My head began to bob automatically at her question, even though she wasn’t here to see me. “Yep. My last visit was a little too much for me, but you’re welcome to come for a visit anytime. The people are really friendly.” And gossipy, but I’d let her find out that part on her own.
“This has nothing to do with Mama’s snarkiness on your last visit?”
“Oh, it has everything to do with her suggestion that maybe if I’d lost a few pounds, that cheating bastard might not have taken up with Charla. I’m done with her and with Daddy for a good long while.” It was disheartening to know that a business deal—namely the one Mitchell had been working on for the past year and a half—was worth more than my feelings. “But you’re always welcome. Only you.”
“Maybe I will, but right now, I have to stay close to home. I picked up a few summer classes hoping I can finish both degrees at the same time.” Rocky was an art history major and two years ago had picked up an interest in business—at least, that’s what she told our father. “Daddy’s so happy about the business degree he hasn’t said a peep about me getting married all summer.”
“Well, thank goodness for small favors.” Daddy had no idea that Rocky wouldn’t be marrying anyone to help out the family business, and since he’d always reminded us both how disappointed he was to have no male heir to pass the company on to, I almost wished I would be around to see his face when he learned the truth. “How long until graduation?”
“Next semester, as long as I don’t flunk any classes.”
“That was one class your freshman year, Rocky. Stop beating yourself up about it. And it was math.”
“A crucial part of business, unless Pretty Feathers does some other kind of business I don’t know about?”
That pulled another laugh out of me as I turned onto the block where my bungalow sat, with its newly repainted yellow door. “And since then you’ve aced all your classes, smart ass.” I shoved the key into the door and kicked off my wedge sandals the moment I was inside. They were beautiful, but they weren’t meant to be worn for twelve straight hours.
“You’re right but still, I worry.”
I smiled at Rocky, the perfectionist. Despite her bookish tendencies, she was gorgeous and bubbly—a double whammy that would take this world by storm, I was sure of it. “It’s an open offer when you need a week or two off from thinking about tests and papers and projects.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. But what I really want to know about is that big ginger hottie you were locking lips with on Facebook.”
Her words stopped my feet halfway between the front door and the living room. “How on earth did you hear about that?”
“Are you kidding?” she asked on a far-too-amused-for-my-liking laugh. “Your new hometown puts everything on Facebook, honey. Everything.” She drew the syllables out for emphasis, and I knew she was telling the truth.
“Right. Nate is a S&R worker and that kiss was for charity.” Though that kiss hadn’t been charitable, not at all—or what came next. I shook off those thoughts. It was a one and done, and if maybe I felt some kind of way about waking up in bed alone after the best sex of my whole entire life, well, that was my business and nobody else’s.
“Looked like a hell of a lot more than charity,” she offered with another amused laugh.
“I’m taking care of myself and my business right now, Rocky. What about you, any men in your life?” I browsed the contents of my empty fridge while she spoke, cursing Nate for my lack of food. If he hadn’t just up and left, I wouldn’t be avoiding him. Redheaded jerk.
She snorted and I could picture her shaking her head, thick waves tumbling over her shoulders as she did so. “Several boys and none at all worth mentioning, I’m afraid.” That sounded about right because, for all her beauty and personality, Rocky didn’t seem to take the opposite sex too seriously—a trait I admired. And envied. “But I do have a date with one tonight, so I’d best get going.”
“All right, thanks for checking on me. Have fun tonight.”
“I’ll do my best, but he plays football so no guarantees.”
I laughed and sent my love before ending the call, casting one last derisive look at my empty fridge. If I wanted to eat tonight, and I did, I would have to either go out or have something delivered. Or I could just wait until morning. But the growling sounds coming from my stomach served as a necessary reminder that I’d already skipped lunch and was in dire need of sustenance. “Okay, fine, I’ll order a pizza.”
And tomorrow, the shop didn’t open until after lunch, which meant I could make an early morning run to the market here in town. Or I could head over to Edgerton’s twenty-four-hour supermarket. Which, I had to admit, sounded ridiculous. There was no reason to avoid Nate.
I mean, sure, he banged my brains out and then vanished like a ghost in the mist, but that was all right. It’s not like I was expecting forever from him, just a little bit of human kindness. Apparently, even that was too much, but there was no harm which meant no foul. If he could act like it didn’t happen, so could I.
That’s what I told myself, but the minute I stepped into the shower as it slowly filled with steam, my mind went to that night just over a month ago—when Nate had looked at me like I was a desirable woman, not just a means to an end. The heat in his green eyes and the way his jaw clenched beneath that burnt sunset beard as he fought to maintain control of himself. Every dang time I stepped into this shower, I thought of him, standing behind me with those big hands sliding up and down my body, his mouth raining kisses along my neck and shoulders, down my back.
Nate Callahan may be a jerk and a womanizer, but damn, the man knew how to make a woman feel good. Really good. And that night had been the best I’d felt, physically, in a long damn time. He kissed like a dream and made love like a pro, which made that night impossible to forget. And even more impossible not to think of him whenever I took a shower. Or made a sandwich. Or watched TV. Or…
The sound of the doorbell, thankfully, interrupted musings that couldn’t possibly go anywhere. Ever.
Stepping from the shower, I dried off as quickly as I could, hoping the impatience of the teenage delivery boy wouldn’t cost me tonight’s dinner. “Coming,” I yelled as I wrapped my favorite kimono robe around my body and flew down the stairs.
“Nate,” I sighed, pulling the front door open. “What are you doing here?”
Nate
Damn meddling old matchmakers, that’s what I was doing here, but there was no way in hell I’d tell her that. “That happy to see me, huh Mikki?”
She didn’t look happy, but she did look gorgeous with her face scrubbed clean of makeup, showing off smooth olive-toned skin and wet hair that clung to her body the way I suddenly wanted to.
Mikki stood up taller and gripped the doorknob in her hand, notching her chin up as her gaze slowly met mine. Her face was carefully devoid of emotion. “I was expecting someone else. What are you doing here?”
Someone else? “Who are you expecting?”
“None of your business.” There was no playful tone, which meant she wasn’t trying to make me jealous—another thing that made her unlike most women. “Well?”
“Can’t I stop by to see a friend?” I don’t know why I was screwing with her or what I hoped to gain, but Mikki didn’t looked amused. Or in the mood to be screwed with.
“Sure. As soon as you tell me why you’re here, you can go stop by to see that friend.” There was no sting to her words, just a bland matter-of-factness that set my teeth on edge.
“We’re not friends, Mikki?”
“Are we?” She shot the question back at me. “We’re not and we both know that, so why don’t you tell me why you’re really here.”
Damn, the woman didn’t pull any punches—then again, what did I expect after leaving her bed just before the sun came up and not calling her once in the past thirty-three days? “I came to see you.”
“Oh.” The word held no surprise or pleasure, and I was pretty
sure she didn’t even believe me. “Well, then, you should have called—I’m not having visitors this evenin’.” She took a step back and began to close the door, apparently serious about not being in the mood, us not being friends, and not having visitors tonight. Whatever the hell that meant.
“Wait.” My palm smacked against the door, obviously startling her, but she hid it quickly behind a glare.
“What is it?” Her exasperation was clear, and I realized just what a mistake I had made by avoiding her this past month.
“Eddy and Elizabeth stopped me coming out of Big Mama’s and handed me these. For you, I assume.” I lifted the pizza box and the bottle of wine from the table beside the front door and handed them to her. “It wasn’t my idea, but you know how they are.” And when it came to matchmaking the Hometown Heroes, they were worse than ever.
“Oh. Well, thank you.” She turned left and right, damp hair still sticking to her skin as she searched for… something. “How much do I owe you?”
Before I could answer, Mikki’s back was to me, giving me a good long look at the golden dragon imprinted on the fire-engine red robe. It was silky and touchable looking, short enough that more of her legs were revealed than were hidden. Mikki had great legs, even though she was as diminutive as they came; they were shapely and toned, evidence she was more than her curves. And those legs led to delicate feet with sparkly red and pink painted toes. All in all, she was an enticing package and I felt my control slipping, at least, it would’ve been if not for her insulting question. “You don’t owe me anything.”
The frown that met me when she spun back to face me said it all: Mikki didn’t like my answer. “I am perfectly capable of paying for my own dinner, Nate, thank you very much. And I will.” She folded her arms over her chest, revealing honeyed cleavage, and notched her chin into the air. “Or you can take that pizza home with you and I’ll order a new one. You can leave the wine, though, since I didn’t order it.”
Immediately, my thoughts went to the meddling matchmakers I’d left in front of Big Mama’s, and what they’d have to say when word inevitably got back to them that Mikki had ordered a second pizza. It wasn’t worth the hassle. “You owe me twenty-six bucks,” I told her. “Plus tip.”
She snatched a few bills from her purse, mostly just ignoring me until she smacked three ten-dollar bills against my chest. “Delivery costs, too.”
I shoved the cash in my pocket angrily. “Thanks. I guess.”
“Thanks for the delivery, even though it wasn’t necessary.” She grabbed the pizza and wine and turned away from me before stopping to look at me over her shoulder. Those hazel eyes held me, transfixed, as she assessed me. I wondered what she was thinking about, and if it mirrored my own thoughts. Until she spoke. “Have you eaten?”
I shrugged. “I got food in the car. Eddy stopped me coming out of Big Mama’s Diner.”
“Oh.” Just that one word held a wealth of meaning. Disappointment that I hadn’t come because of my desire to see her. Annoyance that I had stopped by unannounced and, if I read her right, annoyance in general at my presence. “Okay, then, thank you. Have a good night.”
And there it was, the sweetest way I have ever been dismissed in more than thirty years on this planet.
“Right.” Why I stood there like a damn idiot, I had no idea, but the way those eyes, gold and green and brown, stared a hole right through me was irresistible. Yeah, I was more screwed up than I realized.
“Are you all right, Nate?”
“I’m fine,” I growled, and instantly felt bad when she took a step back.
“All right.” She slammed the door in my face. I don’t know how long I stood there, both shocked at her behavior, while also knowing I deserved that, and a lot more.
Even knowing that, I wasn’t ready to say good night. Raising my fist, I pounded on the door three times and rang the bell for good measure. Mikki could pretend not to hear me, but that wasn’t her style.
A few moments later, the door swung open and an irritated Mikki appeared, the front of her robe open just enough to reveal that she wasn’t wearing a stitch of clothing underneath. “What is it now?”
“Nothing. Just this.” I leaned in and wrapped both of my arms around her waist until not even a breath of air could slide in between us, then lowered my head. I didn’t stop until my lips were on hers, my tongue sliding back and forth across her bottom lip and then her top lip until she gasped and softened, leaning her weight against me. I slipped in and deepened the kiss while, in the back of my mind, waiting for her to push me away or smack my face. Tell me to leave her the hell alone.
Mikki did none of that. Instead, she fisted her small hand in the work shirt I still had on for Janey’s photos and pulled me closer, swiping her tongue against mine and curling her fingers into my beard. But when she moaned into my mouth and sucked my tongue, I just about lost all the good intentions I had. If I even had any.
I was the one to put a stop to the kiss, because I had to. Because Mikki’s tongue was doing delicious things to my body, reminding of the way she’d wrapped those same lips around my cock and used that same tongue to drive me out of my mind. “Okay. Good night.”
She blinked and looked up at me, confusion swimming in her eyes. Quickly, she hid it and took a step back, guard slowly going back up around her. She wrapped both arms around her body for just a second and nodded. “Right.” Then she slammed the door in my face again, locking it—twice—for good measure.
Yep, that sounded about right.
Mikki
Monday morning arrived bright and early, as it always did since I had decided that Mondays were a half day at Pretty Feathers. It wasn’t so much a morning off as it was a chance to catch up on all the home and everyday life stuff that I neglected in favor of my baby. Still, I swung my feet over the edge of the bed, did my bathroom business, and rushed downstairs to get a pot of coffee on while I took care of small housekeeping matters.
While the coffee brewed, I picked up all the things that I dropped, discarded, or set down in places they didn’t belong between coming home and heading to my shop. Thankfully, there wasn’t much this week, and when I finished the coffee pot was full and no longer sputtering.
“Sweet caffeine!” I said reverently, pouring myself a mug. Thanks to my still empty fridge, the most pressing item on my list for today was a trip to the grocery store—which started with a shopping list.
I could think of at least a million things to do with my time other than cooking, which was basically a sin for a well-bred southern woman, but there you have it. There would be no lavish Sunday dinners on my meal plan, just simple and easy. Steak and potatoes. Chicken and corn. Pork and broccoli. Maybe a salad or two, and definitely tacos. Add in a few more veggies and cocktail ingredients, and I was ready to go after just two cups of black gold.
After Nate’s visit last night, I had a long talk with myself over a piping hot pizza and a delicious bottle of Beaujolais. I was done avoiding him, since it seemed he didn’t see a reason to avoid me. We were nothing to each other, so there was no need for any animosity. There was chemistry between us, nothing more, and I was more than capable of ignoring it, when and if it reared its ugly head. Incidents like that kiss last night, as hot as it was, could not, and would not happen again.
I wouldn’t let it, no matter how much his proximity lit my body up like Fourth of July fireworks. It just couldn’t happen again, because Nate wasn’t the guy for me, if there even was a guy for me. I’d thought Mitchell was that guy, until he and Charla had proved me the fool.
I wouldn’t let Nate do the same. He wasn’t just a player; he wasn’t just a man completely and totally unsatisfied with having only one woman in his bed. No, he was the worst kind of player, the kind who toyed with your emotions by whispering sweet nothings while he made love to you, body and soul. He was the kind of guy who made you feel things for him only to toss it back in your face that he’d never promised you a damn thing. Yeah, I was well versed in the l
ikes of him, and I wanted no part of it. Well, aside from the orgasms, because those were spectacular.
I pulled into the small parking lot reserved for customers of Tulip Grocery & Drugs, killed the engine, and took several deep breaths until my nerves were fortified with steel. Just in case. Armed with a shopping cart barrier and a list that provided the perfect distraction from speaking to my neighbors, I kept my head down and smiled as the air conditioning smacked me right in the face. It had to be a good omen, the air conditioning, because I’d grabbed enough produce to last a week before my first obstacle approached.
“Mikki, honey, you always look so well put-together.” Eddy Henderson, sweet old lady, casserole queen, and meddling matchmaker extraordinaire, stopped right in front of me, blocking my progress with her compliment.
“Why, thank you, Miss Edy. I always enjoy putting together an outfit,” I told her, throwing a bit more twang into my accent because that’s what she expected. “You’re looking mighty colorful today,” I added sincerely. The woman loved a good track suit, and the brighter the colors and patterns, the more she loved it. Compared to my plain turquoise shirt dress, Edy was really the one with the fashion sense.
“Oh, you,” she smiled and waved a dismissive hand, but I didn’t miss the pink blush that stained her cheeks and neck. “I wasn’t sure hot pink and leopard went together until I found these,” she said, sticking out one foot to show off a pair of leopard print sneakers. “Perfect, right?”
“Absolutely,” I assured her. I wouldn’t be caught dead in them, but I appreciated how Eddy wore what she liked no matter what. “I have some cotton track suits coming in this week, you might find them a bit more breathable in this Texas heat.”
She nodded thoughtfully, a mischievous smile on her face. “Give me a call as soon as they arrive. I’m calling dibs,” she said, proud of herself for remembering. “Now, missy, how was that pizza and wine last night? And more to the point, how was Nate?” The gleam in her eyes would have been frightening if I hadn’t just shored up my defenses where Nate Callahan was concerned.
Misters of Love: A Small Town Romance Boxset Page 2
