I Can Make You Love Me. Karen White-Owens

basket and offered it to Wynn. She chose one of the softly steaming rolls and buttered it. “Let’s enjoy the rest of the meal and leave the family history for another time,” Adam suggested.

      “Sounds good to me.”

      Once dinner concluded, Adam and Wynn returned to the main dining room and occupied a table near the stage. Richard Elliot performed a series of selections from his repertoire. For Wynn, this was a special treat because she seldom got a chance for an adult evening without her children. She kicked back and had a great old time.

      Curious gazes from other patrons rested on them throughout the evening. Their scrutiny made Wynn feel a bit uncomfortable and on display. As the evening progressed and the music lulled her, she relaxed and forgot the people around them and concentrated on Richard Elliot’s sax.

      Adam rested his arm on the back of her chair and she found herself leaning close to him. He ordered drinks and they sipped sparkling wine while listening to the music.

      On the ride home, they chatted about their shared past and what plans they had for the future. Wynn had to admit, she hadn’t enjoyed herself so thoroughly for a very long time.

      When they reached her house, Adam got out of the car, followed her up the walk and halted at the green front door. Wynn fished her house keys from the dark interior of her purse before facing Adam. The expression in his eyes made her stomach flutter. “W-w-would you like to come in for a cup of coffee?” she stammered.

      “No. It’s late.” He grabbed her hand and linked their fingers. “Tonight was great. Thanks for saying yes.”

      “Thank you.” Wynn smiled. “I don’t get many opportunities to go out without my kids. It was fun.”

      “We’ll have to change that. Check your calendar and let’s shoot for something next week.”

      Wynn hesitated. Did she really want to do this again? Was she asking for trouble? “We’ll see.” She took a step closer and raised up on her tiptoes, placing a steadying hand on his shoulder. Wynn kissed his cheek and then turned away, fumbling with her keys.

      Suddenly, Adam’s hand encircled her arm. He spun her around to face him, taking a step closer. Surprised, she gasped, gazing into his face. Her heart almost stopped in her breast. His eyes were dark with intent.

      He’s going to kiss me. And she wanted him to. All evening they had tiptoed around each other, trying to gain their footing. Now Adam was taking charge and she liked it. He was an attractive man who excited Wynn.

      Ohmigod! Helen was right. Adam is interested in me, Wynn realized.

      His head lowered and his hand settled on her cheek, tilting her chin up. He claimed her lips in a tender but passionate kiss.

      All of her talk of friendship and reacquaintance disappeared the moment Adam’s lips touched hers. It was obvious that he wanted to be more than a casual friend. And at this moment she wanted nothing more than to learn the taste and texture of his kiss. The soft tangling of tongues shot through Wynn, surprising and thrilling her. Adam tasted of champagne and seafood. His kiss spoke of desire and passion. She raised her arms and wrapped them around his neck, pressing her body against his.

      After a moment, he released her, looking deep into her eyes. He gave her one additional tender kiss before saying, “Good night. I’ll give you a call later this week.”

      Nodding, she focused on opening the door and getting inside the house. All of a sudden she was all thumbs and couldn’t get the door open. He removed the ring from her hands and inserted the proper key into the lock. Within seconds the door was open. Wynn hurried inside and entered the code to deactivate the alarm system.

      Adam gave her arm a quick caress before jogging down the walkway to his car.

      Wynn stood in the doorway. She felt the weight of his lips on hers and a lingering hint of his cologne rose from her dress while she waited for him to drive off. She turned away when she could no longer see the red from his taillights.

      Content in a way she hadn’t felt in a long while and filled with giddy nervousness, Wynn shut and locked the door before activating the alarm. She climbed the stairs to the second level, made her way to her bedroom, and crossed the floor to sink onto the comforter. She crossed her legs and removed her earrings, dropping them on the nightstand next to the bed.

      Her gaze fell on the framed photo of her children. What would they think of their mother’s date?

      This had been a night of surprises. The last thing she expected was to find such passion with Adam. It had astonished her to learn that he wanted and expected more than friendship. Wynn drew her legs up on the bed and settled her back against the headboard. More important, what did she want from him?

      Chapter 4

      What am I going to do about Adam? Wynn wondered for the hundredth time as she removed a load of laundry from the dryer. Hell, what am I going to do about the feelings he stirs inside me? All morning a goofy grin kept appearing on her face whenever she allowed her thoughts to stray to Adam and the previous evening.

      Wynn folded a dozen white T-shirts belonging to her son, Kevin, contemplating where this attraction might head. Yes, Adam was handsome and certainly prosperous. Yes, Wynn found him incredibly charming. And yes, if she were younger, she’d love to see where all of the attraction and sexual tension might lead. Someplace really enjoyable and fun, she felt certain. But she wasn’t ten years younger.

      Come on, woman. Get real. Why would someone like Adam want to be with her? Adam had the looks, money, and power to get anything and everything he wanted. Wynn had little to offer. All she had was herself and two children. On the flip side, Adam’s world included the young and nubile women of today with their body adornments and tramp stamps.

      The doorbell chimed as Wynn stuffed the boys’ school uniforms into the washer. Surprised, she glanced at her watch. Who in the heck is that? She wondered, adding laundry detergent to the cold water and lowering the lid on the machine before leaving the laundry room.

      Her heart sank when she opened the front door. Not again, she silently moaned.

      “Hi, Mommy.” Six-year-old Kevin dropped his overnight bag on the floor in front of his mother, wrapped his short arms around one of his mother’s legs, and hugged tight.

      Eight-year-old Jimmy shifted to Wynn’s opposite side and duplicated his younger brother’s gesture. “Hey, Mom.”

      Wynn wrapped an arm around each child, hugged them close, and kissed the top of each dark brown head. She beat down her irritation at her ex-husband and focused on her children.

      “I’m hungry,” Jimmy stated.

      Laughing softly, Wynn thought, That’s no surprise. “There’s fruit on the counter in the kitchen. Where’s your father?” She asked, finding it difficult to keep the exasperated note from her voice.

      Jimmy jerked his thumb at the door. Wynn’s ex-husband Jim Harrison sat in the Evans’s driveway behind the wheel of his cherry Jeep Grand Cherokee. Her eyes focused on him as he climbed from the SUV and headed up the walk.

      Both boys grabbed their canvas bags and moved past their mother toward the stairs.

      “Hey! Hey! Hey! You know the drill,” Wynn scolded in a stern voice. “Take your bags to the laundry room and empty the dirty clothes into the hamper.”

      “’kay,” Jimmy answered.

      Kevin nodded.

      Both boys changed direction and headed for the back of the house.

      Wynn listened to their soft murmurings as her sons did her bidding. Minutes later, Kevin emerged from the kitchen with a handful of small peanut butter cookies while Jimmy munched on an apple. The brothers made it down the long hallway to the den and then the theme music from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoons floated into the hallway.

      Jim slithered through the door and landed in the foyer.