Jane quickly rearranged her panties and whipped on her camisole. She was sliding her arms into the sleeves of her jacket when the elevator doors dinged open to reveal the brightly lit lobby of the medical center. A man in a brown jumpsuit waited there, an apologetic but slightly amused look on his face.
“We’re very sorry for the delay,” he said instantly. “I hope it wasn’t too much of an, um, inconvenience.”
The stutter, as well as the way he studiously avoided their eyes, told Jane that the likelihood of a camera being in the elevator was pretty darn high.
Jane flushed. “No inconvenience.”
“Thanks for taking care of the problem so quickly,” Becker added.
The man apologized again, then hurried off, leaving Jane and Becker alone in the lobby. She felt awkward as she looked at him. “So…I know the interview is out of the question, but…” she took a breath, “…how about dinner?”
His face went expressionless, but not before she saw the hesitation in his eyes. A spark of anger lit her belly. Seriously? They’d just had sex in an elevator and now he was just going to blow her off?
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Jane.” Remorse seeped into his features. “What happened just now…things may have gotten a little out of hand. Don’t get me wrong, it was…it was incredible, but it doesn’t change where my head is at right now.”
“And where is that?”
“Recovering from a divorce,” he said frankly.
“Oh.”
He dragged a hand through his short hair then let it dangle to his side. “I’m in no place for a relationship. Hell, I don’t even think I’m ready to date.”
A part of her wanted to kick him for giving her the best sex ever and then refusing to do it again. But there was genuine regret in his eyes. She could tell he wasn’t lying. He seemed sincerely messed up over the divorce he mentioned, and she wasn’t about to act like a heartless shrew by demanding he go out with her.
“I understand,” she finally said. Shifting on her feet, she readjusted the strap of her purse and managed a smile. “At least you’re one step closer to dating, huh?”
He offered a rueful smile in response. “I guess so.”
A short silence fell between then. Jane cleared her throat and took an awkward step away from him. “Okay. So, I should be heading back to my hotel. I need to rethink this article now that you’ve so rudely denied my interview request.”
“I’m sorry about that too. But I’m not interested in being in the spotlight. You get that, right?”
“Unfortunately, yes.” She sighed.
Becker shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans. He cleared his throat too. “Um…I should go. I’ve got to call my realtor and apologize for missing our meeting.”
“Okay.”
Another silence, this time broken by the sound of their footsteps as they headed for the glass doors at the building’s entrance. They walked outside, and the warm breeze immediately slid under Jane’s tousled hair and cooled the nape of her neck. Disappointment mingled with the desire still coursing through her blood. Damn it. She didn’t want to say goodbye to him yet. How could she, after their explosive joining in the elevator?
But Becker had goodbye written all over his face. He glanced at her for a moment, and she could swear she saw another flash of hesitation, this time over walking away from her. But then those intense brown eyes went all shuttered again and, in a quiet voice, he said, “I’ll see you around, Jane.”
“See you around, Becker,” she echoed.
He offered a final nod, and then he was gone, disappearing into the afternoon crowd bustling down the sidewalk.
Jane watched him walk away. Disappointed. Aroused. A little bit pissed.
After a few long moments, she forced herself to snap out of this silly trance of longing, and headed for her car.
“You can’t change his mind?” Maureen Willis asked, her dissatisfaction emanating from the other end of the line.
Jane sighed and shifted the cell phone to her other ear. She was stretched out in a lounge chair on Coronado Beach, enjoying the late afternoon sun heating her skin and the sight of the calm ocean. She wished the magazine had sprung for one of those gorgeous cottages sitting a hundred yards away, but she wasn’t unhappy about her suite. The Hotel del Coronado was one of the most beautiful hotels she’d ever stayed in. She was already dreading having to get into her car and drive back to LA next week.
“I can’t change his mind,” she told her editor. “He was pretty adamant. He doesn’t want to be interviewed.”
“That’s a damn shame.” Maureen’s voice grew wistful. “I’m looking at those photos your sister sent over, and the one of Thomas Becker by the helicopter is seriously sexy.”
Jane knew precisely which picture Maureen referred to. He was standing by the helicopter after they’d landed at the Navy base. The sun was just beginning to set, his big muscular body looked amazing, and his head was turned to the side, revealing his handsome profile. Jane had stared at the photo several times last night, and each time she saw his face, she remembered what they’d done in the elevator.
And wished they could do it again.
“I could just run the photo anyway,” Maureen said, sounding thoughtful. “We’ll mention his name in the caption, say he was the head of the rescue mission.”