by Dylann Crush
“Open your eyes.”
I seemed to feel his words more than I heard them. His cheek brushed mine, his mouth dipping down to make contact with my collarbone. I let my eyes drift open even as my head rolled back, giving him better access. My arms wrapped around his neck and I clasped my hands, urging his mouth closer.
He pulled back for a moment, his eyes searching. A mixture of heat and something else, something I couldn’t quite put my finger on, smoldered under half-raised lids.
Then his mouth was on mine, crowding any thought out of my head. I couldn’t think, only feel. His weight pressing me into the step, his hands in my hair, his tongue taking over my mouth, deepening the kiss, demanding more.
I took it all, everything he offered and then some. It had been a long time since I’d felt so wanted, so wanton, so alive. He lowered himself onto his side, freeing up his hand so his fingers could play over my ribs. My hands explored the hard planes of his chest, the sculpted biceps, the ridged muscles lining his stomach. In that moment I believed I could spend the rest of my life doing nothing but kiss Dustin Jarrett and never, ever grow tired of it.
He shifted, helping me up to a sitting position. I wanted to be closer, to feel him everywhere at once. Without breaking our kiss, he pulled me onto his lap. I moved, pushing my skirt up around my hips and straddling his waist. My brain tried to slow things down. What did I know about him? He’d be leaving in a few weeks, what was I thinking?
I let the heat he’d ignited chase any rational thoughts from my head. Desire burned through me, even as Dustin’s large hands cupped my ass.
He broke the kiss. My lips sought his, landing on the sweet spot under his ear instead. He groaned. The vibration rumbled through me—all the way to my toes.
“We can’t do this here,” he finally said. “I want to, but not like this. I don’t want our first time together to be on the steps.”
That made sense. But I didn’t necessarily care about sense in that moment. All I wanted was Dustin’s hands on my ass, his mouth on mine, and the eventual release of all the pent-up lust I’d managed to accumulate over the past few years. My lips moved over his neck, pausing to pay homage to his ear lobe. I pulled it into my mouth, giving it a little nibble before releasing it to move farther up his ear.
“Harmony, you’re killing me.” He shifted under me, breaking contact.
I wanted to moan, whine in protest, pull him back against me and continue my exploration over every gorgeous inch. Instead I opened my eyes.
And screamed.
15
Harmony
“It’s just a skunk.” Dustin tried to reassure me.
I’d jumped up at the sight of the skunk, then limped as fast as I could down the steps and out onto the street.
“But why is there a skunk inside? On the second floor? How did it get in? Why did it come in?” Skunks belonged outside. In nature. In the wild. Far from second floor studio space. My second floor studio space. I hadn’t even seen it yet and already I felt mighty possessive.
“Someone probably left the door open one night and it wandered in.” He put his hands on my arms, bending over to look me in the eye. “One way or another, we’ve got to go back in there if you want to see the space.”
“Can’t we call the landlord to come take it away first?” My mouth twisted into a grimace. “We can come back later. After the skunk has been…um, relocated.”
Dustin dropped his hands, making me realize how much I’d liked the contact. “Well, we’ve got a problem then.”
“Why? Do you have big plans later? I thought you told me you were available all day today?”
“I am.” He shifted his weight and tucked his thumb into his belt loop. “The problem is, my mom is the landlord.”
“What? How?” That didn’t make sense. The city was handling the property. Dustin had never mentioned the fact that his family owned the space. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It’s a long story, but technically the building belongs to my mom. Or at least half of it does. She and my aunt are letting the city use it as part of their revitalization plan.” He moved in closer. “And I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to think I was trying to earn your affection with free rent.”
Something shifted inside. Something I had no idea I was holding. Something that made me throw my arms around Dustin’s neck and yank his mouth toward mine. Our lips touched, sizzled at the contact. His hands went around my waist, jerking me tight against him. Our tongues tangled, taking me right back to that place where I was ready to sprawl out on the steps and let him have his way with me.
He pulled away first, clearly stunned at my improbable reaction. “What the hell was that?”
I smoothed my apron down, realizing I hadn’t taken it off when we left the café. “I’m not sure. I guess I was happy to hear that you might like me.”
“You weren’t sure if I liked you?” His lips split into a wide smile. “After what just happened on the steps?”
“You’re not an easy guy to get a read on.” My lower lip jutted out in an almost-pout.
He crowded me, moving into my personal bubble of space. “You make a good point.” Then he nipped at my lower lip, sending a shock wave of shivers through me. “As much as I’d like to continue showing you just how much I do like you, we’ve got another issue to take care of first.” He nodded toward the door. “Have you ever tried to wrangle a skunk before?”
I let out a laugh. “You’re joking, right?”
He didn’t respond.
“Dustin?” The expression on his face gave nothing away. “Isn’t this something best left to professionals?”
Leaning an arm against the wall next to me, he finally said something. “Professionals as in a crack skunk removal team?”
“Sure. When I lived out in LA there was a mountain lion cruising through one of the neighborhoods where I worked. They cordoned off the area, brought in a team to tranquilize it, and took it to a big cat animal sanctuary.” What was the big deal?
“We’re not talking about a dangerous animal.”
“Dangerous is a matter of perspective, don’t you think?”
“I think it can be.” His finger made a trail from my ear to my collarbone.
What had happened to shift us suddenly from not-even-friend-zone to what appeared to be much more? I swallowed, resisting the overwhelming desire to continue exploring his mouth with my tongue. “All I’m saying is that I’m not going back in there. Not until you have Mr. Stinky removed.”
“Fine. Take off your apron.” Dustin held out a hand.
“What? Why?”
“So I have something to wrap the skunk in.” His hands went to his hips. “Unless you have a better idea?”
My fingers went to my back, working the ties of the short half-apron Cassie had given me. “What if it sprays? Will skunk smell wash out? Cassie will kill me if I ruin another apron.”
“Another?” His fingers closed around the light blue cloth I handed him. “Do I want to know what happened to the first one?”
“Two.”
“Excuse me?”
I held up two fingers. “I’ve ruined two so far.”
Dustin tucked his chin closer to his chest. “Two?”
“One was a coffee machine explosion. The other…” I really didn’t want to admit how I’d ruined the other apron. Cassie said if I destroyed any more she’d have to start taking it out of my paycheck.
“Well?” he prodded.
“I’ll just say I had no idea that polyester would melt the way it did.”
“Stop. Don’t tell me.” He put his palm up.
I grabbed it, swinging our hands down together. “It was an accident.”
“It always is.” He let go of my hand to reach for the doorknob. “What do you say we take a look at this space so we can retire your aprons and get you back to doing something you’re good at?”
My insides warmed, heated up just like one of Cassie’s homemade peach pie
s. “That would be nice.”
“Okay, then. I’m going in.” He swung the door open a crack, slipped inside and closed it behind him.
I waited, straining to catch a hint of what might be happening on the other side of the door. Seconds passed, then minutes. I couldn’t stand it anymore.
My hand wrapped around the doorknob and I twisted. “Dustin?” I whispered into the crack in the doorway.
“Up here.” His voice came from the second story. “Come on in, it’s safe.”
“You got him?”
“Her.”
“How do you know?” Wondering how close he’d have to get to the creature to verify its gender, I poked my head in farther.
“You want me to explain it to you?”
“No, forget it.” I ventured in, worried about what I might find. As I walked up the stairs and entered the space, I couldn’t help but take note of the high ceilings, exposed brick walls, and huge windows. The place needed work, but I could see beyond the broken panes of glass, layers of dust, and gouged floors. And what I saw made my heart sing.
The space was big enough to split into smaller areas. A yoga studio could take up one side with enough room leftover for a few small massage rooms. I paused for a moment, seeing if I could get a read on the energy. Nothing jumped out at me. Sounds weird, but I could always get a read on a space. I might not know what had happened somewhere, but I could tell if a place harbored any bad mojo. I’d still smudge it with sage, but it felt light, positive, absolutely perfect.
“What do you think?” Dustin moved toward me, a light blue bundle in his arms.
I’d almost forgotten about Mr. Stinky, make that Ms. Stinky. “It’s gorgeous.”
He lifted his eyebrows, making his forehead crease. “It is?”
“Well, not now. But it will be. I can see it.” I looked around the room again, nodding my head. Yes, this would work. This could be what I’d always imagined.
“Good. We should get together later and put some ideas down on paper so we can get a plan drawn up.”
“That would be great. But, what are you going to do about that?” I pointed to the squirming apron in his arms. “Aren’t you worried about getting sprayed?”
“Nah. She’s a sweetheart.” He pulled an edge of the apron back. A tiny black nose poked out from under layers of my apron. “I think this is Mrs. Glassard’s skunk.”
“Who’s Mrs. Glassard, and why would she have a skunk in my space?”
“Your space?” he asked, his voice dropping a notch.
“Yep. It’s going to be stunning. Now, back to the skunk. What gives?” I hadn’t moved any closer to him, not while he held that potential stink bomb in his hands.
“She used to live on the edge of town and kept an eclectic assortment of pets.”
“What happened to her?”
“My mom used to stop by and bring her meals from time to time. Last I heard she’d moved into the nursing home.”
“What makes you think Stinkarella belongs to her?”
He took a step my way. I backed up two. “Relax. She’s got a collar.” He uncovered the skunk’s head enough for me to see a bright pink collar ringing the animal’s neck.
“What does it say?”
“Her name is Petunia and she’s been de-scented.” He took another step toward me. “That means she doesn’t have any scent glands. So she can’t spray you.”
“Well that’s a relief. How about rabies though?”
“Not likely.” He lowered his arms to show me the black and white ball of fur snuggled into my apron. “Like I said, she’s a sweetheart.”
“As long as she’s not here when I come back later…” I turned, running my fingers along a dusty counter top that must have been left by the last tenant. “When can we get started?”
“How about dinner tonight? Your place?”
“You want me to cook for you?”
“Good point. My place. You and Liam can come over and we can jot down some ideas. It’ll give him and Rodney a chance to make up before they have to spend the whole summer working together.”
“Is your mom making mud pie patties?”
He groaned. “I said I was sorry about that.”
“I’ll never live it down. You naked, your mom offering baked goods…”
“Don’t remind me.”
“And in the meantime, you’ll figure out what to do with Stinkypie?”
“Petunia.” He nodded. “I’ll check in at the nursing home and see if she’s missing her skunk.”
“Then you’ve got yourself a deal.” I thrust my hand out to shake on it then thought better of it since he still held onto what could be a rabies-infected oversized rodent.
“See you tonight. Seven o’clock.”
“Got it.” I left him standing in the middle of the space, holding a skunk. It wasn’t until I was halfway across the street on my way back to the diner that I realized he still had my apron. That made number three. Hopefully my apron-wearing days were numbered. An extra skip found its way into my step and I gave one last glance at what I’d previously considered a creepy empty old building across the street.
Now it held magic. Possibilities. Maybe even a future.
Not to mention, a man who kissed like he was made for that purpose alone.
16
Dustin
“Are you sure?” I held Petunia close to my chest while I argued with the woman sitting behind the front desk of the nursing home.
“Yes, Mrs. Glassard passed away last week.” She clicked her mouse then looked up at me. “Do you want me to pass on a message to her next of kin?”
“Is there anyone in town?”
“I’m not allowed to divulge that information.”
“These are unique circumstances, wouldn’t you say?” I pulled the apron back to reveal Petunia’s small black and white head. “I’ve got her pet here.”
“Sir, you’re not allowed to bring animals into the building.” The woman rolled her chair back, bumping into the wall behind her.
“She was Mrs. Glassard’s pet. See? Her name is on the ID tag.” My fingers closed around the silver heart clipped to the skunk’s collar.
“I’m going to have to ask you to leave.” Her hand hovered on the phone next to her desk. “Before I call security.”
“What am I supposed to do with a skunk?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know, but you can’t leave it here.”
At that moment a nurse passed by, her shoes squeaking on the immaculate tile floor. “Is that Petunia?” She doubled back to where I stood at the desk. “We wondered what had happened to her.”
“You know her?” Maybe I could leave the skunk with her. Obviously she’d be better off with someone who recognized her on sight.
“Mrs. Glassard loved that animal. She’s a sweetheart.” She ran a finger over Petunia’s nose. “Loves peanut butter cups. I hope you find a good home for her.”
“I think you’ve misunderstood. I’m bringing Petunia back here, to her home. I found her in a building downtown and she can’t stay there.”
The nurse leaned toward me, muttering under her breath. “She wasn’t supposed to be here. A few of us kept her in secret. Poor Mrs. Glassard would have been lost without her. By the way, how’s your shoulder doing? I saw you on the Bobby Bordell Show.”
So much for flying under the radar. “It’s much better. You know I’ve done that stunt at least a thousand times. There must have been something slippery on the stage that night.”
“Sure, sugar.” She winked at me, then patted Petunia on the head before walking away.
Damn. I’d already leapt outside my comfort zone by making the impromptu decision to stay in Swallow Springs for a little while longer. I couldn’t take on a pet skunk as well.
“Do you need an escort out, sir?” The woman behind the desk eyed me with suspicion.
“I know the way.” I cradled Petunia against me, at a loss as to what the hell I was supposed to do with her now. Mayb
e Mom would have some ideas. Although, she already had a motley crew of cats at her place.
A half hour later I pulled into the drive, Petunia on the seat beside me. No one in town had any ideas for me. I’d checked with the local dog foster lead, the sheriff’s department, and the feed store. Looked like unless I could find her a new home, I was the temporary owner of a pet skunk. At least the feed store gave me a couple of bowls and a used crate I could keep her in when I wasn’t around. I’d learned that since she’d been de-scented it wouldn’t be safe to set her free. She wouldn’t have any way to defend herself in the wild.
I knew what that felt like. Seemed like my own defenses had been removed, too. At least when it came to Harmony Rogers. What had possessed me to offer up my babysitting services for the summer for Rodney and Liam? A weak moment and years of guilt, that’s what. I got out of the truck and rounded to the passenger side to unload Petunia and all of her paraphernalia.
I stopped in at the house before heading to the trailer. “Hey, Mom.”
“In the kitchen, sweetheart.” The smell of something cinnamon-y wafted to the front room.
My stomach rumbled in response. On the bright side, there’d be no lack of home cooking if I stuck around for the summer. I set Petunia and her crate down on the rug.
“How did the meeting with Harmony go?” Mom asked, her hands encased in oven mitts. She leaned toward me so I could press a kiss to her cheek.
“Good.” I ran my finger over the top of a giant cinnamon roll sitting on the counter, swiping a finger full of icing into my mouth.
“Hands off. Those are for the ladies’ luncheon tomorrow.” Ma leaned down to pull another pan from the oven.
“I bet you made a few extra.”
She winked at me as she set the pan down on a trivet. “Of course I did. I can’t tell you how much I love having you around.”
“Careful, Ma. I might eat you out of house and home.”
“That would be a dream come true.” She pulled her hands from the oven mitts and dropped them onto the counter.
