Free RockMeTonight by Lisa Carlisle Page A

In
most other situations with the girls I’d been with, I would have loved to hear
this as well. But in this one, I felt like I was shot down and punched right in
the gut.
    “I have to say—I wasn’t expecting you to say this. You are
quite a contradictory woman, my dear,” I said, trying to keep my tone light.
“First you think I’m some womanizing rock star just wanting a one-night stand.
Now you want me in your bed, but think I’m going to push you into a
relationship after one date.”
    “I just want to be straight with you. And I hope you’ll do
the same with me.”
    “Agreed,” I said, shaking her hand. “The one thing I hate is
games. So if this is you being honest and telling me what you want, I gladly
volunteer to be your sex toy.”
    She wouldn’t escape that easy. One day I’d dig more, get her
to give more than her one-word answers.
    She laughed again. “Careful, I might bite.” Then she put her
hand on mine. “Friends?”
    “Friends,” I replied and slid the box back to her. “So why
don’t you accept this gift from one friend to another?”
    She hesitated before accepting the box. “Okay. In that case,
thank you. I love it.”
     
    After lunch, we ambled hand in hand along the shops off the
main drag in Bearskin Neck. We stopped for coffee and strudel at one of the
cafés. Even fewer people and fewer shops were open here at this time of year.
When we passed a small gallery, she led us inside.
    “Lily Everett, how good to see you!” the man sitting at a
desk said.
    “Hi, Jacko.” She motioned to me. “This is my friend, Nico.
Nico, this is Jacko. He owns this gallery.”
    We shook hands and exchanged introductory remarks. Then
Jacko said, “Have you seen Lily’s photos? I have a few here.”
    He pointed to a section of black-and-white, framed
photographs on the wall. A number of them were landscapes of the Cape Ann area.
I recognized the coastline shots of Rockport, Gloucester,
Manchester-by-the-Sea, as well as landmarks like the eccentric Hammond Castle.
Then there were shots of the peculiarities of Salem—the touristy witch
attractions, portraits of witches and psychics, and the costumed Halloween
revelers. They didn’t look like the locations themselves, which I’d seen dozens
of times. Somehow she captured them so they looked darker, sort of Gothic.
    “You took these?”
    She looked down when she nodded.
    “They’re really good.”
    Jacko said, “There are more over here.”
    I followed him to see more black-and-white photos, this time
of forests and waterfalls.
    “Where were these taken?”
    She shrugged. “White Mountains, I believe.”
    “I really like your style.”
    She took my hand. “Thanks.” Then she said bye to Jacko and
we left the gallery.
    We didn’t speak as we walked along the water. I was lost in
my thoughts as I gazed out to the ocean. A few snowflakes made their way down
from the darkening skies and Lily stuck her tongue out to capture one.
    “I love the snow when it’s like this,” she said. “It’s when
it sticks to the ground that I start to have a problem with it.”
    She laughed in a girlish way and my body reacted
automatically, tingling with erotic images of being with Lily. My hands
undressing her, running down her smooth skin. Kissing different parts of her
body. Hearing her sigh in contentment. The moment when I’d first enter
her—she’d clutch me tight and gasp.
    My mind put a damper on the fantasy. Because I knew my
attraction to her was far more than just wanting to sleep with her. Apparently
that was a road she didn’t want to go down.
    Or she didn’t want to go down that road with me.
    Why was I being stupid and brooding about a loss I never
had?
    “Nico, are you okay?”
    “Yes,” I replied automatically, still looking out onto the
Atlantic. The first flakes of snow turned this charming scene into one even
more magical, but despite the picturesque image, my mood darkened.
    She put her hand on my cheek to turn me to face