grocery store, she heard a voice calling her name. She stopped and looked up. “Mr. Backstrum. Hello.”

  The English Department chairman stopped in front of her, peering at her with satisfaction. “I’m glad I spotted you. I’ve been wanting to have a word with you.”

  He stopped speaking and Felicia waited for him to continue. When he simply stood there, she asked, “Was there something you needed? I’m on my way to pick up some things for supper.”

  He smiled stiffly at her and shrugged. “Of course, my dear. Actually, I was hoping you’d be able to join me for a coffee later this afternoon.”

  “Coffee?” She was a little bemused at the request. Was this some sort of welcome to the faculty? “I’m not sure. I am pretty busy, and I have to pick up my daughter from after-school care.”

  “Oh, yes. Your daughter. For a moment, I’d forgotten…” He seemed a bit befuddled by that reply. After another moment he asked. “Well, what about dinner one night? There’s a pleasant little steak house I like to go to occasionally that I think you might enjoy.”

  Yikes! He was asking her out on a date? Good grief. He had to be at least twenty years older than she was. Plus his rather stiff formality and his gruff manner of speaking was pretty off-putting. She couldn’t imagine what they would possibly have in common or why he would ever think of asking her out. Since they’d first met, she’d actually thought he disliked her.

  “Mr. Backstrum, thank you for asking, but I’m not dating right now. I’m sure you’re aware that I’m recently divorced.”

  His face grew a bit red and he seemed surprised by her refusal. “Well, surely, my dear, it would benefit your career to get to know your fellow faculty members.”

  Felicia couldn’t believe he was pressing her like this. Was there some kind of veiled threat in that? She knew he was on the faculty council that oversaw newly hired staff. And she was on probation until the end of the semester. The old coot! Who did he think he was? She’d opened her mouth to deliver a pretty thorough set-down, when she heard her name again.

  “Felicia?”

  She’d know that voice anywhere. As the professor’s eyes narrowed in irritation at the interruption, she spun to see Nate striding toward them. God, he was a beautiful man… He stopped beside her. Her eyes drank in his healthy masculine beauty as he stood next to the elderly professor.

  “Felicia,” he said again. “I’m glad I ran into you.”

  “Nate? Hi.” She smiled broadly at him. “What on earth are you doing here? Oh, I’m sorry—” She turned to the professor. “Mr. Backstrum? Do you know Nate Evans?”

  The teacher’s eyes narrowed as he studied Nate. “Yes, of course. I taught Nate several years ago. How are you, Evans?”

  They shook hands.

  Nate grinned, ignoring the older man’s obvious displeasure. “Fine, sir. Just fine.”

  “Good. And your father?”

  “He’s doing very well. I’ll tell him you asked.”

  The older man nodded before turning to Felicia. “Well, I’ll let you go. I know you have to get your groceries.”

  “All right. Goodbye, Mr. Backstrum.”

  With a last glance at her and Nate, he turned and walked off.

  Nate stared after him. “That old fart. You know he asks every single woman in town out?”

  She looked at him in surprise. “Really?”

  “Yeah, you might not know it to look at him, but he’s nothing but an old lech. Watch out. He’ll probably hit on you.”

  She couldn’t stop the laugh that gurgled from her. “Funny you should say that…”

  “What?”

  “He was asking me out on a date.”

  Nate’s eyes focused on her. “Well, I sure as hell hope you turned him down.”

  “Oh, I did.”

  He moved a step closer, towering over her, and she had to tilt her head back so she could meet his eyes. “Because you’re already involved with someone. Right?”

  She saw the possessively determined light in his eyes, and it did something to the pit of her stomach. “Right.”

  “We’re still on for Friday night, aren’t we?”

  “Yes.”

  He nodded, satisfied.

  She glanced down at her watch. “Oh, crap. I really need to get to my groceries. I've got to go and pick up Sam soon.”

  He took hold of her arm. “I’ll walk with you. My next appointment was canceled. I was on my way to check on a sheetrock order at the building supply store when I spotted you.”

  As they strolled toward the store, Felicia noticed the curious eyes that followed their progress. She couldn’t help feeling uncomfortable with their scrutiny. “People are watching us, Nate. They probably wonder what in the world you’re doing with an old lady like me.”

  His hand tightened on her upper arm, and he glared down at her. “Stop it, Felicia. That’s ridiculous.”

  “Is it? Is it really? You’re closer in age to some of my students than you are to me, Nate. Doesn’t that tell you anything?”

  “You’re closer in age to me than to Professor Backstrum, sweetheart. Doesn’t that tell you anything?”

  She shook her head, but had to acknowledge that he had a point. The age difference probably wouldn’t bother her so much if he were eleven years older than she was rather than the other way around. She could tell from the look in his eyes that he knew he’d scored a point there. She looked up at him in irritation, and he grinned.

  They halted before the grocery store. She tried to tug her arm free, but he got a determined look in his eye that should have forewarned her. Before she knew what was happening, he had pulled her around the side of the building to the relative privacy of some low-hanging oaks. No one could see them there beneath the shadows of the trees unless they looked very carefully. She struggled briefly, but he pressed her against the side of the building and said, “Felicia, you’re going to have to face the fact that I’m not going anywhere. And you’re going to have to get over this paranoia over our age difference. It doesn’t matter at all to me. And it’s no one else’s business.”

  She looked at him helplessly. “But Nate…”

  “No buts, sweetheart.” His mouth closed over hers, and she heard herself moan as her lips parted automatically for his. Without her even realizing what she was doing, she raised her arms to wrap around his neck and pulled him even closer to her. His mouth plundered hers until they were both breathless. When he stood back, all she could do was stare at him helplessly.

  “I’m not leaving you alone, Felicia. Get used to it.”

  Then he was gone.

  Her eyes darted around the nearby area, but no one seemed to have noticed the kiss. With a relieved exhalation, she moved back to the front of the building, pushing thoughts of Nate aside and turning her focus to the things she needed to buy. She’d have to worry about her personal life later. Right now, she had things to do.

  *

  Nate couldn’t stop the grin that spread across his face as he left Felicia gasping and red-faced. Every time he was around her it became clearer and clearer to him that she was the perfect woman for him. He loved her. He’d finally admitted it to himself when he realized how jealous he was when he saw her with Adam. It was as simple and as complicated as that. Loved her to distraction. He wanted to marry her, to be a father to Samantha, to build a life with her. He knew that he still had some hurdles to overcome with her, but he was convinced that she felt the same way, even if she wouldn’t admit it—even to herself. And he was confident that she would come around to his way of thinking … and soon. She had to. Because Nate didn’t think he could take much more of this hiding and lying. He wanted everyone to know about them. Hell, he wanted to shout it from the rooftops. “I love you, Felicia,” he said the words quietly as he watched her enter the building. Yeah. That sounded exactly right.

 

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