by Kristi Gold
“I guess I could.” She pointed to her cheek. “Right here, Big Daddy,” she said, parroting Mandy.
He gave her a mock scowl that quickly turned into a deadly grin. “Not at all what I had in mind.” Not Kristina either, but she knew Mandy would be back soon.
As if Drew realized that as well, he kissed her softly, no more than a light touch of their lips, but warmth flowed through Kristina in response to the tender gesture.
“It’s so beautiful, Daddy!”
Kristina stepped away from Drew and turned her attention to Mandy who stood holding a package in one hand and a miniature music-box piano in the other.
“That is beautiful, Drew,” Kristina said.
“You did good, Daddy-O.” Mandy held up the other box. “Is this for me?”
Drew snatched it from her hand. “It’s for Kristina. She can open it later.”
Mandy screwed up her face into a frown. “I want to see her open it.”
“Not now, Mandy.” He leveled his gaze on Kristina. “I want her to open it later, when I come back home.”
First the gentle kiss, now the surprise gift. Kristina’s worries drifted away like the dust specks floating on the stream of light that spilled across Drew’s broad shoulders. He looked so gorgeous, backlit by the setting sun. He would probably look beautiful cloaked in darkness. One night she might find out.
Discarding that thought, Kristina walked to Mandy and took the music box, giving herself someplace to look so she wouldn’t stare at Drew. “Why don’t you put this on your shelf, then finish that picture you colored for Daddy?”
“Okay.” Mandy started away again but reconsidered. “Don’t go until I bring you the picture, Daddy.”
Drew glanced at his watch. “You can give it to me later. Right now I have to meet your grandfather at the office and give my report.”
“Daaaaddy,” Mandy whined. “You’re always gone.”
“I know, sweetheart, but I’ll be back. Now go on up to your room and I’ll see you later.”
“I’m always going to my room,” Mandy murmured on her way out.
Drew handed the box to Kristina. “Here. Open it now before she shows up again.”
Kristina stared at the red paisley package. “I’m almost afraid to open it.”
Drew grinned. “I promise it won’t bite. Though I might if you wear it.”
She had no doubt what was in the box, but she did have doubts over whether she’d like it. Her doubts increased tenfold when she placed the box on the piano bench and opened it to find a black lace nightgown, if one could call it that. It was more like a short strip of sheerness with straps.
Holding it up to the window, Kristina gasped. It looked even skimpier in the light. “Drew, I’m not sure I can wear this.”
He came up behind her and circled his arms around her waist. “Oh, I think you can, and quite well. It’s an original, created from some of our very own lace.”
And probably very expensive, Kristina decided. “I’ll think about it.”
He pushed her hair aside and brought his lips to her ear, his warm breath playing over her neck, playing havoc on her body. “Don’t think about it. Just do it.”
She leaned back against his solid chest, lost in the feel of him against her, and she could feel everything. Everything.
He was aroused, but then so was she. Very aroused. So much so that she turned into his arms and kissed him the way she’d wanted to when he’d entered the room. The way she’d wanted to every hour of every day since he’d been gone.
The gown dropped to the floor and Drew’s hands dropped to her hips. He pulled her forward and his erection nudged her belly, caused her breath to disappear, along with any and every reservation about making love with him.
He moved back a step, taking her with him, but she wasn’t sure where they were heading. At the moment she didn’t care.
The tinkling sound of piano keys rang out in the empty room as Drew’s behind backed up into the instrument. Drew broke the kiss and his gaze cut to the piano.
The pain on his face sliced through the fog of desire that had clouded Kristina’s judgment. He might as well have dunked her in a trough of ice water. On the other hand, Drew looked as if he’d been burned. As far as Kristina was concerned, he had been burned. By his memories.
The stifling silence continued for a long moment until he finally said, “We can’t do this here.”
Kristina took a much-needed step back. “I understand.”
His blue eyes were full of despair that he tried to cloak with a smile. “I mean, we shouldn’t do this now. Amanda’s upstairs and she might be coming down soon. I’ve got to go.”
“You’re right. Otherwise you might miss dinner.”
“I won’t be here for dinner.”
“Really? Where will you be?” She sounded ridiculously jealous, as if he might find another woman to take care of his needs, when in fact she was competing with a ghost.
“I’ll be at work,” he said, his tone frustrated. “Where else would I be?”
“Of course you’ll be at work.” She lowered her eyes. “I’ll see you when you get home.”
Without a word, he left her alone once again. Left her with the worry that she might never be more than a means to an end, sex for the sake of gratification. A way for him to forget the woman he’d loved—probably still loved—at least until the memories came back to him as they had a few moments before.
She wanted to be more to him than a diversion. She wanted to be everything. She wouldn’t settle for anything less.
Drew closed the front door quietly behind him, hoping not to alert anyone that he was home. He headed upstairs to covertly check on his daughter, then he planned to have a good long talk with Kristina.
His plan went awry when he didn’t find Mandy in her bed. Heading back down the stairs, he made his way to Kristina’s room and slowly opened the door.
What he saw clamped his heart in an imaginary vise.
The bedside lamp was still on, casting Kristina’s beautiful face in shadows. Mandy was curled up beside her, fast asleep, looking peaceful, content, totally happy.
Drew struggled with the need to wake Kristina. He wanted to apologize to her for the way he’d acted in the music room. It wasn’t as if he’d considered himself cheating on Talia with Kristina. He was simply reminded that he had cheated Talia of so many things, and he didn’t want to rob Kristina of a chance to be happy. He couldn’t make her happy unless he knew for certain that he was ready to commit.
Maybe this weekend he’d have the opportunity to really talk to her. Then again, with his family around, he might not have a moment alone with her at all.
He’d have to try and get Kristina alone. Then somehow, someway, he had to convince her that this was more than sex brewing between them. He cared for her more than he’d ever thought possible. Maybe even more than he could handle.
He leaned down and kissed his daughter’s cheek, then took a chance and kissed Kristina, too.
Neither of them stirred, allowing him to watch them a little longer. Seeing Kristina cuddled up with his daughter, looking like a mother, brought about more concerns over her burgeoning relationship with Mandy. A great thing under normal circumstances, but these circumstances were anything but normal.
This relationship with Kristina had begun as a scheme he’d had no part in, yet Drew suddenly realized it was beginning to develop into much, much more. He could talk business with the best, work a deal on a moment’s notice, but he had little knowledge on how to negotiate matters of the heart.
He had a lot to contend with, and far too little time.
Six
If this was Drew Connelly’s idea of a cabin, then Kristina could be a supermodel.
The rear of the majestic log home spanned the length of a wooded area beyond the tree-lined driveway. Varying pitches to the slate-colored roof, twin chimneys on opposite ends, a large deck and several balconies set it apart from any cabin Kristina had ever seen
before. The lake gleamed in the Wisconsin summer sun hovering over the west horizon, as blue as Drew’s eyes that now studied her while he remained behind the wheel. He looked pleased and proud, and Kristina couldn’t fault him for that.
“Drew, this is beautiful,” she said, staring at the home in disbelief. “You and Brett really built this?”
“We did most of it, but we did have some help.”
“I’m impressed.”
“So am I.”
She brought her gaze from the house back to Drew and found him staring at her, his expression suddenly serious, his eyes now centered on her mouth as if he might actually kiss her.
“Are we there yet, Daddy?”
Mandy’s sleepy voice pulled Drew’s attention to the back seat. “Yeah, we’re there, sweetheart.”
Kristina looked back to find Mandy fumbling for the seat belt then watched as she tore out of the SUV like a tiny tempest. Kristina visually followed her progress and suddenly noted two people standing on the back porch, looking expectant.
Drew sighed. “The welcoming committee has arrived.”
“Then I guess we’d better get out now.” The disappointment in her voice surprised Kristina. She looked forward to meeting Drew’s family, but she wasn’t looking forward to having so little time alone with Drew. She had many things she wanted to discuss with him, but because of his late arrival home the night before, the preparations that morning for the trip, and with Amanda awake most of the drive, the opportunity hadn’t presented itself.
Drew seemed in no hurry to exit as he draped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer. “Guess it’s time to face the jury.”
Kristina frowned. “Now, that encourages me to get out.”
“Don’t worry. They’re not that bad.” He ran a fingertip along her jaw. “Maybe we should sneak a little kiss. That ought to convince them.”
“Convince them of what?”
Drew’s gaze slid away. “Convince them to leave early so we can be alone.”
Drew hadn’t sounded all that believable to Kristina. Perhaps he thought that after his family saw her, he would have to work extra hard to persuade them that he was interested in a plain country schoolteacher from Wisconsin with roots firmly embedded in a farming heritage.
He smiled, lessening some of her apprehension. “Are you ready?”
“Okay. I’m sure they’re probably wondering where we are.”
“That’s not what I meant.” His voice had a grainy quality about it, rough yet seductive.
“Then what did you mean?”
“I meant, are you ready for this?” He took her right arm and draped it over his shoulder then gave her a kiss that could fell the nearby trees. Kristina was definitely falling fast with each foray of his gentle tongue into her eager mouth, the pulse of desire spreading throughout her entire being. Sliding his hand up from her waist, he ran his thumb back and forth along the side of her breast. The strong afternoon sun filtering through the windshield was nothing compared to the fire building within her from his kiss, his touch.
The kiss grew deeper, his fingertips moving closer to dangerous ground, and the moan that rose up in Kristina’s throat took her totally by surprise.
Mortified, Kristina pulled away and leaned back against the seat, her breath coming out in labored puffs. “I don’t think that qualifies as a ‘little’ kiss, Mr. Connelly. I have a reputation to uphold with your family, and I doubt making out with you in an SUV will aid me in that cause.”
Drew leaned his head back against the seat and expelled a ragged breath. “Yeah, guess you’re right.”
She opened the door and slid out of the truck but when she leaned back inside to retrieve her purse, she noticed that Drew had yet to move. “Are you going to make me go by myself?”
He turned his face toward her and shifted in his seat. “Give me just a minute, okay?”
“Are you that worried about what your parents are going to think of me?”
A chuckle erupted from low in his chest. “I’m worried about what they’re going to think of me. If I don’t pull myself together, I’m going to embarrass us both.”
Kristina’s gaze dropped to his lap where she immediately viewed the extent of his problem beneath his khaki shorts. “Oh. I see.”
“Yeah, and so will my mother. Not a good idea.”
Her knees suddenly felt feeble, so she grabbed the open door for support. “Should I go ahead and make up some kind of excuse for your delay?”
His grin came halfway, looked cynical. “What would that be? Drew’s in the truck and any minute now you’ll hear him honk the horn without his hands?”
Kristina laughed then. She couldn’t stop it. She also couldn’t stop the exhilaration over knowing she had been responsible for his predicament. “I’ll wait for you.”
“Might be a while, unless we take out all the luggage and climb in back to take care of my little problem.”
Drew obviously had a skewed view of proportions. His current problem didn’t look “little” by any means, not that Kristina had anything to compare it to.
Feeling just a bit too wicked, a bit too willing to prolong the tension, Kristina leaned forward and braced her palms on the seat. “A tailgate party might be fun.”
Drew’s gaze came to rest on the cleavage revealed by the scoop neck of her sundress. “I wish you had worn something less distracting, like maybe a turtleneck.”
“It’s a little warm for that, don’t you think?”
His gaze continued to linger on her breasts. “Actually, it’s way too hot at the moment because of that dress. Now I might never be able to get out.”
“Oh, but dresses make quickies so much more convenient.”
He groaned. “You’re not helping me, Kristina.”
She straightened and smiled. “Maybe I can ‘help you’ a little later.”
With that, she headed to the back of the SUV and raised the tailgate, thinking that her inhibitions had not come on this vacation with her, thanks to Drew. She needed to take a step back, remember that before she decided to execute that all-important leap of faith, she had to be sure that something other than chemistry existed between them. Something deeper, an emotional connection they could build on. She had to know for a fact that he was ready to put the past behind him and start anew—with her.
She hadn’t forgotten his demands, either, although she suspected he’d been teasing her since he hadn’t brought them up again. In fact, he’d even helped her with the dishes the other night without her asking. She supposed that if he made her haul the luggage by herself, then that would prove he’d added pack mule to his list.
By the time Kristina had grabbed two of the bags from the back of the truck, Drew joined her. She couldn’t stop her gaze from traveling downward to see if his problem had disappeared. It hadn’t, not completely. She shoved her tote with the shoulder strap at him, coming dangerously close to the affected area of his body. “Here. Hang this around your neck.”
“Don’t start, Kristina,” he said with a mock warning tone.
She laid a hand on her chest. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
His gaze shot to her hand resting on her breast and he quickly looked away. “You know exactly what you’re doing, Ms. Simmons.”
At times she wondered if she really did. Drew Connelly had a knack for making her disregard good judgment. But he was so cute in his beige shirt and those great shorts that revealed his toned, tanned legs. And what a remarkable butt, she thought as he leaned over and took out Amanda’s suitcase. At least it appeared she wouldn’t have to carry everything. It also appeared that she would have to work extra hard to keep her eyes to herself this weekend, lest she get caught looking at private places she had no business looking at in public.
Drew slipped the tote’s strap over one shoulder and clutched Amanda’s suitcase in one hand. “Let’s go.”
“I’m with you.” And she longed to be with him in every way, despite her need to b
e cautious. Her need for Drew was beginning to outweigh everything, a very scary concept.
“They don’t know about the e-mail thing,” he murmured as they started up the walkway to the porch, now hand in hand. “They think we met at a singles’ bar.”
“Oh, great,” Kristina said quietly. One huge strike against her.
Once they reached the porch, Amanda rushed over and pulled Kristina’s hand from Drew’s. “Isn’t she pretty, Grandmother?”
“Very pretty indeed,” the elegant woman said, her hand outstretched for Kristina to take. “I’m Emma, Drew’s mother. We’re so pleased to meet you, Kristina.” After Kristina shook her hand, Emma gestured toward the debonair man standing beside her. “Drew’s father, Grant.”
“Likewise,” Grant said, favoring her with another handshake and a smile much like Drew’s.
“It’s so nice to meet you both,” Kristina said, feeling relieved enough to smile since they sounded sincere.
“Don’t just stand there. Get over here and give me a proper welcome, Amanda Elizabeth.”
Kristina looked beyond Drew’s parents to see a petite and somewhat frail woman with cotton-colored hair standing near the door, one hand braced on a cane. Amanda rushed over and gave her a gentle hug. “Nana Lilly! I brought Kristina.”
Lilly shuffled her way over to Kristina and looked her up and down. “My, my. You are a lovely little thing.”
Little thing? Obviously the whole family was size-challenged. “Thank you, Lilly. It’s good to meet you, too.”
Lilly poked her cane at Drew. “You’ve done very well, Grandson.”
Looking self-conscious, Drew slipped his hands into the pockets of his shorts. “Thanks, Grandmother.”
Amanda tugged on her father’s arm, gaining his attention. “I saw you and Kristina kissing in the car.” She sounded as though she’d just discovered buried treasure.
Emma’s lips curled into a smile and Grant studied his shoe.
Drew tried to appear nonchalant, but the uneasiness in his eyes was all too obvious. “We were talking, Mandy.”
“Speaking in tongues, no doubt,” Lilly said with a wicked smile.
