Page 25 of The Playboy and the Widow
“You weren’t fighting a minute ago.”
“You were kissing him real hard,” Katie popped in. She was leaning from the back seat into the front and sticking her head out the side window next to her sister. “Judy Gilmore’s boyfriend kissed her like that the time she baby-sat for us. Remember?”
“Say, aren’t you kids supposed to be watching the movie?” Cliff asked, having trouble disguising his chagrin.
“It’s more fun looking at you,” Joan answered for the group.
“Mom, I’ve got to go to the bathroom.”
“Me, too.” Three other voices chimed in from behind Katie.
“I’ll take you.” Diana couldn’t get out of the car fast enough. Rarely had she been more grateful for the call of nature.
By the time Diana returned, Cliff’s mood had improved considerably. He was munching on popcorn and staring at the screen. When she eased into the seat beside him, he glanced in her direction and grinned. “The movie’s actually pretty good.”
Diana suspected it wasn’t half as amusing as they’d been. She had to give Cliff credit—he really was a good sport.
By the time the second feature had started, Joan, Katie and their friends were sound asleep.
“I should have waited until now to kiss you,” Cliff joked, staring across at the car filled with snoozing youngsters. “Problem was, I was too eager.”
That had been Diana’s trouble, as well. From the minute she’d sat beside him and they’d been alone, she’d known what was bound to happen. She’d wanted it too much.
Cliff looped his arm around her shoulder and brought her head down to his hard chest. “Now that we haven’t got a crowd cheering us on, do you want to try it again?” He gave her a self-effacing, enticing half smile.
Diana laughed, and although the console prevented her from cuddling up close to his side, she adjusted herself as best she could. “When I was a teenager, we used to call the drive-in the ‘passion pit.’”
“Hey, I’m game. I don’t know if you recognize it or not, but there’s chemistry between us.” He brushed the hair from her brow and pressed his lips there.
“I noticed it all right.” His kiss just then was like adding water to hot grease. “It’s more potent than I care to dwell on.”
“I’ll say.”
He did kiss her again during the second movie, but more for experimentation than anything. His fingers, tucked under her chin, turned her mouth to his as his warm lips touched, stroked and brushed hers. Temporarily satisfied, Cliff settled back and watched the movie for a few minutes more. He reached for her again later and nibbled along her neck. He refused to hold her tight, as aware of the danger as she of these explosive fireworks between them. A drive-in movie with a carload of kids parked in the next space was not the place to get overly romantic.
The second movie over, Cliff met her back at the house after Diana had dropped off Joan and Katie’s friends. Both girls were more interested in sleeping than climbing out of the car. Finally Cliff lifted the sleeping Katie into his arms and carried her inside and up the stairs. A dreamy-eyed Joan followed behind, yawning as she went.
Diana tucked the blankets around her elder daughter. Joan planted her hands beneath her pillow and rolled onto her side. “Mom?”
“Yes, honey.”
“Thank Cliff for me, okay?”
“Will do.”
Joan forced one eye open. “Are you going to see him again?”
“I... don’t know, honey. He hasn’t asked me out.”
“You should invite him to dinner. You make great spaghetti.”
“Honey, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“I happen to love good spaghetti,” Cliff answered.
Diana turned and found him standing in the doorway of Joan’s bedroom. “Why don’t you make up a batch and bring it sailing?”
“Sailing?”
