What a Woman Wants Read online

  “Not me, remember?” Monique said. “I go jogging with Lyle every morning.”

  “What’s with you and this Lyle guy?” Faith asked before biting into another large pretzel.

  Monique smiled. “He’s nothing but an old family friend. I told you guys that. No big deal.”

  “And if it is a big deal, no sweat. You don’t owe us any explanations,” Shannon said, and took the pretzel bag from Faith to start munching on a few. “You’re a woman. He’s a man.”

  Monique lifted a brow. “Meaning?”

  “Sex. You’re going to eventually do it sometime.”

  “Why do you think that everything dealing with a man and woman always equates to sex, Shannon?” Monique asked, clearly frustrated.

  “Because it does. You’ll see.” Then without saying anything else, she left the room with Faith and Monique staring after her.

  Almost a week later and Monique was still trying to forget what Shannon had said, but she couldn’t. Why did everything have to boil down to sex with her?

  Monique shook her head; she knew the answer. They hadn’t just met Shannon yesterday. They were her closest friends, her confidantes. They’d recognized as teens how her mind had begun to work after finding out about her parents’ sham of a marriage. As far as Shannon was concerned, she didn’t believe in love and wanted no part of it. The love-forever-after bit was meant for only a select few, and she wasn’t one of them. Cely had been the one to make it her goal in life to try and rid Shannon of such foolish notions, and with Cely gone, she guessed the task now fell on her and Faith. Lord knows they would try but...

  “Been waiting long?”

  Monique glanced up and met Lyle’s heart-stopping smile. He was leaning against a light pole, dressed in a T-shirt and jogging shorts, and he looked a lot more relaxed than she felt. She tried not to notice all those things about him today that she had every day; his fine body, his muscular physique, and his all-too-handsome face. Those were all sexual things, and she refused to give in to Shannon’s theory that when it came to a man and woman, it was all about sex. But then, inwardly she would be the first to admit that she had been thinking more about it lately since running into Lyle and jogging with him every morning.

  “No, I haven’t been waiting long. You’re right on time.”

  “Good.” He began walking toward her, and once again she tried not to notice how good he looked. Even his walk had a certain suaveness to it. When he came to stand in front of her, his lips hinted at another smile. “Hey, you’re okay?”

  She nodded. “Sure. Why do you ask?”

  He studied her for a moment. “You seem nervous about something this morning. Are you sure you’re all right?”

  No, I’m not all right, her mind wanted to scream. I’m beginning to see you as a man—a very desirable man—and I don’t want to. “Yes, Lyle, I’m fine. Really,” she said, as a way to convince him.

  No one, except for Cely, knew that she hadn’t slept with a man since losing Paul three years ago. She’d had the time but not the inclination. Cely had known and understood and had taken Monique’s secret to the grave with her. She knew if she were to confide in Faith that she, too, would understand. But Shannon wouldn’t get it. She would snatch her off to a shrink and then they would leave there and go to the nearest “toy” store.

  Monique inwardly smiled. They all knew about Shannon’s “toy” collection, but Monique hadn’t needed or wanted any toys. The memories of what she and Paul had shared had sustained her.

  Until now.

  Seeing Lyle as a man in the flesh starkly reminded her of what she’d not been sharing with a male, which only confirmed Shannon’s sordid theory on relationships. Her and Lyle’s relationship was based on friendship and nothing more, but that didn’t mean she was wrong to notice him as a good-looking man, was it?

  “I don’t have to report to class until later today. Would you like to have breakfast with me?”

  Lyle’s statement interrupted her musings. She glanced up at him. “Breakfast?”

  “At my place after we finish our jog. If you recall, I can cook.”

  Yes, she did recall that. Their parents were convinced that if it hadn’t been for Lyle’s expertise in the kitchen, Arnie would have starved to death in med school. To say her brother would have tried to survive on chips and sodas would have been an understatement.

  “And you’re willing to go out of your way and do something like that for me?” she asked, sending him a smile. She knew his time had to be tight while teaching those classes at the hospital each day. They had been around Shannon enough to know that preparing to teach a class was time consuming.

  “Sure I am. Besides, although we’ve been jogging together for a couple of weeks, we’ve talked about a lot of things but not anything personal, and I want to bring you up to date on what’s been going on in the Montgomery family. There have been two weddings that I haven’t had the time to tell Arnie about.”

  She knew he was right. While jogging they barely had time to talk, and afterwards he usually had to rush off for the class he was teaching. But she was enjoying the time they did share together. “In that case, yes, I don’t have anything planned for the rest of the morning, so having breakfast with you would be nice. But first I want to go home and shower and change. Usually I’m all hot and sweaty after running.”

  His smile widened. “That’s fine. Now let’s get our jog out of the way so I can feed you.”

  Faith glanced around the prestigious-looking clubhouse. Sea Pines was the site of the island’s best-known landmark, a maroon-and-white-striped lighthouse at the Harbour Town Yacht Basin. That was where the New England-style village was located that contained shops, restaurants, and places for all sorts of water sports. She and Shannon were making one of the cafes there their favorite place for breakfast.

  Her mind was pulled back to the clubhouse. From where she was standing in the lobby, she saw that one side of the building was the site of an eighteen-hole golf course and the other side were the eight tennis courts. She also took note of the Olympic-size pool, a smaller kiddie pool, and a playground for children.

  Children.

  For a brief moment she allowed the thought, the question of whether or not she would ever have any children to form in her mind. That had always been her dream; to grow up, get married, and have babies. Unfortunately, the latter part of that dream never came to pass because of Virgil. For a long while she had thought about adopting, but then had decided to just wait. If she could, she wanted to experience bringing a child into the world. She wouldn’t take such drastic actions like Shannon had once suggested before denying herself the full experience of motherhood.

  “We meet again, I see.”

  Faith whirled around, recognizing that deep, masculine voice. It was the man from the grocery store a week or so ago. She really should not have been surprised at seeing him again. After all, the island was small. Besides that, when she’d left the store she had an inkling their paths would cross again. Somehow she had known it.

  The first thing she noticed was that he was as handsome as her eyesight had led her to believe. The second was that he was holding a racket and was dressed for a game of tennis.

  “Yes, and I see you’re about to play tennis.”

  He smiled. “That’s right, I am. This island has the best tennis courts.”

  “Sounds like you’re an expert player.”

  “I do okay. In fact, I teach tennis to the kids in my community when I have the time. If it was left up to me, every child in this country would own a pair of jogging shoes and a tennis racket before they turn twelve. What about you? Do you play?”

  She shook her head sadly. “No, I didn’t get to participate in a lot of sports as a child. I suffered from a severe case of asthma, and to say my parents were overprotective would be an understatement. Now that I’ve grown out of the condition, I’m trying to make up for lost time. I learned how to swim a couple of years ago, and now I want to learn how to
play tennis. I’m here to sign up for a class. I hear they offer several.”

  Shane nodded. “They do, but actually they are tennis clinics and not classes. Beginners need one-on-one instruction. You can inquire, but I think you’ll have to visit another clubhouse for the individual teachings, and I understand they’re rather expensive. However, I’d like to make a suggestion, if I may.”

  “And what suggestion is that?”

  “That you let me teach you.”

  Faith quickly shook her head. “Thanks for the offer, but I don’t think that’s a good idea. I’m sure you have better things to do with your time than to spend it teaching me to play tennis.”

  He smiled. “I can’t think of a better way to spend my time other than with you.” He’d lowered his voice a little, and the provocative and sexy sound sent shivers all through her. Although he was only offering tennis lessons, somehow it seemed her body didn’t understand that.

  “I’m not sure I’ll be able to catch on as fast as you’d want me to,” she said, fishing for any excuse. This man did things to her. Things she wasn’t sure she was ready for. Shannon was the one dead set on having a summer affair. She wasn’t.

  Faith watched as Shane took a slow step to stand directly in front of her. “May I ask you something?” he inquired, his tone of voice a notch lower than before.

  She swallowed. “Yes.”

  “Do I make you nervous?”

  The question for some reason gave him even more physical appeal. Yes, he made her nervous because around him she was starkly reminded that she was a woman with needs, needs that hadn’t been taken care of for some time. But to him she said, “No, you don’t make me nervous. What makes you think that you do?”

  He shrugged. “Umm, no reason.”

  She met his gaze. There was a reason or he would not have brought it up. She then decided to ask a question of her own, one she’d been wondering about since first meeting him. “Are you here with someone?” She couldn’t imagine a man who looked like him vacationing alone.

  “No, I’m not here with anyone. Like I told you that day we met, I own a summer home here, but I live in Detroit. After enduring a hellishly cold winter, I was ready to head south for the summer.”

  She understood the feeling. Minnesota’s winters were just as bad, which was why her parents had always come to Hilton Head each summer. She felt a rush of relief knowing she was not extremely attracted to someone else’s husband or significant other.

  “So, if I don’t make you nervous, and you know I’m here on the island alone, can you think of any reason why I can’t teach you to play tennis?”

  Shane’s words recaptured Faith’s attention. Oh, she could think of plenty of reasons, but none she wanted to share with him. So she answered his question the only way she could. “No, there’s no reason as long as we maintain a professional relationship.”

  A smile tilted his lips and made that dimple in his chin definitely noticeable. Too noticeable. “We will, while on the courts. Beyond that I won’t make any promises.”

  She knew she had found a loophole and that now was the time to say Thanks, but no thanks, that she didn’t need their professional relationship extended beyond the courts. But for some reason she couldn’t make herself say any of that. Around him she had no will to fight or deny what she really wanted. “Okay, fair enough,” she heard herself saying.

  “Great. We can get those lessons started today and can meet again tomorrow. After the first week, once you get the swing of things, then we can meet twice a week, Mondays and Wednesdays. Will that work for you?”

  “Yes, that’s fine.”

  “Good and I reserved a court earlier that we can use today, and you’re dressed to play, so we—”

  “But I don’t have a tennis racket.”

  “We can rent one at the front desk. Besides, I don’t recommend that you go out and purchase one until it’s determined what kind is best for you. That will be decided by your stroke form.”

  Faith nodded. He certainly seemed knowledgeable about tennis, and a part of her believed that he was. Her only misgiving was what being around him each day could and would do to her.

  And she had an unfortunate feeling that she would find out. Starting today.

  11

  “Nice place.”

  Lyle glanced up from scrambling eggs and slanted a smile over at Monique, who’d been taking her own tour of his living quarters. “Yes, I think so. It’s nice to take a break from the hospital in Texas every once in a while to go somewhere and teach. Traveling is nice.”

  She nodded. “That’s something I plan to do a lot of one of these days. I already have a list of places I want to go.”

  Lyle reached across the range to the counter and picked up his glass to take a deep swallow of orange juice. He wished he could get ahold of that list. He would make it his business to make sure she got a chance to visit each and every place she named .. . with him, of course.

  For the past couple of weeks he’d been trying to get her used to his presence with them jogging together every day, reestablishing their friendship. Now it was time to move things in another direction but still at a slow pace, and inviting her to breakfast was a start.

  After placing the scrambled eggs into a serving bowl he checked on the biscuits he had in the oven. They were almost ready. He flicked another glance over at Monique. Her back was to him as she stood at the window looking out while sipping a cup of coffee. The view of the Atlantic Ocean was gorgeous from here, but nothing, he thought, was more gorgeous than her. She was simply beautiful. Always had been and in his opinion, always would be.

  After their jog, they had gone their separate ways to shower and change. Less than thirty minutes later, she had arrived and he had opened his door to find her standing there, looking refreshed and wearing a pair of capri pants and a tank top with a pair of cute leather sandals on her feet. She had offered to help him in the kitchen, but he wanted her to relax and make herself at home. Besides, from where he was positioned in the kitchen he could see her and he couldn’t think of anything more enticing that he wanted to rest his gaze upon.

  “So, how are things going with three women sharing the same quarters?” he decided to ask, just to give her a reason to turn around. He wanted to look into her face again.

  She turned and smiled. “It’s been almost a month, and things have been great so far, but then me, Faith, and Shannon have always gotten along. And now there’s Anna, our next-door neighbor, who works as a trauma doctor at the hospital. She’s been spending time with us as well. She’s nice, and I like her.”

  Monique was silent for a moment and then said. “Faith, Shannon, and I have a special bond. They are the sisters I never had and even over the years, although we lived in separate parts of the country, we still managed to maintain a close relationship.”

  He nodded as he took the biscuits out the oven. “Wasn’t there another one of you guys?”

  He saw sadness cloud her eyes. “You have a good memory, and yes, there was Cely. She died earlier this year.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that. What did she die of?”

  Monique’s eyes got bleaker. “A drug overdose. She committed suicide.”

  Her response hadn’t been what he’d been expecting to hear, and he could tell from the look on her face that she still found the thought of someone close, someone she knew, doing something like that mind-boggling. “I’m sorry to hear that, but you’ll be surprised how the suicide rate among African Americans, especially the women, has risen over the years. It’s a very serious public health problem.”

  “The entire thing just baffles me,” Monique said, shaking her head. “I remember a time when the thought of suicide in the black community was a no-no, definitely a taboo, something you would never consider—but now . . .”

  “Yes, you’re right. Suicide is usually the culmination of an individual’s battle with depression or the stress of living in today’s society. But typically it’s depression t
hat’s the major cause.”

  Monique wrapped her arms around her waist, clearly disturbed. “And that’s what bothers me the most because neither me, Faith, or Shannon had any reason to think Cely was depressed about anything. The last time I spoke with her, which was only two weeks before, she was doing fine. At least she led me to believe that she was,” she said, dropping down on a nearby couch.

  Within a flash, Lyle edged around the breakfast bar and sat down beside her on the sofa, placing a comforting arm around her shoulder. “Hey, as close as you and your friend were, you shouldn’t take it personal that she didn’t confide in you before doing what she did. It wasn’t that she thought she couldn’t; she just chose not to. It’s unfortunate that she didn’t realize help is available and that early recognition and treatment for depression are the key.”

  Monique shook her head, trying not to notice how close they were sitting together or that his dark eyes were boring intently into hers. “I know, but when I think of what she was going through alone,” she said, fighting not to let his presence overwhelm her. Her heart was beating frantically in her chest. “And she did leave the three of us letters but didn’t shed any light as to what she was going through,” she said to get her mind back on the right track. “Instead she pleaded with us to live each day to the fullest and do whatever we want to enjoy life and not live up to others’ expectations and standards.”

  “That was some good advice. Maybe the three of you should take it.”

  “We are,” she said, thinking that his strong jaw, sensuous lips, and sculpted nose were right in her line of vision. “That’s why we’re here on the island together. This is where the four of us met as teenagers one summer, so it seemed fitting to come back here in her memory.”

  “Sounds like a good plan.”

  “Yeah, I think so, too.” Monique’s words faltered when she saw his head beginning to lower to hers and knew exactly what he planned to do, and the split second before their lips touched, she quickly stood to her feet. “Do you need help with breakfast?”