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“I didn’t mean to keep you away from the ranch the entire day, Charm.”
She glanced up at him and smiled. The way the corners of her lips turned up had heat coiling his gut. “I didn’t mind. I rather enjoyed myself. The kids were wonderful. They love you.”
“And I love them. I wish I could do more than play music to them. If I were a magician, I’d wave a magic wand and make them all well. It wouldn’t bother me any if a single child never had to spend a night on my grandparents’ wing of the hospital.”
She didn’t say anything; she had to be thinking of the children they’d met that day. Some had been in the hospital for months and some wouldn’t be going home. That left a knot in his throat, which was why the wing itself just wasn’t enough. He and his band often donated money to not just the children’s hospital here but also to several others across the country.
He took her hand as they crossed the parking lot to the his sports car. The one that resembled the one he’d driven in Cancun. The moment their hands touched, he felt, like he always did, total awareness of her. Resisting her was hard, but he’d been doing just that. Did she have any idea why? Hopefully they were not only rebuilding their friendship but also a relationship. He was falling in love with Charm all over again. After having his heart broken by her once, he didn’t relish such a thing being repeated. He wanted to be sure of her. Be sure of them. He wanted more than a toss between the sheets to satisfy their urges. He wanted to make love to her and not just have sex.
“You’re quiet, Dylan.”
Not for the first time, he noticed whenever she was concerned about something there was a change in her voice. It sounded throaty. There was no way he would tell her how it was becoming harder and harder to resist her as a woman. And dang it, she wasn’t making things easy for him either. She was no longer the teenage Charm who didn’t understand the full extent of her sensuality. She knew it, and he had a feeling she was trying to use it to get next to him. Why?
He would think, considering their history, that she would want to take things slowly just like he did. But then, she had been the one to break things off. Maybe for her that was what she’d gotten used to, what she preferred. Relationships with no meaning, with no intention to last. That might be well and dandy for her, but it wasn’t for him. It was hard to consider something meaningless with the woman you’d once planned to marry, the woman you’d assumed would one day be the mother of your children. The woman you’d intended to love forever.
Knowing she was waiting for a response, he said, “I’ve just got a lot on my mind.”
“You were thinking about the children, weren’t you?”
He’d been thinking of the children alright, but not the ones at the hospital. He’d been thinking of the ones that they’d planned to have. But to satisfy her curiosity, he said, “Yes.”
“I’m glad you and your band do so much for them.”
He lifted a brow. He’d told her about the hospital wing and nothing else. “And how do you know what all I do for them?”
“While you were performing, I overheard one of the doctors tell a parent about all the donations you and your band give not only to them but to other children’s hospitals as well. I think it’s wonderful, Dylan.”
“Thanks.” He opened the car door for her, appreciating how nice she looked in her pants, blouse and blazer. It was the first time he’d seen her in what he considered professional attire. Like he’d done all week, he had introduced her as a close friend. However, he could imagine what everyone thought since he’d never brought a woman to this type of function at the hospital before.
After closing her car door, he walked around the other side to get in, remembering the compliment Charm had given him. A part of him wished he didn’t put so much stock into what she thought of as his good deeds. What bothered him more than anything was the fact that, just like the old days, what she thought mattered to him. She’d always had a knack for boosting his ego and building his confidence.
Over the years he’d avoided women who liked showering him with praise and compliments because Charm had proved all those she’d given him hadn’t truly been sincere. The one thing he couldn’t tolerate was an insincere woman. That was the main reason he had quickly written off Elise. Only a fool made the same mistake twice.
“Are you hungry?” he asked her.
“No. I thought it was nice of the doctors to treat us to dinner.”
He’d thought so, too. It was a nice Italian restaurant across from the hospital. He checked his watch. It was six o’clock. They’d been at the hospital since ten that morning. Charm had been a real trooper. She’d seemed to enjoy herself and did well with the kids. It was obvious they liked her. She’d told him that in addition to her brothers’ kids, she had a lot of younger Westmoreland cousins she enjoyed spending time with.
“I have an idea.”
Dylan snapped his seat belt in place and looked over at her. “And what’s your idea, Charm?”
“I noticed a video collection of your concerts in the study. Like I told you, I’ve never seen one. I’d love to watch one with you on that huge television in the family room.”
He knew what collection she was talking about. Although his grandparents attended some of his concerts, he’d made sure they’d gotten a video of every single one. “If you’re sure that’s something you really want to do.”
She smiled over at him. “It is and I’ll let you select which concert that you want us to watch.”
He smiled. “Okay. We’ll do that.”
Nineteen
Charm sank down on the bed after checking her appearance in the mirror. She hadn’t told Dylan she would be changing clothes. Hopefully, he would assume she’d wanted to put on something more comfortable than the pantsuit she’d worn to the hospital. So what if it was one of those short caftans that hit midthigh? He’d seen her in a shorter skirt in Cancún, not to mention that bikini.
But she knew she was wearing this outfit for a particular purpose. She intended to seduce Dylan tonight. It was the culmination of her plans, the only reason she’d agreed to come with him to Idaho. So why was she having second thoughts? Just because today she’d seen another side of him—the grown-up Dylan who had found a cause other than his love for music. But, deep down, she hadn’t expected less of the man she’d fallen in love with at sixteen.
And loved even now.
