by Kristi Gold
“What do you mean?”
“School? Sports?” She grinned. “Girls?”
He returned her smile with a cynical one. “My brother Brett was good with the girls, not me.”
“Not one girlfriend?”
“Oh, I had a few, but most of them eventually decided they liked Brett better.”
Kristina released a raspy laugh that had Drew coming to full attention. Every bit of him. “How could they tell the difference since you’re identical twins?”
Obviously Lilly hadn’t left out that detail. “Brett was more charming, a big talker. I was more interested in being a good student.” Until his family had introduced him to Talia. Then he’d discovered just how much he appreciated girls, eventually to his own detriment.
“I did play baseball,” he added.
Kristina’s brown eyes widened. “What position?”
“Pitcher.”
“Really? I was a catcher on the softball team.”
“Tough position.”
“Well, let’s just say these came in handy,” she said, patting her thighs.
Drew realized that Kristina was well versed at using self-deprecating humor to cover her discomfort over her size. If she only knew that the image of her thighs cradling his thighs was foremost on his mind, and it wasn’t at all objectionable. In fact, it was downright exciting to think about.
He cleared his throat and cleared the fantasy out of his mind, at least for the time being. He’d put her through enough mental calisthenics today. But what he had in mind had everything to do with a physical workout.
On that thought, he turned the conversation to a safe, general topic. “So you played sports, huh?”
She toyed with the hem of her shirt with long fingers, sparking Drew’s randy imagination back to life. “Absolutely. Volleyball, basketball. My height served me well in that regard.”
He figured she could probably serve him well, too, and he didn’t mean by ironing his shirts or mowing the lawn. “I know a lot of women who’d like to have your height.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, well, obviously they haven’t experienced being taller than most of the boys in school.”
Drew inched a little closer as if his body had developed a brain. He was pretty sure one part had, because right now it was speaking to him, loud and clear. “You didn’t find one boy that was taller?”
Her gaze faltered. “Oh, there were a few, but none that were interested. Not until college.” Her tone was laced with regret, and Drew wanted to know why.
“A serious relationship, I take it,” he said.
“I thought it had potential since he seemed very attentive in the beginning. Great looking and charming. A sweet-talker. That should have been my first clue that he wasn’t being totally honest.”
A twinge of guilt rose up in Drew. Little did Kristina know he wasn’t so hot in the honesty department, either. “What happened?”
She threaded her bottom lip between her teeth. “I accompanied him to a party at his fraternity house where he nominated me for one of their esteemed awards.”
“Award?”
“Yes. The Mount Vesuvius Award, given to the largest girl at the party. I discovered that he’d basically taken me out to set me up for that sterling moment.”
Drew shook his head, experiencing a gut-level anger. “I’m sorry, Kristina. Those damn frat houses are full of creeps. You’re better off without him.”
“Don’t be sorry.” She shifted slightly, indicating her unease. “I survived, and as a plus, I came away much wiser for having gone through the experience.”
Drew admired her wisdom, her honesty, and hated like hell that she’d been the target of some jerk. She didn’t deserve that kind of treatment. More and more, he was beginning to realize that fact. Which left him in a quandary. How was he supposed to call off the engagement without totally ripping out her heart in the process? What would she think if she knew that he was deceiving her even though he was doing so to protect her feelings?
He needed more time to think, a difficult prospect with her sitting there looking way too sexy to ignore.
“No other lovers?” he asked. He wasn’t sure why that would matter, but it did.
She frowned. “Who said he was my lover?”
“He wasn’t?”
“No. I haven’t had one.”
Oh, hell. “You’re saying you haven’t—”
“Made love with anyone?” She looked away. “No, I haven’t. I’ve always believed that a solid commitment should exist before a person takes that all-important step. Up to this point in my life, that hasn’t happened.”
Kristina was a virgin, something that probably shouldn’t surprise Drew, considering her conviction. Talia had been inexperienced when he’d made love to her that first time, but she had been barely nineteen. For all intents and purposes, with the exception of one fumbled encounter with a willing woman his senior year of high school, Drew hadn’t been all that experienced either. In recent years, he’d tried to play catch-up, but not in a while. Certainly not with any woman that even remotely resembled Kristina, inside or out.
Kristina was strong in her beliefs that sex for the sake of having sex was out of the question. This might be his answer. He could go back to plan A, modified somewhat, and try to use his powers of persuasion. But he had to be careful. He wouldn’t force himself on any woman. Never had, never would. That didn’t mean he couldn’t turn on the charm and see where it led. If Kristina decided he was moving too fast, then maybe she’d change her mind about seeing this whole thing through.
Drew took her hand into his and rubbed his fingertips over her knuckles. “I suppose this means you would want to wait until we’re married before we make love.”
She drew in a quick breath. “I’m not saying that. I believe that sexual compatibility is important in a relationship.”
He gave her his best suggestive grin. “You mean test-drive the car before you buy it?”
A slight smile tipped the corner of her lips. “In a manner of speaking.”
He draped his free arm over the back of the sofa and moved closer. “Care to go for a ride?” Man, that was one sorry line. He wouldn’t be at all surprised if she slapped him, or threw him into a half nelson in honor of her favorite sport.
Instead, her grin expanded, taking Drew by storm. “I don’t think we’re ready to try out the equipment just yet. Not until we find out if we’re compatible in other ways.”
Damn. Wasn’t there anything he could propose that might ruffle her? “Then a kiss is out of the question?”
“On the first date?”
“First date?”
“This is our first date, right?”
His gaze roamed over her beautiful face, coming to rest on her tempting mouth. “Not if you consider all our e-mail dates.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and gave her a little tug toward him, expecting her to issue a protest. She didn’t.
She did lay her palm on his jean-covered thigh, a dangerous place for her hand to be considering what was happening a few inches above. Then in that to-die-for voice, she said, “Since you put it that way, I guess one kiss wouldn’t hurt. After all, you did promise Amanda, didn’t you?”
Drew’s mind suddenly went as blank as a TV with no cable connection. He was the one who was supposed to be in command of this plan. He was the one who was supposed to shake her resolve, when in fact his control was starting to flounder. He was the one who should proceed with caution.
Caution left the premises the moment her eyes closed, the moment she leaned forward, bringing with her the scent of jasmine and the promise of a kiss that Drew hadn’t expected her to give so easily. Still, he couldn’t resist, so he headed down the path of discovery by whisking his lips over hers.
Her mouth parted beneath his, allowing him the opportunity to explore the inviting warmth. She tasted sweet, tasted like the lemon sherbet they’d had after dinner. Tasted like heaven on earth when she tentatively touched her tong
ue to his, sending his body on a spin straight into oblivion. He couldn’t stop now even if he wanted to, and he really, really didn’t want to.
The kiss intensified and so did Drew’s desire when her arms moved to his shoulders and her breasts pressed against his chest. He landed his palm on the curve of her hip, and somehow she started leaning back, taking him down until he was lying on top of her. When she moved her hips, pressing against his groin, three thoughts came to mind. He was hard as granite, Kristina had forgotten her conviction and he’d totally forgotten his goal of discouraging her.
Right now she was encouraging him to be more daring, or at least that was what he presumed when a small, desperate sound escaped her lips. Unable to rationalize the reasons to stop, Drew brushed kisses down the column of her throat, then lower to her shoulder where he pushed the shirt farther down her arms. A little more and he’d have it exactly where he wanted it—completely off.
The shrill ring jerked Drew back into reality and he bolted from the sofa. The sound of Kristina’s ragged breathing echoed behind him as he made his way across the room to the annoying phone. He should be grateful for the interruption. Grateful that things hadn’t gone any further. Instead, he was really ticked off.
“Yeah?”
“Daddy?”
He softened his tone at the sound of his daughter’s voice. “Is something wrong, Mandy?”
“I wanna talk to Kristina.”
“Why?”
“C’mon, Daddy. I need to talk to Kristina. Please?”
No use trying to argue once she got something in her head. “Okay. Just a minute.”
He turned to Kristina, who was watching him with guarded interest, her face flushed from his kiss and the shirt riding low at her breasts. She looked sexy as hell, and if this were anyone but his daughter on the phone, he’d hang up and continue what they’d started, even against better judgment. Finally she pulled the shirt back up and hugged her arms close to her chest, aiding him somewhat in his return to sanity.
He tipped the phone toward her. “It’s Mandy. She wants to talk to you.”
Kristina looked as confused as Drew felt. “Me?”
“That’s what she says.”
Slowly she rose and took the phone from him, strolling toward the opposite end of the room, away from him. “Hi, Mandy. What’s up?”
A long silence passed until Kristina said, “Calm down, honey. It’s going to be okay. Sara’s your friend, right?”
Concerned, Drew stepped closer to Kristina, hoping to discover what kind of crisis his daughter was enduring. He should’ve made her come home after the party. She was in trouble, and she needed him. Actually, she needed Kristina, a thought that gave him pause and made him hurt a little.
“Listen to me, Mandy,” Kristina said. “I want you to go and find Sara and stick with her. Does she have a stuffed animal?” More silence. “Well, see? She understands why you need your bear with you. That doesn’t make you a baby.”
Drew’s temper soared to dangerous heights. “Someone called her a baby?”
Kristina put up a hand to silence him. “That’s okay, sweetie. These things happen. Some kids make fun of other kids in order to make themselves feel better. You just have to ignore her and find your real friends. Okay?”
“I’m going to go get her,” Drew said, experiencing an irrational need to rescue his daughter from the clutches of a spiteful six-year-old bully.
Kristina turned her back, blatantly ignoring him. “I promise I’ll tell Daddy. Have fun and we’ll see you in the morning.” Another pause. “I love you, too, sweetie.”
With that, Kristina clicked the phone off at the same time as Drew’s heart took a nosedive. A bond between Kristina and his daughter had already been forged. A strong bond that he would be responsible for breaking. He hated even thinking about that now.
Kristina walked across the room and replaced the receiver on the cradle, then faced Drew again. “She wanted me to tell you that she’s a big girl, and she loves you.”
A moment passed before Drew could speak. He was torn between anger and remorse. Anger at Kristina for handling his daughter so well. Remorse because it was all too apparent how much Mandy needed a mother. How much she already needed Kristina. Yet no matter how easy needing Kristina might be, Drew couldn’t allow that to happen.
He rubbed a hand over his jaw and sighed. “I should go get her. I don’t like the thought of other kids making fun of her.”
Kristina took a few hesitant steps forward. “It’s a fact of life, Drew. I learned those lessons early on. Kids can be cruel and Mandy needs to realize that.”
“She’s still a baby, dammit.”
“She’s strong, like her daddy.”
She might be strong, but she hadn’t come by it honestly. Talia had been weak, frail in body and soul. Drew was still dealing with his own weaknesses, his guilt because he hadn’t been strong for Talia when she’d needed him to be.
But Kristina was strong. And sensual, something he’d recently discovered when she’d been in his arms. He instinctively knew that her natural sensuality was untapped, waiting to be uncovered in the care of the right man. But he wasn’t sure he deserved to be that man. He also wasn’t sure he could stop himself from trying to find out.
For that reason, he turned away from her and said, “I’m going up to bed. I still have jet lag.”
“Drew?”
Her tempting voice pulled him back around. “Yeah?”
“I’m sorry. I probably should’ve let you handle it since she’s your daughter.”
“You handled it fine.” Better than he ever could have.
“Are you angry with me?”
More angry with himself. Angry at Lilly. Angry that he would inevitably hurt Kristina once she discovered the truth about the engagement. The truth about him. “I’m just tired.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
A lie. He was only sure about one thing. If she came any closer, he’d kiss her again, maybe even do more than that. She deserved better, and he needed to remember that. He also needed to find the strength to tell her the truth. Maybe while he was away next week, he could think of some way to do that, before he did something stupid, like make love to her knowing that he couldn’t offer her more.
On Monday morning, Kristina waited downstairs to see Drew off before he left for his business trip. Amanda was still sleeping, understandable considering her busy weekend. After returning from the sleepover, she’d insisted Kristina take her to the park then grocery shopping while Drew returned to the office for the better part of the day to prepare for his trip, or so he’d said. Kristina couldn’t help but feel that he’d intentionally avoided her, and he was probably justified in doing so. Not only had she stepped over the parental bounds by intervening when Amanda had called, but she’d totally forgotten herself in Drew’s arms.
Drew probably thought her to be the consummate hypocrite, in one moment stressing the importance of waiting for a commitment before lovemaking, then practically throwing herself at him on the sofa like some wild, wanton woman.
Her first clue had come last night when he’d tucked Amanda into bed early then retired without any conversation. No kiss good-night. Nothing but detachment, and she’d hated it.
Propping her elbows on the dinette table and resting her face in her hands, Kristina attempted to think of some way to let him know that she was committed to Amanda and bent on seeing this whole thing through until the time came when they reached a decision.
“Tired?”
She looked up to find Drew leaning back against the kitchen island, dressed in an immaculate navy suit, his hair impeccably groomed, his face clean-shaven. The scent of cologne overrode the smell of brewing coffee. And here Kristina sat in her worn cotton robe, her hair pulled up in a lopsided ponytail and her feet bare. At least she’d showered.
She sat back and rimmed a fingertip over her coffee cup. “I didn’t get much sleep last night.” Or the nig
ht before, thanks to some fairly vivid fantasies about this man.
“I know what you mean,” he said while pouring his coffee.
She pushed back the chair and stood. “Would you like some breakfast?”
He checked his watch. “I don’t have time. My flight leaves in less than two hours. I’ve got to get to the airport as soon as the driver arrives.”
She focused on the centerpiece holding multicolored ceramic fruit, avoiding his eyes. “Okay.”
“Kristina.”
She met his solemn gaze. “Yes?”
He gripped the mug so tightly Kristina feared it might break. “I have a few things I need to tell you.”
Exactly what he’d said to her when she’d shown up at his door two days ago. “I’m listening.” And worrying.
He walked to the refrigerator and pointed to a list tacked under a happy-face magnet. “These are my parents’ phone numbers in case of an emergency. The hotel where I’ll be staying is up there, too. I’ll call tonight and give you the room number.”
Kristina folded her arms across her chest and nodded.
“And one more thing you should know,” he said, sounding all too serious.
Kristina braced for the news that he’d changed his mind, that he expected her to move out once he returned home. Instead, he added, “There are two numbers at the bottom of the list. Detectives Lucas Starwind and Tom Reynolds. If you have any kind of trouble at all, call them. They’re under private hire by my family.”
She felt a nagging fear over needing protection mixed with relief that he hadn’t called everything off. “What kind of trouble?”
“Strange phone messages. Suspicious vehicles nearby. I also have my own security posted outside at all times.”
“Is Amanda in danger?”
“This doesn’t have to do with Amanda, although I did send a patrol over to the Andersons’ last night just in case. This has to do with my brother Daniel.”
“The one who’s ruling some kind of kingdom?”
Drew’s expression reflected confusion. “How did you know about that?”
“You told me in the e-mails, but you didn’t mention any kind of threat.”
“I didn’t want to worry you.” He rubbed a hand over his neck. “Chances are, this problem with Daniel won’t affect us, but we can’t be too careful. Considering my family’s status, anything’s possible. I’d rather err on the side of caution.”
