He tucked in his t-shirt and zipped his jeans. Then he stepped over to the bathroom door and tapped on it lightly. “Uh, Kelsie…”
“Yeah?” Her voice sounded as unsteady as he felt.
“I just wanted to let you know that I’ll be out in the kitchen when you’re ready.”
The door opened and she stepped out, looking incredibly sexy with her mussed curls, flushed cheeks, and thoroughly kissed lips. “I’m ready.”
His first thought was to move toward her, intending to draw her into his arms. Thankfully, he caught himself before actually going through with it. He gave himself a much needed mental head slap. She was ready to go home not back into his bed. She needed space.
“I guess we’d better get going.”
She nodded and followed him out to the kitchen where he grabbed his truck keys from the counter. Opening the door, he motioned for her to go ahead of him. “After you.”
She paused in the doorway, giving him hope that she’d had a change of heart about leaving. Then, with a soft sigh, turned and walked out.
The drive back to her place felt like one of the longest drives he’d ever made. It was also the quietest. Kelsie said very little, keeping her gaze pinned to the passenger window.
He fought the urge to frown. The silence was killing him. What was going on in that pretty little head of hers? Regret? Hell, he hoped not.
Another few blocks and he gave in to the need to know. “You okay?”
“I’m fine,” she assured him with a quick glance and a smile, but he wasn’t buying it. People who were fine didn’t twist their purse strap into so many knots it resembled a physical fitness climbing rope.
*
Kelsie awoke to the insistent ringing of the phone on her nightstand. She glanced at the alarm clock and then buried her head beneath her pillow, hoping the unwelcome noise would stop.
It didn’t.
With a tired groan brought on by a long restless night, she tossed her pillow aside and reached for the cordless, bringing it to her ear. “Hello?”
“Hi, honey, it’s mother.”
As if anyone else would be calling her at 7:00am the morning after a date. “Hi, Mom.”
“Oh, you’re still in bed?”
“You could say that.”
“Alone?”
“Mom,” she groaned.
“You don’t have to say anything,” her mother whispered into the phone as if Cole might overhear if he were there. “Just a simple yes or no will do. Am I interrupting something?”
Kelsie rolled her eyes. “Yes.”
“Ooh!”
“My sleep,” she tossed out before her mother got too carried away in her excitement.
“What?”
“You’re interrupting my sleep.”
“You mean Cole’s not there?” her mother replied, the disappointment evident in her voice.
“No.”
“Oh, damn. I really thought he might be the one.”
Silence.
“Kelsie?”
“I’m here.”
Her mother gasped.
“What?”
“He is the one. I knew it!”
She pushed a clump of curls from her face. “Mom, please.”
“Don’t Mom me. A mother knows these things. Admit it, honey. You’re falling for this guy.”
There it was again, the sound of the wedding planner wheels starting to turn inside her mother’s head. Kelsie sat up, feeling oddly cornered.
“Just because I slept with him doesn’t mean I want to marry him.” It was one of those speak first, think about what you said after-the-fact kind of moments.
Shit.
“You slept with him?” her mother practically shrieked, sounding as though she’d just hit the lottery.
“No.”
“But you just said…”
“I meant if I had slept with him; which I didn’t.” It wasn’t a complete lie. There hadn’t been any sleeping involved.
“I see. But you really like him, don’t you?”
“Mom…”
“Don’t even try to deny it. I hear it in your voice every time you talk about this man.”
Kelsie sighed. “All right, yes, I admit it. I like him. I like him a lot.”
She didn’t have to see her mother’s face to know she was smiling. She’d seen right through her attempt to cover her slip. Her mother’s ensuing silence meant that she was processing the information.
“Mom, I really hate to rush you off,” she said, hoping to distract her mother from whatever she had going on in her head, “but I need sleep. Besides, I thought you had a house showing early this morning.”
“I do. I have to be in Dublin at 8:30, but I wanted to check on you first and see how things went last night. I can’t tell you how happy I am for you, honey.”
“Mom, please don’t make more of it than it really was.”
“Can I help it if I’m an eternal optimist? Anyway, I really should get going. I want to swing by the coffee shop on the way and grab myself a cappuccino. Call my cell if you need me.”
“I will.”
“You can tell me all about your night with Cole later. Bye.” Her mother’s voice, which was far too cheery for that time of the morning, was quickly replaced by the monotonous hum of a dial tone.
She returned the cordless to its cradle then flopped back onto the bed with a long sigh. Was everyone in her life out to make her crazy? Nanci with her never-ending sex advice. Her mother whose ‘grandmother’ clock was ticking loudly. And at the top of her list was Cole and the feelings he stirred up inside of her. Those want-to-see-where-it-goes kind of feelings. Thankfully she’d had enough sense to cut things off with him before they got too complicated.
She hoped that having had one incredible night of hot sex with Cole would purge him from her system. From her thoughts. From her heart.
She also knew that would never ever happen.
Sighing, she shoved her covers aside and slipped out of bed. Her legs, mostly her inner thighs, immediately protested. Not that she was surprised. She couldn’t recall the last time she’d had her legs wrapped around a man like hers had been around Cole’s naked waist the night before.
After a trip to the kitchen to start the coffee maker, she took a long, hot shower to ease her aching muscles. Who knew a person used so many making love? That had never happened with Kyle.
With a groan, she turned the water temperature down and leaned under the spray, letting the water stream down her hair and face. She attempted to force Cole Maxwell from her thoughts by reading the shampoo and conditioner bottles and then shaving her legs – twice! Nothing worked.
After her shower, she reached for the terrycloth robe hanging on the hook behind the bathroom door and slipped it on. Running her fingers through her damp hair, she made her way into the kitchen.
Grabbing a brown sugar cinnamon Pop Tart from the cupboard, she popped it into the toaster and went to pour herself a cup of coffee.
Mid-sip the phone rang.
She glanced toward the clock on the microwave. Seven-thirty. Please don’t let it be her mother again. She’d had enough of the fifth degree for one morning.
She checked the caller I.D. which displayed Nanci’s name instead. Reaching for the phone, she tucked her damp hair behind her ear and answered. “Hello?”
“Glad to know you’re alive,” her best friend said with more than a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
“You expected otherwise?”
“You never know. Cole Maxwell might be some sort of crazed killer who hides behind the guise of a hot, hunky, heroic firefighter.”
Kelsie couldn’t help but grin. “Lucky for me he’s only hot and hunky. So what’s up?”
“Me,” she replied. “I’ve been up since six a.m. waiting for your call to hear all about your night with Cole.”
“Six? Since when have I ever gotten up that early?” she asked. “Wait, let me answer that for you. Never. And especially not this morn
ing.”
There was a moment of silence before Nanci spoke again. “Oh.”
“Oh?”
“You didn’t call me because you couldn’t. Cole’s there, isn’t he? I didn’t mean to interrupt anything.”
She rolled her eyes. What was this - Grand Central Phone Station? “You’re as bad as my mother. And, no, you’re not interrupting anything.”
“Damn, that means he’s not there and your mother beat me to all the juicy info first.”
“Why don’t you mind your own sex life?” she said in irritation. “Speaking of which, how did things go with you and Joe last night?”
“Ah, changing the subject. A good sign,” her friend determined. “But if it’ll make you feel any better to start with me, last night was…well, it was…”
“Nanci?”
“Sexless.”
“What?” Kelsie replied, certain she hadn’t heard her friend right.
“Not completely,” Nanci explained. “Things got hot and heavy between Joe and me in the livingroom. Oh, were they heavy. One minute he’s giving me the mother of all orgasms. The next, he’s kissing me good night and telling me we’ll continue where we left off on our next date.”
“Are you telling me he left you high and dry?”
“Far from dry,” Nanci admitted.
“How do you feel about him doing that? Leaving before the two of you…?”
“A little confused and a whole lot hot and bothered. I’ve never wanted a man to make love to me so badly.”
Kelsie arched a brow. “Make love?” That was not a term Nanci used in regards to her dates.
“I didn’t say love. I said have sex.”
“Oh, I beg to differ. I distinctly heard the other,” she argued with a smile. It was nice to know she wasn’t the only one feeling confused in regards to a relationship. Not that what she and Cole had was a relationship. It was sexual attraction and really great sex. Nothing more. Pushing Cole from her thoughts, she said, “You really like this guy.”
Her friend let out a long sigh. “I do.”
“So do you think he saw your collection in the curio and that’s why he bolted when he did?”
“I know for a fact he saw it. I showed it to him.”
“I can’t believe you showed him your collection on the first date.”
“Well, I figured since Cole knew about it, Joe was bound to find out anyway. He didn’t have a problem with my vibrators. He made a few jokes about them, but didn’t let them deter him from proving he could give me more pleasure than any battery operated sex toy.”
“I take it he succeeded.”
“Oh, did he ever,” she sighed.
“Then why did he leave before the two of you finished what you started?” she asked, a little confused by Joe’s actions. Men never walked away and left Nanci wanting.
“I’m still trying to figure that one out.”
A few possibilities came to mind. One being the worst case scenario for her friend. “Do you think it’s possible Joe didn’t go all the way because he has a problem getting it up.”
Nanci snorted. “Believe me, that man has no problem whatsoever in the getting it up department. I think Joe’s trying to show me what it’s like to have a man take control in the bedroom.”
“Well, that would be a first for you.” Nanci had a deep-rooted need to be in control, no doubt stemming from the lack of control she’d had where her crappy childhood was concerned.
“Tell me about it,” her friend agreed.
“Are you okay with that?”
There was a short pause before she replied, “Truth is I liked it. I think.”
“You think? Either you did or you didn’t.”
“It’s scary, giving up control and all.”
“I’m sure.”
“I guess we’ll have to see where things go next time.”
“So you’re going to see him again?”
Nanci laughed. “Does a juggler have balls? Now getting back to your date with Cole…”
Kelsie headed for the bathroom. “I promise we’ll talk. I just need to get dressed and dry my hair first.”
“Which, when translated, means you’re not ready to spill about your date. Hmmm…”
“Hmm…what?”
“It must have ended up being one hell of a good date.”
“What makes you think that?”
“Because you’re always ready to vent about your bad dates. So this stall tactic tells me things with Cole went a whole lot better than you expected them to and you’re having a hard time dealing with it.”
There wasn’t much she could get past Nanci. She hem hawed about before finally replying, “Maybe.”
“No maybe about it.”
“Tell you what,” Kelsie relented. “What do you say I pick you up on my way to the office? I need to pull charts and confirm appointments for tomorrow. We can talk then.”
“Maybe we can swing by the mall afterwards. I wouldn’t mind picking up something a little slinky for my next date with Joe. We’ll see who’s in control then.”
“That man’s got his work cut out for him.”
“I could say the same for Cole.”
“Well, don’t. Unlike you and Joe, Cole and I won’t be going out again. See you in an hour.” Before Nanci had a chance to delve into her response, Kelsie hung up and headed for the bathroom to dry her hair.
*
“You did what?” Nanci’s shocked gasp echoed loudly off the office walls. Thankfully, they were the only ones there.
Kelsie continued pulling patient files for the next day’s schedule. “I said that I had the best sex I’ve ever had in my life.”
“I heard that part,” her friend exclaimed. “I was referring to what you said after that.”
She knew Nanci wasn’t going to understand her reasons, but she’d done what she had to do. “I told Cole I couldn’t see him again.”
“That’s what I thought you said, but I was hoping like hell I had misunderstood. Now let me get this straight. You had the best sex of your life with an incredible guy and then you dump him? Have you lost your mind?”
She’d lost something, but it wasn’t her mind. It was her heart. At least, a very big piece of it. Ridiculously fast and definitely unexpected. “Maybe so.”
“Well, if you ask me─”
“I didn’t.” She loved Nanci dearly, but she was having a hard enough time dealing with the feelings she was having for Cole without her friend telling her what she already knew. That he was everything she’d ever wanted in a guy.
She grabbed a stack of files and walked back to her room, hoping that would put an end to their discussion.
It didn’t.
Nanci followed right behind. “Sometimes I don’t get you. Why would you ditch a guy who’s a real hunk, has an admirable job, treats you good and, more importantly, knows how to steam up the sheets?”
“That’s exactly why.” She deposited the stack of folders into the plastic holder on the wall. “Cole’s too good to be true. I’d end up falling for the guy, start thinking about the perfect little house with a white picket fence, dark-haired babies, and sex in his backyard, and then he’d up and leave me for someone else.”
“Sounds to me like you’ve already fallen for the guy,” Nanci pointed out. Then her eyes widened. “You two had sex in his backyard?”
Oh my god. Had she done it again? “Cookouts. I meant cookouts in his yard.”
“Yeah, yeah,” her friend said with a knowing grin. “If you ask me, Cole doesn’t seem like the love them and leave them type. He’s definitely not Kyle.”
“I know that.” Kelsie crossed the room to grab a paper bib and a pack of sterile instruments from the supply shelf.
“Sometimes I wonder,” Nanci said, leaning against the wall.
What was that supposed to mean?
Settling onto her chair, she emptied the bag of instruments out onto the sterile tray beside her. Then she draped the paper napkin over them.
“You make it sound like I avoid men. I date.”
“Sure, you do. You’re a habitual non-dater. You go out, but you never really give any of those guys the chance to get to know you before you cut out.”
That was not true. Cole knew her very well. Every inch of her as a matter of fact. She spun around in her chair to face her friend. “You’ve seen the guys my mother has fixed me up with. And yours haven’t been much better.”
“Hey, haven’t you ever heard that beauty is in the eye of the beholder?”
“Would you go out with them again?”
“Hell no. But your mother didn’t set you up with Cole.”
“No, you did.”
“He asked you out,” Nanci argued.
“Yeah, and you accepted for me.”
“Then I guess you have me to thank for last night. You got to find out firsthand that the rumor’s true about firemen and their hoses.”
“Nanci,” she warned, trying very hard not to think about Cole’s hose.
“Sorry. Couldn’t resist.”
“What happened between Cole and me isn’t funny,” she stressed. “Letting go, even if just for one night, was a major thing for me.”
Her friend sobered up. “I’m sorry, Kels. I’m just so happy that Cole helped you get past that sexual wall you’ve put up.”
“I really don’t want to talk about Cole or sex anymore. Especially, sex with Cole.
“Point made. Just know that I’m here if you need to talk.”
Kelsie offered an appreciative smile. “Thanks.”
“I’m going to start calling patients.” Nanci paused in the doorway. “Look, I know your mom and I can be real pains in the ass when it comes to your love life, but we care about you.”
Emotion knotted in her throat. “I know that.”
“You deserve to find the happiness your ex screwed you out of.”
Literally, Kelsie thought with a frown.
“So do me a favor. Don’t write Cole off completely.”
“Nanci─”
“And don’t argue with me. I’m your elder.”
“By two months,” she pointed out.
Her friend shrugged. “Older is older and that makes me wiser. All I ask is that you take some time to think things over before doing anything drastic where Cole’s concerned.”
It was a little too late to worry about that. She had a serious thing for Cole Maxwell. It couldn’t get any more drastic than that.
OPERATION: DATE ESCAPE Page 16
