Chapt 17

The day seemed to pass far too quickly in Claire's mind. It was six o'clock and they were strolling hand in hand through the parking lot toward the truck. There was no rush in their stride, they were content to indulge in idle chatter about nothing at all, taking their time, extending the day. She'd had such a great time, so much fun today, just being with someone who made her laugh and cared about what she felt. And oh how she had laughed, and smiled, and really she had just felt important. Joe had held her hand all around the park, unashamed for anyone to know that he was there with her.

He had taken her on roller coasters, ones like the Scorpion that was full of loops and went as fast as any car and only allowed you to be held in by a tiny strap it seemed. He had even been attentive to her feelings of being nervous, holding her hand and assuring her it was all going to be just fine and that he wouldn't let anything happen to her. They'd seen stage shows, her favorite being Motor City Groove. The cast of young men and women were so full of talent and gave a great portrayal of that old Detroit sound, soul era, and to Claire it seemed that their talent was deserving of a bigger stage than what they had.

They'd had a wonderful lunch at the Bengal Bistro before they embarked on the Serengeti Safari seeing beautiful, exotic, wild animals. It was a breathtaking experience. Their day ended on Walk About Way, an attraction straight out of Australia. She had been about to pet kangaroos and feed them straight from her hand. Joe had been wonderful, snapping photos to capture the experience and the childlike glee that was all over her face as she fed the animals. She snapped her own photos of him as he held out his large hands to feed the animals. She wasn't sure what was cuter, the man or the kangaroos.

They reached the truck and he helped her up into the passenger seat. Once he had walked around and climbed in, putting the truck in reverse and backing out of the parking spot, he turned his eyes to her and smiled. "Thank you for being my date today."

"Thank you for letting me be. I had the best time with you."

His hand found hers and his fingers, laced through hers. As small and as delicate as her hands were, they fit so well in his, he thought. Today had been wonderful in his mind to. He hoped against all hope that she would agree to see him again. "I'm hoping that you'll let me take you out again one day. Soon."

He caught the blush rising to her sun kissed cheeks from the corner of his eye and saw her looking up at him through those thick, beautiful lashes. She was beautiful and he wondered if she realized that. Her soft smile kept him up at night, thinking about those sweet, tender lips of hers pressed to his.

"I would absolutely love that Joe."

"Good," he said, his words barely a whisper as they fell into a comfortable and easy silence. He loved that about his time with her, the way that no one had to speak and it wasn't odd or uncomfortable. Today though, it gave his mind time to think about how badly he was not ready to take her home. If he was reading her right, and Lord how he hoped he was, she wasn't ready for that either.

"Hey Claire, are you hungry? I was thinking that we could grab some dinner before I take you home."

He saw her smile, almost in relief at the suggestion, before she said, "I'm famished if it means I get more time with you."

"Well dinner it is then," he said low.

Three hours later he was pulling into her driveway. He opened his door and hurried to her side, opening her door as well. He grinned when he realized that she no longer reached to open her own door. He held her hand as he escorted her to the door. There in the porchlight glow, her hair shown a fiery red and her lashes cast heavy shadows on her cheeks. She was intensely beautiful.

"Thank you again for today, Joe. It was the best day that I have had in a long time."

Her small voice broke his thoughts and he smiled down at her. "I had a wonderful day as well, and the company was absolutely beautiful. So, I can take you out again, right?" She nodded and he smiled again. He let his fingers rest just under her chin, tilting her head up as he lowered his, allowing his lips to brush hers. He felt her smile against his lips and his body reacted against his will. How was such a simple gesture so intensely sexy? He let his tongue brush across her bottom lip, let his teeth graze across its fullness. He felt her body start to go soft, as though she was melting and he took it as a sign to deepen the kiss.

He used his tongue to part her lips, felt hers rise up to do a slow tango with his. Her hands gripped his biceps, her nails gently dug into his skin. His mind immediately went to thoughts of her beneath him, their bodies joined in the most intimate of ways, covered in the misty sheen of sweat, her hands gripping his back, her nails digging into his skin as her body was arching up to meet his time and time again. He groaned as he pulled his lips from hers, resting his forehead against hers.

"Would it scare you away to know that you take my mind to steamy, erotic places?"

She groaned aloud at his words, spoken in that husky, turned on whisper against her skin, at the way that they turned her on even more than his lips on hers. "Not at all Joe, just… I uh, I should really get inside." Her face flushed with heat as she ran his words through her mind again. "I can't wait to see you again."

He smiled at her, knowing he affected her in the same way that she affected him. Yet he understood that she needed things to move at a slower pace, and he would do that for her. "Well darling that makes two of us. Get some sleep okay?"

Nodding he saw her try to hide a small yawn. "Let me know when you make it home safely, please. Drive carefully Joe." She smiled as she let herself inside of her house.

He ran his fingers through his hair as he climbed back into his truck and cranked the air conditioning as cold as he could get it. Claire made him feel so many things that he'd not felt in years. He liked her, maybe more than he should so soon, and he was more than ready to see where things were going to go with her.