One Summer in Santa Fe - By Molly Evans Page 0,33
if he was going to. They could have a great time together, then she’d be off again. No complications for him, so it was perfect. “Get dressed up. A real date.”
Hesitation flared up inside Piper. Wasn’t this just like her former boyfriend? Swept her up with fancy dinners and mysterious dates, only to dump her at the last minute? Taylor was just substituting green chile for French cuisine. But the sincerity in Taylor’s eyes made her pause. If she mistrusted every man, she’d be stuck in the past, and she definitely didn’t want to live there again. The first time around hadn’t been that great and definitely wasn’t worth repeating. Lesson learned. Move on.
“I’d like that. Where do you want to go?” Despite her reservations, anticipation hummed through her. This was going to be fun. Something that had been sorely lacking in her life for a long time. Why not reach out and take the fun, the short term, the inspirational that Taylor offered? Just because it wasn’t her norm, it didn’t mean that she couldn’t have some fun.
“It’s a surprise, but dress up. It’s going to be snazzy.”
The corners of her lips curved upward as if she liked the idea of a surprise, and if they hadn’t been in the middle of the cafeteria, he’d have pulled her to him and explored those lips thoroughly. Oh, yes. Friday night was going to be good for both of them. Time to spend together, time to explore each other afterward. Though having Alex around as a buffer between them sometimes was a good thing, sometimes being alone with a woman had its benefits, too.
“Sounds great. What time?”
“I’ll pick you up at six, we’ll have dinner, then go.”
Just then the paging system overhead called him back to the ER, and Piper didn’t see him the rest of the day.
When she arrived home on Friday night, she raced to the shower, peeling her scrubs off as she went. Dashing by the phone, she noticed a message flashing on the answering-machine, but decided to get ready before checking it.
As she scrubbed the day off her skin, she stopped as the water dripped over her face. What if that had been Taylor calling, canceling their date? Just like Derek. She didn’t want to get dressed up if he’d had to cancel. Just like Derek. Damn. Memories of the past tried to squeeze in, and she pushed them back where they belonged. Just like Derek. She grabbed a towel and ran out to the answering-machine, pushed the button and listened. It was from Elizabeth, who wanted to talk. Later. She ran back to the shower to finish getting ready, relieved that it hadn’t been Taylor canceling. She’d been looking forward to this night more than she’d wanted to admit.
She had just patted her hair into place and slipped into black heels when the doorbell rang. Heart thrumming in anticipation, she opened the door.
Her mouth about dropped open and the breath in her throat froze. Taylor stood there in a black suit, holding a single rose. Warmth rose up within her and tears nearly flooded her eyes at the sweet gesture. “Oh. Hello.” Breathe in. Breathe out. Don’t faint.
He stepped forward, nearly overwhelming her in the small confines of the apartment. He’d never looked so good and heat pulsed in small waves from somewhere behind her heart. He was doing no good for her resolve to keep it casual between them.
“Hello, yourself.” He held out a hand, and she took it. With a quick move of his arm, he spun her around. “You look fabulous, Piper,” he said as his gaze devoured her.
Smoothing the luxurious satin fabric down over her hips, she smiled her thanks and blushed at the compliment. She did feel fabulous. More indulgence she hadn’t allowed herself. “So do you.”
“Let’s go.”
“Are you going to tell me where?” she asked as he escorted her to the car.
“Dinner first, then the surprise.”
“Okay. I’m yours.”
Taylor picked up her hand and kissed her knuckles, his eyes full of silken secrets and passionate promises. “Alex is at a sleepover tonight.”
A tingle of desire swept over her at the thought of having Taylor to herself for an entire night. Her mouth went dry and she licked her lips. “That sounds fun. The cousins again?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“They certainly come in handy now and then.”
After a fabulous dinner of New Mexican cuisine, Taylor drove to a familiar-looking place. With the summer twilight as a backdrop, Piper recognized the lights up ahead.
“We’re going