by Rhian Cahill
Blinking rapidly, Reena wondered if it were possible she was still asleep, dreaming.
His smile widened. “Thought you might like some caffeine to help you wake up.”
Nope. Not a dream. She’d forgotten. How could she forget he was here?
“Thank you,” she murmured while wrapping her fingers around the cup he offered. She brought the fragrant brew to her lips and took a generous sip.
Sugared and creamed exactly the way she liked.
“You remember how I have my coffee?” she asked after another energy-boosting gulp. They’d only had it twice in the two weeks she’d spent in Winter Lake.
“Just one of the many things about you I’ll never forget.” He brushed a finger down her nose and tapped the end. “There’s more where that came from. Meet you in the kitchen. I’ve got breakfast cooking.”
“You’re cooking?”
He nodded and got to his feet. “Can’t spend the morning exploring the city on empty stomachs.”
“The city?”
“You promised to be my tour guide. Thought we’d head down to Inner Harbor today. Visit the aquarium, walk the waterfront. Sound good?”
Reena could only nod. The man had spent the night in her house and they hadn’t had sex. Well, not that she could remember… “Which room did you take?”
Rush paused in the doorway and grinned. “This one.”
He left her bedroom before she could form another question.
He’d slept in here? With her?
Her gaze jerked to the other side of the bed.
Sure enough, there was a distinct indent in the pillow that wasn’t hers and the sheet had come untucked on the far side of the bed, the blanket rumpled.
He’d slept with her. Next to her.
And she’d been completely oblivious.
She sighed. “Damn.” Disappointed and pleased at the same time, she downed the rest of her coffee.
Banging and clattering filtered into the room. It sounded as though Rush was making himself at home in her kitchen. The level of noise meant he was either doing as promised—cooking breakfast—or demolishing the place.
Intrigued, Reena threw back the covers. Finding herself in her usual sleep shorts and shirt, she tried to recall getting into them the night before and couldn’t.
Had Rush undressed and dressed her?
It appeared as though she’d missed an awful lot after leaving Pat’s last night. And she’d only had one beer.
Her exhaustion must have been greater than she’d thought. The only good thing about her lack of memory was her current rested state.
She hadn’t felt this relaxed, this energized, since before she’d left Winter Lake. Smiling, she jumped out of bed and headed for the kitchen and the racket Rush was making.
Stepping through the doorway, she stopped dead in her tracks. “Wow.”
“Hey. Wasn’t sure if you’d want bacon and eggs or pancakes, so I made both.” He grinned.
“I can see that.” There were bowls and pans and food everywhere. Well, the food was on plates, so it wasn’t everywhere everywhere, but there was enough of it to feed an army. “I usually settle for a bowl of cereal,” she murmured, her gaze traveling around the room.
“Not today. Today we need all the calories we can consume to make it through ’til lunchtime.”
Lunchtime? Lord, if she ate even a plateful of the amazing-smelling food spread out on her kitchen table, she wouldn’t eat another bite for a month.
“Sit down. I’ll grab you another cup of coffee.” Rush filled a clean mug, doctored it to her liking and placed it on the table. “C’mon, food’s getting cold.”
Reena moved forward in a bit of a daze. She slid into a seat, wondering where to start.
“So what will it be?” He held out a plate of pancakes. “They’re blueberry.”
“Blueberry pancakes?” Her mouth watered and her stomach rumbled.
Rush smiled sheepishly. “Yeah. I’ve got a weakness for anything blueberry. Pancakes, muffins, smoothies. Had a blueberry cheesecake once. Damn, that was good. I haven’t mastered the art of cheesecake yet but my pancakes are to die for, even if I say so myself.”
She nodded and he forked a stack onto her plate. She’d never get through them all but she wasn’t about to disappoint him. He’d gone to so much trouble. Her gaze skimmed the countertops, the overloaded sink.
Of yeah, lots of trouble.
“Eat up.” He offered her the bottle of syrup.
Shaking her head, Reena picked up her fork and cut a small section of pancake.
The second the light, fluffy, blueberry-flavored fried batter hit her tongue, she knew she was in as much trouble as her kitchen.
There wouldn’t be a hope in hell of resisting. She’d be gobbling down every last mouthful. Sugary and somehow creamy, it catered to her sweet tooth with pinpoint accuracy.
Damn. The man could cook.
Swallowing, she grabbed her coffee and took a quick sip. “Are you some sort of kitchen ninja?”
Rush laughed. “No, but I know my way around.”
“I can’t believe I had all this in here.”
“You didn’t. I ducked out to the store before you woke up.”
“You went out and bought food?”
He shrugged. “I’m going to be here all week. I can’t sponge off you the whole time. Thought I’d pick up some essentials.”
“This is more than essentials. What else did you buy? And how much do I owe you?” she asked before scooping up another forkful.
“Nothing. You owe me nothing.”
She frowned and swallowed. “I can’t let you pay for all this food.”
“Sure you can. You’re letting me stay here, so I’m saving on accommodations. I thought I’d repay you by supplying some basic food items and cooking all the meals we eat at home.”
Reena liked the way he called her place home. Sure, he didn’t mean it was his home, but it gave her a jolt of satisfaction to hear the word come out of his mouth. It also delivered a burst of longing.
She wanted him to think of her house as home.
The thought brought her up short. What was happening here?
Three weeks ago she hadn’t known the man existed, and now she wanted him to call her house home?
“Hey. You’re thinking too hard again.” Rush pointed his fork at her plate. “Eat. Then shower. Then we’re out of here for a day of fun.”
She forced a smile and shoveled in another mouthful of delicious pancake. Nope. It wouldn’t be a hardship to eat the whole plate load.
Chewing slowly, Reena vowed to stop analyzing every second of their time or the connection between them and do what Rush had helped her do during her two-week vacation in the mountains.
She would soak up the world around her and enjoy every moment of it—of him.
Chapter Fifteen
Reena broke the surface and spat out a mouthful of dirty, salty water. “Oh my god!” Grabbing the bottom of the upturned paddleboat, she glanced around searching for Rush. “Rush!”
“Over here.” His wet head popped up on the other side of the plastic hull. “You all right?”
Wiping hair out of her eyes, she glared at him. “Seriously? I’m in Baltimore Harbor, which has God knows what floating in it, and you’re asking if I’m all right?”
As if to prove her point, a clump of indeterminate trash bobbed past. Shuddering with revulsion, Reena used one hand to scoop water away from her, making sure her fingers didn’t touch the soggy mess.
“Help me tip this thing back over.”
A squeal burst from her throat as she spun around, spraying water everywhere. She wiped her face to discover Rush had come around the boat behind her. “Don’t do that!”
“Stop panicking. We’ll be fine. As soon as we get this right side up, I’ll hoist you in.”
A thought struck her. Something else could be in the water. Something far more terrifying than unidentified floating objects. “Oh my god. Do you thi
nk there are sharks in here?”
He laughed.
Totally not the thing to do when her nerves were jangled and her mind was conjuring up all manner of horrible scenarios with her and a great white shark in the lead roles. “Rush!”
“Sorry. Sorry.” He got his mirth under control and said, “No. I doubt there are sharks in here.”
“Doubt? Doubt?” She glanced around, frantically searching the water’s surface for a big gray fin—and spotted a big gray runabout heading right for them at breakneck speed instead. “Oh my God, they’re going to hit us!”
Rush pulled her back against his chest. “It’s the guy from the hire place. He’ll stop before he hits us. He’s probably had to do this numerous times.”
Rush’s reassurances didn’t ease her mind. The only thing that would was getting out of this water.
“You folks all right? Nobody got any injuries I should know about?” the crusty old man who’d rented them the paddleboat called over the outboard motor noise.
“I thought you said these things were unsinkable,” Reena yelled.
The motor cut out and the old guy leaned over the side of his boat with a wide grin on his weathered face. “Well now, you aren’t exactly sunk there, are you? And they’re fine as long as you don’t crash them into a pylon.”
She spun around and glared at Rush. “I told you we shouldn’t get that close.”
Rush was trying to hold in more laughter, and in spite of the fear tangling her nerve endings, Reena suddenly saw the funny side of their impromptu swim.
Lowering her head, she hid her smile and muttered, “Idiot.”
“Come on.” Rush nudged her with his knee beneath the water, causing her to start and squeal. Chuckling, he bumped her again. “Just me. Let go of the boat and take the guy’s hand, Reena. He’ll haul you up out of the water.”
Turning, she found the old guy looking at her with mild concern. “Are you sure you’re all right, miss?”
“I’m fine,” she grumbled. “A little wet but fine.”
Grabbing the man’s hand, she kicked her legs to try to assist him. Except all that did was nail Rush in the chest with her heel, because in spite of the old guy’s frail appearance, he was as strong as an ox—and she flew up out of the water and into the runabout in less than a second.
“Whoa.” She grabbed the side of the boat for balance.
“There’s a blanket there you can wrap around you.” He indicated a pile of folded blankets and Reena wondered how many rescues he expected to do today.
By the time she’d wrapped a surprisingly warm and soft blanket around her, Rush and the paddleboat guy had tied their upturned vessel to the rear of the runabout.
Stepping back out of the way, she caught her foot in the blanket and wobbled before going down on her ass in the bottom of the boat.
Sighing, she closed her eyes. Today wasn’t going to plan at all.
She was soaking wet, would probably have a bruise from one side of her ass to the other, and Rush hadn’t given her more than a peck on the cheek all day.
“Hey.” Opening her eyes, she found Rush crouched in front of her. “Let’s get you on the seat.”
He helped her stand and guided her to the bench seat that ran across the back of the boat near the motor. The old guy went back to the controls, the motor fired up, and they were off. Rush’s arm around her back was the only thing that stopped her from tipping over and plunging headfirst into the rear compartment of the boat, where the fuel tank, battery, and motor were housed.
“Careful,” Rush murmured in her ear. “Wouldn’t want you to fall overboard again.”
She could hear the laughter in his voice, knew if she turned he’d be grinning at her. Tempted to shove him with her shoulder, she bit the inside of her cheek to distract herself. As much as she’d enjoy watching him fall over, possibly into the water, she wanted to get back on land more.
“I see that mind whirring away there.” His arm tightened around her. “I’m not letting go, so anything you’re planning will take two.”
Rolling her eyes, she elbowed him. “I’m not planning to do anything.”
“Ha. Don’t believe you.”
“I’m not going to do anything. Didn’t say I wasn’t thinking about it.” She grinned up at him.
He smiled and lowered his head until their lips were only a breath apart. “I’m thinking and doing,” he said, before he closed the distance between them and kissed her.
Chapter Sixteen
Reena’s lips and mouth held a hint of the harbor water she’d swallowed when they both went under. But beneath that, when he swept his tongue deeper into her mouth, he found the taste he remembered. The flavor he hadn’t been able to get out of his head since the first time he’d kissed her.
It was fresh and sweet and laced with a hint of the coffee she’d had before they’d decided to take a ride on a paddleboat. Her tongue stroked his. Tentative then bold, her innocent brushes became more aggressive as their kiss deepened.
She always started out a little reluctant, unsure, and then arousal kicked in and she forgot about being nervous and went after what she wanted. And she wanted him. It was in the meeting of their mouths, the clawing of her fingers in his wet hair, and the way she climbed onto his lap and straddled him.
Losing himself in the pleasure, he gripped her head and held her still while he plundered her mouth.
Hot licks of lust shot through his belly, settled low in his groin, and filled his cock with molten want. He gripped her tighter. Plundered deeper.
“Hey. I’d let you two keep going but this here is a public place and I’ve got a business to run.”
They tore apart. Breathing hard, gazes locked, they stared at each other as the rest of the world came into focus once more. Smiling, Rush eased her off his lap and waited until she was steady on her feet before he stood.
“Thanks for bailing us out.” He shook hands with their rescuer.
“All part of the job.” The old guy saluted them and went about untying their overturned paddleboat.
“You need help with that?” Rush asked.
“Nah. I’ve got it.”
“Thank you,” Reena said. “I had fun before…”
The old guy laughed. “Yeah, going in the drink ain’t all that much fun. Not exactly the weather for it either.”
As if Mother Nature were listening, a cool breeze blew across their wet bodies and they both shuddered with the chill.
“We should get out of these clothes before we catch our death.” Rush held out his hand to Reena. “Let me help you onto the dock.”
Grabbing his hand, she said, “If I go in again…”
“Promise you won’t. We’re done swimming for today.”
With Reena safely on the dock, he piled their wet blankets in the bottom of the boat and stepped over the side to join her. She was shivering so hard her teeth were chattering. They’d never make it home without getting sick. He needed an alternate plan.
Turning back to the old guy, he asked, “Is there a souvenir shop somewhere around here?”
“Sure. The aquarium has one.”
“Thanks. Hope we didn’t cause you too much trouble.” Rush frowned as he watched the man flip the paddleboat over with little effort. “Okay. Not too much trouble then,” he muttered.
“All good. Gets me out of the office.” He grinned at them. “Go on. Get out of this wind. It’s picking up. Expect we’ll get some rain before long.”
Rush glanced up at the sky. The light dusting of clouds from earlier had turned into a dark, churning cover that definitely promised rain. “Right. Thanks again.”
He bundled Reena up against his side in an attempt to protect her from the wind and marched them off the dock.
Heading straight for the aquarium, he hoped they’d find more than the usual t-shirt and postcard in the shop.
People gave them a wide berth as they walked along the waterfront. They got some funny looks too but most didn’t make eye
contact, which meant the walk was quick.
Bustling them inside the aquarium’s air-conditioned foyer, Rush scanned the area for the entrance to the obligatory money-trap these places usually had.
Spotting it in the far corner, he urged Reena in that direction. She’d cuddled in against him on the walk over, her shivering increasing with each step, and now the cold air of the foyer slapped at them, making it worse.
There wasn’t much of her, so it wouldn’t take long for the cold to set in all the way to her bones. He knew all about the cold. Living in the mountains where it wasn’t uncommon to get snowed in during winter, he’d built up a resistance; however he wasn’t stupid—he knew it didn’t take freezing temperatures for a person to get hypothermia.
He needed to get her warm.
“Can I help you?” A woman wearing a shirt with the aquarium logo on the breast pocket made a beeline for them as they entered the shop.
“Yes. We took an unexpected dip in the harbor and I was hoping you had some pants and shirts we could purchase so we could get out of these wet clothes.” He smiled while tucking Reena tighter against his chest.
“Oh, yes, we do. In fact, we have the last of our winter stock on sale right now. This way.” The woman—Tina, according to her name tag—led them to the back of the store.
Before Rush could even look, she was pulling things off the display counter and piling them on a chair.
“You’re in luck. We’ve got one pair of men’s sweatpants left.” Picking up the pile she’d made, she was on the move again. “You can change in the fitting room. I’ll get a bag for you to put your wet things into.”
“Thank you.” He ushered Reena into the first curtained alcove. “Can you manage on your own?”
“Yes-s.” She smiled but he could tell it was forced. “I’m f-feeling warmer already.”
“We’ll get something hot to drink when we’re dry,” he promised.
Rush made quick work of stripping and redressing. When he came out of the changing room, Tina was back with a plastic bag and he handed over his credit card. “Put it on this, please.”
“Certainly. Debit or credit?”