From the driveway, Kevin saw Lauren walk by the large bay window and glance outside. When she spotted him, she waved. He waved back to acknowledge he’d seen her and grabbed the dozen long-stemmed red roses off the passenger seat. He’d picked them up at the last minute as a peace offering. If she was upset because he hadn’t made it sooner, they may help. After all, what woman didn’t like receiving flowers?
Even from the walkway, he could hear her dog. Lauren insisted the dog was friendly and not an excessive barker. Yet the dog didn’t seem to like him. When he came over, it hovered around them. On more than one occasion it had growled at him and barked nonstop until she put it outside. Lauren had even commented how uncharacteristic the dog acted when he came over. Although he didn’t think dogs or animals in general were all that intelligent, maybe this one could sense he wasn’t a dog person.
“Knock it off, JoJo. It’s Kevin.” Lauren’s words traveled down the walkway toward him when she opened the door. Next to her, the dog quieted but remained vigilant by her leg.
I’ll never get why people have pets. He held out the flowers and pasted a warm smile on his face. “With her around, you always know when someone is here.”
She hesitated before taking the flowers from him with a timid smile. “She’s better than a doorbell, that’s for sure. Come on in.” Her tone of voice and body language told him little.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t get here sooner.” No matter what, you couldn’t go wrong with an apology. “I wanted to, but the logistics just made it impossible.” He moved into hug her but stopped when Lauren took a step back.
“It’s okay. I understand.” Her words came out slow and measured, almost as if she’d spent time rehearsing them. “But we need to talk.”
A warning bell went off in his head. Either she intended to say no or she was leaning toward that decision. Either way it messed with his plans. “I’m listening.” Kevin sat down, careful that he kept his posture relaxed.
Lauren paced in front of him a few times and her dog followed. Given a different set of circumstances he would have laughed at the sight. After the fourth pass though she stopped and faced him. “Kevin, we get along well and have fun together.”
Yep, she wasn’t going to give him the answer he wanted. At least not without some more persuasion.
“I cannot marry you.”
“We don’t have to do it now. Let’s give it a few more months. Spend some more time together. Maybe take a vacation. Anywhere you want. Paris, London, Rome. After that we can talk about it again.” He piled on the compassion and understanding.
She tugged on the bright pink smiley face earring in her right ear. “That won’t change anything, Kevin. It’s just not going to work between us. We want different things.”
As if someone stuck a pin in a balloon, his normally well-contained temper exploded and he saw red. Any well-thought-out arguments evaporated into thin air, and he surged to his feet. “Are you really going to throw away this opportunity for some Marine? Stop and think for a minute about the life you are giving up, Lauren.”
She looked away for a moment before meeting his eyes. “This has nothing to do with Nate.”
“Bull. You’ve been different ever since he showed up at your mom’s party.” He placed his hands on her shoulders. “With me you can have anything you want. You’ll no longer be invited to society events just because you’re Callie Talbot’s best friend. With your leatherneck, you’ll always be exactly what you are right now. A middle-class school teacher.”
Lauren narrowed her eyes, and he let his hands drop. Damn, he’d gone too far with that last statement. If he hoped to change her mind, he needed to pick his words better.
“I’m sorry. That was uncalled for. Please forgive me. But, Lauren, stop and think about this rationally. With me you’ll have everything.”
She threw him a look of pity. “Not everything, Kevin. A marriage with no love might work for you but not me.” She pulled the ring box he’d left with her out of her sweatshirt pocket and handed it to him.
“Love could develop.” He kept his hands by his sides.
Pulling his hand forward, she dropped the box in his palm. “That’s not enough. I’m sorry.”
What could he say? As much as he wanted the marriage to happen, he couldn’t promise love. Even without the promise, though, he held out hope. After a few weeks with her Marine she’d realize what she’d given up by saying no and change her mind.
“If you change your mind, Lauren, you know how to reach me.” His hand closed around the ring box. Just don’t wait too long.
Chapter 11
Nate used his key and let himself inside. Almost a full month had passed since the night he and Lauren first made love, and he’d all but officially moved in with her. While some things still remained at the apartment over his parents’ garage, all the essentials were here, including his dog. And every night he slept with Lauren next to him. Just the way he wanted it. He enjoyed the feel of her body pressed up against his. A physical reminder even in the dead of night that he had Lauren back. An added bonus of sleeping with Lauren every night was that his nightmares no longer came as frequently. In the past month they’d only occurred once.
When he entered the kitchen, both Maggie and JoJo rushed toward him. Over the past month, the two dogs had become inseparable. “Happy to see me, or do you smell this?” He put down the meat lover’s pizza he’d grabbed on the way home. Thursdays Lauren taught ballet from four to seven and never had time to cook before class. Since his own culinary skills lacked much beyond scrambled eggs and sandwiches, he’d started grabbing takeout for them on his way home.
After he scratched both dogs behind the ears, Nate hung up his jacket and headed straight for the guest bedroom that doubled as Lauren’s office.
With her earbuds in, she remained unaware that he’d come home. From the doorway, he studied her. When he’d run into some of his former classmates, he hadn’t recognized them, despite growing up together. Many had either not taken care of themselves or simply not aged well. Lauren, though, hadn’t suffered from either of those things. In fact, she looked more beautiful now than she had the summer after high school.
The memory of their final day together that summer surged forward, and he fought to push it away. The past was done. Only the present and future mattered. He had Lauren back. No matter what, nothing would change that. He’d make damn sure of that.
Should I tell her? He’d asked himself the same question earlier in the week when he’d gotten wind of the rumor that the Hostage Rescue Team would be holding tryouts soon at the FBI Academy in Quantico. Since the day he’d decided to apply to the FBI, he’d planned to try for the team if the opportunity ever arose. The team recruited only when it needed to, which meant he could be an agent for years before they held tryouts again.
It’s only a rumor. There had been no official word in the office. Besides, if and when it became a definite thing, Justin Billings would let him know. Nate had met Justin, a member of the elite FBI team, the previous year when they’d worked a mission together in Afghanistan. A mission that hadn’t gone as planned and left two of Nate’s fellow Marines dead and nearly killed Justin. Only Nate’s determination and stubbornness had allowed him to keep them both alive, despite Justin’s injuries. To this day that mission haunted his dreams.
When Justin returned home, he and Nate stayed in contact. In fact, Justin had been the one to suggest that Nate join the FBI and eventually HRT. At first he’d been unsure, but the more Nate learned about what the FBI did in reality, opposed to on television, and the role it played in protecting U.S. citizens, the more determined he’d become about being an agent.
Even if the rumor proved true, however, there was no guarantee he’d make it past the tryouts. HRT only accepted the best, and most of the agents who tried out didn’t make it through the rigorous training process. On the other hand if he made the team, they’d have to move down to Virginia. But if Lauren said she would have been w
illing to deal with all the moves the military could throw at you all those years ago, then she’d agree to a move now. That’s a lot of ifs and no guarantees. Worry about it if it happens.
Dismissing all thoughts of work, he came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. The instant he made contact, Lauren jumped and then tugged her earbuds out.
“Jeez, you scared me,” she scolded him, but gave him a brilliant smile at the same time.
“Maybe you shouldn’t wear those in the house.” He flicked one of the earpieces with his finger.
“Audiobooks sound better to me when I listen to them like this.” She stood and slipped her arms around his neck pressing her body against his. “You shouldn’t sneak up on me.” She pressed her lips against his before he got a word out.
At first, he let her control the kiss. When she slid her tongue against his, though, he snapped and took over. His mind and body registered everything from the feel of her next to him, to the root beer that lingered on her breath, mixed with the scent of her favorite perfume. Heaven. Right here with Lauren was pure heaven. No other word did it justice.
Abruptly, Lauren pulled away. “I need to put this on hold,” she said with an audible sigh. “These progress reports are due in the morning.”
Nate leaned down. “Are you sure they can’t wait till later?” He locked his lips on her earlobe and sucked. When she moaned, he smiled. “They’ll still be here in an hour or so.”
“No, I need to do it now,” she said, her eyes still closed. “Maybe you can eat while I finish.”
Eating was the last thing on his mind. “Really? You’d rather work first.” He slipped a hand under the hem of her sweatshirt while he continued to suck on her earlobe.
“Later. I promise.” She gave him a tiny shrug. “Go eat. I can smell the pizza from here. Just save me a slice or two.”
Nate took a step back. “You got it. You know where to find me when you’re done.”
Both dogs still sat near the counter when he returned alone. At the smell of the pizza, his stomach growled, and the arousal pounding through his veins subsided. Since he couldn’t do anything about the desire he felt, he might as well take care of his body’s other demand. He hadn’t eaten anything substantial since breakfast.
“Sorry guys, you’re not getting any of this,” he said to the dogs as he pulled out a bar stool at the counter.
***
Her hands were still behind her back on her bra clasp when Nate walked into the bedroom Friday morning wearing nothing but a towel around his waist. Droplets of water clung to his hair and body, reminding her of the sexy eye candy pictures her friends posted on their profile pages.
Wow. Even after all the times she’d seen him naked in the past month, the sight of him took her breath away.
“Like what you see?” Nate shot her a smile when he met her gaze, and her heart rate spiked.
We have to work this morning. She forced her feet not to move toward him so she could lick the water droplet slipping down his stomach. “I’m glad you don’t let your looks go to your head.”
He graced her with another grin then turned toward the bureau. He let the towel drop as he pulled out clean briefs giving her a perfect view of his well-formed butt.
“Try to get home right after school.”
At his words, she pulled her eyes away from the excellent view.
“I have a surprise for you this afternoon. I plan to be home by three o’clock.”
He pulled the briefs up, and she thought she heard herself sigh. It was going to be one long day.
“What kind of surprise?” she asked, her curiosity piqued.
“You’ll see,” he answered, a glint of mischief in his eyes.
During breakfast she tried coaxing it out of him numerous times. Each time with no success. On her final attempt he silenced her with a kiss, keeping up his assault until she almost forgot he kept a secret from her. But not quite.
“Come on, Nate, just a little hint.”
“Just make sure your calendar is clear all weekend.” He tweaked her ponytail as he downed the rest of his coffee. “And I am serious about getting home as soon as possible. Don’t hang around and correct papers. They’ll still be there on Monday, sweetheart.”
From any other man the endearment would sound antiquated, but coming from Nate’s lips, it made her feel bathed in sunlight. It warmed her from the inside out.
“I’ll be here. Promise.”
***
Lauren stood next to the laminating machine in the teachers’ workroom later that morning. As usual, the obnoxious smell from the machine made her stomach roll. It amazed her. They’d invented 3-D printers, yet they still hadn’t created a machine that could laminate posters without making you nauseous. At least her pile was almost done. Only three more student pictures remained. After that, she had one hour left before school ended for the weekend.
Picking up another picture, she fed it into the machine, her thoughts on Nate’s words that morning. Her energetic students kept her mind engaged all morning so she didn’t have much opportunity to consider Nate’s plans. Now with her students at their music class, her brain focused on little else. What type of surprise did he have for her? Especially one that required him to come home early.
Come home? When had she started to think of her house as his home, too? Granted, he more or less lived there now, but neither had ever officially said they were living together. And she loved having him there. It felt natural, right. As if, despite their fifteen years apart, this was how it was meant to be.
The paper she inserted came out the other end covered in the protective plastic, and she tore it off then entered another picture.
“Just another hour until the weekend,” Christine, a first grade teacher, said, entering the room. Like Lauren, Christine had grown up in town and, although they hadn’t been friends as children, they got along well now.
“Any big plans this weekend?” Lauren asked.
Christine disappeared into the supply closet and reemerged with purple construction paper. “Nah, Nick and I are driving down to New Jersey. His mom had surgery this week. You?”
When the final student paper came out, she stacked everything up. “Not sure. Nate has a surprise for me.”
“I’m surprised you’d even consider getting out of bed on the weekend with him around.”
Lauren swatted Christine on the arm with her stack of papers. “You’re terrible.”
“I’m honest. If Nate Callahan was living in my house, sleeping in my bed . . . well, let’s just say you wouldn’t see either of us on the weekend.” Christine wiggled her eyebrows, a huge smile on her face. Just as quickly as it came though, Christine’s smile disappeared. “Don’t tell Nick I said that, okay? I’m only joking around. Although, I wouldn’t mind if he got some workout tips from your man. Since the wedding, he’s put on weight.”
Lauren had noticed that herself the last time she’d seen Nick at the store. Even before his and Christine’s wedding he hadn’t been a thin man, but recently he appeared much heavier. “My lips are sealed.”
“Whatever you do, have fun. I want all the details on Monday morning.”
Lauren gathered up her students’ papers as the bell rang. “See you on Monday.”
***
The sign on the highway announcing they’d entered New Hampshire gave her little in the way of information, and so far Nate had offered nothing. That afternoon she’d arrived home a little before him, and when he had walked in all he’d said was to pack a suitcase and that his mom would be by to pick up the dogs. Aside from that, he’d not mentioned where they were headed. Since they’d entered New Hampshire more than an hour ago and continued to head north, they couldn’t be going to the beach. Although in all honesty, a beach at this time of year in New Hampshire didn’t hold much appeal. Now if it had been a beach in Florida, that she could handle. At the same time, skiing was out. Not only was ski season over, but she didn’t ski. Nate knew that. They
’d taken lessons together in middle school. Nate, his brother, and her sister had been naturals at it, but she’d spent most of the time on her backside. By the fourth day of lessons she’d given up and spent the rest of the joint family ski trip inside with hot chocolate and a book. Not once since then had she strapped on a pair of skis, and she didn’t think she was missing out on much.
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going or not?” Outside the window the White Mountains rose before them. Even through the rain and overcast skies, they were breathtaking. Instinctively, she searched for the state’s famous Old Man in the mountain, something she’d always done when her family and Nate’s had camped in the area. But then she remembered that it had fallen from the side of the mountain a few years earlier. The last time she’d come up to this part of the state it had still been visible. Had it really been that long since her last trip up here?
During her childhood and up until she’d turned seventeen, her family, along with Nate’s, had camped up here together almost every summer. Had she been here since then? Lauren thought back, but nothing came to mind. Had it really been more than fifteen years since she’d last come up here?
“You’ll know when we get there.” He threw her a don’t worry, you’re going to love this smile, but said nothing else as he continued on the Kancamagus Highway that cut a path through the White Mountain National Forest.
The Billionaire's Best Friend (The Sherbrookes of Newport) Page 14
