Passionate Kisses 2 Boxed Set: Love in Bloom

by Magda Alexander

  He turned off the light and shut the bathroom door behind him, so Addison didn’t sneak in there. “It’s not Elliot. He’s doing great, actually.” Great with Grace. Far better than Rally at the moment. Rally didn’t have room for a relationship. For a woman in his house. His heart. Or his daughter’s life. Hell no. But Grace was only a few blocks away and who knew how long she’d be in town before heading back to California? This might be his only chance to see her outside of the gym. Elliot had extended the invitation to him, too.

  His mom tried getting Addison’s attention back on the blocks by stacking them and knocking them over herself. Addison didn’t even look in Mom’s direction as she threw her board books out of the basket in the corner.

  “Hey, Mom? Do you want to have dinner with Addison tonight? I’m headed to Elliot’s for a few.”

  His mom stood and scooped a squirmy Addison into her arms. “Of course I will have dinner with this trouble-maker. Having a break will do you some good.”

  “I think you’re right, Mom. Thanks a bunch, by the way.” He bent to kiss his mom on her forehead.

  “Love you. Take your time and tell Elliot I send my love.”

  Rally tossed a quick wave over his shoulder as he headed to the garage. In minutes, less than five if he didn’t follow the traffic laws, he’d be seeing Grace again. His breath caught in his chest. Rally told Elliot he wasn’t coming over. What was he going to say when he showed up? Sorry, bud, but I don’t trust you with Grace? Sorry, Elliot, but I don’t want you alone with Grace? I know I told you to date her, but I want her for myself? None of those sounded right. He wouldn’t be right if he said those things even though he felt them. He slammed his foot down on the gas, looked both ways at the stop sign and without any view of oncoming traffic, he flew through the intersection. One more street and then he’d be at Elliot’s house.

  “I can’t believe I’m doing this,” he growled as he eased up on the speed and turned onto Hamilton Street. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the steering wheel with both hands. What were they doing right now? He let go of the steering wheel with one hand and smacked it, trying to get some sense in himself. It didn’t matter a damned bit what Elliot was doing with her. Grace didn’t belong to Rally. Not now or ever.

  A light blue, older style Buick was parked in front of Elliot’s house. That had to be her car. He’d figured her to drive a sensible, inexpensive car such as that. The year, an early 2000 model, didn’t surprise him either. He could put money down that she wouldn’t be surprised to find him pulling up in a brand new BMW sport’s car. After parking behind Grace’s vehicle, he grabbed the plastic wrapped banana bread from the passenger seat, climbed out and locked the door behind him. He paused a moment to stare up at Elliot’s two story Colonel home that he lived alone in. Slipping his hands into his back pockets, he rocked back on his heels and glanced up at the threatening clouds above. Good thing it hadn’t rained yet. He walked up the driveway in the direction of Elliot’s front porch when a loud feminine laugh rang out into the evening’s chilly air. His feet stopped walking, his lungs stopped breathing for a second at the sound of her happiness. Such a wonderful noise.

  And they were in the backyard.

  Rally made his way around the corner of the house and followed the noise coming from Elliot’s patio. Once at the large, wood privacy fence, he reached over the top and pulled on the latch to let himself him. The polite side of him wanted to call out to Elliot and Grace to let them know in advance that he was joining the dinner date. But most of him didn’t want to, so he shut the gate behind him, the damp grass squishing underneath his athletic shoes. He stopped and glanced down at his clothes. Damn. He hadn’t even taken the time to change out of his athletic pants and t-shirt. And he looked like a bum. At least this way she might think that he actually came to hang out with Elliot instead of spending time with her. One more corner turned and he was in the back yard with them.

  Rally’s glare locked with Elliot’s, pulling his best friend to his feet. Elliot shoved his chair back and walked around the table. “Hey, brother,” Elliot said.

  Grace jerked her attention to him, her face lighting up the second she laid her eyes on Rally.

  “Mom made you some bread and sends her love.” Rally made the stiffness etched in the corners of his mouth go away and then relaxed his shoulders as he strode across the remaining part of the squishy yard to the covered patio. A barbeque grill sat on the edge of the patio, letting the charcoal mingle with the flakes of meat crusted on the grill rack, and seasonings into the air. His stomach growled. “I hope you saved some for me.”

  Elliot shot Grace a quick glance and shrugged. “I invited him, too, but he said he was busy tonight.” He turned back to Rally. “I guess you found some time.”

  Her smile grew. “Join us. I’m glad you made it.”

  Was she really? As he got closer to her, he noticed that all of her swelling had gone down in her face. Her nose had changed colors since the restaurant in Vegas, but it didn’t detract from the twinkle in her eyes. He’d seen her in the gym but always from a distance. Right now he could pull her into an embrace, or smell the scent of her perfume, something flowery. If only he had the guts to reach out and touch a strand of her blonde hair. What the fuck was wrong with him?

  Elliot patted his shoulder. “Glad to see you. I grilled an extra steak, just in case. Glad I did. Want some veggies, too? Baked potato?”

  Rally laughed as he handed him the loaf of bread. “Seriously? You made something that grows in the ground?”

  Grace let out a soft laughed as she settled back in her chair. “Junk food fiend, huh?” She winked at Elliot. Such a simple, innocent gesture sent jealousy raging through Rally like a pissed off bull.

  Without sitting down, Elliot put a hand up in a mock surrender. “You got me.”

  Rally cocked his head toward the sliding glass door. “I’ll just help myself?” Getting his own food was no big deal. He knew where everything was located in Elliot’s kitchen, and vice versa.

  Elliot shook his head at Rally. “You’re the guest. Sit and I will grab your plate in a minute.” He turned his attention back to Grace as Rally took his seat as far from Grace as he could get at the stone-topped patio table. Elliot turned the conversation back to Grace, saying, “There’s no way you like junk food. Not with that figure.” On that note, he turned toward the door.

  Rally cringed at Elliot’s comment. Fuck, this was torture. How could he sit here and listen to his best friend hit on Grace? Rally wanted to be flirting with her, to have normal conversations with her, to get to know her better. Elliot had that opportunity and was running with it.

  Grace made eye contact and took a sip of her beer. After setting the glass down, she said, “Elliot’s a good cook.”

  Rally nodded. “Sure is. I didn’t want to pass up dinner with you…” he caught what he was saying after the words tumbled out. To correct himself, he said, “with you guys. Hope you don’t mind.”

  Her gaze locked on his, drinking him in. “I’m glad you came.”

  Something happened inside of him, something he didn’t have the ability to identify. A tightness in his chest, a flutter in his gut. For the first time that night, he let out a small smile. “Really?”

  “Definitely.” The way she kept her eyes trained on him was much better than the wink she gave Elliot earlier.

  The sliding door opened. Elliot, carrying a plate full of food in one hand and three more beers tucked under his arm, stepped out. Rally jumped to his feet to assist Elliot. He grabbed two of the beers and his dinner.

  “Thanks, bro,” Elliot said, shutting the door with his free hand.

  “Any time. Thanks for inviting me over. This looks great.” Rally reclaimed his spot at the table and slid the steak knife through the tender meat before plopping it into his mouth. Perfect amount of spices mixed with the beef soaked into his pallet. “This is so good,” he said.

  Elliot had only eaten a quarter of his food before Rally
’s arrival. He sat back down but didn’t pick up his fork. Instead, Elliot said, “So tell me about your favorite junk food that I know you don’t eat.”

  “Everyone has a vice. I happen to love ice cream,” Grace said.

  Elliot chuckled. “No way. I’m not buying it.”

  She punctuated a giggle with a nod. “Seriously. When something bad happens I only want ice cream. See my nose?” She pointed at the faint bruises tarnishing her cheeks. “On the night this happened, I stopped by my hotel’s minimart and grabbed some. That’s all I ate that night before I went to bad. I’m surprised I don’t weight two hundred pounds because it’s been a really shitty month.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Rally said.

  “Things will get better. What’s your favorite bit of junk to eat?” She picked up her fork and scooped out a chunk of baked potato.

  “Chips and beer. Love potato chips. I almost added them to tonight’s menu.” Elliot chuckled before taking a swig of beer, the frost ran down the brown bottle and dropped onto the table. He wiped his mouth on the back of his long sleeved t-shirt and probably held in a burp to go with the rest of his delightful manners.

  “So, Grace, have you been able to see anything around Portland? Besides the gym, of course,” Rally said.

  She shook her head. “Only the gym, my hotel, and now Elliot’s house. Beautiful home, by the way. We don’t have many like these in California.”

  “Thanks. California, huh? What part?” He finally started eating now that Rally was almost done.

  “The not so fancy part of Las Angeles.”

  Before Rally could stop himself from asking, he said, “You have to experience Portland while you are here. Let’s-”

  At the same time as Rally was going to ask if she wanted him to show her the popular sights in the area, Elliot interrupted with, “We should go out.” Trying to get Elliot to shut up, Rally nudged Elliot’s leg with his foot. Elliot turned to him, “What?”

  “Nothing,” he grumbled in response. Rally tensed his shoulders and picked up his beer. What now? He didn’t even get the chance to finish his question. He wanted to take her out, but if she picked Elliot then he’d have to be supportive. Rally would have to stand by and watch his best friend date the woman Rally wanted with every single part of his body. And it’s all his fault because he told Elliot to date Grace. He took a quick drink and set the bottle down with a little too much force, making the glass clank against the table and beer spattering from the top.

  “That’s nice of you, Elliot.” She turned to Rally. “But what were you going to say, Rally?”

  “Tomorrow is my rest day from the gym, but I usually go for a run. Want to join me? We can go for a bite to eat or see some sights downtown, if you want.” He hadn’t asked a woman out in so long and the last time didn’t count because that was only meant to be a one-night-stand. They’d never really dated. Did he sound stupid to Grace? Was his suggestion good enough?

  She took a sip of her beer, her thin fingers with light pink manicured nails wrapped around the bottle. Her eyes didn’t leave his as she drank. His heart pounded in his chest as he waited for her answer. One word had the power to change everything. One simple yes and his whole life might change. A crushing no wasn’t anything he wanted. She lowered the bottle a few inches.

  “I’d love to go on a run with you tomorrow. I haven’t worked out since before my trip to Las Vegas. Take it easy on me?”

  Her eyes burned into his and he found the strength in him to stare right back at her without pulling away, something he never thought would happen an hour ago. “Of course I will take it easy on you.”

  Her lips formed into a smile as she raised the bottle to her lips again. Just then a spider dropped an inch above her head, the movement caught his eye. The small spider’s legs worked their way down the web, closer to her. Before he even had time to get to his feet, the spider landed on the top of her head. He hurried around the table.

  “Hold still,” he said as he went to her side.

  The bottle froze against her lips as she looked up with wide eyes. He swooped his hand through the silky strands of her blonde highlighted hair. “Just a little spider,” he said.

  She screeched as she flew up from the chair, shaking the table and making the bottle slip right out from her hand, landing on the concrete panel. The thick glass didn’t break but enough beer splashed up the legs of Rally’s pants. The waterproof material making the liquid bubble and then drip down both legs. He turned his attention back to the spider he hadn’t caught yet.

  “Hold still,” he said in a low voice. Her body radiated heat and he was so close to her that he could smell her shampoo, something flowery with a hint of fruit. Wouldn’t it be nice to just pull her into his arms and hold her until her fear of the small arachnid disappeared? He cupped his hands and slid his fingers through her hair again and again until he felt the small tingles of the insect crawling over his skin. He pulled his hands away and splayed his fingers, letting the spider hang down from its web.

  “Got it,” he said, taking the spider to the edge of the patio and wiping the web from his fingers.

  She turned to him, her hand over her mouth. “Look at your pants.” She grabbed two napkins from under her plate and hurried to him. “Thanks for saving me though.”

  He chuckled as she knelt in front of him. “Absolutely. That ferocious spider was surely planning to eat you for dessert. Did you see the fangs on him?”

  She slid the napkins over his legs, letting her hand pause a little longer than necessary near his knee before moving to the other leg. “Very funny.”

  “Need a towel?” asked Elliot.

  Rally jerked his gaze up to his friend. Damn, he’d been so wrapped up in Grace that he’d forgotten Elliot was sitting at the table with them. “It’s not that bad and it looks like she has it taken care of.”

  “Sure do,” she said. Grace stood up but didn’t turn back to the table, staying close enough for him to reach out to her. If only he had the nerve to do it, which would never happen in front of Elliot.

  He broke eye contact to thank Elliot again for dinner, and then said, “I need to be heading home.”

  Elliot bumped knuckles with Rally. “Thanks for stopping by.”

  She turned toward the gate. “I’ll walk you to your car then.”

  They crossed the yard in silence. When they reached the gate, Rally unlatched it and held it open for her to walk through. He let it swing shut behind him. He wanted to talk to her now that they were alone but the words escaped him. This was all so new. With Stella, everything was about sex in the beginning and loved her after. Grace was different. He liked her beyond sex. He shook his head. Get it together, man.

  “Looks like rain,” he said, glancing at the cloud covered sky.

  “Will we skip running if it does?” Disappointment dripped from her words.

  “Not a chance. You don’t melt, do you?” he asked.

  She giggled. “No way.”

  “Just asking because most Californians do.” He offered a smile.

  They reached his car and he didn’t make any motion to open the door. Instead, he turned and leaned against the black vehicle. He let his gaze roam over her face, trying not to flinch when he made his way to her bruises and drawn in to the excitement playing in the greens of her eyes. “I know I said I was sorry about your nose, but I have to say it again.”

  Her hand went up to the discolored area. “It’s a lot better. I’ll be good as new in no time.”

  He checked out her sweater that was tight in all the right places and moved down to her snug jeans. “Did you find a replacement outfit yet?”

  She shook her head. “I haven’t had time but will soon. Probably while I’m still in Portland. You know, if you hadn’t hit me in the face with the door, we wouldn’t have met.”

  “Probably not.”

  She took a step closer to him. “And that would be bad.”

  “Really bad.” He stared at her lips,
wondering what they felt like against his. He wanted to taste them. Not now. Tomorrow might be a better time. “What time should I pick you up?”

  “Ten?” She slid her fingers through her shoulder length hair. Did he make her as nervous as she made him? How? She was a reporter and used to talking to everyone.

  “Perfect.” His phone beeped, indicating a text message. Probably his mom since he’d been gone a lot longer than planned. He’d just wanted to stop in for a minute or two and go back home with Addison. “I gotta get going.”

  “I should be, too.”

  Neither took a step toward their cars. Their eyes stayed fixed on each other. She moved her fingers from twirling a strand of hair to entwining her fingers in front of her abdomen. His gut swirled with anticipation of what came next, but his brain screamed, “No!” There was a text message and he needed to go. But she was only here for a while and he didn’t want to go back to the quietness of his house. The loneliness. Wait! Since when had he been lonely? Since she walked into his life outside of that ring in Las Vegas. No matter how much he wanted her, a relationship was still out of the cards.

  He moved closer to her, his hand reaching out for her waist. Would she pull away when he touched her? A part of him wished she declined the intimacy initiated. His heart pounded and his palm turned clammy. He moved closer. “Did I tell you that you look great tonight?”

  “You didn’t.” Her mouth was only inches from his. His hand the same distance away from the curve of her hip.

  And then his phone jingled in his pocket, jerking him back. “Damn. I gotta go. Really.” He reached behind him and fumbled with the door handle.

  “See you tomorrow morning. I’m staying downtown at the Garden Grove Hotel on Morrison.” Without another second passing by, she turned toward her car.

  Rally wanted to savor the moment with her, but instead, yanked his phone out. “Hey, Mom. Is everything okay?” Mom never checked up on him.

  “Just seeing how things are going. You’ve been gone a while and were distracted before you left.”

  Jeez, he sure lucked out in the Mom department. Always in his corner in life. Maybe she could give him some insight on the Grace situation. “If you have time, we’ll sit and talk about it when I get home. I’m on my way now.”