Free EXcapades by Debra Kay Page B

when the last time was that my ex-husband told me how lovely I looked.
    The reality was, I couldn’t remember, not that it mattered. Even if Peter had said the right words, he never looked at me the way Blake just did. Blake just looked at me with the same expression of excitement as a child first seeing the toys Santa left under the tree on Christmas morning. I think every woman should be lucky enough to have a man look at her with such excitement at least once in her life. Lucky me, today!
    But I also enjoyed the view seated in front of me; I was still attracted to him—maybe even more than in college—with his intelligent, inquisitive eyes perfectly balanced by his chiseled chin. He looked almost the same as he did years ago.
    I noticed his furtive glance at my left hand at nearly the same time I was checking his finger for a wedding ring. Oh, relief. Nothing. Why didn’t I think to look for that earlier? I must have been in shock from seeing him again.
    “You switched outfits.” He smiled and added, “And you look fabulous.” He was very observant and had noticed I changed out of my blousy sundress and into a more form-fitting outfit—a slim navy skirt that hugged my curves. I felt thrilled that my efforts were rewarded. I loved every second of his attention.
    Not trying to be explicitly sexy, but at the same time, I was meeting my extremely handsome ex-boyfriend, so I left the top three buttons of my white silk blouse open, slightly revealing my ample cleavage. Although I learned how to play up my femininity, I preferred to think I was beautiful on the inside. Either way, Blake made me feel special today. And ignited.
    I noticed Blake’s eyes slip down to the opening in my blouse. His eyes were drawn to my full breasts, and then moved back up to my face. He gazed at me, almost dreamily. He looked as if he had become absorbed in thought about the first time he explored my body. Our faces mirrored each other with our expression of yearning—pining for those days of lost innocence and the exhilaration of first touches.
    Blake’s lowered gaze that fixed on my buttons made me wonder what it would feel like if he eased them open and slowly slid my shirt down my arms, exposing the swell of my breasts as he stroked his fingers across my willing flesh.
    The waitress interrupted my fervent thoughts when she stepped next to our table for our drink orders. And then she promptly returned with two coffees.
    Before I knew what had happened, Blake and I were talking effortlessly about old times. We reconnected quickly, rekindled our long-ago friendship. In just that brief time, Blake lifted my spirits with his hearty, contagious laugh. I remembered his positive energy and happy-go-lucky personality from years ago.
    As the robust brew slid down my throat, I contemplated the situation. Something inside me was definitely coming back to life. For the first time in months, I felt energized.
    Blake gave me a boyish grin. “I can’t believe we ran into each other today. Fate must want us back together, at least as friends.”
    I lifted my coffee mug. “Cheers to friendship.”
    He tapped his mug to mine. “You always had a way of making me laugh and I still think you can light up a room with your cheery disposition. You have that same quality you had as a young woman.”
    His kind words made me question a future with Blake. Should we give this a second chance? Is he even interested? But we hurt each other the first time. Maybe he was actually the one worth suffering for. As the saying goes, everyone is going to hurt you at some point. You just have to figure which ones are worth the pain. But this time, if we try again, I would be going in with my eyes wide open, especially fresh from my recent heartbreak.
    I watched him intently as if understanding his mannerisms could help me read his thoughts. It appeared that he didn’t want to take his eyes off of me. Could he be thinking the same as me—that I wanted to kiss, now?
    Once