“I saw your aura rainbow,” she said quietly, apologetically. “Sex always produces a lot of psi, you see, and I was jacked myself and—”
“I don’t want a lecture on para-physics. What did you see in my rainbow that made you freeze up on me?”
“It was obvious that you felt deeply conflicted about what was happening. You wanted the sex, all right, but I got the distinct impression that there was something about our encounter that you were dreading. I assumed that it was the thought of having to face me in the morning. Or maybe you were worried that I’d get too emotionally involved and you didn’t want to hurt me. I don’t know. Sorry.”
“Stop saying that.”
She sat up and slipped off the opposite side of the bed. “I don’t know what else to say.” She found her panties and hastily stepped into them. “If it’s any consolation, I run into this problem a lot.”
“You do?”
She pulled her crumpled top over her head and snatched her glasses off the nightstand. She plunked the glasses on her nose. “It’s probably the reason Arcanematch was never able to match me successfully.”
“No kidding.”
“Every time they sent me out on what was supposed to be a serious date I ended up viewing the man’s rainbow. Once I saw it, I just knew things weren’t going to work out. Things always fizzled after that.”
He pulled on his boots, got to his feet, and faced her across the bed. “What is it with the rainbow reading?”
She struggled into her jeans. “Look, you’ve been very fair about this. I knew going in tonight that whatever we had together wasn’t going to be long-term. You made that perfectly clear. I was okay with that. Going with the flow. Rezzing with the frequency, as they say. But then I saw your rainbow and realized that you were anticipating a full-scale disaster.”
He shoved his fingers through his hair. “You misread the situation. Or my rainbow.”
“I could live with the commitment-free scenario but I don’t like the idea of you regretting things afterward.” She drew herself up. “A woman has her pride.”
He tried hard to follow her logic. It wasn’t easy. After a few seconds he abandoned the attempt.
He circled the bed, closing in on her. She retreated quickly until she came up hard against the wall. He stopped inches away and planted his palms on either side of her head.
“You are not nearly as good at reading rainbows as you think you are,” he said.
Her mouth fell open. “But I am. I’m the best. Just ask anyone at the Arcane lab where I was tested.”
“Your talent may be as good as it gets but I am here to tell you that it is not infallible, not by a long shot.”
“What do you mean?”
“I may have some concerns about my personal future but I can guarantee you that I would not have regretted sleeping with you tonight. Not in a million years. Not ever. Regardless of the outcome.”
“But I saw the tension in your rainbow,” she said. “I could tell that you were deeply conflicted about the consequences of a physical relationship with me.”
“You sound like a para-shrink. Personally, I have had enough of para-shrinks.”
She winced. “Men hate it when I start talking like this.”
“No shit.”
“The history of my social life is filled with disastrous first dates. Well, sometimes I make it to two or three. Once in a while I get all the way to five.”
“If you start talking like this on every date, I can see where there might have been a few problems,” he said.
“In fairness to myself, I have to say that I’ve tried keeping my mouth shut in hopes that I’m wrong.”
“Must have been hard for you.”
“I gave all my Arcanematch dates at least three chances,” she assured him.
“How very broad-minded of you.”
“The point is, I gave the professional matchmakers a chance. But in the end it always turned out that my rainbow-reading intuition was accurate the first time. More accurate than their parapsych profiles. If I tried to override my intuition I invariably had a panic attack.”
“Are you having a panic attack now?”
“No.” She frowned, as though somewhat confused. “Probably because we stopped in time.”
“Your intuition told you that I was the one who would have regrets so you pulled the plug before you found out whether or not that would actually happen. And before you found out if you would have a panic attack.”
“Like I said, a woman has her pride. Besides, I thought it would be easier, socially, for both of us that way. We have the next six months to get through together here on this island.”
“You make it sound like we’re doing time in a prison cell together. Do you really think it’s going to be easier to deal with me at the post office and the grocery store now after what just happened between us?”
She exhaled slowly. “I didn’t handle this very well, did I?”
“Let’s just say that I feel like banging my head against this wall.” He pushed himself away from her. “I think I’d better go back to my place now.”
“Okay, but one question before you leave,” she said quickly.
“Now this I’m pretty sure I will regret. What?”
“Were you by any chance conflicted about having sex with me tonight because you’re on the rebound from that Marriage of Convenience that you told me about?”
“No. That was easy.” He turned to go. “I’m leaving now before this conversation deteriorates any further.”
“Maybe it’s a physical problem that worries you?” she said very earnestly. “Have you seen a doctor?”
“Forget hitting my head against the nearest wall.” He kept walking. “I think I’ll go back to my place and pour myself a real big glass of Hot Ruins Whiskey.”
There was a lengthy pause behind him.
“Good night, Slade. I’m sorry I screwed this up.”
The sad wistfulness in her voice stopped him in the doorway. He turned around and walked deliberately back toward her.
“Did you forget something?” she asked.
He clamped both hands around her shoulders and hauled her close.
“Promise me something,” he said.
“What?”
“Promise me that you will not say another word until I am back out there on the road and too far away to hear you.”
“Okay.”
He took one hand off her shoulder and put it across her lips. “Hush. Not a single word.”
She nodded once but said nothing. Her eyes were wide and deep and full of an expression of bewilderment that he found very gratifying.
“For the record,” he said, “there is no physical problem involved.”
She blinked but she did not try to speak.
He took his finger off her mouth and tightened his grip on her shoulders. He kicked up his senses a few notches, not trying to focus, not going into the danger zone, but hot enough so that Charlotte would be aware of the energy. He kissed her before she could think twice about speaking.
He did not kiss her the way he had earlier. He did not ask for a response. He was not trying to seduce her now. His only goal was to leave an indelible impression.
She did not go up in flames when his mouth came down on hers. She froze, shocked or stunned or maybe simply dumbfounded. He held the kiss for a short time, letting her feel the heat.
He raised his head. “There will be a second date.”
She blinked several times. “What?”
He touched her full lips with his forefinger. “No talking, remember?”
She looked at him with a dazed expression. “Huh?”
“Forget it. There’s really no point in trying to make you stop talking, is there?”
“Probably not.”
“Just remember.” He brushed his mouth against hers once more. “There’s a second date coming up.”