Читать книгу Sunsets & Seduction: Mine Until Morning / Just for the Night / Kept in the Dark - Tawny Weber, Heather Macallister - Страница 12

11:00 p.m.

TESSA WAS EXHAUSTED, happy, relieved, hopeful and worried all at the same time as she walked out of Kate’s hospital room. Everything was fine, and after being treated, her friend had returned to being her old self in no time.

In fact, Kate had shooed them out of the room after properly interrogating Jonas as to his intentions, and receiving only stuttering replies. Tessa hadn’t minded at all, since she was a little curious about Jonas’s intentions, as well.

He seemed to go in and out of high and low moods all night, as if he was waging some internal struggle he couldn’t tell her about. She assumed it had to do with his sight more than anything to do with her, but she hoped that maybe he was seeing that she wasn’t the conniving manipulator that he thought she was.

That was the worrying part. Jonas had politely excused himself so that she could have a moment alone with Kate before they left. Kate had held her hand tight, looking somewhat worried herself.

“You love him, Tessa?”

The words had hit her like a straight-on lightning strike, and her first impulse was to deny it.

“I care about him. It’s too soon for anything else, Kate.”

“Oh, that’s ridiculous. I knew I loved my Hank within five minutes of seeing him and knew that I’d marry him within ten.”

“Jonas and I have had a rockier start. I’m not sure he even likes me that much.”

“How on earth could you think that? The man is out in a terrible storm, at your side,” Kate said. “Men don’t do that for women they don’t like.”

Tessa sighed, and related the earlier conversation, and how Jonas believed that she had only wanted to use him against her father.

“You were a child when you did those crazy things,” Kate objected. “It has nothing to do with the woman you are now.”

“I hope he realizes that. I think there’s more going on, though I’m not sure what it is.”

Kate squeezed her hand. “Well, I think he has more feelings for you than he realizes, but only time will tell. A woman has to protect her heart.”

“Thanks, though it might be a little late for that,” Tessa said, feeling tears burning hot behind her eyes, but not wanting to upset Kate after her ordeal. “But I’m a big girl.”

“And you deserve a good man. I hope he’s smart enough to figure that out,” Kate said.

“I hope so, too. You be well. I’ll be back tomorrow to help you home,” Tessa said.

“You get some rest. Betty offered to do the same. You focus on your young man and making things work. I’ll be fine.”

“Thank you, Kate. I’m so glad you’re okay. You really scared me.” Tessa hugged her and still planned to be there the next day.

It was what happened between now and then that had her in knots.

Jonas had waited outside the room, quiet and pensive. He didn’t say a word as they turned to the elevator, but then were waylaid by one of Kate’s nurses.

“Hey, I have something for you,” she said, thrusting a pile of blue scrubs at them. “Kate asked. You guys are leaving puddles wherever you walk,” the nurse said with a grin, “and you’re going to get sick. There’s an empty room at the end of the hall, with a bathroom. Feel free to go down there and get clean and dry before you head out.”

Tessa was sure she’d just died and gone to heaven—her skin was clammy, and her hair was dripping down her back. She felt like a drowned rat and was, selfishly, kind of glad that Jonas couldn’t see her.

She knew she looked like hell. Surgical scrubs weren’t exactly fashionable, but they were soft, clean and dry, and she took Jonas’s hand and headed for the room.

“This is awesome,” she said, giddy with relief as she walked in and shut the door.

“I have to admit, it would be great to get out of these soggy jeans, and to wash the horse smell off,” he admitted, stripping off his jacket.

The shower in the bath was only big enough for a single person, so much to Tessa’s disappointment, they cleaned up quickly using what shampoo and soap were available. They weren’t as nice as the things at her shop, but she felt a million times better when she emerged. The scrubs fit just right, and were so comfortable. She sat back on the bed and waited for Jonas as he did the same.

Was this the end of their evening, or just the beginning? Had he changed his mind about wanting to be with her? A few minutes later, he emerged, dressed and smelling completely horse free. She had to admit, it was an improvement.

“You look like McDreamy,” she said with a grin, and wondered if they dared commandeer the room any longer to make use of the bed.

Jonas smiled, but didn’t go to her. Had he changed his mind?

“We’d better be on our way,” he suggested, and she agreed, trying to hide her disappointment as they made their way to the main entrance.

Awkward tension settled between them as they stood beneath the fluorescent hospital lights.

“Crazy night,” she said, hating small talk, but unsure what else to say.

“Trains, taxis, horses and ambulances,” he agreed with a short chuckle. “What next?”

Their answer came as they stepped out to the main entrance, and looked for their cab.

“Not here yet,” Tessa said, feeling increasingly tense. “Things are so overwhelming tonight for everyone.”

“It might take some time.”

Were they still talking about the storm? she wondered.

He seemed preoccupied and distant, and she wasn’t sure what to do.

A stretch limo pulled up and parked in front of them. Tessa watched the driver get out, an older man clad in a long raincoat and hat, who held two huge umbrellas as he made his way to the main entrance.

Looking at her and then Jonas, he approached them with a smile. Tessa figured he was seeking shelter himself or thought they were his clients.

No such luck.

“Tessa Rose?”

She paused in surprise. “Yes, that’s me.”

“I’m your driver, Collins. This way, please,” the driver said, and held the two umbrellas out to them.

“Wait, there’s some mistake,” she sputtered, and then halted. “Did Senator Rose send you?” she asked cautiously.

The driver seemed surprised. “No. I received a call from Ms. Masters to come pick you up here. At your service, miss,” the driver said again, guiding a shocked Tessa to the passenger door, and then helping to guide Jonas to the other side.

Kate sent them a limo?

Only then did she note the name of the transport company embossed on the inside of the rich leather door.

Masters’s Luxury Transport.

“Kate owns the limo service?” Tessa said in shock, catching Collins’s smile in the rearview mirror.

“Yes, ma’am. It’s a small company with only five vehicles, but we do a steady business. Her husband started it many years ago, and left the majority of it to her when he died, with a small share going to me, as well, for my retirement, but I enjoy the work. Hank Masters hired me twenty-five years ago. He was a good man.”

Tessa sat back in the luxurious seat, shocked. She never would have guessed. Kate lived so conservatively, and even took the bus and train to get around town, at least as far as Tessa knew.

Collins leaned in, his arm on the door. “Kate told me what you did for her tonight. She tried to contact me earlier in the evening, to pick up her medicine for her, but I was in Baltimore dropping off a couple to their wedding and couldn’t get back in time. Thank you, ma’am and sir,” Collins said expressively, obviously very fond of his employer.

“I would do anything for Kate,” Tessa said truthfully, taking Jonas’s hand. “And thank goodness Jonas could get that door open,” she said. “I could never have done it by myself.”

“You let me know if you need anything,” Collins said. “I am at your disposal for as long as you need me.”

Kate was obviously trying to help her and Jonas along a little, Tessa guessed. A compartment opened on the other side, sliding out to reveal a champagne bar, strawberries and pretty, foil-wrapped chocolates.

“Some privacy, perhaps?” Collins asked with a twinkle in his eye.

Tessa, still stunned, nodded.

“Enjoy,” was all Collins said as he closed the door and slid into the driver’s seat, which seemed yards away from where they sat. A solid, and probably soundproof, barrier rose between them. A minute later, the car pulled smoothly away from the hospital.

The vehicle seemed to cut through the wind and rain like butter, the dark windows lit only now and then by a flash of lightning.

“I can’t get over this,” she said. “In all the time I’ve known Kate, she never said a word about owning a business.”

“It sounds like it was her husband’s venture, and maybe Collins runs it now,” Jonas agreed.

“I’m so relieved. I always worry about her being comfortable, or paying her bills.”

“People of their generation don’t make an issue out of wealth like some do,” Jonas said. “It’s good to have friends who care about you. Kate obviously values that,” he said.

“I do, too,” Tessa responded, hoping he knew how much she meant it.

A buzzer sounded. Tessa pressed the button that lit up on the console.

“Yes?”

“I have your addresses, ma’am, but Ms. Masters wondered if you would like a late meal, since you may have missed dinner while getting to her apartment. There’s no hurry.”

“Now that you mention it, I am hungry,” Tessa said. “And please call me Tessa. But we’re not really dressed for dinner,” she said. They looked like a couple of surgeons coming home from work.

The idea triggered a fun idea for role play—she would love to play doctor with Jonas, she thought mischievously, but then returned her attention to Collins.

“If you have any preference, let me know. I’m sure your attire won’t be an issue.”

An idea sparked immediately, and Tessa put down the divider, climbing forward to whisper something in Collins’s ear. She knew the perfect place.

Putting the divider back, she eyed the champagne. “Okay then. I guess we’re riding in style,” she said to Jonas as she poured two glasses of champagne and went back to sit by his side, handing him one.

“I’m so glad it wasn’t my dad who sent this car,” she said honestly.

“Why?” Jonas asked, and she wasn’t sure if she detected a note of suspicion in his tone.

“I don’t like owing him anything, or having him monitor my movements. He says he doesn’t, or that he’s just trying to keep me safe, but I know old habits are hard to break.”

“He’s just looking out for you. Dads are usually protective of their daughters.”

“Protective is one thing. Dad takes it to a whole other level.”

“How so?” Jonas asked.

“When I was young, we were close,” Tessa said, remembering.

Her father had been the sun, moon and stars back then. He’d taught her to ride a bike, played tea party with her and had sent her first flowers, delivered by a florist on her thirteenth birthday.

“But he confuses protection with control. I don’t like to be controlled,” she said, remembering less pleasant teenage years when her father had made her life miserable more than once. “As I got older, I realized he wanted me to be who he wanted, not who I am.”

“Isn’t that typical with teenagers and parents? My brothers and I gave my parents a few tough moments, as well. All teenagers rebel.”

“It was more than that. I couldn’t have a normal social life, even more so than what happens with other politicians’ kids. He wanted to approve my friends, my activities, my boyfriends. It seemed like I only mattered so far as I was a reflection on him.”

“I’m sure he didn’t think that,” Jonas said. “Your father has always seemed to genuinely care for you. He’s proud of you.”

Tessa snorted. “That’s the image he shows to everyone else. He was furious when I dropped out of college.”

“Seems like most parents would be.”

“Yeah, probably, but I was only studying law because he wanted me to. I’d gotten into soap-making as a hobby, but I loved it. I was good at it. I was selling soaps online and to classmates out of my dorm room,” she said with a laugh.

“You couldn’t do both?”

“I didn’t want to. Maybe if he had let me do something more creative, more … me, I would have stuck it out, but I hated what I was doing, and I knew I wanted to open a shop. He thought that it was frivolous, the shop, the soap-making. He forbade me to do it. He tried to stop me, at first.”

“How?”

“He blocked the business loans I applied for, and did anything else he could to thwart me,” she said, remembering how ugly that had gotten.

A woman who had been buying her products for a while, who also happened to work in credit services, told Tessa why her bank loans weren’t getting approval.

She’d been furious and felt betrayed by her father in the most hurtful way.

“He really did that?” Jonas said, sitting up, his blind gaze focused on her as she spoke.

She knew he only saw the facade her father provided, the solid politician who cared about country and family. The man who put up with a wayward daughter who was selfish and ungrateful. It was what everyone saw.

James believed his own press, and she figured he really thought he did the things he did for her own good.

“Yeah, he really did that, and more.”

“Like?”

“Well, the worst offense, other than the store, was paying off a guy I was crazy about in college. He was in the music program, wanted to be a guitar player. We were so in love … and suddenly he received a paid scholarship to Juilliard.”

“That’s a huge break,” Jonas said, frowning.

“Yeah. One that my father funded, I found out later. He would have had a heart attack if I had married a rock guitarist.”

“Oh,” Jonas said, frowning deeper. “So what happened with the store?”

“I proved to him that I can play hardball just as well as he can. I knew a city reporter, a guy who was dating a friend of mine, and I told Dad if he didn’t get his nose out of my business, I would leak the story to the press, about how a city councilman, which was his job then, was using his clout with local banks to block small-business loans. If I went on record, it would have been a nasty political blow,” she said. “And I had the paperwork to prove it.”

“That sounds … bad.”

“It was. He backed off and let the loan go through. It didn’t matter. If he hadn’t, I would have just used my trust fund left to me by my grandfather. He couldn’t touch that, but I didn’t want to use it if I didn’t have to.”

She sighed. “We didn’t speak to or see each other for two years after that. Then my mom got sick, and when we were trying to be there for her, and after she was gone, it brought us together again. He had to admit I was doing well, and things got better. He even came to the shop, and we have lunch now and then. But I’m always wary of him.”

“I had no idea,” Jonas said quietly.

“No one does. My exploits, as you know, were fairly well noted in the media. I know I was wrong to act out like I did back then, but I couldn’t help it. He was smothering. He says it’s all out of love, and I think he believes that sometimes, but it’s hard for him to let me be who I am.”

“You’re probably more like him than you think,” Jonas said.

Tessa drew back. “Why would you say that?”

“I’m sorry. It didn’t come out how I meant it. Just that … you’d have to be a strong personality not to let someone like him, with his own strong presence, completely obliterate you.”

She took a deep breath, and released it, relieved. “Yeah. I never thought about it that way, but I suppose that’s probably why we came at each other so hard over the years.”

Jonas was quiet then, his face pensive, and she watched him closely.

“What are you thinking about?”

He blinked, as if not realizing he had mentally wandered off.

“Oh, sorry. I just can’t imagine growing up with all that pressure.”

“Different families have different dynamics.”

“Yeah.”

She noticed he hadn’t taken even one sip of his champagne. “You don’t like your drink?”

“Not thirsty.”

“Me, neither,” she agreed, and set the glasses down. She quickly stripped off her scrubs and returned to the seat, straddling his lap. His arm grazed her bare skin, his hand finding its way down her arm to her waist, hip and leg, his pulse slamming in the base of his throat.

“You’re naked.”

“You noticed.”

She leaned in to kiss him. “I hope Collins takes the long way,” she said, bringing both his hands up to cover her breasts.

“Where are we going?”

The way his voice lowered and caught ever so slightly as he massaged her made her happy. She wanted him to be affected by her.

“It’s a surprise,” she said.

He didn’t say anything, and seemed to be holding his breath, as if deciding something.

That internal war again, whatever it was, she knew.

So she decided for him, leaning forward and kissing him until she had his complete attention. If he still thought she was seducing him for her own purposes, he was right.

Maybe he had the intentions wrong, but this was definitely selfish. She wanted him, and she knew he wanted her. She was willing to deal with any backlash later to have him now.

But he seemed to come around to her way of thinking rather easily, taking her into his arms and easing her down to her back. She stretched out on the sumptuous leather, and he followed, covering her with his own body.

She pushed his shirt up over his head, and he kicked his pants off. Then they were skin to skin, head to toe, and she almost purred when the strong, muscular legs wedged in between her thighs in a very erotic way. He didn’t rush to get inside her, but lay there, covering her, touching her and whispering sweet things she’d never forget.

Tessa closed her eyes in the bliss of Jonas’s body against her. As they settled into each other, nestled in the soft leather of the seat, Tessa had a sense of rightness she hadn’t ever felt before. She knew she was meant to be with this man. She had the rest of the night to convince him of that.

JONAS WAS A GONER as soon as he’d realized Tessa was naked.

Though their discussion had created more questions than answers for him, at the moment he had had five feet seven inches of delectable, delicious woman spread out beneath him.

He sighed softly against the skin just below her ear.

“This is nice,” she said breathlessly.

“Nice is a weak word,” he said lightly, nipping her earlobe, then sucking on it, swirling his tongue around the delicate inner shell. “Awesome. Fantastic. Mind-bending,” he offered, punctuating each word with a kiss, then a bite, then another kiss to soothe the sting.

Jonas was so hungry for her he didn’t know where to start. His hands explored lower, sliding down the smooth lines of her back to cup her firm ass and pull her up against him. He groaned as his erection rubbed against a soft patch of curls and slick flesh.

Being so close with Tessa shook him to his core. He took his time, moving his shaft slowly along her sex, driving them both crazy. He was gratified when her nails dug into his back and she pushed up against him, seeking him, a wordless sigh and whole-body tremor releasing yet another wash of heat from her body.

She made the prettiest sounds, her body cradling his perfectly. Drawing a lush, erect nipple in between his lips, he let the sensations of touch and taste roll over him.

“I wish I could see you,” he said, rising to find her lips for a kiss. “I’ve only ever touched you in the dark.”

“You’re right,” she said softly. “I hadn’t realized that. It will come back, Jonas.” She moved against him. “And when it does, I’ll still be here, if you want me to be.”

Her words made him ache. He was starting to want that more than just about anything, and that was dangerous, he knew. What she’d told him about her father had explained a lot. Jonas had made a hell of a leap based on partial information.

And he was keeping a secret that would tear her from his arms, he knew.

“I guess until then touching and tasting every inch of you will have to suffice,” he teased, injecting lightness into his voice, though his heart was heavy.

“I can live with that,” she said, sliding her hand down his chest to his lower stomach, finally caressing his cock and making him suck in a sharp breath.

As she left fluttering kisses all over his face, neck and shoulders, he moved to accommodate her as she worked her way lower and took him into her mouth.

He dived his hands into her hair, enjoying the multitude of sensations her mouth was creating as she licked and sucked, her warm mouth and soft lips nearly driving him over the edge. Pulling her around, he slid his hand between her legs and found her soaked, hot. He slid a finger inside, then two, and loved how her moans made her mouth vibrate around his cock.

“Condom. Now,” he demanded raggedly.

The next thing he heard was the ripping of the packet. He held his breath, waiting, hoping … and hissed out a sigh as she deftly covered him, kissing and teasing while she did.

Jonas eased her back on the seat, sliding his hand down to her ankle and pulling it up to rest against his shoulder.

“I’ve dreamed of this,” he confessed.

“Me, too.”

Turning his mouth to find the soft skin of her inner leg, he moved his fingers down to the crux of her body, seeking the hard, pebbled nub of her clit and stroking in slow, rhythmic motions.

Tessa’s whole body twisted toward him on the seat as she sought more, writhing under his touch, her gasps and moans increasingly urgent.

“Jonas, please, I want you inside me when I come,” she panted.

He pushed her a little more, turned on by her restraint, how she held back even as her body trembled with the effort.

When Jonas was sure she was as close to the edge as he was, he guided himself into her welcoming body, the very act drawing the breath out of him. She closed around him like a fist as he filled her with one, deep, purposeful thrust that made them both groan in ecstasy.

He’d never felt anything quite so perfect, he was sure of it. He paused, fighting the impulse to move, soaking up the sensation of her hot, inner muscles pulsing around his cock.

“Please, Jonas,” she begged, arching up under him.

He granted her request, withdrawing slowly and then thrusting forward again, his hand caressing her calf as he tried to create the image of what she must look like in his mind’s eye.

He nipped and kissed the flesh beneath her knee, opening her farther to his thrusts as he moved faster, letting need set the pace. She drove him on with hot, raw descriptions as she joined in, touching herself, telling him what she was feeling, what she wanted him to do to her.

He wanted to do all of it, over and over again.

He was sure he’d died and gone to heaven when he felt her hand down between them, her fingers circling the root of him as he thrust inside her.

“So. Good. Jonas,” she moaned, alternating touching him and herself.

Pulling her other leg up over his other shoulder, Jonas pumped into her without restraint, all the pent-up desire, need and anticipation he had for this woman driving him.

The orgasm was like nothing he had ever experienced. Release created a splash of color behind his eyelids as it shook his body. He kept thrusting, and amazingly, when normally the sensation would start to fade, it was instead followed by a second wave of pleasure that had him gasping as she clenched him tight, her nails scraping his chest as she cried out her own release.

Finally the urgency eased and he lowered her legs, withdrawing from her body reluctantly and pulling her up against him. Jonas had never been what he would call a snuggly kind of guy, but he needed the contact as if to reassure himself that this was real, that Tessa was really here with him.

Her skin was damp with perspiration, which intensified the scents of soap and sex. Her body was pliant and he stroked her wherever he could touch.

“Keep that up,” she said on a sigh, “and we’ll be reaching for the box again soon.”

“Sounds good to me,” he said.

He sought her lips for another kiss, the heat actually growing again between them, when a buzzer sounded somewhere close. Collins’s voice followed on the intercom.

“We’re close to our destination, unless you’d like me to drive around more. If so, hit the intercom button twice.”

Jonas and Tessa laughed at their driver’s discretion in not asking for a verbal response.

“He drove all the way from Baltimore already tonight. I think we can get dressed and give the guy a break,” Tessa said, extricating herself from Jonas’s embrace, though slowly.

“We can,” he agreed, but didn’t let her go before he pulled her in for another heart-stopping, promising kiss.

The next few moments were filled with the sounds of them righting themselves, dressing and hoping they were presentable before they gave the okay to Collins.

The car stopped, and a door opened on Tessa’s side. While making love to Tessa, Jonas hadn’t even noticed that the pounding rain on the outside of the car had lightened to a drizzle. The winds had calmed and he heard thunder rolling gently off in the distance.

As Collins opened his door, Jonas looked skyward, though he couldn’t see anything. The reflex to look was automatic, especially now that he had some hope that his vision was returning.

“It appears the worst of the storm has passed, sir,” Collins confirmed. “But the blackout is quite widespread and has not been rectified.”

“Where are we?” he asked.

“It’s a restaurant called Noir,” Tessa said.

“I’ve heard of it,” Jonas said. “They serve meals in complete darkness. The waitstaff is blind, as is the owner,” he said, unsure how he felt about that. “But how can they be open during a blackout?”

“A lot of the businesses have back-up generators, especially restaurants, since they need to keep food cold,” Tessa elaborated. “Though I imagine they might have a limited menu tonight.”

“That makes sense.”

He guessed Tessa was trying to make him feel more comfortable, which wasn’t at all necessary. He’d be just as happy going back to her place and finding something to eat there—preferably naked.

She stepped up close to him, and he could still detect the scents of sex on her skin, his soap mixing with her flowery scent. It was so sensual, he didn’t want anything to break the mood.

“I’ve heard such great things about it, I thought it would be … interesting,” she said, sounding unsure. “One of the things about Noir is being able to understand what it’s like to be blind. I want to understand how you’re experiencing the world right now, Jonas, but if it bothers you, we can go somewhere else.”

Taking his hand in hers, she absently rubbed her thumb over his knuckles, waiting for his answer.

“I’ve eaten all my meals in the dark for the last month, but I’m still curious about the place,” he said. “It’ll be fun,” he offered gamely.

They walked in and followed their server’s instructions to follow the handrail along the wall of the dark hallway to the back dining room, where a private table had been reserved for them.

“You are two brave souls to venture out tonight. We had dozens of cancellations, understandably,” the server said.

Jonas heard Tessa’s surprised gasp, and felt her stop beside him.

“Tessa?”

“Sorry. There’s not so much as a slant of light in here. It’s so black … it feels like it swallows you,” she said, and her fingers closed around his a little more tightly.

“We don’t have to stay,” he said.

“No, I’m fine. I was just thrown by how dark it is, stupid as that sounds, especially since we’ve spent all night in the dark.”

“Not stupid at all,” the server interrupted. “People often have that initial response to complete dark. Though you may turn off the lights at night, most places still have degrees of light twenty-four hours a day, whether from the moon, streetlights, night-lights, et cetera. So the experience of complete darkness can be quite startling,” he explained kindly.

“You’re right. I never thought about it that way,” Tessa confessed, sounding more relaxed.

“But you learn to use your other senses, and you learn to trust the people around you. You’ll see,” he said, and led them to a table, seating them next to each other.

“Being in the dark can be a revelation. You start to know each other in a new way, to find out things even about people you thought you knew well.”

As they settled into their seats, the waiter offered a short history of the restaurant.

“Dinners in total darkness started, as far as we know, as early as the nineteenth century. In the 1990s, Europeans began experimenting with dark dining, dark bars and similar events. The Paul Guinot Foundation, a French organization for the blind, came up with the idea of dinners in total darkness called Le gout du noir or ‘Taste of darkness.’”

“That’s fascinating,” Tessa responded. “But how is the food prepared?”

Jonas admitted that he, too, had initially thought it was only a marketing angle, and had no idea of the history of the place.

“Our cooks are able to see, along with minimal other staff,” the waiter assured them before asking if they had any questions. He also cautioned them to stay at their tables, to keep the area where he walked clear before he left.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Jonas asked, leaning in close to find her neck, nuzzling it.

He was concerned about how disoriented and fearful she’d sounded when they’d walked into the room, so he made sure he kept touching as they sat in the dark. Though it was not all for her benefit, he had to admit.

Now that he’d had her, he was even more needful to be with her again. Soon.

“I’m okay now. It’s very … shocking. I walked into this room and it hit me how awful it must be to live in complete darkness all the time,” she said.

He squeezed her hand. “Well, this has been a good reminder that I’ve spent a lot of time feeling sorry for myself when other people have spent every day without their sight and go on with their lives just fine.”

“That wasn’t my intention, not at all,” she rushed to say, and he shushed her.

“I know it wasn’t. But I think when I lost my sight, my first reaction was to feel like this was only happening to me. The waiter, and being here, reminded me otherwise,” he said with a sigh, regretting his own attitude over the last month.

He, at least, had the return of his vision to look forward to. Others never would have that. It was humbling.

“I’m sure my brothers would confirm I’ve been a huge pain in the ass,” he said with a smile, but then turned serious.

“I think you’re being too hard on yourself,” she chastised.

She leaned in, intending to kiss his cheek, but ended up kissing his shoulder instead, making them both laugh.

“Obviously my coordination in the dark needs some work,” she said ruefully, finding his face with her hands and offering another kiss.

“You were doing just fine in the subway car,” he said huskily as the door opened again, their waiter returning with drinks and appetizers.

“Maybe later we can find a blindfold,” she said in a suggestive tone. “One thing is for sure, your other senses really do take over when you don’t rely on your sight. Everything is so … intense.”

Jonas agreed. If there was one word for what was happening between him and Tessa, it was intense.