Page 20 of Coming Home

As he did to my hand in the car, his fingers make small circles on my back and we walk through to the chef’s table, which gives us a view through a glass window into the kitchen, but also privacy from everyone else. Shaun pulls out my chair like a perfect gentleman, and I calm down considerably now we are out of sight from other patrons.

“Can I get you some drinks to start with while you peruse the menu, sir?” The waitress speaks, looking only at Shaun, totally ignoring me in the process. Shaun in turn is not looking at the waitress but looking straight at me.

“We will have a bottle of your finest Pinot Noir, and Barbara has already worked on our exclusive menu for tonight. We want to be interrupted as little as possible, thank you,” he says to the waitress without looking her way, his eyes firmly pinned on me. The waitress scurries away, and Shaun grabs my hand and places it in his on the table.

“I don’t want to stop touching you, Princess. You are not only the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, but also intelligent, clearly from a good family, with business nous as well sexy moves on the dance floor. I am keen to get to know you more.”

I blush at his admiration of me. Being Australian, we normally don’t take compliments very well, and usually, I would reply with a sarcastic or witty comment to deflect the limelight away from me. However, I decide to take the compliment with grace, I am starting a new life, after all. Conversation flows easily between the two of us as we talk about his business and family and a little about me, although I am guarded and push the conversation back to him almost immediately. I enjoy hearing about how close he is to his family. Strong family values are something we have in common, and of course, we find common ground in business.

The waitress comes back with our wine, pouring two glasses, and once she leaves, he makes a toast “to getting better acquainted” and we clink our glasses before savoring the amazing glass of wine.

Shaun talks throughout the evening, and I listen intently. He is a smart man; he catches on quickly that I am not open to talking about my past. While I want to be polite and answer his questions, I am keen to stay away from anything too personal. We continue to talk about each other and business generally. Whenever he approaches more talk of family or Australia, I tactfully divert the conversation back to other topics avoiding all questions about my past. I know that he notices, but we are not ready for that conversation, are we?

25

Scarlett

As the hours pass, our evening continues with great conversation and some flirty behavior and giggles from both sides. Shaun looks at me from across the table, with one hand clasping mine while the other traces the rim of the whiskey glass that he has just ordered.

“Tell me about your father. You mentioned that he is the one that taught you to dance?”

Shaun surprises me with his direct line of questioning. I feel unsettled and not sure how to respond. I knew that this would come eventually, but I still feel ill prepared. My feelings are so raw, and I immediately feel tears coming to my eyes. The last thing I want to do is cry in front of him, on our first proper date, so I look up to the ceiling, silently praying that any water recedes and doesn’t drip down my face. I grab my wine glass and take a sip, trying to gather my thoughts and find a starting point to answer his question.

As I look back at him, I realize that a few moments have passed, and he is waiting for me to speak. I see a flash of sympathy cross his face. Before I can form an answer to his question, he continues.

“My Father was everything to me. He passed away of a heart attack and left me to step into his shoes as CEO. I miss him each and every day.” Hearing Shaun put his feelings out there, I know he understands a little of my heartache. I know that he still has his mother and brother, so his grief, although expected, is not as overwhelming as mine.

“My father was brilliant,” I say in barely a whisper, a small smile coming to my face as I think about him. I can’t recall the last time I spoke about my family to anyone who wasn’t a police officer or lawyer. But now that I have started, I want to continue.

“He was smart, funny, articulate, down-to-earth, and strong. Plus, of course, an exceptional dancer along with my mother.” I smile and have a small giggle, thinking of all the memories.

Shaun is looking at me and smiling. So, I keep going.

“My mother was beautiful, elegant, intelligent, funny, loving….” I stop talking when I see the look of surprise and shock in his eyes.

“Scarlett, I’m sorry I didn’t realize that you had lost both your parents…”

I cut him off, “—my brother Jimmy was just a really good kid. Excellent at sports, had great friends, and had started dating and being interested in girls. He was always playing pranks on me and trying to annoy me.” I laugh a little, the memories as vivid in my mind tonight as they had been a year ago. I look at Shaun, his eyes are searching mine, and I feel his grip tighten slightly on my hand.

“I lost my entire family a year ago, Shaun. That’s why I am here. That’s why I am in Boston. I need a fresh start.”

There, I have said it. It is out, so he can now decide if he wants to enter my broken world or keep me at arms-length. Shaun gets up from the opposite side of the table, and I feel nervous, not sure where he is going or what he is doing. I watch as he walks around and sits on the chair beside me, pulling it closer so our legs are touching. He grabs both my hands in his and brings them to his lips, kissing each of them slowly.

“You are the strongest, most amazing, beautiful, intelligent and compassionate woman I have ever met, and while I didn’t know your family, I am sure that they are very proud of you.” I look at Shaun as a lone tear streaks down my face, but he catches it with this thumb and gently wipes it away before moving forward and softly pressing his lips to mine.

Our lips move softly and slowly before he reaches up and cups my face, bringing my lips even closer as our kiss turns more demanding, each of us not being able to get enough of the other.

Before we take it too far, we break away from each other, both a little lost for breath. Shaun grabs my hand and proceeds to kiss each finger. My heart races at the very sensuous gesture. “I think we need to leave, as the restaurant staff are packing up?” I look around the restaurant to see that yes, we are in fact the only table left. The night has been so enjoyable that I totally lost track of time and see it is close to midnight.

I feel lighter knowing that I have shared a little with Shaun, and he hasn’t pushed for more details. The fact that he embraced me afterward has cemented that I can trust him, and I feel safe with him.

Shaun stands and pulls out my chair. As I rise and turn, he pulls my body flush with his and bends down, lightly brushing his lips to mine. Surprised, my breath catches, before he trails light kisses to my ears then whispers, “How about a nightcap? Come back to my place, let’s not end the night yet?” He then continues to kiss my neck, skating his way down toward my shoulders. I let out a quiet moan as the heat pools below, and I try my best to keep my composure when all I want to do is rip his shirt off and wrap my legs around him.

This man is a master of seduction, and at this point, I am a very willing student. Trying to gather myself, he pulls away before I can reply and grabs my hand, leading me back through the restaurant. The cold air hits us as we step outside, and Shaun puts his arm around me and settles his hand on my lower back, escorting me to the car and into the back seat.

As we sit down inside the car, his hand immediately reaches out to mine and he brings my hand to his lips again, kissing it then holding it tight. He pulls me closer to him on the seat so that my body is firmly pressed against his and caresses my cheek with his other hand before bringing his lips to mine. He is demanding as he devours me like I am his last meal. I have never been kissed so thoroughly in my life. He pulls away slightly and looks into my eyes “Where to, Scarlett? Where do you want to go?” he asks quietly as his lips find my ear again, kissing my neck so passionately I think I am about to explode.

I could get him to take me home and keep him at arm's-length, that’s what the old Scarlett would do. But his kisses feel so good, and it has been so long since a man has made me feel this way. My head gives way to my body when I lean over to him, place my lips on his and murmur, “Take me home with you.”

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