Honeymoon - James Patterson [53]
Could she be interested in me? Of course, it wasn’t really me. It was Craig Reynolds, the insurance man.
Maybe it was the wine she’d had. Or maybe it was something else, something I wasn’t seeing. An angle she was playing. One thing was for sure. It wasn’t my money she was after.
Selling life insurance isn’t usually recognized as a rich guy’s game. Even the best at it are no match for the likes of a Connor Brown, hedge-fund manager and financial guru. Besides, Nora had seen where I was living as Craig. She already knew the BMW and the fancy suits were a front. Yet, despite all that, she said what she said.
Let’s go somewhere.
I stood there, staring deep into her green eyes on the corner of that intersection in downtown Chappaqua. The chance to go in any direction.
“Follow me,” I said.
We walked back to my car parked outside the restaurant. I opened the passenger-side door for her.
“Where are you taking me?” she asked.
“You’ll see.”
I walked around and got behind the wheel. We strapped on our seat belts and I started the engine, giving it a few extra revs while still in park. Then I kicked it into drive.
Chapter 70
NORA CAUGHT ON a mile or so before we got there.
“You’re taking me home, aren’t you?”
I turned to her with a slow nod. “I’m sorry,” I said.
“That makes two of us. You’re right, though. Must have been the wine. I’m so embarrassed.”
My tone, my body language—I made it look as though this was an easy decision, that the thought of being with her never really entered my mind. If only that were true.
Nora was an absolutely beautiful woman who’d presented me with an amazing offer. It took every ounce of willpower to remind myself why I was with her in the first place.
Still, there was no denying some chemistry, a connection between us. Something I was convinced she couldn’t fake. And even if she could, why bother?
We drove the last stretch of road to “Connor’s house” in silence. The one time I glanced over at her, I couldn’t help notice that her dress was riding up her leg. Tanned thighs, slender, firm, giving me a reminder of just what I was passing up.
I pulled into the circular driveway and came to a pebble-crushing stop. That’s when she let me off the hook.
“I understand,” she said. “It probably wouldn’t have been the best thing for us to do. Not under the circumstances.”
“Probably not.”
“Thanks for lunch. I had a wonderful time.” She leaned over and gave me a soft peck on the cheek. I could feel her hair brush against my face. I could smell her perfume, very nice, a hint of citrus.
“I’ll . . . um . . .” I cleared my throat. “I’ll let you know when the paperwork on the insurance money has been taken care of, okay?”
“Sure, Craig. You’ve been great.”
Nora stepped out of the car and walked slowly up the front steps. And out of my life? I waited for her as she took the house keys out of her purse. I looked away for a few seconds to fiddle with the radio dial. When I looked back she was still trying to get the door open.
I put down the window. “Everything all right?”
She turned back to me, shaking her head with a frustrated sigh. “The damn key’s stuck. This is getting more embarrassing by the second.”
“Hold on.”
I got out of the car to take a look. Sure enough, there was the key sticking halfway out of the lock.
Stuck, however, it wasn’t.
As soon as I gripped it, the rest of the key slid smoothly into the cylinder. I turned around and there was Nora, inches away.
“My hero,” she said, pressing her body up against mine. Her legs were very firm. Her breasts, very soft. She wrapped her arms around me and began kissing my lower lip gently. “I fibbed. I don’t really think this is a bad idea.”
That’s when instinct took over and my willpower completely failed.
I kissed Nora back.
Chapter 71
LIKE A CRASHING WAVE, the two of us spilled into the foyer of the house. I kicked the front door closed behind us. What are you doing, O