Eternally Yours - Brenda Jackson [51]
“I’ll take that chance.”
She frowned. She also knew from experience he enjoyed getting in the last word.
“How does everything taste?”
“Good. You’re an excellent cook.”
“Thanks.”
They ate in silence for several minutes, and then Clayton spoke. “Mom should be giving you a call in a few days.”
Syneda lifted her brow. “Why?”
“Uncle Jake is giving Senator Lansing a kickoff party for his reelection campaign at Whispering Pines sometime next month. More than likely Mom will be contacting you to make sure you come.”
Syneda smiled. “I’d love to come. You know how much I admire Senator Lansing. I’ve never met him, but I’m a big supporter of his.”
Clayton nodded. “The day after Senator Lansing’s party is Gramma Madaris’s eightieth birthday. We’ll be having another party to celebrate that, too. Knowing Mom she’ll want all of us to spend the night at Whispering Pines so we’ll all be accounted for on Sunday.”
“Okay.” Syneda knew that sleepover also included her. Ever since Lorren had married into the Madaris family, they had not held any family gatherings that had not included her. She knew Clayton’s mother, Marilyn Madaris, considered her more than just Lorren’s best friend. The entire Madaris family thought of her as part of the family and she really appreciated that. Now that Mama Nora spent a lot of her time traveling with a group of other widows from church, Syneda enjoyed the rather close relationship she had developed with the Madaris family.
After dinner together she and Clayton cleared the dishes off the table and cleaned up the kitchen. Syneda couldn’t help noticing Clayton had taken all the dishes out of the dishwasher and had stacked them neatly in the cabinets.
“Now we’ll talk.” Taking her hand, Clayton led her into the living room where he motioned for her to sit down on the sofa. He sat next to her.
“All right, Clayton, what is it?”
He took her hand in his, and gave her an engaging smile. “I propose that we become lovers,” he came right out and said in a very controlled voice.
Syneda looked at him. He was serious! “That’s out of the question.”
“Why? Have you changed your mind about love and commitment?”
His question startled Syneda. “Of course not!”
“You still don’t want anything to do with either?”
“That’s right,” she answered quickly, wondering where Clayton’s line of questioning was leading to.
“Then we’re perfectly suited for each other, and becoming involved will have a lot of advantages for the both of us,” he said.
“Advantages like what?”
“Neither of us wants to get involved in any sort of permanent relationship. I live in Houston, you live here, so there won’t be any crowding. We’ll both get the space we need. Then there’s the stability of a steady relationship, which means there won’t be any risks since we won’t be dating other people.”
Clayton quickly searched her face to see if any of what he was saying was sinking in. When all he saw was an unreadable expression, he continued. “We’re both private people but a relationship won’t threaten our privacy because we trust each other. We enjoy each other’s company, we’re friends, we respect each other’s profession, and we enjoy being together in every way a man and woman can be together. But most importantly,” he murmured softly, “becoming lovers is the perfect solution to our problem.”
“What problem?” Syneda looked into Clayton’s dark eyes and felt the heat displayed in them with every nerve in her body.
“The fact that you want me as much as I want you. And no matter how much we try to convince ourselves otherwise, last weekend was not enough for either of us. What we shared was very special, but it only made me want you that much more. I want you more than I’ve ever wanted a woman in my life.”
Syneda frowned. “That’s impossible. You’ve had lots of women. Most of them a whole lot more experienced than I am. Why me, Clayton? And why