No One But You Page 4

  She fingered the phone in her pocket, grinned, then did a little soft-shoe, moved her hands in front of her and sang a made-up song. “How deep is the ocean? How high is the sky? So many women. Oh my, oh my.”

  Katie frowned. “Are you drunk, Robin?

  “High on life.” She threw Katie a kiss as three women surrounded her and pulled her onto the dance floor. After all, she didn’t even know that woman, so what was she upset about?

  Chapter Seven

  June–Lily and Robin

  She’d been cavalier about the missed opportunity to meet the sexy blonde she’d flirted with, but those seductive eyes and that sensuous body had haunted her thoughts and her dreams since that Friday night a week ago. Unsettled by the unfamiliar feeling of aching for someone, she’d taken her entourage dancing at Shazarak every night, hoping sex with another woman would blot out Blondie, but no one tempted her. It wasn’t until she was walking to her apartment after working late today that she’d admitted to herself that she’d been going to Shazarak looking for Blondie, not any other woman. And having admitted to herself her desire to find Blondie and take her to bed, she’d hailed a taxi on the chance that the woman only went out on Fridays and tonight might be her lucky night.

  Now, leaning back on the bar, scanning the crowd in hopes of seeing the sexy blonde, Robin felt uneasy. Was she stalking the woman? Was this what obsession felt like? Should she leave and try to forget her?

  * * *

  Lily arrived at the bar hoping to see the beautiful green-eyed butch she’d interacted with the previous Friday. The more she thought about it, the more she regretted not dumping her blind date and finding a way to meet her. She hadn’t been able to get her out of her mind. Had even dreamed about her.

  She’d never done anything like this, but then again, she’d never felt such an intense attraction to anyone, an attraction based on thirty seconds of eye contact and a few flirtatious moves. She knew she sounded like the heroine in one of her romance novels, but she actually felt as if their souls had touched and they were destined to be together. What if she never found her again? What if she was already committed? Wait, hadn’t she sworn off commitment herself? She decided it didn’t matter. She could still have fun, still wanted to have fun, dance and sing and play, and Ms. Butch looked like she could be her good-time girl.

  This was the third time she’d been back looking for her, for Robin. Did this constitute stalking? Maybe she should just go home. She hesitated. Maybe Robin only went to bars on Friday nights. A quick glance around, then she’d leave. She surveyed the tables and the dance floor, then turned her attention to the bar. Her breath caught at the sight of the slender figure towering over everyone, her black hair glistening in the soft light around the bar, her green eyes flashing as she laughed with someone standing next to her. No tuxedo tonight, just jeans and a pale green T-shirt that showed her nicely muscled arms and flat stomach. She looked even more delectable than Lily remembered. And she’d had a haircut, leaving her neck bare and vulnerable looking. Lily was mesmerized. She imagined kissing those lips, caressing that neck, running her hands over that body and—

  Piggy, she chided herself. She’d never ogled another woman before. Should she go over to her? Was she with that woman? Screw it. She wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice.

  * * *

  Robin joked with the woman next to her, who was waiting for her drink order. When the woman walked away, she turned to order another glass of seltzer, but a hand on her arm stopped her.

  “Hey, Robin, I believe y’all were staring at me the other night. Have we met before?” The husky voice with traces of the South oozed through her body like warm chocolate. She shivered and looked down into the inviting gold-flecked brown eyes of the woman of her dreams. Her heart skipped a beat.

  “No, we haven’t, but let’s remedy that. I’m Robin DiLuca. And you are?”

  “Lily Alexander.” She stuck out her hand.

  Robin took the offered hand and, with her eyes locked onto Lily’s, brought it to her lips.

  Lily laughed, a joyous sound from deep within. “My, you’re smooth.”

  Robin spoke into her ear. “My only smooth move of the night, I assure you. You addle my brain.” And that was the truth. Up close like this she was sexier than Robin remembered. And the herbal scent of her shampoo mingling with the light fragrance of her perfume was truly heady.

  Lily shivered. “Sweet talker too.” She looked down at their clasped hands. “I’m feeling a little light-headed myself. Shall we get a table?”

  Robin squeezed her hand. “See what I mean, forgetting my manners. Would you like a drink?”

  “Cabernet sauvignon, please.”

  Drinks in hand, they found a table and stared at each other without speaking for a minute, then both spoke at the same time. “I’m glad I found—” They laughed.

  Robin reached across the table and took both of Lily’s hands. “Are you single?”

  “Smooth and direct. Yes. And you? Was there someone special amongst all those gorgeous women hanging on you the other night?”

  “Ah, so you were looking. No one special…until now.”

  “Romantic, too. So where do we go from here?”

  Robin grinned and wiggled her eyebrows. “Your place or mine?”

  “Whoa. Smooth and direct and romantic. And aggressive.” Lily squeezed Robin’s hands.

  Robin flushed. “Sorry. It’s just…” She looked down.

  “Just what?” Lily ran her thumbs over Robin’s hands.

  Robin’s heart raced. “You’re so…I feel like a moth drawn to the light. I’ve wanted to take you to bed since I saw you.”

  Lily flushed. “I feel the same, darlin’.” She brought Robin’s hand to her lips. “But what will we tell our kids if we jump right into bed? We need to date, get to know each other before we make love.”

  Robin frowned. “So we’re going to have kids?”

  “I’d love to have your babies. Two would be perfect.”

  Robin’s body flared. “That’s the sexiest thing anybody has ever said to me.” She pulled her chair so they were face to face. “But you’re spooking me. I don’t do…have never done…commitment well. In fact, I don’t do commitment or relationships at all. I’m all about having fun.”

  Lily nodded slowly. “What are you afraid of?”

  “Wow, no one ever asked. They usually just ignore me when I say that.” She cleared her throat. “What if I’m not happy, what if I want to leave? I hate screaming, tearful, painful breakups. I hate causing pain.”

  Lily touched Robin’s cheek. “Sweet Robin, know I would never cage you. Or anyone. And, truthfully, the last thing I’m interested in right now is commitment. Having fun sounds like…well, like fun. But who knows how I’ll feel in a month. Do you have a pen and a sheet of paper?”

  Robin extracted a pen and a small leather-bound notebook from the back pocket of her jeans, tore a page from the notebook, and handed it and the pen to Lily.

  “A fountain pen? It’s lovely.”

  “I collect them, you know the old ones. Most people don’t notice how beautiful they are.”

  Lily raised her eyes to Robin’s. She kissed the pen. “Lovely. Like you.”

  Robin shivered.

  Lily uncapped the pen and began to write. When she was finished, she capped the pen and handed it and the paper to Robin.

  I, Lily Boudreaux Carlyle Alexander, promise that should Robin DiLuca and I decide at any time for any reason to terminate our relationship whatever its nature and no matter how long we’ve been together, I will let her go without screaming, crying, accusations and hurtful language. I also promise that I will cherish whatever time we have together, strive to make it fun, and mentally and physically fulfilling, and that forever after I will remain her friend.

  Lily

  “For real?”

  Lily smiled. “For real.”

  Robin folded the note and put it in her wallet, then put her arm around Lily
. “Let the dating begin.” She breathed deeply, taking in Lily’s scent again.

  “Wait.” Lily put her hand up. “Since we’re stating terms, I have to say I find you incredibly attractive, attractive enough that I came back here looking for you, but if all you’re interested in is a quick roll in the hay or casual sex, I’m not your gal. I’ve only slept with a few women and that’s after spending time together, getting to know each other.” She could barely breathe as she picked at a thread on her jeans and avoided Robin’s eyes.

  Lily made her nervous. She said she was into fun, but it sounded like she wanted commitment. Well, she enjoyed a challenge, and Lily wouldn’t be the first supposedly reluctant woman she’d seduced. She put a finger under her chin and lifted her face. “I hear you. Just dating. No sex.” For now. No sex for now.

  Lily’s obvious relief and her sweet smile touched Robin. She leaned over and kissed Lily lightly. “They’re playing our song. Is it okay to dance on a first date?”

  Lily tilted her head, listening. “Our song?”

  Robin pulled her out of her chair and whispered in her ear. “Can’t you hear? Bette Midler is singing “Be My Baby.” She moved them out onto the dance floor and sang along with Bette, serenading Lily.

  They danced nearly every dance, fast or slow didn’t matter, stopping only to drink something cold now and then. They laughed and flirted and played.

  Chapter Eight

  Lily and Robin

  After the DJ played the last song, a slow one, they sat close, holding hands, looking into each other’s eyes, grinning.

  “That was fun. I love to dance, but I never expected we’d have our own song on our first date. I’ll bet you sing that song to all the women you seduce.”

  “Not true. When I seduce a woman we usually don’t waste time dancing and singing, we get right to it. You’re special, Lily.” She lifted Lily’s hand to her lips. “Believe it.”

  Lily studied her for a few seconds, wanting to believe but not quite trusting this gorgeous, slick New Yorker wasn’t trying to get her into bed tonight. “We’ll see.”

  “We will, but since this is our first date, we still have a lot of history to cover.” Robin lifted Lily’s hand to her cheek. “Be honest. And no googling. We tell each other what we want when we want. Agreed?”

  “But if you’re a serial killer, you have to say it up front. Agreed?” She squeezed Robin’s hand.

  “Damn. Okay, I am…not a serial killer. So, tell me. Where have you been hiding? I would have remembered if I’d seen you before.” She kissed Lily’s palm again.

  Lily’s body fluttered in response to Robin’s warm breath on her palm. “Keep that up and I’ll be just a gooey puddle at your feet.” She shivered. “I just moved to New York City from Chicago in December and I haven’t been out much.”

  “Is Chicago where you grew up?”

  “I grew up in Alabama and California with two moms, a lesbian sister and a straight brother, twins. I graduated from the University of Chicago, then spent two years getting a masters of fine arts at the Iowa Writing Workshop before moving back to Chicago.”

  “Your moms are lesbians. Cool.”

  Lily laughed. “It was cool as I got older, but I got hassled a lot as a kid in Alabama. They’re great parents, though, and it was worth it. What about you?”

  Robin sucked in air. “Grew up in Florida. Mom, dad and two older brothers. I went to Harvard, then Stanford for a PhD.”

  “Ah, doctor, is it?”

  “Want to play?” She wiggled her eyebrows again.

  “Uh-uh, sweetie.” Lily shook her head. “No playing doctor.” She held Robin’s eyes. “Yet.”

  “Hey, this is our first date. You can’t call me sweetie.”

  “Of course, I can. Didn’t we agree I’m going to have your babies?”

  “It’s just not done, calling somebody sweetie on the first date.”

  “Hmm, you may be right, sweetie. It’s too soon to call you sweetie.”

  Lily followed Robin’s lead and kissed the hand she was holding. “So what do you do when you’re not seducing women in bars?”

  Robin wiggled her eyebrows again. “Well, when I’m not seducing them, I’m usually home having sex with them, but I don’t have high hopes for this evening.”

  Lily giggled. “Geez, Robin, I hope you don’t think that wiggling-eyebrows thing is seductive. Anyway, I meant what work do you do?”

  “Are you sure?” She wiggled her eyebrows again.

  “Definitely. Work?”

  “Ah, yes, the old work question. I guess you haven’t seen my picture in the paper?”

  Lily laughed. “Oh, are you famous?”

  “I own a technology company. What about you?”

  Ah, yes, the business deal. “I write.”

  “Hey, even a techie like me figured that out when you mentioned your MFA from Iowa. What do you write?” She put a hand up. “Wait, I know. You’re a famous author of torrid romances, and you had to move to New York to get away from the hordes of fans hungry to ravage you.”

  “Wow. You got it on the first guess. Seriously, what do you like to do when you’re not partying?”

  “Other than partying and working, I read or workout or go to a movie with a friend.”

  “What do you read?”

  “Some fiction and almost any non-fiction. What about you? What do you do when you’re not seducing unsuspecting women in bars?”

  “Actually, I’m really not into bars at all. I write, of course, and read lots of fiction, biographies, history, and some political stuff. I do yoga, I love dancing, and walking and hiking. I also volunteer at a soup kitchen and teach writing to underprivileged kids.”

  “Do you like swimming, the beach? Maybe we can—”

  “Um, Robin, it looks like they’re closing up here. Time to go.”

  She handed her phone to Lily. “Okay, Ms. Alexander, type in your telephone number and address so I can find you again. But give me your phone first.” They typed the information and exchanged phones again.

  Lily frowned at Robin’s entry. “What does ‘Robin, the Dad’ mean?”

  “Remember I said I’m not into commitment, that I just want to have fun? Well, that extends to our kids. Being responsible for bottles, changing diapers, walking the floor in the middle of the night, or any of those kinds of things, is not for me. I fit into more of the Dad model of parenting. Dads have less responsibility and are seldom around, so I’ll focus on my work and occasionally do fun things with them.”

  “Is that how it worked in your family?”

  Robin looked uncomfortable. “Mainly the seldom-around part.”

  “I see. My family worked differently.” And we’re definitely going to have to work on your model of parenting when the time comes. “So? Dad? Seriously?”

  “Seriously. Now let me take you home as is proper on a first date. But first…” She waved the waitress over. “Check, MJ, and would you take a couple of pictures of us?”

  She handed over her phone and pulled Lily close to her. “Smile.”

  “That’s cute. Do you take pictures with all your girls on the first date?”

  “Nope.” She pocketed her phone, signed the credit card receipt and handed it to MJ. “Never done it before. Right, MJ?”

  MJ glanced at the receipt and smiled. “Not on my watch. Good night, ladies.”

  Robin hailed a taxi outside the bar and gave the driver Lily’s address. They stared into each other’s eyes and held hands during the ride across the park. Outside her building, Lily turned to say good night.

  “Wait, I’m coming up with you.” Robin paid the driver and they got out.

  Lily had expected Robin to drop her off. “You’re not coming in, you know.”

  Not now, but soon. Robin steered her into the building. “Of course not. But proper first date behavior requires that I escort you to your apartment door.”

  As they had in the taxi, their hands and eyes kept them connected. The sexual tens
ion that was a constant between them seemed to increase with each ding marking another floor. By the time they reached sixteen and walked to Lily’s door, they were both flushed.

  Robin put her hands on Lily’s shoulders. “Do you kiss good night on the first date?”

  Lily stepped closer. “That depends.” She spoke softly and Robin tipped her head to hear.

  “Depends on what?” She was breathless.

  “On whether I want to or not.”

  “Cheeky little thing aren’t—”

  Lily’s hand brushed Robin’s neck and then pulled her head down to kiss her. It started as a sweet good-night kiss but quickly morphed into a passionate searching for each other. Robin pulled her close. Lily’s arms circled Robin’s waist and she leaned into her. When Robin gently pushed her against the door, Lily pulled away from the kiss. “I think,” she panted, “we’ve reached the outer boundaries of first-date contact.” She leaned her head against the door.

  Robin held Lily close and covered her face with soft kisses. “We need to keep this dating thing moving. How about dinner tomorrow?”

  “Dinner sounds wonderful, but we have to go out so we don’t get into trouble.”

  Robin grinned. “I prefer to face trouble head-on, but if you insist I’ll pick you up at seven fifteen for dinner. A fancy restaurant. Dress accordingly.” She leaned down and brushed her lips over Lily’s. “How will we know when we’ve dated enough?”

  “I’ll know.” Lily leaned against her door, too weak to turn and open it, and watched Robin walk backward to the elevator and blow her a kiss as the doors slid closed.

  Chapter Nine

  River Café

  At exactly seven fifteen Lily’s doorbell rang. Her breath caught when she saw Robin’s beautifully tailored black pantsuit and a silk shirt the exact green of her eyes. Robin’s appreciative glance left no doubt that she approved Lily’s choice, a clingy wrap-around of brown silk with golden highlights that displayed enough cleavage to keep Robin’s eyes from straying in case any models were nearby at dinner.