"Yes, it's me. In my new dress. You did this, didn't you?"

"Jim did it. I just helped." She giggled. "You must look so hot in that number, Kara, I can hardly resist rushing over there to take your picture."

"Another time," Kara said. She spotted the shoe box on the dresser, rolled her eyes. "Shoes, too?"

"You needed special ones."

Kara opened the box and found open-toe sandals with two-inch heels, thin black straps and tiny rhinestones around a built-in toe ring. She put them on without nylons-couldn't wear nylons with the toe thing. "They're gorgeous."

"Now get your onyx pendant-the one Selene gave you last Christmas-and the matching earrings with the little diamond chips in them. They'll be perfect. What did you do with your hair?"

"That fancy twist you showed me," she said, digging for jewelry in the box she had brought from home. "And I did the glam makeup."

"Perfect."

"Edie?"

"What?"

Kara found the jewelry and put on one earring. "Do you know what Jimmy has planned for tonight?"

"No, hon. No idea. And that's the truth, he wouldn't say a word." Her sister laughed. "I'm hanging up now. But you'd better call me in the morning. I want a full report."

"Okay. Thank you, Edie. For...for so many things."

"I love you. sis."

The phone went dead. Kara put it down, and put in the other earring, then she hooked the necklace on and turned to the mirror for one final look. She reached for a bottle of perfume and dabbed it very lightly behind her ears and on her wrists. Then she drew a breath and went downstairs, her heart racing.

Jimmy put on a suit and tie, settled Tyler at the table with his mac and cheese and then paced and waited. He'd decided to pull out all the stops tonight. He had to ensure his success. He'd planned and prepared and he thought he was ready.

But he wasn't. Not even close.

When he heard her steps on the stairs and turned to look at her, he almost choked. He couldn't say a word as she descended because he'd never seen a more beautiful, more elegant woman in his entire life.

And when he did manage to form words, the ones that emerged were without forethought or grace. "My God," he said.

She smiled as she reached the bottom of the stairs. "I hope that means I look all right."

"All right? You're taking my breath away."

His stomach flip-flopped when she blushed and ducked her head and battled a smile. "Thank you. And thank you for the dress, too. It's...it's incredible."

"You're incredible."

"Wow," Tyler said. He stood in the middle of the living room. "Man, Kara, you sure are pretty."

"Thank you, Tyler."

There was a knock on the front door, and Jim had to forcibly draw his eyes away from Kara in order to turn and answer it.

His head was spinning. He hadn't been pouring it on at all when he said she took his breath away.

He opened the door and Mel walked in with her husband, Alex, behind her. They stopped when they saw Kara, and Alex whistled softly. "Man," he said. "You Brand girls sure do clean up nice."

Mel elbowed him and crossed to her sister. "You look wonderful, sweetie. You guys planning something special tonight?"

"I have no idea. Jimmy won't tell me a thing."

Mel sent him a look-he thought it was one of approval but also caught a glimmer of warning in those eyes. "Well, go on, then," she said. "Enjoy yourselves. You've got the best P.I.s in the hemisphere for babysitters, so don't worry about a thing."

"Thanks for doing this," Jim said.

"Not a problem," Alex put in. "I brought some games. We're going to have a blast while you two are out, aren't we, Tyler?"

"Yep."

Jim hunkered down and gave his son a hug. He noticed that Kara did the same and didn't seem at all concerned that Ty's embrace might muss her hair or smear her makeup. Then she rose, and he took her hand and led her out of the house.

"I wish you'd tell me where we were going," she said.

"I'm torn, now that I see how you look tonight."

She sent him an alarmed look. "Why?"

"Part of me wants as many people as possible to see you on my arm tonight. Most of me, though, wants you all to myself."

She smiled at him, her eyes alight. "Maybe we can go for a little bit of both."

"Maybe we can."

Chapter 11.

He took her to dinner at the nicest restaurant around, one that had music and a small dance floor in addition to the tables and tuxedo-wearing waiters. When she sat down, it was to find a red rose on her plate. She smiled at him as she lifted the rose and inhaled its fragrance. "You didn't have to do all this."

"Oh, this is only the beginning," he promised. They were distracted then as a waiter arrived to take their appetizer and drink orders. When that was done, Jimmy got to his feet, extended a hand. "Dance with me?"

She rose and slid easily into his arms. "I warn you, Jimmy, I'm not much of a dancer."

"You just leave it to me then." He held her gently, closely, slid his feet up beside hers and nudged them in the direction he wanted them to move. He made it easy. He held her, guided her, made her want to melt in his arms.

She gave in to the urge and lowered her head to his shoulder. His arm around her waist tightened, and one hand moved up over her back, fingertips sliding over her nape. Their teasing touch sent chills rippling up her spine.

"Every man here is looking at you tonight," he whispered. His head bent when he spoke, so that his warm breath fanned her ear and her neck and made her body press more tightly to his almost of its own will.

"No, they aren't. No man has ever looked at me the way...the way you do."

"Maybe you just never noticed."

"I'd have noticed, Jimmy." She shrugged, sliding her arms more snugly around his neck even as his body rubbed against hers. They barely moved their feet over the floor. It wasn't so much a dance as a full-body caress. "I just...wouldn't have cared."

"No? But you care when it's coming from me?"

She lifted her head from his shoulder, let her cheek brush his on the way up, then met his eyes. "Coming from you it's like a miracle. Like a dream. It's almost...it's almost too much to believe it could be real." She threaded her fingers into his hair. "Tell me it's real, Jimmy."

"It's real." He kissed her lips, then her cheek, snuggling her head down onto his shoulder again. When she brushed her lips over his neck, she felt him shudder.

"I've loved you since I was sixteen, Jimmy Corona. Do you realize that?"

He stopped moving her body, pulled his head back and blinked down into her eyes. For a moment she didn't think he could find words-and she wondered if she'd said too much, gone too far.

But then he ran a hand through her hair and said, "You're so incredibly special, Kara. So honest and open. Straightforward. No pretense, no games."

"I don't have any reason for pretense or games," she told him. "Do you?"

He stared into her eyes for a long moment, then blinked as he noticed something beyond her. "The waiter brought our food," he said, turning her and tucking her into the crook of his arm. "It's probably already getting cold."

He guided her back to their table and held her chair for her when she sat. They ate, though she was so damn nervous, she wasn't certain she would be able to keep the food down. She barely touched the appetizer and only nibbled at the main course when it came later on. She drank the wine, though. Three glasses, her absolute limit.

Then they danced some more while they waited for dessert and coffee. And they lingered, took their time, laughed and talked across the candlelit table. It was all incredibly romantic.

Afterward Jimmy drove back to Big Falls, but he didn't take her home. Instead he drove right up to the falls, where they'd planned their picnic the night before only to have to break it up early.

He took a blanket from the truck, spread it over the ground near the waterfall, so she wouldn't damage the dress, and led her out to sit down. Then he sat beside her. The full moon spilled its silvery light into the falls, as if pouring out its own brand of cascade to add to theirs.

"It's a beautiful night," she whispered. It seemed appropriate to whisper here, in the dark, in the moonlight, in a place that seemed somehow holy. "Not even too cold."

"There's a chill." He took off his jacket and put it around her shoulders.

She gazed around, then caught her breath. "Look at the way the moonlight makes the falls sparkle. God, have you ever seen anything so beautiful?"

"No."

The tone of his voice made her look at him. His eyes were focused on her, not on the falls.

"Never in my entire life. Probably never will."

She held his eyes, then lowered hers. "Did you bring me out here to make love to me, Jimmy?"

"Is that what you think I'm after?"

She brought her gaze back to his. "It doesn't make sense to think it. You could have any woman you wanted."

"There's only one woman I want." He cupped her nape and pressed his mouth to hers. When he lifted his head away, his eyes were glittering.

"Why? Why me, Jimmy? Why now?"

"I don't know how to answer that, Kara." He lowered his gaze, let it move to her breasts, to her waist, to her leg where it was showing through the slit in the dress.

Her breaths got short and tight in reaction to the touch of his eyes. The heat in them. And when he drew his gaze upward again, he lingered on the plunging neckline. He trailed his fingertips along its edge, tracing the dip over her skin, over the inner swell of one breast, down to the bottom of the V, and then up over the swell of her other breast.

She closed her eyes, let her head fall backward, didn't try to disguise the way he made her feel. There was no reason to disguise it. His fingers moved again, knuckles brushing over the fabric, bumping over her nipples, no doubt feeling how hard they had become. No doubt hearing the soft, swift gasp she made at his touch.

Then he lowered his head and moved his hot mouth over her neck, over her chest, lower, over every inch of flesh exposed by the dress's daring neckline. And nudging it wider. When his hand slid beneath the fabric, he lifted his head away.

"Look at me, Kara," he whispered.

She opened her eyes and saw him watching her face, watching every expression that passed over it. He cupped her breast beneath the fabric, squeezed and lifted it. And watched her eyes when he flicked his thumb over the nipple.

Her breath stuttered out of her, and she wanted to close her eyes again, but she didn't. He held her in a powerful grip and refused to let go. When he drew his thumb and forefinger together on her nipple, she opened her mouth to gasp. He held her eyes still, pinching a little harder, rolling and tugging the sensitive nub and sending shock waves sizzling through her body.

"I don't want you to do anything you're not ready for, Kara. We can stop anytime you say."

Before she could even think of formulating a reply, he was bending his head to her chest. He pushed the fabric of her dress aside, baring her breast to the night, to the chill air, to him. And then he covered it again, with his mouth this time.

She gasped when she felt that warmth and wetness after the cool touch of the night air. And then his tongue swirled and flicked over her. And then his teeth, just a little.

She clutched his head in her hands, raking his hair as he ravished her with his mouth. And even as he did, he was sliding a hand down her body, finding the slit in the skirt, caressing her leg, her thigh and higher. And when he touched her center, she almost cried out loud.

His fingers moved there, sliding between the secret lips, rubbing, not entering but teasing and touching places that sent electric shocks of pleasure jolting through her while his mouth kept working her breast.

"What do you want, sweet Kara?" he asked her.

"I...I..."

"I won't do more than you want me to do. But I want you to come. I want to see you come." His fingers slid inside her.

"Oh..."

He kept his fingers there, moving them, sliding them softly, gently, as he lifted her upper body from the blanket. He found the clasp at the back of her neck with his free hand, unhooked it and let the halter that covered her breasts fall forward, to her waist.

Then his fingers left her, and he clasped her shoulders, holding her away from him, staring at her. "I want to see you," he told her. "Can I see you, Kara?"

She was shaking, trembling from head to toe. And yet she so wanted to give him everything-anything he wanted. She stood, knees weak, reached behind her for the zipper, couldn't seem to make it work.

"Let me." He moved behind her, knelt down on the ground, and unzipped the dress. Then he tugged it until it fell at her feet. And then she felt his lips touching her buttocks before he clasped her hips and turned her around to face him.

She dared to look down at him kneeling in front of her. He stared up at her body as if seeing a goddess. "So incredible, so beautiful," he whispered.

And then he pressed his lips to her center.