Evening Stars

by Susan Mallery

  Chapter Seven

  NINA CHECKED TO make sure the door was locked, then started down the two stairs to the walkway. As she moved, Kyle stepped next to her and put his hand on the small of her back. The light pressure was unfamiliar, reminding her that it had been months and months since her last date. Nerves kicked up in her belly, as she realized this night might not be as easy as she’d first thought. Inappropriate guy or not, little Kyle had grown up into a handsome man.

  She spotted his car and laughed out loud at the low-slung two-seater convertible.

  “Seriously?” she asked with a chuckle. “That’s what you drive?”

  “A land jet,” he told her. “Chicks love it.”

  “I doubt you need the car to get the girls.”

  He stepped in front of her to open the passenger door. “Every little bit helps. Especially with you. I need to keep my edge.”

  “Very smooth,” she told him. “You’ve had a lot of practice.”

  She’d thought he might protest, but instead he grinned. “All the better for you,” he said easily. “You get to take advantage of all I’ve learned.”

  “A man who loves women. And whom women love back.”

  He shrugged. “It’s a flaw, but one I can live with.” He moved a little closer. “Tonight is all about you, though.”

  She could see the blue of his eyes and his thick, blond lashes. He’s shaved, she thought, studying his tanned skin. He smelled good, too. As if he’d showered. She liked thinking he’d taken his time getting ready. That he’d made an effort for her. In truth, he’d probably done the same thing a thousand times, but that was okay. Tonight she would rather be one of the many than all alone.

  She lowered herself into the seat, aware it was going to take every muscle she had to climb out gracefully. A problem for later, she told herself.

  He settled next to her. Their seats were close enough together that his shoulder brushed hers. There was something intimate about the way the dashboard seemed to wrap around them. He rested his hand on the gearshift as he turned toward her.

  “About dinner,” he began, his voice low and teasing.

  For a second she thought he was going to suggest they pass on the food. And for that same second, she considered saying yes. She’d never been one to have sex with a stranger, but while she didn’t know much about Kyle, she knew some things. Like his parents’ names and that he had a baby sister. So they weren’t exactly unknown to each other.

  “I thought we’d go to Marianna’s.”

  She raised her eyebrows. “Really?”

  “Is that okay? I made reservations, but I can cancel them.”

  “Marianna’s would be lovely.”

  She wanted to add, if he was sure he could afford it. Because while Marianna’s was known for exquisite food, the prices weren’t exactly bargain. She’d only been there a couple of times, most recently with Bonnie and Bertie to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of Bertie moving in and Bonnie coming out.

  But instead of checking on Kyle’s financial viability, she decided that if he’d had it together enough to make a reservation, he’d probably checked on the menu. Besides, it wasn’t as if she was going to order the most expensive item on the menu. She knew how to be a thoughtful date.

  He started the car, then turned back to her and smiled. “This is nice. Having you so close.”

  He leaned toward her and lightly kissed her. Just a quick brush of mouth on mouth, but it was enough to leave her flustered.

  When he straightened, she turned to face front, then nervously smoothed her skirt.

  “You’re good,” she told him as he shifted into gear and backed out of the driveway. “You sure you’re only twenty-six?”

  “It’s not the years, Nina. It’s the miles.”

  “There have been a lot of miles?”

  He chuckled as he drove down the street. “Enough, but they weren’t you.”

  She laughed. “Who were they, then?”

  He looked startled for a second, as if he hadn’t expected the direct question. “I’d rather talk about you.”

  “My brilliance and beauty? Will there be poetry later?”

  “You’re mocking me.”

  “A little. Come on. You haven’t thought of me once in the past ten years.”

  He glanced at her, his expression serious. “You’re wrong.”

  “You were just a kid.”

  “Some things never change.”

  “It’s a great line.”

  “Maybe, but it’s also the truth.” He flashed her a smile. “You’re going to have to trust me on that.”

  “I don’t trust so easily.”

  She spoke without thinking, then wished she could have called back the words. Not exactly first-date conversation, she told herself.

  He took her hand in his and brought it to his mouth. After kissing her knuckles, he placed her fingers back on her lap. “Not to worry. We’ll go as slow as you need us to.”

  Something she was a lot less sure about than he was, she thought. She got that this was a game to him, but there were also flashes of sincerity. So, which Kyle was real? Or was he like everyone else on the planet—not any one thing, but a combination of traits that were both good and bad?

  He drove around the island and across the bridge. Once they were on the mainland, he headed south. A few miles later was the turnoff to the restaurant.

  He drove up to the valet. Nina made sure both feet were on the ground before throwing herself up and out of the low car. Kyle circled around and guided her into the building.

  The sun was still relatively high in the sky, and from the foyer, they had a view through the restaurant, out onto the water. The setting was perfect, she thought, once again aware of Kyle’s hand at the small of her back. Soft music, white tablecloths on tables, quiet conversation.

  The hostess, a petite twentysomething, walked toward them.

  “Hello,” she said, her gaze on Kyle. “Welcome to Marianna’s.”

  Kyle winked at her. “We have a reservation,” he said and gave his name. He leaned toward Nina and pressed his lips to her ear. “I asked for a table by the water.”

  She shivered at the erotic sensation of both his mouth touching her and the warmth of his breath. The hostess shot her a death stare, but Nina was too busy thinking Kyle was out of her league to much care.

  With the age difference, she should be the one taking charge, sexually. But obviously that wasn’t going to happen. She could only hope he was making an effort to seduce her, because if this was all unintentional, she was in trouble.

  The hostess led them to a table by the window. She flashed Kyle a smile, then lightly touched his arm, but he didn’t bother with another wink, and she left with a sigh.

  Kyle moved the menus to the side of the table and leaned toward Nina.

  “Thanks for coming out with me,” he said, gazing into her eyes. “You know, I’ve been planning this night since I was twelve.”

  A line that made her want to roll her eyes. “You’re not serious.”

  He smiled. “I loved the shirt you wore all the time, the one with little white starfish on it. When you bent over to pick up my sister, I could see down the front of it. You painted your toenails red. The color was called Cherries in the Snow. Your favorite song that summer was Cher’s ‘Believe.’”

  Nina stared at him. “I remember you following me around like a puppy, so I’ll accept you used to know all that, but how could you remember it now?”

  “I meant what I said,” he told her. “You were the one I wanted, Nina. I loved you.” He shrugged. “As much as a twelve-year-old kid can. You don’t forget that kind of stuff.”

  “This is crazy. I barely remember you. I’m sorry, but it’s true.”

  His smile widened. “Probably for the best, what with me barely having reached puberty then. It’s okay that we were in different places because now we’re both adults.”

  “Maybe, but you’re talking dream girl and that makes me
nervous. No one can live up to that.” Especially not someone with a brownie problem. Nina considered herself pretty and funny and nice, but she wasn’t fantasy material.

  “Then we should get to know each other,” he said. “Take it from there. You’re here with me, Nina. This night is already a win for me.”

  She stared into his blue eyes and held back the need to sigh. “Damn, you’re good.”

  He chuckled.

  The server appeared, and he ordered a bottle of wine. When they were alone again, she leaned back in her chair.

  “All right. Enough with our mutual past. Tell me about yourself. When did you know you wanted to be a pilot? Was it because of that movie? What was it? Top Gun?”

  He made a face, and she realized it was probably before his time. “I was more an Independence Day kind of guy. But what really got me interested in flying was when we left the island. Our new house was close to a private airport. The guy who ran it lived next door, and I hung out with him a lot, got interested in planes. My grandmother thought I should have the chance to learn so she paid for lessons. By the time I graduated from high school, I had my instrument rating and I was hooked.”

  “Why the Navy and not the Air Force?” she asked.

  “You’ve heard of the Blue Angels? They’re the Navy’s flight demonstration squadron. They were formed in 1946 and perform all across the U.S. and around the world. I want to do what they do.”

  “Okay,” she said slowly. “You wanted this before you joined the Navy?”

  “Uh-huh. I studied hard in college, got on track to be a pilot.”

  She thought about what she knew about the military, which was very little. “Are there tough math classes?”

  “I was motivated. I’m a big believer in being focused. Having a goal and going after it.” He smiled. “Let me be clear. You’re a goal.”

  “Nice to know where you stand,” she told him. “How long does this goal last?”

  “I’m going to be in Everett a few months.”

  She waited, but there was nothing that followed. The message was pretty clear. He remembered her from his past, and he’d looked her up to see if she was still what he visualized. She had a feeling she wasn’t, but Kyle didn’t seem to notice, and, hey, why not go with that?

  He obviously wasn’t looking for a long-term relationship. He wanted to sleep with her, and he was willing to put in the effort required to seduce her. He might be playing a game, but he’d made the rules clear up front. She respected that.

  “Do you have a serious girlfriend?” she asked.

  “No. I wouldn’t be with you if I did.”

  She raised her eyebrows. “Really? You’re completely faithful to every woman?”

  He leaned back in his chair. A smile pulled at the corner of his mouth. “If you’re going to get technical,” he began, then shrugged.

  There was always bad to balance out the good, she thought. As long as she accepted her relationship with Kyle in the spirit he meant it, she would be fine. Because right now a short-term sexy fling sounded like exactly what she needed.

  The server returned with the bottle of wine. It was from a local vineyard. When he’d poured, Kyle raised his glass.

  “To old friends.”

  “Old friends,” she repeated. “So, tell me about life in the Navy. Have you ever landed a plane on an aircraft carrier?”

  “Sure.”

  “Seriously? How is that possible?”

  He grinned. “Lots of practice. When the carrier’s at sea, every landing is different. It’s not like an airport because the runway itself is moving, as is the plane. There’s almost no time between landing and stopping. It’s a rush.”

  To her it sounded more like torture, but she’d never been overly adventurous. “You’re deployed for months at a time, right?”

  “I’ve seen the world.” The smile returned. “I like it.”

  “A girl in every port?”

  The smile returned. He shrugged, but even without words, the message was clear.

  “But I don’t get involved at work. When I’m on the ship, I’m a pilot.”

  She reached for her glass. “But when you’re home, you play?”

  “Something like that.” He studied her. “What about you, Nina? You said you’re a nurse. Do you work for a hospital?”

  “No, in a doctor’s office. Andi, my boss, is a pediatrician. She’s great. I like working with kids.”

  “You stayed on the island.”

  “That was never the plan,” she admitted. “I wanted to get away, but somehow it never happened. Money was tight, so I went to community college. Then I had two years at UW.”

  “You didn’t want to stay in Seattle?”

  “I thought about it, but there was a job waiting for me at home, and I had a younger sister in college.”

  He frowned. “You were raised by your mom, right?”

  “Uh-huh. My dad took off when I was still really young. I don’t know if you remember, but my mom has an antique store. Blackberry Preserves. It’s small and not a huge moneymaker. I helped pay for Averil’s college. She went to UCLA.”

  “So, she got away and you didn’t.”

  “You could say that.” Nina thought about her sister’s recent arrival. “She just came back today. There’s something going on, and I have no idea what it is. She’s married. Kevin’s a great guy. He adores her. I hope Averil isn’t screwing things up with him.”

  “Does she do that?”

  “She’s not big on taking responsibility.”

  “While you take responsibility for everything.”

  “Yikes. What makes you say that?”

  His blue eyes were thoughtful. “A guess. Am I wrong?”

  “No. Yes. Well, not on purpose. Averil found a dog at a rest stop on her drive up from California. Someone had abandoned her. So Averil took her. I think she made the right choice, but within five minutes of arriving home, she was in bed. I had to go get dog food and a bowl and all that stuff. I don’t want to be the one taking care of everyone, but somehow I am.”

  He reached for her hands and took them in his. “They know you’ll pick up the slack. Like when you were fixing the roof.”

  His thumb rubbed a slow circle on her palm.

  “When you saved my life.”

  “That’s right. You owe me.”

  “And how would you like to be repaid?” she asked without thinking.

  His gaze dropped to her mouth. “You know exactly how.”

  “Right. I should probably warn you that wanting is frequently better than having.”

  “Not in this case.”

  “I hope that’s true. I wouldn’t want you to be disappointed.”

  “Not possible,” he told her.

  He was so sure, she thought. So determined. While she’d dated before, she’d never had a guy flat-out tell her he wanted her. It was oddly appealing.

  “Ever been flying?” he asked.

  “On a big plane, sure.”

  “I’m going to take you up and show you the island from how I see things. Seeing the world from a few thousand feet up in the sky has a way of changing your perspective.”

  “I look forward to it,” she told him.

  * * *

  Dinner passed more quickly than she would have thought possible. Kyle enjoyed current events, read mysteries and had a surprising working knowledge of the plot of Pride and Prejudice.

  “I dated an English major in college,” he said with a shrug as they drove back to her place. “It was her favorite book and movie.”

  “Mr. Darcy is dreamy,” Nina said, her voice teasing.

  “I’m not convinced,” he told her. “I think Elizabeth is in love with his estate more than the man.”

  “How can you say that?”

  “She started to fall for him after seeing the house. The change in her feelings makes sense. He’s a rich man, and back then, a woman needed a man with money to be safe.”

  “Whereas today we want goo
d looks and a great car?”

  He grinned. “You wouldn’t be swayed by a car. Not even mine.”

  “True. Does that break your heart?”

  “A little, but I’m resilient.” He turned into her driveway.

  Nina had enjoyed the evening more than she’d thought she would, but now that they were back at her place, she found herself fighting nerves. She doubted he expected anything on their first date, but what if he did?

  “I mentioned Averil is visiting, right?” she asked, hoping she didn’t look as nervous as she felt.

  “You did. Along with her new dog.”

  “Penny. She’s very sweet.”

  He parked behind Averil’s car and turned to her. “Thank you for dinner,” he said.

  “I think that’s my line. I had a good time.”

  “Me, too.”

  He leaned in and kissed her. Just once and lightly. But she felt the contact all the way down to her toes. There was something about the way he took charge, she thought, sighing softly. He wasn’t overly aggressive, but he made her think she could relax. That he would handle things. That didn’t happen very often to her.

  “I want to see you again,” he murmured, kissing her again, this time lingering.

  She let her eyes drift closed. His mouth was warm and firm. Knowing, she thought, feeling the heat grow between them. With each brush of his lips, nerve endings fired. It wouldn’t take much more for her to figure having Averil in the house didn’t matter at all.

  “I’m going out of town for four days,” he said.

  She opened her eyes. “For work?”

  He chuckled. “Yes, for work. I’m taking the jet with me. I won’t be able to call, which is why I’m telling you I’m going to be gone. I don’t want you to think I’m one of those guys who promises to call and then doesn’t. Can I see you when I get back?”

  “Yes.”

  He grinned. “As easy as that?”

  “I think maybe we should avoid the word easy.”

  “Absolutely.”

  He wrapped his arms around her—something of a trick considering how small the space was in the two-seater. His hands were large and strong as he traced the length of her spine. He kissed her again, this time brushing his tongue against her bottom lip.