Crazy For You (5 page)

Roxanne parked behind Frank’s car and got out of the
van. He greeted her with a passionate kiss. She returned it,
hungrily. He hadn’t tried to sleep with her, fearful of chasing her
off, but he was convinced she wanted to give herself to him. He
just couldn’t figure out what was stopping her. Was she really
waiting for him to make the first move? He’d been going back and
forth on that idea for a while.

“Later on,” she said, lacing her fingers with his.
“Will you come back to my place with me?” She looked at him and for
a second, he thought he saw a hint of fear shade her eyes darker.
“There’s something I need to talk to you about.”

“Something wrong?” He wasn’t happy about the nerves
cracking his voice, but what could he do?

“No.” She shook her head and gave him an
everything’s okay
sort of smile. “There’s nothing
wrong.”

R
ich came out of the house
and headed straight for Candy. He pressed his lips against hers and
she fought with the feelings overcoming her from his sweet, tender
touch.

She knew Rich thought he was falling for her. And
even though her body argued, she had to discourage it.

“Let’s go for a walk.” He tugged at her hand.

“All right,” she agreed reluctantly.

He led her away, holding onto her hand a little too
tightly, like he was hanging on for dear life. “You know you’re
very special to me?” he said, his words wrapped in
apprehension.

“So are you.” She hoped he understood there were
stipulations.

“What I’m trying to say is…” He stopped talking long
enough to clear his throat. “You know I really like being with
you.”

“The feelings are mutual.” She knew what was coming
next, and she had to stop it. “So don’t blow it by saying something
you can’t follow through on.”

“I thought we were on the same page?”

“So did I,” she said, even though she knew they
weren’t.

“Why do you think it’s so terrible for me to want to
tell you that I love you?” The pain that notion could bring spoke
out in his tone. Rich’s anger overcame any fear of rejection that
he might have been experiencing.

“Listen—” Somehow, she managed to remain calm. “—I
know you think you love me. But someday you’ll be out on the road
and you’ll find out differently.”

Candy’s good senses wouldn’t let her venture onto
that particular page. Not with Rich, or any other musician for that
matter. If that’s what Roxanne wanted to do, then more power to
her. But it wasn’t what Candy was going to do. She wanted no part
of it. She wasn’t about to get all wrapped up in Rich, just to find
out she hadn’t been anything more than a passing fancy. She was
certain he’d realize, sooner or later, that she wasn’t all he
wanted or needed. But she didn’t want to lose his friendship over
this.

“If you insist on telling me that you love me…that’s
fine,” she said with a one-sided shrug and a bit of a head shake.
“But our relationship remains as is. No strings.”

A
round four o’clock Frank
and Roxanne left to go back to her place, with a promise that
they’d meet everyone out by the bay around eight o’clock for the
fireworks show.

Once at her place, they lounged on the loveseat
tucked midway up the stairs. Something was weighing on Frank’s
mind, and Roxanne wanted to know what it was. “What’s wrong?” she
asked, winding a lock of his wavy hair around her finger.

“I’ve tried so hard to come up with some lyrics.” He
searched her face as if it would bring him comfort. “Hell, I’ve
tried to write you a song. But I can’t come up with any words to
express how I feel about you.” His tone was dark and denouncing.
“The only thing I can ever come up with is…I love you.”

She wasn’t expecting that. “Really?”

“Yes. I love you, girl!”

Roxanne draped her arms around Frank. “Want to know
something?” She teased him with sweet, sensuous kisses.

“There’s only one thing I want to know right
now.”

“I love you, too.”

A wave of relief rushed over Frank. She loved him.
That was all that mattered. Nothing could stop him now. Except
maybe his inability to write a simple little song.

“But wait…” She pulled away. “We’ve got to talk.
There’s something I have to tell you.”

The seriousness of her tone evoked the return of
Frank’s fear. “What’s up?” he asked, but wasn’t sure he wanted to
hear the answer.

She hesitated for the longest time. He could almost
see the wheels turning inside her head. It doused him with an
uneasy feeling.

“Candy isn’t my sister.”

That’s it?
His fear vanished. “That’s not
such a big deal.”

“She’s my sister-in-law.”

Now Candy’s actions toward Rich were starting to
make sense. “She’s married to your brother?”

“I don’t have a brother.”

If Roxanne didn’t have a brother, that could only
mean one thing. Frank’s fear reappeared. “You’re married,” he said
conclusively. “Jesus, Roxanne. You just told me you love me.”

“And I do.”

“But you’re married.” He glared at her, hoping she
felt some of the contempt that had overwhelmed him. “You sure
pulled one over on me.”

“Wait just a minute.” She backed away from him. Fire
lit her eyes as she started shaking her head. “Don’t you go passing
judgment on me.”

Well, here it comes
. Frank knew this game all
too well.
Now she’s going to try to come up with excuses
.
But he didn’t care about her excuses. Nothing she could say would
excuse this.

“If you’re going to condemn me, the least you can do
is hear me out.”

Frank ignored her plea. He didn’t want to hear it,
but he couldn’t walk away either. The only thing he could do was
sit there. The thought,
maybe I could get her to leave him
,
crossed his mind briefly.

“Chuck was Candy’s brother,” she said. “I grew up
knowing both of them my whole life. Next to Candy, Chuck was the
best friend I’ve ever had.”

Frank didn’t say anything and he didn’t look at
her.

“When he asked me to marry him, it just seemed like
the natural thing to do.” Roxanne began to wonder if the natural
thing to do had been the right thing to do. “So we got married a
few months before I graduated from high school.”

It didn’t matter if it had been the right choice or
not. That song had played. And yet, Roxanne couldn’t help wondering
if Chuck had felt like he’d been dancing alone.

“Where is this guy now?” Frank jumped back into the
conversation.

“Umm…he’s dead.” Those words were still hard to say
out loud. She stopped long enough to collect her emotions. “We were
married only a few months—” Tears dampened her eyes and blurred her
vision. “—when he died on a motorcycle.” Finally, her tears
fell.

Frank’s fear disappeared. Suddenly, he felt sorry
for both Roxanne and Candy. He pulled her to him, hoping his
embrace would bring her comfort. “Hey,” he said softly, brushing
her tears aside. “I’m very sorry. I’m sorry you had to lose someone
that meant so much to you.” He wished he could find the words to
help her. “But I’m also sorry that I doubted you before you had a
chance to explain. I’ll never do that again.”

“Don’t you see, Frankie...” She choked back the
tears as she looked at him. “Now that I’ve met you, I finally know
what it’s like to feel that excitement that comes with love.” She
hung her head. How could she admit that what she thought she’d felt
for Chuck wasn’t actually what she’d felt at all. Sure, she’d loved
him, but she wasn’t
in
love
with him. “But I never
wanted him to die.”

“I wish I could make your pain go away,” he said.
“It’s not your fault.”

“I know. But I can’t help but wonder if he feels
betrayed by all this.” Her words flowed out with a little shrug.
“Surely he must know that I feel things for you I couldn’t have
ever felt with him.”

“Roxanne...” Frank wanted to help her, but he wasn’t
sure if he had the capability. He’d have to do some persuasive
talking, and quickly too, before Roxanne talked her way out of
them
because she felt guilty. “Don’t you think that wherever
he is…above all else…he’d want you to be happy?” he asked. “Even if
it means you’ve found the kind of love with me that you could never
have shared with him?”

Okay, so maybe Frank had a point. Chuck would never
be so selfish that he’d begrudge Roxanne happiness.

It was like she saw a light at the end of the
tunnel. The time had come to put Chuck to rest, once and for all.
As the tunnel’s light grew brighter, Roxanne was consumed by an
even bigger doubt.

Now that she and Frank had declared their love for
one another, it was only a matter of time before they ended up in
bed. And it wasn’t that she didn’t want to. She was worried that
her sexual inexperience would turn out to be a problem. Chuck was
the only man she’d ever been with. How could her one-man sexual
experience put her in the same league with the girls Frank was used
to bedding?

Simple. It couldn’t. And once Frank realized she
didn’t have a clue, he’d look for someone who did.

Before Frank found out about Chuck, he suspected
that Roxanne might be a virgin. He’d liked that idea all too well.
But in light of her revelation, that was no longer possible.

He got that she loved them both, yet in very
different ways. But Frank possessed something from Roxanne that her
late husband never had and never would have. Desire. It occurred to
Frank that her need to be with him was a new experience for her. He
hadn’t lost sight of the fact that Chuck could be, and probably
was, the only man she’d ever been with.

Frank decided he could handle that. After all, he’d
be the only man alive who’d ever have her. But more than that,
Frank would be the only man to possess her mind, heart, body and
soul.

As far as Frank could see, things were going to be
fine. Just as soon as he had the opportunity to satisfy her hunger,
Chuck Simon would become a distant memory—one that seemed more like
a movie she’d seen somewhere rather than reality.

***

Chapter 5

F
rank had to be certain
Roxanne could handle his hunger. “You sure you’re ready for this.”
He had to be sure, otherwise his desire could scare her away.

“Yes,” she said, holding onto his hand tightly. “You
have no idea how much I want this.” An impish smile curled on the
corners of her mouth. She was thinking about having sex with him.
It was sexy as hell and it turned Frank on. “But you’ve gotta
understand,” a fearful quality echoed in her tone, “I’m not like
the other girls you’ve been with. I’m not...experienced...like
them.”

“Roxie...” His hand slipped up her arm, drawing her
closer to him. “I don’t want you to be like them. I just want you
to be you.” His free hand explored the line of her jaw. “This is a
journey...” He kissed her with his eyes. “...that only you and I
can take together.”

“Then let’s go,” she urged softly.

Frank’s confidence flourished. Here she was...ready,
willing and able and very eager to learn anything he wanted to
teach her. And what he intended to teach her was that nothing or no
one could ever fill the space inside of her that he planned to
claim as his own.

“I have an idea.” He pushed himself up from the
couch. “I’ll be back in about an hour.” He bent down and gave her a
tender kiss before starting down the stairs.

“Wait.” Roxanne ran after him. “What’s wrong?”

He stopped midway down the stairs and looked back at
her. “Baby, there’s nothing wrong,” he said surely. “I’ve got a
really great idea, that’s all.” He gave her a smile instead of
further explanation. “You just go on up there and run us a bath in
that swimming pool you call a bathtub,” he said, “and I’ll be back
before you know it.” Without any hint of where he was going or why,
he disappeared down the stairs.

Roxanne sat down on the stairs, feeling the screams
of frustration clawing at the back of her throat. The warmth from
his kiss still lingered on her lips. Thoughts crowded her mind,
visions of Frank’s mouth leaving tantalizingly slow trails over her
body. Chills born from desire rolled over her and the reality of
sitting on the stairs—alone—came back to her. She looked around
trying to compose herself.

The bath water
. That’s what she was supposed
to be doing. She went back upstairs and into the bathroom where she
filled the tub with bubbled water. In search of the perfect
romantic atmosphere she lit the candles sitting on the back of the
bathtub, just in case that’d further her cause. Almost instantly
the sweet scent of roses filled the air.

She sat down on the edge of the tub and watched the
bubbles grow while visions of Frank kissing her flashed in her
mind. In her mind’s eye his lips explored areas other than her
mouth, but she lost the images as quickly as she’d first seen them.
She struggled to get them back but was unsuccessful.

With the tub nearly full, she turned the water off
and went into the bedroom and sat down on the end of the bed.
Knowing Frank would be with her soon, hunger trembled throughout
her body. Roxanne had better control herself when he did
return.

Footsteps echoed up the stairs. The thought of his
arrival stoked a gently growing fire. She greeted him at the
doorway.

He stopped long enough to kiss her, and then he
carried the things he’d brought back with him on into the bathroom.
She followed him and stood by while he took a bottle of chilled
champagne, a bag of ice, a bucket, and two glasses out of the
bags.

He put the bucket on the edge of the bathtub, filled
it with ice and submerged the champagne into the glacial chips.
After he’d set the glasses beside the bucket, he turned to Roxanne.
“I’ll go out for a second,” he said and turned away. Once he
reached the door, he glanced over his shoulder. “So you can get
undressed and get in.”