My stomach was twisting into a knot, nerves beating the hell out of me, but at the same time, I felt lighter than I had in weeks. “You know what they say—nothing ventured, nothing gained. I’ll venture, if you will.”
A slow smile spread over her face, and while I didn’t miss the apprehension there, I also saw something else. It made me believe that maybe, crazy as it seemed ... maybe I could do this. Maybe we could.
The back roads between Cucina Felice and Ocean City were dark as my car sped along them. It was after midnight, and the night was clear and cold. Out here in the boondocks, the stars above us were an infinite blanket set in the pitch black of the enormous sky.
Amanda had reclined the passenger seat flat and lay there now, staring through my car’s moon roof.
“Do you think anyone saw us leaving together?” She hadn’t spoken for several minutes, and I’d thought maybe she’d fallen asleep.
“Most everyone had left by the time we did,” I pointed out, my eyes fastened on the way before me. It wasn’t unusual for deer or other forest critters to run into the road at this time of night. Hitting an animal was the last thing I needed just now.
“Giff and Jeff know. I had to tell them that I didn’t need a ride back.” She shifted a little, and her dress rode up her thigh, making my fingers long to tease along the hem. “But Ava and Liam had left already, so we don’t have to worry about them.”
“Areyou worried?” I frowned. “Why does this need to be such a secret? Are you embarrassed at the idea of anyone knowing that we’re ... whatever this is? Seeing each other?” I remembered how careful she’d been the night of the engagement to make sure no one found out about our hook-up. I’d thought that was because it was just sex, but now I wasn’t so sure.
“I’m not embarrassed.” She spoke slowly. “I just think we don’t need the pressure of other people’s expectations. If we make a big deal about seeing each other, exploring our options, some people are going to jump to conclusions. They’ll start asking us questions that we might not be ready to answer. I don’t think we need that.”
“I guess I see your point. I don’t usually advertise my private life anyway, so it’s not a big deal for me. But I’m not sure I like the idea of us sneaking around.” In a family like mine, keeping a secret wasn’t easy. And my mother was like the KGB; she could suss out hidden knowledge and make me talk before I even knew what I was doing.
“We won’t be sneaking around. I’m only saying that maybe we should be selective about how much we say and to whom we say it. At least at first.”
“All right. But when my mother asks me what’s going on between us, I’m not lying to her. The woman is crazy perceptive, and she’ll beat me if I don’t tell her the truth. Or worse, she’ll cut me off from Sunday supper.” That wasn’t true, of course; my mother would never not feed one of her children, or anyone else’s child, for that matter.
“Fine. And my mom will probably figure it out, since she’ll ask me who drove me back tonight. But she’s pretty chill about keeping things between us.”
“I like your mom,” I remarked. “She’s not like I expected her to be. I thought she’d be all stuffy, since she’s in politics. But she’s pretty laid back. And she looks too young to have a daughter who’s your age.”
Amanda laughed. “I’ll tell her that, and she might want to date you herself.” She played with the edge of her dress, folding it up into a tiny accordion pleat that showed even more of her black-stocking covered leg, making it harder for me to concentrate on my driving. And that wasn’t the only thing getting harder.
“Amanda.” My voice was rough. “Can I ask you a question?”
She rolled to her side to look up at me, and the neckline of her dress gaped as her boobs pressed together.Sweet mother Mary.
“Of course. You can ask me anything.”
I cleared my throat. “Are you wearing pantyhose or a garter? It’s been killing me all night, looking at your legs and wondering. I know I won’t get to find out for myself tonight, so humor me. Give me something for the spank bank.”
“Hmmmm.” One of her eyebrows quirked up. “Which would you find more ... interesting?”
“Oh, come on,” I groaned. “Don’t make me choose. Just tell me.”
“What if I said neither?” Her fingers curled around the end of her dress, and slowly she began tugging it up. “I don’t like pantyhose. And garters can be uncomfortable sometimes. So when I have to wear stockings, I like ... these.”
The green material moved out of the way to reveal a wide band at the top of the sheer black hose, which gave way to her creamy skin and then a hint of red lace.
Suddenly, my driver’s seat wasn’t so comfortable.
“You trying to kill me? Jesus God, woman. Look at you.”
“Sorry?” She sounded anything but.
I scowled, but a plan began to form in my mind. At the next intersection, I hung a sharp left and floored the gas, hugging the curves that took us off the main road and closer to the beach.
“Where are we going?” Amanda pushed up onto her elbows and peered out the window. “This doesn’t look like how Mom and I drove down from the hotel.”
“It’s called a detour, sweetheart.” When she tilted her head questioningly, I added, “Don’t worry. I’m not dragging you off into the woods for a quick fuck.”
“That’s a relief. I think.” She took a deep sniff, frowning a little. “Are we close to the ocean?”
