Stealing Kisses

by Harmony Evans

Derek whistled in amazement. “Pops has his own business? That was one of his dreams!”

  “I know.” Wes nodded, his face beaming with pride. “And he’s doing really well. He has both commercial and residential contracts.”

  “That’s terrific! Why don’t you give him a call and let him know that I’m here.”

  Janet and Wes looked at each other. To Natalie, it seemed as though a silent message passed between them.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Derek.”

  Natalie found the anguish in Wes’s eyes curious as a storm cloud of tension suddenly moved into the kitchen.

  “Why? What’s wrong? Don’t you want him to know I’m here?”

  She could hear the frustration in Derek’s voice, even though he tried to hide it.

  “He’s working his commercial accounts now,” Janet interjected a little too hastily. “Businesses are closed down for the night. We probably shouldn’t bother him.”

  Derek looked even more confused. “But I thought you said he had people working for him?”

  “He does,” Wes reassured him and then laughed. “But you know Pops, he always has to mind the chicken coop and make sure the hens aren’t playing when they should be laying eggs!”

  Derek half laughed, then shook his head. “How could I forget? He sure wanted to control my life.”

  Natalie raised her brows at the edge of sarcasm in his voice. Perhaps this was one reason why Derek and his father didn’t get along.

  Wes speared some lettuce and stuffed it into his mouth. “We’ll get in touch with him tomorrow, okay?” he mumbled between chews.

  Derek nodded and picked up his fork.

  Natalie noticed he wasn’t eating with the same gusto as before, likely due to the fact that the reunion with his father would have to wait another day.

  “So what do you do for a living, Natalie?”

  “I’m a life coach,” she responded, secretly grateful that Janet had changed the subject. “Basically, I help motivate my clients to set goals and do whatever it takes to achieve success in their personal and professional lives.”

  Janet raised an eyebrow. “Hmm. Maybe you can motivate my husband to put his underwear in the hamper rather than on the floor.”

  Natalie laughed at Janet’s frankness. “I may have a few tips that can help.”

  Derek looked aghast. “He still does that? I remember that I hated going to the bathroom in the middle of the night and stepping on his dirty drawers with my bare feet. I guess some things never change!”

  Wes balled up his napkin and threw it at Derek. Everyone burst out laughing. The tension had thankfully disappeared and the men talked sports for the rest of the meal.

  Janet stood. “You two must be tired. I’ll show you to your room.”

  “Dinner was wonderful. Can I help you clean up?” Natalie offered.

  “Thank you, but that won’t be necessary. You’re our guests. Besides, that’s Wes’s job,” she said, tossing him the sponge.

  Wes caught it and groaned. “Me and my dishpan hands will see you in the morning.”

  After they said good-night, Derek grabbed their luggage from the hallway.

  Natalie stifled a yawn as they slowly followed Janet single file up the narrow stairs. She couldn’t wait to get to her room, strip off her clothes and take a hot, steamy bath.

  “The stairs still creak in the same places!” Derek exclaimed, waxing nostalgic.

  Natalie smiled and couldn’t help but wonder what other memories were hidden in the house.

  They went up two sets of stairs and then a smaller set with a low ceiling.

  “Are you banishing us to the attic?” she joked.

  Finally, Janet stopped and pointed to the sign etched in bronze and gold on the door. “No. Just the bridal suite.”

  Natalie felt her stomach drop like a runaway elevator. But before she could say anything, Janet turned the knob and ushered the couple into the room.

  Natalie blanched at the sight of the elaborately carved antique four-poster bed sitting right in the middle of the small room.

  Derek, on the other hand, had a grin as wide as a gambler who’d just won a huge pile of money. How she wanted to punch him!

  “But there must be some mistake.” The words came out garbled and Natalie coughed a little.

  Janet gave her a strange look, likely wondering why Derek’s “girlfriend” was making such a stink about sleeping in the same room with her man. Who was, she thought, much hotter in person than he was on television.

  “Did Wes take your reservation?” she asked.

  “Yes,” Natalie said. “I didn’t know who it was at the time. I just told the man I spoke to that I was booking accommodations for me and a guest.”

  “Did you specifically ask for two rooms?”

  Natalie racked her brain, but couldn’t remember. Probably because she’d been multitasking at the same time she’d made the reservation.

  “I’m not sure,” she admitted.

  “Well, if you had, Wes would have told you that besides this one, there are six other bedrooms and they aren’t available. We are completely booked. The local Red Hat Society is here for the weekend.”

  Natalie was at a loss of what to do or to say. It was too late for her to find a hotel room, although that was exactly what she would do tomorrow. Derek could stay here in the bridal suite and visit his family.

  But that left tonight...

  Derek put one arm around her waist and hugged her to him. Her insides beamed. Despite the circumstances, it felt wonderful to be held by him again.

  “The bridal suite is fine, Janet. We appreciate your hospitality, don’t we, sweetheart?”

  Natalie nodded, silently reveling in the protective feel of his arm around her waist.

  She glanced up into Derek’s eyes and saw hot desire. She could drown in it, in him. Oh, how tempting it was just to take a risk and dive in, to allow him to swallow her whole until she disappeared into the depth of those eyes, his sinew and muscle. Would he taste of briny salt and feel like rough waves moving over her body? Or would their lovemaking be as sweet as teardrops of rain, ending in brilliant sunshine?

  Janet took a last look around. “Well, I’ll leave you two alone. If there’s anything you need, just let me know.”

  How about a lifeboat? Natalie thought, suddenly gripped with fear. Not at the prospect of spending the night alone with Derek, but at the fact that she’d pushed aside her needs for so long, that she wasn’t sure she would have the strength to resist him.

  “Good night,” they murmured.

  When Janet left, Natalie quickly reassessed the situation.

  The bridal suite was all bed, all the time. Wide and waiting for two bodies to warm it up.

  Derek was all man. Tall and hard, and made for her hands to explore.

  Natalie sucked in a breath.

  And she was on her own.

  Chapter 5

  The door clicked shut and the sound, although quiet in reality, echoed in Derek’s ears like the roar of his plane’s engine. When he was with Natalie, it seemed that everything around him was amplified. He felt more. Both emotionally and physically.

  And now it was just the two of them, for one whole night, in the most romantic room in the house. He couldn’t think of a more pleasant way to cap off a very long day.

  Derek’s eyes swept the room.

  Candles, roses, a huge four-poster canopy bed and a beautiful woman in his arms.

  There were worse things in life.

  He’d had the good fortune to be able to have almost any woman he wanted, when he wanted. But none had ever held his interest like Natalie. He was utterly marveled by her, and there was no better time to explore the reasons why than tonight.


  He placed his other hand on Natalie’s waist and pulled her closer, being careful to keep a small amount of distance between their torsos.

  He groaned inwardly. Her tight little body felt as good as it looked, and the painful erection it spurred just then was not the first one of the day. And he was certain it wouldn’t be the last.

  “Now this is awkward,” he intoned, stepping a hairbreadth closer to her.

  Trying to maintain a respectable distance between their bodies was proving almost impossible. Yet, searching her face, he thought perhaps he’d stepped over a battle line, because right now it looked as if she wanted to slug him.

  Natalie’s eyes blazed like two torches. “If you’re so uncomfortable, then why have you been grinning like a Cheshire cat ever since we got up here?” she accused.

  Her breasts swept like a feather against his bare arms as she wriggled out of his grasp. The hair on his arms stood on end and his erection grew even tighter.

  A smile broke across his face. She was right. Having her in his arms suited him just fine. Having her sitting astride him, legs cast wide, head thrown back, would suit him even better.

  He was a patient man.

  Still, because Derek didn’t want to risk offending her, he took a half step back, resisting the urge to crush her against his body and never let go. He wanted her to feel his strength, to know the core of his being.

  “What can I say?” He shrugged innocently. “When opportunity knocks...”

  “You sleep on the couch!” she interjected, poking him in the chest.

  “All I see is this big bed. Looks like we’re bunking together tonight,” he said, a devilish gleam in his eyes.

  She crossed her arms. “Guess again!”

  “What if you pretend I’m your BFF and we’re having a sleepover? You can tell me all your secrets.”

  His finger roamed the path from her chin to the tip of her earlobe. “I promise I’m a good listener.”

  She hesitated, then with no response, walked to the mahogany armoire. After opening the doors, she started to rummage through it.

  “Do you think it’s too late to ask Janet to bring up some extra blankets and pillows?”

  “There’s plenty on the bed already. How many do we need?”

  She looked back and corrected him. “Not ‘we.’ You. The more pillows and blankets you have, the more comfortable you’ll be sleeping on the floor.”

  There was only one place he was going to rest his head, and it wasn’t going to be on wood.

  He walked over and grabbed her hand. “I promise I won’t hog the blankets if you promise you won’t snore.”

  “Not a chance, Derek. I don’t sleep with clients.”

  He thought she would shake his hand away, but she didn’t.

  That was a good sign.

  Instead she closed her eyes and yawned, her feet swaying at the same time.

  Instinct took over and Derek put his hand on her shoulder. He steered her to the bed and she sat.

  “Are you okay? You almost lost your balance.”

  “Thanks.” She nodded. “I guess I’m just tired.”

  “We both are,” he added.

  He sat next to her, suddenly feeling a little guilty, not about his desire for her, but because she seemed exhausted.

  “Look, we’re two adults. We can handle this situation for one night. Tomorrow we can figure something else out.”

  “I’m sorry. I should have booked two rooms. I don’t know what I was thinking,” Natalie said.

  “If you had booked two rooms, you probably would have had to give my name,” he reminded her. “You wanted to keep this a secret, and it worked. I think my brother was very surprised to see me.”

  Natalie smiled. “And I’m just glad everything turned out.”

  “It actually went better than expected.” He frowned. “I only wish I could have seen or spoken to my dad tonight.”

  She rested her hand lightly on his thigh and his skin heated like a lit match all the way to his groin.

  “I know that was disappointing, but you’ll see him tomorrow.”

  He sighed and tried to ignore the pleasant feel of her touch. “I guess I should be happy for the extra time. Maybe by then I’ll actually know what to say to him after all these years.”

  “Any ideas?” she asked, her eyes kind.

  He knew his first words should probably be “I’m sorry.” But he wasn’t sure if he had the courage to say them. He also knew those two words couldn’t possibly make up for more than ten years of silence.

  He wasn’t sorry about the decisions he’d made; he was just sorry about how he’d treated his family to get there. How could he possibly explain it to his father? Pops hadn’t listened back then; how could Derek be sure that he would listen now?

  “A few,” he responded, not sure if he wanted to let her into his thoughts, let alone his heart. His bed? Now that was a no-brainer. From the moment she’d hiked up her skirt and picked up the basketball, he’d wanted her. Plain and simple.

  He folded his hand over hers. It felt so small and delicate, as if he held a butterfly in his palm.

  Did she have a man in her life? If so, did he treat her well?

  “Thank you for pushing me to do this. To see my brother, I mean. I never would have made this trip on my own.”

  “That’s my job,” she affirmed in a matter-of-fact voice. “I’m here to support you in this process. And that’s it.”

  She slipped her hand away from his and his skin went cold. It surprised him how much he needed to feel her touch.

  “Which side of the bed do you prefer?”

  “Any one you don’t want,” he replied.

  She got off the bed and retrieved her suitcase. “I’m going to get ready. Mind if I use the bathroom first?”

  He shook his head. “Not at all. Take your time.”

  She opened a door, inhaling sharply. “This obviously isn’t the bathroom.”

  He pointed to another door. “It’s that one. Sorry, I should have pointed that out before.”

  “No big deal. Where do these go?” she asked, pointing to a narrow set of stairs that wound up out of sight.

  “The Turret Room.”

  She dropped her luggage and craned her head up toward the ceiling. There was a light switch next to the door and she flipped it on, illuminating the stairs.

  “Can I see it?” she asked, and the excitement in her voice was unmistakable.

  “Sure, though I’m not sure what condition it’s in,” he warned. But she was out of sight before he’d finished speaking.

  He followed her up, taking the stairs two at a time, a little fearful. The last time he’d been in the Turret Room the floor had nearly collapsed under his feet.

  Seconds later Derek found her. His throat tightened at the sight of her lush body framed in the moonlight streaming through the windows on all three sides of the turret.

  He joined her at the window. She had her nose pressed against the glass, and her knees were perched on the curved window seat. His hands ached to mold the roundness of her upturned bottom with his palms.

  He put his hands behind his back and clenched his fists with longing.

  “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

  Only he knew that he wasn’t talking about the view outside.

  “Mmm-hmm.” She nodded without turning her face toward him. “It’s like you can see forever.”

  “Best view in Baker’s Falls,” he said.

  He cranked one of the windows open and the night air wafted in, ruffling the wisps of hair that fell upon her forehead.

  “Although the room is small, once you get up here and look out the windows, your whole perspective changes.”

  She sank down into the seat and s
lipped her shoes off.

  “It’s every girl’s dream,” she said in a faraway voice.

  He looked at her curiously. “What do you mean?”

  “To live in a castle...in a beautiful room with a turret...waiting for her prince to carry her off on his white horse to be married.”

  Derek got down on one knee in front of her and placed a hand on his heart.

  “This isn’t a castle and I don’t have a white horse, but I do have the black Jeep you rode in on.” He picked up her hand and kissed it. “Will that suit you, milady?”

  “Perhaps.” She held his gaze, and his heart fluttered crazily. “But then, you’d have to stop being a bad boy. My prince is a one-woman man, not a playboy,” she teased.

  He sat back on his heels, knowing that while her tone was playful, the words behind it were not. They lodged like a stone in his stomach.

  So that’s it, he thought sadly. She’s bought into the hype.

  He couldn’t blame her. What she didn’t know was that his playboy image was fake, carefully crafted and nurtured by his manager, Tony. The more media coverage about his supposed sexual exploits and party-all-night binges, the more ticket sales went up and the more “attractive” he was to sponsors, and everyone in the league was happy.

  Except him.

  Deep down, he knew that he wanted one woman whom he could trust enough to give his entire self to. In the past, he’d never reached that point with any woman. His hope that he ever would was fading.

  “That’ll never happen,” he replied, voice dripping with sarcasm.

  Natalie’s shoulders sagged, as if something deflated within her, and Derek immediately regretted his words.

  But it was too late. Although Natalie’s eyes were still kind, distrust had moved in, and looked as though it was there for an extended stay.

  Once again he’d strengthened the walls of the very image of himself that he wanted to destroy. He suddenly realized that he was so used to squashing his character and denying his needs in the name of money and fame that when he got the chance to be his true self, he screwed things up.

  Like right now, he thought.

  Natalie stood. “It’s a silly dream anyway,” she said. “Thanks for letting me see this room. It’s getting late. I’m going to get ready for bed.”