by Mari Carr
Forcing himself to think of his mother and Frank, KD said, “Yeah, that’s why I’m here.”
She simply waited, arching an expectant brow. KD cleared the pride out of his throat. “I jumped to the wrong conclusion on Sunday. I should have known Frank would never cheat on my mother.”
“You should have known Frank would never cheat?” she repeated at a much higher decibel level. “What about me?”
“To be honest, ma’am”—KD forgot that his little accent trick didn’t work on this particular woman—”I don’t know you or what kind of person you are. I mean, you don’t like me based on one wrong assumption I made and you don’t know me either.”
That seemed to stump her. She straightened and stared, wide-eyed. She did have lovely eyes. A soft brown rimmed in gold. Eyes a man could spend a long time staring into as he lost himself in her hot, wet…
Oh, jeez.
At last she spoke, dragging KD away from his lewd thoughts. If he didn’t know better, he would have thought she was struggling not to smile. “That’s the worst excuse for an apology I’ve ever heard.”
“Thank you.”
She heaved a weighty sigh and stepped back to allow him entry. “You might as well come in. I’ll let you give me your estimate—for Frank’s sake.”
“I’m here for Frank’s sake, too,” KD matched her not-so-subtle hint that she wasn’t doing him any favors. “He was looking forward to this job and he wants me to do it. I want to do it, as a favor to him and my mother.”
“I guess you’d better give me a good estimate, then.”
“Why don’t we just cut the crap, Miss Simmons?”
She stopped mid-stride and swung around to face him. Her lush lips were pursed and shiny with lilac-tinted gloss. Her dark mane of hair was clipped back at the sides, the rest of it hanging down her back in ribbons of chocolate brown.
She looked riled and imperious. Strong and sexy. And beautiful. Damn, but she looked beautiful.
“Yes,” she said at last. “Why don’t we? You’re here because Frank asked you to come, not because you want to apologize to me. He was angry with you.”
“It was my mother, actually. She didn’t tell Frank anything about our misunderstanding. And you haven’t been able to find anyone else interested in the job you want done.”
“What makes you say that?”
He showed her a knowing smile. “Because you wouldn’t have invited me in if you had.”
*
Very astute, considering he looked more like some ill-bred cowboy than a man of any depth of intelligence. Kelsey’s opinion of him shifted a little, before she got a hold of herself again. Just because he was smart didn’t mean he wasn’t also the ignominious blockhead she had originally thought. After all, he hadn’t apologized for his outrageous assumption about her interest in his stepfather. He’d only given a half-baked, man-style apology—one that allowed him to save face and that never actually acknowledged the malfeasance against her.
Still, he was right. She had no one else interested in renovating her house and she did need that ensuite. And those French doors. She could just about hear Gabby laughing at her earlier pronouncement that she would do without them. She had already decided what she wanted and, like it or not, KD McKinley was the only man around willing and able to give it to her.
Oh, dear. Did she have to arrange the facts quite that way in her mind?
“Alright, Mr. McKinley,” Kelsey said after a long pause during which images of the man giving her what she wanted—and what she hadn’t gotten in a long, long time—filled her brain to distressing capacity. She shifted her weight from foot to foot. This was just business. She would be at work whenever he was here and so she needn’t take into account the way he vexed her so. “If you can do it for the right price, you’ve got yourself a job.”
* * * *
Three days later, as she sat across a stained timber dining table from Stefan Henley, Kelsey realized she had never told KD McKinley she had a boyfriend.
They were at The Central, aptly and unimaginatively named for its location in the center of town. Its popularity as a lunch venue was due in large part to its status as the only pub in Holly Hill. In addition to this obvious advantage, The Central also had a lovely beer garden dotted with round oak dining tables and matching oak chairs. Couples could enjoy each other in the relative privacy and shade afforded by a lush canopy of rainforest trees.
Kelsey now found herself there, picking at her Caesar salad while Stefan concentrated on his grilled fish. Instead of the potential fiancé seated across from her, she thought about hunky handyman.
Damn that man KD. She hadn’t laid eyes on him since she had offered him the renovation job, but his assorted tradesman debris littered her house, reminding her that he occupied her space during the day. He’d moved her bed into one of the spare rooms, as requested, so he could work on knocking down the wall between the master bedroom and the bathroom. Just the thought that he had placed his hands on her bed made her shiver and she’d barely gotten a decent night’s sleep since.
Pathetic. She would turn thirty in precisely two months, so wasn’t some teenage ingénue. She’d known men and she’d enjoyed sex, for the most part. A bout of abstinence didn’t excuse her acting like a hormone-riddled schoolgirl at the merest thought of the man in her house. The man who would be in her house right now. Working. Sweating. Maybe taking off his shirt, revealing work-hewn muscles and silky, dark chest hair.
Dear God. Kelsey shifted in her seat, shocked to find herself aroused. This was what the man did to her when she didn’t even see him. God help her if she ever ran into him on the way home.
And today was Friday. She usually gave herself an early mark from work on a Friday, if she could manage it. But if she went home too soon she might see KD McKinley. And if he was in the state of half dress she had just been picturing…
Oh, dear. “Would you like to come to my place for dinner tonight?”
Stefan looked up from his plate, a forkful of fish halfway to his mouth. “Pardon?”
And well he should look shocked. She had just interrupted his one-way conversation on land ordinance twenty-six A. Or was it twenty-six B? Stefan was on the local council and he loved his work. He’d be stunned to discover Kelsey had tuned out the conversation for the last ten minutes.
She cleared her throat. “I asked if you’d like to come to dinner at my place.”
“Tonight?”
Kelsey usually appreciated Stefan’s adherence to his strict and busy schedule. She was a fan of the schedule. But right this minute his obvious reluctance to do something even mildly impulsive annoyed her. “Yes tonight.” I need you to stop me from leaping all over hunky handyman if I see him with his shirt off. “I could get a couple of steaks, a bottle of wine. What do you think?”
“I don’t know. I don’t think I have anything on…”
His hesitancy was giving her a complex. Didn’t he want to spend time with her, even if it wasn’t scheduled? Granted, he’d never been inside her house before—just as she’d never been invited into his. They had dated for almost six months, but they’d only ever been together in public places. Afterward, Stefan always dropped her at her door, giving her a measured kiss—not too heavy, not too chaste, with minimal tongue and some caressing, but no groping. Just enough to leave Kelsey wanting more. She’d invited him in a couple of times, but he’d never accepted.
For the first time she wondered if Stefan even wanted to have sex.
Her ego punctured, Kelsey found her voice turning peevish. “Well, if you don’t want to, I’m not going to beg.”
“Of course I want to, Kelsey,” Stefan rushed to say, soothing her ruffled feathers. “I always enjoy spending time with you. So yes, I will come to dinner tonight.”
She gave him a bright grin. “Excellent. Why don’t you come over at six or so?”
Stefan smiled. He really was handsome, with soft gray eyes and neatly styled blond hair. When he smiled, his left
cheek dimpled and smile lines appeared around his eyes, lending him the character that didn’t always show when talking about work or giving a speech. He was five years older than she was, but that dimple made him look younger, approachable. He was sweet and gentlemanly and dedicated to making Holly Hill a better place for all who lived here.
What more could a girl want?
Take that, KD McKinley. I won’t be fantasizing about you tonight. Tonight I’ll have the real thing.
* * * *
As she carried her grocery bags up the front stairs, Kelsey wondered if she should wear the red dress. She’d bought it so Stefan would see her in it, but she didn’t want to shock the pants off him. His pants should come off voluntarily.
And tonight would be the perfect opportunity. They would be completely alone for the first time, with nothing to stop them from making love. She felt a surge of nerves. How would Stefan react if she made a move?
Instinctively, Kelsey knew he wouldn’t react well. Stefan was a man of the traditional variety. He thought it was the man’s responsibility to make the moves. If she wanted him to make love to her, she would have to let him think it was all his idea.
Which was where the dress came in…
Contemplating her options, she shuffled her grocery bags to reach for the doorknob, only to have it open from the inside. She always seemed to be meeting KD on her front doorstep.
Her heart gave a thump, and another until it was thumping all over the place. His jeans molded to his long muscled thighs with loving dedication, his black T-shirt did the same to his shoulders and well-shaped biceps. There was a streak of dirt on his cheek and rough stubble on his jaw. His hair was mussed and coated in dust, making Kelsey want to run her hands through it.
At least he was wearing his shirt.
His eyes swept over her, their ocean blue sparkling, and his impossibly sinful mouth curved in an appreciative smile that had her knees wobbling. “Hey, sugar.”
The endearment seeped into her, making her think of chocolate and cream and everything sweet, and what she would love to do if he were covered in the stuff. Lick it all off him, sweat, dirt and all.
“I didn’t know you were still here.” She meant to sound cool, not like she was having an asthma attack.
“My truck’s around the back. I’ve been loading up some trash to take away.”
“My bedroom wall?”
“Yup. Hope you’re not going to change your mind now. Let me grab those.”
He had stepped forward and relieved her of the bags before Kelsey could protest. He turned and walked down the hall to her kitchen as though he owned the place, placing her bags on the counter. “Want me help you put this stuff away?”
What was he doing—pretending to be a gentleman now? “No, leave it out. I’m cooking dinner tonight, for two.” He sent her a look she couldn’t read. Oh God, had he thought she was issuing him an invitation? She hurried to add, “My boyfriend’s coming over.”
“Your boyfriend, huh?”
Why did his tone sound dubious? “Yes. I have a boyfriend. And he’s coming over.” Could you say it again, Kelsey? Make it sound even more like a fabrication. “In fact, he’ll be here soon, so I have to shower and change.”
He leaned his butt on the kitchen counter and crossed his arms over his chest. Impressive arms, impressive chest. Why couldn’t she stop noticing? He made no move to leave. “Into that red dress of yours?”
“Why would you assume that? I have other clothes.”
He lifted a careless shoulder. “It’s definitely the kind of dress you buy for a man’s benefit. And since you say you didn’t buy it for Frank…”
“Yes, I say that,” she muttered crossly. Pulling the bottle of white wine out of the bag, she opened the fridge and put it on the shelf. At the risk of stirring his suspicions about her and Frank again, Kelsey allowed her genuine concern for his stepfather to show. “How is Frank?”
“You ought to know as well as I. He told me you’ve been to visit him twice.”
“Just to check on him, I swear,” she said wearily. “Nothing untoward about it.”
“I know.” To her surprise he ducked his head and examined his shoes, instead of regarding her with those openly daring eyes. “The thing is…I’ve acted like a jerk with you. I know you’re not after Frank. I should have said so on Tuesday. I’m…sorry.”
Kelsey stood in the middle of the kitchen, a plastic bag of steaks in her hand and her mouth hanging open. She hadn’t expected him to apologize. She had decided he was one of those men who just didn’t. But apparently she’d been wrong.
He raised his head and met her gaze. His level stare made her suck in a breath. “You…you’ve surprised me, Mr. McKinley.”
“Yeah, I see.” He stepped forward and took the package from her hand.
Only then did Kelsey realize she was dripping meat juices all over the hardwood floors and her expensive shell pink shoes. “My shoes!”
KD chuckled. “Women and their shoes.”
“Clearly you have no idea how hard it is to find shell pink sandals in a size five and a half.”
“Clearly.” He smiled at her.
Kelsey nearly lost her footing as she bent to take off the soiled shoes. The man had a smile on him that was positively lethal. When she looked about to fall, he shot out an arm to give her something to hang on to.
She felt the corded forearm muscles beneath her palm. Lightning heat shot out from the point of contact to her every extremity, shocking her so she nearly yelped. Her equilibrium took its time returning and she was forced to keep hold of his arm with her free hand while the one holding her shoes found its way to his abdomen.
God, he was hard there, too. Did he have a six-pack? She’d never actually seen a six-pack in the flesh. What would it be like to run her hands over the hard ridges, to travel lower to the waistband of his jeans and beyond? Would that be hard?
The realization that she was turned on had her pushing away from him. “I really have to go have a shower now.”
“Don’t let me stop you.”
His voice was a low, ominous rumble, like approaching thunder. Kelsey met his eyes and saw they had turned dark and cloudy. Fear tingled along her spine. She felt as though she were about to be caught up in the fury of the wild storm that had apparently begun building inside him, just as it had inside her.
“Don’t worry. I’ll see myself out.”
His words brought her back to reality, the moment of ferocity dissipating. Perhaps her own out-of-control response to KD McKinley colored her judgment. Perhaps he hadn’t been as aroused as she in that moment.
Kelsey hoped so. Because if KD felt half of what she’d felt, she didn’t think he was the type of man to let it go.
Chapter 3
Kelsey was in the shower and he really had to leave.
He wanted to toss that woman onto the nearest flat surface and have his way with her. But she was getting ready for her boyfriend to come over, so why was he hanging around? What kind of man was he? A sick man, that’s what kind. A sucker for punishment. A real sad case.
Time to pack up his remaining stuff and hightail it out of Kelsey’s house.
Just for a moment there, he’d seen something in her eyes, felt something go snap in the air between them. Despite all evidence to the contrary, he’d thought she wanted him as much as he couldn’t help wanting her. And that had felt too damn good.
But, as she’d told him, she had a boyfriend. Of course she did. Women like Kelsey Simmons didn’t hang around unattached just waiting for a guy like him to come along and pay them some clumsy attention. Women like Kelsey owned skimpy red dresses that they wore for any guy they chose. And she had already chosen someone.
Enduring the image of some other guy tossing Kelsey onto the nearest flat surface for an agonizing moment, KD grunted in disgust and threw the last of his tools in his battered red toolbox. He was just heading out when Kelsey’s phone rang. He hesitated in the kitchen doorway. Should he an
swer it?
Nah, he decided when the answering machine kicked in and a man’s voice, smooth and cultured, spilled into the room. “Kelsey, are you there? It’s Stefan.” A pause before the sound of a throat being cleared. “Ah, I guess you’re not home yet. Listen, I’m sorry but I won’t be able to make it tonight, after all. Something’s come up. Enjoy the steaks. I’ll call you over the weekend, alright? Bye-bye…darling.”
KD scowled as the machine clicked off. Something’s come up? Enjoy the steaks? Jeez, it was the lamest fob off he’d ever heard. And on her answering machine! The least the guy could have done was call back and talk to her in person. And he’d hesitated over that ‘darling’, like he’d been unsure about using it. How long had the two of them been dating anyway?
Barring an earthquake complete with tsunami, nothing would stop KD spending the night with Kelsey. Especially if she was wearing that dress.
Belatedly, he realized the shower had stopped running. Hell. He stood there in the hall, hanging on to his toolbox like a dummy, some Bob the Builder cardboard cutout, and Kelsey was going to stick her head out any minute and find him.
But what should he do? Leave without telling her about her lame boyfriend’s message? It might be ages before she checked her machine and realized the doofus wasn’t coming. Double Hell.
He had just resolved to knock on the bathroom door and deliver the message through the safety of two inches of solid timber when the door in question opened and Kelsey stepped out.
She had her arms up, twisting her damp hair into a ponytail. The action caused her breasts to jut against the silky damp material of the chocolate brown robe she wore, her puckered nipples an erotic impression against the thin fabric. The short robe exposed most of her thighs. Damp and dewy fresh all over, she smelled like lavender and good, clean woman.
It was a minute before she saw him. A minute KD spent immobile, staring like a dolt, his mouth drying out like the sun-baked earth in midsummer. He’d never wanted to just grab a woman and take her so much in his whole life.
