N. Walters - Touch of Topaz

“Coffee for me.” He glanced over at her.

There was no way she wanted coffee. She was jittery enough as it was. “Just water for me, please.”

John frowned, but the waitress simply nodded and went to get their drinks. Topaz looked down at the menu. She could feel John’s eyes on her and barely resisted the urge to squirm. Honestly, the man could make her forget she was a successful, polished businesswoman with no more than a look. Another strike against him.

“Do you know what you want?” His voice was low and intimate even though they were in a crowded restaurant.

Now that was a loaded question if she’d ever heard one. What would he do if she said she wanted him in her bed once again? That she wanted another afternoon of unforgettable, hot sex.

Not that she would. She wasn’t the kind of woman who indulged in one-night stands. John was the only exception she’d ever made to that rule. She had to date a man for quite some time before they went to bed together. And then both parties knew it wasn’t going to lead to anything more serious. It sounded colder and more calculated than it was in reality. She had a genuine affection for the men she’d had in her life. She just hadn’t wanted any of them there on a permanent basis.

Their waitress came back and plunked a glass of water in front of Topaz and set a mug of coffee in front of John. She gave him another dazzling smile. Topaz noticed that she’d freshened her lipstick since she was here last. Unaccountably, jealousy began to creep into her brain and she was filled with the urge to tell her to stop looking at John, that he belonged to her.

Which couldn’t be farther from the truth.

They’d spent a steamy afternoon together. Nothing wrong with sex between two healthy, consenting adults, but they didn’t have a relationship beyond that. He’d walked away when his job was over last summer and would again this time. Yes, he’d called her once or twice, but she hadn’t returned his calls. There was no point. They both had their own lives. She had to remember that.

Topaz glanced at the menu. “I’ll have the chicken noodle soup and the chicken sandwich on multigrain bread with mustard, not mayo.”

The waitress, whose nametag read Maria, dutifully wrote down her order before turning to John. “And what will you have, sir?”

Topaz wasn’t imagining the flirty tone in the waitress’s voice, nor the way she shifted closer to John. To give the man credit, he didn’t acknowledge the flirtation in any way.

“I’ll have the same.” He handed his menu back to the waitress. “Thanks.”

Topaz could clearly read the other woman’s disappointment, but she smiled, took the menus and left them. “Should be about ten or fifteen minutes.”

John sat back in his chair and his jacket fell open to reveal a tight, black button-down shirt. The material clung to his broad chest and Topaz’s fingers itched to slide her fingers under it and touch his bare skin.

“Everything will be okay. This entire ordeal will be over soon.” His sincerity struck her hard and she blinked back tears. This past year had been hell for her family, and it was hard to believe it was almost coming to an end.

“I know. Emerald’s been so amazing through it all.” She was so proud of her sister and the strength she’d shown. Topaz wasn’t certain she would have fared half as well.

“You did great today in court.” He picked up his coffee and brought it to his lips. Topaz watched as he parted them and sipped the hot liquid. Her panties grew damp, and she grabbed her glass and guzzled half of the tepid water to keep from saying something stupid.

“I’m going to the ladies’ room.” She hated having to announce such things, but John had to know where she was at all times. “Please don’t follow me. It’s only right there.” She pointed to a sign just off to her right.

John rose when she did and walked her to the corridor. She knew he was checking for other possible entrances to the building, but he relaxed when he saw the small corridor was a dead end and the only doors were those to the restrooms.

“Don’t be long,” he ordered.

She felt like sticking her tongue out at him, but managed to refrain from such a childish gesture. Honestly, the man constantly rubbed her the wrong way, except for that one afternoon when he’d rubbed her the right way. Her pussy clenched hard at the memory and she stumbled through the bathroom door. Thankfully, it was empty.

She shut the door, locked it and used the facilities. When she was done, she washed her hands and splashed water on her face.

This wouldn’t do. She wasn’t some young impressionable woman. She was thirty-two, owned her own business and had dated her fair share of successful men. Why then did John affect her so greatly? She wasn’t sure she was ready to delve into the answer.

Topaz dearly loved her parents, but her childhood had been less than conventional. They’d grown up with famous people dropping by, taking trips to exotic locales and being on the road with her parents when they were performing. It had been a wonderful, if unpredictable childhood. They’d never known when their impetuous parents would whisk them away, never stopping to ask their children if they’d actually wanted to go.

She wouldn’t trade her childhood for anything, but Topaz craved stability and she’d made a life for herself that was predictable and calm. And she liked it that way.

John was anything but calm. He made her feel hot and uncomfortable in her own skin. She liked fine clothes and wine, and he was jeans and beer. Nothing wrong with that, but their lifestyles didn’t mesh. Her mother would say that it would add spice to her life, but she much preferred it bland, thank you very much. Her childhood had had enough spice in it to last her a lifetime.

She stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her skin was pale and there were dark circles under her eyes that no amount of makeup could cover. She pulled a compact out of her purse and dabbed at her skin. She hadn’t slept well these past two weeks and planned on sleeping for two days straight when the trial was finally over.

She knew she couldn’t procrastinate any longer or John would be barging into the ladies’ room. She dumped the compact back into her purse, took a deep breath, squared her shoulders and walked out of the bathroom and back to their table. Her timing was perfect, as the waitress had just arrived with their meal.

Topaz slid into her chair, thanked the waitress and picked up her spoon. The soup was warm and surprisingly good. She could feel John watching her, but she concentrated on eating. The quicker they were done, the quicker they could go back to the courthouse. She wanted this day over and done. Then it would be a matter of waiting for the jury’s verdict.

John scrutinized Topaz as she ate her soup. She even did that with style, her movements graceful and precise. She looked a little pale and very tired. The circles under her eyes were getting darker with each passing day. He knew she wasn’t sleeping, had heard her tossing and turning in her bed at night while he’d slept in the room next to hers. He’d wanted to go to her, take her into his arms, and make love to her until she was too tired to stay awake.

But he couldn’t. Not until the job was done.

He’d spent months trying to forget Topaz Jewel, desperately trying to get her out of his system. It hadn’t happened. If anything, her absence in his life made him want her all the more. He was forty years old and knew himself better than most and he knew that his attraction to Topaz wasn’t going away anytime soon.

He also knew she wasn’t happy about being attracted to him. A less-confident man might have slunk off to nurse his hurt pride. But he wasn’t most men, and he was confident that, with time and effort, he could make her see how good it could be between them. Wouldn’t be easy to do once his job was done. She’d go back to her life and do her best to avoid him. Again.

He needed time. As he ate, he mulled over the plan he’d set in motion several days ago. Topaz might be mad as hell at him at first, but he was willing to take the chance.

John watched her sip her soup and was grateful she was eating something. She’d lost weight over the past few weeks and she was already slender to begin with. He wanted to take care of her, to shoulder some of her burdens. It was frustrating as hell for him to watch her handle her business, the trial and the media hoopla by herself. She was a strong woman, but he wouldn’t be attracted to a weak one. He loved the way her mind worked, how she always had an opinion on everything from politics to movies and all subjects in between.

The silence between them wasn’t awkward, but comfortable. He knew she was thinking about the trial. He was just glad she was eating and didn’t want to say anything that might disrupt that. When she pushed away her plate, which still had about three-quarters of her sandwich on it, he knew she was done. He finished the last of his coffee. “Ready?”

“Yes.” She stood and picked up her coat. He held it for her and she murmured her thanks as he slid it on. He paid the check and ushered her back to the car.

With ideas still spinning in his head, he drove them back to the courthouse, this time parking in a lot next door. He’d already scoped out the back entrance. “It will soon be over,” he reminded her as he helped her out of the car.

“I know.” She looked sad for a moment and he squeezed her hand to reassure her. She might think differently now, but he wasn’t going anywhere.

Topaz closed her eyes and sank back into the headrest on the car’s passenger side. It was finally over. The jury’s verdict had come in and her sister’s stalker was going to be locked up for a long time. A weight she hadn’t even known was there slid from her shoulders. Life could finally get back to normal.