“I’m sure,” Christine concurred, amused. “If you can get in. You know what these new clubs are like. You go ahead. Is Kelly going?” Kelly was their next door neighbor, a bubbly blonde who had taken the Foster girls under her wing when they first moved in.
“Nah, she’s becoming a real stay-at-home ever since she got engaged,” Lisa grumbled, eyeing her sister with some asperity. “At least she has an excuse, that Paul of hers is the jealous type. At least come with me until you get your own jealous boyfriend.”
Christine laughed, shaking her head. “No thanks.” Unbidden, the man in the café came to mind, and she smiled, but with some sadness. Lisa caught the look.
“What’s wrong?” she asked sharply, and Christine was startled. Lisa really had an eagle eye.
“What? Nothing!”
“So what was that look about?” Lisa demanded.
“What look?”
“Don’t act all innocent with me, Christine Marie Foster!” Lisa admonished sternly, making Christine grin. Lisa could get all big-sisterly when the mood took her. “You had that lost puppy look. Now give! Did you meet someone, and it didn’t work out?”
Christine protested. “There’s no one! What are you talking about?”
“You can be very sneaky, Chrissy. Who knows what kind of people you hook up with online,” she said virtuously. This made Christine laugh again, and Lisa had the grace to look a little shame-faced. Her last boyfriend had been an online hookup, and he was a creep. “Okay fine, but I tell you everything, so you know what’s going on with me. You’re like an oyster.”
“There’s just nothing to find out, I’m not hiding anything,” Christine insisted. Technically, the man in the café was nothing. At least outside her own head. Inside it was a whole different ballgame.
She wondered at herself when Lisa finally left in a huff to meet up with her friends. She had been unable to keep the man from the café from intruding into her thoughts. She finally gave up and tried to analyze what it was about him that kept him stuck like a burr to her brain.
He was handsome, no doubt. But she had met handsome men before, and she had emerged unscathed and carefree. She knew nothing about him, except that he slips on tiled floors to the consternation of harassed waitresses. She smiled at the thought, but thinking back she doubted that he was clumsy. Up close, she could sense that he was fit and muscular, and watching him walk away, he had an easy gait that was almost graceful. She wondered where he was right then, and if the red-haired beauty was with him.
Nick was at that moment wondering what Christine was doing, and why he even cared. He couldn’t get her out of his mind, and when Kate called to inveigle him into bringing her to the newest club in town, she found him surprisingly compliant. He needed to take his mind off the woman in the cafe.
The club was certainly noisy, and if the line stretching to the next block was any indication, a ringing success. The usual large men in tight shirts held sway over the red cordon, letting in one or two people at a time.
“Good God, Kate, have you seen the line?” Nick protested, hanging back.
“Silly. I know the owner. We’ll get in, no problem.” Kate tripped up the two steps of the entrance, sweetly smiling at the dour doormen and mentioned the name of the owner. After sizing her up, he conferred with an unseen person beyond the door. Apparently, she passed muster because one of the men presently unclipped the cord and motioned for Kate and Nick to go in. Kate turned her head to Nick in triumph, and caught a glimpse of a young woman in a silver halter having an animated conversation with a woman in red about four or five people down the line.
“Wait!” she told the doorman holding the cord, and ran lightly down the steps, leaving a surprised Nick to wonder what she was up to now. Kate halted in front of the girl who caught her eye, who paused in her conversation in surprise.
“Hi!” Kate said brightly. “You’re Christine, right?”
Enlightenment dawned on Lisa’s face. “No,” she said laughingly. “That’s my sister. I’m Lisa.” Lisa saw a petite redhead in designer clothes with the most engaging grin, and decided she liked her. She wondered where Christine had encountered this fashion plate.
“Oh! Sorry, you look very alike,” Kate said, eyeing her speculatively. Just then, Nick came up and smiled vaguely in Lisa’s direction.
“Hi,” he said, and Lisa brightened immediately. Kate seemed to make up her mind, and turned to Nick.
“Nick, this is Lisa, and…” Kate looked interrogatively at Lisa’s companion.
“This is Wendy,” Lisa said carelessly, then leaned forward to whisper. “You want to cut in line?”
“I can do one better,” Kate whispered back, and impulsively took Lisa’s hand. She dragged a surprised Lisa and Wendy from the line and to the entrance, where they were immediately admitted. Nick rolled his eyes at Kate’s antics, and followed the three girls in.
Inside, they found a table almost by a miracle as a party of four got up and left. It was very crowded and the music very loud, seeming to vibrate in their bones. Kate commandeered the table immediately and called for a waiter to clear it. It was so noisy it was impossible to carry on a conversation, but the three girls managed. Soon they were giggling like old friends, and Nick observed them with an air of a father watching unruly toddlers. Soon enough, the girls were solicited to dance, but Kate refused, turning to Nick, eyes blazing.
“Isn’t it an amazing coincidence?” she shouted over the din. Nick frowned, not bothering to verbalize. “That we met Christine’s sister.” As he looked blank, Kate rolled her eyes in exasperation. “Lisa!”
Nick gazed at her in stupefaction, then at Lisa who was gyrating easily on the crowded dance floor with a hunk in a tight black shirt. “How do you know?” he finally shouted back.
“Are you kidding?” Kate shrilled. “They’re practically twins!”
Nick looked again, and finally saw the resemblance. Same eyes, nose and mouth, but strangely Nick felt none of the attraction he had felt for the sister. He looked back at her, and Kate was considering him with impish glee.
After what seemed an eternity, Nick finally convinced the girls to go to a quieter place. Wendy elected to stay with some friends she met, so it was just Nick, Lisa and Kate who sat at a quiet bar two blocks away. Lisa had by now been given the facts of Kate’s acquaintanceship with Christine, and was busy in weaving her hapless sister into her schemes. Nick was very attractive, and Lisa thought Christine deserved to have some fun. She found a kindred spirit in Kate.
“I’ve known Nick all my life, and even if he’s my cousin, I know he’s damned attractive,” Kate confided when Nick got up to go to the bathroom. “But he’s 27 and he’s never had a serious girlfriend, and that’s not right.”
“The same with Christine,” Lisa said. “She always stays home with a book, and she doesn’t have any fun. I always tell her she acts like she’s 64 instead of 24!”
“I think your sister made a real impact on him,” Kate said, earnestly regarding Lisa. “I’ve never seen him like that before.”
Nick came back just then, and Kate turned to him brightly. “Lisa was saying she lives near here and could give us some coffee. What do you say?”
“Sounds good,” Nick said, trying not to sound over-eager. He’d been cudgeling his brain all night trying to find a way to get Christine’s number, and this seemed like an answer to a prayer.
Lisa received the announcement with equanimity, although she was inwardly quaking about dropping in on Christine without warning. She glanced at her watch and saw it was nearly 1 am. She would be sleeping, Lisa thought, then shrugged, bringing out her cell phone. The phone buzzed 6 times before it was answered, and the voice on the other line was definitely grumpy.
Christine had been in bed for hours, but couldn’t sleep. She tossed and turned, counted sheep, and drank warm milk without avail. She was finally just beginning to feel drowsy when her cell phone rang. She tried to ignore it, but was tortured by the possibility that i
t might be an emergency. When she heard what Lisa had to say, she was very close to losing her temper.
“Now?” she asked, outraged. “No way, Lisa, go somewhere else….what do you mean you already asked? Well, tell them…Ok, fine!” She hit the end call button petulantly, and then sighed. Might as well, she thought, slowly tying up her hair into a loose knot and slipping into a cowled shirt and shorts.
Lisa occasionally had friends over after a night out, especially on a Friday night, but it usually wasn’t a spur of the moment thing. She made her way into the kitchen, going into the large pantry to start the coffee machine and set out mugs. Soon she heard Lisa’s key in the lock.
“I’m in here, be with you in a sec!” she called out. She heard a low murmur of voices and after a moment a step behind her. She looked up and almost dropped the creamer she had just taken down from the shelf.
It was him, her heart rejoiced, and the sudden flood of feelings threatened to overcome her. The pantry was large, but close quarters for two people, and she could feel his presence all around her in the confined space. She carefully placed the container on the countertop next to the coffee machine.
“Hi,” Nick said, smiling warmly. “I’m sorry if I startled you. I seem to do that a lot around you,” he said teasingly.
“Yes,” she squeaked, swallowing around her heart, which was thudding painfully in her throat, it seemed. She tried again. “Yes,” and managed a small smile. “I didn’t know you knew Lisa.”
“Just met her tonight, at the new club,” he said, searching her face. His reaction to her had nothing to do with her looks, never mind that she was beautiful. The sisters really were remarkably alike, but he was again aware of the tug he had felt earlier that day for Christine. The memory caused him to look at her arms, which were still slightly red and covered with a clear cream. “You did get burnt,” Nick said, concerned.
Christine raised one arm, inspecting the burn. It didn’t even hurt, but the balm would prevent a boil from forming. She showed it to him. “I’ll live,” she said, smiling. He leaned closer to get a better look and his head was close enough to smell. There was a light smell of cigarettes, but underneath was a clean, manly scent. She breathed in deeply, closing her eyes, and when she opened them again his face was on a level to hers, kissing distance.
Kiss me, she thought, mesmerized as she stared at his lips. Nick watched her eyes dilate and the gold in them seemed to sink into the light brown as it darkened. He raised a hand to her face, lightly stroking the line of her jaw and felt her quiver in response, lips parting slightly. His level of excitement was rising, and he leaned in to taste those delectable lips, anticipating their taste and softness.
“Did you guys die in there?” Lisa called out gaily, and Christine jerked back as if electrocuted. Nick straightened slowly, grinning ruefully as Christine handed him the mug-laden tray with a shaky laugh. She took the coffee pot and motioned for him to go ahead.
As they stepped into the living room, Christine saw Kate who was animatedly discussing shoes with Lisa, and stopped dead. She had completely forgotten about the girlfriend, and felt her heart plummet to roughly the vicinity of her slippered feet.
Chapter Three
Kate turned and twaddled her fingers in a “hi’ya” gesture, not missing a beat in her soliloquy, so Christine set down the pot on a protective mat on the coffee table and took the tray from Nick to pour out. Nick looked amused, taking a position in the doorway to the room. Christine handed him his coffee, not smiling and looking a little stern. He wondered at the expression.
He had an unrestricted view of Christine who was curled up in her favorite armchair, her hands wrapped around her mug. She had a meditative look on her face, and Nick knew for some reason that she was simultaneously not listening to the two girls and upset at him.
Christine was in fact furious. He had been within an ace of kissing her, and his girlfriend (his wife?!) had been right in the other room, barely two feet away through the wall! She wanted him for herself, she had admitted that while she lay in bed sleepless earlier, but she knew it wasn’t to be. He was spoken for. The unexpectedness of his arrival had thrown her off balance, and she had forgotten that vital little fact for a second when he was so close.
She squirmed slightly at the memory, and Kate caught the movement. “Oh, Christine,” the sudden call almost made Christine drop her mug on her lap for a second record-breaking time that day. “I told Lisa about how Nick almost demolished your laptop at the café this afternoon.” Nick, she thought wonderingly, his name is Nick. What a lovely name. Nicholas? Dominic?
“So that’s why you came back so early,” Lisa said, almost accusingly, her narrow stare promising all sorts of repercussions for her reticence. Christine gave back a wide-eyed one, giving nothing away.
“It wasn’t a big deal,” she mumbled into her mug, refusing to look at Nick.
“Oh, no, he owes you a dinner, at least, right, Nicky?” Kate said, grinning at Nick. Christine felt like she was in a parallel universe. The girlfriend (wife?!) was setting her up with Nick? Hope began to rise. Maybe she’s not his girlfriend, she thought, risking a look at Nick. As always, his eyes were on her, and she could feel herself getting warm. Her eyes dropped. Thank God she didn’t blush easily!
“Definitely,” Nick said firmly, pushing off from the doorway. “But I think that’s between us, don’t you think?” He took his gaze away from Christine long enough to look meaningfully at Kate. Lisa took the hint and jumped up.
“I was telling you about these pumps I bought downtown, and they’re so cute. Come into my room,” she said, and Kate followed with alacrity, tipping Nick a roguish wink as she passed.
Christine sat frozen, not knowing what to do. She badly wanted to follow the two girls to the safety of the bedroom, but she also wanted to be alone with Nick. He came to sit near her, and courtesy forced her to look at him. He looked uncertain, no longer smiling, looking anxious.
“Don’t mind, Kate, she means well, but sometimes she goes too far.” Nick searched her face for a clue to her thoughts, and found himself gazing deeply into her eyes again. Has she hypnotized me? he wondered, feeling out of his depth, his breath starting to quicken as he was again enveloped by an irresistible attraction to this girl.
“I-It’s fine, you don’t have to buy me dinner,” Christine said, trying to catch her own breath. She couldn’t look away.
“Oh, but I want to,” he said, resisting the urge to touch her face again. “You must know I find you very attractive, Christine. I would love to spend more time with you, if you’re okay with that.”
Oh, yes! Her mind shouted, but she temporized. “I don’t know. I barely know you. And what about --?” She waved a hand at the closed bedroom door. She saw the confusion in his eyes, and then enlightenment. He smiled.
“Kate’s my cousin.”
Oh, blessed relief! Some of it must have showed in her face, because Nick smiled wider. So that’s why she was upset, he thought, pleased at the positive sign.
“About knowing me, that’s what a date’s for,” he persisted. “How about tomorrow?”
She nodded her head, smiling shyly. Nick knew he had a dopey grin on his face, but he couldn’t help it.
“Okay then, I’ll pick you up here, say 7?” he asked, trying to decide where he should take her. Somewhere romantic, he thought, unaware that Christine was fighting with an irresistible urge to brush back the hair that had fallen on his brow.
He looks so adorable, she thought, her heart constricting. Almost on its own, her right hand reached out and she brushed back the lock anyway, and the skin contact was electric.
She snatched her hand back, her fingers tingling. “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I did that!” She was horrified at her aggressiveness, and the wanting that she felt radiating from her center. Christine was not particularly interested in sex, even seeing other people kiss made her uncomfortable, but she was definitely sexually attracted to this man.
Nick couldn�
��t answer; he was unprepared for the tingle that ran down his back at her touch. Finally, he shook his head, swallowing the lump in his throat as desire surged up for this lovely girl. He tamped it down grimly. Easy. “That’s okay, you can do it anytime.” He managed a grin, and she visibly relaxed.
He stood up, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “Well, we’d better go and let you get some sleep. Kate!” He was afraid to stay longer; his wanting for this girl was something he had never felt before, and he wasn’t sure if he could control himself at the moment. She didn’t seem to be someone you could rush into a physical relationship, either. He almost groaned aloud at the prospect of taking it slow.
Kate and Lisa appeared almost immediately, as if they had been listening at the door. Kate looked all innocence, but Lisa was less accomplished at subterfuge, and looked slightly shame-faced. Nick grinned, and he could feel the sexual tension leak out of him.
“Time to go. I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said, giving her a warm smile, shaking hands with Lisa while Kate kissed the sisters with a flourish.
“Bye, and thanks for the coffee!” she said breezily, preceding Nick out the door. As soon as the door closed behind them, Kate hugged Nick’s arm, giggling. “Did I do good?”
Nick gave her a smirk, silently resolving to send her a dozen of her favorite flowers.
Chapter Four
Preparing for her date that night was fast turning into a battle of wills. Lisa wanted her to get her hair and nails done, her body waxed and to wear a very nice, very provocative dress with a high hemline and peek-a-boo back and matching heels. Christine refused all of these, choosing to dress her hair simply and her nails alone. She also chose a russet-colored pantsuit with ¾ sleeves.
“You look like you’re going for a job interview instead of a date!” Lisa complained as she watched her sister brush out her luxuriant locks. All too often in a knot or ponytail, Christine’s hair was thick and glowing with health, with a natural wave that bordered on curly when allowed out of confinement. Pushed back from her forehead by a headband, it cascaded down her back almost to her waist. “At least wear a dress!” Lisa pleaded.
Good Girl Gone Wild: When Lust Turns to Passion... (Good and Wild) Page 2
