Nora's Guy Next Door

by Jo McNally

  Nora stepped between the two men, who both towered over her.

  “Okay, now I’m the one saying that’s enough.” She put her hand on Asher’s chest and gently pushed him back. “Why don’t we all take a deep breath here before we say something unforgivable? I’m starting to think tonight isn’t a good time for this discussion.” She looked at Becky, whose eyes were shining with unshed tears. “I know you’re confused, honey. Believe me, I’m a little confused, too. This wasn’t in my plans.” She turned to Michael. “I know you’re mad at your father, but what’s going on with Asher and me is not about you or Becky. He and I are two adults who are attracted to each other...”

  “Eww.” Becky’s face scrunched up so much that Asher almost laughed out loud. But he was smart enough to know that would be a bad idea.

  Nora fixed her daughter with a hard look. “That’s pretty much the way I felt when I found out about you and Michael. I’ve done my best to respect your feelings. I’m asking the same in return.”

  Michael shook his head. “You don’t know him, Nora. He’ll hurt you.”

  Asher’s teeth ground together in frustration. He wanted to deny it, but his son was right.

  “Maybe. Or maybe I’ll hurt him. That’s how it works in relationships. I’m a grown woman, Michael, and I’ve been hurt before. I can take it.” She nodded toward the Jeep. “But right now it’s late and cold and you need to take care of my daughter. Give me and your dad a little time to figure out what we’re doing, okay?”

  “Mom, this is so messed up! He hates me...”

  “I never said that, Becky.” Everyone looked at him in surprise, and he realized he’d never before called her by name. This was a day full of firsts. “I don’t hate you. I don’t want you marrying my son, but it’s not because I hate you.” He paused, surprised that he couldn’t remember what his reasoning was for a moment. Then he saw her hand resting on her stomach. Oh, yeah. Fear. That was why. “Your mom is right. This isn’t the time or the place for this discussion.”

  Michael lowered his head and said something into Becky’s ear. She took a deep breath and nodded. He looked up and draped his arm around Becky’s shoulders. “Nora, let me know when you want to talk.”

  As they walked away, Asher swallowed hard, absorbing the sting of being dismissed by his only remaining child. A whisper of doubt rose in his mind. Was he doing the right thing for his son? Was he wrong to want to protect him? And what the hell was he doing with Nora? How much more tangled could this situation get?

  “Well, that was fun.” Nora’s sarcasm broke through his scrambled thoughts.

  “Yeah. Lots of fun.” He looked down at her. She was chewing on her lower lip, watching them drive away. He knew one surefire way to forget about their children. And it involved having Nora in his bed. He ran his lips along the curve of her ear and down her neck, smiling when she trembled. “I know where we can have some fun, though. Why don’t you come up to my place?”

  She pulled away, not meeting his gaze.

  “Nora?” She held up her hands to keep him from tugging her back into his arms.

  “Asher, our children are having a baby together. For us to start seeing each other is just adding fuel to an inferno, and I don’t know how much more stress our families can handle. And how would it look to everyone else? You and I have businesses in this town. I need to think, and it’s late, so... I’ll catch up with you tomorrow, okay?”

  He wanted to argue, but damn it, she was right. The two of them together would be a mess. And he didn’t want to talk Nora into something that would only end up hurting her in the long run. So he nodded.

  “Okay. If that’s what you want.” He followed her up the stairs to the outdoor landing and watched her slide her key into the lock and open her door. She turned to him and started to say something, but he was kissing her before she had the chance. The kiss was deep, but tender, too, and she melted into his arms. He took one last, long taste of her and stepped back, cupping her face with his hands.

  “Going to bed alone is not what I want, Nora. But we probably both need some space. You pried open a lot of locked-up places inside my head today, and I need to sort it all out.”

  “No matter where you and I end up, holding all of that inside is bad for you.” She gave him a soft smile. “Did I just sound like a greeting card again?”

  He chuckled and kissed her forehead.

  “Yes. Good night, Nora. Today was...a revelation, in a lot of ways. You were amazing. And, right or wrong, I don’t think I’m done with you.”

  He left her standing there, bathed in the warm light from her apartment, and went to his place, which felt more empty than ever.

  * * *

  BECKY DIDN’T COME to work the next day. Nora wasn’t exactly surprised, but it made for an extra busy Sunday morning. It didn’t help that she’d had very little sleep the night before, as she lay awake and wondered what Asher was thinking about, knowing he was probably lying awake wondering the same about her.

  I don’t think I’m done with you.

  Those words were on a repeating loop in her head. And then there was Cathy, who winked and giggled every time she looked at Nora.

  “I knew it! I knew there was something between you two!”

  Nora heard those words repeated at least a dozen times in the first three hours of business. She refused to acknowledge them with anything more than a roll of her eyes, and that just made Cathy laugh harder. Every time a customer gave Nora more than a passing glance, she’d burned with embarrassment, fearing the whole town somehow already knew she’d slept with the business owner next door. When the Sunday crowd slowed to a point where they could breathe and restock the counter, Nora finally responded to Cathy.

  “How could you possibly know something I didn’t even know?”

  “Get real, Nora. When you two are in the same room, little lightning bolts flicker all around you. He ran to your rescue when there was a spider in your place, and that guy hates spiders more than any man I’ve ever met! You spent an entire night nursing him when he was sick. And then you kissed the man. And now you’re telling me you had no idea you two had chemistry?”

  Nora sighed. Cathy was right, of course. All the signs had been there.

  “And judging from that dreamy look in your eyes, I’m guessing there was more than just chemistry happening on the mountain yesterday.”

  Nora’s whole body lit up just thinking about herself and Asher on the floor in front of the hearth. Yeah, that was more than just chemistry.

  “I’d like to know the answer to that, too.”

  Nora turned to find Amanda standing at the counter, wearing a grin that ran from ear to ear. She really had to do something about the acoustics in this place, since every conversation she had here was overheard by someone.

  Amanda beckoned her with a crooked finger. “Pour two coffees and come sit with me, cuz.”

  There was no point in stalling, so she did as requested and followed her cousin across the shop. Amanda had pulled her hair up into the high ponytail she often wore, tied with a pink ribbon that matched her sweater. She and Amanda were both petite, but Amanda always looked like a little pixie with her baby blue eyes, wide smile and wild blond curls, while Nora just felt short. It was more than just the nine-year age difference. Amanda glowed with...life. The customers in the shop nodded and waved to her, asking about Zachary and Maddie.

  For a woman who had been so traumatized by her youth that she’d once had a hard time being in public without experiencing a panic attack, Amanda had blossomed into a new woman after meeting Blake Randall. Nora felt dull in comparison and wondered what changes love might bring to her life—if she ever found it.

  They sat at the corner table closest to the window and farthest from Cathy’s curious ears.

  “So you slept with the guy?”

&n
bsp; Nora’s cheeks burned. “Why don’t you just put it on a billboard?”

  Unperturbed, Amanda sipped her coffee. “Spill it, girl.”

  So Nora spilled. The argument with the kids. The drive to the mountain house. And even the sex, although she didn’t share every little detail of that. She was pretty sure Amanda could read the details in her voice and face. When she got to the confrontation with Michael and Becky last night, her cousin’s eyes were wide, her coffee forgotten and cold.

  “Wow. I might need a cigarette after that story, and I don’t even smoke. Holy shit, Nora. You’re the sensible one among us. You can’t walk across the street without having a written plan for how you’ll do it.”

  Amanda’s hands were moving through the air to punctuate each word. “I mean, I expected Bree to fall hard for someone like Cole, who’s just as fierce as she is. And Melanie...well, who knows who Melanie might find, if she ever slows down long enough. But you? I thought for sure after that asshat you were married to, you’d be looking for some nice predictable man. But, no, you fall for Hot Produce Guy! Even after you find out he’s Michael’s dad, you...”

  Amanda leaned forward and dropped her voice to a whisper. “You made love with him on the floor! I mean, I’m all for floor sex, but I never imagined you...”

  “I’m forty, Amanda, not dead.”

  “Hey, don’t get me wrong—I fully intend to be jumping Blake’s bones on the floor every chance I get until I’m too old to get down there. I just...” Amanda sat back, shaking her head. “You know what? You’re right. Why wouldn’t you want floor sex with Hot Produce Guy?”

  Nora couldn’t help but smile. “It was amazing, but our kids are engaged to each other, for God’s sake. What will people think? Just because it was great floor sex doesn’t mean it should happen more than once.” Amanda didn’t answer, her focus on some spot over Nora’s right shoulder. Was it Cathy behind her? Blake? Becky?

  Warm breath slid across her ear, sending chills down her spine that combusted into fire as Asher spoke so quietly she could barely hear him.

  “Great floor sex should always happen more than once, Nora.”

  Face burning, she wondered who else had heard her comments, but a quick glance told her the tables around them were blessedly empty. She fixed her gaze back on Amanda.

  “Thanks for the heads-up, cuz.”

  Amanda grinned. “What can I say? I’m a sucker for floor sex.” She stood and her smile faded as she pointed a finger at Asher. “I know where you live, pal. I haven’t decided yet if you deserve her, but I do know you’ll regret it if you hurt her.” She started walking past him, then stopped. Her voice softened. “And seriously, Asher, you have a great son. Quit being such a jerk to him.”

  “I’m not...”

  But Amanda was gone before Asher could finish. Nora gestured for Asher to sit, but he shook his head.

  “I don’t want to feed the small-town gossip mill any more than we already have.”

  She glanced outside, where the sidewalks were getting busier as people left church and came downtown on what was turning into a rare sunny March day.

  “Have you had lunch? I have sandwich fixings upstairs.”

  He hesitated. “The shop’s open. I just came over for a quick coffee and to see if you were okay. I already missed a business day yesterday...” Their eyes met, and just like that, they were both laughing.

  Two women came into the café and shot them a curious glance before going to order their coffee, heads together and whispering. Yeah, they needed to get out of here.

  “Why don’t I deliver lunch to you? Your shop has less traffic than mine.”

  Another hesitation made her wonder where his head had taken him last night. Then he nodded.

  “The back door’s open if you want to come in that way.”

  “And avoid the gossips?”

  “I know that’s important to you.”

  As brief as their conversation had been, they’d somehow managed to move so close to each other that Nora had to tip her head back to see his face. His gaze dropped to her mouth. They were standing in the middle of her café, in front of the windows, and she really, really wanted him to kiss her.

  More customers came in, breaking the moment. Cathy signaled that Asher’s coffee was on the corner of the counter, and he moved to get it, glancing over his shoulder at Nora.

  “See you in a few?” She could only nod, still reeling.

  Five minutes later, Cathy shooed her away after she asked if Cathy could handle the shop alone.

  “Go. I’ve got this.” She gave Nora an exaggerated wink. “Don’t get any sawdust in shady places—that stuff can be nasty!”

  So Nora went upstairs to get lunch for herself and Asher. Once the sandwiches were made, she packaged them up and headed down the back stairs to let herself into her neighbor’s shop. He was kneeling in front of a small cherry dresser, tapping on something inside the opening where a drawer should be. The drawer was sitting on the floor by his side. He nodded to acknowledge her, but his focus was on the piece of furniture in front of him. She busied herself with the sandwiches, adding a handful of chips to each paper plate and setting out bottled water.

  She hadn’t been in his shop since November, so she took advantage of his distraction to look around. Bright sunshine flooded the room and Gallant Lake was blazing blue across the road, beyond a small park. The smaller pieces of furniture at the front of the shop were beautiful, each unique yet functional. Some were modern and sleek, while others were sturdier arts and crafts style. An oak Morris chair was near the entrance, upholstered in dark green leather, and Nora ran her hand along the top of the cushion. The leather was butter soft, and she stroked it again.

  “I’m going to need you to stop doing that.” Asher’s voice sounded strained. He was standing nearby, and behind him she could see the dresser drawer was back in place. “If I have to watch you run your fingers across the leather with that dreamy look in your eyes too much longer, I can’t be responsible for my actions.”

  “Really?” She moved her hand across the cushion again, exaggerating the motion. “Right here in front of the window?”

  “Are you daring me? Because that would be a dangerous move.”

  “Dangerous for whom?”

  He took a step closer, then caught himself and shook his head with a crooked smile.

  “You’re a tease, Nora Bradford. You are a gold-plated, certified tease.” He turned away. “Let’s eat lunch before we both get into trouble.”

  The conversation was everyday normal while they ate—weather, business, small-town news. It was all terribly civilized and friendly, but the longer she spent sharing the same space with him, the more her body hummed with desire.

  His rough voice made her breath catch. His blue eyes caught hers and held them, and the conversation faded to silence. He reached out to brush her hair back behind her ear, and his fingers lingered there on her neck. They were leaning toward each other, and she hadn’t even realized it.

  “So did you figure out what to do with all those unlocked spaces in your head?” She did her best to sound unconcerned, but failed.

  “There’s a war going on inside there right now. I didn’t sleep much, trying to figure it all out, but the only conclusion I came to was this.” His hand cupped her face gently. “I should stay away from you, for a million valid reasons, but I can’t. And what about you? Did you figure out whether we’re worth the scandal?”

  She pushed that horrified voice of doubt into a dark corner of her brain. There had to be a way to make this work. Because right now, being with him was worth everything.

  “I...I think we should...um...take things slow. And I don’t think we need to publicize our...um...relationship...”

  “Slow works for me. And quiet, too.” His thumb brushed across her ch
eek. “When you blush like that, your cheeks turn into little roses, all pink and sweet. It makes me lose my concentration, and all I want to do is this.” He slid off the stool and stepped up to her. She parted her legs to let him come closer, and he pressed his body against hers. Then he kissed her—long and deep, slow and possessive—and she would have slid off her stool into a puddle on the floor if he hadn’t been gripping her shoulders and holding her upright. Good God, this man could kiss!

  The jingling of the bell over the shop door pulled them apart abruptly. She felt like a schoolgirl who’d been caught kissing the quarterback behind the bleachers.

  Dan Adams stood in the doorway, in uniform, wearing a wide grin.

  “Let me guess—Nora passed out and you decided she needed a little mouth-to-mouth?” Dan snapped his fingers. “No, I know what happened! She has a sore throat and you were checking her tonsils, right?”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  DAMN DAN AND his lousy timing. Asher stepped away from Nora. His body wasn’t happy about it, but his brain functioned more clearly when he wasn’t in her sexy little vortex. This place was his livelihood. He didn’t need to be kissing the Coffee Shop Lady during business hours. Thinking of her as the Coffee Shop Lady reminded him of something her cousin said earlier.

  “Hot Produce Guy?” He turned to Nora and watched her blush again. “Is that what you two called me when you were giggling about floor sex?”

  Dan clapped his hands over his ears. “Please, for the love of God, do not answer that question while I’m in the building! I’m just here to do a wellness check. Your families were worried about you both yesterday.”

  Asher couldn’t take his eyes off the pink in Nora’s cheeks. “That’s a pretty slow response time, Officer.”