Mad About You

discuss."
    "Another toast," she declared softly, holding up her half-empty bottle.
    He held his bottle up to hers.
    "To new beginnings."
    Beaming, he said, "I'll drink to that." They clinked their bottles, then pushed their empty plates to the center of the table. Bailey revealed he needed to learn spreadsheet basics, and Ginny offered her assistance.
    When the bill was settled, she glanced at her watch and reluctantly said, "I guess we'd better call it a night if we're going to make it home before our son."
    He agreed and pushed away from the table. Immediately she missed his arm around her shoulders, but attributed it to the old memories they'd stirred up all evening. Bailey had certainly kept his word—he'd been a gentleman throughout.
    On the drive home she laid her head back and smiled up at the stars. "You know, Bailey, we had a lot of good times."
    He smiled and nodded. "It's human nature, I guess, to dwell on the bad, but you're right—we had fun before…. before."
    She turned her head and studied her ex-husband's face, still incredibly handsome, but older and perhaps wiser since their ordeal eight years earlier. "We were young," she murmured. "Perhaps we gave up too quickly."
    Nodding again, he held out his hand in invitation to hers. "I was too young to realize how much I was giving up."
    She smiled and offered her hand in a slow, intimate clasp. He raised her fingers to his lips for a soft kiss, then lowered their hands to rest between them on the seat.
    For the remainder of the drive, her midsection pulsed with desire, her need for him almost tangible. Their evening had been deceptively casual and friendly. She desperately hoped he wouldn't ask to spend the night, because tonight she would say yes. And as much as she knew they wanted each other, she wasn't sure if they were ready for the emotional plunge. Her heart pounded faster when he pulled into her driveway.
    He turned off the engine and said, "I'll walk you to your door."
    She stopped rummaging in her purse. "You aren't coming in to wait for Chad?"
    Bailey shook his head. "I told him I'd see him in the morning."
    "Okay," she said, hiding her disappointment.
    She led the way to her door, her heart pounding. Would he at least kiss her good night?
    Unlocking the door, she quickly stepped inside and dismantled the alarm. Bailey remained on the stoop, his hands in his pockets.
    "I had a great time," she said, laughing nervously.
    "Good, because I did too." His eyes shone in the semidarkness, the angular planes of his face alternately shadowed and highlighted. "You surprise me sometimes, Ginny."
    She swallowed. "I sometimes surprise myself."
    "Can I have a kiss?"
    Her throat went completely dry. "Since when have you become such a gentleman?"
    His grin was slow and warm as he leaned forward. "It's my new strategy."
    She raised her mouth to his and he kissed her, soft and teasing at first, then with mounting urgency. His arms circled her waist to pull her closer, and she looped her arms around his neck, tangling her fingers in his hair. Their moans mingled and echoed into each other's mouth, fueling the fire between them. Virginia felt her resistance dissolve as he lowered his hands to press her against him. If he asked right now, she'd give him anything she had to offer.
    Suddenly his embrace loosened, and his kiss relaxed.
    He raised his head and stepped back from her, his breathing ragged, his lips pressed together. "I think it's time for me to go." He inhaled deeply, then gave her a slow, heart-stopping grin. "I'll swing by around ten in the morning, okay?"
    She nodded.
    "Good night."
    "Good night," she murmured, her nerves still quaking, her muscles still tense, her mouth still burning.
    After closing the door she walked into the darkness of the living room and peeked out the curtain. Bailey started his car, then slowly pulled out of her driveway, only to stop at the curb. He looked toward her house, and Virginia debated whether to turn on a light or give him some other signal, but then he shifted into gear and drove away.
    She didn't have long to ponder the events of the evening, because her parents arrived soon afterward with a well-fed, well-entertained Chad. It warmed her heart to see him accept their good-bye hugs and kisses. They asked Ginny if he could go camping Monday night, and she agreed.
    After her parents left, Ginny decided to confront Chad about the locket right away, because it didn't seem right to pretend that everything was