Spring Into Love

by Chantel Rhondeau

  "What was your father like, Kate? Did he take you to the park?"

  "No." She stopped pumping. The wind stopped rushing in her ears.

  "Did your mom?"

  "No. Maybe." The swing went off kilter as she shifted her weight. “I don’t know.”

  She dragged her feet to stop but the swing moved wildly. Impatient, she jumped and landed heavily, falling to her hands and knees.

  "Kate. What the hell are you doing?"

  "I wanted to stop." She couldn't tell him the truth. His talk about families sent a cold shiver down her spine and an ache into her heart. She caught a tight breath. Heaved in another as she rolled to her side.

  He jumped off too and covered her shoulders with his large palms. She looked up into his face catching a flash of how it would be to have him over her, holding her. His scent filled her nose, his strong hands warmed and supported her.

  She tried to get to her feet but he held her down gently.

  "Shh. You've scraped your knee," he said beside her ear. "Let me look at it."

  He stared at her until she settled and sat still. He ran his hands down her arms and then smoothed her right calf. He bent his head over her leg to get a closer look at the abrasion. His features melted into such a tender expression she had to look away.

  How could such a powerful man look so gentle?

  She stared across the playground, surprised by how dark it had gotten in the last few minutes. The street lamps sent dappled light through the trees that ringed the park. She and Jace shared a patch of deepening shadow.

  Suddenly, a strange, cooling sensation started at her scrape. Jace was still bent over her leg. He blew gentle puffs of air on her knee, skittering fire and ice along her veins. Very gently, very softly, he brushed his lips near but not on the minor injury. The light, comforting kiss sent a sensual thrill along her thighs and she closed her eyes against the delicious sight of him bent over her. The sensations he caused swirled and danced and mingled.

  The tender kisses stopped. She opened her eyes to see Jace lift his gaze to hers. His eyes gleamed softly with hedonistic promise.

  Any pleasure she had ever craved could be hers.

  "There," he said on a husky breath, "I kissed it better."

  "So that's how it feels," she said weakly.

  "Didn't anyone ever kiss your hurts away?" He patted her leg gently and stood. He offered a hand to help her up.

  She accepted his hand. She'd just have to get this over with.

  "Jace, I never had a daddy or a mommy, okay?" She scrambled to her feet, keeping her gaze averted from his.

  He nodded in acceptance. "You mentioned a facility before. Who raised you?"

  "The state of Washington and various and sundry foster parents."

  He paled or maybe it was a trick of the moon-washed shadows. "You had no family of your own?"

  It sounded harsh said out loud that way.

  "No," she said quietly, "no, I didn't. Not when it counted at least." She had Beau the bear. "But for the past few years, I've had Harry."

  Jace didn't seem to have a ready reply.

  She walked away before he gathered his thoughts to speak. This was the least interesting topic of conversation she'd ever encountered.

  "How did you meet Harry?"

  At least he wasn't harping on the family thing. There were some things she never wanted to share. Some things were no one else's business.

  "I was working in a greasy spoon in Seattle and the owner got a little, uh, amorous, one day."

  Jace caught up with her and took her hand in his as they walked back toward Harry's. It was nice to hold his hand; it felt natural.

  "Amorous? How amorous?" His voice firmed. "And how old were you?"

  "I was eighteen. It wasn't exactly child abuse, Jace. Besides, I'd been fending off types like him for a few years already. It was nothing out of the ordinary."

  His fingers tightened on her hand and he tugged her close enough to slip his arm around her. She settled against him, deciding it was easier to do what he wanted than to fight with him on the street about where he put his arms. Not that it meant anything. It was just convenient to walk together this way. They wouldn't have to raise their voices and....She let her next thought slip away.

  "Tell me," he said his low rumble close to her ear.

  "It's not important."

  "Tell me." He tucked her arm around his waist so they walked thigh to thigh. Each brush of his leg against hers rattled her, but she didn't want it to stop.

  "One day after the breakfast rush the owner came on to me in the kitchen. I pushed his skinny butt onto the hot griddle and stormed out. I figured I'd better get lost so I borrowed a skirt and blazer from a friend and caught the next bus out of town.” Dix Dixon ran a pawn shop and was the best friend Kate had ever had outside the foster system. She set aside thoughts of the people she’d left behind. “I ended up in Bellingham, walking along Railroad Avenue when I saw Harry's car lot. I went in and the rest you already know."

  "Harry needed a salesperson?" he coaxed.

  "No, I don't think so. But he hired me anyway and after a while, I decided to stay. I liked selling cars. It was fun and the money was better than I'd ever made slinging burgers."

  "The lot is larger than I remember."

  She nodded. "Harry and I built it up together. Without him, I don't know where or what I'd be. That's why I want things to go back to normal. After you leave, we can start the classes. Business will take off. I can find another apartment. Things will be good again."

  * * *

  "It's time for lunch. Let's go," Jace said, giving her a grin. Katie couldn't help but respond. In the days since he'd promised to look into financing her plans for the auto maintenance seminars, she'd come a long way toward trusting Jace Donner. He seemed exactly what he appeared to be, a nephew helping out in a family emergency. Even she had come to seek his sales support and financial advice.

  Still, she hesitated. "I should stay here and eat the egg salad sandwich I bought off the coffee truck half an hour ago." But the lettuce was wilted and the light in Jace's eyes was as fresh as sparkling dew. No contest.

  "Where?" she asked, dropping her pen into the coffee can she used for a holder on her desk.

  "Let me surprise you." His grin widened to downright dangerous proportions. Jace ran his fingertip down the length of her nose. "Now, get your nice, uh, self out from behind that desk." He leaned over her with a leer that made him look positively rakish. "Or I may have to chase you around it."

  It was his cocked eyebrow that galvanized her into action. Jace Donner had the deadliest smile and sexiest eyebrows Katie had ever seen. She wondered if he was aware of his effect on women.

  She sailed past him with a slight sniff as he held the door for her. Then she climbed into his car, snapped her seat belt into place and waved good-bye to Bill.

  Jace drove her to the university parking lot closest to the arboretum. She turned to face him, curious, but daunted by the idea of trudging around the grounds in her high heels. "What are we doing here?"

  "You are the most persistent woman I've ever met," he said, and placed his finger against her lips. "Keep that lovely trap shut until I—ow—that hurt." He popped his nipped finger back out of her mouth and sucked it. "You don't have to go cannibal."

  "I'll bite more of you if you don't feed me soon," she warned.

  Jace smiled wolfishly. "Is that a promise?"

  She ignored him, suddenly aware of the closeness of the car in spite of the sunroof being open. Jace was taking their mild flirtation too far. He wasn't like McElroy who read a woman's signal to back off. Jace just kept on coming.

  Abruptly, she climbed out of the car. It was easier to cover her discomfiture by moving than to admit she wanted to sit in the car and talk with Jace, share with Jace in a way she'd never shared with anyone.

  "Oh, look, Jace, a bicycle built for two. You don't see many of those around." She pointed to a bicycle rack beside the parking lot.
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  "You're right," he answered. He pulled a large wicker picnic basket from the trunk of his car, and carried it toward the bike.

  Oh, no. He expected her to ride it. Katie shut her eyes, and prayed for it to disappear.

  "You can't be serious." she pleaded.

  "Come on, it'll be fun." His eyes were alight, joyful, making him harder than ever to resist.

  "I can’t ride a bike," she cut him off, each word laced with disappointment. She could pretend to be a lot of things: smart, professional, knowledgeable but she certainly couldn't pretend she could ride.

  Undaunted, Jace turned her around to him. "But everyone knows how to ride a bike." She had to be kidding. He searched her stricken brown eyes, and saw the distress she fought to overcome.

  "I'm sorry," she said. "Are you disappointed?" The tilt to her head made her look like a sad child.

  "No, of course I’m not disappointed in you.” He was sorry for lots of things in her life, but never her. “You're not dressed for what I had in mind anyway."

  She wore a black and white checkered miniskirt and black silk blouse. It must be silk because it slid and slinked under his hands like a caress. The breeze fitted the blouse to her breasts as held her arms. He tugged her closer, the silk of her blouse making her skin come alive under his touch. He slid his palms up to her shoulders, cupping them, splaying his fingers across her shoulder blades.

  "What did you have in mind?" she asked, which didn't help his befuddled brain. She was temptingly within kissing range. Her citrus perfume was sensually sweet; her lips parted as he dipped his head closer. A bird chirped overhead. He ran his hands down her back, feeling new urgency rise.

  One kiss, and she'd know what he had in mind and he'd know what she wanted. The strong breeze whipped a lock of her hair across her lips. He lifted a fingertip to smooth it away and realized he'd have to learn her secrets slowly.

  More slowly than this, he thought, a millisecond before he dropped his lips to hers.

  She opened for him after the first delicious melding and he dipped inside, knowing as he did that a beginning as wonderful as this would not be a beginning for long. She tilted her head to allow his deepening kiss... and then the beginning was already over and the next step awaited them both. He widened his stance and held her closer, swept up in her scent, her feel, the silk still slippery-soft under his palms. He rested his hand on the firm roundness of her hips and held her close.

  She nipped playfully at his lower lip. When he opened his eyes, she was smiling nervously, her eyes cautious. He smiled reassuringly and set her away from him. A light kiss in the sunshine, of no consequence, not meant to go any further.

  "Have a peek into the picnic basket," he said, "and I'll show you the real reason I brought you out here." Then he grinned to lighten the mood. "But if you want to continue the way we started, I'm all for making out in the park."

  Kate colored the most intriguing blend of red and pink. Then she bent her head to look into the basket and hid behind her hair by letting it curtain her face. He was tempted to tuck her hair behind her ear. If she wanted to ignore their attraction, he could be patient.

  Katie, flustered by both Jace's flip remark and the seductive pull she'd had to fight when he'd kissed her, lifted the lid of the hamper to look inside. Cold cuts, fresh strawberries, salad, pickles, a still-warm French baguette and a bottle of wine sat inside looking unwanted. "You had all this prepared for lunch?"

  "Sure, aren't you hungry? Or are you pretending that wasn't your stomach complaining?" he teased.

  "I'm starved. There's something about selling two cars in one morning that makes me ravenous." She grinned, feeling silly and awfully young. It had only been a lighthearted kiss, nothing more. It could have happened with anyone, even McElroy.

  Well, maybe not.

  Then she glanced up and caught Jace's gaze and the fluttery feeling of expectation she'd been living with lately stilled, replaced by acceptance. He looked just as seriously back at her.

  "There's no point running," he said, "no point denying we want each other and there's no point hiding behind Harry." She struggled to deny it for a long moment, watching his intent blue eyes study every part of her face. His gaze touched her hair, her eyebrows; he studied her nose, appeared to count all three of her freckles and then settled on her mouth.

  "You seem so certain this is right. It's difficult for me to fight it." Katie sighed. "I could use some help." Jace would embrace the emotional storm wholeheartedly while she would suffer for it.

  "You won't get help from me. I feel as if we're about to step off a ledge and fly. The first humans to ever do that. I'm not afraid at all." He brushed aside a strand of hair resting on her cheek.

  She groaned. "You see this as some kind of adventure and I see it as a—devastating force ready to blow us both to smithereens. Whatever happens, Jace, it won't be pretty."

  He hugged her close and swung her around like a kid, laughing. "But it is going to happen. Who knows, we may surprise you and end up happy."

  She had no reply. There didn't seem much point in reminding him he'd be leaving soon, moving to Switzerland. He might as well move to Mars.

  Finding a nice spot near a huge Douglas fir, Katie spread out the blanket Jace handed her and took a seat. She wriggled backward to rest her back against a boulder and stretched her legs out before her.

  The sun had warmed the rock at her back, which provided a break from the wind. Relaxed, she kicked off her shoes and wiggled her toes, reveling in the freedom. Mt. Baker rose before them, majestic and silent and snow-covered. Katie had often found inspiration gazing at the peak.

  Jace kneeled before her beside the basket. He flipped open the lid and presented a wine bottle with a flourish.

  The bottle was chilled and dewy and just the idea of cool wine in the warm sunshine made her lick her lips. Jace's lazy smile reminded her about his comment about making out in the park.

  "No, I can't, Jace," she said wondering if she meant necking or drinking. "When we go back to work I won't feel like doing a thing and it's not fair to Bill. It's his night to go home early."

  "You're right. That's why Harry has such faith in you, Kate," he said with a grin that said far more. "You always put the business first, never yourself."

  "I..." She trailed off, unsure how to respond. It had been so long since there'd been any reason to consider her own needs, she didn't think she'd remember how to put them first.

  Jace was busy unloading the rest of the basket. The food was spread all over the blanket and Katie got to her knees as well. "Let's see, what will I have first?" She reached for the slim loaf of French bread.

  She glanced at Jace. He was staring into the hamper as if struck. "I forgot plates and cutlery."

  "You did?" She was as surprised as he appeared to be. Jace never, ever forgot anything when it came to meals. She laughed at his expression.

  "What's so funny?" he demanded, a red flush infusing his neck.

  "You're pretty intimidating in the kitchen, Mr. Donner. It's a relief to know you make mistakes just like the rest of us." She laughed harder and then did her best to rein it in.

  "Of course I make mistakes," he snapped. "I just didn't want to make any today." He sat back on his haunches, resting his arms across his knees. His eyes filled with humor and a crinkle appeared at the corners of his eyes. He gave her an easy grin. "What do we do now?"

  "Eat." She snatched one of the strawberries from their plastic bag, and popped it into her mouth. "Just like that." She managed a smile while she chewed.

  Jace tore off a hunk of bread, sank his teeth into it and tore it again. "A great idea, Ms. Calhoun." He waggled his eyebrows. "The bread's not bad, either."

  They dipped into the pickle jar, plucked the strawberries, nibbled at pieces of the salad, feasted on cold cuts but only looked longingly at the wine.

  "You're sure you don't want some?" Jace asked as he stretched out beside her on the blanket. The gleam in his eye made her wonder if he
was talking about the wine or offering something else, something much more pleasurable.

  "I feel woozy enough as it is. All this fresh air, good food and sunshine could turn my head." She leaned against the boulder and stretched her legs out in front of her.

  Jace traced tiny circles on her knee, sending stimuli to places that had no right responding. The touch of his finger was light and playful and sinfully erotic. The sun was warm and the breeze light. The sound of other people was deceptively distant and Jace's finger was hypnotically accurate as it circled and smoothed around the cap of her knee. Katie closed her eyes and floated so she could pretend that all of this was right and good and as it should be.

  She let herself believe for a moment that Jace was hers and she was his, and they had every reason to think these days and these touches were theirs to enjoy forever. Her knees relaxed of their own accord and she allowed his finger to move on, higher, to her inner thigh. The hypnotic circling continued and she wanted nothing more than this. Heat, sun, a full stomach, a lover's touch—and a cackling crow?

  She opened one eye and saw it not three yards away, its greedy eyes scanning the blanket for any morsels of leftover food. Jace stopped his gentle teasing and looked at her. She touched his hair tentatively until he rested his head in her lap.

  It was her turn to lull him with a tender fingertip. She traced his ear lovingly, heard him sigh and felt him settle against her. She fingered his hair lightly, so short it felt bristly. A man's hair, she thought, fascinated by the feel of it. She loved the feel, so different from her own soft, waving locks. In fact, she loved the weight of his head in her lap.

  If she were brutally honest, she’d admit she loved the idea of Jace Donner lying peacefully, trustingly with his head in her lap. She loved that he allowed this long moment of exploration. If she wasn't careful, she could love more about him.

  Love? Where the hell had that come from? Oh, no, she wasn't going to fall into that trap. An attraction, yes, a short-term infatuation, even, but love?