Tender Touch Page 7

  “Thank you, Jade,” Damon said. He looked at her for a long moment with a thoughtful expression.

  His voice saying her name was like a hot brand against her skin. She watched his mouth in fascination. Her whole being longed to make him call her name but for a very different reason. She imagined guiding those wonderful, long hands toward her.

  “Ms. Pellerin, I have a call for you on line two. Ms. Pellerin?” Tisha looked at her then at Damon.

  Jade blinked and came back to her surroundings with reluctance. “What?”

  “You can take it in here.” Tisha pointed to a phone on the credenza along the wall behind the large table. “That is if y’all aren’t too involved to be disturbed.”

  “No, no.” Jade went to the phone on legs that felt like cotton.

  Damon coughed and stood up. “I’ll give you some privacy. Let me know when you’re through.” He passed Tisha without returning her gaze.

  Jade punched the button. “Yes. Oh, hi. Aline. Yeah, tell him they’re in that blue binder on the second bookcase of the library. I see.” She found great difficulty paying attention to the clerk’s message from Bill. The woman seemed to drone on forever, asking questions so Bill could find a policy he needed urgently.

  Something important had happened in the last few minutes, a sort of culmination of what meeting Damon Knight for the first time had set in motion. In one moment, with one simple phrase, a certainty that she could be close to this man took hold deep inside her. Now she was anxious to be with him again. If only this phone call would end! Damon came back into the room and started to leave when he saw her still talking on the phone.

  “Wait, I’m almost through,” Jade called out and cut off the clerk on the other end of the line in midsentence. “I’ll see you in a little while and take care of it. Bye.” She hung up before the long-winded staff person could start talking again.

  “Well it’s eleven thirty already. You, uh, probably have plans for lunch.” Damon cleared his throat and glanced out the window.

  “I need to grab something at a drive-through and get back to the office. A minor crisis is brewing,” Jade said. She picked up her purse and leather portfolio.

  “Sure. I understand. That’s a busy place these days.” Damon stood next to the door but did not open it. “Bet you’ll be working late, too.”

  “Not tonight,” Jade said with great vigor. Take is easy, girl. But her heartbeat was like a small drum going double-time.

  “There’s a reception for a new faculty exhibit at the Frank Hayden Gallery at Southern University. I have an invitation. Would you care to join me? If you’re into art, that is.”

  “I love going to art galleries. In fact, I’ve started my own modest private collection.”

  “Really? Then I’ll pick you up at a quarter to six. We can have dinner afterward.” Damon wore an animated look.

  Jade smiled at him. “Sounds good.” She managed to restrain herself from shouting ya-hoo! With a steady voice, she gave him her address.

  For the rest of the day, she breezed around light of heart. Nothing altered her splendid mood. Things that might have left her frazzled at the end of the day were no match for the magic Damon had worked on her. At quitting time Jade eased by her boss’s office careful not to make noise lest he stop her. She breathed a sigh of relief as the elevator doors shut. It was almost five when she got to her condo. Jade made a mad dash to the bedroom and began searching her closet. Red dress? Too bold a statement for the first date. Black jersey dress? Too prim and proper. Time was getting short. After several minutes of muttering and searching, she uttered a cry of delight. Of course—she should have thought of it at once. Her gold cotton cashmere sweater, long slim black skirt with a side split and wide black belt. Perfect. When the door chimes sounded, she jumped. Even though she was dressed, Jade felt far from ready. Butterflies of doubt fluttered in her stomach. What if she was moving too fast? Well, it was too late for second thoughts now.

  * * *

  Damon’s confidence faltered at the echo of the chimes within the condo. He wondered if he’d lost his mind. Being close to this woman in a cold government office building had set off his fire alarm like crazy, and here he was at her doorstep. The attraction was not just physical, though Lord knows the way she moved in a skirt made his brain sweat. Well, he’d just have to put the brakes on his emotions. He had been with other good-looking women in the last year.

  “Hey, I’ve dated since my divorce. No biggie.” Damon tried to convince himself with a suave shrug of his shoulders. Then the door swung open, and a silent blast blew away his resolve to play it cool. “Have mercy,” he murmured at the sight that greeted him.

  “Hi. Come on in.”

  Jade stood there like a work of art herself. Damon was rooted to the spot at sight of her in gold and black. The outfit she wore was a wonderful showcase of the womanly curves that set him on fire.

  “You look magnificent,” Damon said in a voice filled with awe. He sounded like a lust-struck adolescent, but he could not help it. The woman had it all together.

  “Thank you.” Jade gave him a shy smile.

  Damon kept up a running dialogue in his head to convince himself that he could maintain control in the face of such tremendous temptation. He looked around at the fawn, slate blue and red color scheme of her living room. The soft fabric of the sofa conspired to make him feel right at home sitting next to her. When she lifted her arm to brush back a stray strand of hair, the delicate, spicy fragrance of her perfume made him quiver. He mentally surrendered.

  “I’ve been looking forward to this evening all day, Jade.” Damon felt a weight lift, and then a sinking feeling began when a long moment of silence stretched as Jade considered his words. Oh, well, at least he’d get the bad news early this time.

  Jade gazed at him. “So have I.”

  “Damn, I’m glad to hear you say that,” Damon said. “I mean, uh...”

  “I know exactly what you mean.” Jade’s lips lifted just a bit at the comers.

  Damon took a deep breath. “I’ve been through a really rough divorce. And I’m kinda taking it easy where relationships are concerned.”

  “Me, too. Divorce can leave you a little ragged around the edges, can’t it?” Jade faced him.

  “Tell me about it. But you’re something I didn’t count on.” Damon searched for a way to explain the feeling that they were the right fit somehow, that they could be good together. “I’m not saying this very well.” He ran his fingers over his hair in frustration.

  “Let me try. We enjoy talking to each other and seem to have common interests. Neither of us is ready to get into a heavy thing right now, but we’d like to spend time together. How’s that?” Jade watched him closely with a twinkle in her eyes.

  “That’s it exactly.” Damon leaned toward her just a fraction. “I definitely want to spend time with you, Jade. But...”

  “Yes?” Jade stiffened a bit.

  “I understand if you’re seeing someone else. That is, I’m not saying we’re seeing each other exclusively.” Damon stared at the carpet. He cringed at the clumsy way he tried to find out if there was another man in her life, but he did not want to know about him, for he felt sure such a fabulous woman was dating.

  “Of course. Naturally,” Jade put in quickly. “Well, shall we go? The reception starts at six-thirty, so we have fifteen minutes to get there.”

  “Yeah, right. I hear there are some outstanding new pieces in this new exhibit.” He helped her into a gold and black cropped jacket.

  Damon felt a damper put on the night ahead. So there was someone else—no problem, he assured himself. In fact, it was just as well. That would keep him from jumping into a serious relationship too fast. Yes, all things considered that would work just fine.

  * * *

  Jade rode beside Damon in his Buick Riviera. The soft leather seats were like a glove fitting her body, and he’d popped in a compact disk of jazz. The exhibit had been wonderful, yet she could not
get the thought that Damon wanted to see other women out of her mind. Even as they walked around, admiring the powerful sculptures and paintings, Jade kept hearing him say they should see other people. You should be relieved, dummy. This way you know where you stand. Besides, you don’t need to throw yourself into a big-deal love affair. She gazed at his profile in the muted glow of the dashboard lights. He was not preoccupied with it; that was obvious as he went on about the art gallery and his knowledge of the artists. After a pleasant dinner, they returned to her condo. Damon stood just inside her living room with an air of indecision.

  “Would you like coffee? I have a special blend from Colombia.” Jade turned away to take off her jacket. Was he searching for a way to make a graceful exit?

  “Thanks, I would,” Damon said. He sat down on the sofa with a sigh. Jade felt a rise of irritation. “

  Are you sure? I’ll understand if you need to leave.”

  Damon got up and crossed her. “No, Jade. This is where I want to be. The truth is I’m having a hard time keeping myself in check around you.”

  Excitement tickled through her. “What do you mean?”

  “Look, I know I said we’d spend time together and see other people. And I thought I meant it at the time. Well, I tried to mean it because of my ex, and what happened with her. But... ah, hell. I’m not making any sense.” Damon raked his fingers over his hair for the second time that evening. No woman had ever made him feel like a babbling idiot—not even Rachelle. He couldn’t string two coherent sentences together, especially when what he wanted to do was stop talking and kiss her.

  Jade stepped up to him and touched his arm. “Damon, I know exactly what you mean.”

  Damon took her hand. “I’m not seeing anyone else, not now. Not after meeting you that first day, Jade. Maybe I’m rushing things, but I’d like us to get to know each other without distractions. I know you didn’t have this in mind, but.”

  “You thought I wanted to see other people?” Jade was lightheaded with relief. “When you brought it up, I agreed because I thought you wanted it.”

  “Let’s start over,” Damon said with a chuckle low in his throat. He lifted her chin with a forefinger. “I think you are one magnificent woman, Jade Pellerin. And I want to be with you in every way.”

  “Agreed,” was all Jade could manage. Her breath was short from the thrill of seeing the desire in his eyes. She lifted her mouth to his and pulled his head down. The cool, smooth taste of him filled her with a hunger that roared through her body like a wildfire.

  The kiss stretched out for a long, delicious time. They stood wrapped in each other’s arms, lost in a world of mutual passion. When it ended, they both took a deep breath in satisfaction.

  “Woman, you’ve got a Ph.D. in Kissology. Lord have mercy!” Damon cradled her to him and stroked her arms.

  “Thank you, professor, but you must have written the book.” Jade giggled. Then she looked up at him with a sober expression. “I don’t think we should act too quickly and get serious fast right now—”

  “Let’s just go with it for now. This feels so good, I don’t want to talk about doubts or dwell on what happened in the past for either of us.” He looked at her, his dark brown eyes intense. “I’m willing to take it slow and easy. I’ll accept wherever this leads.”

  Jade rested her head on his chest with a feeling of quiet joy she’d never felt before with any man, including Nick. “So am I, Damon Knight. So am I.”

  Chapter 4

  Jade, come here!” Lang yelled. “Jade!”

  She rushed into his office with a feeling of dread. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  “Not a thing. We got more of the grant money than even I expected on my most optimistic day. A grand total of 3.8 million dollars.” Lang waved a sheet of paper in the air.

  “That’s fantastic.” Jade read the award letter when he handed it to her.

  Lang rubbed his hands together. “But now the real work begins. We’ve got to set up a task force immediately to select a permanent project director.” He came to stand in front of her. “I’m going to recommend you.”

  Jade’s mouth hung open. “Oh, but—”

  “Wait a minute before you say no. I watched you in the meeting the other day. Even though it was the first time you’d met those folks, you had a way of pulling all their thoughts together and directing them toward a focus of effort.”

  “I don’t know what to say, Bill. Naturally it’s a wonderful compliment.” Jade’s mind was in a whirl. This was a great opportunity, but the work would be all-consuming.

  “You’ll get to meet some of the top people in the field of human services. We have a substantial budget for travel and attending national and even international conferences.” Lang watched her reaction.

  “I’m not sure I have the experience...”

  “You’ll be working closely with folks who are more than willing to help. Me, for example.” Lang looked down at her with an intent expression. “Say yes.”

  Jade knew she’d be crazy to pass up such a chance. She pushed away self-doubts and lifted her chin. “Of course I’ll do it. And thanks for having confidence in me.”

  Lang stared at her for several seconds. “Jade, I... You’re quite welcome.” He stepped back and went around to sit behind his desk again. “Speaking of conferences, there is one next month in Washington, D.C., on community intervention. I’ll be going and so will Mike. I want you to come also.”

  “Fine,” Jade said in a calm voice. Inside she was as happy as a kid going off to Disney World. “How long will we be there?”

  “About four days.” He wore a slight smile. “Yes, you’ll have time to visit the Smithsonian and wander through art galleries. I might even come along—if you don’t mind.”

  “Fantastic,” Jade answered without really hearing him. Already she was planning to log on to the museum’s web site so she could plan which exhibits she would make sure to see. “I’ll get back to work.”

  For the rest of the day, Jade interspersed planning her trip with taking care of details related to the project. The hours passed, and she was preparing to leave when the phone on her desk rang.

  “Hello, Mother. How are you?” Jade propped the phone against her ear with one shoulder while she sorted through files.

  “Okay, I guess. I haven’t heard from Lanessa since Monday. Have you?” Clarice had a petulant tone reserved for times when she felt neglected.

  Jade felt a brush of aggravation. They had not spoken in four days. “No, I haven’t, Mother. Lanessa’s a big girl. And I’m doing fine, too. Thanks for asking.”

  “What? Oh, now, Jade. Even though you’re younger than your sister, you’ve always been the strong one. I don’t worry about you as much.” Clarice repeated the same explanation Jade had heard all her life, it seemed.

  “What a compliment,” Jade murmured.

  “I couldn’t hear you, dear. Stop muttering into the phone and speak clearly.”

  “I said call her at home, she’s probably there by now.” Jade looked at her watch.

  “It’s almost four-thirty. Lanessa makes it a practice to be home by four.”

  In fact her official schedule was eight to four-thirty like all ordinary civil servants. But Lanessa, as usual, did not have to follow the same rules as everyone else. Her job in documents at the state capitol was a plum position. Somehow Lanessa had charmed the boss, a grim workhorse with a reputation for being unbending when it came to following rules.

  “I’m sure she’s just fine. Lanessa always manages, Mother.” Jade paid more attention to stacking her work for the next day than to her mother’s voice. Then something caught her attention. “What was that?”

  “Since you’re obviously too busy to talk to your mother now, then maybe we’ll have more time later tonight when you come over.”

  “Tonight?” Jade blinked. She did not remember making plans to visit her parents. She’d promised to meet Damon for dinner. “Well, I have plans.”

&nb
sp; “Oh?” Clarice’s voice sharpened with interest. “You have a date with a young man. Well, well. When will your father and I get to meet him?”

  Jade groped for a way out of this predicament. “Uh, just dinner with a friend, Mother. Listen, my boss is calling me. Gotta go, bye.” Clarice barely had time to say goodbye before Jade hung up. “Whew, dodged that bullet.”

  Shaena stood with her arms folded. “But not for long.”

  “Eavesdropping is beneath you, Shaena.”

  “Well, I was just coming to see if you wanted to have a midweek celebration. Wednesday means only two more days of toiling. But since you have plans...” Shaena shrugged and eyed her.

  “Yes, I do. So how have you been? That legal work on new department policies must be a real challenge.” Jade tried to deflect the direction of this conversation.

  “More like a real pain. So you and Gail going out to eat? Gee, I haven’t seen her for at least two months. How is she?” Shaena sat down across from Jade.

  Gail Malveaux was an old college friend. She and Jade made it a point to have dinner or lunch at least every few months. “Gail is fine.” Jade avoided the first question. “Girl, I must have returned a dozen phone calls since lunchtime.”

  “Gee, I wouldn’t mind seeing good old Gail. Maybe I’ll stop by and have a cup of coffee with y’all after at the Cafe Rouge.”

  “I’m not having dinner with Gail.” Jade avoided her gaze.

  “You’re seeing Damon Knight again,” Shaena stated with certainty. “Why not just admit it? You’ve got a date.”

  “Okay, Sherlock Holmes. You figured it out,” Jade retorted. First her mother, now Shaena.

  Shaena wore a smug look. “It wasn’t hard. You told me how fabulous it was being with him on your first date—”