Sizzling

by Susan Mallery

  “I think so,” Penny told her. “You should see Cal. He’s crazy about her. I know some men are freaked out about babies, but he’s not. He wants to be a part of everything. He’s even crabby that I’m breast-feeding because it means he can’t help.” She sighed. “He’s a great guy.”

  Lori felt a flicker of envy. Not because she was the least bit interested in Penny’s husband but because she was stupid enough to want a great guy for herself. Which wasn’t likely to happen. She had never been in love. Not even once. Obviously there was something wrong with her.

  Her lack of love wasn’t all one-sided—after all, no one had ever been in love with her, either. Although she wasn’t sure if that made the situation better or worse.

  Lori grabbed the large diaper bag hanging from Penny’s shoulder.

  “I’ll put this in the kitchen for you,” she said. “Would you like anything while you’re visiting Gloria? Tea? Decaf? A sandwich?”

  Penny sighed heavily. “I want to say a speedy escape, but I have a reputation for being tough. Difficult even. I once stabbed a man. It was an accident, but still. I refuse to be afraid of one small old woman.”

  Lori felt her eyes widen. “You stabbed someone?”

  Penny shrugged. “Assuming I survive this, I’ll give you the details.” She raised her head and thrust out her chin. “Okay. I’m braced.”

  “You don’t need to be braced,” Lori told her. “You’ll do fine. Gloria has changed.”

  “So I’ve heard, but as I’ve yet to see any flying pigs, I’m reserving judgment.”

  Lori resisted the need to say, “You’ll see.” Instead she led the way into Gloria’s temporary quarters.

  “Penny’s here,” she said as she stepped aside to let in Cal’s wife and the baby.

  Gloria raised her bed and smiled welcomingly. “Penny! How delightful to see you. Thank you so much for coming. I know you must be busy, between taking care of Allison and cooking those delicious meals at the restaurant.”

  Penny came to a stop and stared at Lori, then looked back at Gloria.

  “Come here,” Gloria said, coaxingly. “Oh, what a beautiful little girl. So precious. She’s perfect and she looks just like you.”

  Lori did her best not to look smug as she stepped out of the room and shut the door behind her.

  AN HOUR LATER Cal arrived with Reid on his heels. Both men carried large takeout bags from the Downtown Sports Bar. Lori knew that was where Reid supposedly worked, although he hadn’t been going in much. Not that she blamed him. The whole world wanted to talk about how lousy he was in bed or find out if he wasn’t. Under those circumstances, she supposed that laying low made sense.

  “Your wife and daughter are already here,” Lori said as she took the bags from Cal. “I’ll get this ready to serve. Do you want to eat in Gloria’s room or the dining room?”

  Cal glanced back at Reid who tilted his head toward the study, where Penny and Allison were still entertaining Gloria.

  Cal looked doubtful. “I want to be in the mood to eat.”

  “You will be,” Reid told him. “Trust me. Go on. Say hello. Give it five minutes. If she bugs you, we’ll eat out here.”

  “You’re setting me up. I can feel it.”

  “Would I do that to you?” Reid asked, looking innocent.

  “In a heartbeat.” Cal disappeared down the hall.

  Reid followed Lori into the kitchen.

  “How’s it going with Penny?” he asked.

  “I haven’t heard any screaming, so that’s a good thing.”

  “It is.”

  He began unpacking the bags. She did the same, trying not to say anything as she opened containers of chicken wings and various sauces, spinach-and-artichoke dip with chips, fried shrimp, potato skins and taquitos.

  Behind her, she heard a low chuckle. She turned to find Reid grinning at her.

  “Say it,” he told her. “You’re dying to yell at me about the food, aren’t you?”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Liar.”

  He was standing close enough for her to see the various shades of brown and gold that made up his irises. His lips curved into a smile that made her insides get all squishy. Suddenly nothing about the food bothered her. Instead she wanted to press up against him and have a second go-round of that kissing action.

  Several things prevented her from acting on any impulses. For one thing, except for the brief greeting at her house, he’d never tried to kiss her again, which wasn’t a good sign. For another, they weren’t alone in the house. But the real reason was she was terrified of being rejected.

  Reid was the kind of man who took what he wanted. She was right there, practically begging. His lack of response was answer enough.

  “You hate the food,” he said.

  It took her a second to figure out what he was talking about. “I’m sure it’s fine.”

  “It’s not healthy.”

  “I’m not going to be eating it.”

  The right side of his smile curved up a little more. “Come on, Lori. Give in. You want to yell and I’m willing to listen. You might even get through to me. Look at all that fat, those empty calories. Not a vegetable in sight. Well, except the spinach and artichokes. So that’s something, right?”

  Thoughts of kissing faded as indignation flared inside of her. She knew that he was baiting her and didn’t mind in the least. A loud argument about his disgusting eating habits might make her forget how much it hurt to want someone who didn’t want her back.

  “You’re a grown man, not some teenager,” she said. “You know better. Worse, you’ve been a professional athlete. I know you’ve been educated on what is best for your body. If you expect any kind of peak performance, you have to give your body something to work with. This garbage will kill you. That’s the bad news. The good news is you’ll go slowly, so you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy your fade to black.”

  “That’s my girl,” he said.

  She narrowed her gaze. “I’m serious. Eat a real vegetable. Some fruit. A lean protein. With this kind of food, you might as well drink drain cleaner and be done with it.”

  “He’s not going to listen.”

  She turned and saw Cal standing in the doorway to the kitchen. “I know. I’m ranting because I need to, not in an effort to change him.”

  “That makes sense.” Cal walked toward her. “Although if anyone could get through to him, I’m guessing it would be you. You seem capable of working miracles.”

  For a second her heart froze in her chest. She felt the absence of beating and a distinct coldness.

  She could change Reid? How? Because he’d said something to his brother? He’d hinted that he cared about her, or that he…

  “I don’t know what you did to Gloria,” Cal continued, “but it’s damned incredible.”

  Oh. Right. Gloria.

  Her heart resumed a disappointed beat.

  “I only pointed out the possibilities,” she said, going for cheerful and hoping she didn’t fail. “She made the decision to change. It’s a work in progress and she’s doing great.”

  “More than great,” Cal said. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

  “No thanks are required.”

  Reid put his arm around her shoulders and hugged her close. “Can I pick ‘em or what?”

  “You don’t get credit for me,” Lori told him, ignoring the heat his touch generated. “The nursing agency sent you a list of names and you picked me at random.”

  Reid looked wounded. “You don’t know that.”

  “I’m willing to put money on my guess.”

  “She doesn’t take your crap,” Cal said. “I like that.”

  “She keeps me honest,” Reid said. “No one’s done that before.”

  Lori tried to take pleasure in the compliment but she didn’t want to keep Reid honest. She wanted to keep him up nights with unquenchable desire. Like that was ever going to happen.

  “Hones
t, huh?” Cal raised his eyebrows. “Interesting.”

  “Yeah, yeah. Fascinating,” Reid grumbled. “Let’s eat. Gloria must be hungry.”

  Lori wrinkled her nose. “There’s no way your grandmother will eat this horrible, greasy food.”

  “You think you know everything,” he said, stepping away from her. “But you don’t.”

  Then he handed her the plate of wings with the bowl of dipping sauce in the middle.

  “Cal, grab the rest of this,” he said. “I’ll bring in plates and napkins. Tell Penny I don’t want any complaints about the food. Now that she’s a hot chef, she complains too much.”

  Lori felt awkward as she carried the food into Gloria’s room. There was a little too much family for her comfort and she didn’t want anyone to think she assumed she was one of them.

  But when she entered the study, the number of chairs pulled up to Gloria’s hospital bed indicated a party of four joining the elder Buchanan.

  Lori hovered and fussed with the food and the plates until Reid pushed her into a chair and took the one next to her.

  “I should—” she began, only to be cut off when he handed her a plate covered in fried food.

  “Eat,” he said.

  “But…”

  He picked up a taquito and placed it between her lips. “Eat.”

  She ate.

  Conversation flowed easily. She listened, rather than participated, as they talked business and family. She’d already met Walker and could place him, but Reid and Cal’s sister, Dani, was still a mystery to her.

  “Walker has a handle on the business,” Cal was saying. “Sales are up at The Waterfront.”

  “I’m a little annoyed by that,” Penny admitted. She’d placed the baby on the bed next to Gloria and pulled up the side bars to keep everyone safe. “I was gone for nearly two months. How could sales be up without me there to supervise the meals? I hate the thought of being replaceable.”

  “You’re never that,” Cal told her.

  Gloria chewed, then swallowed. “Obviously you left a well-trained staff in place. Plus, Walker mentioned something about an increase in advertising. That wouldn’t have helped if not for your excellent menus.”

  Cal and Penny exchanged a look of surprise, then Penny murmured, “Thank you.”

  Lori felt like a proud parent watching a child in her first play. She wanted to remind them all that Gloria wasn’t really evil. She’d just lost her way. But Lori didn’t want to break the mood by saying that. Instead she enjoyed the death food and the way Reid sat close to her. Was it totally stupid of her to pretend that this was real? That she was one of them and that Reid…what? Cared about her?

  The longing was as intense as it was foolish. If she were friends with someone in her situation, she would tell her friend to get over the guy who was out of reach and move on with her life. That time spent dreaming was just a waste.

  Reid passed her a couple of chicken wings. “Secret recipe,” he whispered in her ear. “You’ll love them.”

  As he spoke, he winked. Talk about charming. Now that she knew a little more about his past, she couldn’t keep telling herself he had the emotional depth of a cookie sheet. There was more to the man than just good looks and a way with women.

  The information hardly helped her situation. He was still as out of reach as the moon and she was nothing more than a coyote howling for what she would never have.

  Chapter Ten

  CAL, PENNY AND the baby left just as Sandy arrived for her evening shift. She helped Lori pack up the leftovers.

  “Take any of this,” Lori said. “I doubt Gloria will have seconds and Reid doesn’t need them.”

  Sandy grinned. “I don’t know. I think he looks pretty great.”

  “I was thinking more of his heart than how he fits in jeans,” Lori said dryly. “And aren’t you engaged?”

  “I’m in love, but I’m not dead. He’s still a fine-looking man. Any reason you’re not going for some? I know he’s interested.”

  Lori felt a shift in the space-time continuum. She glanced at the clock on the microwave and half expected to see it moving backward.

  “Excuse me?” she said, her voice low and breathless. “I don’t think so.”

  Sandy shrugged. “I could be wrong, but I don’t think so. He looks at you like…” She paused, then said, “Like you matter. You’re important to him.”

  “Reid? Me?”

  Lori hated how desperately she wanted the other woman’s words to be true. Once again she was the poster girl for pathetic.

  “I have a brain,” she said. And fairly small breasts—an obvious fact she didn’t share.

  “Reid takes what’s easy because he can,” Sandy told her. “But none of us mean anything to him. There’s something about him. Something that makes me think he’s been through something bad. I don’t know. Maybe not.”

  Sandy was surprisingly perceptive, Lori thought. The other woman had guessed what Lori had never imagined. Remembering Reid’s sad tale about love and rejection made her want to find him and tell him she was sorry for assuming he was too shallow to have actual feelings. It also made her want to ask for the rest of the story. There had to be more than he was telling her.

  “You do what you want,” Sandy said. “You’re going to anyway. But don’t count Reid out just yet. I think he’s hot for you.”

  Lori didn’t know what to say. Worse, she could feel herself blushing, which she hated.

  Sandy was a great person with a generous personality. She wasn’t the type to be cruel on purpose. No doubt she actually thought Reid could be interested in Lori—a fact that made Lori question her intelligence.

  But what was worse was the awkward combination of hope and resignation Sandy’s faith inspired. Lori wanted Reid to have feelings for her. But as much as she wished that, it was so unlikely as to be impossible to imagine. It was like being sixteen again—but with a level of self-awareness that made her ache.

  “I should be going,” Lori said. “See you tomorrow.”

  “Have a great night.”

  Lori collected her purse and jacket, then walked toward the front of the large house. But as she passed the staircase, she found herself turning and climbing up.

  Her first couple of days in Gloria’s employ, she’d explored the old mansion. But after getting a basic layout of the place, she’d never gone looking around again. Once Reid had moved in, she’d decided to make the upstairs off-limits.

  Even so, she had a good idea of which suite he’d claimed for his own. In the back of the house was a bedroom, living room, bathroom combination with a balcony and a great view of the city.

  She walked to the half-open door and knocked.

  From the hallway, she couldn’t see anything, but seconds later, Reid appeared.

  She’d just spent most of the afternoon with him, so seeing him shouldn’t have been any big deal. But it was. Her blood raced through her body and she had the amazingly stupid urge to flip her hair over her shoulder. Fortunately, it was safely secured in a tight braid and therefore unavailable for flipping.

  “Hey,” he said with a slow, easy grin that made her insides shimmy and shake. “I thought you’d gone home.”

  “I’m going now,” she murmured, barely able to form words.

  What was it about this man that got to her? Why him? Why now? Sure he was good-looking, but she’d never been into appearance before. So what else? What combination of chemistry and need made her unable to dismiss him?

  He stepped back and she followed him into the living room of his suite. The furniture was elegant but comfortable, the colors dark. Like everything else in Gloria’s house, it was perfect.

  Reid wore jeans and a sweatshirt. Sometime after coming upstairs, he’d kicked off his boots and wore only socks on his feet. He was still substantially taller than her, which made her feel feminine and incapable of rational conversation.

  There was an open bottle of beer on the coffee table. She recognized the label a
s one from a local microbrewery.

  “Want one?” he asked.

  She shook her head, then changed her mind and said, “Sure. Thanks.”

  He collected her a beer from a built-in refrigerator disguised as an end table, opened it and handed it to her.

  She took the icy bottle, then put down her purse and perched gingerly on the edge of the sofa. He joined her at the opposite end, looking interested and expectant. Right. Because she didn’t usually spend her free time up here.

  “I’m sorry about before,” she said slowly. “About what I said and what we talked about.”

  He frowned slightly. “Can you be a little more specific? I don’t exactly remember what moment you’re thinking of.”

  “Oh. Sure. Before. I was ragging on you about the women you’re with and you told me about Jenny. I didn’t know there was something like that in your past. I shouldn’t have judged you.”

  He picked up his beer and took a sip, then turned his attention back to her. “You like judging me. It makes you feel superior.”

  Guilt and embarrassment made her flush. “That is so untrue,” she said, lying and proud of it.

  “Come on, Lori. You think I’m totally useless.”

  “Not useless. Just lazy.”

  “Ouch.”

  “You don’t try because you don’t have to. Like with Jenny. Did you really just give up on love because she rejected you or was it a convenient excuse to never fall in love again?”

  “Double ouch. You really don’t like me, do you?”

  She saw a flicker of emotion in his eyes. Had her questions hurt him? She knew he was capable of being wounded, she just didn’t think she could do it herself.

  “I do like you,” she said impulsively. “A lot.”

  “Really?”

  Oh, God. She could feel herself blushing. “What I mean is I think you’re a great guy. You just like to hide your assets.”

  He raised one eyebrow and she blushed again.

  “My assets,” he said slowly. “Interesting. And they would be…?”

  He was baiting her. She wanted to think he was flirting with her, but she wasn’t totally sure.