A Little Dare - Brenda Jackson [64]
Making it hard for him? She hadn’t even picked up on the fact that he was trying to win her back. Shelly opened her mouth to say something, then closed it, deciding that she needed to think about what Ms. Mamie had said. Was it true? Was Dare actually wooing her?
That question was still on her mind half an hour later when she pulled out of Ms. Mamie’s driveway. She sighed deeply. The only person who could answer that question was Dare, and she decided it was time that he did.
Thunder rumbled in the distance as Dare placed a lid on the pot of chili he’d just made. He had tried keeping himself busy that afternoon since thoughts of Shelly weighed so heavily on his mind.
He knew one of the main reasons for this was that AJ would be spending the weekend with Morris and Cornelius, which meant Shelly would be home all alone, and Shelly all alone was too much of a temptation to think about. He sighed deeply, wondering just how much longer he could hold out in his plan to prove to her that what was between them was more than sex and that he cared deeply for her. For the past three weeks he had been the ardent suitor as he tried easing his way back into her heart. The only thing about it was that he wasn’t sure whether his plan was working and exactly where he stood with her.
He paused in what he was doing when he heard his doorbell ring and wondered which of his brothers had decided to pay him a visit. It would be just like them to show up in time for dinner. Leaving the kitchen, he made his way through the living room to open the front door. His chest tightened with emotion when he looked through his peephole and saw that it wasn’t one of his brothers standing outside on his porch, but Shelly.
He quickly opened the door and recognized her nervousness. A man in his profession was trained to detect when someone was fidgety or uneasy about something. “Shelly,” he greeted her, wondering what had brought her to his place.
“Dare,” she said returning the greeting in what he considered a slightly skittish voice. “May I come in and talk to you about something?”
He nodded and said, “Sure thing,” before stepping aside to let her enter.
His gaze skimmed over her as she passed him, and he thought there was no way a woman could look better than this, dressed in a something as simple as a pullover V-neck sweater and a long flowing skirt; especially if that skirt appeared to have been tailor-made just for her body. It flowed easily and fluidly down all her womanly curves.
He locked the door and turned to find her standing in the middle of his foyer as though she belonged in his house, every day and every night. “We can go into the living room if you like,” he said trying not to let it show just how much he had missed being alone with her.
“All right.”
He led her toward the living room and asked, “Are you hungry? I just finished making a pot of chili.”
“No, thanks, I’m not hungry.”
“What about thirsty? Would you like something to drink?”
She smiled at him. “No, I don’t want anything to drink. I’m fine.”
He nodded. Yes, she was definitely fine. He didn’t know another woman with a body quite like hers, and the memories of being inside that body made his hands feel damp. The room suddenly felt warmer than it should be.
He inhaled as he watched her take a seat on the sofa. He, in turn, took the chair across from her. Once she had gotten settled, he asked. “What is it you want to talk to me about, Shelly? Is something wrong with AJ?”
She shook her head. “Oh, no, everything with AJ is fine. I dropped him off at the Sears’s house. I think he’s excited about spending the weekend.”
Dare nodded. He thought AJ was excited about spending the weekend as well. “If it’s not about AJ then what do you want to talk about?”
His gaze held hers, and she hesitated only a moment before responding. “I paid a visit to Ms. Mamie today to check on her ankle. I’ll be her home healthcare nurse for a while.”