“Oh.” Wow, he really accepted her decision? Was happy to just be with her? “Really?”
“Yep.” He dropped a kiss on the tip of her nose. “We’ll kiss, we’ll cuddle, we’ll walk, we’ll talk.”
Mmm. “Sounds okay.”
“We’ll become comfortable with each other.”
Mmm mmmm. Her lashes fluttered closed as he dropped a kiss on her brow. I like that.
“So you agree?”
There was no doubting she was attracted to him, no doubting that his acceptance was just as attractive. “Oh, yes.”
“We’re dating?”
She smiled. “We’re dating.”
“Then we can have sex.”
I like that, too. Her eyes popped open. Wait. What?
He grinned. “When you’re ready, of course.”
She couldn’t help but smile back. “You might be waiting a long time.”
His look was unfathomable. Did things to her deep down. Deliciously debauched things. Things she sure had no right to be feeling when she’d basically denied sex right now.
Moz leaned closer.
Del’s breath caught, lips tingling when his breath blew softly across her mouth.
Closing that gap, he kissed her gently, almost tenderly, a press of lips, a moulding, a testing.
It was a simple kiss but one that had her toes curling. It also had her kissing back, wanting just a little more.
He accepted her kiss, opened to her slightly.
She sought further, slid deeper, his taste flooding her almost immediately, all hot male, strong, fresh essence, stealing her breath and making her senses swim. Her nipples pebbled against her shirt, her secrets dampening from remembered sensation as his hand released hers to settle on her upper arm, long, strong fingers curling around to hold her steady as she leaned further into his kiss.
The gentle kiss grew a little rougher, a little hotter, a whole lot deeper. A big hand slid around to cup her nape, holding her as he took control of the kiss, tongue dancing along hers, taking from her now, plundering deep, leaving her gasping, senses swirling as he drew back.
Moz kissed the corner of her mouth, her cheek, and finally the tip of her nose before drawing back to smile down at her. “I think I’d better go.”
“Hmmm?” She blinked up at him, still swirling in all those luscious sensations.
“No sex, remember?” He released her, straightening to his full height. “I stay here now and I can’t promise not to cajole you into something you’ll regret later.” Walking around the bench, he scooped the kitten up and placed her in Del’s arms. “Dinner tomorrow night, I’ll pick you up at six thirty.”
“Okay.” Call her a ninny, but she could only cradle Missy to her chest and gaze dreamily in the direction he retreated, her blood still buzzing hungrily in her veins.
That man’s mouth was lethal, definitely should have it licensed as a deadly weapon. For sure, his kisses almost blew her resolve to pieces. One kiss, one hot, drugging kiss, and she was ready to rip her own shirt off.
Man, she was weak. Good thing he didn’t know how weak.
Taking a deep breath, she looked down at Missy. “I think I need another shower, this time a cold one.”
She was still smiling at the kitten when Moz called out, “You coming to lock this door?”
“It’ll be fine,” she called back automatically.
There was silence for all of five seconds, then, “You really don’t want me coming in there to sort you out about this.”
And there was the Moz with whom she was familiar.
“Maybe I do,” she couldn’t help but call back impishly.
“Maybe you don’t want to sit down comfortably.”
Oh God, that sent all kinds of kinky shivers through her. Especially when she wasn’t sure how much of that he meant, because sure as gravity made the rain fall downwards, his voice was dead serious.
She couldn’t help but sit there in anticipation until she heard one heavy boot tread threateningly in the hallway. Losing courage, she quickly placed Missy on the floor and ran out into the hallway yelling, “I’m coming! I’m coming, damn it!”
Standing in the doorway, the veranda light picking out his towering figure, Moz watched her approach. She swore she could feel the lick of his gaze. His expression was completely blank.
Taking the security screen from his hand, she looked innocently up at him. “So, six thirty tomorrow night, huh?”
He leaned down until they were nose to nose, which was pretty impressive considering his height, and reached around to lay his hand on her backside. “Just remember, my bite is worse than my bark.” One light tap on her bum with a big palm, one quick kiss to swallow her startled gasp, and he was gone.
Heart beating a little heavier, bum cheek tingling, breathing a tad uneven, Del watched him get into his car. It was only when he pointed at her that she realised she held the door open, and stepping back, she shut it and flicked the lock.
Only then did Moz start the car and drive away, leaving her standing there with a stupid grin on her face, an arse that wouldn’t quit tingling where he’d tapped it, and a bit of inner annoyance that she’d jumped at his tone.
Squaring her shoulders, she turned to find Missy prancing down the hallway, little back arched, tail puffed up, ready for a play fight.
“Man might be a good kisser,” she informed the kitten, “but if he thinks I’m going to jump when he says jump, he’s got another think coming. And it’s all bad.”
Missy bounced on the spot.
“He caught me off-guard,” Del told her. “Next time I flip him the bird.” She remembered the tap on her bum. “From a distance. Like with the shop door locked between us.”
~*~
Mozart was especially clingy the next evening, grasping Moz’s pants leg as he tried to talk to Elissa.
“He’s missing you,” she said.
“And probably bored being in the house all day alone.” Moz picked Mozart up, smiling a little when the cat rubbed his head against his chain and started purring.
“I guess he’s alone most of the day and then again at night.” Elissa scratched behind Mozart’s ears. “But he’s safe, okay? That’s the main thing.”
“I know.” Moz rubbed his chin against Mozart’s head. “I’m trying to find a place, boy. Soon, I hope. Then at least you can be with me at night like we used to be.”
“That’s a little disturbing.” Simon leaned a shoulder against the kitchen doorway while munching on a slice of cake. “You do know that, right?”
Moz squinted down at him. “It’s not as disturbing as watching you eat all that shit. How you don’t explode is beyond me.”
“What?” Simon was indignant. “I’ve only had a slice of cake.”
“And a sandwich and several scones.” Elissa rolled her eyes. “Says he can’t last until dinner time.”
“I’ve worked hard all day saving lives.”
“Scott says you spent all day polishing the fire engine, checking tanks and pumping weights.”
“See? Keeping myself in tip-top condition.” He leered. “All for you. Want to test drive me?”
“Please.” Moz winced. “My sister, remember?”
Grinning hugely, Simon took a big bite of cake.
“He does it to stir you up,” Elissa informed Moz. “Why do you keep falling for it?”
“I know, trust me, but just the mention of you and him doing…” Moz shuddered.
“Don’t know what you’re shuddering for,” Simon drawled. “You were out at Del’s last night and left really late. Like, really late.”
That had his sister looking at him curiously. “You were?”
Moz rubbed behind Mozart’s ears. “Yep.”
“What were you doing there?”
Yeah, like he was going to tell his sister what he’d really been doing. “Visiting.”
“You’re visiting Del? What for?”
“Yeah,” Simon chimed in, “what for?”
/> Uh-oh. One glance at him showed Moz that speculative gleam in his eyes. His easy-going brother-in-law had a canny side that always caught people by surprise.
Still, he had nothing to hide, so he replied evenly, “Arranging a date.”
That had Elissa’s mouth dropping open and Simon’s eyebrows rising.
Took a lot to surprise Simon, and Moz was glad he’d succeeded. A small, childish victory, but one nevertheless. He glanced at the clock on the wall. “Which reminds me, I have to pick her up soon.”
“You’re going to pick her up?” Elissa followed him to the bedroom.
“Yep.” He placed Mozart on the bed, immediately feeling guilty when the cat meowed and pushed his head against Moz’s hand. “C’mon, old fella, I have to go.”
“He’s fine.” Elissa gave Mozart an abstracted pat, her attention focussed on her brother. “Since when do you and Del date?”
“Since we agreed.” He gave Mozart another stroke, trying to settle him down.
Man, he really had to get his own place. At least Mozart would have the run of the house day and night, and Moz’s things would be around. It’d make Mozart happier, more content.
It took him several more minutes before he could finally leave Mozart, gently closing the door on his anxious face, Mozart’s sad meow making him frown.
“Mozart’s really all right.” Simon was still leaning against the doorway. “I go in and read for awhile and he sits on my lap. Mind you, he doesn’t grab me the way he does you.”
“About this date,” Elissa persisted, “I don’t get it. When did you two become close enough to even contemplate dating?”
No way on God’s green earth was Moz going to fill in those details. “We got to chatting, found some similarities.”
“Similarities?” She eyed him dubiously. “You and Del?”
“She has a kitten, I have a cat.”
“That’s the similarity?”
“She lives alone, I’m happy alone.”
“You won’t be alone if you’re with her,” Simon pointed out. “Isn’t that kind of defeating the purpose?”
“Nope.”
Simon’s eyes gleamed. “Just doesn’t seem right.”
“That’s what I thought when I first saw you with my sister, and yet look where you are now. Married. Life is full of surprises.” He peered at Simon. “Not all of them pleasant.”
“Aw, you love me. You just don’t want to admit it.”
Moz grunted.
“I love you like a brother.”
“No, you fear me. You love my cooking.”
“I don’t fear you, man. Your sister would be upset if you hit me, and you don’t want to upset your sister. Hence you won’t hit me so I don’t fear you.”
In a twisted way that was true. “Lucky you have my sister to hide behind.”
“You don’t want to know what I do behind your sister.” Reaching out, Simon snagged Elissa around the waist and hauled her back up against him while grinning wickedly at Moz.
“Simon!” She smacked his hand but Moz noticed she made no move to pull away.
In fact, she giggled. Jesus, his sister giggled. She’d never giggled until she met this redheaded fireman. He made her giggle, made her happy, and for that Moz liked him. Yep, life was full of surprises.
“You say one more word and my sister will be a widow.” Moz made for the doorway.
“Hang on.” Elissa started forward. “About Del-”
“Sweetheart, your brother has a hot date with a blondie. Leave him alone.”
Sometimes Simon had a good heart.
“You can drill Del tomorrow for details.”
And sometimes Simon was an arsehole.
Grinning, Moz walked out, leaving Elissa calling out behind him, only to hear her yell turn into a squeal, another giggle and then silence that told a whole lot.
Gah, his sister was in there swapping spit with the firie. So wrong.
Shaking his head, Moz got into the car, starting the engine. Looking up, his gaze caught on the bedroom window to see Mozart sitting there watching him and meowing, his paw trying to scratch a way through the glass. He really had to find a place of his own. He couldn’t leave Mozart there much longer. He might have to take Julia Preston up on her offer and have Mozart at the boarding house in his room. But then he wouldn’t have the run of the house for several hours a day like he did at Simon and Elissa’s when Arthur was outside.
Feeling a little at a loss, Moz pulled out of the driveway and onto the road.
At the boarding house he greeted Julia cheerfully before heading for his room. A quick shower, a dodging of the simpering married woman who eyed him hungrily as he exited the bathroom with his towel over his arm, a quick dress in slacks and a button-up shirt and he was ready to go.
Rolling up his sleeves, he checked his wallet for cash and card, and sighed at the sight of the condom tucked optimistically in the little pocket. No using that condom tonight, or tomorrow night, or basically until Del was ready. Hopefully she’d be ready before his palms got hairy. That was never a good look. All he had to do was remember how she’d felt around him, all hot and tight and wet, how hotly she’d looked up at him, how sweet she’d tasted and he was ready for action. Unfortunately, that meant a hand job if he got too carried away with memories.
Holy cow, had it only been last night and he was already thinking like this? He really was a sad sap.
Leaving the room, he stopped to squat down and pat Oscar, Julia’s big, grey, green-eyed cat. Sprawled out on the hall runner, Oscar took the pat as his due, purring and looking up at him out of eyes slitted in pleasure.
Julia appeared in the dining room doorway, apron tied around her waist, pleasant face happy to see him. “Sure you don’t want me to put some dinner aside for you, dear?”
“Thanks, but no. Like I said, I’m having dinner at the pub tonight.”
“You have a lovely time. Got your keys?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“I’ll leave the front light on for you.”
He pushed to his feet. “No need, I’ll be fine.”
She tsked. “Now don’t be silly. I just want to make sure you get home safely.”
Man, Julia Preston was one mother hen. He’d seen her be like this with several of the guests. Not all, but certain ones. Apparently he came under that heading, because she had set out to mother him from the day he’d first set foot in her boarding house.
“Now when are you going to be bringing your cat here, son?” she asked earnestly.
“I’m kind of thinking about it, Mrs Preston.” He resisted tacking on ‘Mum’ to the end of the reply.
“Call me Julia, dear,” she said automatically. “Now you know he’s welcome to stay in your room.”
“Thanks.” He glanced at his watch. “I better go.”
She strode up to him, placing her hand on his back as she moved beside him to the front door. “Now you drive carefully. Don’t drink too much, all right? You have too much, you get a taxi home.”
Wow, his own mother had never worried about him as much as Scott’s mother did. “I don’t drink much anyway, Julia, so it’s all good.”
“Good boy.” She actually stood on the veranda, the tea towel in her hands as she watched him go down the steps and stride across to where his car was parked on the side.
He couldn’t help but smile when she waved him off. In the rear view mirror he saw her go back inside the boarding house. Man, Scott was one lucky bloke to have a mother like Julia.
His own mother was as cold as a fish and as uncaring as a rock of salt.
Didn’t matter now, he was here, Elissa was happy, he had some friends and a job he liked. And now he had a date with a cute little blonde.
Yep, life had some real great surprises.
Getting out of the car in Del’s driveway, he saw her come out the door, turning to lock it securely. Moving to the other side of the car, he opened the passenger door and leaned on it, watching her come down
the steps.
Pretty as a picture. Blonde hair in a high ponytail, pale blue, sleeveless shift dress, white sandals with a medium heel and a small bag slung over her shoulder by a thin strap. Wristwatch as usual on her wrist, no other jewellery. As she came closer, he noticed that her lips were pinker with lipstick. Those long, thick eyelashes didn’t need emphasizing. The only other thing she wore was a light perfume that tantalised his senses.
Del stopped on the other side of the door, one fine eyebrow arching up. “Aren’t you being the gentleman.”
“You think you should be opening the door for me?”
“No, I’m just taking it all in.”
“I always open a door for the ladies.”
“Dee says I’m no lady.”
“Are there certain places you’re not a lady?” His mind was already conjuring up fantasies.
“Maybe we should just eat,” she said dryly.
His gaze swept over her. “Eating is a great idea.”
“Food. Eating food.”
Leaning over the door, he dropped a kiss on her lips. Mmm, those lips were soft and warm, silky and plump. Even better, those lips moved seductively against his in turn.
Lifting his head, he saw the faint pink blush in her cheeks. “Hi.”
“Hi yourself.”
He smiled. “Hungry?”
“You bet. I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.”
Nope, no false pretences with Del.
“Though maybe that’s not the best thing to say to the local RSPCA inspector,” she added.
Stepping back, he made room for her to pass him. “I’ll forgive you just this once. See you don’t do it again.”
“What if I do?”
“Try me and see.” Please, try me and see.
She paused in the act of sliding into the seat, studied his face and shook her head. “Not the wisest idea right now, I’m thinking.”
“Really? I’m disappointed.” She had no idea how much.
Grinning, Del placed her feet inside and reached for the seatbelt. “I’m sure you’ll bear up under the stress of it.”
To be truthful, he’d wondered if she’d feel awkward in his presence after last night, but Del chatted pleasantly, seemingly perfectly at ease beside him. Was it because he was willing to wait? Did she trust him that much? He glanced sideways at her. It was true she really didn’t know him that well. Well, she kind of knew him in a very lusty, earthy way, but apart from that, no.
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