“Can I have some coffee?” he asked, pulling her mind back to reality. “Coffee, caffeine, liquid energy” he repeated, pointing at the cup in her hand.
“Sure.” She rolled her eyes. “I’ll get you some coffee. Would you like some French toast, too, maybe? Some freshly cut fruit, perhaps?”
“No. Just the java.” He chuckled, accepting the mug she handed to him.
“Cream and sugar are on the table,” she said, lowering herself into the chair across from him. “Now are you ready to tell me why you’re here at my apartment at seven in the morning?” She raised a brow. “Uninvited I might add?”
“I like my coffee black. Some things are nice just the way they are.” His lips curled into a wicked grin. “No additives necessary. Like you in the morning.”
“Yeah, right.” She snorted, tugging at the frayed hem of her robe.
It was true, though. Without even a lick of makeup on, her lightly tanned skin was flawless, glowing. She looked fresh and young, like a model from an Ivory soap commercial. “Didn’t you get my texts?”
She started to deny it but what was the point. The guy was as persistent as a hound dog on a hunt. “I did,” she shrugged.
“Why didn’t you respond, then?” His voice rumbled low in his chest and his eyes took on that same predatory gleam from the day before. “Woman,” he drawled, standing and advancing slowly toward her. “We’re gonna have that talk, right here and right now.”
She took a step back, reflexively.
He stopped. “You’re not afraid of me, are you?”
“Pfft,” she dismissed him, shaking her head back and forth and chastising herself for letting on how much he rattled her.
Chris took another step closer while watching her closely. This time she didn’t back away. He reached out and gently caressed her cheek with his thumb. Her skin was as silky soft as he’d remembered.
Sara closed her eyes, sighing.
“Admit it, Sara. You feel it, too. There is something between us.” He removed his hand from her cheek only to replace it with his lips, beginning to trail feather light kisses along the line of her jaw.
Eyes still closed, she moaned low in her throat.
“And it makes you nervous,” he whispered.
“Yes, ok, so we’ve got chemistry,” she conceded, pushing him gently away. She needed some space so she could think straight. Glancing at him, she read the longing in his eyes, and knew her own mirrored it. “So what? Where’s this gonna go? You’re Chris Alex, lady’s man. I’m Sara ‘love ‘em and leave ‘em’ Daniels. Neither of us is exactly relationship material,” she ended, lifting her chin.
Chris wasn’t buying the bullshit. He pulled her back into his arms.
Sara stiffened, but as he continued to hold her and gently stroked her back, she dropped her head to his chest and began to relax. Her shoulders began to tremble.
“Sara?” Was she crying? The thought disarmed him. Chris lifted her chin. The surface of her grey eyes glittered with unshed tears and he saw in them an unexpected vulnerability. He smoothed a strand of her hair behind her ear. “I want you to give this thing with us a chance.” His voice was raw with emotion. “That’s all I’m asking.”
“Why?” she asked as a tear escaped and tracked down her cheek. He gently brushed it away with his thumb. His gentleness was her undoing. “Why me? You don’t even know me.”
“Not true.” He shook his head, his gaze penetrating. “I know the important things, like how you are with Sam… I believe you have the capacity inside of you, Sara, to love deeply and I think it’s worth a try to see where things might go between us.” Clearing his throat, his tone was lighter as he continued, “And I have in my arms an incredibly gorgeous woman who is also, smart, sassy and sexy… to the max. What man wouldn’t want to have some of that?”
“You still say to the max?” Her lips curved up slightly. “Really?”
“Just wanted to see if you were paying attention.”
She had been. Enough to be extremely flattered as well as unsettled by the things he’d said. She’d accepted and gotten accustomed to being with guys who were more interested in her fame than her heart. And for her, it was much safer that way. Wiser to end this right now. The words were on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn’t bring herself to say them. “Ok,” she said instead in a whisper.
“Ok, on what? On us?” Chris asked, needing verification before he got his hopes up.
“Yes.”
A boyish grin spread across his face. Sara laughed. The Chris Alex mega- watt smile practically illuminated the entire room.
“Alright, then. Pack up some things…”
“Whoa there mister. What do you think I just agreed to?”
“We’re going out to Whistler, babe. You and I, the two of us, together.”
“Whistler, as in skiing?” She shook her head. “Uh- uh, no way.”
“Listen.” He grasped her gently by the elbows. “You know that JR is taking your sister to the island and that Keith and Danny are going with. Everyone’s going to be out of town for the next couple of days. It’s a perfect opportunity to get away. Be ourselves. Get to know each other without any expectations or bullshit reputations to get in the way. I’ve got separate rooms. Nothing’s gonna happen unless you want it to, ok?”
Sara didn’t answer. Silence filled the room as she stood there hands at her side, legs feeling like jelly, undecided. The way she felt about him, being alone with him for forty-eight hours in a row was a decidedly big risk.
“Come on, Sara. Be brave.” Chris leaned back and gazed into her eyes, lips curled into an intimate smile. “I won’t bite unless you want me to.” He chuckled, wiggling his eyebrows, attempting to break the tension.
His exuberance toppled Sara’s remaining resistance. It was a bad idea, but she wanted this. “Alright, but I’m not skiing. Hurtling eighty miles per hour down an icy mountain is not my idea of a good time.”
The seaplane ride was not something Sam wanted to repeat any time soon. She was a little claustrophobic in general, and the small cabin of the twelve-seater made a phone booth seem large in comparison. To distract her on the way over JR held her hand and hummed her favorite Allman Brother’s song, “Melissa,” while nuzzling her ear. She did enjoy being close to him. He had a surprisingly good voice. Still, she couldn’t have been happier to step onto the dock in Nanaimo.
JR’s Corvette was ready and waiting for them in the Harbour Air parking garage. She lifted a brow. “Who brought your car over?”
“It’s not the same car,” JR mumbled sheepishly, looked down at her.
“What?” She put her hands on her hips. “Exactly how many black Corvettes do you have?”
“Just two. One for here and one for Vancouver.”
“Just two, huh?” She smiled, shaking her head in mock disapproval.
“Hey guys,” Keith interrupted. “I’m gonna drop Danny at the B&B and then go out to see my folks. Do you still want to meet up for dinner at Mad Chef Café?”
“Yeah, man. My mom really wants to see you.” JR clapped Keith on the back. “Later.” JR grabbed Sam’s suitcase and steered her to his car.
JR took the coastal route off the main highway, slower than he usually drove so that Sam could take in the scenery. Her face practically pressed to the glass, she told him, “It’s beautiful here.”
“Yeah, it is,” he acknowledged, staring at her and twirling one of her curls.
“Stop it. Watch the road.” She smiled briefly at him before looking back out the window again. “I meant the island. It’s so green and lush.”
He smiled in agreement with his gaze back on the road.
“It must have been rough growing up here,” she teased, gesturing out the window. “The ocean and mountains just out your back door…” She trailed off, distracted by the changing view.
“I guess I kinda took it for granted,” he admitted, taking the turn down the paved driveway to the Victorian styled oceanfront B&B where
Sam and Danny were both staying.
Her room wasn’t quite ready, so they left the luggage in storage and took the car back to downtown Courtenay for lunch.
“It’s wonderful,” Sam commented, as JR drove down the main street of the town, admiring the assorted boutiques, art galleries, and restaurants.
“You’re gonna want to go shopping, aren’t you?” JR asked with a grimace.
“You bet.” Sam smiled and leaned over the stick shift to give him a quick kiss as bribery. When she leaned back in her seat and reached for the door handle, he stopped her with a hand on her arm.
Catching her gaze, JR slipped his fingers through her hair holding the back of her head in his hands. He studied her face for a moment as if committing it to memory. He couldn’t believe his good fortune, that this sweet, beautiful woman was his. Lowering his head, he kissed her slowly, deliberately. Spine tingling. Scintillating. They were both panting for air when he pulled back. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Come on. Let’s get something to eat and then shopping, of course.”
Strolling down the picturesque lane, she remarked, “It reminds me of downtown Graham, only with the ocean.” She laughed delightedly as she took it all in. Every shop had an awning, no two were alike in shape or color. The landscaping on both sides of the street was meticulous. Several wrought iron benches offered shoppers inviting places to sit, and the street poles were dressed up with ‘Welcome to Courtenay’ banners and hanging baskets that were bursting with purple and gold pansies. It was one of the most charming small towns Sam had ever seen.
“I don’t know how you stay away.”
JR gave her a bemused smile. “I come back and forth a lot. The seaplane makes it easy.”
They stepped into the Atlas Café, a small modern bistro with a bohemian flare. The staff knew JR by name and respected their privacy. Sam had samosas, an Indian meat filled pastry with a curry dip. JR had a classic breakfast with eggs, spicy sausage and focaccia toast. When they were finished, he patted his flat stomach and said, “I’m gonna need a nap now. I can’t move.”
“Uh- uh, mister. You promised me shopping. Come on.” They browsed up and down the street for hours. JR really could barely move being laden with so many bags by the time Sam was ready to quit.
Suddenly, she squealed, pointing at Hot Chocolates, the local chocolate shop and bakery. This was a place even he could get excited about. “I’m guessing by that response that you want to go in?” he teased.
Eyes sparkling, she grabbed his arm and pulled him inside. A warm happy feeling washed over him. He had it bad for this woman. When she looked at him like that, he wanted to give her the world.
Instead they settled for a spicy Grenadian chocolate bar and a couple of lattes. Sam selected a dozen assorted chocolates to take back to Vancouver. “Ok, what next?” she asked as they headed back to the car.
“Well if you’re not too tired, I thought we’d drive up to the top of Mt Washington, so you could see the view of the valley and take in the sunset.”
“I’d love that.”
At the top, JR stood behind Samantha with his arms wrapped around her shoulders. The wind was fierce and cold, whipping her reddish brown curls against his face, but he didn’t mind.
Sam shivered and leaned back against JR’s chest, absorbing his warmth. He rubbed his hands up and down over her sleeves while they enjoyed each other’s company and the scenic view. The twin towns of Courtenay and Comox were nestled in the valley below. The ocean lapped at the shoreline, its surface sparkling like diamonds in the setting sun. In the distance the mountain grandeur of mainland British Columbia provided the finishing touches to the incredible panorama. Sam twisted around to glance up at JR, tears glistening in her grey eyes. “It’s absolutely breathtaking.” Looking down into that angelic face, he couldn’t help but agree.
“What?” Sara asked, exasperated as they wound their way up the exhilarating Sea to Sky highway. The ocean was on the left side of their vehicle and the mountains were on the right, but he’d been paying more attention to her than the scenery or the road. “Stop that. You’re starting to creep me out old man.”
“Can’t a guy look?” Chris parried. “As far as I know that’s not a crime.” He grinned. “Besides that Sara, you know you’re beautiful. Tell me, what number were you on People’s list?”
She gave him the raspberry in response.
“If there were a place to pull over I’d put that tongue of yours to good use.” The interior of the rented four wheel drive SUV was quiet except for Chris’ drumming on the steering wheel as he continued to glance over at her. “Come on,” he pressed. “I’m curious.”
“You’re not going to let it go, are you?”
“No.”
“Ten, you old geezer,” she mumbled through gritted teeth.
“Really? Interesting...”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing.” He chuckled when she punched his arm. “It explains why you’re so distracting. But I would have put you much higher.”
“Watch the road you ass,” she said, smiling despite herself.
Sara made him stop just outside Squamish to shop for local jade. While Chris stretched his legs, she bought a hand carved bear pendant for Sam. Then they headed into town, topped off the tanks, and pulled into an A&W for lunch.
“Sara,” Chris began, tucking away the last of his meal as they sat in the car outside the fast food restaurant. She turned to regard him. “I just wanted you to know that I’m really sorry about some of the things I said to you when we first met. I mean about the other guys and all.”
“I said some pretty hurtful things that I’m not proud of either,” she admitted. “The comment about your failed marriage was below the belt.” She seemed hesitant for a moment then continued, “The tabloids said you caught her cheating with your guitarist?”
“Yeah.” He grimaced. “That’s not an easy image to get out of your head. Anyway, we had problems before that. Success came too easily. Being a part of that scene, there were just too many temptations. I guess I wasn’t the poster child for fidelity myself. We were both so young. Neither of us was really ready for that level of commitment.” He looked at her thoughtfully. “I don’t suppose you can really relate?”
“Don’t be so sure about that,” she muttered.
“How so?”
“Oh, nothing. Forget about it.”
“No, I insist. Like I told you before, I want to know the real Sara Daniels, not the media caricature.”
“So you don’t know about me and Matthew Connelly?”
Chris raised a brow. “That guy’s older than I am!”
“I know.” Sara sighed. “Shocking, huh? It was a long time ago. I was barely twenty…” She trailed off. “I don’t know why I’m even telling you about this.”
He reached over and stroked her cheek with the back of his fingers. “Go on, “ he urged her.
“I did some backup vocals for him in Nashville when I was just starting out, but even then I knew that I was going places. He knew it, too.” She paused.
Chris could see the pain in her eyes.
“We were together for nearly two years. I believed it when he told me that he loved me. I trusted him.” Her gaze hardened. “But he just hooked up with me in a vain attempt to hang on a little longer. When he realized that I wasn’t going to jumpstart his career, he crumpled me up and threw me away. Like trash…” She turned away, looking out the window at the rock cliffs that seemed to spring directly out of the pavement. “You’re right. That’s not an image that goes away.”
“I’m sorry, Sara,” he said softly, covering her hand with his. No wonder she was so emotionally closed off. “Matthew was an idiot. He’s the one who’s garbage.” He placed a gentle kiss on her cheek and intertwined his fingers with hers. “You are a treasure.”
They checked into the Westin and headed up to their rooms.
“Oh, my,” Sara exclaimed when she looked out the window of he
r suite.
Chris moved behind her, threaded his arms around her waist and laid his chin on her right shoulder. “Yeah, not too shabby, huh?”
Sara lingered there for a view moments, enjoying both the mountain view and his warmth pressed against her. She slipped gently from his embrace and surveyed the room. He had reserved two junior suites. Her large cabin themed room had a dark green color scheme, a cozy seating area and kitchenette, and an inviting king bed. Sara’s checks flushed, feeling Chris’ eyes on her and wondering if he could read her thoughts. She glanced at him and he gave her that sexy smile before walking over to the connecting door.
“Looks like yours and mine are exactly the same,” he said, peering into the room next door. “If you get confused and somehow find your way into mine, I would understand.”
“Thanks. I appreciate your concern. Suggestive banter she could handle. Light, fun, and flirty. The conversation over lunch had gotten way too personal. She didn’t know what had possessed her to tell Chris about Matthew. Sam and Gram were the only ones who knew the no-spin details.
Sara crossed over to him, and trailed a finger lightly down his arm. Putting her arms around his waist, she tilted her face back, making it obvious what she was asking for. Chris’ lips turned up for a brief moment before he placed them on hers.
The feel of Chris’ warm mouth and the way he moved his lips against hers sent an immediate bolt of desire sizzling along her nerve endings. He hadn’t even deepened the kiss and she was on fire for him.
He combed his fingers back through her hair. “Open your mouth,” he breathed against her lips. As soon as her mouth parted, his tongue took possession, and he began plundering the interior. She moaned and her body began to tremble with need. All coherent thought scrambled as she focused only on the way he made her feel. Hot, wet, lost, empty, and… totally consumed.
Heart pounding, Sara tore her mouth away from his. Each time he kissed her she had less and less control over her response. She pulled back, deliberately avoiding looking in his eyes. She didn’t want to be hypnotized by his dark hooded I’m-going-to-easily-seduce-you-it-is-inevitable gaze.
Kiss Kiss Page 122
