Captivated Love

“I’ll have to consider the idea. It looks like fun.”

Actually, Safire had already made up her mind. She wanted to know more about working with young people—teaching them. Her desire to work with children had her torn between law—with a focus on children—and teaching—with a focus on literature. She was already exploring law, but Darien’s comment had just given her a way to explore teaching—working with young people directly. She was secretly thrilled by the possibility. But she didn’t want it to be Darien’s class, and she wasn’t planning to launch a new class as a way of getting to him. She would call the director the next day and make arrangements on her own. Darien might not even have to know.

When he was finished, Darien turned to her. “Since you stayed through my class, I’d like to invite you out for dinner.”

“That sounds good, but let me call my girls. We had talked about a club tonight.”

“While you do that, I’ll go put things back in my office and collect what I need.”

Safire made a quick call and was waiting for Darien when he returned.

Darien knew of an Italian place nearby where he could order vegetarian lasagna, so they went there for dinner. Safire had regular lasagna. She teased Darien with a forkful, and he teased her with a forkful of his.

“It’s much sexier when you tease me,” Darien said. “But no meat for me.”

“Don’t you miss it?”

“Sometimes. But I feel healthier this way. Only my mom can really tempt me on that front.”

“Do you ever surrender to temptation?” Safire asked, turning her head and looking at him suggestively out of the corner of her eye.

“I’m not sure which question to answer—the one that you asked or the one that you implied.”

They both laughed.

Over dinner they talked about his work at the Heritage Center and her work at Benson and Hines and where they overlapped. It went so well that they decided afterward to go to a place called Aunt Joe’s, which had wine and coffee as well as foods and desserts. It had music videos playing on monitors and even dancing, though the floor was small.

Over his chai tea latte and her merlot, they split a piece of carrot cake.

“I guess this answers your question about me being a strict vegetarian.”

“How so?”

“Latte and carrot cake—milk and eggs.”

“You must have a sweet tooth,” Safire speculated, thinking again of chocolate and how sweet this man would be on the palate.

“I do,” Darien said. “But I don’t do this often, and when I cook, I use substitutes.”

“So you do give in to temptation sometimes.” Safire winked at Darien and smiled, wondering if she could get her name added to the menu.

Suddenly, Safire asked Darien to dance. A slow song had come on, and she didn’t want to miss a chance for a slow dance with this man.

There were few couples on the dance floor because it was so early, but Safire didn’t mind. Darien, though, seemed a bit self-conscious, at least at first. Safire pressed her body against Darien’s and felt herself begin to throb. She wrapped her arms around his neck, leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed. She closed her eyes against the multicolored strobe lights that circled the room and gave in to the sensation of being in Darien’s arms. Although they were in public, it felt so erotic, so intimate, so safe.

The rugged smell of Darien’s body filled her senses when she inhaled, and the taste of bittersweet chocolate rose to the tip of her tongue. The feel of his body was delicious. Their thighs brushed gently against each other’s as they wavered to the slow, heavy beat and the guttural voice of a woman yearning for love. His hard chest pressed against her breasts, and his hands gripped her hip and back, drawing her into the curves of his form. It all sent a tingling through Safire that made her pulse rush. And she could tell from the bulge pressing against her hip that he was also getting a bit stimulated.

The slow song ended and a faster song came on. The two continued to sway slowly for a moment, long enough for Safire to know that he, too, hated to have the dance end. Then they looked at each other and went back to their table, Darien’s palm pressed to her back.

At their table, Safire placed her hand in Darien’s. He accepted it and held it in a gentle fist.

She leaned toward him and motioned for him to come. He leaned his ear toward her, but that wasn’t what she wanted. When she said nothing, he turned to look at her. That’s when she caught his lips with hers. It was a chaste kiss, but they held it for a long moment before he leaned back, breaking the connection.

As she ran her fingers along his palm, he peered at her, but it was a gaze of inquiry.

“Why do you move so fast?” Darien asked.

“Well, I know what I want. What’s wrong with that?”

“And what do you want, Safire?” He looked at her deeply.

She answered quietly, almost wistfully. “Come home with me, Darien.” When he stalled, she looked him up and down and added, “I dare you.”

Then she leaned back in her chair, crossed her legs and gave a devilish smile—waiting.

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