“Coffee, anyone?” Lucas asked from the kitchen.
“Sure.” Roy grabbed the remote and turned up the volume.
“Turn it down, Roy; that’s too loud,” Susan said.
Brody checked his watch. “You better hurry. Two minutes and counting.”
Kate sank into the armchair.
“When is your segment on?” Brody asked.
“It’s first—if they air it in the order they taped it.”
Moments later, Lucas handed Kate and Roy their mugs, then retrieved his own cup and sat on the arm of Kate’s chair. Bo settled on the rug beside Jamie and she scratched behind his ears.
“Hey, his icky yellow beard is gone.”
Kate had donned rubber gloves the day before and scrubbed the mutt’s chin. “I cleaned him up and put cornstarch in the fur under his mouth.”
The corner of Lucas lips twitched. “Cornstarch?”
“It’s amazing what you can learn when you Google something.”
The Dr. Phil theme song began. “Be quiet; it’s on.” Roy increased the volume until Susan glared at him.
Jamie closed her book and leaned forward.
As they watched the opening, Kate’s hands grew cold. Lucas’s family’s attention was rapt on the TV. She was the only reason they’d come. How easily they’d accepted her into their family, counting her as one of their own. Even Susan seemed to be giving her a chance. They couldn’t be more supportive if it were Lucas on the show.
I’m a horrible, horrible person.
Dr. Phil introduced Kate, and her face appeared on screen.
“There you are,” Jamie said.
“Shhhh!” Brody said.
The room got quiet as Dr. Phil mentioned her newlywed status. Kate felt her face heat, and Lucas set his hand on her shoulder. Kate sipped her coffee.
The segment continued, going exactly as Kate remembered. Her makeup, which had seemed too heavy on the day of the show, looked natural under the lights, and the stylist had done a nice job with her hair.
When Dr. Phil announced the title of her book and showed the cover, Lucas squeezed her shoulder. She’d hoped they wouldn’t edit that out.
The segment ended and they broke for a commercial.
“Well done, Kate.” Roy said.
“You did great,” Jamie said. “How did you stay so calm? I wouldn’t know what to say.”
Brody elbowed her. “That’ll be the day.”
Jamie jostled him back.
“It’s second nature by now,” Kate said. “Though I was nervous since it was national TV.”
“I couldn’t tell,” Roy said.
The phone rang, and Kate jumped up. “It’s probably my publicist.” She dashed to the kitchen and picked up. “Hello?”
“Hi, it’s me.”
Her stomach flopped. “Bryan,” she said quietly, peering into the living room where Lucas’s family continued their conversation. Lucas met her gaze, and she turned away, walking to the kitchen window.
“You were amazing, Kate,” Bryan said. “I was so proud of you.”
What right did he have to be proud? He didn’t deserve to say those words. He hadn’t coached her on what to say or driven her to the airport. He didn’t even show up for our wedding.
Kate hadn’t even thought of Bryan watching the show. She didn’t think he’d even known it was airing today. Plus it was during work hours, and it wasn’t like they were together anymore.
“You weren’t even nervous,” Bryan said. “And the way he plugged your book. I bet it’ll take off now.” He gave a familiar whistle. She’d forgotten that about Bryan—that little whistle he did to punctuate his excitement.
“That’s the hope.”
A long silence followed her words. Kate heard a ruckus in the living room and knew Lucas’s family was leaving. Outside the window, the sea oats on the hill bowed against the breeze. Why had Bryan called again? Didn’t he realize it was awkward for her?
“I miss you, Kate.”
She gritted her teeth. “Stop it, Bryan.”
“It’s true. I miss the way you leave everything in tidy stacks, and the way you squint your eyes at me when I say something foolish. I miss the way you—”
“Stop it.” He was getting to her, and she hated that. She rubbed her eyes. “You have to stop calling me here.”
“Your cell was off.”
“That’s not what I mean. You can’t just call me whenever you want now.”
Kate heard footsteps behind her, heard the clatter of something being put in the sink. She turned and met Lucas’s eyes. He knew it was Bryan; she could see that much in his expression. There was something in his eyes that tugged at her heartstrings. Hurt? Lucas looked away before she could pursue the thought.
“. . . where we can talk in person,” Bryan was saying.
What had she missed? He wanted to meet?
Lucas leaned against the sink, facing her, his palms braced on the ledge behind him. His stance said, Talk all you want. I’m not going anywhere. What did he expect her to do? Hang up on Bryan? It’s not my fault he called. I didn’t ask him to.
“What about it, Kate?”
What about what? She couldn’t think straight.
“Or I could come there if that’s easier. Whatever you want to do, but I want to see you. I need to be with you. Please.” He grated out the word.
Lucas cocked a brow.
Kate’s heart beat like a frightened bird’s, and she wasn’t sure why. She felt cornered. By both of them. She had to get out of here. Away from Lucas’s strange looks, away from Bryan’s hurt pleas.
“I can’t talk right now.”
“I’ll call you back,” he managed to get out before Kate hung up. She set the phone in the cradle. A step away, she could feel Lucas’s tension.
“I’m going for a walk.” Kate grabbed the doorknob leading to the beach.
“I want him to stop calling here.” Lucas crossed his arms over his chest, his right bicep bulging over his left fist. He looked away.
“I’m a little tired of everyone telling me what they want right now.” Kate pulled at the door.
Lucas put his hand against it. “He has no right calling my house.”
“Your house? I thought I lived here too.” Kate turned and was surprised to find Lucas so close, his arm extending past her.
“You know what I mean.”
Did she really? Was he being possessive of the house or of her? Why did he care if Bryan called? Sometimes she thought she saw something in Lucas’s eyes, but right now she thought it had nothing to do with her. It was about possession. Bryan and Lucas were like two wolves fighting over an animal carcass.
And I’m tired of being caught in the middle.
She jerked on the door, but he held it fast.
What was it with men and control? “Let me go.” She pulled at the knob again. It didn’t budge. “Lucas! Let me—”
“What if I don’t want to?”
And just like that, time slowed.
Almost against her will she looked at him. And was caught by his eyes. They pulled her in, held her hostage. She stilled, her anger fading, replaced by something . . . more complicated . . . less welcome . . .
“What if I don’t want to?” What did he mean? Suddenly desperate to understand, she searched his face and watched as his eyes dark-ened into shadowed whirlpools.
She forgot how to breathe.
“What if I want you to stay?” His gaze traveled the planes of her face and stopped at her lips.
“What . . .” He was so close she couldn’t think. His thumb grazed her cheekbone, barely a touch, and yet it heated her skin. She shuddered and closed her eyes against the riptide tugging inside her. What was happening? This was Lucas, not Bryan. Lucas, who frustrated her with his lack of organization. Lucas, who annoyed her with his sluggishness.
Lucas, who held you in his arms when you were seasick. Lucas, who stepped in and saved you when you were desperate.
“Open
your eyes, honey.”
Her stomach tightened at the endearment. She was powerless against the emotion raging inside her. It felt wonderful and terrible and scary.
“Lucas.” Nothing more than a whisper.
“Open your eyes,” he said. “See what’s right in front of you.”
She obeyed his request. What was this spell he’d cast? She wanted to fall into the depths of his eyes and get lost. She wanted to touch his jaw and feel the roughness against her fingers.
But before she could follow the impulse, he closed the distance between them. And his lips touched hers, gentle and slow.
Without thought, Kate laid her palm against his face and heard his intake of breath before he deepened the kiss, pulling her closer, making her head spin. His movements were sure and slow, like everything else he did.
It wasn’t even their first kiss. But the others hadn’t been like this. There was no photographer snapping pictures, no public judging the validity of their vows, no family to convince.
It was just Lucas and Kate. All alone. Exploring feelings she hadn’t known existed.
No. That’s not true.
Maybe she had known, or maybe she’d been in denial. Maybe she’d been blinded by Bryan’s rejection. But she was seeing things now. And feeling them. Things that she’d never felt before, not even with Bryan. The way Lucas made her forget everything except the feel of his lips. Made her want more. Made her need more.
More. She slid her hand into his hair, cupping his head, and arched closer. He was warm and strong. He smelled like cedar and musk. All man.
“Katie . . .” Lucas whispered against her lips.
She didn’t think, just felt. The urgency pushed her on. It’s okay, Kate. You’re married. Lucas is your husband. She submitted to the thought, letting her emotions guide her.
But . . . what happens when it ends?
Against her will, the question rose from a deep and distant well of reason. Kate ignored it, let the feel of Lucas’s body against hers drown everything out.
But the voice grew louder, more insistent.
What’ll happen when the year ends? Why are you becoming emotionally invested in a temporary relationship?
And it had to be temporary. Muddled as her thoughts were, she hadn’t lost all sense of reason. She and Lucas were too different—more dissimilar than her mom and dad had been, and look how that had ended. She of all people knew the odds against opposites making a marriage work.
You have to stop. Now!
Somehow mustering the strength, she pushed at Lucas’s chest, separating them. Her chest heaved. She was beyond her target heart rate and she hadn’t moved. Judging from Lucas’s expression, he felt the same. A pink flush mottled his face. His eyes were glazed, his lips swollen. She was tempted to soothe them with her thumb.
Stop it! You have to stop before this gets out of hand. You’re too different.
They might be different, but heavens to Betsy, the chemistry was there in spades. She had to escape before she lost her resolve.
She reached for the doorknob and pulled.
“Running, Kate?” The dare emerged, raspy and breathless.
She ignored it, pulling the door shut behind her and dashing toward the shoreline. Yes, she was running. And too afraid to say anything for fear it might reveal too much.
As if her actions hadn’t already revealed far too much.
Honesty begins within yourself.
—Excerpt from
Finding Mr. Right-for-You
by Dr. Kate
Chapter Eighteen
Lucas slammed his fist on the counter. He hadn’t succeeded in opening Kate’s eyes; he’d only succeeded in pushing her away. As he watched her scramble across the sandy grass toward the beach, he feared he’d scared her away for good.
He punched the counter again, then shook his throbbing hand. Bo nudged his leg with his wet nose. “Not now, boy.”
Why had he moved so fast? He’d only meant to kiss her gently, to show her how he felt. But then her hand had wound into his hair, and she’d pressed herself against him.
His own hand now raked his hair. His timing couldn’t have been worse. Fresh from a phone call from Bryan, she was probably thinking of him. She wasn’t over Bryan; that much he knew.
It’s too soon to tell her how you feel.
But her response was so—
She was thinking about Bryan. Wishing it was him she’d married.
Lucas left the kitchen and paced the length of the living room as if he could distance himself from the thought. But she wasn’t Bryan’s wife.
She’s my wife . . . Yeah. Temporarily. In name only.
You agreed to those terms, Luc, so stop your whining.
Only he hadn’t known it would be so hard. Hadn’t known it would make him long for her more. Hadn’t known it would hurt so much.
He sank into the recliner and let his head fall against the cushion. What was Kate thinking right now? Would she expect an apology when she returned?
Well, she wouldn’t get it. He wasn’t sorry, even if she had been thinking about her idiot ex-fiancé while he kissed her.
All I did was lay my feelings out. Nothing to be ashamed of.
So why was his gut strung tighter than a bowline knot?
By the time Kate returned, the house was empty. Lucas’s truck was gone, which meant he must’ve gone back to his shop. Relieved, but dreading the inevitable confrontation, Kate started dinner.
Her walk had helped clear her head. Obviously Lucas had feelings for her, and Kate admitted she’d grown fond of him as well.
Fond? You were all over him, girl.
She emptied a package of ground beef into the skillet, threw away the Styrofoam platter, and washed her hands. Okay, so maybe she had feelings for him. She had to remember the advice she dispensed in her book. “Once you realize a man is not well suited to you, it’s imperative to end the relationship before you become emotionally invested.”
Well, she couldn’t end the marriage, but she could put the relationship back on track. They were friends. No—roommates. That was all. The sooner Lucas realized it, the sooner they could put this awkwardness behind them.
Bo sat by the back door and turned his big head toward her. She let him out and kept an eye on him through the window while she cooked. The smell of dinner soon drew him back.
The taco filling was hot and bubbly by the time she heard the front door open and click closed. Kate lowered the heat to a simmer and stirred the beef mixture as it sizzled. Would Lucas join her or would he grab a shower? She hated this indecision, this awkwardness. She didn’t like walking on eggshells in her own home. She wanted to return to the way things were before.
When Lucas entered the kitchen, Kate gave the beef one last stir and turned. They might as well put this behind them.
Lucas removed a can of Coke from the fridge and popped the tab. He wouldn’t even look at her. She wondered what he was thinking, what he was feeling. His expression revealed nothing.
“About earlier,” Kate started, then wondered what to say next. Why hadn’t she planned something? Think!
Lucas took a drink, then shook his head, a barely perceptible movement. “Not necessary.”
He moved closer, and Kate pressed her back against the oven. The metal handle dug into her back. But Lucas reached into the cabinet instead. Shaken, Kate turned.
Lucas removed two plates and shut the cabinet door. “It was a mistake,” he said as he stepped away.
Kate heard him setting the plates on the table. A mistake?
Well, what did you expect him to say?
She wasn’t sure, but it wasn’t this. Maybe she thought he’d confess he had feelings for her. But maybe he only missed Emily. Maybe he missed the intimacy of their marriage.
“Let’s just forget it happened.” His voice penetrated her thoughts.
Let’s just forget it happened? Forget the way you took my mouth, forget the way you touched me, forget the way you felt
against me? She wondered if that were possible. “Right.”
Dinner consisted of tacos, avoided eye contact, and stilted conversation. When Susan dropped by and invited Kate on a walk, Kate readily agreed. Because despite her agreement with Lucas, she couldn’t seem to eradicate the memory of the kiss.
Kate felt warm and cocooned as she stirred from sleep, only half-conscious. She kept her eyes closed, hoping to fall back asleep. The covers twisted around her legs in a snug knot, but a big pillow, snuggled into her stomach, warmed her.
She wondered about that because her pillow was under her head. Coming more fully awake, Kate opened her eyes. She could barely see by the soft morning light that filtered through the curtains. More important, her arms and face felt the softness of flesh against them and she knew it was no pillow she cuddled with. Her arm curved around Lucas’s side and her body spooned into him, her face against his back. Her thighs pressed into the backs of his.
She started to jump away then stopped herself. Maybe he was asleep—completely unaware that she clung to him like a barnacle on a boat. A sudden move would wake him. If she disengaged slowly, he’d be none the wiser. Oh, please, let him be asleep.
She lay quietly listening to the sound of his breathing. He wasn’t snoring, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t asleep. His respirations were deep, a good sign.
How had she ended up on his side anyway? Had she had some weird dream about their kiss? Where was her rolled-up quilt barrier? The way the covers tangled around her legs, she or Lucas must’ve had a fitful sleep.
Okay, time to disengage.
She carefully removed her hand from his stomach. Inch by inch, she lifted her arm until it had no contact with Lucas. Next she lifted her head, moving her face away from the heated hardness of his back.
So far, so good.
The only thing against him now was . . . well, the rest of her body. Her legs tingled with awareness.
Stop that! Good grief, what has gotten into me?
She eased her weight onto her elbow and held her breath as she moved away from him.
Lucas stirred and turned, settling on his back. Kate froze above him. His side pressed into her now and his face was inches away. Thankfully, his eyes remained closed. She lay still, hardly daring to breathe. Was her heartbeat shaking the entire bed?
Nantucket Romance 3-in-1 Bundle Page 38
