Nick stopped short, cutting off Maxie’s rollicking progress. The dog yanked at the leash.
Kevin turned to Nick. “You want a clear path to Joy.”
Nick’s startled eyes met his brother’s smiling ones. “Exactly,” Nick conceded with a grin.
“I knew I was right,” Kevin said smugly.
“If you figured it out, how come you didn’t explain it to Diana?”
“Telling Diana is the same as telling Joy. I thought you’d want to take care of that yourself. Have you told Joy how you feel?”
“Oh, yeah.” Nick let a breath out through his teeth. “I told her that I’m in love with her. She doesn’t believe me. She’s got it in her head that I’m still interested in Diana. She thinks I want to use her to make Diana jealous.”
Kevin fixed his lawyer stare on Nick. “You are positive that you’re over Diana?”
“I’ve already told you that, Kev,” Nick replied, clearly vexed.
Kevin put his hands up in a gesture of surrender. “Just giving it one more check.”
“I’m glad you haven’t said anything to Diana. I’m clearly not in your fiancée’s graces,”
“Don’t take Diana’s attitude toward you to heart. She hasn’t got her head on straight right now. Women and weddings.” Kevin sighed happily. “Half the time I’m feeling left out of it.”
Nick grinned. “You’ve got your work cut out for you remembering where to stand and when to say ‘I do.’ That’s enough for any guy to handle.”
Kevin kiddingly socked Nick’s upper arm. “You could do me a favor.”
“Name it,” Nick smiled.
“Let Diana help you find a house to rent. She needs to get her focus off this wedding a little and it will give the two of you something to bond over. Nick, I want you and Diana to really be friends.”
“All right, I’ll ask Diana for her input,” Nick agreed. “How about a favor for a favor?”
“Name it,” Kevin smiled.
“Don’t come back too early from Yonkers tonight. In fact, how about stopping for a long, leisurely dinner, then maybe a late movie? That will give me plenty of time alone with Joy.”
“I planned on dinner.” Kevin grinned. “I’ll see what I can do about a movie. Shall we go back inside? They should be downstairs by now.”
Diana and her mother were putting their coats on in the front hallway as Nick and Kevin came through the door. Joy was standing with them, wearing an insideout sweatshirt over abused jeans. She was dressed to paint.
Nick’s eyes veered right to Joy.
Joy’s eyes veered instantly away from Nick’s.
Maxie bounded up the stairs to the TV room where his bowl of water and food were set out.
“My mother wanted to make breakfast,” Diana said to Kevin. “I’d rather get started. Do you mind if we have something out?”
“I don’t mind at all.” Kevin smiled at both Diana and his future mother-in-law.
“Joy, I almost forgot,” Diana said in a rush. “I called House of Brides. Ms. Louella wasn’t in yet. I left word for her to call here about my gown. I know I’ve been talking about it and talking about it, but I’m sure now. I want it up three inches. I had the worst nightmare last night about tripping over myself. Will you tell her to shorten it?”
“Three inches. I’ll tell her,” Joy confirmed, as Kevin herded Diana and her mother out the door.
Surreptitiously, Joy watched Nick take off his leather jacket and hang it up in the closet. He had on just a white T-shirt and jeans. His jeans were equally faded and worn, but molded more to his hips, thighs and legs than hers were. He had his back to her, and Joy could see another part of him where his jeans fit well.
Joy pulled nonchalantly on the already-out-of-shape neckline of her sweatshirt. She was thinking about how unsexy she looked.
The neckline dipped lower on one shoulder, exposing the strap of her red bra. Joy helped the revelation along even more by seesawing her posture just as he turned from the closet.
His eyes got held up just where she’d hoped they would.
“Do your panties match?” Nick asked, wearing a rowdy smile. The little minx! He hadn’t been able to see the strap of her bra a minute ago. She was showing it to him.
Joy gave an Oscar-winning performance of naïveté, following his gaze to her shoulder, and acting abashed at finding out what he was seeing. “Whether my panties match or not is something you’ll never know,” Joy answered pluckily, adjusting her neckline.
“You know what happens when a bull sees red?” His blue eyes got bluer. “He charges.” Nick teasingly pitched forward.
Joy backed up a big step, though she didn’t really want to. “Are we going to paint?” she asked. “You did give your word that you were going to get the painting done today. You do mean everything you say, don’t you?”
Nick grinned and straightened. “I don’t think I’ll bite on that bait. But I will say I prefer you being riled at me, than getting the cold shoulder you’ve been giving for the past two days.”
“I have not been giving you a cold shoulder,” Joy insisted. “I was busy working on my story. How would you know, anyway? You’ve been in your office most of the past two days.” And after dinner he’d taken to his room to continue editing other reporters’ contributions.
“Have you missed me?” He was no longer teasing; he was begging.
“No,” Joy lied aloofly. “Are we ready to paint?”
“I’ve missed you,” Nick whispered.
“Really?” Joy’s eyes met his, moved away, then met his again. She fidgeted with her hair. She fidgeted with her sweatshirt. This being alone with him was not her most brilliant idea.
“Really.”
Joy dropped her gaze. She’d pulled on her sweatshirt so much it was almost down over her knees. You have got to be a sight to behold, Joy thought self-critically, while she tried to right her shirt. Her breathing was irregular. Did he really expect her to believe him?
“I haven’t had coffee yet. Have you?” Nick pushed his fingers through his wind-ruffled hair.
“No.” Joy brought her eyes up to his, a good amount of her natural tenacity back in place.
“I’ll put on a pot.” Nick took her expression as a cue that he wasn’t going to get any further with her right now.
“It was very nice of you to bring in all those groceries last night,” Joy said, speaking at random as they walked to the kitchen. She’d meant to tell him so last night, but she hadn’t been able to get a word in above her mother’s protestations that it hadn’t been necessary for him to stuff the refrigerator and freezer.
Nick stopped for a moment, looked at her and smiled. “Is that really you calling me nice?”
“I’m just confirming how my mother feels about you,” Joy answered flippantly as they entered the kitchen. “She thinks you’re absolutely charming. She thought so even before you brought in the groceries. In fact, she thought so all the way back to the first time she met you.”
“I hope you’ve inherited some of your mother’s good taste.” Nick sent a grin over his shoulder on his way to the cabinet for the coffee.
“I’m not very easily charmed,” Joy countered, liking her retort.
“Tell me about it.” Nick exaggerated a groan as he flipped open the can of coffee at the counter.
Joy went to the refrigerator and took out a box of doughnuts that he’d brought in last night. “Doughnuts, okay?” she asked.
“Sure,” Nick answered.
Joy moved around the kitchen, feeling too antsy to sit. She was waiting for him to say something smartalecky to her that she could respond to.
“We probably should have something more substantial than doughnuts,” Joy said, breaking through the quiet while Nick poured the coffee that had just finished dripping. “I could scramble up some eggs.” He hadn’t said anything to her at all.
“Okay.” Nick turned with two cups of black coffee in his hands. He knew she took her coffee without milk an
d sugar; just like he did. “Have your coffee and doughnut first, and I’ll do the eggs with you.”
Joy made a face. “It doesn’t take two people to scramble eggs.”
“I’ll crack. You can scramble. Sit.” He motioned with his head to the table and chairs.
“Has anyone told you that you’re very bossy?” Joy parried, taking a seat.
Nick slid Joy a devilish look. “I bought the title.” He took the chair next to hers and put both cups down.
“It doesn’t cover you on the weekend.” Joy volleyed this back as she picked up her coffee.
Nick opened the box of assorted doughnuts. “I’ve got a few other tactics up my sleeve to get you to do my bidding.” He held the box of doughnuts out to her.
“Such as?” Joy challenged capriciously while she selected a cinnamon doughnut.
He took his sweet time about answering, and when he did, he didn’t answer her question at all. “Do you know that that doughnut is the color of your hair?”
Joy’s eyelids fluttered down momentarily as she glanced at the doughnut, which was now minus a bite. “My hair is just an ordinary brown.”
“There is nothing ordinary about your hair,” Nick objected, capturing a wavy handful and letting it slip through his fingers. “There’s nothing ordinary about the rest of you, either. Certainly not your eyes, your nose, your mouth. Definitely not that drop-dead body.”
Joy’s “drop-dead” body went all shivery, though she sat as still as a bird hoping to be camouflaged from a great, big tomcat.
“Wait a minute!” Joy flipped her hair with her own hand. “Is this one of your tactics?”
“No.” He gave her a maverick grin. “That’s on your side of the board. Did I mention you could get me to do your bidding anytime you want? All you have to do is ask.” His eyes moved over her hair, cheeks, mouth—which he most certainly didn’t find ordinary—before returning to her gorgeous eyes.
A stab of warmth flooded Joy’s cheeks. She held a breath before letting it gush out. “I thought the line was ‘All you have to do is whistle.’”
Was there a woman alive that could withstand his tactics?
Nick winked incorrigibly. “Looks like we have Bogie and Bacall in common, too. Do you know how to whistle?”
“No.” Joy pushed a strand of hair away from one eye. The cup of coffee in her other hand tilted precariously. She did know how to whistle.
Nick took the coffee out of her hand and set it down. “All you have to do is put two fingers in your mouth…and blow.”
He demonstrated for her with the sexiest whistle she’d ever heard.
“Thanks for the lesson.”
“You’re welcome.” Nick smiled. “You’ve got cinnamon on your lips.”
Her eyes glued to his, Joy felt around for a napkin from the holder in the center of the table. Before she got to it, Nick ran his thumb seductively across her lips.
Joy’s mouth dropped open, and her eyes got huge, as she watched him slowly lick his thumb. Oh God, oh God, oh God!
Nick ran his lips together. “That tasted good. Think I’ll have the same.” He idly took out a second cinnamon doughnut from the box.
“Stop it,” Joy demanded, breathing in quick little spurts.
“You want this other cinnamon doughnut, too?” Nick asked glibly, holding it out to her. “See…all you have to do is ask.”
Joy slapped the doughnut out of his hand. It flew to the floor.
Agitation and sexual tension hitting her in rapid-fire succession, Joy threw the doughnut she’d started at him. It sailed over his shoulder, missing his face, which was what she’d aimed for.
“You are a bastard!” Joy’s chest was heaving.
Nick’s face showed no emotion at her attack as he got up from the table and squatted next to her chair. “Why am I a bastard? Because I’m in love with you? Is that what makes me a bastard? What do I have to do to make you understand that there’s no triangle here? Give me a chance, Joy. Trust me, baby. Please.”
Joy couldn’t look Nick in the eye. She wanted to trust what he was saying. Only she wasn’t the only one who thought he was lying. Diana thought so, too.
The doorbell rang and Joy nearly jumped out of her skin.
“I’ll get it,” Nick said, reluctantly standing up.
Joy dropped her face to her hands after Nick left the kitchen. She took very long, very deep breaths.
“Hi,” Rachel Harmon said liltingly, coming into the kitchen with Nick.
Eyes blinking, Joy quickly got to her feet. “What are you doing here?” Realizing in the next breath that she might just have sounded rude, Joy said, “What I mean is…I didn’t expect you to come by today.”
Rachel raised her hand to show Joy the paintbrush she was holding. “I was on the phone with Diana yesterday, and she told me that you and ah…Nick were going to be painting today. I’ve done some painting myself. I told Diana I’d come by and help out. Didn’t she tell you?”
“No.” Joy shook her head and sneaked a glance at Nick as he stood loosely on the side with his hands in the pockets of his jeans, looking at her best friend—the blond and beautiful Rachel Harmon.
“It is all right that I came by, isn’t it?” Rachel asked, sharing the question between Joy and Nick.
“Of course.” Joy was the one to answer, letting her dismay out on one of her long breaths. Rachel was as perfect for Nick as Diana was.
Rachel’s chocolate brown eyes moved specifically to Nick.
“The more the merrier,” Nick said, tossing in a smile, since agreeing appeared to be his only option. She was, he reminded himself, Joy’s best friend.
“What happened here?” Rachel asked, noticing the chunks of two doughnuts on the otherwise sparkling clean floor at the same time that Joy was noting Rachel’s soft, red flannel shirt tucked into blue jeans that were cinched at Rachel’s very slender waist with a Western belt.
It was Nick who answered this time. “I’m a bear before I have my first cup of coffee.”
Joy’s nostrils flared some on her next breath. Didn’t he mean a bull?
“I’m not sure I know what you mean,” Rachel said with a smile that could have been interpreted as flirtatious.
Flirtatious was the interpretation Joy placed on it, though she did roundly reprimand herself for the sarcasm in that thought. Rachel had every right to flirt with him. Diana would be happy about it.
But Joy was miserable.
“Would you like a cup of coffee?” Joy asked Rachel in a clipped tone.
“Sure,” Rachel answered, smiling with her eyes.
Joy started for the coffee maker and Nick appeared at her side.
“Point me to a broom and dustpan and I’ll clean up the floor,” he said, giving Joy a teasingly personal smile.
Joy squared her shoulders. She was not at all amused. “There’s a broom and dustpan in the pantry.” Joy pointed with her finger, her voice as stiff as her back.
“I’ll hold the dustpan for you,” Rachel offered quickly.
Joy poured a cup of coffee for Rachel and added a splash of milk and brought it to the table just as Nick and Rachel finished cleaning up.
The three of them sat in silence at the table. Joy glanced between Rachel and Nick as all three sipped their coffee.
Nick managed to capture Joy’s eyes for just a second before she looked away. “How about I scramble up some eggs for all of us,” Nick volunteered, wanting to satisfy the yen Joy had expressed earlier.
“A doughnut is enough for me,” Rachel replied, helping herself to a buttermilk doughnut in the box.
Her tone cranky, Joy said, “We’ve wasted enough time already this morning. Let’s get to the painting.”
“That’s the last of the paint,” Nick said, swishing through the bottom of the final gallon with a brush to get the last drops into the roller pan he was using. It was late afternoon. And though they’d only taken one break for lunch there were two more walls to paint.
“We don�
�t have anything left, either,” Rachel said, looking down at the pan she and Joy were working out of to get all the molding done.
Nick unfastened the roller pad from the extension holder he’d been using and dropped it along with his paintbrush into a pail half-filled with water. “I’ll go out and get another gallon.”
Fast as a bunny, Rachel dropped her brush into the pail. “I’ll go with you.”
Joy thought about Rachel and Nick taking off together and not coming back for a good while. “Neither one of you knows which paint store Eddie was using. I’ll go.”
“All right,” Rachel answered. “Nick and I can dry the brushes.”
Joy thought about Rachel and Nick being alone in the house. That thought didn’t sit any better than the thought of letting them go off together. “Rachel, you’d better come with me. I think we need more than one gallon to finish up. I’ll need help carrying it.”
“One more gallon should do it,” Nick said off-handedly.
Joy dug in her heels. “We can always take it back if we don’t use it.”
Nick read volumes, then, in Joy’s eyes. As sure as he knew his own name, Nick knew she didn’t want him to be alone with Rachel.
Oh, baby…Nick whistled in his head.
“You’re right.” He eyed a small spot of ecru paint on her chin, but he didn’t do or say anything to draw her attention to it. He didn’t want to douse the fire in her eyes. “We can always take back a gallon.”
“Let’s go,” Joy said to Rachel, not about to brook any further argument even from her closest, lifelong friend—whom she did adore under other circumstances.
“Take my car,” Nick said, pulling his keys from the pocket of his jeans. “I’m parked behind you.”
Joy accepted the keys. She spotted a hint of teasing in his eyes that she couldn’t decide how to decipher.
Nick was grinning as Joy left the house with Rachel in tow, both bundled into their coats.
He heard her gun the motor just as the phone rang.
“Hello,” Nick said, picking it up.
“Diana Mackey, please. This is Ms. Louella from House of Brides. I’m returning her call.”
About That Kiss Page 8