Blame It on the Moon

by Shara Lanel

  The amaretto coated her tongue with its sweet nuttiness. The cherries had probably been recently picked, since it was prime season for them in Virginia. They were sweet and juicy, with just a hint of tartness. She didn’t even care that the juice dribbled onto her chin. She licked it off quickly and barely resisted licking the bowl clean when she was done.

  And Haden’s tongue was practically hanging out of his mouth as he watched her eat. He’d barely touched his dessert, so Kit wrestled with whether she wanted to appear piggish on a first date, if it could even be called that. Screw it! Something that good could not be left to go to waste.

  “Are you going to eat that?” She gestured to his bowl.

  “No, it’s all yours.” He passed it to her, eyes wide with wonder as she continued to eat in a near orgasmic state.

  “So, you like crème brûlée, huh?”

  She just grunted since her mouth was full. She’d be more concerned about the impression she was making if she didn’t have clear access to his thoughts, which were totally focused on the movements of her tongue on the spoon.

  The minute she set her spoon down, his thoughts leapt back to his earlier fantasy of throwing her onto a table. For a moment, they both stared without really seeing each other, caught up in the force of Haden’s fantasy. It was crazy. Since Kit had discovered her telepathy, she’d never experienced anything as intense and prolonged as this. In fact, she’d avoided this sort of contact with anyone but her close friends and employees. And since they were usually thinking about their own lives and not about stripping her naked and fucking her, she’d never had to hide her reaction.

  At this point, she couldn’t hide it. She could only hope he wouldn’t notice her slightly open mouth and flushed cheeks. Her heart was thumping like a drum circle, and she alternated between holding her breath and panting like a dog faced with a ham bone.

  She peered down at the glasses on the table. There was still a bit of the whiskey left, so she downed that to calm herself, and then as if on cue, Haden poured her a new glass of wine.

  “Are you trying to get me drunk?”

  “Maybe.” Hell, yes.

  Kit grinned foolishly. “That was the best damn crème brûlée I’ve ever had in my entire life.”

  “I will be sure to have some on hand every day, then, just so I can have the pleasure of watching you eat it.”

  She downed the glass of wine, too, a little too quickly. A headache waiting to happen, but that was something to worry about later. Right now she wanted to loosen up so she could get laid.

  “So what about your family?” Haden asked, again clearing his throat. “I don’t think you’ve told me anything about you.”

  Kit could still feel the burn of the alcohol in her stomach. “My dad and mom live in town, over on Southside actually, and I have a brother at MIT and a sister who’s married in Texas. She has three kids.”

  “Wow, big family.”

  “It’s a nice size. And spread out enough that I can see them frequently, but not too frequently, if you know what I mean.”

  “I understand.”

  Haden poured her more wine, which she immediately sipped. She was starting to feel pleasantly fuzzy of brain.

  “Do your parents work?”

  “My father works at DuPont. Mom retired early from Phillip Morris.”

  “So you’ve lived in Richmond your whole life?”

  “Pretty much. I think we lived in Tidewater for a couple of years when I was little. Dad was in the Navy at the time, but then we moved to Richmond and have been here ever since. Where are you from exactly? You have an accent.”

  “I was born in the Las Vegas area actually.” He paused, but the picture in his mind wasn’t of Las Vegas. It was of rolling hills, blooming dogwoods, and Colonial-style buildings that reminded Kit of Virginia. Did Las Vegas have dogwoods? Haden’s memory then flowed to a place where the rolling hills were similar, but the architecture included thatched roofs and castle ruins. “But I lived in Ireland for several years, from when I was eighteen. Seems that was a good age to assimilate the accent, and I haven’t quite been able to shake it since I moved back. Helps me with the ladies.”

  “I bet.” She blinked slowly as if she were a dreamy-eyed girl charmed by his brogue. Of course, she was a dreamy-eyed girl charmed by his brogue. She finished her wine and wondered how many she’d had.

  A sad puppy face floated into Haden’s thoughts. “I hate to bring this up, but I’m suddenly feeling guilty about your dog.”

  “Oh, Fergie. I love Fergie!” She realized she’d said that last bit with a little too much gush. She should be going before she did something really foolish. She stood up.

  Too late. The minute she stood, the alcohol rushed to her head, despite the big meal and two crème brûlées. She swayed and reached a hand toward her head, but missed.

  “Oops.” She tried to touch her nose and nearly poked her eye out. “Oshiiit.”

  The image in Haden’s mind was of holding a girl with black-and-white skunk hair and a rim of ear piercings over a toilet. Not her. Must be a memory. “Exactly. I take it you don’t drink much.” Haden grabbed her elbow to prevent her from making any further attempts at blindness.

  “Nevuh.” She had drunk quite a bit in college, but she was an old maid now. No need to drink, just binge on Ben & Jerry’s.

  “Well, madam. This is a full-service restaurant that provides door-to-door service for its patrons. If you’ll take my arm.” He offered his elbow gallantly.

  Kit looked at his elbow and wondered what it was for. He looked like a duck holding it out like that. She blinked and swayed again.

  “Oh, forget it. Don’t fall down while I grab my keys.” He reached behind the bar, then placed his hands on her shoulders and gave her a guiding push toward the kitchen. Once at the back door, he set his alarm system, locked the door, then guided her to a strange car. She only tripped twice on the cracked asphalt.

  “That’s not my car,” Kit slurred.

  “I know that. I’m driving you home.”

  Wait. Something was wrong with that idea. “But then how will I get to work in the morning?”

  “I’ll pick you up, but I bet you anything you’ll be calling in sick.”

  “I can’t call in sick. I’m the owner.”

  “Just get in.” He pushed her to the passenger side and opened the door. He even leaned over to buckle her up like a child. What gall! Of course, she would have forgotten if he hadn’t.

  “This is a Jag,” she said inanely.

  “Yes, it is.”

  “The seats are leather.”

  “Yes, they are.” He grinned and shut the door so he could circle around to the driver’s side.

  Haden turned the key in the ignition, and the Jag roared to life before settling into a quiet purr. Kit purred right along with it, closing her eyes and sinking into the cushy leather seats.

  “Kitty.”

  “Hmm?”

  “You have to tell me where you live if you want me to take you home.” He guided the car behind the shopping center until they reached Patterson Avenue.

  Kit noticed that the voices and images in her head had blurred somewhat. She still registered Haden’s thoughts, but they weren’t overwhelming. He was trying to remember exactly how much she’d drunk and wondering why brushing her thighs to reach the seat buckle had him hard all over again.

  Kit managed to give her address. Maybe not a good idea to give her address to a stranger, but Haden wasn’t a stranger, was he? Yes, he was picturing doing naughty things to her, but they were nice things, things she would very much enjoy him doing.

  “Feel free,” she told him.

  “Feel free what?”

  “To have your way with me.”

  He turned to look at her so quickly that he accidentally jerked the steering wheel in the same direction. It was late at night with no other traffic on the road, so no harm done. He corrected his steering, but his eyes were wide. He chuckled.

&
nbsp; “Now that I wouldn’t mind, but I think you’re a bit too toasted for me to take advantage of.”

  “What if I want to be taken advantage of?”

  “How about we wait until at least the second date?”

  “Was this the first date?”

  He paused to think about it. “I asked you out, I prepared, we had food. Yes, that counts as a date. What do you think?”

  “Wonderful. I haven’t been out on a date in too long.” She slapped her hand over her mouth a bit harder than she intended. Ow.

  “Are you okay?”

  She nodded, still cupping her palm over her mouth.

  He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, and Kit admired his lashes, long, thick. Really too nice for a man.

  “So why haven’t you been on a date in a while? You’re a very attractive woman.”

  She lowered her hands to her lap, feeling as if they floated through ether. “Thank you. I work too much, and I’m an old maid now.” She resisted the urge to slap her hand over her mouth again. Just give it up. You’re drunk, and you’re going to say stupid things.

  “Who told you you’re an old maid?”

  “Everyone knows if you’re thirty and unmarried, you should hang up your stockings. Give it up. No chance.”

  “That’s an old-fashioned way of looking at things, don’t you think? Especially when so many people get married for the second or third time at that age.”

  “But I’ve never been married.”

  The hum of the car over asphalt distracted Kit for a moment, until Haden said, “Nor have I.”

  Overcome with sympathy and alcohol, she reached over and covered his hand, which rested on his jeans-clad thigh. He looked startled as she squeezed his fingers consolingly.

  Haden barely saw the road as his body heated from the mere touch of Kitty’s hand on his leg. She was quite amusing in her inebriated state and no less sexy. Perhaps more sexy, because he knew how easy it would be to coax her into bed. The problem was that she was beyond tipsy, which meant she was off-limits to him once he got her home. He didn’t want to seduce her tonight and have her regret it in the morning. Damn his morals.

  He hadn’t recognized the address other than to note that it was in the West End. He’d explored Richmond some when he’d scouted locations for his restaurant, but it would take a while to get familiar with the whole city.

  “Have you lived here long?” he asked.

  “I think it’s been a year now, but I never seem to be home. And when I am, I’m amazingly boring.”

  “I doubt that.”

  “I am. It’s like the store consumes me.” She sighed heavily. “I need to get a life.”

  Well, he could hand her one, one she definitely wouldn’t want. A relationship with him was likely to make her long for boring once again.

  Guiding the car into her driveway a few minutes later, Haden noticed that she had one of the ever-present pineapple welcome flags on her front lawn. If there was one thing about Richmond that drove him nuts, it was those damn flags everywhere. He looked at Kit, who snoozed with her head cradled against her hands to keep it from jouncing against the window. She had a cute nose with a light dusting of freckles. Her plentiful eyelashes rested against her rosy cheeks, while her lush lips were slightly open, inviting exploration of her mouth.

  He’d have to wake her to get her key, but he thought it would be fun to carry her up the front walk just to feel her body against his chest. He repositioned her before he got out of the car, so he could open the passenger-side door without her falling to the concrete drive. Then he scooped the sleeping lady and her purse into his arms and kicked the door closed. Her soft, full bottom hung down between his arms and pressed against his stomach. Her hair splayed across his shoulders and chest. The scent of vanilla and a citrusy shampoo assailed his nostrils.

  Striding up the walk, he noted three terracotta pots half filled with dirt on the steps. The outside light came on as he reached the porch. It was obviously controlled by a motion sensor. The door was a dark brown with an understated brass knocker and a white button for the doorbell.

  Haden paused and kissed the tip of Kit’s nose to wake her, his lips grazing her pearl-soft skin. However, he’d underestimated the power of an alcohol-induced doze. She didn’t wake up, so he scattered kisses along her cheeks and eyelids, enjoying the tickle of her lashes and the scent of vanilla that clung to each part of her face. Her lips curved into a smile, and she squirmed a bit in his arms as if settling into a dream, but she didn’t open her eyes.

  Well, damn, he was about to say to hell with his good intentions.

  He unhooked the magnetic clasp of her purse. The key chain poked out of one of the pockets next to her cell phone, so he looped his fingers around it and pulled it out. Good God, she had a zillion keys! And the keychains! Every shape and size: a miniature flip-flop from the Bahamas, a bright pink plastic stiletto with a fur pom-pom on the heel, a laminated photo of her dog, and a pewter oval from Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

  “Girl, don’t you want to wake up and tell me which key to use?” he whispered. Then he took a final drastic measure. He kissed her soft, warm lips, a light press that grew firmer. She moaned in response, sending a shiver through his body straight to his semi-stiff cock.

  Blame It on the Moon

  Chapter Five

  Leaning his shoulder against the doorjamb, Haden tightened his grip on the sexy lush, almost dropping the keys in the process. Her lips tasted like wine and cream. With his tongue, he traced the seam of her mouth and gently prodded her lips open so he could delve inside the wet cave. Exploring lazily, he tasted teeth, tongue, and gums. She purred like a cat while her hands gripped his neck tighter and tighter.

  She had to be awake now, but Haden’s eyes were closed and he didn’t want to end this probing kiss. It had been a long time since he’d tasted a woman like this, gently and thoroughly. His hands itched to touch the soft mounds pressed into his chest, but they were too busy holding his bundle aloft. She squirmed against him, and he adjusted his stance as her tongue joined the dance, diving into his mouth and titillating the nerve endings within.

  One sensation came to the fore ‑‑ hunger. He couldn’t get enough of her intoxicating taste, her smell, her feel. He growled deep in his throat, then opened his mouth wider and pushed his tongue deeper. He needed more.

  It was actually only the frantic barking and scratching of a dog on the other side of the door that had Kit turning her face away. At first, Haden merely moved his kisses to her cheek, her jaw, her neck. Finally he realized he had to stop and lifted his head to look down into Kit’s open eyes.

  She was frowning at the door. “Fergus! Poor boy! He’s probably peed all over the carpet by now.” A blush painted Kit’s cheeks and neck.

  Haden laughed, handing her the cluster of keys and almost dropping her in the process. “If you could help me with this, I’d be happy to put the dog out of his misery.”

  “You can put me down. I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

  “No, I’ve come this far, might as well take you the rest of the way in.”

  Kit’s insides melted like butter as she soaked in Haden’s grin and fumbled with the keys. His broad chest warmed her shoulder, but her butt felt huge, hanging as it did between his arms. He wasn’t even grunting with the effort.

  Oh, my God! He had kissed her like they could’ve had sex right on the porch. Had she ever been kissed so deeply before, like her partner was exploring every part of her mouth? She hadn’t wanted him to stop, despite the slight dizziness she was starting to feel, but Fergie’s barking had broken her concentration.

  She jiggled the keys, taking longer than necessary to find the right one. She really ought to purge her keychain, but that was never high on her priority list.

  “Ah, this one.” She handed the correct key to Haden. He was about to carry her over the threshold into her house. Wow. If only she had a gold band on her finger to go along with this fantasy come true. She closed h
er eyes for just a moment to picture Haden in a tux, bow tie undone about his neck, white satin hanging over his arm as he carried her inside.

  She opened her eyes, feeling the familiar knot in her stomach, a dream unfulfilled.

  Haden poked the key into the lock and pushed against the door. Once the door was open, he carried Kit into the house, greeted by Fergie’s ferocious barking.

  Kit peered around Haden’s bicep at her ballistic dog. He rarely growled, unless in the presence of another dog. “Geez, Fergie, I wasn’t gone that long!” She glanced at the kissable chin above her and sighed. “Maybe you should put me down. He might think you’re hurting me or something. Calm down, Fergie. This is a nice man. Friend.” She used her high-pitched, happy voice, but the dog’s hair remained stick straight on his back.

  Haden planted Kit on her feet, and the moment she was upright the room swam in front of her. She swayed, but Haden held her with a steadying hand on her elbow as she staggered to the sofa, the dog doing a crouch-shuffle to follow while maintaining a safe distance.

  Haden patted Kit’s shoulder while staring down her dog. “I think some coffee might be in order for you.” He met her eyes, peering at her like a doctor with a light stick ‑‑ whatever those things were called. “You really don’t drink much, do you?”

  “Not anymore.” She leaned back on her comfy plaid couch cushions and closed her eyes. Nope, not better, because then the world spun very fast. She pried her lids open with her fingers. “Maybe I should just drink until I pass out again and be done with it. None of this in-between bullshit.”

  Haden grinned. God, he had a heavenly grin! She could gobble it up like the crème brûlée. And boy, had she been a pig tonight or what? No dainty bites for her. Gluttony ‑‑ one of the seven deadly sins.