Monte picked up one of the strawberries and held it out in front of him

Torie looked up at him and opened her mouth to receive the fruit. Monte rubbed it along the outline of her lips before placing it in her awaiting mouth. Torie closed her lips around the berry, but did not bite down. Instead, she sucked it firmly and then released it. Monte’s mouth fell open as he stared at her.

Torie stuck out her tongue and licked the fruit in a circular motion. She let her tongue dance around its tip and then its entire circumference, before closing her mouth over it again. This time she bit down and removed a large chunk of the ripe berry. She moved closer to Monte with juice dripping down from her bottom lip. He leaned in, catching her mouth in his. They kissed until the strawberry was gone. They disengaged from their fiery kiss and Torie placed both hands on Monte’s shoulders and pushed him backward until he was lying on his back. She swung her left leg over his body and straddled him. She sat down on his upper thighs and, though he tried to pull her up higher to make contact with his throbbing manhood, she wouldn’t budge.

“Patience,” she said.

KIM SHAW

is a high school English teacher in New Jersey, where she resides with her husband and two children. In addition to writing and teaching, she is working on a literacy project aimed at improving reading and cultural awareness in her community.

Lift Me Higher
Kim Shaw

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Lift Me Higher is dedicated to people who are more interested in what they can do to uplift others than in how they themselves can benefit.

You know who you are.

Dear Reader,

I wrote Lift Me Higher because I wanted to look at a relationship from the male perspective. Too often attention is paid to the single mother and how difficult it is for her to balance family, career and passion. Lift Me Higher asks, “what about the single father?” Men are burdened with the expectation that they be strong and unsusceptible to heartache. Monte Lewis shows that a real man is one who can put it down on the job and at home, while still being human and vulnerable. He’s a man who knows that with a real woman by his side, there is nothing he can’t do. I hope you enjoy his story.

Currently, I am working on several different things. There are so many interesting characters taking up space in my brain—like the sexy firefighter who likes his women as hot as his fires, until he gets burned, or the grocery clerk turned lottery winner who finds that true love doesn’t need a bunch of zeroes on the end! I continue to write to entertain, enlighten and inform, and I thank you for your continued readership.

Sincerely,

Kim Shaw

Contents

Chapter 1: Simply Stunning

Chapter 2: You Can’t Have It All

Chapter 3: Trapped

Chapter 4: The Scent of Roses

Chapter 5: Cards on the Table

Chapter 6: Undress My Heart

Chapter 7: A Father’s Love

Chapter 8: In Too Deep

Chapter 9: Hesitant Heart

Chapter 10: Dear Mama

Chapter 11: Lean on Me

Chapter 12: Lights, Cameras…Action

Chapter 13: Shadow of Doubt

Chapter 14: Trouble in Paradise

Chapter 15: Too Good to Be True

Chapter 16: Confessions

Chapter 17: Secrets

Chapter 18: Pride Is a Poor Substitute

Chapter 19: Home at the Holidays

Chapter 20: Hello Hollywood

Chapter 21: Missing You

Chapter 22: On My Mind

Chapter 23: Opposing Forces

Chapter 24: A Friend Indeed

Chapter 25: Moving On

Chapter 26: At a Standstill

Chapter 27: Ghosts of the Past

Chapter 28: No Surrender

Chapter 29: The Hard Choices

Chapter 30: New Beginnings

Chapter 31: Permission Granted

Chapter 1
Simply Stunning

Monte scanned the day’s calendar on his PDA as he moved toward the elevator bank for floors twenty through thirty-one of midtown Manhattan’s Time Warner building. He adjusted his red tie and smoothed the lapels of his midnight-blue Brooks Brothers suit absently, thinking about all he had to do in the day ahead of him. The lobby area was just beginning to buzz with activity at seven forty-five on a Tuesday morning. Monte had an eight-thirty meeting and a string of conference calls to follow. It would be a busy day as usual, through which he would plow tirelessly, making deals come together seamlessly. No matter, he thought, because by five o’clock Monte would call it quits for the day. His boys had a Little League game that evening and, with him being their coach as well, it definitely wouldn’t do for him to be late.

Monte opened the Daily News paper he’d tucked beneath his arm, turning to the sports section. The ding of the elevator as it landed on the lobby floor and its doors opening drew Monte’s attention. He stepped into the elevator, pressed the button marked twenty-seven and became engrossed in the paper again. Absorbed in the highlights of the Nets’ latest Cinderella victory, Monte didn’t look up as another passenger entered the elevator just before the doors closed. The car began its smooth ascent and Monte’s senses were suddenly assailed by the faint yet sweet scent of lilies. His eyes followed his nose and they led him to slender feet clad in six-inch stilettos, up stockingless, shapely brown calves to a stunning black skirt that stopped midthigh and hugged sinfully curvaceous hips.

Monte swallowed as his eyes continued their journey, taking their sweet time. The torso of this magnificent vision was held securely by a black suit jacket and its top button stopped at a bustline that begged for attention. Above a pearl-necklace-adorned graceful neck was the face of an angel. Hazel eyes met Monte’s, and he was at once embarrassed at his voyeurism and enthralled by her beauty.

Monte opened his mouth to speak, but before he could command control over his vocabulary, the elevator came to a halt and, with a chime, the doors opened. The alluring woman exited, without as much as another glance at Monte, who remained dumbfounded and immobile.

Monte had always prided himself on being a man who was not easily moved by a pretty face and, had she been just that, Monte probably would not have given her more than an appreciative nod. Yet, there was more to the woman than just physical beauty. There was an ethereal essence that seeped from the inside out, and a presence that had captivated him. He could only liken the experience to being caught in a spider’s web, hopelessly entangled in the strong fiber. It was not until the doors closed again and the elevator continued its ascent that he came to his senses and realized that the floor the woman had exited on was also his floor, the twenty-seventh. He quickly depressed a button for one of the higher floors, exited and caught another car headed down.

“Who was that woman who just got off of the elevator?” Monte asked the receptionist when he’d landed at the office space of Cooper & Beardsley. The entertainment-law firm had been home to Monte for the past six years and he’d been a senior associate for the past two.

Monte’s immediate investigation uncovered that the beautiful woman he’d been ogling in the elevator was one of his firm’s newest clients, Torie Turner, a model turned actress whose career was, by all accounts, poised to take off. After spending years as a print model, she’d decided to take her career to the next level, building an impressive résumé along the way. Over the past few years she’d done a number of small theater productions, a few commercials and had recently completed the pilot episode for a new television series. Like many new-millennium actors, Torie had opted to replace the services of an agent at fifteen to twenty percent with an entertainment-law firm offering headhunting, contract negotiations and other legal services at a lower cost per diem. Torie Turner was as smart as she was beautiful, and after careful consideration, she’d hired the Cooper & Beardsley firm, with junior associate Monica Schwartz as the lead attorney, to review the contracts and offers that were beginning to come her way.

Monte knew instantly that he’d never had the pleasure of seeing any of Torie’s work because, if he had, he doubted seriously he would have ever been able to get her out of his head. Distracted, and uncharacteristically nervous, Monte kept one eye on his work all morning and the other on the closed door of the conference room where Torie’s meeting was taking place. His plan was to spring into action the moment the door opened and casually saunter in her direction. He hadn’t figured out what he would say to her, but hoped the words would come to him when needed.

The persistent flutters in Monte’s gut kept him on edge. He felt abnormal and quite unlike himself, as if he were having an out-of-body experience. While Monte had never considered himself a ladies’ man in any sense of the term, in his youth he’d never had a problem in that department. At thirty-five years old, Monte had successfully become what is commonly referred to as an IBM. This ideal black man had worked hard to establish security in his career, become financially fit and was also well traveled. Intellectually stimulating, good-natured and articulate were adjectives to which he was well suited. Finally, Monte’s six feet three inches of velvet black skin and well-maintained physique made him the complete package. Monte had yet to meet the person, male or female, with whom he could not hold his own on any level, which was why he was completely thrown for a loop that this Torie Turner might actually be that person who made him feel less than self-assured, and he steadied himself to dispel that possibility at the first chance he got.

However, when the door finally opened and Monte spotted Torie from his vantage point across the corridor, he continued to sit immobile. His mind raced as he tried to force himself into motion, but his nerves held him captive. Deflated, Monte realized that it had been years—seven to be exact—since he had approached a woman to whom he felt an attraction. His late wife, Shawna, was the last woman he’d ever made an advance on or struck up a casual conversation with regarding anything on a personal level, and Monte realized that he was sorely out of practice. To make matters worse, he felt like an idiot as he sat watching her disappear down the corridor with pretty-boy Matthew Sampson trotting alongside of her and beaming that twenty-thousand-dollar cash-and-carry smile of his. Monte resolved that perhaps it wasn’t meant to be, acknowledging that he would have felt even more idiotic if he had approached her in front of Matthew and the entire office of his colleagues and found himself tongue-tied. Worse, he might have said something foolish, prompting her to laugh in his face.

Monte cast off his designs on the opulent woman, chiding himself for even considering approaching her. He had a full life, he reminded himself. With the care of his two young sons and his ailing mother as his number-one priorities, along with building a secure and successful career, Monte felt he didn’t have time for any distractions. Besides, he reasoned, what right had he to ask for more?

Irritated and disappointed, Monte plowed through the rest of his day, determined to forget about Torie Turner. It proved to be a feat next to impossible.

Chapter 2
You Can’t Have It All

“Mama, I already told you that I’m done with the commercials and, for now at least, the stage. I’m concentrating on television and movie scripts, period. Why can’t you get that?”

Torie stabbed at a piece of lettuce in the Cobb salad in front of her and glared at her mother. It was just after two o’clock in the afternoon and the two women were seated inside of Braserie, a French restaurant in midtown, having a late lunch.

“Torie, I just don’t want to see you put all of your eggs in one basket,” Brenda replied.

“Mama, if I want to be successful at this, I have to focus on one thing. I can’t commit to a theater production and still go out on casting calls.”

“But, Torie, you read all the time about how limited the roles are for black actresses in movies. I mean, honey, you have to face the fact that there are a lot of talented, pretty girls out there trying to land that next big movie.”

Torie took a deep breath. Dealing with her mother had always been a trial. No matter what Torie felt or wanted, it seemed to her as if her mother’s sole purpose in life was to feel or want something different for her. For all of her childhood and much of her young adult life, Torie had acquiesced to her mother’s wishes, but no more. Torie had moved to New York from Atlanta with two purposes in mind—one, to establish her career, and two, to put some distance between her life and her mother’s controlling habits.

“Mama, can’t we just enjoy lunch…enjoy your visit and not get into this again? Just trust me for a change. I know what I’m doing, and besides, if it doesn’t work out, I can always get another commercial or play,” Torie said, looking at her mother imploringly.

Brenda Turner considered her daughter. There were times, like this one, where Brenda winced at the sight of her daughter. Torie was beautiful and, in her face, Brenda saw herself. In her youth, Brenda had been equally as stunning and, she felt, twice as ambitious. She’d wanted so much for herself and had planned on touring the world as a famous jazz singer. Brenda had thought that she could have it all—the career, the fame and the family. She’d married Torie’s father at twenty-one years old, despite her own mother’s misgivings. She’d been singing at local nightclubs in the southeast and had been putting together an arrangement to work with Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock on an upcoming collaboration. Her husband, Hanif Turner, was also involved in the music business as a saxophone player, although considered by most to be just a mediocre talent. Yet, they were happy and excited about their futures, and Hanif was very supportive of Brenda’s musical ambitions. That’s why when Brenda discovered that she was pregnant, neither of them was overjoyed. Due to irregular periods and virtually no symptoms, Brenda was almost six months along by the time she realized that she was expecting. Brenda’s dreams, along with her marriage, paid the price under the strain of caring for their child.

“I just want you to maximize on your opportunities while you still can,” Brenda said now, casting her eyes down to the grilled salmon and steamed asparagus in front of her.

The underlying message of Brenda’s statement was not lost on Torie. She’d always noticed the faraway look that came into her mother’s eyes when she was washing the dinner dishes, vacuuming or undertaking some other mundane task. Torie was still a relatively young child when she’d come to understand what that look on her mother’s face meant. Motherhood had been an unexpected hitch in her mother’s life plan. There was no way Brenda could have known that her first child, a boy named Miles by his young parents, would have been born with a congenital birth defect that they would spend the first five years of his life fighting. Torie was one year old when Miles succumbed to his disease and, by then, Brenda’s dreams of a career in music had shriveled up and died.

“Mama, please don’t worry. Trust me. I know what I’m doing. You’ll see,” Torie said, looking at her mother in a meaningful way.

“All right, well, tell me about these lawyers you hired. How was your meeting? Did you have a good feeling about them?” Brenda asked.

“Oh, the firm is one of the best—a lot of heavy hitters in the entertainment field. They’ve assigned a young woman, a junior associate, to work on my contracts, and I already like her. She’s current, yet very knowledgeable. She’s already made a lot of calls on my behalf, and I get the sense that she’s going to be a tough negotiator,” Torie answered, grateful for the change in subject.

“That sounds terrific, honey, but have you thought about this? Are you sure you want to go with a female? I mean, you know how this business is. Maybe a man might be more beneficial to you,” Brenda said.

Torie sighed beneath her breath, amazed at her mother’s perfected ability to put a negative spin on any subject. As she thought of a response that would put her caring but pessimistic mother at ease, a slow smile came to her face while her mind recalled the image of the tall, dark and scrumptious man she’d shared an elevator ride with that morning.

“What? What are you smiling about?” Brenda asked suspiciously.

“Nothing, I was just thinking about the fact that Cooper & Beardsley is home to more than its fair share of fine male attorneys. I should bring you with me the next time I go there and hook you up with one of those professional men, Mama.” Torie laughed.

“Me? Child, please. You know I’m not even studying no man. All that’s over with for me,” Brenda said.

“Mama, why do you say things like that? You’re a beautiful woman, and you’ve got a lot to offer a man. If you’d stop acting like you have one foot in the grave, you could—”

“Torie, I don’t want to talk about this again. Like I said, I am not interested in offering anybody anything. And just because you’re taking a very wise and necessary break from men right now, does not mean you should be concentrating on my personal life. Hook me up? Please. You just focus on your career and nothing else, you hear?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Torie said with another exaggerated under-the-breath sigh.

Torie was seven years old when her parents split up for the last time. It had been a tumultuous relationship, plagued by the resentment born of unfulfilled dreams. The couple had had one more child, a son they named Darius, but that wasn’t enough to save the relationship. Darius was still a toddler when their father moved, first out of the home and then out of Georgia. He eventually ended up in California, where he remarried. After that, they saw less and less of him, and she watched as her mother grew more and more disinterested in romance altogether.

“Come on, Mama, let’s go do some shopping,” Torie said, purposely changing the subject.

“There are still quite a few stores that I can’t let you leave New York without hitting up.”

The women spent the afternoon trying on shoes and clothes at a variety of trendy boutiques. At various times, when each believed the other to be preoccupied with a dress or a pair of boots, they would get lost in their private thoughts. The faraway look that clouded Brenda’s eyes as she thought of herself on yesterday’s stages was matched by the one in Torie’s eyes as she dreamed of passionate kisses with a gorgeous man in a red tie.

Chapter 3
Trapped

Monte dropped his PDA into the pocket of his briefcase as he moved past the vacant reception desk and toward the bank of elevators. He glanced at the Movado watch on his left wrist and issued a mild curse beneath his breath. He was late and the boys would already be in bed by the time he got home. He hated not being home for dinner and detested missing the opportunity to tuck them in after a few rounds of XterminatoR video game on the PS3 system. The fact that tonight’s holdup couldn’t be avoided due to a delayed international flight of one of his most prominent clients and a very long meeting did not make him feel any better.

Monte rubbed his forehead, glad that it was Friday night and he could look forward to a relaxing weekend with his sons. Tomorrow morning he planned to take them to the lake for the day where they’d get the canoe out if the weather was good and maybe do some fishing. He stepped into the elevator, pressed the button for the lobby and leaned back against a side wall. The doors began to close, but they stopped just before they met when a slender hand slid between them. Monte looked, startled to see that the hand belonged to none other than Torie Turner.

“Ooh, I made it,” she said, moving into the elevator with a small hop.

Monte quickly depressed the open button until Torie was completely inside.

“Thank you.” She smiled.

“You’re welcome.” Monte smiled back.

Torie reached out and pressed the already-illuminated lobby button. The doors closed and the elevator began its descent. Torie stared at the buttons, fully aware of Monte’s eyes on her. From her peripheral she could see him studying her, and while an intense look like his should have made her nervous or uncomfortable, it didn’t. She refused, however, to allow herself to turn to meet his gaze, despite the fact that his eyes felt like magnets, drawing her own eyes to his.

Monte started to speak. He cleared his throat, parted his lips and the lights went out. The elevator lurched to a stop, propelling Torie into Monte.

“Oh,” she screamed.

“What the—” Monte began.

He caught Torie in one arm and steadied her.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah…yes. Whoa, that was scary. What’s happening?” she asked, her voice tinged with panic.

“I don’t know,” Monte answered. He reached out, fumbling with the buttons in an attempt to press the now-blackened one for the lobby. The elevator remained motionless and dark. He felt along the smooth panel again until he located the alarm. He pressed that button and the shrill sound rang out, causing Torie, who was still standing very close to Monte, to jump even closer.

“It’s okay. I’m just ringing the alarm to alert someone that we’re in here,” Monte said.

The rich timbre of Monte’s voice had an almost calming effect on Torie. Almost, because although it was a well-guarded secret, Torie was deeply afraid of the dark.

“Shouldn’t an emergency light come on or something?” she asked.

“You would think so, but I’m guessing maybe the power is out. I’m sure it’ll come on in a few minutes.”

“Do you really think so?”

“Yeah, I’m sure of it. This is a state-of-the-art building and we’re constantly having elevator inspections and such. And even if it doesn’t come on, the lobby security will respond to the alarm,” Monte said.

He said these words even though he really wasn’t sure of any of it. But making others feel at ease in any situation was in Monte’s nature and it was a talent at which he was very good. It was what made him a loving father and son, and a superb lawyer. He could feel the anxiety radiating off of Torie, and the last thing they needed while trapped and suspended twenty-odd stories off of the ground was for her to get hysterical.

“Okay,” came Torie’s measured reply.

She accepted Monte’s rationale and allowed it to sink into her mind and racing heart. Of course he was right. This was, after all, the Time Warner building, located in the center of midtown Manhattan on a Friday night. This building and its personnel was equipped to deal with this type of emergency, and it would just be a matter of minutes before they were rescued. Torie inhaled a deep breath. She closed her eyes and allowed her muscles to relax. As her pulse slowed and the queasy feeling in her stomach began to subside, she became aware of how close to Monte she was still standing after having been thrown into him. Although she could not see his face and could only make out the outline of his form, her other senses kicked in, drawing her into his presence. She felt the warmth of his body next to hers and the scent of him, a mixture of maleness and a heady aftershave toyed with her sense of smell. She suddenly felt wobbly again and reached out for him. Her hand found his strong forearm, and she clenched it.

“Maybe we should sit down,” Monte said, interpreting her move as a sign that she was unsteady on her feet, perhaps near fainting.

He quickly removed his suit jacket and laid it on the floor beside him. He felt for Torie’s elbow and then slowly guided her to the floor and onto his jacket. He slid down the wall beside her, loosening the knot in his tie. Monte stretched his long legs out in front of him and let out the deep sigh that he’d been holding in.

“This really sucks, doesn’t it?” Torie asked.

“Well, I guess you could say that it’s not my idea of how to spend a Friday night.” Monte chuckled.

He thought for a moment about his boys and his mother, who were at home in bed for sure. Cheryl, the nanny who looked after them while he worked, would probably call the office soon, to see how much longer he would be delayed. She’d have given his mother her sleeping pill and made sure the guardrails on her bed were in place. He’d had the bars installed a few months ago when his mother had either rolled off the bed or fallen while trying to get up. She’d broken her wrist when she’d hit the floor and now he made sure that she was secure in bed every night. Cheryl would begin to get worried soon and would then call both his cell and car phones. Monte felt around in the dark until he found his briefcase. He reached into the side pocket and retrieved his PDA.

“Humph, just like I thought. No signal,” he said.

All the device was able to provide was a sliver of light from the small screen when he depressed the power button.

“And then there was light,” Monte joked.

He lay the device onto his lap and let his head roll back against the elevator wall.

“So what would you be doing tonight if you weren’t trapped in this elevator?” Monte asked.

“Me? Uh, I’d probably be home, curled up on the sofa by now,” Torie answered.

“Yeah, right. On a Friday night in New York City? Come on, for real. What would you be doing?”

“I’m serious,” Torie cried. “I’d be watching 20/20 or whatever’s on right now. Ooh, and tonight was the season finale of NCIS, too. Shoot.”

“Listen to you, sounding like a regular couch potato.” Monte laughed.

“And what’s wrong with that? I happen to have a very nice couch, I’ll have you know,” Torie said over Monte’s raucous laughter. “What’s so funny?”

“Nothing, nothing. I’m sorry,” Monte said, putting his laughter in check. “It’s just that I can’t really picture you with curlers in your hair, flannel pajamas and a big bowl of popcorn,” Monte said, chuckling.

“You know, if you’re going to make fun of me, you could at least introduce yourself first.”

“Monte…Monte Lewis. I’d shake your hand, but I’m not sure where it is,” Monte said.

“It’s nice to meet you, Monte Lewis. I’m Torie…Turner.”

“I know who you are,” Monte responded. “Oh?”

“We, uh, actually shared an elevator a couple of weeks ago. You were coming up to the office to see Monica Schwartz. You’re an actress, right?”

“Yes, that’s right. Don’t tell me you’ve seen my work?” Torie asked.

Monte realized at that moment that he could lie and say, yes, he had. He could tell her that she was a terrific actress and possibly score big points with her, but that wasn’t his style. He believed that when you start off telling one lie all you’re doing is setting yourself up for a dozen more lies to follow.

“No, I can’t say that I have. What have you done?”

In the darkness, Torie’s smile broadened. She hated when she met people who, immediately upon learning that she was an actress, pretended to recognize her. Someday she was certain that she would be a face that people knew immediately, but that day was not here yet. Torie Turner’s was not an ego that needed to be stroked with false praise. She found Monte’s honesty refreshing.

“Well, let’s see. There was that mouthwash commercial last winter. Then there was the Reynolds Wrap foil spot around the holidays. And my personal favorite, the genital herpes medicine gig.” Torie laughed. “Pretty impressive résumé, huh?”

“I guess I don’t watch much TV,” Monte said apologetically.

“I’m just teasing; that’s not all I’ve done. There have also been a couple of small theater productions in Atlanta and in Philadelphia. But all that is about to change.”

“Change is good,” Monte said.

Several minutes of silence ensued before either spoke again. Monte was reminded of his first date with Shawna and how comfortable he’d felt with her, as though they’d already known each other for a lifetime. That same sense of familiarity had come over him now, and he secretly thanked whatever higher power had orchestrated this dilemma for him.

“Is it getting warm in here to you?” Torie asked suddenly.

She didn’t wait for an answer before unbuttoning the top two buttons of her blouse and removing the lightweight leather jacket she wore. She knew that her nerves were shot, which probably attributed to the warm flush that had invaded her flesh.

“Yeah, definitely warm,” Monte said, removing his tie altogether.

“So, Monte, what fun and exciting evening are you missing out on?” she wanted to know.

Monte talked animatedly about his sons and their weekend plans. Without offering much detail, he told Torie that since becoming a single parent, he dedicated his weekends to activities with his boys and found their outings to be the perfect break from work and the other demands of life. Surprised and intrigued by this revelation, she asked how he managed to care for two boys on his own and he told her that his boys had a middle-aged woman named Cheryl, who was the best nanny, cook and housekeeper in the world, caring for them. She wanted to ask about the boys’ mother, but she didn’t want to be obvious.

Hours passed as they opened up about their respective childhoods, sharing stories of playground mishaps and adolescent insecurities. Torie laughed raucously at Monte’s jokes, vulnerable to his understated yet undeniable sense of humor. Their conversation had its serious moments when Monte shared his concerns over his mother, who was ailing, and Torie talked about the hole created in her life by her father’s absence. However, those moments were cathartic for both of them, as they felt unexplainably comfortable sharing such intimacies in the secluded space of their private bubble. After being caught up in a cozy tête-à-tête, it was finally Monte’s growling stomach that reminded them both that they hadn’t eaten since midday. Monte reached into his right pants pocket.

“All I’ve got is a half pack of Doublemint gum. How about you?”

Torie sifted through her Dooney and Bourke giraffe print.

“I’ve got a few orange-flavored Tic Tacs mints and I think…yes, here it is. A half a roll of Mentos candies,” she exclaimed excitedly.

Despite his efforts to keep Torie calm, Monte had begun to grow uneasy himself. There had been no contact from security and it seemed as if no one knew that they were trapped in the elevator. He began to consider the possibility of them running out of air, but quickly chided himself for being silly. That was probably the last thing that could happen to them.

“We’re going to starve to death,” Monte said half-jokingly.

“No, we’ll probably get dehydrated first. It takes the human body about thirty days to starve after the cells feed off of one another,” Torie answered.

“That’s encouraging.” Monte chuckled.

“Sorry. Here,” Torie said, offering Monte a handful of chewy peppermint Mentos candy.

Their fingers bumped as Torie placed the candy in his hand. The contact sent a charge through Monte as it had done every time their shoulders or sides had touched over the past couple of hours. He liked being near her, listening to the softness of her voice when she spoke or the sound of her breathing when they were silent.

They polished off the candies in minutes and their hunger seemed to be cranked up a notch in spite of it.

“Well, at least we’ll have fresh breath while our bodies dry out.” Torie laughed.

Her face was turned toward his and he felt a burst of minty air hit his cheek. On impulse, he angled toward her, leaning forward until he was inches away from her. She did not move away, nor did she speak. His stomach muscles contracted and he held his breath. The next move was his, and his heart raced at the thought of kissing that beautiful mouth and having her respond in kind.

He hesitated, all sorts of thoughts running through his mind. There was always the possibility that his advance would be unwanted. Yet, the urge was too compelling for Monte to back away from it. He brushed his lips lightly across Torie’s mouth and the quivering in his stomach only intensified. He covered her lips and, to his surprise, she parted to receive him, allowing his tongue to melt into the softness of her candy-coated mouth. She leaned her body into his, and he slid his arm around her torso, securing her against him. Monte had not allowed himself to think about how much he missed the feel of a woman in his arms, but suddenly he was overwhelmed with a sense of longing for feminine suppleness. If he had not known it before, this moment confirmed for him the fact that it was a woman’s touch that made him feel most like a man.

Monte shifted his weight, drawing Torie closer to him. A soft purr escaped from her lips and was lost inside of his mouth. He reached out in the darkness, his hand finding her shoulder. He rubbed through the material of her blouse and wished that he could touch her skin. Instinctively, he knew that it was soft, covering toned limbs. He moved his hand up to her face, running two fingers along the line of her cheekbone. His hand slid to the nape of her neck and caressed silky hair. He gently pushed her head closer to him, wanting to devour her.

“Mmm,” he breathed, trying to recapture his senses, but failing.

Monte knew that he was going too far, but it had been so long since he’d felt such an intense arousal and wanting. Torie Turner had captured his attention from the first moment that he inhaled her scent and laid eyes on her. Yet, tonight, trapped for what seemed like an eternity in the oppressive, closed space of an elevator, he’d found himself enraptured by more than her physical beauty. Unable to see more than a faint outline of her, he’d felt his heart stroked by the sound of her melodic voice and his spirit touched by the sincerity of her personality. He’d learned in those hours that Torie’s beauty was far more than skin-deep. Not since his late wife had he clamored like a fiend just to hear every word a woman had to say. He knew that now that he’d been given the opportunity to be an audience to Torie’s thoughts, he would never be the same again.

Monte struggled with himself, trying to find the strength to disengage from the web he and Torie had spun. His arousal was undeniable, bordering on painful. His fingers, having developed a mind of their own, found the buttons of her blouse and deftly opened first one and then another. The fabric of the lace bra she wore teased his fingers. His tongue probed deeper and hers explored him just as eagerly. When he squeezed the fleshy mound of her left breast, Monte felt as if he’d fallen off a cliff, with no hopes of finding his way back to firm ground. And just when he thought that he would be lost in her sweetness forever, the spell was broken. The lights came on and the elevator jerked a couple of times before resuming its descent as if it had never been stalled.

“We’re saved,” Torie said breathlessly, her hand automatically moving to her open blouse.

She looked into Monte’s eyes and smiled. A nervous chuckle from Torie prompted one from Monte, as well.

“Here, let me help you up,” he said as the elevator neared the lobby level.

Monte rose and grasped Torie’s hand in his, pulling her to her feet. He held on to her hand for an extended moment, gave it a strong squeeze and released it just as the doors opened. They were greeted by two building security guards.

“Sir, ma’am, are you okay?”

“Yes, we’re fine. What happened?” Monte asked, retrieving his rumpled suit jacket from the floor.

“There was a blackout—most of the city and parts of Westchester were out. We contacted the fire department and let them know that we had an elevator alarm going off, but they said they’d only be able to respond to emergencies.”

“I guess two people trapped in an elevator, suspended in midair for hours, doesn’t qualify as an emergency, huh?” Torie huffed.

She snatched her leather jacket from the floor and slipped her arms into it, obviously ticked off.

“You definitely haven’t been a New Yorker very long!” Monte laughed at her teasingly.

“I’m sorry, ma’am,” one of the security guards said. “We really wanted to get you guys some help. We kept trying to talk to you over the intercom, but they were out, too. So sorry about this, folks.”

The guards were clearly upset, feeling a personal failure at not having been able to help them.

“Hey, guys, we’re out now, and I’d say no worse for the wear,” Monte said, throwing a meaningful glance at Torie, who blushed noticeably. “Thanks for all of your efforts, guys.”

Monte shook both of the men’s hands. They both smiled, grateful for Monte’s graciousness despite the evening’s distress. Torie thanked them, as well, assuring the men that she did not hold them responsible for the situation.

“Ms. Turner, can I give you a lift home?” Monte asked.

The spell that Torie had cast over him had remained intact, even after the power came back on and they’d emerged from their metal nest. Monte looked into Torie’s eyes, hoping to convey to her what he was feeling, even as he struggled with exactly what those feelings were himself. He wanted to spend more time with her. After all they’d divulged to each other, there was still so much he wanted to know about her and so much that he wanted to share. With the taste of her lips still lingering on his own, Monte could not erase the feel of her womanly frame in his arms. He wanted to reclaim those arousing sensations and take them to even greater heights.

“No, no…I’m sure you want to get home yourself…check on your boys. I’ll just hail a taxi,” Torie said.

Even as she said no, Torie felt a loud and resounding yes pounding inside her brain. She could feel herself being pulled to Monte, and although what had transpired between them shocked her, she wanted more of it. She had never in her life been so open and unguarded with a man she’d just met, but there was something about Monte that made it difficult to be guarded in his presence. The racing of her heart and the pulsing in the center of her womanhood had yet to taper off, and her head told her that the logical thing to do would be to put some distance between herself and the seductive Monte Lewis before she did something that she would later regret.

Monte studied her face for a moment, and he thought he could see a flash of conflict reflected in her beautiful eyes. It was enough to place his desire in check.

“You’re right—I really do need to get on home. Cheryl is probably beside herself with worry. Come on, I’ll hail a cab for you.”

The pair stood out on the sidewalk in silence, each lost in complicated thoughts. The air was warm for April, yet Torie hugged both arms around her body. When Monte was at last successful in stopping a yellow taxicab for her, she slid quickly into the passenger seat, but turned to face him before the door closed.

“Thanks for everything tonight, Monte. I don’t know what I would have done if I’d been in that elevator alone,” Torie said.

“I can safely say the same thing,” Monte said, smiling warmly.

“Good night.”

Monte pushed the door closed and watched the taxi peel away from the curb. He stayed where he was, standing until the red taillights blended in with all the other cars headed in the same direction. Finally, he pulled his PDA from his briefcase to call home and headed toward the building’s underground parking lot to retrieve his car. Even as they moved in opposite directions, both Monte’s and Torie’s thoughts remained in an elevator of the Time Warner building. The kiss they’d shared played an equal role in their revelries, as did the quiet admissions made in the dark. They’d reached a level of intimacy with each other that some people were still searching for after several dates and a night full of passionate sex. Each was left with the conclusion that people ought to spend more time trapped alone in elevators.

Chapter 4
The Scent of Roses

On the Monday morning following the blackout, Monte arrived at his office at noon, having spent the morning at the boys’ pediatrician’s office for their annual checkups. He always subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief whenever his boys went to the doctors, as he was no stranger to unexpected illness. Both Joshua and Josiah were progressing as they should and neither one had so much as a bump to complain about. For Monte, that was all the news he needed to have a good day. Little did he know that there was even more ahead to be happy about.

“Morning, Mr. Lewis. Looks like your day is off to a bright start.” His secretary, Margaret, beamed as he leaned over her desk to retrieve his mail.

Perplexed by Margaret’s unusual greeting, Monte’s eyebrows came together in a question mark. Margaret simply smiled and pointed toward the open door of Monte’s office. He moved cautiously toward the office, glancing back at Margaret, who continued watching him with a look reminiscent of a cat that’d eaten a canary.

In the center of Monte’s desk rested a large bouquet of yellow roses. Their scent had already filled the spacious room and their vibrant color seemed to provide more illumination than the florescent lights overhead. Monte was even more mystified as he plucked the small card from the vase. In a delicate, beautiful penmanship, there was a simple message that read, It was a pleasure sharing an extended elevator ride with you. Monte Lewis, you are a lifesaver. Torie T.

Monte looked down at the flowers again and noticed that tied to the large satin yellow-and-white bow in front of the vase was a pack of assorted Mentos. He burst out laughing, his robust voice ringing throughout his office and out into the corridor where Margaret still sat beaming.

“Told you,” she called.

Monte pulled back the leather office chair behind his desk and sat down. He stared at the flowers for several minutes, inhaling their scent. He tore the package of Mentos open and popped one into his mouth, before closing his eyes and taking another deep breath. The memories that he’d spent the entire weekend fighting to suppress came rushing back, heating him up inside. He opened his eyes and read Torie’s card again and again. Her handwriting was as delicate and graceful as she was.

Over the past two days Monte had convinced himself that what had happened in that elevator between he and Torie was a simple case of two people being forced together during a stressful situation. He’d told himself that a woman as electrifying and breathtaking as she had to be a lot more complicated than she’d appeared, and complications were the last thing he needed in his life. He’d spent the past three years focusing on his boys and helping them cope with the loss of their mother. He’d pushed all of his own desires and longings aside, striving to fill the void left by Shawna as best as he could. When his mother’s health had taken a turn for the worse last year, he knew that he’d made the right decision and dedicated himself even more to taking care of his family. Those hours spent with Torie in that elevator had stirred up long-buried feelings and, since then, Monte had managed to push them back down where they belonged. Yet, even as he’d done that, he knew that he was telling himself a lie and had been all along.

Monte was startled from his deep thoughts by a quick rap on the open door to his office. In walked Brent Stolzberg, a colleague, as well as his racquetball partner and friend.

“Monte, my man, what’s cooking?” Brent asked as he walked in.

Brent took at seat in front of Monte’s desk. Motioning to the flowers, he said, “Whoa, what’s this?”

“Man, you wouldn’t believe it if I told you,” Monte replied.

He spent the next few minutes explaining to Brent how he’d been trapped in the elevator with one of the firm’s newest clients last Friday night and how afraid she’d been. He left out the part about the passionate kiss they’d shared and also didn’t mention how she’d been plaguing his thoughts ever since.

“And she sent you flowers to thank you for holding her hand through the ordeal? Wow, classy lady. What’s her name?”

“Torie Turner.”

“Oh, this just gets better and better. The infamous Torie Turner? I’ve heard that she’s a ten on the knockout scale,” Brent said. “All the single guys around here are practically drooling over her…and some of the married ones, for that matter, too.”

“Okay, so we’re rating our clients now? Boy, if that’s not a clear indication that we definitely don’t have enough to do around here, I don’t know what is,” Monte replied.

“Come on, Monte. Don’t tell me you’ve never checked out a client before. Even a monk like you can acknowledge a good-looking woman when you see one,” Brent retorted.

“Whatever. Look, Torie Turner is, indeed, a beautiful woman. Happy?”

“Not yet. Not until you tell me what went on while you two were trapped in that elevator all of that time?”

“Nothing. We talked. I kept reassuring her that everything would be okay. Eventually, we got out, I hailed a taxi for her and that’s it.”

“Yeah, right. And that’s why she sent you this hundred-dollar bouquet of roses? Get real, Monte.”

“I’m serious, that’s it. I don’t know what you want me to say, Brent.”

“I want you to say that you’re going to call Ms. Turner, thank her for the flowers and then ask her out to dinner or a show.”

“Why on earth would I do that?”

“Are you serious? Monte, there are about a million reasons why you should do that, starting with the fact that you haven’t been out on what qualifies as a date in years and ending with the fact that Torie Turner is a beautiful woman who appears to be interested in you.”

“Interested in me? What? No, you’re reading this all wrong,” Monte said nervously. He paused for a minute, glancing at the flowers. “What makes you think she’s interested in me?”

“Duh! Jeez, Monte, has it been that long? Let me school you, my naive friend. Women don’t send flowers to men just because,” Brent answered.

“The flowers are a thank-you for keeping her calm in the elevator. That’s all.”

“I’m sure she said thank-you when you got out of the elevator. Those flowers are about ten percent thank-you and ninety percent I want to get to know you better,” Brent said.

Monte thought about Brent’s words, considering their undeniable merit. She had said thank-you, repeatedly. There was no real need for her to send the flowers, unless she was interested. But, on the other hand, maybe that was just the type of person she was—gracious and overly demonstrative. Either way, Monte reasoned, he had already made up his mind.

“You know what, Brent? It really doesn’t matter why she sent the flowers. I’m not interested in dating Torie Turner,” Monte said definitively.

“Why not?”

“Why not?”

“Is there an echo in here? Why not?” Brent asked again.

“Because—”

“Because you’ve taken this ridiculous vow of celibacy and solitude that makes absolutely no sense. That’s why,” Brent said.

“Brent, you don’t know what you’re talking about,” Monte said. He pulled his lips in tightly, a sign that he was growing increasingly uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation.

“Monte, I love you like a stepbrother, but it’s time you got honest—if not with me, at least with yourself. Shawna would not want you living this way,” Brent said softly.

Monte was poised to get defensive and tell Brent that he really had no idea what he was talking about. He wanted to tell his friend to back off, but something stopped him. He leaned back in his seat and his eyes gravitated to the left, toward the credenza behind him. There was a picture of Shawna, the boys and him, taken about six months before she died.

“She’d give you permission to be happy if she could,” Brent added.

“What makes you think I’m not happy?” Monte asked, lifting the framed photograph from the shelf.

“I’m not saying you’re not happy. I know you love the boys, and for some crazy reason you even love this place. I’m just saying that you’re blessed, man, but all that’s missing is someone to share it with.”

“I’m blessed? Listen to you sounding like a brotha. Keep on hanging out with me and you’re going to get your white-boy card revoked,” Monte joked.

“See there, now your memory is fading. I already became an honorary brotha last Thanksgiving when your mom got me hooked on her collard greens and black-eyed peas,” Brent replied with a laugh. “On that note, I’ve got a meeting to get to. Just think about what I said and, after you do that, invite the woman to a harmless lunch.”

“Later, man,” was Monte’s noncommittal reply.

Left alone with his thoughts, Monte stared at the photo of his family. He couldn’t believe that he still loved Shawna as much as he did the day he’d married her, but there it was, sitting in the middle of his chest like a boulder. A love that once lifted him and made him believe he could fly now weighed him down and left him feeling like a drowning man. For the first few months after her death, he’d looked up to the heavens and asked over and over again why she’d left him. He never got a response so eventually he stopped asking. He’d heard that when people lost a loved one, they often felt that person’s presence, comforting them. He didn’t feel that. All that Shawna’s death had left was a hole that he’d believed could never be filled. Suddenly, a thought occurred to him that perhaps what Shawna had really left was a space and not a hole. Maybe she’d left that space purposely so that there would be room in his heart for someone new to love.

Monte spontaneously turned toward his computer. He struck a few keys on the keyboard and pulled up the firm’s client directory. Within seconds, Torie Turner’s name, address and telephone number appeared on the screen. He picked up the handset on his telephone, punched her digits into the keypad and waited. Her recorded voice came on after the second ring, urging him to leave a message.

“Hello, Torie. This is Monte…Monte Lewis. I just, uh, wanted to say thank-you for the flowers. A beautiful yet entirely unnecessary gesture, but you are more than welcome. Listen, I was wondering if you’d like to, uh, have lunch sometime. I know your schedule is probably pretty hectic, but if you have a free hour or whatever, give me a call. Okay, well, take care.”

Monte hung up and expelled the breath he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding. Uncertain as to if she’d call or how that would make him feel, Monte allowed the alluring scent of Torie’s roses to soothe him temporarily. He couldn’t deny that she’d touched him in a place that he’d thought no one would ever be able to reach again. He certainly hadn’t been looking for it, but it was precisely because he wasn’t looking that she’d appeared. While he was a man who’d long ago stopped believing in destiny and fate, he could not help but wonder if Torie Turner had come into his life and his elevator at precisely the moment when he needed her to.

Chapter 5
Cards on the Table

“So, Ms. Turner, have you hung out in any nice elevators lately?” Monte asked.

They were seated at an intimate table for two at an obscure Italian restaurant in walking distance of the Time Warner building.

“Ha-ha. Very funny, Mr. Lewis,” Torie replied.

Monte beamed beneath the warmth of her sunny smile.

“I’m just teasing you. How’ve you been?”

“I’ve been well, thank you. And for the record, I’ve been avoiding elevators ever since,” Torie answered.

Monte ordered a cabernet sauvignon by the bottle when the waiter approached. When Torie had returned his call, he was crushed to know that she was actually in California on business. She returned his hopes when she informed that she’d be back in town in a couple of days and would love to have lunch with him. They made plans to meet on Friday, two weeks after their fateful night together. For the days leading up to their date, Monte found himself wafting between moments of elation and others of despair. He didn’t want to make too much of her acceptance of his invitation, yet he couldn’t help but think that it meant, as Brent stated, that she was interested in him. Seated across the table from her now, he felt like a goofy teenager, unsure of himself.

Torie gratefully accepted the glass of wine poured by the waiter. She took a protracted sip, quenching her dry throat. She chided herself silently, annoyed at how nervous she was, seated across from Monte. That morning, with their date looming before her, she’d changed her outfit three times before finally deciding on a long-sleeved animal-print blouse and white slacks. She wore minimal makeup as usual, opting for a subtle shimmer on her eyes and a tinted lip gloss. She wore her shoulder-length bronze-copper hair pulled back from her face and held in place by a silver comb. Confident in her appearance, Torie wished that some of that confidence would calm the butterflies that were flitting around in her belly.

“I’ve got to tell you, those flowers you sent me caused quite a stir around the office,” Monte said.

“Really? Why is that?” Torie asked.

“Well, it’s not every day that I get elaborate floral arrangements from a female.”

“Oh? So do you usually get them from a male?”

“That’s cute. Okay, I guess I set myself up for that one. What I meant to say was that it was an unusual sight and people were curious,” Monte said.

“Were they interested in who they were from or what you did to deserve them?” Torie asked.

“Both.”

“What’d you tell them?”

“Absolutely nothing. I figured I’d keep them guessing.”

“I see. Well, next time, maybe I’ll send you some balloons, instead. All right?” Torie laughed.

“Definitely all right…especially that part about next time,” Monte said.

His meaning was not lost on Torie. She took another sip of wine and smiled at him. It was so difficult not to be captivated by everything about Monte—his eyes and his smile drew her in like a spider’s web. She’d wanted to resist him and the feelings he had ignited in her, but denying herself the pleasure of the company of a man like Monte proved more difficult than she had imagined it would be. When she’d set her mind to avoiding romantic entanglements for the foreseeable future, she had not encountered the likes of Monte Lewis. There was a calm that surrounded the man like a cloak, traveled with him and pervaded the mood of anyone who came into contact with him. She liked the way she felt around him, and going against her previous stance did not seem like such a high price to pay to enjoy that feeling.

“Can I ask you a question?” Monte asked.

“You just did.”

“Wow, are you sure you’re an actress and not a comedienne?” Monte retorted.

“I’m sorry.” Torie laughed. “I have this bad habit of cracking jokes when I’m nervous.”

“What do you have to be nervous about?” Monte asked.

His surprise was evident on his face as he regarded her. The notion that the beautiful, poised woman seated across the table from him would be nervous in his presence or that of any man, for that matter, was absurd.

“You, Mr. Lewis. For some reason, you make me nervous,” Torie admitted shyly.

“I assure you, Torie, you have nothing to be nervous about. I’m harmless.”

“Somehow I doubt that, but we digress. You wanted to ask me a question. Shoot.”

“Well, it’s actually twofold…my question. And excuse me in advance if this is out of line or inappropriate, but I’m a little out of practice at this. I was just wondering if you’re seeing anyone and, if not, if, uh, if you’d like to see me. I mean, you know, maybe go out from time to time—schedules permitting—to dinner, a movie, or whatever you’re into.”

There, he’d said it. Monte could almost feel his throat closing up as he waited for her response. He hadn’t meant to be so blunt, especially not before they’d even ordered their meals. However, he could not continue to deny how alluring he found her and he needed to know early on if there was even a chance that they could see each other again. He told himself that knowing up-front would set the tone for the remainder of their lunch date, and he could avoid getting his hopes up if this was a one-shot deal.

“I like you, too, Monte,” was Torie’s simple reply.

Monte held his breath, unsure if a but was about to come. When she said nothing further, he surged ahead for her.

“But?”

“But nothing. You like me and I like you, too. It’s out there now. So, why don’t we just sit back, enjoy our lunch and see what happens.”

Damn, he thought, what style. No one could deny that this woman had panache. He took her advice and enjoyed every minute with her that afternoon. They chatted more about her upbringing in her hometown—North Atlanta, Georgia—in comparison to his as a native New Yorker. They discovered a few things they had in common, such as both being raised in single-parent homes and neither of them having a relationship with their fathers. Monte was an only child; Torie’s younger brother, Darius, was a deputy sheriff back in Atlanta. They laughed when they discovered that they’d both served as senior class presidents in their respective high schools, and while Monte had played the tuba in the school band, Torie tooted the clarinet.

Two hours later they emerged from the restaurant, with sides that ached from laughing. Monte’s hand rested on the small of Torie’s back as they strolled down the street. He deposited Torie in front of an entrance to the subway so that she could catch a train to her Upper East Side apartment. As they prepared to part company, Monte leaned in, kissing her lips briefly. He’d been aching to taste her mouth again all through lunch and flushed at the feel of her lips against his. With a tentative pledge to get together again soon, they moved away. Monte whistled as he made his way back to the office and his good cheer certainly had everything to do with the sexy woman who’d brought a smile both to his face and to his heart.

Chapter 6
Undress My Heart

“Monica, that’s terrific. That’s exactly what I was hoping to hear from you today,” Torie squealed.

She leaned forward in the passenger seat of Monte’s Lexus ES350 luxury sedan and slapped the open palm of her right hand on her thigh. She turned to Monte, her face a bright beam of happiness, which served to bring out a smile on his face, although he had no idea what she was so happy about.

“And they’re ready to sign?” Torie asked. “Wonderful. Okay, uh, sometime next month? Okay, I’ll wait to hear from you. Thank you again, Monica. Take care.”

Torie disconnected the call and dropped her PDA onto her lap. She clapped her hands together three times rapidly before covering her face with her hands.

“Are you going to tell me what we’re celebrating or am I going to have to guess?” Monte asked.

“Oh, my goodness, Monte. It’s unbelievable. No, scratch that. It is totally believable because I’m damned good at what I do,” Torie stated emphatically.

“Yes, you are. Now, what are we talking about?” Monte asked again.

“Well, a few weeks ago, I read for a lead spot in a new series pilot called Higher Learning—I know, same title as that nineties movie with Ice Cube. It’s a drama based on a college campus. I read for the role of Senora Phelps, head of the recruiting department. It’s a really great role…one that leaves a lot of room for growth. I had a good feeling when I read but, you know, you never can tell. Anyway, it turns out that feeling was right on the money!” Torie shouted.

“You got the part?” Monte asked.

“Not only did I get the part, but Monica said they’re offering me a very sweet deal to boot. She’ll have the written contract next month, and she says I’ll be pleased.”

“Damn, girl, that’s all right! Congratulations. Look at you—been in the Big Apple for five minutes and you’re already doing great things. Go ’head, Ms. Turner,” Monte shouted, his enthusiasm paralleling hers.

“Oh, Monte. I can’t even tell you what this feels like. I mean, it’s one thing to strive for something and envision it for yourself, but when it actually happens, it’s surreal. I don’t know what I did to be so blessed, but I’m truly grateful.”

“What you did was to be beautiful, talented, smart and driven. That’s a lethal combination, by any measure,” Monte said. “Don’t you want to call your mom?”

By this, their third date, Torie had already shared with Monte a bit of her relationship with her mother. She’d told him how demanding her mother could be, and she’d admitted that while her mother had always been her biggest supporter, there were times when her mother’s visions for Torie’s future conflicted with her own. At those times the pressure that Torie felt could be overwhelming as she struggled to follow her own course, despite how tenaciously Brenda tried to steer her into another direction.

“I’ll call her…later. Right now I just want to savor the moment, you know. I know there is an urge when good things happen to us to run right out and shout it to the world, but some things—like this one—are just so big that you need to keep it private for a while and soak it in,” Torie said.

They drove in silence for a few long moments. Monte’s excitement for Torie’s good news was another in a list of indicators that he’d had over the past couple of weeks, telling him how caught up he was with her. It almost felt as if her success was his own and he didn’t think he could have been any happier if, in fact, it were his own.

“I’m happy I’m here with you in your big moment,” Monte said, breaking the silence.

Torie turned to face him, while Monte kept his eyes on the road ahead of them.

“I’m glad you are, too,” Torie said sincerely.

They drove the remaining few miles in relative silence, save an occasional comment on the scenery around them. It was early on Saturday and they were headed out to the lake house in Ronkonkoma, about an hour’s drive from where Monte lived in Sands Point. Monte had bought the lake house just a few months after Shawna died. Their house had so many memories that he’d thought that having a change of scenery on the weekends would be good for the boys. It turned out that he was right. Being able to do activities like fishing and going out on the lake in a canoe brought smiles back to his boys’ faces and to his own. For the first year after Shawna died, they’d drive out almost every Friday night and stay through Sunday evening. It was a place of solace and comfort and, Monte felt, one of the best investments he’d ever made.

Now that his mother was living with them, Monte and the boys only went out to the house a couple of times a month, usually when his mother was feeling up to going with them. Otherwise, Cheryl would stay in Sands Point and look after her. Today, Monte’s hope was that he and Torie could spend some time alone, away from crowded restaurants and other people. He couldn’t deny that he found himself in a constant state of arousal every minute he spent with her. Today, if the mood was right and if Torie was feeling half of what he was feeling, he hoped they would fulfill every one of their desires.

Monte gave Torie the grand tour of the small cottage-style house and the surrounding grounds. The two-bedroom home was modestly decorated, with fireplaces in the living room and the master bedroom, two bathrooms and a fully loaded kitchen. Out behind the house there was a barbecue pit and screened patio, and the yard area was surrounded by a thicket of trees and shrubbery that offered privacy from the next house several hundred yards away. He took Torie down to the lake, which was a short walk from the house. They sat beneath a tree, looking out at the water for a while, easy chatter flowing between them. When they returned to the house, Monte spread a blanket in the backyard and left Torie out there reading a magazine while he prepared the brunch he’d packed for them.

“Wow, don’t even tell me you cooked all of this yourself,” Torie exclaimed when Monte spread the food in front of her.

“That depends. What do I get if I say yes?”

“Mmm, how about I kiss the cook,” Torie said, licking deviled egg from her fingers.

“Promises, promises.”

They ate and talked some more about Torie’s new role, a topic that made Torie’s light eyes shine even more brightly than they did.

“When you were a little girl, was acting the dream you held for yourself?” Monte wanted to know.

“I was seven when I decided that I wanted to act. I remember telling my mother that I thought the most powerful people in the world were people who could make others laugh, cry, be happy or sad, just with a few words or a smile. She thought I was just being what she liked to call my usual dramatic little self, but I was serious. I never wanted any other career.”

“So you’re doing what you love. Isn’t that the best feeling in the world?”

Torie lay back on the blanket, staring up at the sky for a moment before answering. She searched for the words to describe how she felt. Monte lay beside her and held her hand.

“It is. It’s acting out a fairy tale,” she answered at last. “What about you? Did you always want to be a lawyer?”

“Nah, I wanted to be a pilot. I thought I’d go into the air force, learn how to navigate planes and eventually end up in space operations.”

“Wow, space? Don’t tell me you wanted to walk on the moon?”

“I hadn’t really thought that far, but, hey, you never know. But I quickly realized that I didn’t want to end up in a war so the air force was probably not the best way to avoid that. Besides, my mom was always dropping hints about how nice it would be to have a lawyer in the family.” Monte smiled.

He rose up on one elbow so that he could peer down into Torie’s face.

“Oh, don’t I know about that mother pressure,” Torie exclaimed, rolling her eyes.

“Yeah, but it actually turned out to be a good thing for me. I went to law school, absolutely fell in love with the field and, voilà, here I am.”

“Here you are,” Torie replied, staring into Monte’s eyes.

Monte glided two fingers down the side of Torie’s cheek, amazed at the softness of her skin.

“Tell me about your father.”

“There’s not much to tell. I guess I don’t even remember him, at least not much other than what my mother told me,” Monte mused.

“Do you know if you look like him?”

“Yeah, I look exactly like him. It’s funny because sometimes you hear that when a woman and man split up and that man leaves their child or children behind, the mother can take her anger out on the poor kid. It’s especially bad when the kid looks like the father. But not my mother. My mother always told me how handsome I was, how much she loved me. Even though my father left her to struggle on her own, she held his little boy close, looked in a face that was the spitting image of his father’s and loved him,” Monte finished wistfully.

“That’s beautiful.” Torie smiled. “I bet that’s why you’re such a great dad.”

“How do you know what kind of father I am?”

“Well, because every time you talk about one of your sons, there’s this dreamy proud-papa look that comes into your eyes. And you smile at the mere mention of their names. And you work hard, for them.” Torie paused. “And you’ve helped them go on through what has to be the worst thing that can happen to a little boy.”

Torie reached up and touched the side of Monte’s face. He turned his face to kiss the palm of her hand.

“I find your patriarchy incredibly sexy, Mr. Lewis.”

The way she looked up at him, her gaze a mixture of seduction and timidity, made his heart flutter with equal strength as in his loins. His lips found hers and an immediate electric bolt shot through him, causing his senses to sing. Their kiss was slow and probing, neither of them felt the need to rush. They wanted to savor each moment, as if by doing so they could lock the seconds of pleasure into their memories forever.

Monte’s tongue slid deliberately over Torie’s, intertwined with it in a sexy waltz without music. She sucked on his bottom lip as if trying to extract its very essence and nibbled at his top lip, making a sensual meal out of him. Monte’s breathing sped up as he grew more aroused. He could feel the blood rushing to his manhood and, try as he might to slow the tempo of his sexual longing down, he was powerless to ebb the flow of the current that was propelling him forward. Suddenly, he broke the connection of their lips, leaning back slightly to look at Torie’s angelic face.

“Are you okay…with this?” he asked.

“Better than okay,” Torie answered as she moved her hand to the back of Monte’s head and let her fingers roam through the thick curly hair. “You are quite the kisser, Mr. Lewis.”

“You’re not half-bad yourself.” Monte smiled.

He planted a small peck on Torie’s lips.

“Have I told you how absolutely breathtaking this place is?” Torie said. “You are absolutely breathtaking, Torie Turner,” Monte replied.

Torie’s smile radiated from her eyes. The perfection of the day seemed almost too good to be true. If one of her girlfriends were telling her this story, she would caution her that she was moving too fast. She would say that three weeks was nowhere near enough time to get to know a man and that her friend was being caught up in a lust that was clouding her judgment. However, she would only be looking from the outside, and from that vantage point there was no way to understand what happens when two souls connect on the basest level. The past three weeks had been free from pretention or game playing. They had not allowed anyone or anything from the outside to interfere with or influence their courtship and, as a result, they had been free to be entirely open and honest about their attraction to each other. Torie did not feel that they were moving too quickly, and while she didn’t join him at the lake with the intention of moving their relationship to the next level sexually, it was beginning to feel as though that were the next logical place for them to go.

“I want you, Torie,” Monte said, as if reading her mind.

Torie searched his eyes and it was clear that he felt the magnetic pull as strongly as she did. It was a force that was greater than both of them and far more evolved than pure lust. Torie kissed Monte firmly on the lips, hoping to convey what she didn’t trust words to express.

“Baby,” Monte said softly but firmly, “these past few weeks have been amazing. I…I didn’t expect this. I wasn’t looking for anyone, but there you appeared. I feel like you came into my life at the precise moment you did for a reason. I believed that I could make a happy life for myself, my boys and my mother and be satisfied with that. But, Torie, you’ve made me realize that there’s a part of me that’s been unsatisfied and unhappy.”

“Monte, I don’t know what to say. This feels too good to be true,” Torie whispered.

“You don’t have to say anything. I know it’s too early to think about what’s going to happen in the future, and I don’t care about that at this moment. All I know is that, right here, right now, this is all that matters.”

Monte stopped talking, as if all the words that had poured out of him had left him exhausted. He searched for an escape from the frenzy of emotions that were racing through him, but there was no such escape.

“Torie, I’ve been alone for a long time. To be honest, I think I was preparing myself to spend the rest of my life alone. I feel like a big kid, unsure and clumsy.”

“I think that’s another thing that’s so endearing about you, Monte. The fact that I’m not just another notch on a very long belt for an incredibly gorgeous man,” Torie replied.

“I’m not a ladies’ man, Torie, but I’m still a man and I want…well, I want to feel like a whole man again. I want to feel that with you,” Monte said.

Without waiting for a reply, Monte kissed Torie’s eyelids, one at a time, staying the tears that had begun to form in them. She had never felt this close to a man in all of her thirty years, and she recognized that the bond she felt for Monte was beyond sex and far ahead of reason. It was spiritual in nature and, she realized, that was a more powerful aphrodisiac than any other.

Monte’s hand moved to Torie’s tight torso. He pushed the orange tank she wore up, exposing a flat stomach. He let his hand roam and felt her stomach muscles constrict under his touch. He moved up farther, finding soft mounds of flesh that rose and fell beneath his hand. He sought to free her breasts from the lace bra. Once freed, her nipples responded to his touch, standing taut at attention. He bent his head, his lips making contact with the ripe buds one at a time. Torie moaned, spurring Monte on. He licked her nipples, encircling them with just the tip of his tongue. Torie writhed beneath him, arching her back so that her breasts were thrust farther into his face. He read her body language, understanding that she needed more, and he complied. Monte took one breast into his large mouth, devouring it, dining on it. He sucked with all his might, allowing his tongue to lap at the nipple alternately. With his thumb he flicked at the other nipple, not wanting any part of her to feel neglected. Monte took his time with her breasts, almost as though he would be perfectly content with just tasting those perfect peaks all day and night.

Torie lifted her leg, encircling Monte’s massive thigh and rubbing it up and down against him. She reached behind him, her hand landing on his muscled rear. Through his khaki shorts she squeezed and kneaded that strapping bulge of muscle and flesh. Monte sat up, pulling Torie upward with him. In a sitting position, he pulled the tank over her head and then slid her bra straps down. He unhooked the clasp from the back of the laced material and, when Torie’s torso was completely bare, Monte stared in admiration. To him, she was pure perfection. He breathed heavily, before leaning forward to kiss each of her shoulders in turn. He found her mouth again to continue the dance their tongues had begun earlier.

“Monte,” Torie whispered, her mouth moving to his left ear.

Monte thought that his name had never sounded sweeter than it did as it tumbled from her tender lips. She slid her tongue into his ear and he trembled. She nibbled at his earlobe and he thought that he would pass out from the sheer pleasure of it.

Torie stopped tonguing Monte’s ear abruptly, disengaging from his embrace. He opened his eyes, alarm coating his handsome face.

“Take off your shirt,” Torie said, the tone of her voice revealing the depth of her arousal.

Monte complied without hesitation, pulling his T-shirt over his head roughly and tossing it away from him. Torie smiled as she let her eyes roam freely across his sculpted chest and abdomen. She rose and Monte watched in a daze as she moved slowly around him until she was standing behind him. When she placed her fingertips on his shoulders, he felt as if he had been waiting for her to touch him there all of his life. She began to knead the tight expanse of neck and shoulders firmly, which felt better than a massage at any overpriced salon Monte had ever experienced. But when he felt Torie’s tongue lapping between his shoulder blades, he knew he’d never visit another masseuse again.

“Ooh,” he groaned between clenched teeth.

Torie’s hands slid to Monte’s pectorals as she dropped to her knees behind him. As she encircled the hard flatness of his nipples, he couldn’t tell if it was the sensations from her fingertips or the feel of her lovely bare breasts pressing into his back that caused his erection to intensify. He didn’t care what it was, as long as he could extend the pleasure forever. Monte turned slightly, grabbing Torie’s arm forcefully and pushing her down onto the blanket all in one swift movement. He covered her mouth, taking her kiss with force and stealing her breath away. Torie raised her arms above her head in surrender and Monte grabbed both of her hands in his, holding her immobile as he ravished her mouth, face and neck with an eager tongue.

From a distance Monte heard the sharp tone of a trumpet blaring, and he thought that it was the perfect accompaniment to the symphony they were creating. When the sound grew louder, Monte realized with a start that it was his cell phone ringing.

“Ignore it,” Torie whispered into his ear.

And Monte did, at first. But the tones continued and he realized that he could not simply ignore it. He was a man with a family.

“Hold on a minute, baby,” he said, disengaging from Torie.

He snatched the device from the top of the picnic basket where he’d left it. Torie’s impatient expression made Monte want to chuck the phone into the lake and get back to loving her.

“Hello,” he said, without looking at the display. “Cheryl? Cheryl, what’s wrong? I can’t hear you.”

Monte sprung to his feet, moving a step or two closer to the cabin in the hopes of receiving better reception.

“Is he talking? Is he awake? Okay. Yes…yes. Where are they taking him? Okay. Ask Mrs. Thompson across the street if she can stay with my mother and Joshua. I’ll meet you there. Okay, Cheryl. Thank you,” Monte said.

He turned toward Torie, who sat looking up at him, her eyebrows knotted and a question poised on her lips. She had wrapped her arms around her naked breasts.

“Baby, I’m sorry—we’ve got to go. It’s my son…Josiah,” Monte said as he hastily began to throw the remnants of their picnic lunch back into the basket.

“What happened?” Torie asked, jumping to her feet.

Her call fell on deaf ears as Monte the lover took a backseat to Monte the father.

Chapter 7
A Father’s Love

Torie picked up her bra and quickly slid into it. By the time she’d pulled her shirt over her head, Monte had snatched the blanket off the ground, tucked it under an arm, picked up the basket and was heading toward the cabin.

“He fell off of his bicycle and hit his head on a tree stump. Cheryl said he lost consciousness and there was a lot of bleeding. The ambulance is taking him to North Shore University Hospital,” Monte said.

He tossed the contents of his arms into the cabin, turned off the lights and shut the door behind him. He quickly locked it, engaged the alarm and strode toward the car, with Torie trotting to keep up with him. They jumped into the car, spitting gravel beneath the wheels as Monte took off with warp speed.

It took them about forty-five minutes to reach the hospital, during which they traveled in relative silence. Torie attempted to reassure Monte, telling him several times how tough kids were and that she was certain that Josiah would be fine. She could tell that Monte was tortured by the distance and time it was taking to get to his son, and she wanted nothing more than to make him feel better. However, she could tell by the grunts he offered in response to her statements of reassurance that he was not in the mood to be comforted.

They pulled into a parking space just outside of the emergency-room department and Monte sprang from the car. Torie followed, uncertain as to whether she should just wait in the car or trail behind him.

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