The stairs wound through the floor to the room above. James flipped another switch and the room was bathed in soft white light from above.
Carly stepped inside and caught her breath. A huge king-sized bed, draped in a navy comforter and pillows, sat in the middle of the room where the old light would have stood, but other than that there was nothing in the room. Nothing.
Carly spun around, taking in the floor-to-ceiling windows and the starkness of the interior. “I’m assuming you do nothing here but sleep.”
“There are so many ways to respond to that,” he said. “I think I’m going to have to pass.”
“I . . . ugh . . . just meant that there aren’t any books, or a television, or anything,” she said. When had this become so awkward? “Just the bed.”
“Which has been known to be used for things other than sleep.” He smiled at her and she got the feeling he was enjoying her show of nerves.
Carly felt her face get hot—again. What was it about this guy that made her blush like a middle schooler? She refused to let him get her flustered. She could control this situation. She was a master flirt, all flash and no substance. She just needed to get her head in the game.
“Really?” she asked. She forced herself to sound doubtful. “Your sister said you haven’t hooked up in forever. It doesn’t sound like you do much up here besides sleep.”
Even in the dim lighting she saw his gray eyes deepen into that magnetic shade of blue she liked so well. He took a step toward her.
“Lola doesn’t know everything,” he said. He gestured between them. “Obviously.”
Carly spun away from him to stand in front of the window that overlooked the dark sea. As the wine wore off, her sense of caution kicked in. What had she been thinking, coming up here alone with him? She was way too attracted to him to pretend, at least to herself, that he was just a friend. The reality was the night with him had been one of the best of her life.
If James could make her feel that way when they hardly knew each other, then what would it be like between them now that they had become so much closer? She needed to maintain healthy boundaries around him at all times because her feelings for him might be a slippery slope into lo— She stopped her train of thought right there. She had to maintain control.
Otherwise, she might find herself allowing him to step up behind her and slide his arms around her waist and pull her back against his front. She could then tip her head to the side and let him brush aside her hair so he could place the softest kiss just below her ear. And she might become entranced by their reflection in the window glass and a soft moan might escape her lips as his hands moved forward to caress her curves.
When he turned her to face him, she might not resist him but rather would twine her arms around his neck and pull his mouth down to meet hers while she pressed her body the full length of his. It was the feel of his thick dark hair entwined in her fingers that made Carly realize that this was actually happening. She knew she should pull away and bolt down the stairs, putting space and big bulky furniture between them, but she didn’t.
“Carly, are you sure?” he asked, his mouth a whisper away.
“Yes.” There it was. No hesitation. No second guessing. She knew she wanted this. Him.
The attraction between them was just too strong to deny so why was she? Because she wanted to be free of attachments and go back to her old life? She did, but when she did, wouldn’t it be lovely to have more moments with James to remember him by?
It flitted through her mind that this was just what she needed. They would sleep together. It wouldn’t be as good as last time—how could it be?—and then she’d be able to put him back in the friend zone and move on.
He slid his hands to the ass of her jeans and lifted her up, encouraging her to wrap her legs around his waist while he pressed her back against the glass window. Hot, wet, shaking with want from the core of her being, Carly nudged him with her hips, feeling as if she could never get close enough to him.
He responded with a deep groan. He hoisted her up higher until her breasts were level with his mouth, then he pushed aside the fabric of her flannel shirt and hooked her bra aside with one hand while supporting her with the other. As soon as a nipple was exposed he claimed it with his teeth and tongue. Carly arched her back, pushing herself up against him and feeling like the heat inside of her was going to consume her.
“James, oh, James!” she cried.
“Hey, that’s what the parrot downstairs said,” a voice spoke from below. “What do you suppose James is up to?”
“No idea, Pops,” Lola said. “Oh, wait, now I do.”
James wrenched his mouth away from Carly. They looked at the railing around the hole in the floor in horror. Lola’s purple-haired head was just visible.
“Oh, my god,” Carly groaned and pressed her face into James’s shoulder.
James reached between them and tugged her clothes into place, then he gently lowered Carly to her feet. He shoveled his hands through his hair and made a quick adjustment to the front of his jeans.
Carly pressed her fingers to her lips—they were as swollen as she feared—and tossed her hair over her shoulder, trying for a poise she did not feel.
Lola climbed into the room with the person she’d called Pops right behind her. Lola was laughing while Pops was clearly trying to act as if nothing was amiss.
James looped his arm around Carly’s shoulder and pulled her close as he stepped forward. “Lola, Pops, wow, I had no idea you were stopping by tonight.”
“Obviously,” Lola said.
“Sorry for interrupting your . . . uh . . . date,” Pops said. “But I couldn’t wait to see the place. We can sneak back out; I don’t want to cramp your style.”
James groaned and Carly had to bite back a laugh. The devilish grin Pops sent their way could charm the butterflies from the flowers.
“No worries, Pops,” James said. “You’re fine.”
He released Carly and hugged the old man. She watched as James closed his eyes for a second as if committing the moment to memory. She could tell just from the expression on his face that he loved his grandfather very much. It made her like James all the more, which caused her already wobbly sense of boundaries to become even more compromised.
“Let me look at you,” Pops said as he stepped back. He patted James’s cheek and shook his head. “Still an ugly bugger.”
“Ha!” James laughed. “And they say I’m the spitting image of my grandfather.”
Pops threw back his head and laughed. It was a wonderfully deep, rich bark of sound that made James grin. Carly smiled as she watched them and as if sensing her gaze, James turned toward her. The wicked twinkle in his eyes made her heart do a barrel roll in her chest and she felt her pulse pound in her throat. How did he affect her so much with just a look?
Lola rolled her eyes. “Ignore them. This ridiculousness will go on all night if we let it.”
“No it won’t,” Pops said. “Not when there is a lovely young lady for me to be introduced to.”
“Pops, this is Carly DeCusati,” James said. He reached out and brought Carly forward. “Carly, our birthday boy, Pops, also known as the original James Sinclair.”
“Nice to meet you,” Carly said. She held out her hand but Pops waved her off just like James.
“No, that won’t do. If you’re dating Jamie, we’re past the shaking hands stage,” Pops said. He opened his arms wide and Carly stepped close and gave him a gentle hug.
“Welcome to the family,” Pops said.
“Oh, I’m—” Carly stepped back and caught James’s gaze. He gave her a wide-eyed look and shook his head. She got the feeling he didn’t want her to correct the true nature of their relationship. Assuming they would discuss it as soon as they were alone, she said, “I’m honored, thanks.”
She felt James relax a bit besid
e her. Meanwhile her own tension ratcheted up to the breaking point. This was a disaster. His family now thought they were a thing, which was confirmed when Lola spoke.
“I knew it! I knew there was something going on between you two when we met at the bakery,” she said. “The spark between you two was incendiary as is evidenced by what we inter—”
“Lorelei,” James growled his sister’s name, making it clear it was a warning.
She blithely disregarded him. She hooked her arm through Carly’s and dragged her toward the stairs. As they started down, Lola called behind them, “Jamie, Mom and Dad are downstairs. I’m stealing your girlfriend so she can meet them.”
Carly tripped on the steps, almost taking Lola down with her. Thankfully, Lola was stronger than she looked and grabbed Carly before she bounced down the circular steps like a breakaway beach ball.
His parents were here!
She glanced over her shoulder at James and he gave her a mildly panicked look. They were keeping up the façade then. Okay. She gave him a slight nod to let him know she wouldn’t blow their cover, for now.
“You all right?” Lola asked.
“Yeah, sorry, just a long week, I guess,” she said.
As they wound their way down the stairs, Carly gave herself a pep talk. She had been in weirder situations, like the time her one and only boyfriend, or more accurately the boy she had thought was her boyfriend, had informed her that he already had a girlfriend and that they were not in fact dating. Good times! Surely, she could finesse the meet and greet with the parents for James’s sake.
Meeting new people didn’t bother her. She’d been a lingerie buyer for years, so building an instant rapport with all sorts of people had been a part of her everyday life. She knew she could be plunked down into any situation and find common ground with a total stranger. No worries.
As they arrived back in the kitchen through the covered walkway, Lola called out, “Mom! Dad! Look who I brought to meet you, Jamie’s girlfriend.”
Oh, boy. Carly would have preferred to meet the parentals without the big announcement. It was weird to have the “G” word used in reference to herself, since she really wasn’t girlfriend material.
Carly glanced down at her outfit. She was suddenly very self-conscious of her jeans and plaid shirt. She had been dressing down on purpose when she spent time with James, from her big cotton underwear to her scruffy flannel top, trying to shut down any attraction he might feel for her and any temptation she might feel as well. And hadn’t that worked spectacularly? She would have upped her fashion game had she known she was going to be meeting his family today.
Suddenly a huge, scratchy ball of anxiety filled up her middle and she found herself looking toward the front door, wondering if she pulled a runner if she’d make it out before his parents caught sight of her.
As if he sensed her distress, Saul came loping across the floor with Hot Wheels right behind him. He pressed his nose into her hand and Carly let her fingers burrow into his soft fur. It had a curiously calming effect upon her.
“Good boy, Saul,” she said. He gave her a soft woof and wagged his fluffy tail.
Not to be denied, Hot Wheels maneuvered himself and his wheels right in front of her. His droopy eyes looked up at her and Carly laughed as she bent over to scratch his back just beneath the harness where she knew he liked it.
“You’re a good boy, too, Hot Wheels,” she said. When she rose to standing she felt steadier and more centered.
Across the great room, she saw a couple standing close together beside Ike’s cage. She could only imagine what Ike had been saying while she was out of the room. She braced herself as Lola gestured her forward, but just before they stepped into the room, James slid in between them.
He put a reassuring hand on Carly’s lower back and she turned to smile at him. It was a sweetly protective gesture and she appreciated it. Between him and the pets, she felt as if she had her own support system, which was new for her and she kind of dug it.
“Mom, Dad, there’s someone I’d like you to meet,” he said.
The couple turned toward them and Carly felt a hiccup of surprise catch her. James’s parents were . . . unexpected. Mr. Sinclair was dressed casually in jeans and a dress shirt and reminded Carly very much of James in that he seemed to have a perpetually rumpled thing going on. When he rubbed his hand in his hair as if to smooth it, he only managed to make it stand on end and she almost laughed out loud because it so reminded her of James. His handshake was firm and warm and his smile genuine.
Mrs. Sinclair, who insisted that Carly call her Emily and her husband Jimmy, was a sight to behold. Blonde bombshell was the description that came to mind, with curves that were showcased in a slinky animal print dress, high heels, makeup that included a sweet smoky eye, and lips done in a deep kissable red. Va-va-va-voom!
Much like Pops, Emily skipped the handshake and wrapped Carly in a hug, although hers was lightly perfumed and she squeezed Carly much tighter. Then she held out Carly’s arms and looked her over.
“Oh, Jamie, she’s got a fabulous rack and look at those hips, made for making babies,” she said.
“Mom!” James smacked his forehead with his palm.
“What? It’s a compliment,” Emily said with a pout. She squeezed Carly’s hands in hers. “You know it’s a compliment, don’t you, dear?”
Carly pressed her lips together to keep from laughing out loud. Instead of answering, she nodded and smiled, thinking she probably looked deranged, but it was the only way to keep in the belly laughs that were threatening to roar out of her.
“See? She knows it’s a compliment,” Emily said. She batted her eyelashes at James and he shook his head in resignation. Carly got the feeling that Emily Sinclair had her menfolk wrapped around her little finger.
“I love you, Mom,” he said. His voice was full of amused resignation. Then he stepped forward and kissed her cheek.
“I love you, too, baby,” Emily said. She beamed at him.
The affection was clearly mutual. Carly liked how James was with his family; there was a closeness there that she thought spoke well of him.
“So, Carly, I hear you’re our party planner?” Jimmy turned his attention to her.
“I am, unless someone wants to take over, which would be fine with me,” Carly said.
“Oh, no you don’t,” Lola said. “You’ve already done so much and now that I know you and Jamie are a couple, I would never replace you. It would break his heart; besides, this is perfect because now you can meet the whole family at the party as his new girlfriend.”
“Wonderful,” Emily said. She clapped her hands. “Jamie is going to have a date.”
“You make it sound like I never do,” James said. He looked decidedly exasperated.
“Well, it’s not like you’ve had that many girlfr—” Lola began but her mother hushed her.
James slid his arm around Carly’s waist and parked his hand on her hip. Carly noted that his eyes had a mischievous sparkle and she knew he had seen her stiffen when Lola had used the “G” word. Carly refused to let her discomfort show, however. She raised one eyebrow at him to let him know they’d be chatting soon.
“You’ll have to give me the four-one-one on James’s love life,” she said to Lola. She almost laughed when she felt James tighten up beside her.
His parents exchanged a funny look and Carly tipped her head in question. Had she said something wrong?
Emily caught on immediately. “Sorry, dear, it’s just that no one in the family calls him James.”
“He’s been Jamie ever since he was knee-high,” Jimmy agreed.
“Jamie,” Carly said. She turned to look at her shiny new boyfriend. With his black hair, quick-changing eyes, and lopsided smile, he looked like a Jamie. “It suits you.”
“You can call me whatever you like,” he said. “Just
don’t call me late for—”
Carly had no idea what he was about to say but she didn’t think it was going to be “supper.” In a blind panic to keep him from saying something embarrassing, she rose up on her tiptoes and planted her mouth on his.
Chapter 23
It was supposed to be a quick kiss, not a lingering smooch, but when she would have stepped back, James cupped the back of her head to keep her still while he kissed her with a thoroughness that left her breathless and stammering.
“James, oh, James!” Ike flapped his wings as he squawked at full volume. A room full of chuckles and a snort sounded, bringing Carly back to the ground with a thump.
She broke away from James feeling a hot flush of mortification scald her face. That bird was going to be the death of her. When she finally turned to face his parents, it was to find them grinning at her and James, along with Lola, and Pops, who had joined them.
“Um, well, I . . .” Carly stuttered and Emily laughed.
“I know exactly how you feel, dear,” she said. “Thirty-five years married and Jimmy can still make me forget why I walked into a room.”
Carly gave an awkward laugh while James hugged her close. She would have buried her face against him but she was afraid if she did, she’d never peel herself off. Instead, she busied herself by moving away from him and tying the cover closed on Ike’s cage. She was sure she would expire on the spot if he popped out any profanity on top of his already questionable word choice.
When she glanced at James, she got the feeling he was quite pleased with the situation. She couldn’t even yell at him because she was the one who had instigated the kiss. Ugh, what had she been thinking? He probably wouldn’t have said anything embarrassing, would he?
“If you all will excuse us,” James said. “Carly was just heading out for the evening—”
Barking Up the Wrong Tree Page 21
