Too Hot To Handle Ch 16-20

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Subject: Too Hot To Handle Ch 16-20
Posted By: OKDeanna - ezOP
Posts: 306
Posted At: (8/21/03 8:30 pm)
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Chapter Sixteen

Sheridan ran a hand through Luis' dark hair and wasn't at all surprised to find it was still damp from the sweat of their lovemaking. She smiled as she recalled how Luis had moved the hair back off her face just before he entered her. That had been one of the single best moments in her entire life. The other best moment was hearing him call her Sheridan. Since their first meeting, he had adopted Ethan's nickname for her and she had all but given up hope that he would ever say her full name. She broke out into a wicked grin as she recalled the moment he said it, right before she climaxed. She still didn't know how she had managed to open her eyes and look at him in that moment. She was surprised she was able to do much of anything let alone comprehend and meet his request. He had sent her into an elliptical orbit and she still wasn't sure she had come back down to earth yet.

Luis finally managed to get enough energy to move off her and she was surprised at the sudden loss she felt. She rather liked Luis being on top of her... inside her. She smiled again then watched as Luis got out of bed and walked into the bathroom. She wasn't embarrassed to stare at him while he did it either. He had the most magnificent body, she thought watching as he shut the door. Sex between them had been more incredible that she could have possibly imagined. In fact, she could quickly see herself becoming addicted. And the best part of all of it was the fact that there was no pressure. No strings held them together, it was just pure physical satisfaction and she rather liked that. She had definitely proved that she was no little miss innocent.

She nestled deep into the covers then closed her eyes and waited for Luis to come back. He hadn't said anything yet, but then she didn't really think he needed to. What had happened between them tonight had literally defied words and she didn't need to hear what he thought about it. She knew what he thought because she had felt what he thought. She had seen the look in his eyes and knew he felt the same thing she did. She sighed then opened her eyes as she heard the bathroom door open again. She looked up at him and smiled when he walked toward her and got into bed beside her. He had to be the sexiest man she had ever seen.

She raised a finger to his face and began to trace its contours then smiled when he grabbed her wrist and pulled her to him so that she was nestled against his side with her head and hand resting on his chest. She ran her hands lightly over his chest, fingers spread, and he gave a low throaty moan of satisfaction as her hand rubbed across his abdomen. She loved touching him. She loved feeling his hardened muscles underneath her hands. In fact, she thought with a grin, she loved touching him almost as much as she loved him touching her. She had known he was good with his hands, she had seen him working on the pool house. But she hadn't realized just how good he was with his hands until they were touching her body, taking her to a place she had never even dreamed of going to before. Now that she had been there, she couldn't wait to go again.

"Luis?" She whispered against his chest.

"Hmm?" He said distractedly as she began to kiss her way across his chest. He placed a hand on the back of her head then closed his eyes and groaned as her tongue circled his nipple. She raised up slightly and gave him a wicked grin then, as she continued to place kisses across his chest, she slid one leg over his so she could straddle him. He sucked in a deep breath as she let her body fall against him. "Sheridan, sweetheart, you're going to kill me."

Her lips froze against his chest. He'd said it again, she thought raising her head to look at him, he'd said her full name again. As if he just realized what he said, his dark eyes opened and locked onto hers. Neither of them moved. Neither of them breathed. They just stared.

* * * * *

Luis wondered if this - this sudden sense as if he were falling - was the same feeling a skydiver felt right after he jumped out of the plane at twenty thousand feet. He figured it probably was. He was so lost in the lagoon blue depth of her eyes that he felt like he was free-falling - with no parachute. He couldn’t breathe or even think. He was completely and utterly lost in her eyes.

He raised a hand to her cheek and watched as her eyes darkened to an even deeper shade of blue. She had the most beautiful blue eyes, he thought. They were definitely eyes a man could get lost in – and he was. He was just lost. It was like they were magnets pulling him in deeper and deeper until he could see nothing but the startling dark blue eyes in front of him. He'd never felt anything like this before. He'd never felt drawn to a woman, not like he was right now. Almost as if he were in a trance, he leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. The moment he touched the soft fullness of her lips he knew without a doubt he was in way over his head.

This kiss was different from all the others they had shared. It wasn't hot and in your face so much as it was tender and understated. It was definitely affecting him far more than any of the others he'd shared with her... than he'd shared with anyone. He groaned as her tongue traced his bottom lip, teasing him by slipping inside only to pull back when she met his tongue. He let her think she had the upper hand for a few more seconds and then when she once again slipped her tongue in his mouth, he caught it between his lips and began a gentle sucking that had her nails digging into his upper arms. When she moaned, he released her tongue and slipped his inside her mouth to torment her the way she tormented him.

He raised his hands to the small of her back and pressed her closer. They both moaned as her lower body came into contact with his. They fit together so well, he thought, and they responded to each other the same way. It was almost as if they had been… he shook his head and refused to even think that thought. This was sex, nothing more. It couldn’t be more. He wouldn’t let it be more.

“Luis,” She said pulling her head away to kiss her way up his neck toward his ear. Once there, she nipped his earlobe then whispered, “I love how you felt inside me.”

He swallowed hard then let out a tortured breath as her tongue traced his ear and her hands roamed his body. He wanted to take things slow this time, but he wasn’t at all sure they could. Every time she touched him, he went up like a Roman candle on the fourth of July. When she closed a hand over him and began to stroke him, he let out a curse then rolled them so that he was the one on top. “I’m sorry, sweetheart, but I can’t take it when you touch me like that. I like it way too much and I want to take things slow this time.”

“Why?” She asked as she raised herself up to kiss him. “I thought we did pretty good the last time.”

“Oh we did.” He said lowering her back to the mattress and placing kisses along her jaw and down her neck. “You know we did. But I want to explore every inch of your body and I want to take my time doing it. Is that okay with you?”

He circled one dusky pink nipple with his finger then raised his head to look at her. Her eyes were half closed, but they opened wider, as if sensing his stare, and locked onto his. He sucked in a breath at the look he saw in them. He was sure that it was hot enough to burn him alive. “God, you make me hot. You can make me lose control with just a look. Did you know that?”

She shook her head yes then broke out into a wickedly sexy grin. “Yes, I did, because you do the same thing to me.”

He groaned then lowered his head and took her nipple into his mouth. “God, you taste so good. So sweet.”

She arched up and he locked his arms underneath her and held her to his mouth. Her hands tangled in his hair and he smiled against her breast. He loved how she responded to him almost as much as he loved making her respond. The ache between his legs intensified as an image of the look on her face as she climaxed flashed in his mind. It had been so strong and so intense. He’d never felt anything remotely close to what he felt with Sheridan…Sher in that moment. He knew he probably wouldn’t again. They just seemed to have the right chemistry between them that made things more intense than they normally would be. He certainly wasn’t going to complain about it. He’d loved ever damn minute of having her naked beneath him… of being inside her… of making her lose control. He loved that the most, he thought. Seeing Sher lose control was one of the best things he had ever witnessed and he couldn’t wait to witness it again.

* * * * *

Sheridan leaned back against the sheet with a contented sigh. She hadn’t thought it could get any better than it was the first time, but she’d been wrong. There was something to be said for going slow. It had definitely been worth it, she thought as she rolled to her side and looked at Luis. Beads of sweat clung to him and she reached out a hand to wipe them away. He turned to look at her and when he smiled she felt it all the way to the tips of her toes. The man was just too sexy.

“That,” He said raising an arm and pulling her close to him. “was absolutely incredible.”

She smiled and laid her head against his chest. “I couldn’t have said it better myself.”

He laughed then kissed the top of her head. “You are something else, you know that?”

“Yes, I do.” She said raising her head to place a light kiss against his lips. “And that’s why you like me so much. I keep you on your toes.”

“That you do, sweetheart, that you certainly do.”

She smiled then lowered her head back against his chest and closed her eyes. She was so tired she could barely keep her eyes open. From the way Luis was breathing, she knew he was just as tired as she was. She fell asleep listening to Luis breathe.

* * * * *

Something woke him, but he wasn’t at all sure he knew what it was. Luis looked at Sheridan sleeping peacefully beside him and knew it couldn’t have been her. Then he heard it, a noise that sounded like it was coming from the living room. He heard a voice and recognized it immediately. He slipped out of bed and pulled on his jeans then just as he started to walk toward the door, it opened and he found himself face to face with Ethan and Theresa.

Neither was looking at him however. No, their eyes were fixed on the woman in his bed. He took a deep breath then looked back to make sure she was completely covered. When he saw she was, he turned his attention back to his visitors. He lowered his voice so as not to disturb Sheridan. He knew she was tired and he didn’t want to wake her yet. “What the hell are you two doing here? And how the hell did you get in?”

Ethan pierced him with a look, one that spoke volumes. When he narrowed his eyes and held up a set of keys, Luis groaned in recognition. He must have left them in the damn door lock last night. He’d been so sidetracked that he forgot all about taking his keys out of the lock. Ah hell, he thought running a hand over his face. “Let’s take this out in the living room. I don’t want to wake Sheridan.”

Theresa raised her eyebrows as did Ethan, but neither spoke. They just turned and walked into the living room. He shook his head then walked toward the door. He turned and made sure Sheridan was still sleeping, when he saw she was, he grabbed the door and shut it behind him, being careful not to make too much noise.

When he reached the living room, Ethan was pacing the room wearing a hole in his floor. “You two want to tell me why the hell you let yourselves into my apartment?”

Ethan glared at him then started to walk toward him. Theresa stepped in his way before he got two steps though. “We were worried about Sher.” She said giving him a look full of disappointment. “We went to a movie last night and when we got home, we found a note that said she had gone out on a date. She didn’t tell us with who and when she didn’t come back home last night, we got worried. We’ve been looking all over the place for her and we thought we would come by here and ask if you had seen her or knew who she had a date with.”

Luis frowned. She hadn’t told them she was going out with him? He shook his head and decided to think about that later. “So this is why you decided to let yourselves in?”

“We knocked.” Ethan said through clenched teeth. “But you didn’t hear us.”

Luis started to say something, but the creak of the door behind him stopped him cold. He turned and found Sher standing in the doorway still half-asleep, holding a sheet to her chest. When she saw him she broke out into that sexy grin of hers and Luis didn’t think he’d ever seen a more beautiful sight. But then when she finally noticed Ethan and Theresa standing behind him, her smile fell and her eyes widened to the size of saucers. He knew just how she felt. They had gotten caught yet again. The only difference between this time and all those other times though, was the fact that right now… he didn’t give a damn. He didn’t care that Ethan and Theresa knew he and Sher were sleeping together. He didn’t want to hide it, but he couldn’t help but wonder if Sher did. Why hadn’t she told them she had a date with him? She had never made a secret of the fact that she wanted him before so why, when she finally had gotten him to agree with her, did she try and hide it? It was damn confusing and as soon as he got rid of Ethan and Theresa he planned to ask her about it too.

Chapter Seventeen

Sheridan woke to find herself alone in Luis’ bed. She stretched her arms over her head then raised herself up into a sitting position and swung her legs over the side. Once she was standing she leaned down and pulled the sheet off the bed. After securely wrapping it around herself, she walked toward the door and opened it. She saw Luis the moment she stepped into the living room and when he turned to look at her, she had to smile at the sight he provided. Dressed in nothing but a pair of black denim jeans, zipped but unbuttoned at the top, he looked sexy as sin. Her grin widened as she remembered what his body looked like underneath those jeans. But then she noticed they weren’t alone and her grin vanished instantly.

Ethan and Theresa stood just on the other side of Luis’ couch and neither one looked very happy to see her there. Of course that could have to do with the fact that she was dressed in Luis’ bed sheet. “What are you guys doing here?”

“You didn’t come home last night.” Ethan said through gritted teeth. ” We got worried and came by here to see if Luis had seen you.” Ethan shook his head. “Little did we know...”

Sheridan felt her face heat and immediately lowered her head to look at the floor. She hadn’t wanted Ethan and Theresa to know she was going out with Luis because she’d been afraid they would call Luis and try to change his mind. But looking back she realized she should have at least told them in the note she wrote. Why hadn’t she? Because she had wanted to let Ethan know she wasn’t little miss innocent and she thought that by staying out all night she would be able to prove it? Even though that thought hadn’t crossed her mind last night, she knew it was an entirely plausible explanation for the reason she didn’t tell them who her date was with.

She took a deep breath then raised her head. Her eyes connected with Luis’ instantly and she could tell by the look that he gave her that he knew about the note. She could see the questions in his eyes and wondered how she was going to answer them. Sure she could tell him that she’d been afraid they would try and change his mind about seeing her, but would he be able to tell there was more to it than that? She hoped not, because she didn’t want to get into the other reasons. She wasn’t even ready to think about the other reasons – not yet.

* * * * *

Luis couldn’t read the expression on Sheridan’s face at all. Usually her face was like an open book, but right now… the book was closed. Why? What the hell was going on in that pretty head of hers? Did she regret last night? Is that what was bothering her? No, he thought shaking his head, there was no way she would regret what happened between them. She’d wanted it just as much as he had. Maybe she regretted not telling Ethan she had a date with him. That little tidbit still bothered him and he planned to ask her about it just as soon as Ethan and Theresa left.

“Sheridan,” Luis said breaking into the sudden silence. “Why don’t you go get dressed while I finish talking with Ethan and Theresa?”

She looked at him a little uncertainly then slowly nodded and walked back into his bedroom. Once she had shut the door, he turned his attention back to their unexpected visitors. “I know you two want to rant and rave at me right now, but I’m not really in the mood to listen so how ‘bout we do this a little later?”

Preferably never, he thought meeting Ethan’s eyes, but he was pretty sure that was out of the question. Ethan wouldn’t sweep this one under the rug. He’d want answers and he wouldn’t quit until he got them.

“Fine.” Ethan said nodding his head and walking toward the front door. “We’ll discuss this when you bring Sher back home.”

Luis grimaced at his tone, but didn’t have much chance to reply because Ethan threw open the door and walked out. Theresa followed right behind him, but she stopped just before she walked out and turned back to face him. “This isn’t like you Luis. Normally when you give your word it means something. You told Ethan you wouldn’t get involved with Sheridan and yet the minute his back was turned you do it anyway. It would be different if you really cared for her, but we both know you don’t. We both know how you are with women. A few nights in the sack is all you can handle, because the minute it gets serious you run as fast and as far as you can. Don’t let Sheridan fall for you, Luis. Don’t let her give you her heart, because we both know you’ll only break it in the end.“

With that Theresa turned on her heel and stormed out of his apartment not even bothering to wait for his response or shut the door. He stood frozen in place for a full sixty seconds then once he got over his shock, he walked to the door and slammed it shut. He had known his sister’s opinion of him wasn’t all that good but he didn’t know it was quite that bad. He jammed a hand through his hair then cursed when he realized it was slightly shaking. What gave her the right to talk to him that way?

“And how the hell does she know I’m not the one that’s going to get my heart broken?” Luis muttered under his breath. He shook his head to clear it then turned to find Sheridan dressed and standing in the doorway, her blue eyes wide and full of questions. Had she heard what he said? He hoped not. He hadn’t meant that the way it sounded. He would hate to give her the wrong impression. He had meant what he told her the other night – his heart was off limits. He had promised himself a long time ago that he would never again give another person that much power over him and come hell or high water, he planned to keep that promise.

He caught sight of the phone cord lying on the table and figured he’d it was time he plugged it back in. The last thing he needed was for more worried visitors to come by. Once he was done, he turned to Sher and gave her a rueful smile. ”I’m sorry about Ethan and Theresa being here. I left my keys in the door lock last night and they used them to let themselves in.”

She shrugged a shoulder then looked toward the floor. “I guess we had more important things on our mind last night.”

“Yeah, I guess we did.” He said walking toward the kitchen to make some coffee. He had a feeling he was going to need some, especially since he had no idea how to broach the subject of last night and why the hell she didn’t tell Ethan and Theresa she had a date with him. He started getting the coffee ready then searched through the cabinet for a couple of mugs. He had no idea if Sheridan even liked coffee. He had just started to ask her when he heard her speak from behind him.

“Luis, I’m sorry.”

“For what?” He asked setting two mugs on the counter then turning around in surprise.

She pulled a chair out from under the kitchen table then sat down and feigned interest in the décor of the kitchen. She wasn’t looking at him and that couldn’t be a good sign. Did she regret what happened between them last night? Is that why she looked so sad? He hoped like hell that wasn’t the case because there was no way he could ever regret it. It had been too… well he wasn’t even sure there was a word for what it had been. “I heard what Theresa said. I didn’t mean to cause problems between you two. Or between you and Ethan. And you don’t have to worry about breaking my heart. I don’t plan on giving it to you so that won’t even be an issue. I know that what we have between us is nothing more than sex. That was after all what we agreed to, right?”

Nothing more than sex. Something about that statement really irked him and it caused him to speak more harshly than he normally would have. “I know you don’t plan on giving me your heart. Just as I don’t plan on giving you mine. As long as we both remember that then I don’t think we’ll have a problem. Do you?”

“N...no.” She stammered, obviously taken by surprise at his tone. Dammit, what was it about her that set him off so easily? He was usually more laid back but ever since he met her it was as if his emotions were on a roller coaster ride with no way to get off.

Luis shook his head then turned back to the coffeepot. “How do you take your coffee? Or do you even like it?”

“A little cream no sugar.”

He nodded then poured two cups of coffee. He put cream in hers and stirred it then handed her the mug. “Be careful.” He said sitting the mug in front of her. “These ceramic mugs get hot.”

She smiled. “I know. I drink out of one all the time. A friend of mine back in New York, Kiley, her mother owns a ceramic shop and she made me a cup that says Princess Sheridan on it.”

“Princess Sheridan?” He asked raising a brow and sitting in the chair across from her. “Is there a story behind that name?”

She sighed and took a sip of her coffee. “Yeah, but I’m not sure I want to tell it to you.”

“Why not?” He asked taking a sip of his own coffee. “Is it embarrassing or something?”

“No, it’s just…” She stopped and shook her head. “Do you know what it’s like to have someone treat you like they know who you are but they really have absolutely no clue? They think they have you all figured out but they really don’t. They judge you based on…” she stopped in mid sentence and titled her head as if she was trying to find the right word then sighed and gestured with her hand. ”certain things and not on who you are inside. Do you know what I mean?”

Did he ever! Wasn’t that what Theresa had done this morning? And what Antonio did yesterday? Come to think of it the rest of his family had a nasty habit of doing that too. And so did Ethan. They all thought they knew him better than he knew himself but the truth was none of them even had a clue as to who he was. He supposed he and Sher had that in common. Ethan had thought her to be little miss innocent, but in reality that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Okay, she did have a tendency to seem innocent at times, but more often than not she knew what she wanted and she went after not caring what people thought about her for doing so. That was one of the things he liked most about her. In a way, she reminded him of himself. He wasn’t in the habit of stopping to think about how his actions might look to someone else either. He didn’t give a flip about what anyone else thought. Except Sher. For some reason he seemed to care what she thought. But he’d never admit it to anyone. They might take it completely the wrong way. That’d be all he needed, he thought shaking his head, for someone to take his caring what she thought about him to mean he’d fallen in love with her. That couldn’t be further from the truth.

The only thing they had between them was sex. Just pure physical satisfaction and nothing more. But if all they had between them was just sex then why did he have this sudden urge to get to know her better? And why did he want her to get to know him better as well?

* * * * *

Sheridan studied Luis over the rim of her coffee cup and wondered what he was thinking. He suddenly looked so serious and he was staring at her as if she were a puzzle he was desperately trying to figure out. She give anything to know what was going through his mind. He’d gotten kind of short with her earlier and she still wasn’t sure what had caused it. But then they’d started talking about her Princess Sheridan cup and he seemed to be okay. At least he had until a few minutes ago. Now she had no clue as to what was going on.

“So...” she said tapping her nails on the table. “Do you know what I mean?”

“Huh?” Luis asked in confusion.

Sheridan laughed and shook her head. “I was asking if you knew what I meant about people thinking they knew the real you when they didn’t. You never answered me. Where did you space out to all of the sudden?”

“Nowhere.” He said getting up from the table and pouring himself another cup of coffee. “I was just thinking about something. Do you want another cup?”

“No.” She said shaking her head. “One is fine for me thanks.”

“Okay. So finish your story. I want to hear how you got this nickname Princess Sheridan.”

Sheridan sighed and wondered how she was going to tell him without sounding like a complete and total loser. It wasn’t like she was ashamed of how people saw her. That wasn’t it at all. She just wished people would take a little more time in getting to know her before put a label on her. “I got the nickname because of my friend Kiley. We were, I guess about eleven, and we were playing dress up. She’s not as well off as my family is and because I lived in a bigger house than her she always thought it was more like a mansion or a castle.”

She chuckled softly as an image of Kiley’s shocked face flashed in her mind. She had been absolutely awed by the house. “Anyway, one day we were playing in the attic and she was afraid about us getting locked in. But then she laughed and said if we did get locked in, we wouldn’t be there for long because someone was bound to go looking for Princess Sheridan. It kind of became a joke after that.”

Luis raised a brow. “Something tells me you left something out of that story.”

She had but she wasn’t about to tell him the rest of it. How everyone adopted the name and refused to call her by just her first name. By the time she hit high school, the guys refused to come near her because they feared the she was too perfect for them. After all a princess had an image to uphold. It didn’t matter that she wasn’t’ really a princess. Because from that point on everyone treated her like little miss innocent and nothing she said or did since then had been able to change that opinion – until now.

Now she was certain that no one, at least no one that lived in Harmony, would see her as little miss innocent. She smiled as she remembered the pool party and how she and Luis getting caught making out in the pool had been the hot topic of conversation. For the first time in her life, no one was making fun of her because she lacked the experience to fit in. And she had Luis to thank for that. Meeting him was the best thing that had ever happened to her and she had known it from the moment she saw him. She had known he was the right man… the right man to help her ruin her good girl image and boy had she been right.

“What’s that smile for?” Luis asked leaning over the table to take her hand. “You look like the cat that ate the canary.”

“Nothing I was just thinking about all that has happened since we met.”

“Oh?” He said raising a brow and turning her palm over so he could place a light kiss in the center of it. “Care to explain that one?”

The ringing of the phone stopped her from answering. Luis sent her seductive grin then winked. “Hold that thought.”

God, she thought as he walked into the living room to answer the phone, the man was just too damn sexy. They hadn’t got much sleep last night and he still managed to look sexy as sin. She on the other hand had looked like the bride of Frankenstein. At least she had until she’d gone into the bathroom to change her clothes. She’d taken the opportunity to splash some water on her face and fix the mop she called her hair.

“Hello?” Luis said as he picked up the phone. Sheridan watched as the smile he’d been wearing a few minutes ago faded to a grimace. Whatever the caller was saying it wasn’t good. “Yeah, we’ll be out of here in five minutes tops. Thanks Ethan.”

Ethan? Why was he calling? “Luis?” she asked getting up from her chair and walking into the living room. “Is something wrong?”

“You could say that.” He said jamming a hand through his dark hair. “That was Ethan. He said I’d better get you home and quick because your parents are there. They got in late last night and needless to say they’re looking for you.”

Her parents? Her parents were in Harmony? Oh god, she thought raising a hand to her mouth, if they got in last night that meant they knew she hadn’t come home. She had wanted to prove to them that she was no little miss innocent but this wasn’t exactly what she had in mind. Well it was, but she didn’t think it wouldn’t happen nearly so soon. And now that it had she had no idea what she was going to do about it!

Chapter Eighteen

Luis could practically feel the tension in Sher as he pulled into the driveway and parked his truck in front of the main house. She hadn’t said much on the drive over and he hadn’t known what to say so he’d just let the silence go. Now he felt guilty. He remembered the look of horror on her face as he told her that her parents were waiting for her and he wondered if it was because she had stayed out all night with him or for another reason. From the little things, she’d said and done since she’d come to Harmony and from what Ethan had told him before, he wasn’t exactly sure that she had a good relationship with her parents. He remembered Ethan telling him that Sher’s parents were a little strict on her and he wondered if that’s what her had caused her sudden trip to Harmony. Neither she nor Ethan had really said what she was doing here other than the fact that she wanted to have some fun. What was life in New York that bad that she had to come to Harmony to get away and have fun?

He shook his head then jumped out of the truck and walked around it to open Sher’s door. She looked up at him with those bright blue eyes and he felt his heart constrict with the sudden need to make sure she would be okay. “Hey, do you want me to come in with you?”

She shook her head no and he felt a sudden sense of disappointment. He couldn’t for the life of him figure out why though. Why would he care that she didn’t want him to meet her parents? It wasn’t like they were a couple or anything. “It’s probably better if you don’t come in. It might make things worse than they already are.”

He nodded in understanding then gave her a rueful smile. “This is not how I pictured our date going, you know. I mean I don’t regret what happened between us, I could never and will never do that, but I do regret that this happened. I don’t like knowing you might get into trouble with your folks because of me.”

“It’s not your fault, Luis. I’m big girl and I knew what I was doing last night. Besides that, it was well worth whatever my parents will say when I walk through that door. I don’t regret it. In fact, I can’t wait to do it again.” She finished the admission off with a too bright smile and he knew she was putting up a front - for him. And that fact touched him more than he was willing to admit.

* * * * *

Sheridan waved goodbye to Luis as he hopped back in his truck and drove off. Last night had been more wonderful than she could have ever imagined and she meant what she told Luis. It was worth whatever her parents were going to say. It was more than worth it actually. She didn’t care how badly she got yelled at, she would never regret spending the night with Luis last night. She knew her parents just worried about her but the last few months it seemed as if they were more worried about their social image than the fact that she had just broken up with the guy she had been dating for over two years.

Granted, it wasn’t like she was nursing a broken heart or something. He would have had to have had her heart to break it and he didn’t. That was one thing Mike had never been able to reach. She hadn’t trusted him enough to give him her heart. Their relationship had only come about because he was the son of her father’s friend. It hadn’t been anything more than that. At least, it hadn’t been for her. She couldn’t really speak for him. She knew he cared about her, but she wasn’t at all sure he had loved her.

She didn’t regret sleeping with him because that had been what made her realize she wasn’t in love with him. They had developed this comfortable relationship but there had been no passion between them. It had not been remotely like what she and Luis had shared last night. God, she thought running a hand through her short blond curls, would her folks be able to tell she’d spent the night having the best sex of her life? She wouldn’t doubt it. She felt different somehow. She felt as if Luis had left a mark on her… a mark that everyone could see a mile away.

Sighing, she reached for the doorknob and slowly turned it. She pushed the door open with her left palm then stepped inside and shut the door. The moment she turned around and saw her father’s angry glare and her mother’s shocked look, she wanted to turn around and run. She knew she was really in for a lecture and she wondered if she could hold her temper long enough to listen to it. Something told her today was the wrong day for her parents to get on her case.

She took a deep breath then walked into the living room, ready to face the firing squad. As she walked further into the room, she saw Julian and Ivy sitting on the couch. They must have gotten in last night too. Ethan and Theresa were also there. They were standing in the doorway to the kitchen. All of them wore disappointed looks and Sheridan wondered if all of them were going to lecture her. She had a feeling her father would be the main one to do that. The Judge was very good at lecturing people.

“Just where the hell have you been Sheridan?” Her father’s angry voice echoed throughout the house. Her father was in his Judge mode. She knew the lecture was fast going to get out of control. Every time he thought she’d done something wrong he immediately went into judge mode. She could tell by the tone of his voice that this was one lecture she was not going to be able to ignore. Usually when her father, Judge Donald James Crane, went into Judge mode she could tune him out but this time… this time she knew she wouldn’t be able to. “Do you know that you worried your mother to death? We had no idea where you were or who you were with! And god knows what you were doing! And why the hell are you dressed like that! Go upstairs and change right now and then when you come back down we can discuss your behavior.”

That did it, she thought as her temper started to climb. Those familiar words had lit the fuse she usually kept carefully hidden. We can discuss your behavior… ha! She wasn’t in the mood to discuss anything with him. Not anymore. Not when she knew he would do the discussing and she would do the listening. He would sweep her feelings under the rug and she wasn’t about to let that happen this time. This time she was going to tell him exactly what she thought! “I’m not your little girl anymore! I’m twenty-four years old. I’m not little miss innocent and I don’t have a set curfew when I have to be home! If I want to stay out all night I will and if I want to spend the night with some guy I will!”

“Sheridan –” Ethan started to say.

“No, Ethan.” She said shaking her head. “It’s time they learned I’m not who they think I am. I’m not even close to the perfect little daughter they want me to be. I won’t apologize for that and I’m certainly not going to apologize for staying with Luis last night.”

“You mean you…?”

“That’s right daddy! I slept with him and nothing you or anybody else can say is going to make me regret it!”

Theresa gasped. Ethan knotted his hands into a fist. Her father looked like he was ready to explode. Julian and Ivy looked as if they couldn't believe what they’d just heard and her mother... Her mother looked as if he was going to faint. Sheridan shook her head then turned around more than ready to go upstairs, but when she turned her eyes connected with a pair of angry brown eyes and she froze. "Luis."

* * * * *

Luis stood frozen as all eyes in the room landed on him. He felt as if he were a bug under a microscope being picked apart by preying eyes. He did not like the feeling. He did not like the feeling at all. In fact, he felt damned uncomfortable and that annoyed the hell out of him. He hadn’t felt this uncomfortable since his mom caught him and Sue Tucker making out behind the house when he was sixteen.

“Luis” Sher started to say only to be interrupted by her father.

“So you’re the lowlife that took advantage of my daughter last night? You actually have the nerve to come into this house and face her family?”

Luis averted his eyes only to find himself looking into Julian’s disappointed gaze. He could see the sadness in the older man’s eyes and Luis suddenly realized he had made a grave error in judgement. He should have stuck to his guns and stayed away from Sher. He should have realized the trouble getting involved with her would cause. But how was he supposed to know she was going to announce the fact that they had sex to her parents and to Ethan’s? There was no way he could have known that.

“Luis,” Julian said shaking his head. “This is not what I would have expected from you. We have always thought of you as a son and for you to take advantage of Sheridan… well I never would have thought that of you. I think under the circumstances it would be best if your father sent someone else to finish up the pool house.”

Luis nodded. “I understand. I’ll get him to send Marty, he’s the only other one I would trust to do a good job.”

“Uncle Julian! “ Sher yelled causing him to glance at her in surprise. Her eyes were flashing blue fire. “Luis did not take advantage of me! It’s not his fault!”

“Save it Sher.” Luis said walking toward her and handing her the purse he’d come back to give her. “I think you’ve said more than enough for one day.”

Her blue eyes rounded in surprise and her mouth dropped opened then closed again. She started to say something but he didn’t stick around to listen. Instead, he turned his back on her and walked out the front door. He’d just opened the door to his truck when her hand on his arm stopped him. He jerked his arm away from her then turned around and looked at her. He could see the sadness in her eyes and he refused to let it affect him. He’d just lost his job because of her. But more importantly he’d lost the respect of the people that had been like a second family to him.

“I… I’m s… sorry, Luis.” She said in a quivering voice.

“You’re sorry?” He asked incredulously. “From the time I was in preschool until now, Ivy and Julian have been like second parents to me. Ethan is more like a brother than just a friend and in one fell swoop you manage to make all three of them look at me with disappointment and loathing. And all you have to say is you’re sorry? You are un – freaking – believable.”

“Luis.” She said reaching out to touch his forearm. “I… I can fix this.”

He jerked back away from her and pierced her with a glare. “Don’t touch me, Sheridan. In fact, don’t come near me again. In the span of four days, you’ve managed to turn my world upside down and make the people I care about most in this world turn their backs on me. Did you see the way they looked at me Sher? Did you? Because I don’t think I’ll ever forget it and I know nothing you can say will change it. Nothing you can say will change anything that happened here today. And the only thing I want you to do for me right now is to just leave me the hell alone!”

With that he slammed his truck door shut, started the engine, and tore out of the Crane driveway. It took all the strength he had not to glance in the rearview mirror and look back at her. He knew if he did, he would feel guilt that he didn’t particularly want to feel right now.

Chapter Nineteen

Sheridan watched Luis’ pickup once again disappear out of sight and she couldn’t help the tears that fell from her eyes. He had been so angry with her and she knew he had every right to be. She had never intended to say those things to her parents. She had just been so angry with them and the words had just tumbled out before she could stop them. She had no doubt that her parents were livid right now and she was not looking forward to going back inside that house.

She heard the door creak open behind her but she refused to turn around. She didn’t want to talk to anyone. She closed her eyes as someone laid a firm hand on her shoulder. Ethan, she thought with a sigh, Ethan had come out to talk to her. Actually, yell at her was probably a better description. She knew he was angry too. She had seen the look on his face when she’d come out of Luis’ bedroom earlier and then again when she’d walked into the living room a few minutes ago. She knew he was going to let her have it and she didn’t particularly need his lecture on top of the two she’d already received today.

“Are you okay?” Ethan asked turning her around to face him. “Luis looked pretty pissed.”

Pissed? Luis had been beyond pissed, she thought opening her eyes. He had been downright furious and she deserved every bit of that fury too. She had caused him to lose his job and as he not so gently pointed out… she had also caused him to lose Julian and Ivy’s respect. She knew from the hurt look on his face when Julian had told him how disappointed in him he was that those words crushed him far more than losing his job ever could. And as he said nothing she could say was going to change that. The damage was done and there was no way she could reverse it now, no matter how much she wanted to.

“I’m fine.” She lied. There was no need to tell him what had just happened between her and Luis. Besides, she had a feeling he pretty much already knew. “Luis said he doesn’t want to see me again.”

Ethan nodded. “Maybe that’s for the best.”

For the best? No, she thought shaking her head, it wasn’t for the best. She couldn’t leave things like that between them. She had to explain to him. She had to explain that she hadn’t meant to say what she said. She had just been so angry and she was so tired of the way her parents treated her… but Luis wouldn’t understand that. At least, he wouldn’t right now. She would have to wait to explain it all to him. Right now, he needed space to cool off and she needed to give it to him. It was the very least she could do after the damage she’d just caused.

“Sher,” Ethan started in his –I’m-about-to-say-something-you-won’t-like tone. “I –“

“Don’t Ethan. If you are going to lecture me on what happened in there a few minutes ago don’t bother. Luis already gave me an ear full and I don’t think I can take much more okay?”

If truth be told she knew she couldn’t take much more today. Just remembering the cold fury in Luis’ eyes and the anger in his voice was enough to make her want to go upstairs and not come back down for a week. She knew his anger stemmed from his hurt and the fact that she had caused that hurt was almost more than she could bare. He was a proud man, she knew that and for him to show her that much today was more than she would have expected him to do. She could see him being angry and just walking off not saying anything to her, but for him to actually tell her how that made him feel said something about him. He wasn’t the bad boy he pretended to be. Underneath that cool exterior was the heart of gold, Theresa had talked so much about. She had seen it today. He had really been hurt by what Julian had said, she had seen it in his eyes. She had heard it in his voice and knowing she had caused that hurt... She shook her head wondering if she would ever be able to make it up to him. Something told her she wouldn’t. Something told her she would never be able to undo the trouble she had caused him today.

* * * * *

Luis walked into his apartment and slammed the door. He was still seething with anger and he knew it was partly directed at himself. If he had stuck to his guns and stayed the hell away from Sheridan Crane, he wouldn’t be in the position he was in now. How in the hell was he going to tell his dad that he had gotten thrown off the job because he’d slept with Julian’s niece? Julian and his father were friends, good friends, and he knew that his and Sheridan’s actions today would cause problems for them. His father as going to hit the roof and he was definitely not looking forward to seeing his father’s Irish temper.

He shook his head then made his way into the kitchen and grabbed a beer out of the fridge. After twisting off the cap and downing about half of it, he walked back into the living room and sank down onto the couch. He closed his eyes then leaned his head back against the cushions and cursed his own stupidity. If he had just stayed away from her… but he hadn’t. He hadn’t and now he was paying the price. One night with her and his whole world was turned upside down.

Julian’s disappointed gaze flashed in his mind again and he opened his eyes hoping to rid it of the memory. It didn’t work. He raised his beer to his lips and took another long swig. He turned his head to the side and eyed the phone sitting on the table beside him. He knew he had to call his dad and tell him to send Marty to the Crane’s to finish up the pool house, but he couldn’t bring himself to pick up the phone just yet. He wasn’t sure he would ever be able to make that call. He’d been working for his dad’s construction company for years and he had never gotten thrown off a job before. He always took his job very seriously and always made sure he satisfied the customers. His dad had never questioned his work ethic, but he knew he was bound to now.

Getting thrown off a job from his best friend’s dad stung. It stung more than he would ever admit to anyone. And he had no one to blame but himself. He had really laid into Sher and he knew she had deserved part of it, but part of it had been directed at himself too. He had known getting involved with her wasn’t smart, but he hadn’t been able to stop himself. There was just something about her that he couldn’t walk away from. She had this energy… this vitality that drew him to her. She was unlike any girl he had ever met and he knew his attraction to her wasn’t just physical. He’d figured that much out last night. He knew he cared about her, but he also knew that he shouldn’t. Because caring about someone left you vulnerable to pain and heartache and he’d already had more than his share of those thanks to Beth and Josh.

“Luis, are you sure this is the ring you want?” Theresa asked for the second time. “It’s awfully expensive. Are you sure you can afford this?”

He glanced at the ring then smiled. It was perfect. The ring had a small diamond in the center and was offset by two rubies on both sides of it. The rubies represented two hearts and the diamond in the center represented the love those two hearts shared. It was the perfect ring. “Yes, I’m sure. Beth, will like it won’t she?”

“Of course she will.’ His sister beamed linking her arm through his. “She’s going to love it. When are you going to give it to her?”

He laughed as his sister’s face lit up with excitement. “Tonight. We have plans to go out to dinner and I thought I’d take her to the Seascape then maybe we could walk through the park and I’ll propose there. It’s where we first met after all.”

“Oh, Luis that sounds so romantic. Who knew my brother was so romantic?”

He laughed. “I have good motivation. I have Beth. I swear I never thought I could love anyone so much but I do. I can’t wait until tonight. I just hope she says yes!”

“She will, Luis. She loves you. You know that.”

“Yeah, I do. I got lucky when they were handing out girlfriends. I got one of the best.”

“Spoken like a man in love.” Theresa said laughing. “Now what do you say you pay for this ring so we can get out of here.”

“Absolutely. I want to go back to the apartment and talk to Josh about making sure he isn’t home tonight. I have a feeling Beth and I will want our privacy tonight.”

He couldn’t wait to see the look on Beth’s face as he popped the question. They hadn’t been together long but they had been together long enough for him to figure out he loved her and wanted to marry her. He never thought he would say those words to anyone but he had and she had said them back. That had been the happiest night of his life, but he had a feeling tonight would top that - unless of course she said no. If that happened then it would be the worst night of his life.

Luis paid for the ring then slipped the little black box in the pocket of his coat. He and Theresa made their way back to his truck and headed toward their folk’s house. After dropping Theresa off, Luis made his way toward the apartment he and Josh shared on Harmony Drive. He hoped Josh was home. He really needed to talk to him about tonight. He wanted everything to go well and if it did then he wanted him and Beth to be alone so they could celebrate.

Smiling, he shut off then engine, grabbed the keys out of the ignition, then jumped out of the truck and headed toward the apartment. He took the stairs two at a time, the smile never leaving his face. He couldn’t wait to see Josh’s face when he told him he was going to propose to Beth. He could just picture the shock. Josh was a confirmed bachelor and the m word scared the hell out of him. Luis was going to have fun making him realize just how wonderful having a woman like Beth in his life was.

Luis unlocked the door and walked in. The soft music on the stereo caught him off guard because normally Josh listened to heavy metal. The only time he listened to this was when he was trying to get a girl into the sack. He cocked his head to the side and listened. He didn’t hear any voices so he wasn’t sure if Josh had a chick with him or not. He started to call out but just as he opened his mouth the bedroom door opened and out walked half dressed Josh.

A second later, his whole world came tumbling down like a ton of bricks because that’s when he saw the reason behind the soft music blaring on the stereo. Standing right behind Josh was Beth and she was wearing Josh’s blue button up shirt. The moment they saw him both their eyes widened to the size of saucers and he knew… he knew he’d been played for a fool.

Luis shook his head to clear it of the painful memories. That night was the last thing he wanted to remember, especially right now. He was upset enough he didn’t need to remember how big of an idiot he was on top of everything else. He downed the rest of his beer then got up and walked back into the kitchen to get another. He knew the booze wasn’t going to help ease the ache in his chest, but he hoped it could dull it somewhat.

He twisted the cap off the bottle and tossed it onto the cabinet beside the other then chunked the empty bottle into the trash can to his left. He gripped the edge of the cabinet as more memories flashed in his head. This time it was memories of Sher and of last night. The look in her eyes as he’d entered her. The ecstasy on her face as she climaxed. Then he remembered the tears in her eyes as he’d told her he never wanted to see her again. He’d said it in the heat of anger and he knew he didn’t mean a word of it. He was still angry and he still needed time to cool off, but he didn’t mean what he told her. He didn’t mean it when he told her to stay the hell away from him. He hoped she knew that. He couldn’t be sure that she did though.

He knew his temper had gotten the better of him and it hadn’t been just because of what she’d told her parents and Ethan’s parents. He had been angry with himself because he’d placed her in that position. If he hadn’t been so content with her lying in his arms last night, he would have woken her up and taken her home. But when he awoke at three am and felt her in his arms, he hadn’t wanted to let her go. He had been to content holding her. It had been a long time since he’d wanted a woman to stay the night with him. Since Beth, he thought with a frown. That was definitely not a good sign. Beth had broken his heart and he never wanted to feel that kind of pain again. Something told him it might just be too late for that.

Sighing, he pushed himself away from the cabinet and walked back into the living room to call his father. He needed to tell him about what happened and he figured he’d better do it before he got too loaded to think, let alone talk, coherently.

* * * * *

Sheridan walked back inside the house with Ethan only to hear her father yelling at her Uncle Julian for hiring Luis in the first place. Uncle Julian fired something back, but she didn’t stick around to hear what was being said. She just turned and made her way up the stairs to her guestroom. When she opened the door and saw her mother sitting on her bed crying, she felt more grief and more regret than she had ever felt in her life. She hadn’t meant to hurt her mother. She hadn’t meant to hurt anybody. She just wanted everyone to realize that she wasn’t the porcelain doll they all treated her like. She didn’t like being on that pedestal everyone placed her on and she was glad she was finally able to make them see that. But she did regret how she had gone about telling them. They hadn’t deserved that disrespect. No one did.

“Mother,” She said walking inside the room and closing the door. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry. I didn’t mean for any of that to happen downstairs. I really didn’t. I was just so angry-”

“I know Sheridan.” Her mother said standing up and wiping away her tears. “I know you didn’t mean for that scene to happen. No one did. Your father reacted out of worry for you. He didn’t mean to treat you like a child. We both know you are a grown woman, but Sheridan it still didn’t give you the right to talk to us that way. We are your parents and we deserved a lot more respect than you gave us downstairs.”

Sheridan lowered her head toward the ground. “I know you did and I’m sorry I didn’t give it to you.”

Her mother nodded then walked toward her and wrapped her arms around her. “So how well do you know this Luis? Did he treat you right? I mean I know he’s Ethan’s friend and that Julian and Ivy think the world of him, but what do you think of him?”

Sheridan knew what her mother was asking and she wasn’t at all sure she knew how to answer her questions. She had slept with Luis, but they didn’t know each other well. She couldn’t tell her mother that, but then she had to already know that. After all, she hadn’t even been in Harmony a week yet. She decided to sidestep that question and concentrate on the other two instead. “Luis treats me well, mom. He’s a really great guy. I have a lot of fun with him.”

She wasn’t about to tell her the kind of fun she and Luis had together. Instead, she told her about the party and how Luis had sung her favorite song from Top Gun after she had dared him to. Her mother laughed at how he tricked her into thinking he couldn’t sing and then at how he had surprised her by having a really great voice. She left out the stuff about Ethan and Luis getting into an argument and about Josh. There was no need to go into those details. No need at all.

“Luis sounds like a good guy, Sheridan. I can see why you like him so much. I knew when I saw you walk in something was different and now I know that Luis is the reason. He is the reason you have that glow about you. The glow of a woman in love.”

Sheridan froze at that. There was no way she was in love with Luis. That was absolutely the most ridiculous thing she had ever heard. She couldn’t deny it though because then her mother would ask why she had slept with a man she didn’t love and that was definitely not a conversation a daughter should have with her mother. In love with Luis, she thought shaking her head, her mother couldn’t be more wrong. She and Luis had an understanding nothing more. At least they used to have an understanding. After what happened today, she wasn’t sure he’d ever want to see her again let alone sleep with her. She supposed that was something she would have to talk with him about. She’d give him a few days to cool off and then she would go talk to him. She just hoped he would listen to her.

Chapter Twenty

It had been almost a week since Luis had last seen Sher and yet the moment she entered the lobster shack, it was as if they’d never been apart. She was wearing a flower covered yellow sundress that flirted with her ankles. She looked beautiful. He finally found the courage to raise his eyes to meet hers and as they did, something electric passed between them, much as it had the first time they met when he’d dove into the pool and splashed her with water. He smiled at the memory then frowned for letting her get to him yet again. He’d promised his father during that dreadful conversation six days ago that he would stay away from Sher and he planned to do just that. His father had been angry, more than angry actually. He had exploded like a stick of dynamite. He’d hollered for a good fifteen minutes and then he had made him promise not to go near Sheridan Crane again. Once he remembered the pain and heartache Beth caused him, he had agreed, figuring it would be the smartest thing for him to do anyway.

Luis knew Sheridan had gotten to him in some way and he also knew that by spending more time with her the feeling would only get deeper. He couldn’t allow that to happen. He had told her the night before their ‘date’ that his heart was off limits and he meant it. Right now she only held a tiny miniscule piece of it and he refused to give her access to more. He wouldn’t set himself up to be hurt again. After his father had reminded him of what was at stake - his friendship with Ethan and his family as well as the rest of his families relationship with the Crane’s - he knew he couldn’t allow himself to see her again. It would only cause more trouble for all of them. No, the best thing for him and for everyone else involved was for him to keep his distance from Sheridan Crane. He only prayed he had the will power to do it.

“Why don’t you just go talk to her?” Miguel asked breaking into his less than pleasure filled thoughts.

Luis shook his head. “No way. I already told you why I can’t do that.”

“Because dad said to stay away from her? Yeah you told me that.” Miguel asked waving his hand through the air in a dismissive gesture. “But when did that ever stop you from doing anything you wanted to do? Hell, Luis you never listen to anyone before so why are you going to start now?”

“Dammit Miguel layoff already! You’ve been harping on this all week! I’ve told you I don’t know how many times that I have my own reasons for staying away from her!”

“Yeah, I suppose you do. The main one being so you can avoid dealing with your feelings for her.”

Luis sent his little brother a withering glare. “Go to hell Miguel. You have no idea what you are talking about!”

“No?” Miguel asked raising a brow. “Then answer me this. Why haven’t you been able to get her out of your mind? It’s been almost a week now and you’re still as upset as the day it happened. Why? If you didn’t care about her, Luis, you wouldn’t be so upset about what she did or about staying away from her. You’ve never given two cents about what anyone said about you and here you are running away because her father thinks you aren’t good enough for her. News flash big brother – no father ever thinks any guy is good enough for his little girl.”

“How in the hell would you know that?” Luis shot back angrily. “You got a little girl running around out there somewhere?”

“Very funny,” Miguel replied with a hard look. ”And don’t try and change the subject. You care about her and that scares the hell out of you so you’ve taken to running away. I never thought I’d live to see the day that Luis Lopez-Fitzgerald was actually afraid of something, least of all a girl!”

A girl? Ha! Sher was more than just a girl. She was… she was Sher. There were really no words to describe her. Just when he thought he had her pegged, she’d pull a one-eighty on him. She definitely kept him on his toes. At times that was a definite turn on, but like the other day, it was a definite turn off too. Why couldn’t she be like the other women he had known? The less complicated ones? Because, his brain answered, if she was like those other women she wouldn’t be Sher. She wouldn’t be the Sher he knew and lo-

Luis froze as the implication of what he’d almost said hit him. It wasn’t true. There was no way that could be true. Hell, outside of the biblical sense, he barely knew her so there was absolutely no possible way he could be in love with her. No way at all. A voice inside his head called him a liar, but he refused to pay attention to it. He knew what he felt and what he didn’t. And what he felt for Sheridan Crane was definitely not love. It was just pure and simple good old American lust.

* * * * *

Sheridan wasn’t sure what was going on between Luis and his brother but Luis certainly didn’t look happy. In fact, he’d been frowning and glaring at Miguel for the last fifteen minutes. And she should know. After all, she’d only been staring at him ever since she walked in the door. He’d looked at her when she first came in but Miguel had said something and he’d quickly turned his attention back to his brother. She knew he was still angry with her. She'd seen it in his eyes. But she also knew that for a split second he had been happy to see her. She’d seen that too. The only problem was it had disappeared far too quickly for her liking.

How was she going to get him to forgive her? It wasn’t like she had meant to tell her and Ethan’s parents that she’d slept with him. She hadn’t. Her temper had simply gotten the better of her and she’d lashed out. In retrospect, she knew she’d lashed out that way because it was the quickest way to get her father to see she wasn’t a little girl anymore. But she regretted doing it now. Her father had hardly spoken to her over the past week and when he did it was only to tell her how disappointed in her he was.

Sighing, she turned her attention away from Luis and looked at her father, who was currently glaring in Luis’ direction. The last thing she needed was for her father to confront Luis like he’d threatened to do ever since Luis had walked out of the Julian and Ivy’s house six days ago. Julian’s dismissal of his working on the pool house hadn’t been enough for her father evidently. He wanted Luis to lose his job altogether and had even threatened to call his father to make sure that happened. It had taken her mother and her a good two hours to talk him out of it. It certainly hadn’t been easy. In the end, the only way her father had given in was for her to agree to go back to New York with them.

Tears started to well in her eyes as she glanced back over at Luis. He wasn’t looking at her, but she knew he felt her looking at him. She could tell by the tenseness in his body. He had said he never wanted to see her again and after tonight he probably wouldn’t. Something inside her broke as the revelation of what she had agreed to started to sink in. In four days, she would return to New York with her parents. Her summer of fun was going to end earlier than she had planned thanks to her big mouth and now she would go back to her boring life in New York.

She knew her father expected her to get back together with Mike and she was going to fight him on that every step of the way. She did not want to be the trophy girlfriend of Michael Bryant. She knew if she got back together with him that her father and his father would have them married in a few short months and that was definitely not what she wanted. She wanted more out of life than Mike could give her. She wanted passion and excitement. She wanted… love.

Tears burned her eyes and fell silently down her cheeks as the realization that she would never have that finally sunk in. The minute she returned to New York she knew what would happen. She would return to the same person she had always been – the dutiful daughter. She’d sacrifice her happiness to avoid creating a ripple in her relationship with her father. She would no longer be the person she had been over the last two weeks. She would no longer be the free spirit she had wanted to be all her life. She would be a robot and her father would once again be the controller.

She closed her eyes in the hope that she could get her emotions under control and when she opened them again, she found herself staring into Luis’ questioning brown gaze. He raised a brow when he noticed her tears and when he started to get up, she shook her head no. He sat back down but she knew he didn’t want to. She could see the worry in his eyes and she knew that worry was for her. More tears slid down her cheeks and she knew if she didn’t get out of there right now, she was going to cause a scene, a scene in which she did not want to be a participant in.

Sheridan backed her chair up and stood on somewhat shaky legs. When her father questioned where she was going, she merely shook her head and walked out the front doors of the restaurant. She knew she would have to answer for her behavior later and she would, but right now she needed some time to think. Once outside she sucked in a deep breath and began to walk down the sidewalk toward Lighthouse Park. She had gone there a lot over the last six days and it always seemed to help her get her perspective on things. She desperately needed that perspective tonight. She had to figure out what she wanted to do. She knew she had promised her father that she would stay away from Luis, but she also knew that by doing so she would be going back on the promise she made to herself. The promise to live her life the way she wanted to instead of living it the way her parents wanted her to.

When did her life get so complicated? When you turned sixteen and realized your parents didn’t care who you were as long as you did what they wanted you to do, her mind answered. As long forgotten memories floated into her brain, memories she’d tried to bury long ago, she began to cry harder and walk faster. Pretty soon she was running, running in the hope that she could escape the memories. But the more she ran the more the memories followed.

Lost in her haze of memories, she failed to hear the voice yelling her name. In fact, she didn’t even know Luis had followed her until he caught her by the arm and swung her around to face him. Her hands landed on his broad shoulders in an effort to steady herself and when she looked up she found herself staring into his intense brown eyes. Looking into those dark eyes made her realize just what her promise to her father meant and as the truth hit her like a bolt of lightening, all the tears she’d never let herself shed fell. She cried for the little girl that never had the chance to find herself because her parents, her father in particular, had always told her who she was. She cried for the woman that had been forced to pretend she loved a man she couldn’t stand to be around. She cried for the daughter that could never seem to please her father and she cried for the woman that she wanted so desperately to be but would never be allowed to become. And through it all Luis held her, comforted her, and soothed her with his deep voice and soft words.

* * * * *

Luis didn’t know what to do. He’d never seen someone in so much pain before. He didn’t know what was going on with Sher but he knew whatever it was it was killing her inside. He could see it. He could feel it. He held her as she cried and wished more than once that he could make all her pain go away. He knew he would gladly take it upon himself if it meant she would be rid of the pain that was breaking her heart right now.

She continued to sob against his chest and he ran his hands lightly over her back as her tears drenched the front of his black button up shirt. Then with his voice soft and low, he tried to reassure her. He didn’t know what he was trying to reassure her of, but he knew he had to try.

“It’s okay, Sheridan.” He said whispering into her hair. “It’s okay. Whatever it is, it’s going to be okay.”

“N…n… no it won’t.” She cried her voice thick with pain and heartache. “It won’t be all right. It never will be again.”

“What do you mean?” He asked pulling back and placing a finger under her chin so he could look in her tear filled blue eyes. “What do you mean it won’t ever be all right again?

Her eyes were swollen and puffy but they still had the ability to take his breath away. They were so intense… so filled with such raw emotion that it was hard for him not to get lost in them. “What is it, Sher? Tell me. Maybe I can’t help.”

“You can’t.” She cried pulling away from him and turning so that her back was to him. “You can’t help me, Luis. The only think you can do is say goodbye.”

Say goodbye? Surely, she didn’t expect him to just leave her here? There was no way he was going to leave her alone right now. Not in the shape she was in. No way. “I’m not leaving, Sheridan. I’m not going to leave you alone so you may as well tell me what’s bothering you.”

She shook her head then turned back to face him, her bright blue eyes were filled with tears and laced with regret. “I know you’re not leaving Luis. But… but I am. I’m leaving this Sunday. I’m going back… back to New York with my parents.”

The breath left his lungs as her words filled his ears. Leaving. Sunday. Back To New York. Leaving… NO! She couldn’t be leaving! She was supposed to stay until the end of the summer. Why would she change her mind now? Why did she suddenly want to go back to New York? The place that she had in not so many words said that she hated? It didn’t make any sense. Unless… “Are you parents forcing you to leave because of what happened between us? Is that what this sudden talk of leaving is all about? Because if it is I swear I’ll talk to them. I’ll straighten it out.”

She shook her head again then walked closer and placed her hand against his cheek. “There’s nothing to straighten out Luis. They aren’t forcing me to leave. It was my decision.”

Her decision? She chose to leave? Why? Because of him? Because of what he’d said about never wanting to see her again? If that was the case then he could clear it up right now. “Sheridan, when I… when I told you I never wanted to see you again… Well, I… I didn’t mean it. I was angry and hurt, but I swear I didn’t mean it.”

She gave a slight smile. “I know, Luis. I know you didn’t mean it. My leaving has nothing do with what you said.”

“Then what does it have to do with?” He asked locking his eyes with hers. “Why are you leaving, Sheridan? Why are you cutting your summer of fun two months short?”

“Because I have to.”

Because she had to? What the hell kind of answer was that? He could tell there was more to it than she was willing to say but he had all night and he wasn’t about to leave the park until he got some answers to his questions. He was going to find out why she suddenly decided to go back to New York and once he did, he was going to do his damnedest to change her mind. Because there was no way he was going let her walk out of his life as easily as she’d walked into it.

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Replies

Too Hot To Handle Ch 1 - 5	OKDeanna	8/21/03 8:21 pm
Too Hot To Handle Ch 6 - 10	OKDeanna	8/21/03 8:23 pm
Too Hot To Handle Ch 11-15	OKDeanna	8/21/03 8:26 pm
Too Hot To Handle Ch 16-20	OKDeanna	8/21/03 8:30 pm
Too Hot To Handle Ch 21-25	OKDeanna	8/21/03 8:32 pm
Too Hot To Handle Ch 26-27	OKDeanna	8/21/03 8:33 pm

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