Christmas Every Day Part 12

It all seemed suddenly and uncomfortably intimate to Sara. She wasn't used to feeling vulnerable anymore. It was probably just because she was tired, she thought. Just tired.

She slid into the booth and waited until Nik sat across from her.

Now what? she wondered, nerves jumping through her like beads of water on a hot skillet.

She looked toward the door that separated the dining room from the kitchen, hoping that Antonio would come out with the coffee soon. When she turned back toward Nik she saw that he was studying her. The beads of water jumped higher on the skillet. This wasn't a good idea.

Sara started to rise. "Maybe I should just-"

For the third time that day Nik caught her wrist in his hand. It was getting to be a habit, he thought. And not a totally unpleasant one as far as habits went. Her skin was silky soft and her hand felt almost frail in his. Deceptive packaging. He found himself wanting her to stay, although G.o.d only knew why.

"What's your hurry?"

"Nothing." She pulled her hand away, not wanting the contact because it was too easy to let it happen. "It's just that I- "

She thought of the house, of her father possibly waiting up for her. By some standards it was still early. She hoped he'd given up and gone to bed. She was less in the mood to talk tonight than she had been this morning.

Sara shrugged and forced herself to settle back in the booth. "No, no hurry at all." She saw the kitchen door open and almost sighed with relief. " " Ah, Antonio. You're a lifesaver"

Nik had the feeling she was a lot more serious than her smile let on.

What was she afraid of? He certainly had no designs on her and even if he had, what could he do in a public place?

The older man beamed as he set down the two cups of coffee and bowed with a flourish. He moved the small cup filled with pitch-black liquid in front of Nik and a masterpiece of froth and sculpted foam before Sara.

"Your mocha mint, signorina. "

"Sara," she prompted with what Antonio thought was a beatific smile.

"Thank you:"

She took a sip and sighed. It was heavenly.

Antonio took his leave, looking well pleased with himself He winked conspiratorially at Nik as he pa.s.sed him. Nik pretended not to see.

Toying with his espresso, Nik watched Sara. She appeared enraptured by the drink. He enjoyed seeing someone savor something so much. He wondered if she took the same delight in a really good meal. And if she brought her gusto to bed with her, as well.

Sara raised her eyes to his. "You're watching me again, and I'm not moving this time."

Nik leaned back, his hands bracketing the small cup of espres...o...b..tween them on the table. Who was she? "You always throw that term around so easily?"

He'd completely and effectively lost her. She c.o.c.ked her head and stared at him. "What term?"

He was thinking back to her declaration when he told her of the number of coffees the restaurant habitually carried. "Love." He sat, waiting.

The word, when he said it, brought a small chill to her as it danced along her shoulder blades and down her spine. She shrugged, taking another slow, appreciative sip before answering' Sure It's the easiest word in the world to say. "

Sara leaned over the table and looked up into Nik's eyes. In the dim light it was hard to discern the color. But not the power. She could feel his strength even now. Antic.i.p.ation hummed through her like the plucked strings of a harp. She ignored it.

"I love you," she whispered. The words spilled out into the darkness like a velvety liqueur amorously coating the sides of a gla.s.s. And then she shrugged carelessly, settling back. "See? Easy. n.o.body means it."

He'd felt something tighten within him like a wound-up coil when she'd looked into his eyes and whispered the phrase. He knew it was utterly ridiculous, but for the s.p.a.ce of that one moment it was as if he was gazing into a crystal ball and looking into the future. He didn't believe in premonitions

And yetNik mentally shook himself free of the mood.

He didn't like the fact that she seemed to take such a dim view of love. He'd never really been in love himself. There'd never been time. But he had hopes that, someday, love would find him. Everyone needed love.

"What makes you so sure?"

She was letting the atmosphere get to her, she thought. She was feeling oddly unarmed right about now. " " What? That no one means it? " She thought of her parents , of what her mother had told her.

Don't trust anyone, Sara. Men lie just to get their way. " Maybe they do, when they say it, for about three and a half seconds. After that-"

Sara snapped her fingers "it's gone, and with it, any obligations that might have been created by that declaration of love. " Like a father abandoning a child.

It was too harsh a philosophy for someone as young as she was. "How old are you, Sara?"

Why was he playing twenty questions at this hour? "It's on that employee form you had me fill out." She paused. She could see he was waiting for her to answer.

Maybe he hadn't looked at the form. "Twenty-eight."

At twenty-eight he had buried two parents and had the world on his shoulders. Even so, he had never felt this cynical' That seams awfully young to take such a dark view of life. "

She didn't like being a.n.a.lyzed. Sara raised her head defensively' You be surprised. " She looked down into her cup. It was almost empty. "

Besides, I don't take a dark view of life. I just see it as it is.

That's why I try to enjoy myself when I can. " She tilted the cup and watched the few remaining drops coat the bottom. Her mouth curved in a half smile. " This is a cup of coffee, not a dry martini, Sinclair.

Why are you playing bartender and looking for confessions ? "

"I wasn't aware that I was." He moved back slightly, giving her room.

"I thought I was making conversation."

Who had hurt her? he wondered. Had there been some man in her life who had made her so cynical? Had someone walked out on her? Or worse, stayed long enough to trample all her dreams?

The quirky smile was back. "You were asking questions. That's usually called prying: '

The more she resisted, the more he felt he wanted to know. That in itself was unusual. Nik always gave people more than their share of s.p.a.ce. "Only if you don't want to answer them ."

Their eyes met and held. Sara knew that she didn't want him inside of her head. She gestured airily. "I rest my case."

At this point, he thought of just calling it a night. The conversation definitely wasn't going well. Yet, tired as he was, he was reluctant to relinquish her company. There was something about her that made him feel she needed someone to talk to, and he was the likeliest candidate around.

Nik decided a change in topic was in order. He stretched his legs out in front of him, still studying her. "So, you're going to be out tomorrow."

"Yes," she said slowly, wondering where this new line was going to lead.

"It's pretty unusual taking the second day at a job off." He watched the way the yellow flame from the candle on the table seemed to make love to her skin. "I'he faint ache within him grew. Maybe he shouldn't have had the espresso after all. " What's so special about tomorrow? "

"Nothing. You're being a bartender again," she admonished , but this time she was smiling. Sara wished the topic didn't bother her so much.

"My father's going in for surgery He needs me to take him in, that's all."

Nik wasn't fooled by the indifferent tone of her voice. She was hiding emotions behind it. The tension was there in her shoulders. " "

Serious? "