by Tee O'Fallon
That didn’t stop him from slipping one hand to the small of her back, or from tugging her closer until her slim, curvy body pressed against his. When her fingers touched his waist, his resolve slipped more, leaving him dangling over the edge of a very dangerous wall. If he fell, he doubted he could climb back up.
“Hey, are you guys all ri—”
He released her, jerking his head to the screen door. Tess stood on the deck, her mouth agape. “Woops. Sorry. I seem to be making a habit of this.” The screen door slammed as she spun and went back inside.
Andi eased away from him, her tongue swiping at her lower lip. She reached for her phone on the table and turned to the door, but he caught her arm. He dragged his other hand down his face. He must be out of his mind. No matter how strong the attraction was between them, this was a place he couldn’t go. Neither of them could.
“We can’t do this.” As much as he wanted her, he knew it was the right thing to say and not just because she was a suspect. He’d frozen himself off from romantic entanglements the day his wife died. It was how he’d survived. It was the only way he knew how. They were flirting with disaster, and she would wind up seriously hurt. We both might, he had to admit.
The skin between her brows furrowed, and he couldn’t decipher whether it was from anger, regret, or something else. “I know.”
Then she was gone.
He turned and braced his hands on the railing, drawing in a ragged breath. With every passing day, whatever was sparking between them grew brighter and hotter.
Whatever that something was, it meant trouble. Big trouble.
Chapter Nine
Andi breathed harder, inhaling the scents of pine and moist earth as her feet pounded on the dirt trail. Sweat beaded on her forehead and upper lip, and she swiped it away. Despite the thick tree canopy shading her from the early morning sunlight, thick, dewy air pressed in on her from all sides. She didn’t care and picked up her pace, but not before glancing over her shoulder for what had to be the hundredth time since she’d left the house.
It was Saturday, just over two weeks since Joe had called, and while there’d been no more sightings of the man who’d been watching her that night, the woods seemed to have eyes. With every bend in the path, she tensed, half anticipating someone would jump out from behind a tree and grab her. After telling Nick what she’d seen in the dog run, he’d warned her to notify him immediately if she saw him again, but there’d been no more sightings.
As if that wasn’t enough to ruin the morning runs that were normally peaceful and mind-clearing, the memory of her second near-kiss with Nick had pretty much fried her brain cells for the duration of time.
Forget it. It hadn’t meant a thing. To either of them. It was only the heat of the moment. Nothing more than that.
But she’d clung to him. Actually, clung to him. If Tess hadn’t interrupted them, who knew what would have happened?
You know what would have happened. She would have given in to her crazed need to claw at his shirt to get to his bare skin and feel all those hard muscles beneath her fingertips. Joe had never come close to evoking that kind of no-holds-barred response from her. Yet another sign that they were better off as friends. “Friends” was something she and Nick could never be. Friends or lovers. It was just as well that his presence at the DPC was temporary.
The trail straightened, and she dug into her reserves, kicking up her pace until her muscles screamed.
A chipmunk dashed across the path in front of her, and she veered at the last second to keep from stepping on it.
Lately, she and Nick had avoided each other as much as humanly possible. When she needed to get something from behind the bar, she waited until he’d gone into the storeroom to restock supplies, or into the kitchen to grab another of Marty’s experimental paninis.
Nick had afforded her the same treatment, although he always kept an eye on her, making sure she didn’t receive another call from Joe without telling him. In fact, the only good things that had happened lately were that the bar was packed every night now and the musician she’d hired for this evening would bring in even more customers. Maybe I’ll get through this after all.
With Tess covering for her, she had just enough time to get back and shower before the lunch crowd arrived. Good thing, because her shorts and tank top were thoroughly soaked with sweat and sticking to every inch of her skin.
The trail was silent, save for the sound of her breathing. In. Out. In. Out. A spooky sense crept up her spine and neck, spreading to her scalp. The sensation of being watched was overwhelming, and with every stride, her heart beat faster. Maybe I should have told Nick where I was going, after all.
Too late now, idiot. Besides, she refused to go all paranoid without any proof someone was actually stalking her.
Behind her, branches snapped. She clenched her fists and whipped around, planting her feet, readying for a fight. Her heart hammered, pounding in her ears.
A large deer broke through the brush and shot across the path. Andi let out a tiny shriek. Without breaking stride, the deer disappeared into the thicket. Her chest sawed in and out. “Holy shit.” Gradually, she unclenched her fists. This whole thing with Joe and the mystery man outside was seriously spooking her, to the point where she’d begun to jump at every little noise.
Shaking her head, she took off again, this time at a slower pace. An uncomfortable foreboding still surrounded her, but she did her best to shrug it off and enjoy the rest of her run.
As she rounded the last bend that led to her property, whistles and barking came to her ears. After clearing the trees, the sight that greeted her made her mouth hang open, and not just because she was exhausted. Hardly.
She practically stumbled over a large rock, righting herself before face-planting in the grass. Slowing to a stop, she leaned over and rested her hands on her thighs. It was all she could do to catch her breath. Or stop staring.
Twenty feet away, Nick strode through the lake’s shallows. Over one shoulder, he held a rope attached to the inflatable mattress she’d had leaning against the back of her house. Saxon stood atop the float, barking his head off and looking as if he were having the time of his life. Granted, watching the dog enjoy himself was entertaining, but that wasn’t what had her blinking repeatedly to clear her vision.
No siree.
She swallowed. The only thing Nick had on was navy blue gym shorts and…nothing else.
Thick, incredibly defined muscles bulged and flexed all over his upper body. Pectorals. Biceps. Abs. All glistening with the sexiest sheen of lake water to ever grace a male body.
Andi wiped sweat from her forehead just before it dripped into her eyes. She’d known Nick had to be hiding a great body beneath his uniform, jeans, T-shirt, and everything else she’d seen him in, but this…Adonis…this Greek god… Oh my.
Apparently, her female customers agreed, because as he swung the float in a slow one-eighty and started back in the other direction toward the deck, he was greeted with applause and a bevy of whistles coming from the cluster of women leaning against the deck railing.
Through it all, Saxon barked happily, swaying as he continually adjusted his stance to keep from falling.
Sunlight glinted off Nick’s broad back as he dragged the float another twenty feet before Saxon lost his balance and fell into the lake with a splash. He barked and swam circles around Nick as he dragged the float back to shore. The crowd along the railing now included Tess, Kara, Zoe, and Meera, all of whom cheered and hooted.
Nick dropped the rope, then grabbed a water bottle from the grass. He tipped it for a long swig, then dumped the rest of it over his head.
Saxon shook, sending droplets of water flying a good ten feet in all directions. The dog ran circles around Nick, as if he was trying to convince him to go another round.
Nick shook his head and said something to his dog. Andi couldn’t make out what, but the animal calmed and pressed the side of his body against Nick’s leg.
Andi straightened, and Saxon jerked his head in the air as he caught sight of her. The dog bolted toward her, and she clapped her hands. When Saxon got closer, he slowed to a stop.
“Good morning, Saxon.” She knelt to greet him.
Woof. The dog shoved his muzzle into her hand, and she scratched his long, damp black ears.
“I see you had fun out there.” She ran her hands along his coat, which was quickly drying in the hot morning sun.
A pair of long, lightly haired legs appeared in her view, and her gaze slowly traveled up Nick’s calves and powerful thighs, to the bulge beneath his wet trunks. She raised her eyes to his lower abs, where rivulets of water trickled down the many crevices before disappearing into the waistband of his shorts.
Stop. Staring.
It was hard not to.
Force yourself.
And speaking of hardness, all she wanted was to run her fingertips all over his glistening chest.
“What, exactly, were you doing?” She straightened and pointed to the float.
“Balance training.” His gaze dipped to the sweat-soaked tank that sagged low on her breasts. “As K-9s go, Saxon is at the top of his game. But he needs more experience maintaining balance on uneven, unstable surfaces, and this is a good way to supplement his training.”
Saxon’s ears pricked as he listened avidly to their conversation.
“I see.” A whole lot of bare skin, to be precise. She turned to leave, having taken her fill of glistening muscle for one morning.
“Wait.” Nick stood motionless, his hands on his hips. Hips that were completely devoid of fat and without any evidence of impending love handles. “Where were you just now?”
“Running.” Her attire should have made it obvious.
“I know that.” He shot her an annoyed look. “I meant, where.”
She tipped her head to the tree line. “The woods. It’s got good shade cover.”
When he turned to look at the trees, her gaze drank in the breadth of his muscled shoulders and back, his high, tight butt, and those long legs that looked strong enough to kick down a twelve-inch-thick wall of bricks.
“You shouldn’t be out there alone.” When he turned back to her, he was frowning. “Especially when some guy might be lurking around the café. Next time you go for a run, I’ll go with you.”
“You’re exasperating.” She threw her hands in the air. “I’ve been going for runs by myself in those woods for over a year. I promise you, there are no bad guys lurking behind the trees.” Only a deer that had scared the shit out of her.
“Don’t be so dismissive.”
“Don’t be so smothering.” From the corner of her eye, she’d caught Saxon watching them, turning his head alternately from her to Nick as if he were a spectator at a ping-pong tournament.
“I’m not.” Even though he’d begun to sweat, the look he sent her was as cool as ice. “What I am, is worried.”
“About me? I’m not in any danger. Joe is.”
“Humor me.”
Knowing it probably wasn’t worth arguing over, she sighed. “Fine.” Then she turned and began walking to the house.
“Admit it,” he called after her. “I’m growing on you.”
“Not,” she shouted over her shoulder.
Deep, rich laughter followed her as she walked briskly home and yanked open the screen door. Only when it slammed shut behind her, did she take an easy breath. She’d never admit it, but he was right. She had begun to like having him around.
Bar sales had gone up significantly since he’d started working at the café. That was the only reason his presence didn’t annoy her quite as much as it had in the beginning. It definitely wasn’t because she kinda liked him as a person, or that the man’s body was more chiseled than Mount Rushmore. Definitely not that.
Continually reminding herself that he had a different set of priorities and couldn’t be trusted was the best medicine for keeping her libido in check. That and the itsy-bitsy other thing about how he might throw her in jail for money laundering.
Without getting up from the ultra-cushy dog bed Andi had purchased at the local pet store, Stray raised her head, her dark eyes brimming with curiosity. A moment later, she rose from the bed and walked to where Andi stood by the door.
Since she’d started letting Stray stay in the house overnight, the dog had begun anticipating her moods even more. Stray sniffed her hand—the one she’d been petting Saxon with. Andi recognized the second Stray identified the smell of her new canine buddy. Her head lifted, and she let out a soft whimper, taking quick, mincing steps with her front paws and pushing at Andi’s hand with her snout. The message was loud and clear: Stray was excited and wanted to play with Saxon.
As she stared at the dog, it struck her that Stray’s reaction to Saxon was eerily similar to Andi’s reaction to Nick. When the man was near, it was as if someone had flipped a toggle switch that sent electricity shooting through her body. This had to stop.
Cold. Shower.
She gave Stray a quick pat on the head, then grabbed a bottle of water and went upstairs. Before heading into the bathroom, she checked her phone on the nightstand. No missed calls.
After turning on the shower, she stripped off her damp clothes and stepped beneath the cool spray. When she began soaping up, far too realistic visions of what Nick’s incredible physique would look like beneath the shower swam before her eyes. Shame on me for having such thoughts. Then again, he’d seen her practically naked in the shower, so she shouldn’t have anything to be guilty about. Fair’s fair.
That evening, Andi glanced around the DPC’s dining room. The musician she’d hired was due in less than an hour for setup and sound check. Customers were starting to trickle in for dinner, but the real crowd wouldn’t begin arriving for another hour to get seats for the show.
She set the last of the candles on one of the tables, then looked around the room with satisfaction. Everything was set for tonight. There wasn’t anything left to do except wait for her musician.
Barry Schultz had been playing at a club in Boston when she’d first heard him. She’d been instantly drawn to his combination of contemporary, crowd-pleasing songs everyone was familiar with and his own original music. Barry was a one-man show, alternating between the piano and the guitar. She’d invested a fair amount in advertising, and it had paid off. The DPC had nearly sold out in advance. There was still a chance this live entertainment gig could carry her through until Joe showed up and exonerated her. Otherwise… I can’t fail. I won’t.
Across the room, Nick cleared away a few plates and glasses from a table, then carried them to a bin. She liked how he pitched in when things got busy. As she watched him head for the bar, she couldn’t stop staring.
A black T-shirt stretched tightly across his back as he leaned over to deposit the dirty dishes in the bin. Faded jeans cupped his perfect ass and long legs.
Several women twisted their necks to check him out. One of them said something to him, and he walked over. She couldn’t hear their conversation, but all the women were grinning like idiots. Even Nick was smiling as he carried on what she assumed was an inane, flirtatious conversation. One of the women handed him her business card. He accepted the card and slid it into the back pocket of his jeans. As he disappeared into the kitchen, the women leaned in to whisper amongst each other, giggling.
A spurt of unwanted jealousy shot up her spine. The Napkin Girls now had business cards. Groaning, she shook her head. She had no business tallying the number of times he’d been hit on.
Tucking the empty tray under her arm, she went to the bar and stowed it away. When she turned around, Nick was carrying a plate loaded with fries and a panini, something she’d learned was his favorite food.
With his free hand, he tugged the business card from his back pocket and surprised her by dropping it in the trash container under the bar. “Any calls?” He nodded at the phone clipped to her waist.
“No.” She lifted her chin, inc
ensed that he’d think she would keep something that important from him, and secretly pleased that he’d trashed the card.
When she began to walk away, he reached out to rest his hand on her bare shoulder.
“Hold on.” The second his fingers contacted her skin, delicious tendrils of heat swirled up her neck, warming her face. “I didn’t mean anything by that.”
“Hey, Nick.” Tess squeezed past them and grabbed the soda dispenser, filling a glass with seltzer.
“Hey.” He smiled, dropping his hand then heading to the other side of the bar. Along the way, he cast Andi a quizzical look over his shoulder.
Shit. I’m turning into a b-i-t-c-h.
Andi watched as he popped a fry in his mouth.
Tess leaned in. “I know you’ve sworn off men for all eternity, so what’s going on between you two?”
“What do you mean?” She really didn’t want to have this conversation.
“You know exactly what I mean.” Tess urged her away from the bar and out of Nick’s earshot. “Two weeks ago, I catch you guys in not one but two torrid embraces hot enough to fry an egg. Since then, you’ve been avoiding each other, but you both look like you’re ready to rip each other’s clothes off.”
“That is not true.” But it was, a little, and she was embarrassed that others had picked up on it. On her emotions, anyway. He probably hadn’t given her another thought since the night he’d nearly kissed her. “If he wants to get laid while he’s here, I’m sure he’s got a long list of Napkin Girls waiting beside their phones for him to call.”
“Puh-lease, girlfriend.” Tess crossed her arms over her sequined tank top. “Marty, Kara, Zoe, and I have a betting pool as to when the two of you are gonna quit with the foreplay and just do it.”
More heat crept up her neck to her face as she dragged Tess outside onto the deck. Luckily, it was still so hot only a few tables had customers. “Nothing is happening between us. Nothing.”