by Cindy Kirk
“You’re right. We’ve got two whole weeks. More than enough time for you to get me out of your system and for me to get you out of mine.”
Kate thought back to her previous less-than-satisfying lovemaking sessions. “It won’t take anywhere near that long.”
The look on Joel’s face would have been funny at any other time. “You sound so…confident.”
“While I haven’t had many sexual relationships, all of them were very short-lived.” Actually Kate could count on one hand the number of men she’d been with, most of them during that tumultuous year after the adoption. The counselor she’d finally seen at student health told her she was trying to fill the emptiness in her life with sex.
“I’ve had only one,” Joel said.
Kate pulled her brows together. “You’ve never been with anyone but…with anyone else?”
For some reason Kate refused to bring his wife’s name into whatever was happening between them.
“We were childhood sweethearts.”
“Oh.” Kate wasn’t sure what to say to that. “Well, before you ask, I don’t have any diseases or anything. I’ve been fully checked out.”
He studied her for several seconds, his steady gaze shooting tingles down her spine.
She moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue. “I want to kiss you.”
“I want to make love to you.” His voice was a husky caress and his eyes seemed to glitter, suddenly looking more green than brown. He tucked a stray curl behind her ear, then trailed a finger down her jawline. “I want to fulfill all of your fantasies and desires—”
“Daddy, I did a perfect haircutter,” Chloe called out, skating up to a stop beside them. Her cheeks were pink and her eyes sparkled.
“Congratulations,” Joel said in a hearty voice, his hand dropping to his side.
“Good for you, Chloe.” Kate pulled her gaze from Joel to focus on the child. “That’s a hard spin to master.”
Joel glanced around. “Where’s Sarabeth?”
“She had to leave. Guess what?” A tiny smile tugged at the corners of Chloe’s mouth.
Joel lifted a brow.
“Sarabeth asked me to a sleepover when I get back.” Chloe did a little happy jig on her skates. “I said yes. This will be my very first sleepover.”
Kate gave her a quick hug. This was definitely good news. While reuniting with her friend in Montana was wonderful, Chloe needed friends in Jackson Hole, too. “I’m happy you and Sarabeth had fun.”
“How about you?” Chloe asked. “Did you and Daddy have fun?”
“We did,” Joel said easily. “Kate agreed to keep me company while you’re out of town.”
Kate didn’t remember formally agreeing, unless discussing kissing, fantasies and desires counted as coming to a consensus. Still, what did it matter? The bottom line was he wanted her. And she wanted him.
“Daddy is going to miss me so much,” Chloe announced.
“I will miss you, princess.” Joel shifted his gaze to Kate. “But I’m going to do my best to keep busy while you’re gone.”
Chapter Eleven
“You’re really going to have a two-week affair with him?” Mitzi’s eyes were as wide as Kate had ever seen them. And she was sitting up on the cushions of Kate’s sofa as straight as any soldier. “That’s a complete turnaround for you.”
Kate shrugged.
“Why?” Mitzi pressed. “Why would you settle for second best?”
Kate fixed an icy stare on her friend. “I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”
“You deserve so much more. You’re worth so much more than a couple weeks of being some man’s sex toy.”
“It’s not like that. Did it ever occur to you that he’ll be my toy, not the other way around?”
Mitzi ignored her. “When does this two weeks start?”
“Tomorrow.”
Joel would be back from dropping off Chloe later tonight. Of course, Kate didn’t expect to hear from him until tomorrow. That’s when the countdown clock would begin ticking.
“Not to be a Debbie Downer—” Mitzi’s voice broke through her thoughts “—but this is a bad idea. A very bad idea.”
Kate understood her friend’s concerns. She shared those worries, but it didn’t change her decision. “I’m not going to apologize to you or to anyone else. I’ve denied myself too much over the years. I dedicated myself to my career and there was no time to indulge myself. Yes, I am settling for less than I deserve, but ours is a unique situation.”
“Because of Chloe.”
“And because he’s still not fully over Amy.” Somehow Kate managed to keep her tone matter-of-fact. “The bottom line is, Joel is a growing addiction I can’t deny. So for two weeks I’m going to grab the brass ring and say to hell with logic.”
“Because you’ve obviously made your decision, I’ll support you. I might not agree, but you know I’m here for you.” Mitzi tilted her head and met Kate’s gaze. “I have just one piece of advice.”
“What’s that?”
“Don’t waste one second of your time together thinking too hard. For once live fully in the moment and make this an adventure you’ll look back on with fondness. You’ll have plenty of time for reflection once the fourteen days are up.”
* * *
Joel sat on his porch, newspaper in hand, and waited. He resisted the urge to check the time on his phone…again. All the way back from Billings he’d been preoccupied with thoughts of his upcoming affair. While he wouldn’t be getting emotionally involved, Joel had decided he and Kate couldn’t meet solely for sex. That would be tacky. They should be able to enjoy each other’s company for the next fourteen days, too.
His initial concern had been her reputation. It had taken a hit when she’d dropped Ryan so abruptly. Joel certainly didn’t want their friends to think she’d done it again with him when they parted ways. By the time he’d reached the Wyoming state line, he finally concluded that as long as he and Kate saved any displays of affection for the bedroom, it should be okay. Everyone would assume she was merely keeping him company while his daughter was out of town…especially if that’s what he and Kate told them.
Today Jackson Hole was celebrating the Fourth of July in a big way. He and Kate had a whole day’s worth of events to attend, beginning with the Pancake Breakfast on Center Street. The Jaycees served a hearty meal of eggs, sausage and pancakes every year prior to the big parade.
Initially Joel had thought Mitzi might impact their plans for the next fourteen days. After all, Kate couldn’t abandon her friend. But the orthopedic surgeon had unexpectedly returned to Los Angeles this morning after receiving a frantic call from her sister. Apparently Mitzi’s niece, the one who’d been involved in a car accident, had developed some complications.
It appeared he and Kate had clear sailing beginning today. The only thing Joel didn’t like was Kate insisting on meeting him at his house. Granted, it’d have been out of his way to pick her up, but he’d have gladly done it. Making her drive to Jackson to meet him didn’t seem, well, gentlemanly. But he hadn’t been able to change Kate’s mind. She was one stubborn lady.
While Amy had been satisfied—happy, really—to let him make most of the decisions, Kate had a more independent spirit. Joel wondered if that same spirit would show up in bed. He grinned, realizing he was looking forward to finding out.
At the sound of a car engine, he glanced up and set aside the newspaper. Kate’s Subaru rounded the corner and came to a halt in front of his house. By the time she stepped out of the car and removed a large wicker basket from the back, he was at the curb, lifting it from her arms.
“What’s in here?” He pretended to stagger from the load. “It weighs a ton.”
“Sandwiches, fruit and wine, among other things.” The sun glinted off her jet-black hair and her shiny red lips. Her hazel eyes looked more green than brown in the light. “Mind if I put the perishables in your fridge?”
“Not at all.” Joel glanced down a
t the basket in his hand. “Is this our picnic dinner for Music in the Hole?”
Presented by the Grand Teton Music Festival, Music in the Hole was an Independence Day tradition. He and Chloe had gone last year to listen to the patriotic music and enjoy the kid-friendly activities. When they’d seen the families with their blankets, eating out of wicker baskets on the Alpine Field lawn, Joel had promised his daughter that when they went this year they’d pack a picnic basket.
But Chloe was in Montana and Kate would be the one on the blanket with him this year. He slanted a sideways glance as he followed her up the sidewalk to the steps. Today, instead of dressing up, she wore tiny white shorts that hugged her backside and a blue shirt with several bold red and white brush strokes across her breasts.
“We don’t have to eat this stuff. We can get food from one of the vendors, if you prefer.” Kate climbed the steps to the porch with grace. “Everyone in the clinic was talking about taking a picnic basket. I’d never gone before, so—”
“I’m glad you thought of it.” His response ended her nervous chatter. Opening the screen door, he stepped aside to let her enter.
She smiled her thanks and brushed past him.
His body tensed at the brief contact but he pretended he hadn’t felt it. Or caught a whiff of her light, flowery fragrance.
Once inside, Kate paused. Her gaze swept the room. She nodded. “A kitchen–living room combination. An efficient use of space.”
Even though there was only approval in her voice, if she’d expected his home to be as nice as the ones he’d built for several of her friends, she had to be disappointed. While his house had shiny hardwood floors and an open floor plan, it was more of a cottage with only two bedrooms and one bathroom.
“The plan was to live here just long enough to give me time to build a home in the mountains. Then everything changed.”
Joel didn’t explain more. The look in Kate’s eyes told him she understood.
“It’s in a great location.” She took the basket from his hands and placed it on the floor next to the fridge. When she bent over to put the sandwiches and fruit salad away, Joel couldn’t help but stare.
He wouldn’t be a red-blooded male if he didn’t take the opportunity to admire her long shapely legs. Or notice that the vee of her shirt gave a glimpse at underlying curves. Anticipation coursed through him. Soon those legs would be wrapped around him and those soft curves would be like putty in his hands.
It was still hard for him to believe she’d agreed to a two-week affair. A woman like her could have any man, but she’d chosen him, insisting short-term was all she wanted, too. Was she aware that the clock had already begun counting down the hours and minutes of those days?
What would she do if he took her hand and led her to the bedroom? Would she be shocked? Outraged? Or…flattered that he found her so irresistible?
“All done.” Kate straightened.
“If you’d like,” he said, resisting the urge to adjust his jeans, “I can give you the grand tour.”
“You have a nice place here, Joel.” She leaned back against the countertop.
His eyes lingered on the breasts that appeared to be straining against the front of her shirt.
“Like I said, it’s nothing fancy.” He paused, cleared his throat, then began again. “But I’ve tried to make it feel like a home.”
“Feeling is good.” Kate slowly slid her hand across the shiny granite countertop. “Smooth. Hard.”
His mouth went dry at the image that popped into his head. A vivid image of her stroking him…
Joel swallowed, his throat like sawdust. “I wanted this place to be a refuge that Chloe and I would enjoy coming home to at the end of a long day.”
“Well, from what I’ve seen so far,” she said, “you succeeded.”
But he’d stopped listening, except to the words running through his head. Touch her. Touch her. Touch her.
There was no reason he shouldn’t. No reason at all. He took her hand. The long slender fingers were warmer than his and twice as soft.
A large red oval stone rested on her right ring finger. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t noticed it before. He touched the stone. “What is this?”
Two bright spots of pink dotted her cheeks. “A fire opal.”
Given to her by an old boyfriend, no doubt. Joel’s gut clenched. Not your business, he told himself. “It’s unique.”
Although he hadn’t asked a single question, Kate must have sensed his curiosity. “I bought it the summer after my first year of medical school. Fire opals are supposed to bestow courage, stamina, willpower and energy on the wearer and overall have a positive effect on the psyche.” Kate took a breath. “Aren’t you glad you asked?”
“Let me see if I got this correct.” He ran a hand down her arm. “You bought it to celebrate that you’d survived that year and to give yourself the energy to get through the rest of your schooling?”
Kate hesitated for only a second before flashing a brilliant smile. “Something like that.”
“It’s a large stone.” For a second old memories surged, threatening his resolve to keep today about the present. “Amy didn’t like big rings. Thought they were too showy. I couldn’t even get her a diamond. A simple gold band was all she’d accept.”
The minute the words left his lips, the smile slipped from Kate’s face and Joel knew it had been the wrong thing to say. Why should Kate care what Amy liked or didn’t like? And bringing up your deceased wife the day you started an affair, well, there was probably some rule against that, too.
“I’ll show you the rest of the house,” he said, thankful she hadn’t pulled her hand from his. Not yet anyway.
“Please,” she said, her eyes searching his.
Please what? Please show me the rest of the house? Please make love to me now? Or please quit talking about your wife?
Time to take a tour. Once they finished, hopefully all would be forgotten. He rested his hand against the small of her back. “The bedrooms are this way. I’ll make it quick.”
Kate made a snorting sound. When he turned, she tried to cover it with a cough. She looked as if she was trying very hard not to laugh.
Joel raised a questioning brow.
“Uh, not too quick, I hope.”
Was she referring to… Nah. “It’s not that big, so it won’t take long—”
He stopped when he saw her lips twitch.
“The house,” he said loudly. “The house isn’t that big.”
“I knew what you meant.” She batted her eyelashes at him, her expression all wide-eyed and innocent. Too innocent.
She was obviously having fun at his expense, but he didn’t care. The light he’d almost extinguished was back in her eyes. That’s what mattered.
He shot her a wink. “You’ll find out soon enough about the other.”
“Promises. Promises.” She waved a hand in the air and heaved an exaggerated sigh.
Surely she wasn’t intimating that he was trying to delay their lovemaking. Hell, if he wasn’t trying so hard to be civilized, she’d be slung over his shoulder and they’d be headed to the bedroom right now.
“I don’t want you to miss breakfast,” he said, cursing himself for stumbling over the words. “I’m sure you’re as hungry as I am.”
“Hungry is an understatement,” Kate murmured as they stopped at his bedroom door.
She peered into the bedroom, conscious of Joel standing at her shoulder, of his warm breath against her neck. He was so big. So masculine. For one second she simply stood there, reveling in the intoxicating scent of his cologne.
So far he’d been so restrained, so gentlemanly. It felt almost as if she’d arrived with a game plan in place only to find the rules had changed. Instead of this being the beginning of an affair, it felt like a first date.
Heck, he hadn’t even kissed her yet, which made her feel even more like a wanton. Because from the moment she’d seen him standing on his front porch in his worn jeans and
red shirt, all she could think of was kissing him. Didn’t he realize they had only fourteen days? Didn’t he realize they were wasting precious time being so, well, so proper?
“What do you think?” he asked.
Kate realized she’d been staring unseeing into the room. She blinked and refocused. His sanctuary had a welcoming, comfortable feel with a multicolored quilt on the four-poster bed and the rag rugs on the shiny hardwood.
While warmth and comfort were all well and good, it wasn’t what she wanted—no, needed—from him.
She and Joel could go and eat their pancakes and sausage, then watch the parade. Comment on the funny cars and ooh and aah over the floats. But even though she’d present a bright face to the world, she wouldn’t really enjoy it because her thoughts would be on tonight. When they returned to his house. When they no longer had to pretend what it was they really wanted from each other. When they would finally make love…
Kate spun around and faced him, leaving little space between them. She placed her hands on his shoulders and met his surprised gaze.
Electricity sizzled between them.
His fingers played with her hair. “Something on your mind?”
Although his expression was serious, there was a smile in his voice.
“I’m hungry, all right.” Even to her own ears, Kate’s voice sounded husky and more than a little sultry. “But not for pancakes and eggs.”
Joel tilted his head slightly to the right.
She trailed a finger down his arm. “I want you for breakfast. And I’d like to indulge my craving right now, if you please.”
“I do please.” A hint of a smile touched his lips. “Great minds and all that.”
“What do you mean?”
“Right before you spoke I was thinking that if I could have anything on a menu this morning, it would be you.” He bent and kissed her softly on the mouth.
Now, this was more like it. Kate wound her arms around his neck, sliding her fingers into his hair.
She’d thought after her declaration that he’d sweep her into his arms, take her to the bed and make mad, passionate love. Instead he lifted her chin with his finger.
“Are you absolutely certain this is what you want?” His voice was a hoarse and throaty rasp.