The feeling was disturbing… and very exciting.

Chapter Six

IT wasn't often that Lora bought new clothes for herself, but she hadn't been able to resist buying a new top for her first real date with Joel. Besides, the shirt had been on sale for half price, so it had been much easier to justify the purchase, because she'd gotten such a great deal.

The long-sleeved, plum-colored, thermal ribbed top was perfect to ward off the chill of the late October weather, and the low, rounded neckline and row of small silver snaps securing the front would no doubt stir Joel's imagination, and hopefully a good amount of lust. She'd paired the top with her favorite low-rise jeans, which did great things for her butt, and a comfortable pair of heeled boots, since they'd be taking Joel's motorcycle. The overall look was simple, but sexy and alluring at the same time-which was exactly the result she'd wanted to achieve.

After a girl-to-girl talk with Sydney earlier that afternoon and a much-needed boost of confidence from her friend, Lora had decided that tonight she was going to indulge wholeheartedly in the mutual attraction simmering between her and Joel, and follow wherever it might lead. She wanted to discover just how hot and intense all that sexual chemistry was, and just how far it would take them.

She fluffed her unbound hair with her fingers one last time, then exited the bathroom into her bedroom. Cassie was still where Lora had left her five minutes before-laying on her stomach on the queen-sized bed, thumbing through one of the month-old fashion magazines Lora had brought home for the teen from the hotel spa. Every month when the new magazine subscriptions arrived for the reception area, Lora collected the expired periodicals for Cass before they were thrown away.

The young girl had dropped by half an hour earlier because she wanted to hang out before heading back to her place for the night, but Lora suspected there was something else distracting Cassie. Since arriving, she'd been quiet and subdued, and Lora was fairly certain that the talk Cassie had with her mother the previous night about her math grades was weighing heavily on her mind. As a result of Sydney's meeting with Daniel Barnett, she'd restricted Cass's weekend and weeknight activities until her grades improved, and while Lora thought her friend's limitations were a bit extreme, Sydney had been adamant about her decision.

"So, what do you think, Cass?" Lora asked in an attempt to draw the young girl out of her funky mood. "Does this outfit look okay for a casual date?"

"How would I know?" Cassie replied sullenly, and without glancing up from her glossy fashion magazine. "I've never been on a date before."

"But you will," Lora assured her. "Someday."

When she didn't get a response, Lora sat down on the bed next to Cass and gently smoothed a hand over her soft, auburn curls. She'd always been able to talk to Cassie and reason with her in a way that Sydney couldn't grasp. Sydney was the strict one, the disciplinarian, and Lora was the softer, gentler voice of understanding. It was a good balance for Cassie, and she at least trusted Lora enough to open up to her, rather than keeping everything buried inside where it could build into the kind of resentment that drove a kid to do drugs or to hanging out with the wrong crowd in an attempt to rebel against a parent's rigid rules.

Flipping the last page in the magazine, Cassie tossed it aside with a sigh and finally looked up at Lora, her expression filled with teen angst and frustration. "Do you really think my mother will let a boy get close enough to ask me out?"

The sarcastic tone of Cassie's voice had Lora biting the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing. Cassie didn't need her amusement, but rather her support and assurance, and Lora did her best to provide it. "Cass, hon, you're only fifteen. You're young and have plenty of time to date boys."

An indelicate snort escaped the younger girl, and she flopped dramatically onto her back and stared up at the ceiling fan above the bed. The position accentuated Cassie's figure, especially the round firmness of her breasts that most grown women would kill to possess. And those very adult curves were a big reason why Sydney felt the need to shelter her teenage daughter.

"Most of the girls in my classes already have boyfriends. I'm probably the only one who's never been kissed." She slung her arm over her eyes as if the thought traumatized her. "God, if my mother had her way, I'd die a virgin!"

A truer statement had never been spoken, but Lora wasn't about to add to Cassie's anguish by admitting that out loud. "Losing your virginity isn't all that it's cracked up to be, you know."

Cassie lowered her arm, her pretty hazel eyes brimming with a young girl's hopes and wishes. "I'm not looking to lose my virginity," she said adamantly. Then her voice turned soft and forlorn, "I just want to be able to say yes if a guy asks me out on a date. Is that so much to ask?"

No, it wasn't a whole lot to ask for at all, but unfortunately Lora wasn't the one who made those kinds of decisions in Cassie's life. All she could do was talk to Sydney and fight the good fight on Cassie's behalf. Maybe she could suggest a group date with friends, which would be far safer and not nearly as intimate as a single date.

As Lora mulled over that idea, a thought occurred to her. "Does this conversation about dating have anything to do with the Halloween party you want to go to?"

Cassie averted her gaze and shrugged. "Maybe."

Lora took her answer as a yes, but didn't push the issue for now. When Cassie was ready, Lora had no doubt she'd bring up the subject. Or, the boy she was interested in would garner up the nerve to ask her to the party, which would then send Cassie to Lora with pleas for help to convince her mother to let her go out on the date.

"Aunt Lora…" Cassie's curious tone drew her attention back to the young girl. "How do you know if a guy likes you?"

The question made Lora smile, as well as think about the initial attraction between her and Joel. The man's smoldering looks, shameless interest, and direct approach had been some of the first clues that he was interested in her. Then came the kind of arousing sexual tension that sparked between them whenever they were near one another. Heated glances. Unspoken desires. A subtle caress that made her entire body crave a more explicit touch.

Yeah, those were definitely some of the signs that a guy was into you. However, considering adult attraction was far more blatant and sexual than teenage infatuation, Lora did her best to try and remember back to when she was fifteen years old and in high school. She recalled her first crash and used those memories as a guide for Cassie.

"Well, it usually starts out with a glance your way when he thinks you're not looking," she said, watching as Cassie listened intently to her descriptions. "Eventually, he'll meet your gaze, and maybe even give you a smile. If he's confident that you like him, too, he might approach you, and talk and flirt with you. When that happens, you'll probably feel a tickle of excitement in your belly, and your heart will beat a bit faster."

A telltale blush swept across Cassie's peaches and cream complexion, but the teen didn't give Lora long to wonder about its source before she asked, "Is that how you feel about the guy you're going out with tonight?"

Lora nodded. "Yeah. Those kinds of feelings don't change as you get older." They just grew more intense. More tempting and deliciously seductive.

The doorbell rang, interrupting her talk with Cassie and jarring Lora into the realization that it was a few minutes after six. She jumped up and hurried over to her dresser. "Ohmygod! He's here and I'm not ready yet." She'd gotten so caught up in Cassie and their conversation that she hadn't been watching the time. "I still need to put on my watch and earrings and get my coat and purse-"

"That's okay," Cassie said as she quickly scrambled off the bed. "I'll let him in for you."

She was out the bedroom door before Lora could stop her, and it was obvious that Cassie wanted to meet her date. So Lora let her answer the door while she quickly put on her jewelry and stuffed her cell phone, driver's license, and lip gloss into her small purse. She heard Joel's deep, sexy voice, but couldn't make out what he'd said. A moment later, Cassie popped back into her room with a big grin on her face.

"Wow, Aunt Lora," she said in a giddy whisper, her pretty features alight with girlish delight. "He's so hot!"

Lora laughed as she grabbed a warm jacket from her closet-a dark brown faux-suede coat that was lined with fleece. "I can't believe you're checking out my date."

"I wasn't-" Cassie began, then cut herself off before the denial could escape. Then, an adorably sheepish look replaced her indignation. "Okay, I'll admit I was curious to see what he looked like."

"Well, I'm glad you approve."

Cassie grabbed the magazine off the bed and gave Lora a quick kiss on her cheek. "I do. I've got to get going. Thanks for, you know, talking," she said a bit awkwardly before adding, "Oh, and have fun tonight."

"I'll do my best," Lora said with a smile, though she planned to have more than just fun with the hot, sexy guy waiting for her in the living room. "Tell Joel I'll be right out."

"Okay." The young girl started out of the bedroom, but stopped and turned back around before reaching the door, her magazine hugged to her chest. "By the way, I didn't answer your earlier question, but I wanted to tell you that you look great, Aunt Lora. He's a very lucky guy to be going out with you," she said, then was gone.

Out in the other room, she heard Cassie tell Joel goodbye, then the front door closing as she left.

After one last check in the mirror, Lora gathered up her purse and jacket and went to greet Joel. She found him standing in the middle of the living room, wearing his classic black jeans, boots, and a T-shirt beneath a black leather jacket that was unzipped. His roguishly long hair was a rumpled mess around his head, which accentuated his disarming blue eyes and added to those too-appealing bad boy looks of his.

But instead of gracing her with one of those irresistible, breath-catching smiles that turned her inside out with wanting, his hands were braced on his hips and a deep frown creased his brows instead.

"Hey there," she said, unable to guess at what might have set him off. "Is everything okay?"

"Hi," he said gruffly, then hooked a thumb toward the front door, where Cassie had just exited. "Who was that?"

Good God, had Cassie said or done something to annoy Joel? "That was Sydney's daughter, Cassie. Since we live in the same apartment building, she's here quite often."

If possible, his displeasure increased. "Does she always open the door without asking who's on the other side?"

Lora stared at Joel, surprised at his question. "I knew it was you."

He cocked his head to the side and regarded her with a good measure of male arrogance. "What if it weren't me?"

"Who else would it have been?" she countered as she set her purse on the couch so she could slip into her jacket. "You said you'd pick me up at six, and it was a few minutes past six when you knocked on the door."

Still, he didn't let up. "Do you know how many defenseless women get attacked by opening their door to a stranger?"

"Ummm, no." She would have thought that he was yanking her chain if he didn't look so serious about the subject matter. "But judging by how upset you are, I'm guessing it's a pretty high percentage?"

"Higher than you might think." He dropped his hands back to his sides, but his entire body remained tense. "Just do me a favor. Always ask who it is before opening your door, and don't open it for anyone you don't know or aren't expecting."

She did her best to keep her amused grin from reaching her lips. "Okay."

As Lora straightened the collar of her jacket, she realized the source of his annoyance. The man obviously possessed a protective instinct when it came to women, whether due to having a sister or his time in the military, she wasn't certain. But she'd been on her own for a very long time, and as much as she appreciated his concern, she didn't need someone being her guardian.

As if he sensed her willful thoughts, he narrowed his gaze and added, "Promise?"

She refrained, just barely, from rolling her eyes at his insistence and gave him the reassurance that would hopefully put an end to the conversation. "Sure, I promise."