He took a seat at the small bar while Kristin perused the refrigerator opposite him.
Over her shoulder she laughed. “Yes, so watch yourself.”
He swiveled in his seat, taking in the rest of the flat.
A small half-wall jutted out to the right of the kitchen. “What’s behind that wall over there?” He pointed toward the wall.
Kristin glanced up from the fridge and looked in the direction he pointed. “The bedroom as well as the bathroom.” Her gaze shifted back to David, her eyes narrowed.
“And you must pay no attention to the mess therein if you need the restroom.” She smiled and resumed her stance at the fridge.
David made note of her words. A messy bedroom, huh? Who would’ve thought? That was definitely an unexpected fact.
Kristin turned, her arms full of items from the refrigerator. “I think I have everything to make beef burgundy. How does that sound?” She deposited everything on the counter and stared at him expectantly.
“Sounds lovely. What can I do? I am at your disposal.” He held out his hands, ready for whatever she needed.
Kristin opened the fridge again, pulled out a bottle of red wine, and set it in front of him with two wine glasses and a corkscrew. “Your mission sir, if you choose to accept it, is to open the wine and pour us some.” Her easy manner made it hard not to think about being more then friends.
“I believe I can manage.” He chuckled.
“Good,” she chose a knife. “Because I do believe the corkscrew hates me. Every time I use it, it breaks off the cork, and I have to find a way to dig the blasted thing out of the bottle.”
“That’s because…” his voice forced as he used his strength to twist the corkscrew into the cork, “…you try to do it too hard and too quickly. The trick is to be delicate and slow.” He pulled the corkscrew very slowly and the cork came out in one piece, arching his eyebrows in victory.
Kristin shook her head back and forth. “Show off.”
“You’re just jealous, lass.” He poured the wine and handed her a glass.
“Whatever.” She took the glass from him, taking a sip before she set it on the counter beside her.
David took a sip from his own glass, as his gaze roamed around the flat while she cooked. The walls in the sitting room were royal blue, while the area in the kitchen was a sunny yellow. The bright colors made sense, now that he knew about her artistic talents. He wondered what color the bedroom was.
He still found it strange that no photos adorned the walls or were scattered among the knick-knacks. At least there were two photos in her office. His parents, his friends, everyone he knew had slews of photos around their homes.
“Kristin.” He pivoted in his seat to face her.
“Hmm?” She lifted her head from cutting the onions.
“I notice you don’t have any photos displayed anywhere here, but you do in your office. Why is that?”
Her gaze shifted over to the simmering pan as she stirred the noodles. “You know my past isn’t exactly one I enjoy being nostalgic about.”
“I understand that, but I expected you’d have lots of photos of your life with James.”
“I used to.” She shrugged. “Lately, I wanted to give attention to my new life, and having so many reminders of the past made that more difficult. So, I have a couple at the office, and one in the bedroom. The rest are packed away or in albums somewhere.”
“I see.” That made sense.
As hard as she had grieved over the loss of her husband, having to see those reminders of a life and love lost had to make getting on with her life strenuous. It took more strength than he thought he was capable of.
David’s gaze flitted around again, trying to find out more about this woman. To the left of the kitchen, he noticed a door. A door she hadn’t mentioned.
“What’s that room over there?” He nodded toward the door as he took another sip of his wine.
Kristin’s gaze lifted once more and she paled. “It’s just a storage room, nothing important.” A sudden silence filled the room. Tension rose between them as she stirred the food in the skillet.
Why had a question about a storage room affected her like that? What could it contain that would upset her? Maybe that wasn’t the reason. Maybe the room held something she didn’t want him to know about.
David let his suspicions pass silently as he watched her put all remaining ingredients into the sauté pan. Being with Sophie so long had made him entirely too distrustful. Some people were just private, that was all. There wasn’t always some big secret to hide. That was Sophie’s doing, making him think that way.
He took another drink of wine as the aroma of caramelized onions and browning beef permeated the air, and made his stomach growl. Maybe he wouldn’t die from her cooking after all.
A small laugh escaped his lips. If there was one thing Sophie hated more than cleaning, it was cooking. She would argue that’s why God created restaurants, so she wouldn’t have to cook.
“What’s so funny?” Kristin crinkled her nose at him, the previous tension forgotten.
David hadn’t realized he’d laughed out loud. “Nothing.”
Kristin raised her right eye brow skeptically as she returned to her kitchen tasks. She poured some of the wine from the bottle he had opened into the skillet and then topped off their glasses with what remained in the bottle.
Kristin finally joined him at the bar to eat after the cooking was done. After he cleaned his plate, David opened another bottle of wine and followed her to the couch in the sitting room.
“That was really lovely.” He was truly enjoying this night they had narrowly saved from disaster. “You really are a wonderful cook.”
Kristin grinned and nudged him with her shoulder. “I’m glad you think so. I just don’t get much of a chance to do it anymore. Cooking for one is just so—depressing.”
He laughed and sipped his wine, which he knew both of them were drinking entirely too much of. His gaze came to rest on the coffee table in front of his knees. The bottom shelf contained stacks of books, one of which appeared to be a scrapbook.
David leaned forward and grabbed it. “What do we have here?” He kept his voice playful.
Kristin’s mouth dropped open and she reached to snatch the book away, but David was too quick for her. He twisted, turning his back to her, and opened the book, keeping it just out of her reach.
“Come on, David.” She pleaded while she reached over his shoulders for the book. “Let’s not look at bad photos of me.”
“Oh, but let’s!” He opened the cover.
“Very well, do your worst.” Kristin outwardly cringed and sat back in defeat.
David sat back against the couch and perused the scrapbook in his lap. Cautious he might make her pull away from him, he flipped through the pages a spy among the years of Kristin’s life.
There were no photos of her parents, which he understood completely, given the history of her parent’s marriage and the misery for her that followed. Most of the pictures were school photos, and he realized that the sadness in her eyes was apparent even then.
David turned to the last page and unexpectedly heard Kristin’s sharp intake of breath. It was a photo of her and James on their wedding day, and she looked the happiest he’d ever seen her.
Quickly, he glanced at her. Her face had drained of color as she seemed a little shaken by the image.
“Are you all right?” He kept his voice gentle. She had been having such a good time and he didn’t want to see her upset.
“I’m fine.” Her voice was so soft it was almost a whisper.
Her hand reached out to gently touch the photo. “I had forgotten it was in there. It just caught me off guard, that’s all.”
David’s heart filled with anguish when he thought of how much pain Kristin had gone through with the death of her husband. She didn’t deserve that misery, and he never wanted her to be hurt like that again.
“You were a truly beauti
ful bride.” Kristin practically beamed off the page.
She pulled her hand back away from the photo. “Thank you.” Her hushed voice touched his heart.
“How old were you there?” His finger gently traced the outline of her face in the photo.
“Twenty two.” Kristin sighed. “Too young to know any better.”
David shook his head back and forth. “You look so happy, like you didn’t have a care or doubt in the world.”
“I didn’t. I never doubted my love for James or his love for me. We were very lucky to have that, especially with what came later.”
David closed the book and set it on the coffee table. “Yes, you were.”
He brought his glass of wine to his lips and drained it, while Kristin took a sip of hers. The mood had changed to a more somber air.
Kristin was a complex woman, full of surprises. The book that had fallen out of her bag in her office penetrated his thoughts. Why didn’t she want to share her talent with him? Even within these walls where she dwelled, he witnessed no evidence of her artistic talent. The reason for her secrecy gnawed at him. He wanted to be a part of her, every inch of her soul. No more secrets, he needed to come clean.
“I have a confession to make.” David set his empty wineglass on the table and turned toward her.
~~~
Kristin set her wineglass on the coffee table and turned to him. Confused by his quick change of mood, she wondered what in the world he wanted to reveal now. Maybe he and Sophie were getting back together. The atmosphere had changed from lighthearted all of a sudden to serious.
“When Celia came into your office earlier for a copy of the artist’s contract, she bumped into me, and we accidentally knocked your bag off the chair.” He ran his hand through his hair in that nervous habit of his.
“Everything tumbled out, and I told Celia I would clean it up, so she could get back to helping you. That’s when…I found your book.” He gestured over Kristin to her bag that sat on the floor, her sketchbook poking out conspicuously. “Why haven’t you ever told me you were a talented artist?”
Kristin gulped and stared back at David. He didn’t speak, waiting for her to reply. Earlier, she had noticed briefly that her bag was a little messier than normal, but she always shoved things in it haphazardly throughout her day and hadn’t really given it a second thought.
Panic clawed its way up her back. Why exactly hadn’t she shared her artistic talent with him? Maybe because she had been using it to deal with her strong feelings for him, and by showing him, she would be exposed and defenseless. Kind of like right now, actually.
David laid his hand on her knee and her body stiffened at his touch. “Please don’t be angry. It really did come out by accident, though I did have this notion you were holding something back from me.” He moved his hand back to his lap. “Turns out, I was right.”
He was right. The trust issues she’d had since childhood kept her protected. Kristin always held some part of herself back from others, some part she could retreat to that was hers and hers alone. Her mother ensured through years of verbal abuse that her work would never be good enough to show anyone.
Fear of hearing those painful words from the one person she trusted made sure she kept her art from even James.
The panic dug its claws in deeper, quickening her breathing. “I’ve told you…how difficult trust is for me sometimes.”
David raked his fingers through his hair again. “But I thought we were past that. I thought you knew you could tell me anything.”
Kristin took a shaky breath. “I haven’t essentially produced any work in a long time, anyway. When James was ill, it sort of fell by the wayside. After he was gone, the spirit just didn’t seem to move me anymore.”
“So what changed?” He took a deep breath and held it while he waited for her to answer.
I met you, Kristin’s voice shouted inside her head.
She wanted to tell David he’d become her inspiration and had awakened her creative soul, but the words just would not come.
Better that they not be said anyway. Things were complicated enough between them. Instead, Kristin found herself staring intently at her hands in her lap, while her heart pounded so loudly the noise filled her ears.
“I couldn’t help but notice…” David exhaled and spoke with a slow and even voice. “…that I’m the subject in many of your drawings.”
The quiet control in his voice was almost drowned out by her heart as it continued to thud in her chest. “And I’m guessing they’re the reason I find you staring at me sometimes.”
Kristin’s face flooded with heat while she wrung her hands in her lap. It wasn’t like David to be so blunt. She realized they had both drunk quite a bit of wine, which probably didn’t help the situation.
His hands reached out to steady hers, and her head jerked up. His dark eyes devoured her, and Kristin lost herself in them, engulfed by the surge of emotions raging just below the murky depths.
With his index finger, David brushed back a strand of hair that had fallen over her cheek. His fingertips lightly skimmed her cheek, and he leaned in closer. The heat of his ragged breathing mingled with her own.
She wanted to blame the wine for her lack of control, yet Kristin didn’t care about that right now. All she wanted was to feel his lips pressed against hers.
David’s mouth hovered over hers, a mere breath away. The sensual curves of his lips beckoned to her, just like they had each time she had drawn them. Her gaze lifted to his eyes, which had darkened with desirea desire she was sure was reflected in her own.
All Kristin had to do was bend forward, and their lips would finally touch. She would experience what it was like to be desired again, even if only for a brief moment.
Was it worth the risk? What would happen to their friendship?
As Kristin fought within herself, David moved closer, answering that question for her.
He closed the small distance between them, his lips barely touching hers. The kisses were soft, delicate feathers that brushed her lips. A lightning bolt crashed into her, electricity sizzling throughout her body.
She felt him pull away and lean his forehead against hers, both of them breathing raggedly.
“We probably shouldn’t be doing this,” Kristin whispered breathlessly, fear mixing with the deep yearning that coursed through her.
“I know,” David whispered back.
But that didn’t matter any more. The desire she had been so desperately attempting to control had clawed its way to the surface, and her passion would not be denied.
David laid his strong hands on her shoulders, pulled her closer, and pressed his lips harder, more demandingly against hers.
His tongue slid gently past her lips, probing the dark recesses of her mouth. The moan that escaped her throat was muffled by David’s mouth. His tongue twisted in lazy circles with hers. Kristin couldn’t believe how much she wanted him, how quickly he had awakened her hunger.
David shifted his weight and eased Kristin backwards onto the couch. His lean body pressed firmly against hers, the solidity of his arousal apparent as it rested firmly against her thigh.
Kristin laced both hands through his dark hair, which was just as soft as she’d imagined it would be. She arched into him, molding her body to his, the increased friction between their bodies causing a groan to escape from the back of her throat.
His mouth left her lips, and traveled slowly along the curve of her neck. Long fingers found the buttons of her shirt, the fabric giving way as each one came undone, leaving her exposed to the cool air. Goose bumps marched over her skin and she shivered, but not from the cold.
David’s kisses journeyed gently over the sensitive area between her breasts, down her stomach, leaving a sizzling trail in their wake. Kristin was ablaze from his touch, and every moment made the fire rage even higher within her.
David’s thumbs brushed across her nipples, the thin satin fabric of her bra seemed absent as the aching poin
ts hardened in response. Her breath came so quickly, she was almost panting.
She ached for his touch. More than she ever dreamed possible. Kristin’s hands cradled his head and lifted his face so she could see into his eyes. She wanted to glimpse the longing he had for her, reflected plainly in those ebony depths.
Her thumb slowly traced the outline of David’s lips, the lips she had so often drawn and dreamed about. How could she have thought she could deny him? It was like trying to deny herself air.
The planes of his chest pressed tightly to hers, and crushed her soft breasts against him. The sensation of his heart pounding in time with her own almost sent her over the edge.
Those sensuous lips claimed hers again so fiercely, another small moan resounded in her throat. She found herself incapable of any type of rational thought, only riding the swell within her, as David worshiped her body with electric kisses.
Kristin was so lost in a world where nothing mattered but the two of them, that at first, she didn’t hear the ringing of David’s phone. When the sound finally registered, David raised his head and froze, as the realization of what he was doing crashed them headlong back into reality.
A little too quickly, David tucked his shirt in his pants and brushed his hand through his hair. She scrambled with shaking fingers to re-button her shirt and glanced over at David.
The phone droned on as he fumbled with his pockets in search of the thing.
Tremors quaked through her body as Kristin struggled to even her breathing in an attempt to regain her composure. Embarrassment over what had just happened added to the flush of desire in her cheeks. So much for just friends. How had she permitted such a loss of control on her part?
The noisy ringing ceased just as David managed to open the phone. He studied the display for a moment, then his shoulders drooped with a sigh. His elbows propped on his knees, he stared at the floor, the phone still in his hand.
Second Chances Page 8
