Dinner First, Me Later?

by Candy Halliday

  “Don’t you worry, Kiwi,” Dani told the dog, even though she feared she knew the answer. “I’ll find a way to keep you. Don’t you worry about that.”

  But tears welled up in her eyes, thinking back over everything her grandmother had just said. Natta hadn’t changed one bit. When she did go back to LA, her life would go right back to Natta being in complete control, ignoring her most of the time, and flipping out if she did the unthinkable and got in her grandmother’s way.

  Dani pulled Kiwi closer to her.

  As much as Jake was a colossal pain in the butt, at least he was there for her. At least he was trying to make up for the time they’d spent apart. Even with all the stupid stuff he’d made her go through, like learning to do her own laundry and keeping up with her share of the housework, it hadn’t really been all that bad.

  Natta was never around.

  Natta’s life was all about Natta. Even when she wasn’t at the agency, her friends came first in her life, just like Carla’s friends had always come first with her. Or Natta was in bed all day getting her beauty rest with her gel-filled sleep mask over her eyes. Or Natta was zipping off to some elaborate spa to be “rejuvenated” as she called it.

  Dani tried to imagine Natta attending family night.

  She couldn’t.

  Not enough glam for Natta. Plus, Natta would rather die than be caught dead associating with a bunch of middle-class morons hanging out in their backyard. Just as Dani was sure her grandmother would die a thousand times over if she knew her only granddaughter happened to fit in quite nicely with the lowly middle class.

  Wiping at the tears, Dani sat up on the bed and rested her back against her headboard. She pulled Kiwi onto her lap and took a long look around her bedroom.

  She loved everything about this room.

  She loved her TV. Loved her computer that let her IM Hayley anytime she wanted. Loved the canopy bed, the large window seat in her bedroom window, and the whirlpool tub in her own private bath. The decorator Jake had hired hadn’t been lying. This really was the type of bedroom any teenage girl would want.

  And I never even thanked him, Dani thought sadly.

  But she would thank him. Before she went back to LA, she’d do the right thing. To heck with what Natta said. Before she left Woodberry Park, she would thank Jake for everything.

  Chapter 16

  On Saturday evening Jake found himself sitting on Rick and Zada’s back deck, enjoying the first official Woodberry Park family night. Joe and Rick were currently having a heated debate about NASCAR while they minded the hamburgers on the grill. Charlie sat on a chair next to Jake, watching intently while his spitting-image-of-her-mother daughter sat on the deck at his feet; little Sonya patiently trying to teach Kiwi to shake hands.

  And Jake was watching intently while Alicia and Danielle played a game of badminton against Tish and Joe’s red-haired demon twins, Mike and Mark. He grinned when Danielle smacked the birdie over the net. She squealed with delight when she made a point and immediately ran forward to give Alicia a victorious high-five.

  She was still grinning when she got back into position for the return serve. Until she looked over and saw Jake watching.

  Her happy smile instantly disappeared.

  Jake winced as her icy stare sliced through his heart.

  Danielle turned her back to him, her posture returning to her usual bored-to-tears stance. When she didn’t even bother trying to hit the birdie on the return serve, Jake got up from his chair and headed for Zada’s kitchen. If him watching meant Danielle wouldn’t allow herself to have any fun, he wouldn’t watch the game.

  He walked into the kitchen and found Tish and Jen busy at the kitchen island counter, arranging enough food to feed a small army. A glance toward the den off the kitchen found Zada sitting in a rocking chair, rocking and humming happily to the baby; the big dog, Simon, lying protectively beside Zada’s chair.

  Tish took one look at him and said, “Why the long face, Jake? Is this boring suburban family life starting to wear you down?”

  Zada heard the question and called out, “Poor Jake. Can you hear the bright lights and those firm, young starlet bodies calling your name?”

  Jake forced a laugh. “Nothing like that,” he assured them. “I just wanted to give Danielle her space. She seems to have a better time when I’m not around.”

  Tish said, “I’ll let you in on a little secret about women, Jake. When Dani decides she’s punished you enough, she’ll ease up.”

  Jake said, “I’m afraid to ask. But what are we talking here, Tish? Weeks, months, or years?”

  Tish laughed. “I’d say maybe another week or two.” She added, “And whether you realize it or not, you are making progress with Dani. When we were all over at Alicia’s pool with the kids earlier today, she seemed really pleased with herself that she’d learned to do her own laundry and was keeping up with her share of the housework.”

  Jen smiled and said, “I think Dani did refer to you as a slave driver a couple of times, Jake, but if you listened closely enough, you could hear the respect in her voice when she said it.”

  Jake laughed. “You’re kidding. Danielle told me she was keeping up with her hours so she could report my child labor abuse when the social worker makes her first visit.”

  Jen said, “You hang in there, Jake. Dani’s warming up to all of us. She even asked me for my lasagna recipe when I brought a pan of lasagna over to Alicia’s pool today for lunch. Dani said lasagna was her favorite.”

  “Really?” Jake said. “Is the recipe one even I could follow, Jen?”

  “Not you,” Jen said. “I’ve already promised Danielle we’ll make lasagna next week. I’m going to show her how to make it herself.”

  “Thanks,” Jake said. “And I mean that, ladies. I appreciate everything you’ve done for both of us.”

  Tish said, “Alicia is the one you should be thanking, Jake. She’s the one who’s brought Danielle out of her shell.”

  Jake didn’t miss the sharp warning look Jen gave Tish.

  “I’ll be sure and do that,” Jake said.

  Tish said, “I hope you do. I’d hate to think you and Alicia getting off to a bad start has left you jaded where she’s concerned. Alicia is a wonderful person.”

  This time, Jen elbowed Tish in the side.

  “I’m sure Alicia is a wonderful person,” Jake agreed.

  “Then, if you haven’t done so already, why don’t you ask her out?”

  “Tish!” Jen scolded.

  Tish looked over at Jen and frowned. “Well, I’m sorry. But it’s just plain silly to keep playing games. Jake and Alicia are both single, consenting adults. And if something is going on between them, I think they should . . .”

  “Mind your own business, Tish,” Zada called out from the den. She turned around in her chair to face them. “If Jake and Alicia have anything to tell us, they’ll tell us when they’re ready.”

  Tish purposely looked back at Jake. “Well? Do you have anything you want to tell us, Jake?”

  Tish frowned when her husband walked into the kitchen.

  But Jake felt like grabbing Joe and kissing him.

  “The burgers are ready,” Joe said innocently, unaware he’d just walked into a sticky situation. “Can you find me a platter or something to put them on, Babe?”

  Alicia hadn’t looked directly at Jake the entire evening. She didn’t dare. Not with Tish watching her every move. She also didn’t like the way Tish had been frowning at her all night.

  At least dinner was finally over.

  Everything had been cleaned up and put away. The kids were all watching a movie in the den. Baby Lizzie was upstairs fast asleep. And the guys were outside on Zada’s back deck, enjoying an after-dinner beer.

  If there was a better time to make an exit, Alicia didn’t know when it would be. She looked around Zada’s kitchen table where the four of them had gathered. She, Jen, and Tish sipping a glass of wine—Zada grumbling over her can’t-drink
-while-I’m-breast-feeding glass of ginger ale.

  “This has been a fun night,” Alicia said, which was a planned statement that was supposed to lead to her announcement that she was now heading home.

  She never got the chance.

  Jake walked into the kitchen unexpectedly and looked directly at her. “Can I see you for a second, Alicia?”

  What?

  Are you crazy?

  Don’t you dare single me out like this!

  Alicia managed to keep her cool, left her chair, and reluctantly followed Jake into Zada’s adjoining dining room. She could feel Tish’s eyes on her back with every step she took. As soon as she walked into the dining room, Jake positioned himself in front of her and conveniently turned his back to their curious neighbors who were all three watching them now from the kitchen.

  “Look directly at me,” he said too low for anyone to hear, “and nod and smile.”

  Alicia did as she was told.

  “And when you go back to the kitchen you tell them that Tish pointed out that I hadn’t thought to thank you for being so nice to Danielle. Okay?”

  “Okay,” Alicia said, still looking straight at him.

  He whispered, “Do you know how hard it’s been not being able to even talk to you tonight?”

  Alicia whispered back, “Yes. I feel the same way.”

  He grinned and whispered, “And do you know how much I’m looking forward to when I will be able to talk to you tonight?”

  Alicia smiled and whispered, “Are you going to be bad the way I like you?”

  “Guaranteed,” Jake said.

  Jake walked back outside.

  Alicia walked back to the kitchen table.

  When she took her seat, Tish said, “Please tell me Jake wants you to go ahead and admit that you guys are seeing each other.”

  Alicia laughed. “What on earth are you talking about? Jake took me into the dining room so he could thank me privately for being so nice to Danielle. He said you were the one who pointed out that he hadn’t done that, Tish.”

  “Oh,” Tish said, flushing slightly.

  Alicia said, “Jake didn’t have to thank me because I adore Dani. But it was nice of you to be concerned about my feelings, Tish. Thank you.”

  Jen and Zada both burst out laughing.

  Tish glared at both of them.

  Chapter 17

  When Alicia answered the phone at midnight on Saturday night, Jake said, “It’s fantasy night. What are you going to do about it?”

  Alicia said, “I’m going to tell you a bedtime fantasy story.”

  “How appropriate,” Jake teased, “since I’m already in bed now.”

  “Ready for your bedtime story?”

  “Oh, yeah,” was Jake’s reply.

  “Once upon a time in the Kingdom of Woodberry Park,” Alicia began, “there lived a sad princess who had been disillusioned by men her entire life.”

  Jake broke in and said, “Just one thing. This is going to be an X-rated bedtime fantasy story. Right?”

  “Hush and listen,” Alicia told him.

  She continued. “Even the one handsome knight that the princess had allowed herself to fantasize about in the past had sorely disappointed her. The sad princess decides her handsome knight is nothing more than a self-absorbed, womanizing rake. She vows to forget him forever.”

  “Ouch,” Jake mumbled. “A comment like that could pierce any knight’s armor.”

  Alicia said, “So disillusioned is the poor princess that she builds a strong fortress around her castle in Woodberry Park. Throughout the kingdom everyone knows the princess has vowed she will never allow herself to be disappointed by another man again. The villagers call her the Ice Princess because of her sad, frozen heart.”

  Jake broke in and said, “Maybe I should take the story from here.” He cleared his throat playfully several times. “However,” he began, “the Ice Princess is completely wrong about her fantasy knight being a self-absorbed, womanizing rake. The truth is, he’s really a knight-in-shining-armor kind of guy.”

  “Really?” Alicia teased.

  “Really,” Jake said. “And when a twist of fate lands the knight in the Kingdom of Woodberry Park he catches his first glimpse of the beautiful princess when she takes a short trip to a villager’s house just outside her fortress wall. The second he sees the princess, the knight knows he has to have her for himself.”

  Alicia smiled. “Oh, he knows that, does he?”

  “He does,” Jake said. “And one night as the lonely knight finds himself standing outside the princess’s castle, he can see the candlelight flickering from the princess’s upstairs bedroom window. The brave knight decides he has to see her one more time. He scales the wall and sneaks into the castle.”

  “Ha!” Alicia said. “He sure sounds like a rake to me. A knight in shining armor would never sneak into a princess’s castle without being invited.”

  “He would if he were a knight on a mission,” Jake said.

  “And what mission would that be?”

  Jake said, “His mission is to melt the Ice Princess’s sad, frozen heart.”

  “And is he successful?”

  “Hush and listen,” Jake said. “The knight makes his way up the winding castle stairs and flattens himself against the wall when he reaches the princess’s bedroom. The massive oak door to her bedroom is cracked open far enough for him to see inside the room.”

  “What?” Alicia said. “Now he’s turned from a knight into a voyeur?”

  “Hush and listen,” Jake repeated. “The knight peers inside the room and finds the unsuspecting princess enjoying a hot bubble bath in the elaborate bathtub sitting in the center of her bedroom.

  “He knows he shouldn’t spy on her, but he can’t help himself. He’s totally mesmerized by her perfect profile. Bathed in the soft candlelight, her elegant head is resting back against the tub, her long, blond hair cascading downward to the floor. Her eyes are closed, and he watches as her hand moves the wet, soapy sponge down from her chin and along her exquisite, slender throat.

  “The sponge moves downward, and his eyes follow. Slowly, she runs the sponge across her firm, round breasts. She guides the sponge around one perfect breast, then the other, and the knight knows he’s never witnessed anything so sensual.

  “He winces when she raises one shapely leg out of the water. When she moves the wet sponge along the perfect curve of her calf, the knight stifles a low, tortured moan.

  “He aches for the princess the way he’s never ached for any other woman before. By now, the knight is certain the princess can hear his heart clanging against the heavy plate of armor strapped across his chest.

  “When she stands up in the tub, the sight of her completely takes his breath away. Shimmering droplets of water stream down each and every curve of her amazing nude body. At that moment, the knight knows with all certainty he would gladly give up his horse and even his bloody kingdom to trade places with one of those droplets of water, if only for a moment.

  “She steps out of the tub and reaches for a towel, and the knight moves away from the door. But he can’t resist watching again while she pats every inch of her incredible body dry. Slowly, methodically, she strokes her smooth, silky skin. Almost as if she’s fully aware that the knight is watching her every move from just outside her bedroom door.”

  Alicia broke in and said, “The knight has no way of knowing, but the princess is fully aware that he’s been watching her all along. She didn’t hurry to the hot bubble bath awaiting her in her bedroom until after she saw the knight bravely scale her fortress wall.

  “The Ice Princess just isn’t prepared to be so aroused by allowing him to watch while she indulges herself in such a private, intimate moment. And it’s the danger of what he might do to her now that her bath is finished that excites her even more.

  “She drops the towel and walks shamelessly across the bedroom naked, stopping when she reaches her big four-poster canopy bed on the far side of the r
oom. She knows he’s still watching, and she enjoys the feel of his hungry eyes as they travel over her body. She likes putting herself on display for his eyes only. Even better, she’ll enjoy doing whatever he asks, whenever he asks, and wherever he wants to do it.

  “She tosses her hair back over one shoulder, then reaches for the lotion sitting on her bedside table. Gently, she rubs the lotion around each nipple with the tip of her finger. Closing her eyes, she gives in to the sensation, pretending it’s his strong hands on her naked flesh. Her lips part slightly as she massages her breasts for his benefit, her tongue moving lightly across her bottom lip as she also imagines his hot mouth bearing down on hers.

  “She lies back on the bed and reaches for the lotion again, smearing the slick wetness liberally across her stomach. But it isn’t until her hand spreads the lotion lower to a different part of her body that she opens her eyes and looks toward the door to make sure her handsome knight is still watching.”

  Jake’s voice was a little ragged when he said, “When their eyes meet for the first time, the knight realizes the princess has known he’s been watching her all along.

  “He isn’t sure what excites him more—the smoldering look he sees in her dark blue eyes, or the fact that she enjoyed him watching her from the shadows. He only knows that this woman excites him more than any woman has ever excited him before.

  “He boldly throws the bedroom door wide open and walks into her bedroom. She smiles and beckons him to her bed. He walks in her direction knowing that as much as he craves his own physical release, he’ll settle for whatever the beautiful princess is willing to give him.”

  Whoa! Alicia thought, snapping out of the fantasy. What does he mean by “his own physical release”? They’d never taken things this far before. Did Jake mean what she thought he meant?

  “Jake, wait,” Alicia whispered into the phone. “Exactly how far are we going with this fantasy tonight?”

  Jake whispered back, “Exactly how far are you willing to go with this fantasy?”

  Oh, God. He was serious. And okay, dammit! The freaking princess and the knight fantasy had left her hot and begging for more, too! She’d admit it. She’d been so turned on she’d all but melted into a puddle right there on top of her comforter. Alicia blushed just thinking about how turned on she had been. At least Jake couldn’t see her blushing right now. Thank God for that.