by Cindy Kirk
The bistro on Scott Avenue, known for its signature green flourless torte, buzzed with activity. With warming lights taking the chill from the air, people sat outside on the patio, eating tall pieces of chocolate oblivion cake and pie with meringue a mile high.
Mitzi stepped aside while Winn opened the door. She shot him an appreciative smile as she strolled past him into the café. The man had impeccable manners.
“Looks like half the town is here,” Winn joked, resting a palm lightly against the small of her back.
They slowly made their way through the milling crowd to the hostess stand, where they were informed it’d be a twenty-minute wait.
“I wonder if there is anyone here we know,” Mitzi murmured. It seemed like, considering the number of people in the café.
“Good idea.” Winn’s gaze swept the room like a hunter in search of prey. “Bingo.”
A flash of triumph filled his eyes.
Mitzi lifted a brow.
“Look who’s here.”
Curious now, Mitzi followed the direction of his gaze. She resisted the urge to sigh. Keenan sat with Hailey, Tripp and Adrianna at a large round table on the far side of the room.
“I’m going to see if they have room for us,” Winn said almost to himself. “There’s a zoning issue I’d like to discuss with our illustrious mayor, and Tripp’s been a hard man to reach.”
Without waiting for her response, Winn began winding his way through the tables.
So much for impeccable manners. Mitzi rolled her eyes then followed him at a sedate pace.
“We’d love to have you join us,” she heard Tripp say as he pushed back his chair and smiled warmly at both her and Winn. He glanced around the table. “I believe you both know everyone.”
Mitzi couldn’t believe it when Winn pulled out the chair next to Keenan for her. Of course, his only other choice was to give her the seat next to Tripp. A spot he obviously had marked for himself.
“You look lovely.” Adrianna’s admiring gaze settled on Mitzi’s retro black dress with its flared skirt and belted waist.
“Red is definitely your color,” Mitzi said, returning the compliment.
Even dressed casually in jeans and a simple crimson sweater, with her sultry good looks and killer body, Adrianna was stunning.
“Tripp told me I couldn’t wear a dress.” Adrianna slipped her hand through her husband’s arm, her tone teasing.
Her husband chuckled and brushed a kiss across her lips. “Who wears a dress to a rodeo?”
“The bull riding was awesome.”
At the comment, Mitzi shifted her attention to Hailey. Like Adrianna, the blonde had gone casual in a Western-cut shirt that brought out the blue in her eyes. Instead of letting her hair hang loose like her sister-in-law, she’d pulled it back in a jaunty tail.
Before Mitzi could respond, Hailey shifted her focus to Keenan. “I saw Ryan ride when I was in high school. He was a-ma-zing.”
Like the others at the table, Mitzi knew Ryan Harcourt had once been a champion bull rider before he quit the sport to attend law school.
“I had the biggest crush on him back then,” Hailey admitted cheerfully. “All the girls did.”
“I’d tell him,” Keenan said, “but it’d just go to his head.”
Then, Keenan’s gaze settled on Mitzi. Her body began to hum as her blood warmed.
“Did you all go to the rodeo together?” Winn asked politely.
“We did.” Hailey answered and shot him a bright smile.
“It was fun but I wished we’d been able to get symphony tickets.” Adrianna’s lips came together in a light pout. “Especially since they featured American composers this evening. Do you recall if they played Gershwin’s ‘An American in Paris’? It’s a particular favorite of mine.”
“They did. It was one of the many fine pieces they played.” Winn’s gaze grew thoughtful. “Copeland’s ‘Fanfare for the Common Man’ was performed in a typically majestic fashion. And the upbeat rendition of ‘Rodeo’ couldn’t help but lift one’s spirits.”
Winn glanced at Mitzi for confirmation of the recap.
She nodded, wondering if Winn had concluded the best way to garner Tripp’s favor was to impress his wife. The second the uncharitable thought surfaced, she shoved it aside.
“Even though you’d have preferred the symphony,” Hailey said to her sister-in-law, “you have to admit you had fun at the rodeo.”
“I did enjoy it,” Adrianna admitted. “Especially seeing Cole and Meg’s Charlie in the mutton-busting competition. Though I’m not sure I’d want my little boy on the back of a crazed sheep.”
“I guarantee that ewe was more scared than Charlie,” Tripp said with a laugh.
“Have you always been interested in music?” Winn asked Adrianna.
“I’ve played the flute for eons.” Adrianna’s expression grew wistful. “I considered making music my career, but my dad was old-school and insisted I focus on something practical.”
Winn’s eyes grew shuttered. “Fathers can be like that.”
By the time the waiter stopped to take their order, Mitzi was engaged in a conversation with Hailey and Adrianna about an upcoming sale at a local boutique. Since she was occupied and there was very little she didn’t like, Mitzi told Winn to order for her.
When Adrianna turned to greet a friend passing the table, Mitzi realized Winn had broached the zoning issue with Tripp. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned to Keenan.
She let her gaze linger for just a second and felt a little shiver. His military-green Henley stretched wide over muscled shoulders. He’d pushed the sleeves up, showing strong arms with a light dusting of hair. Even though he was dressed casually and his hair was in tousled disarray, there wasn’t a more handsome man at the table.
“Fried banana with coconut ice cream?” Keenan’s lips twitched.
At first she didn’t understand. Then it hit her. “Is that what Winn ordered for me?”
“I chose the chocolate oblivion. If you’re nice to me, I might give you a bite.” A devilish gleam sparkled in Keenan’s hazel eyes. “Unless you think you’ll be too full after eating all that coconut ice cream.”
“Ha, ha.” Mitzi narrowed her gaze. The chocolate oblivion was a personal favorite. And for her, one taste would never be enough. “Let’s...negotiate. I give you all of the coconut ice cream.”
“So generous,” he said, stifling a smile.
“I’ll even toss in the fried banana.”
“Gee, thanks.”
This time, Mitzi was the one who struggled not to smile.
“And you get what in exchange?” Keenan prompted when she didn’t immediately make her demand.
Mitzi cast a sideways glance. Winn was still engaged in an animated conversation with Tripp. Her date was so busy trying to impress Tripp, she doubted he’d even notice she was eating a different dessert than he’d ordered.
Coconut ice cream?
Fried banana?
What had the man been thinking? Still, if Keenan agreed to her terms, a happy ending was still in reach.
“Just half your cake,” she said quickly. “Not much considering all I’m giving you.”
“No deal,” Keenan said. “One bite. And that’s if you’re nice to me.”
She snorted. “I’m always nice to you.”
Unexpectedly he smiled. “Yes,” he said. “You are.”
Though she could have pressed the cake issue, she decided to regroup then circle back. “You never mentioned you were going to the rodeo with the Randalls.”
“I went with Betsy and Ryan. We ran into Hailey, Tripp and Adrianna when we got there and decided to sit together.” Keenan lifted a shoulder in a slight shrug. “Betsy and Ry headed straight home afterward because they had a sitter with a curfew. The rest of us came here for dessert.”
“I’m glad you did,” she said in an offhand tone, then stared down when the waitress put the huge chunk of chocolate cake in front of him.
&nb
sp; Keenan shot a glance at Winn, who was still engaged in an earnest discussion with Tripp, complete with hand gestures and intense voices.
“Since you’re sacrificing your Saturday for my house, come early. I’ll make you breakfast.” Mitzi wasn’t sure who was most surprised by the impulsive offer, her or Keenan. “Do you like huevos rancheros?”
“Love ’em.” He picked up his fork, looked at her. “I’ll need coffee with those eggs. Strong and black.”
“You’re very particular.”
Keenan’s smile came slow. “Let’s just say I’m a man who knows what he wants.”
Mitzi hummed the next morning as she chopped chilies, made sauce and cooked tortillas. Once that was done, she ground beans and set the coffee to brew before grabbing eggs from the refrigerator. She paused before cracking them, her thoughts drifting.
After leaving the café, Winn had driven her home. She’d invited him in and given him the grand tour. Once that was done, they’d done a little kissing.
The man knew how to kiss, she’d give him that. The problem was with her. Though she tried to muster some enthusiasm, she’d felt nothing. Nada. Not one spark.
Her reaction made Mitzi wonder if the problem lay with Winn or her. Was her lack of desire a result of zero chemistry between them? Or did the complete absence of sexual energy go deeper?
From what she recalled, that hadn’t been an issue any of the times she and Keenan had kissed. Unless her memory was playing tricks on her.
She might need to see about a repeat performance. Purely for scientific research purposes, of course. Kisses for eggs?
Mitzi smiled and picked up the wooden spoon. She stirred the simmering sauce.
“Something smells mighty good in here.”
Mitzi jumped. The spoon flew from her hand to clatter on the floor. She whirled. “Keenan. You startled me.”
Dressed in faded jeans and a white T-shirt with scarred leather work boots on his feet, Keenan looked rough, rugged and mouthwateringly good.
“I knocked a couple of times but you didn’t hear me.” Keenan crossed the room and silenced the jarring beat of a Metallica guitar riff blaring from the radio.
“What can I say? I like heavy metal and I like it loud.” She grinned.
He glanced around the kitchen just in time to see Bitty tear into the room as if her tail was on fire. She slid across the quarry tile floor with front paws extended.
Mitzi chuckled. “Welcome to my world. She does this all the time.”
Keenan scooped up the kitten, held out the tiny bundle of gray fur and studied her with a critical eye. “Itty Bitty is getting fat.”
“No surprise. She eats like a pig.” Mitzi picked up the spoon from the floor and set it in the sink. After wiping up the mess, she grabbed another from a drawer. “If any mice snuck into the house during construction, they’re safe. This little piggy, er, kitty, isn’t hungry enough to go after them.”
Keenan drew the animal to him, stroking it until it began to purr. “Will Winn be joining us?”
Mitzi frowned. “I didn’t invite him to come by. Did you have something you needed to discuss with him?”
“Not really,” Keenan said cheerfully.
It wasn’t until Mitzi cracked the last egg into the skillet that the implication struck her. “You wanted to know if he spent the night.”
“Don’t get your nose out of joint.” Keenan set Bitty on the floor. “I just needed to know if I had to be all cultured and on my best behavior this morning. For instance, if he was here, I couldn’t do this—”
Swiping the spoon from her hand, he dipped it into the sauce of tomatoes and green chilies for a taste. “That’s good stuff.”
Swatting his arm, she jerked the spoon from his hand. “Stop that.”
Looking not at all repentant, Keenan sidled over to the coffeemaker. He poured two cups of the steaming brew, keeping one for himself and handing the other to Mitzi.
While she fried the eggs, he leaned against the counter, looking way sexier than any man had a right so early in the morning. She’d gone for casual this morning: a pair of black knit pants and a cashmere top in emerald-green. Her hair tumbled loose around her shoulders, but she’d pulled the strands back from her face with a thin tortoise-shell band.
After taking a long sip of the strong Columbian blend, Mitzi set out the plates of food and gestured for him to sit.
He pulled out a chair. “Ladies first.”
For several minutes they ate in comfortable silence. Then she mentioned something about work and he told her about his conversation with Ben. Mitzi realized she’d never asked about his progress toward getting back in the air. “Did you get your pilot’s license?”
The smile that spread across his face gave her the answer before he even spoke. “I did. Yes, I did.”
“Will you be quitting your job with Joel?”
“I wish I could.” He put down his fork. “It’s not that I don’t enjoy working for Joel. I do. He’s a great guy. And the job gives me a steady income. But flying is my passion. And I’m determined to find a way to do it full-time.”
Mitzi understood. Medicine had always been her passion. She’d set a goal of becoming an orthopedic surgeon and that had been that.
Now, she was ready to move on to the next item on her list. She had her career. A new home. Now she wanted a husband.
Her analysis indicated Winn Ferris would be the perfect choice. If only she was attracted to him.
She gazed across the table at Keenan. His hair was longer, brushing his collar. And the fingers holding a fork, instead of being perfectly manicured, were clean but battle-scarred and rough.
What would it feel like to have that hand glide across her skin and cup her breast? Her breath hitched. She forced herself to take a sip of coffee, tried to concentrate on the hearty breakfast. But she couldn’t banish the image, couldn’t stop the ache that formed low in her belly.
She told herself this was all because Winn’s kisses last night had left her cold and frustrated. She’d blown her experience with Keenan out of proportion. Now she couldn’t get him out of her mind.
There was only one way to deal with the matter. She was going to have to kiss Keenan again.
Chapter Eleven
Several times during breakfast, Keenan caught Mitzi staring. He wondered if he’d missed a spot when he shaved that morning or if he hadn’t quite gotten all the mahogany stain off his neck during his shower.
But he got the feeling the doctor wasn’t sitting back, judging him, she was...desiring him.
It had been a long time since Keenan had a pretty girl look at him that way, but a guy didn’t forget.
Still, Mitzi had been with Winn Ferris less than twenty-four hours earlier. Attending the symphony, for chrissakes. She’d looked incredibly hot in that jet-black dress and spiky heels. And elegant and unattainable with her hair all twisted up. She’d been acting strange, too.
When she’d let Winn order for her, like some docile society drone, he’d wondered if an alien had taken over her body. Especially when the guy had ordered a dessert containing coconut, which even he knew she despised.
But when Winn had gotten drawn into that discussion with Tripp, he’d discovered the Mitzi who fascinated him, who bedazzled him, was still there, well hidden under a stylish exterior.
“For now, keeping your current job makes sense,” she agreed. “But I bet you have a plan to get a flying gig.”
“Bill’s brother, Steve, runs a charter service.” Keenan lifted his attention from Mitzi’s luscious red lips to her eyes. “He’s hired me to help out as needed. As long as I give him notice, Joel says I can take off whenever I get the opportunity to fly.”
“That’s nice of him.” Mitzi placed her fork on the table and stared at him.
Her gaze appeared focused on his jaw. No, not on his jaw. On his mouth.
A quick burst of heat singed his insides. She was a client, he reminded himself. He was here to finish trimming out the kit
chen. “Thanks for the breakfast.”
“Thanks for the cake last night.”
“Watching you devour most of that piece was my pleasure.” He’d found the sight of those full red lips closing over a forkful of rich dark chocolate incredibly arousing.
Reluctantly, Keenan pushed back his chair. As he took his plate to the sink, he felt her gaze follow him.
When he turned, she was right there. She smelled as good as she looked. Like the wildflowers that had grown in his backyard when he was a child.
“What’s your hurry?” She spoke in a low, sultry voice that reminded him of tangled sheets and naked bodies.
Keenan forced a weak grin, tapped the scarred watch on his wrist. “On the clock.”
“I have something to ask you.” Her vivid blue eyes were serious.
“Ask away.”
“Will you kiss me?”
Keenan stared, certain he’d heard incorrectly. “Pardon?”
“I asked you to kiss me.” Irritation skittered across her face. “What’s so hard to understand?”
“You were with Winn last night. Didn’t he satisfy you?”
At her quick intake of breath, Keenan cursed himself for a fool. It wasn’t his business what she did or didn’t do with Winn Ferris.
She startled him when she laughed. “You’re very perceptive.”
What the heck did that mean? Keenan didn’t have time to do more than wonder because her arms were suddenly around his neck and her mouth on his.
Even if he’d wanted, he couldn’t have resisted the pull. They were two magnets drawn together with impossible force.
Her lips were warm and sweet, and he let his mouth linger. The kiss started out gentle, a simple kiss between friends. It quickly morphed into more. A tangible connection of feelings he could no longer deny.
Keenan settled his hands on her hips, molding her soft body against his hard one. They fit together perfectly.
His tongue swept across her lips, and when she opened her mouth to him, he deepened the kiss. It was as if a tank of fuel exploded inside him. Suddenly close wasn’t close enough. He wanted to crawl inside her skin, bury himself in her, kiss her for the rest of eternity.
