Page 43 of The Playboy and the Widow
“No, I don’t mind.” Actually, she was pleased to see him now that she’d gotten over the initial shock. They hadn’t exactly parted on the best of terms, and she wanted to clear the air and say goodbye without a lot of emotion dictating her words. “I’d just poured myself a cup of coffee. Would you care for some?”
“Please.” He followed her into the kitchen, sat down, noticed the open drape and pointed toward the patio. “What’s going on out there?”
“School’s out, and the girls are celebrating with a slumber party.”
He grinned and nodded toward the large pile of blankets. Only one hand and the top of a head were visible. “I take it the one with the six-inch bright red fingernails is Joan.”
Grinning, Diana delivered his cup to the table and nodded. “And the one clenching sixteen Pooh bears is Katie.” As she moved past Cliff, she caught a whiff of expensive perfume and the faint odor of whiskey.
“It’s good to see you, Diana.” The fact was, he couldn’t stop looking at her.
“There wasn’t any need to tear yourself away from a hot date to visit, Cliff. I’m here most anytime.” Her words were more teasing than angry, and she smiled at him.
He smiled back. “The least you could do is pretend you’re happy to see me.”
“But I am.”
She really did have the most beautiful eyes. Dark and deep, wide and round. They were capable of tearing apart a man’s heart and gentle enough to comfort an injured animal. He remembered how their color had clouded with passion when he’d kissed her, and wondered how long it would be before he could do it again. He longed for Diana’s kisses as much as he missed her quick wit.
Diana settled herself in the chair across from him, not wanting to get too close. Cliff had that look in his eyes, and she was beginning to recognize what it meant. If she gave him the least amount of encouragement, he would reach for her and cover her mouth with his own. Then everything she’d discovered about herself these past days without him would be lost in the passion of the moment.
“Why did you come? Did your dinner companion turn you down?”
She didn’t know the half of it, he thought to himself.
Diana grinned into her coffee cup. “Was she the same girl as the other night?”
“Yes,” Cliff admitted sheepishly. “Unfortunately all her brains are situated below her neck.”
“Now, Cliff, that was unkind.” So her own estimation of Miss World had been right on; the blonde was a bimbo. It was tacky to feel so good being right about the other woman. Tacky, but human.
“Well, your date certainly resembled William F. Buckley.”
Diana was unable to hold back her laugh. “He brought me references.”
“What?”
“He’s Shirley’s third cousin, and apparently he thought I needed to know something more about him. Honestly, Cliff, I thought I’d die. He’d had someone from Highline Community College write up a letter telling me what a forthright man he is, and there was another letter from his dentist and a third from his apartment manager.”
They laughed together, and it felt incredibly good. Diana wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and sighed audibly. “Joan and Kate were scared to death I’d marry him.”
“How have the girls been?”
“They’re great.” Actually, Diana was grateful both her daughters were asleep; otherwise they might have launched themselves into Cliff’s arms and told him how miserable their mother had been without him.
“And you?”
“Good. How about yourself?”
“Fair.” Cliff didn’t know the words to describe all that had been happening to him. Nothing had changed, and yet everything was different. He’d dated one of the most sought-after women in Seattle, and she’d left him feeling cold. His little black book was filled with names and phone numbers, and he hadn’t the inclination to make one phone call.
“Actually, I’m glad you stopped by,” Diana said, wading into the topic they’d both managed to avoid thus far. “I owe you an apology for running off on you that way.”
“Diana, honestly, I still don’t know what I did that was so terrible.”
“I realize that.”
“I thought we had something really good going. I didn’t mean to rush you—I assumed—falsely, it seems—that you were as ready for the physical part of our relationship as I was.”
