Ally turned to look up at Jack. The love in their eyes was enough to make Karly’s heart swell with happiness for her friend.
"Can you guys put a lid on it for a little while?" Randy asked. “I just ate.” Despite his growling tone, his warm smile suggested he felt the same way about his friends.
"Why you gotta be such a hater?" Jack asked, tightening his grip on Ally as he spoke.
"I don't know. Why you gotta be such a dick?" The two men glared at each other in mock irritation, but their eyes shone with playfulness.
"Come on, Karly. Don't leave me alone with these two. I'll go crazy." Ally rolled her eyes imploringly, but her lips broke into a rare smile. She was happier than Karly had seen her, glowing with an intangible inner radiance that could only be a result of Jack.
"Okay. Fine." It did sound like fun. Hadn't she been wishing for a break from the stress and strain of life? The heaviness of constant worry lifted, if only temporarily. "Hang on. It'll take me a second to get dressed."
CHAPTER 30
THE FOUR of them crammed into Jack's truck for the trip. Their collective breath steamed the windows. Ally sat in the middle next to Jack, which forced Karly to sit on Randy's lap. Not that she minded, since the heater didn't work, and he exuded heat like a well-stoked campfire. He rested one arm along the back of the seat behind Ally and the other on the door sill, as if afraid to touch Karly. Despite the several layers of clothing between them, she felt every rise and fall of his chest and the warm puffs of air on the back of her neck as he breathed. It was downright distracting to the point that she had to squeeze her legs together to control the growing dampness down there.
"Comfortable?" Randy asked. His deep voice resonated in her ear and sent warm goose bumps down her spine.
"Yes." She smiled at him. He smiled back, and the awkward tension of their previous meeting dissipated like the morning fog. "You're enjoying this aren't you?"
"Damn skippy. Not every day I get to have a pretty girl in my lap." He shifted slightly beneath her.
"Don't let him fool you," Jack said, reminding her they weren't alone. "The only way he could get a girl into his lap was by taking a job playing Santa Claus at the mall a few years back."
"Thanks for sharing, dude," Randy replied.
"You played Santa Claus? Seriously?" Karly bit her lip to hold back a smile and saw his gaze zero in on her mouth. He licked his lips in subconscious response. Somehow she couldn't picture him dressed in red velvet with a white beard, bouncing children on his knee.
"That's a little pervy, don't you think?" Ally asked.
"Not the way Randy does it," Jack said with a laugh. "Dude scared away half of them, and the rest cried or pissed on his lap."
Ally and Karly burst into laughter.
"Guy's got to make a living." Randy shrugged. "And as I recall, we were both pretty hungry at the time. It was either that or starvation. Jack wouldn't do it because he's too pretty."
"Bullshit."
"You know it's true. You didn't want to get your hair messed up."
"Whatever."
The friendly banter eased Karly’s stress. It was nice to hang with friends, people her own age, who weren't obsessed with work and school and getting ahead. Sure, Jack and Ally had problems of their own, with Chelsea and the baby and all that, but none of it seemed to matter in the close quarters of the truck cab. If Randy had any inner demons chasing him, he didn't show it. But somehow Karly sensed a tension inside him, smoldering like an ember, forgotten but not dead.
Jack drove them to a place south of the city called Cannon Hill. It had been the sight of a Revolutionary War skirmish and named for the cannon that topped the hill during the fight. The terrain rolled and plummeted around the edge of a lake frozen into mirror-like glass. The hill rose up into a cloudless blue sky, fresh snow sparkling like diamonds beneath a brilliant sun.
The boys had brought an assortment of sledding material including a plastic disk too small for anyone but Karly, a Flexible Flyer wooden sled that appeared to be as old as dirt, and a monstrous four-person toboggan. After a good deal of arguing, cursing, and an impromptu snowball fight, they finally agreed Randy and Karly would take an experimental run down the hill on the Flexible Flyer. Karly sat in the front, and Randy sat in back, long legs wrapped around her, arms securely around her waist. Jack gave them a push, and they flew down the hill. The trees and brush whizzed past them. At the bottom, Randy tried to turn before they reached the lake. The sled tilted up on one side. They tumbled into a snow bank. Randy landed on top of her with a force that drove the wind from her lungs.
"Are you alright?" He scrambled off her while she lay face down on the snow. Her lungs burned as she gasped for breath. Panicked, he turned her over and began to frantically wipe the snow from her face. “Are you okay? Karly?"
"Can’t…breathe," she finally managed to gasp.
He thumped her on the back. She gulped frosty air and sputtered clouds of white steam. After a few uncomfortable seconds, her breathing evened out, and she recovered enough to glare at him.
“Jesus. You scared the shit out of me,” he said, face accusing.
“It’s a wonder you didn’t freaking kill me,” she answered, still glaring. “How much do you weigh anyway?”
“Enough to mash your ass into the ground apparently.” The frown on his face dissolved into a mischievous grin. “I’m not used to playing with pixies.” He extended a hand to help her stand. She gripped it with her right hand, letting him pull her up, and grabbed a handful of snow with the other. Before he could release her, she quickly stuffed the snow down the front of his sweatshirt.
“Paybacks,” she teased.
“Man, that’s cold,” he gasped, clutching his shirt. “You little shit. You’re going to pay for that.”
She took off running with a shriek, bounding through the snow. He could have caught her in a few strides, but instead, he let her stay just out of reach, bobbing and weaving to cut off her escape. The snow was perfect for snowballs, wet and heavy. She managed to scoop up a handful as she ran, packed it into a tight ball, and launched it at him. It caught him in the middle of the chest with a muffled splat.
“Now you’re really in trouble,” he shouted and leaped at her. He rolled her into a nearby snow bank, this time shielding her fall with his arms. She squirmed beneath him, overcome with laughter as he rubbed snow into her face and shoved it down her shirt.
“Stop. No fair. I give up,” she said, followed by a loud gasp as the snow hit her breasts. He grabbed her hands by the wrists and stretched them over her head, pinning her arms against the snow and holding them there with one hand. She bucked beneath him, determined to get free, until she caught the look in his eyes. The smile on his face faded as his eyes locked with hers. The playful look was still there but it had intensified into something much more precarious.
“I like this,” he whispered into her ear. The heat of his breath tickled her neck. “I’ve got you at my mercy.”
Flat on her back and helpless to move, she felt the raw power in his arms and body. He kneeled over her, straddling her torso, and stared down at her with amusement. The idea that he could do anything he wanted with her made her inner core quiver in excitement.
“Never,” she replied in challenge and lifted her chin, the spark in her eyes matching his. There was no way she could escape him, but she was too stubborn to admit defeat and curious to see how far he’d go to win.
“We’ll have to see about that,” he said, eyes glittering. He ran his tongue over the dimple in her left cheek, licking away a bit of snow. Her breath caught. She pressed her thighs together to stave the sharp pang of desire. His gaze locked onto her mouth. Her heart skipped a beat then another. He was going to kiss her. She was certain of it and held her breath in anticipation.
Thwack! A snowball pelted Randy in the back. Two more followed in quick succession. Ally and Jack appeared over the hill, armed with snowballs in a full-scale attack. Randy released Karly’s arms and
rolled away from her. He scrambled to his feet, scooping snow as he ran, leaving her breathless and disappointed in the snow.
Afternoon sun glinted over the snow-slickened streets when they returned from the sledding adventure. Jack and Ally remained in the truck. Randy walked Karly to her apartment door. He leaned one shoulder against the wall in the hallway as she rummaged for her key, watching her with interest, hands shoved in his pockets.
“Thanks for walking me up. You don’t have to wait,” she said for the third time.
“I know,” he replied.
The way he watched her, eyes trained on her face, made her hands tremble. What the hell was his deal? She enjoyed his company. At the same time, she wanted to wring his neck. Being with him kept her on edge. It was like balancing on the edge of a precipice, always waiting and wondering when ground might give way beneath her. Not to mention, she was horny as hell after their little movie escapade last week and their almost-kiss in the snow today.
“You’re not coming in,” she said sternly, still scrambling for the key. He was so close she could feel the heat from his body in the cold corridor. Her nipples tightened into painful nubs. Every one of her instincts urged her to cup his stubbled cheeks in her hands and kiss him, but uncertainty and irritation held her back. Why hadn’t he kissed her earlier? He hadn’t touched her since the movie. Had she done something to turn him off? The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.
He raised an eyebrow. “Um, okay,” he said but followed her into the apartment anyway.
“Aren’t Jack and Ally waiting for you downstairs?”
“No. I drove here. My truck’s parked down the street.” At her irritated scowl, he continued, “Don’t worry. I’m not staying. I just needed to talk to you for a minute.”
She threw her purse and keys onto a chair near the door, ignoring him. As she crossed the room, doffing coat and hat, he trailed behind her. Finally, she flopped onto the sofa with a frustrated snort. He sat gently beside her while she avoided his gaze. She flinched when one of his hands nudged her elbow.
“This is for you.” She glanced down at his hand and the folded piece of paper it held. “Mitch’s number?”
Crap. Just when she’d convinced herself he was a jerk, he went and did something sweet. She took the phone number and turned the paper over in her hands.
“I’m going to see my attorney tomorrow,” he said. “You're welcome to come with me if you want. He said you met with him last week, and he’s got some info for you.” He sat beside her and waited for an answer. His hands rested on the tops of his legs, the denim of his jeans straining over the taut thigh muscles.
“I don’t get you at all,” she mumbled, staring at the paper in her hand, shaking her head slowly. Why would he do that if he didn't care about her? “If you keep doing things like this, I’m going to think you’re a nice guy."
“Well, we can’t have that now, can we?” The adorable smirk on his face made her smile, but the unpredictable swing of his emotions had her struggling between the need to kiss him senseless or slap him. He paused as if weighing whether or not to trust her with some kind of important information. “Pilar is suing me for full custody. No court date yet, but she keeps fucking with me, saying she forgot it was my day or he’s sick or some other bullshit. I haven't seen him in two weeks. He probably thinks I’ve abandoned him.” The rough voice cracked as if broken by hopelessness.
The anguish in his words sliced through her heart. He rarely showed emotion beyond amusement or irritation. She gave him a half smile and covered one of the hands on his legs with hers. If only he knew how well she understood his despondency.
Randy’s hands were large, capable, and strong enough to choke a man, but as she covered his hand in hers, she felt all the grief and unhappiness he tried to keep hidden. She lifted the large hand and rested the back of it against her cheek, the light dusting of hair tickling her skin. They sat in that way until his other hand lifted to brush a lock of hair from her forehead. This time when their eyes met, his gaze was completely unguarded, and she plunged headlong into their infinite depths.
CHAPTER 31
KARLY PULLED back the kitchen curtain and peered out to the street. The rhythm of her heart stuttered at the sight of Randy's truck idling by the curb. The chrome wheels gleamed in the morning sunlight. She squinted past the glare, her efforts rewarded by the sight of him. He leaned against the truck with his legs crossed at the ankles, hands in his pockets, chatting with a downstairs neighbor. He looked rugged and handsome in faded jeans and a plaid flannel shirt beneath his leather jacket. A light wind ruffled his hair, the strands glinting auburn and copper in the morning light. Sensing her, he looked up and smiled with an expression that sent a tingle straight to her toes.
Feeling lighter than she had in months, she shrugged on a jacket, grabbed her purse, and sailed out the door with a smile on her lips. As she crossed the street, his smile broadened, and his eyes lit in appreciation. He opened the driver's door for her and put a hand on her elbow to help her inside. The passenger seat overflowed with boxes and prevented her from sliding across to the window.
"You have a pickup. Why are you hauling stuff in the front seat?" she teased when he followed her into the cab.
“So you’ll have to sit next to me.” He shot her a sideways glance of pure mischief. "Isn’t it obvious?"
On the surface, they had an easy friendship. Beneath their camaraderie, however, lurked a spark of something more. It sizzled every time his arm brushed hers or their eyes met. It reared its head now as he reached across her lap to retrieve his cigarettes from the glove box, his shoulder brushing her breast.
"What is all this stuff anyway?" she asked to distract her attention from the tightness of her nipples and the clean scent of his hair.
"It's just some odds and ends for the homeless shelter downtown. Whenever someone has stuff they don't want, I collect it. I thought I'd drop it off later today." He returned to his post behind the steering wheel and shoved his cigarettes into his pocket.
"That's nice," she said, keeping her tone light and playful. “I’m glad to see you using your powers for good and not evil.”
An adorable flush of embarrassment stained his cheeks. "You look really pretty today," he said, studying her royal blue sweater and plaid scarf. The light in his eyes reflected his sincerity. His expression made her grateful for the extra time she’d spent curling her hair and applying mascara and lip gloss. "I mean, you always look pretty, but you look especially good in blue. It's my favorite color."
"Thanks." Her cheeks glowed under his praise. His gaze dipped to her mouth then flicked back to the street.
“I brought you some breakfast.” He nodded to the fast food sack on the dashboard. The scent of sausage drifted to her nose and brought a growl from her stomach. “In case you're hungry.”
“I’m always hungry.”
"I’ve noticed,” he replied dryly, but his smile showed his pleasure. “And you’re not going to starve to death on my watch.”
The buttery biscuit melted in her mouth, followed by bursts of sage and garlic from the sausage. Pure heaven. Randy’s steadfast gaze broke her reverie. A smile quirked his mouth. She raised her eyebrows and swallowed before speaking. "What is it?”
“You’re making sex noises again. I’m going to have a wreck if you don’t stop.”
“Then quit giving me a reason to make them,” she replied, smiling back.
His expression darkened as his gaze found her lips. “Oh, I could give you a reason to make them, but it’s not going to be from a sandwich.”
Blatant desire shone in his eyes. She froze, the sandwich hovering in midair, and tried to regain her breath. Her gaze locked onto his in a desperate search for answers, but the mask of indifference slid over his eyes, shutting her out. Oh, God. Here we go again. I am so over this. With a huge sigh, she turned her face to the window and concentrated on the rare January sunshine spilling over the sidewalks and streets, determined to
forget her burgeoning crush. She had bigger problems than Randy Mackenzie.
Nervous anticipation made her palms sweat over the upcoming meeting and what it might reveal. Her initial conversation with the lawyer had left her cautiously optimistic. He seemed knowledgeable and concerned, a combination that eased her considerable misgivings, but they had yet to discuss money. Her hand tightened its grip on her purse, subconsciously protecting the few dollars and credit card it contained.
Once they reached the attorney’s office, Randy set the parking brake and sat back in the seat, pausing to let her finish the sandwich. Tension thickened the air inside the truck, made worse by her growing nervousness.
“You don’t need to wait for me after this,” she said. “I'll catch the bus home.”
“I brought you here. I’ll take you back.” A muscle ticked in his jaw. “Don’t be such a stubborn ass.”
“Hmmph. Takes one to know one, I guess.” She stuffed the empty sandwich wrapper into the sack, and waited for him to slide out of the truck so she could follow. From outside the truck, he offered his hand to help her step out of the cab. She brushed it away and hopped down, purposely avoiding his gaze and the confusion on his face.
“Have I missed something here?” He stepped aside to let her pass.
She hoisted the strap of her purse higher on her shoulder, took two steps, and turned to face him. “You can’t be that stupid. Seriously.”
One large, long-fingered hand ran through his hair, tousling the ends into anarchy. They stared at each other for a fraction of a second, but it seemed like an eternity. His genuine befuddlement renewed her irritation. The guy seriously had no clue. She threw her hands into the air and shook her head before turning toward the office building. A warm hand caught one of hers and held it.
Felony Romance Series: Complete Box Set (Books 1-5) Page 41
