by Elle Linder
How could he look at her with so much love when minutes ago he was angry or hurt about Rick having an affair with Renee?
“Freaking Renee, the bane of my happy life.” The words were said under her breath, but the swat to her butt as she turned around was proof Luke had heard her. She turned back to see him grinning.
“We are going to have the best, most happiest life,” he called to her. She waved him off. “I promise!”
Julia giggled. The man knew exactly how to temper the beginnings of a tantrum within her.
“What’s that all about? You have him practically falling at your feet in reverence.” Lauren snorted. “It wasn’t about me, was it?”
Julia raised her brow to study Lauren. A slight twitch in the corner of her mouth was her tell. “Spill it. Why would you have anything to do with me and Luke arguing?”
“Um…” Lauren glanced at Rick, then back to Julia before looking back at Rick again.
“Tell me you didn’t sleep with Rick!”
“I didn’t! But…would it be so wrong if I did?”
“You know who he is and what he did. Why would he even be of interest to you?”
“I thought you said he’s changed? You said he’s turned into Mr. Mom. That he’s responsible and settling down.”
“Yes, I know what I said, and if you’d replay those words in your head, maybe you’d understand my confusion. He’s not your type. You know, the settled-and-wanting-a-commitment type.”
Lauren struck her classic pose: hip pushed out to the side, arms crossed over her chest, and lips pinched tight. Julia had backed her into a corner with nowhere to run, and all she could do was “spill it.” Lauren glanced at Rick again.
Where were her hardened eyes? Few people saw the soft side of her that Julia did on a regular basis. Especially not men.
Julia didn’t know what to make of Lauren’s odd behavior. Giddy and gooey sweet never bode well with Lauren. Anyone, including Julia, would be razzed relentlessly for such abhorrent behavior. Maybe Luke knew something. She looked around and spotted him near the water with Brice. As if he heard her silent call, he turned around. They exchanged smiles from across the wooded party site.
Suddenly, Julia was grabbed by the arm and pulled behind a pine tree. “What in the world, Lauren?”
“Shh…I’ll spill it, but promise you won’t lecture me. Only listen.”
“Fine.”
“Do you promise?”
“Really, Lauren? Is it that serious?”
“Just promise.”
“I promise.”
“I kissed Rick.”
“That doesn’t surprise me,” Julia quipped.
“Julia…” Lauren lowered her voice and added, “I only wanted to kiss him.”
“Okay, now that surprises me. Why not more?”
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out. Ever since we met, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about him. And then that night at The Peak something happened to me when we were in the bathroom.”
“The bathroom?” A sheepish grin stretched across Lauren’s heart-shaped face. “You said at Tami’s that he mistakenly entered the women’s bathroom.”
“I lied.”
“You lied?”
“Uh-huh.” Lauren bounced on her tiptoes.
“You’re freaking me out seeing you like this. It’s like you’re…”
“Swoony,” Lauren whispered, finishing her thought.
“Yes! Swoony! But that isn’t in your vocabulary!” Julia looked around at the activity dwindling down. Bruce needed to get back to The Peak, and Mike needed to get back to Murphy’s for the dinner rush. All the while, none of them seemed to care that a major, major event had occurred. “You actually like Rick?”
Lauren nodded contemplatively. “I think I do. Want to know what’s crazy?”
“What?” Julia waited with bated breath for Lauren to speak. Giggles at the picnic table dared to distract her; it was Rick with Izzy. “What?” she repeated with a touch of irritation.
“All day today, I’ve only wanted to hang out with him. I want to be around him, talking and laughing. Stealing a flirty glance here and there. I want to do what other couples do.” She slapped her hand over her mouth, and her eyes widened.
“What other couples do?” Julia grabbed Lauren’s free hand and bounced on her tiptoes right along with Lauren. “Oh my God, oh my God! You drank the water!”
“Stop it!” Lauren whipped her hand back. “Next you’re going to tell me that the water’s fine and to jump right in,” Lauren scoffed, but it wasn’t her typical salty sarcasm dripping from her words. It was more of a stop teasing me, you silly thing, I’m so loving this!
“Julia…Julia…?” Brice’s voice filled her ears. She peered around the tree to see him by the water with Luke still.
“I’ll be there in a minute, Brice.” She looked at Lauren. “I need to take a pause. This is a lot to digest.”
“A pause? What in the hell does ‘take a pause’ mean?”
Julia laughed. “That’s what I tell the kids when they’re squabbling over nothing.”
Lauren rolled her eyes. “Go ahead. Take your pause, but do not breathe a word of this to the lumberjack. I think he’s ticked that he caught us kissing, but I’m not exactly sure why that would bother him.”
“Luke caught you guys kissing! That explains a lot.” She looked over at Luke, who seemed to have one eye on her and one on Brice. “I walked up on him and Rick having words.”
“Having words?”
“Yeah. But don’t worry about their grown-man tiff. Stay focused on Rick.”
“Oh, I will.”
They walked out from behind the tree, and Julia could see Rick watching them too. Both men seemed to have their eyes on “their girl,” or so that’s how Julia read it. Or how she wanted to read it. If something beyond a one-nighter happened between Lauren and Rick, there was a strong chance she would see Lauren more than a few times a year.
Since she’d fallen in love with Luke, she had dreamed of Lauren settling down with a nice guy too. Maybe even starting a family and laying her single life to rest.
Which brought her to Luke and the petty tiff she’d happened upon.
If he was up in Rick’s grill after seeing him kissing Lauren, that could only mean one thing: he was protecting Lauren. She still didn’t like how he’d tossed the affair back in Rick’s face.
That little detail would be the key point she would focus on.
twelve
A Longing for More
If his heart raced any faster, Rick would be headed for the closest emergency room. Did Faithful Falls even have a hospital? A clinic?
The sight of Lauren scared the crap out of him, more than being shot at by the Taliban. When on a mission, he knew what to expect. As they always said, “Tomorrow isn’t promised.” It was what he had signed up for, and he had accepted the risks that came with the job. But this woman…he had no idea what to expect or a clue about the risks.
Only that she took his breath away and made him quake with fear.
With each step Lauren took, the pounding in his chest increased. What would it be like to make love to her? As quickly as the thought entered his mind, he tossed it right into Lake Brooks. Rick refused to go there with her, which was an oddity.
What made the gorgeous blonde walking his way so different from any other woman that gave him dirty thoughts? Why the uncharacteristic need to be gentlemanly? Who was this woman who captivated his mind and thoughts?
“Hey there,” she greeted him. Izzy looked up at her from the dirt and smiled. “Hi, pumpkin, having fun?” Izzy nodded, scooping dirt into a bucket. Lauren squatted beside the filthy dirty toddler.
“We’re good. She loves playing here by the lake.” He couldn’t take his eyes off Lauren.
She craned her neck up, but the sun shined in her eyes, causing her to scrunch her nose and squint her eyes. She was the cutest thing he had ever seen. And cute wasn’t a word he used to
describe any woman. Words like adorable and cute he used for Izzy, the most important person in his life. But a woman? Hell, no. She was either smokin’ hot or sexy as fuck. If he gave way to his animalistic, carnal sensibilities, Lauren was both. But there was an endearing side to her, a cute side that had taken hold of him.
“Well, she looks super cute in her life jacket. But don’t you think she might be warm? I mean, since she’s not in the water.”
“It’s my job to keep her safe.” A swell of emotions entered him, and he heard his voice turn hard, but he didn’t stop. “I won’t put her at risk when it comes to water. She’ll wear that bulky, hot thing until she’s safely inside.”
Lauren stared stunned, mouth agape.
Nice job, hothead.
Izzy yawned, then lifted her hand to her face and smeared dirt across it. She threw the shovel down and whimpered.
“Aww, are you sleepy?” Lauren asked in a sweet, high-pitched voice.
“It’s her naptime. Playing in the sun all day takes it out of her every time. I should get her back to the resort.”
Lauren stood with a look of astonishment. “You’re going to put her down like that? At the very least, take one of those handy wipes to her hands and face.”
Rick laughed and shook his head. “No, I plan to do better than a wipe. This little girl is getting a bath before naptime.”
“Oh, sure. I guess you know how to do this kid thing.” She paused and seemed unsure of what to say next.
“Hey, Rick,” Luke called, heading toward them. “Let’s take the jet skis out before I have to return them.”
“I’d love to, but this little one is done for the afternoon. She needs a nap.”
“I can watch her,” Lauren volunteered. Rick looked at Luke, who appeared surprised by her offer. “What?”
“I don’t know, she doesn’t really know you.” Rick dusted Izzy off and then lifted her into his arms.
“I’m sure it’ll be fine. She’s only going to be sleeping, right?”
“What if she wakes up?” Luke asked. “Want me to ask Julia if she can watch her? We all know how much they’ve taken to each other.”
Lauren stepped over to Rick and brushed Izzy’s hair off her face. In that moment, he wanted to kiss her again but knew he couldn’t while that damn Luke still hovered around.
“Okay, I guess you’re right.” The disappointment in her voice put an ache in Rick, a first for him. Hurting her feelings would crush him. “I’ll see you later, little one.” Lauren rubbed Izzy’s arm, then turned to go back to the picnic tables.
“If you’re sure you don’t mind watching her,” he blurted. She stopped and turned around with her hands in her pockets. She looked adorable; if only he could see her eyes behind those black, wide-rimmed California-style sunglasses. For now, the slight curl to her lip would have to suffice. “I’m sure Izzy will be fine with you.”
“Okay. If you’re sure?” She popped her shoulders up.
“I’m sure.”
“Well, I’ll get the skis ready.” Luke didn’t sound as sure as he nodded and walked away.
“Shall we go?” Rick smiled down at Lauren.
“Yes.”
I must be out of my ever-loving mind. Me babysit?
Lauren couldn’t even keep houseplants alive. What made her think watching a toddler would be easier? She was a capable woman. Independent, educated, a successful business owner. But caring for a human, even a small human, wasn’t part of her normal repertoire.
She’ll just be asleep. Easy-peasy.
As Lauren waited for Rick and Izzy to exit the bathroom, she tried to convince herself that a sleeping toddler wasn’t a big deal.
Or was it?
In her mind anyway, she could handle it. This was an opportunity she had to seize, to show Rick a different side of her. A nurturing, responsible side.
And why did it matter?
It just did, for reasons she couldn’t quite figure out herself.
A need to dazzle him trumped her usual lackadaisical attitude toward men. Most guys didn’t stay long in her life, a week or maybe two, which was how she liked it. With short runs, she didn’t bother to invest her efforts or try to impress them. It was different with Rick.
She listened to the muffled sounds of Rick’s voice mixed with Izzy’s sweet chatter, and a weird gnawing in her stomach appeared. It reminded her of the time she’d flippantly taken a dare to jump out of a plane during college. She’d vowed to never do that again, but the nervousness she’d had back then as she plummeted to the ground from hundreds of feet was exactly how she felt now, sitting in Rick’s room.
Ironically, extreme sports might be like falling in love.
She secretly relished the thought. Was it possible for her to fall in love? A few days ago, she would have never seriously considered it.
“And she’s all clean,” Rick announced, walking out of the bathroom with a bundled Izzy. The towel covered every inch of her except for her little face. Lauren was more than a little glad to see her clean and ready to nod off the second her head hit the pillow.
“I’m impressed. You deal with her so naturally.”
“It wasn’t always easy or natural. I don’t have siblings, and all my younger cousins are in Puerto Rico. Me and babies never mixed…until Izzy.” He smiled while putting a fresh set of clothes on her. Lauren watched him, mesmerized by his stealthy skills. “She is potty trained by the way.”
“Oh, thank Heavens,” she thoughtlessly whispered.
Rick turned to her with a devilish grin. “Never changed a diaper?” She shook her head. “Bottle fed a baby?”
“Never.”
“Cleaned vomit off yourself?”
Lauren paused and nodded. Rick’s eyebrows shot up. “Not making it to the toilet was not my finest moment.”
He chuckled as he brushed Izzy’s hair. Her eyelids grew heavier with each stroke of the brush through her fine, curly hair. The resemblance between them was in the eyes and full lips, although her warm, tan skin was lighter than his. She had the prettiest loose brown curls with golden highlights.
A scary thought entered her mind then—if she started dating Rick, Renee would be involved in her life like she was in Julia’s. That gnawing in her stomach turned to nausea. Perhaps she’d gotten a little overzealous with the idea of Rick, not considering the reality and all it would include. Should she pull back from him?
The very thought of not being with him sent a wave of dread through her.
WTF? Panic and dread were emotions she rarely had, especially about a guy. Maybe now was not the time to be hasty. She needed to feel him out more.
Rick tenderly laid Izzy in bed and placed an orange knit blanket over her chest. Izzy tucked it under her nose as if breathing it in, much like Lauren did with her own aqua blanket.
“Night-night, baby.” He pressed his lips to her forehead. “I love you, doll face.”
Lauren’s heart melted. This was supposed to be the womanizer who’d betrayed Luke, who’d never had a long-term girlfriend until Renee. Maybe he had once been a despicable man—she herself wasn’t without impurities—but as a father, Rick amazed her.
Rick suddenly appeared in her face. Had she zoned out watching him tend to Izzy? Staring into his warm, intense brown eyes, she was at a loss for words and hoped he would say something to break the silence.
“Come with me.” He took her hand and led her to the little hall by the door. She followed willingly with tiny tremors rolling through her. “Do you have your cellphone on you?” He looked over her body slowly. Her insides rattled as she pulled her phone out of her back pocket. Presenting it to him, he took the device and entered his phone number into it. He proceeded to type out a message with a sinful grin and sent it to himself. His phone dinged with the new text.
All the while she stood entranced, heart rapping against her chest.
“There, now you have my number and I have yours.” That wicked, delicious grin turned her to liquid.
> She nodded, letting her eyes drift to her feet. No words. No snarky smirk. What next?
“I like your style.”
“What?” She looked up. He raised an eyebrow, staring at the screen of his own phone. “What are you talking about?”
“The text you sent. Or was that meant for someone else?” he teased her. “I want to, so just give the word.”
The word?
She opened the text on her phone that Rick had sent to himself. It read: Kiss me again. She swallowed hard as she lifted her eyes to his. Her nausea was replaced by a warm desire.
Rick pressed her against the wall, cupped one side of her face, and held her there. “Was that text meant for me?” The heat of his body, inches from hers, sent goose bumps from her neck down to her ankles, and the warmth of his breath teased her lips.
“Yes.” The little word left her lips in almost a whisper, and that was all it took for the magnetism between them to take over like before. Their bodies melted into one as their mouths crashed together. They hummed in unison into each other’s mouths, tasting the dew as their tongues frolicked in the meadow together, swirling and twirling in utter delight.
Rick led the way through the enchanted forest, maneuvering her leg over the back of his thigh and brushing his calloused hand over her tender skin. This time he kissed her differently than he had at the party. With a deprived hunger, a yearning for sustenance. Not a get-her-into-bed-and-leave-afterwards vacant, terse kiss. No, this kiss assured her there would be more than a vodka-laced one-night stand. Certainty entered her bloodstream, rushing into her heart. There would be so much more with Rick; she felt it as he wrapped around her soul like wild vines. It sent her head spinning with an intense, foreign longing for more.
As Rick slowed the kiss, he studied her face. Peck after sweet peck, he seemed to struggle to stop—to leave her. With a great reluctance in his eyes, he pulled back from her while she was rapidly panting.
“If you need anything, call me.” She nodded, biting her lower lip to temper her arousal. It wouldn’t do her any good to try and hide it. Her flushed cheeks would give her away. “If she wakes up and I’m not back, bring her out to the lake and we’ll play some more.” He entwined his fingers with hers.
