by Betina Krahn
He took a bite of his meal then washed it down with a gulp of wine. “Despite all my years in cooking school, I find the best recipes are still those we steal from our mother’s kitchens. Running the restaurant, I don’t get enough of it.”
“Does that mean you’re willing to try my mother’s famous tuna casserole with the potato chip topping?”
He quirked a brow. “You make tuna casserole?”
“No.” She laughed. “I was being facetious, though my aunt Elena does make a delicious Tater Tot casserole with hamburger, sour cream and canned mushroom soup. It’s a heart attack on a plate but well worth the risk.”
“I’ll take you up on that one.” He chuckled and popped a pearl onion in his mouth.
Kitty was funny. When had she gotten funny? And why hadn’t he seen hints of any of this during all those months he’d worked across the street? It was as if every assumption he’d held about her was coming up wrong, and before the night was through, he wondered how many more surprises she’d have in store for him.
Which brought him to the question that had been bugging him for hours.
“So, who’s Howard?” he heard himself ask before his brain could fully deduce whether doing so was a good idea.
She didn’t so much as blink.
“Howard Bloombauer, the assistant manager down at Hollies Paints?” She waited for him to recognize the name but he’d never been in the paint store. “I guess you’ve never met him.”
“Are you, um—” how did he ask this? “—dating?”
Her eyes widened. “No, of course not. If I were, I wouldn’t be here with you.”
“I didn’t think so, but earlier you’d said something about Howard and a relationship and…”
With a casual shrug, she started in with something about spending her Valentine’s Days at a trade show and some pact she’d made with two friends about not ending up dateless and alone this year. That took her into a long history of her dating experiences which, while not lengthy, had involved a couple of relationships that ended up going nowhere. That led her to the subject of Howard.
If Josh understood it all correctly, she’d been leaving the poor schmuck waiting in the wings for her to take an interest, marry him, pop out a few kids and live happily ever after. She’d given herself a deadline and if something better didn’t come along before that date she was going to resign herself to a life as Mrs. Bloombauer—Kitty Bloombauer?
Josh’s part in all this was to show her one glorious last hurrah—her proverbial bachelorette party, it sounded like—which, she’d very appreciatively admitted, he’d provided with honors.
She’d made the whole thing sound completely logical and sane, though when he retraced it in his mind he couldn’t quite get the pieces to come together so nicely.
“So to keep from spending another Valentine’s Day stag in some bar in Chicago,” he asked, “you’re planning on marrying Howard?”
“Well, I’m not exactly going to marry the man.” Her eyes bulged as though hearing it put so plainly had her seeing the absurdity in it all. “I was only going to ask him on a date and see where it went. But yes,” she said, reaching to her neck for the pearls that she wasn’t wearing anymore. “I admit that much of Howard’s appeal is that he’s a man interested in settling down and having a family.”
And Josh wasn’t.
He got the picture. But why it gave him a sour taste of insult left him totally baffled. It was true he wasn’t interested in settling down, at least not right now. So hearing his lover accepting that fact should have him thrilled, not put him off. It was confirmation that he genuinely didn’t have to worry about this evening creating problems between him and Kitty. After all, they were neighbors and neither of them planned on going anywhere soon. Though he’d believed her when she’d said she was only interested in one night of fun, he knew through experience that sometimes what a woman said and what they meant were two different things. He should be relieved to hear her confirm that she wasn’t expecting anything from him, that in all assurance, he could go home tonight and not worry about losing their neighborly friendship.
So why wasn’t he grinning with joy?
“It sounds like you’ve got a good handle on your future,” he mumbled awkwardly. Then before he could stop himself, he spouted out, “There’s a beautiful art center up in Mendocino. Would you like to go check it out?”
She looked as surprised as he felt. “With you?”
He frowned. “Yeah, with me. Next Monday would be best since the restaurant’s closed. Can you get away from the store? The gallery gift shop is exactly the kind of thing I had in mind for Auntie Bea’s. We could drive up and make a day of it.”
He’d planned none of this before this very moment. Yes, he’d thought of the art center and had considered mentioning it to Kitty. But making it a date hadn’t been part of the equation until the thought of the impending Howard had Josh securing his place with Kitty for at least a while longer.
And the stupidity in that was something he had no intention of analyzing any time soon.
“Sure I can.” She grinned. “I haven’t been to Mendocino in years. I’d love that. Thank you.”
“Good.” He nodded. Then, before he had a chance to spout out any more bright ideas, he decided to give his mouth an activity that was far less likely to get him in trouble.
Rising from the table, he stepped over and took her hand.
“Let’s go back to bed.”
6
“WHAT DO YOU THINK?” Josh stood in the center of the Mendocino Art Center gift shop holding up something that looked like a cluster of ceramic mushrooms with faces carved in the caps.
Kitty wrinkled her nose. “What’s it supposed to be?”
“Who cares? It looks strange, unique and expensive. That’s all that matters.”
She took a tentative step toward it. “The faces look evil.” Frowning, she turned to a display of colorful silk fish hanging from a large branch of driftwood. “Can’t I sell these instead? I love these, and I could have them in the store without fearing they’ll come to life and haunt the place at midnight.”
Josh laughed and set the strange piece back on the counter. “Darlin’, you can sell anything you want.”
The woman behind the counter chimed in. “The fish are actually amongst our bestsellers.”
Kitty gave Josh a victorious smirk, prompting him to step close and tap a playful finger to her nose. “Don’t get cocky on me.”
He held his eyes on hers long enough to fill her spine with tingles and heat her veins. Oh, the man was handsome. And she’d gotten to see plenty of him in the week since she’d first invited him up to her apartment. Since then, every night after he closed the restaurant he’d made an excuse to stop by, which had inevitably led them to the bedroom, which inevitably led to seven straight nights of soul-bending sex. She’d formed a fast appreciation for those sizzling looks and that easy smile that seemed poised to spring out at the slightest prompting. But even more devastating was when that free-and-easy gaze of his darkened to something deep and sultry the way it did sometimes when they made love.
The way it did right now.
It was a look that reached out to her irrational side, making her think about silly things like love and futures. It was foolish, she knew. But she’d been foolish all week, allowing Josh to come to her apartment bearing treats from his restaurant and sharing her bed as if she were a woman who knew how to pull off a temporary fling. Kitty was a forever kinda girl toying around with a man who wasn’t a relationship kinda guy. And if she didn’t get some strength back into that tingling spine of hers, she was headed for nothing but heartache.
Clearing her throat, she took a step back and flashed her best noncommittal smile. “I’m not cocky, just well-trained. You’ve done your job well. I appreciate your bringing me up here and showing me around all the shops and galleries.” She held up her BlackBerry. “I’ve managed to gather a long list of artists and some great ideas for th
e store. I really owe you one. This arrangement has ended up being far more than I’d expected when I’d first sought out your help.”
She blinked and diverted her gaze from the truckload of innuendo loaded into that comment. She’d wanted it to sound like the goodbye speech she needed it to be, one that would put an end to their week of fun and frolic. But instead of taking the bait, he waved her off and talked her into a walk on the beach before heading back home.
Strolling the Mendocino shoreline in the dead of winter wasn’t one of Kitty’s habits, but as she’d been discovering all week, when she took Josh’s lead, wonderful things happened. Thanks to the brisk weather and overcast skies, the beach was deserted and the resulting solitude was relaxing. For more than a mile, they walked the stretch of coast without running into another soul, chatting out stories of things they’d done and places they’d been. And when they got to the end where the rocky cliffs jutted out to the pounding surf, they stopped and stared out over the ocean.
Though Kitty hadn’t been shivering, Josh opened up his big flannel jacket and tucked her inside with him, nestling her against his strong chest where her head cradled perfectly into the crook of his shoulder. A secure warmth smoothed over her, fueled by the feel of his heartbeat against her fingertips, his gentle breath against her cheek and his drugging scent that had become so deliciously familiar. She cinched her waist against his hip and held tight, letting the pounding surf fill her ears while his gentle caress stoked her senses.
“Your cheeks are pink,” he said, lifting her chin with his thumb and forefinger. “Are you cold?”
“Not when you hold me like this.”
Then he smiled at her with those devilish eyes and pressed his full lips to hers. He stroked her mouth with his, brushing tenderly. It was a tentative taste, a gentle sampling of flesh and a mingling of pleasures. She loved that he kissed this way, slow and steady, as if he could linger for hours in the pool of her breath. Prodding her open, he slipped his tongue toward hers and circled it in a sensual dance that ramped up the heat and sent it spiraling toward her womb. It pulled a moan from her throat and sent her swooning against him, dizzy in the luxury of that tall hard body pressed against her.
Oh, why couldn’t this last? she wondered. Why was it that the men she liked best were always the ones who had other plans for their futures? Kitty was seriously beginning to believe that when it came to men she must be cursed, banished to an eternal purgatory brought on by some past sin she was unaware of. And basking in the company of this fun, passionate soul she began to feel angry. Life wasn’t fair to give her a taste of something so joyous only to know it was destined to end. It was a terse reminder that she wasn’t cut out for flings, and that today she needed to end this game of chicken she was playing with her heart.
As casually as possible, she pulled from the kiss and rested her cheek against his chest. “It’s beautiful out here,” she said, making sure her tone was light.
He took a long breath and exhaled. “Yes, it is. I always thought there was nothing more stunning than the Rocky Mountains. Looking at them, you’re overcome with the power of nature. It’s humbling and inspiring all at the same time.” He lightly stroked her shoulder. “I get that same sensation here at the ocean, only more so. It’s one of the reasons I fell in love with the area. While I love the mountains, I’ve always been a water boy. So much so that I’m considering moving onto my boat.”
She glanced up at his face. “Really? Your boat is that big?”
She’d known Josh kept a boat at the marina, a cabin cruiser with a bed and kitchen. Though she’d never seen it, she hadn’t gotten the impression it was big enough to sub for living quarters.
He shrugged. “I’ve been talking to a few of the people who live on the marina. The weather’s so mild here people seem to get along fine. Since I eat most meals and do all my entertaining at the restaurant, my apartment isn’t of much use to me these days. The bathroom on the boat is small, but I could easily add a nice shower at the restaurant then save all the money I’m dumping into rent.” He shrugged again. “It’s just something I’m considering since I spend the bulk of my free time on it anyway.”
“It sounds…exciting.”
And of course like clockwork her mind quickly sped to the thought of Josh abandoning his apartment for hers instead. He wouldn’t need to put a private bathroom in the restaurant or live on his boat. He could live with her, right across the street from his restaurant, and keep the boat for recreation. They could spend their days off sailing down the river toward the bay, or—
She gave herself a mental douse of cold water. What was she thinking, taking a casual comment and warping into a fantasy life of cohabitation on land and sea? She must be deranged, especially considering he’d flat-out told her to expect nothing in the relationship department.
And she supposed if they’d left it at that one blissful night, she would have been fine. But they hadn’t. He’d come back for more, again and again. And now the weak and feeble shield she’d placed around her heart was beginning to feel the strain.
This was it. She needed to get out while she had the chance. But as she plotted her Dear Jane speech she heard him ask, “How would you like to go for a cruise on my boat sometime?”
“Your boat?” she muttered.
“Yeah. It’s nothing fancy, but the river’s gorgeous in the morning when the sun comes up. Could you get Jennifer to cover for you one of these mornings? You could spend the night and we could eat breakfast with the egrets.”
Breakfast with the egrets. Chilly romantic walks on desolate winter beaches. Art galleries, delectable dinners, sumptuous desserts. Not to mention the simple pleasures of campy movies by her fireplace followed by mind-blowing sex on her living-room rug.
She’d lived more this week than she had in a lifetime, which was exactly why she needed to open her mouth and say thanks, but no. Any more of this and she’d never settle for Mr. Hometown Howard. And if she couldn’t settle for Howard, that meant continuing on in her life without prospects, cursed by the fact that her desires forever exceeded reality.
But to her own dismay, she glanced up, took one look at those charming green eyes and all her wits and senses hit the highway.
“I’d love that,” she said. “Yes, that would be nice.”
7
“I HAVE a confession to make.” Kitty stepped down the stairs to the cabin of Josh’s boat. “When I first saw this boat, I thought you were crazy to want to live on it. But now that I’ve spent some time here, I realize there’s really a lot more space than you’d think.”
Josh followed her down and tossed himself on the queen-size bunk. “I’ve got plenty of space.” He spread his arms across the bed. “There’s even room for two here.”
She started to wash the breakfast dishes, apparently not picking up on his hint. “And really,” she went on, “the more I think about you living on a boat, the more I think it suits you.”
“And how is that?”
“It’s adventurous and fun, and—” She paused over the sink and considered. “Mobile, I guess is the word that comes to mind.” She looked at him and grinned. “No roots.”
He frowned. “I’ve set roots in my restaurant.”
“Yes, that’s true. Though I think more metaphorically than literally there’s something wanderlust about you, and living on a boat seems fitting.” She caught the look in his eye. “Don’t get offended. I’m paying a compliment. I think it’s exciting to be with such a free spirit. Years from now I can tell my grandchildren I once had a sordid affair with a charming sailor back in my youth.”
She chuckled and Josh should have laughed with her. Her comments were innocent enough, but something about them struck a chord. He wasn’t sure he liked the label of wanderlust sailor. It didn’t fit the image he had of himself. And he knew he didn’t like the idea that someday in the future what he and Kitty were sharing would only amount to a distant memory of a sordid fling. Something about that seemed…dismiss
ive, only when he turned it all over, he couldn’t find a single point to argue.
So maybe he had always insisted on putting his personal goals and aspirations in front of the old ball-and-chain. He’d never wanted to be saddled with responsibility he didn’t need. But did that really make him nothing more than a mere trophy on some woman’s bedpost?
The question got sideswiped when Kitty pulled off the old Broncos T-shirt she’d borrowed, displaying that sweet curvy body in all its naked glory, and reached for her bra as if she planned to get dressed.
“Hey, what are you doing?”
“I’ve got to get to the store.”
He slid off the bunk, tugged the bra from her fingers and covered her breasts with his palms instead. “It’s early still.” Then he started trailing kisses from her shoulder to her ear. He’d learned over the past two weeks that it was the quickest way to get her thinking what he was thinking. And right now, going to work wasn’t the thought on his mind.
Her lips curved into a smile and she closed her eyes. Her head lolled to the side. “I suppose I don’t have to leave right this moment.”
She moaned when he moved the kisses down to her breasts. He loved how responsive she was, how every touch from his hand resonated through her and surged back through his fingertips. It was instant gratification, and it created a delicious cycle of give and take that he’d come to crave.
He lowered his voice and spoke close to her ear. “I treat you to breakfast on the river with a beautiful sunrise and flocks of ducks and egrets and this is how you repay me?”
“Well, I—” Her words faltered when he cupped his hand between her legs. “Don’t want to seem ungrateful,” she finished with a sigh.
“That’s my girl.”
Tossing off his shorts, he led her toward the bunk and crawled into the cozy space, pulling her on top of him, where she straddled his waist. She quickly took to task, pressing her lips to his chest and circling her tongue around his nipples, caressing his body with that glorious combination of touch and taste. It never got old, watching his frank and mannerly lover morph into a wanton seductress when he got her into bed. Nor had it stopped getting him rock-hard.
