by Annie Rains
Noah looked over and frowned at her.
She pretended not to notice. “Pasta is romantic,” she clarified, tossing a couple boxes of dry noodles in the cart. “Stew is not romantic.” Even though she’d thought differently last night. Last night she’d considered everything that had to do with Noah romantic. She reached for some creamy Alfredo sauce and put a few jars in the cart as well. She’d make sure to get a few bags of frozen vegetables to stock the freezer, too.
Noah trailed behind her, saying very little as they continued from aisle to aisle until they reached the wine display. “I might not know a lot about food and romance, but I do know that wine is more romantic than beer. Any favorites?”
Krista snapped her gaze to meet his. “Me? We should be picking Grace’s and Jack’s favorites.”
He shrugged an easy shoulder. “I figure we have one more night at the cabin. Might as well get something for us, too.”
Us? This was what had her bordering on confusion and pissed-off right now. She couldn’t figure out what Noah was thinking and that infuriated her. “No, I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
His expression was unreadable. She really wanted him to argue with her. To tell her that last night had changed everything between them. That he’d never be the same again. Her fantasy was right out of a romantic movie. And it was stupid, which made her feel stupid, and ugh!
Krista swallowed past the huge lump in her throat, wishing her cellphone had better reception up here. She needed to talk to Grace or Abby. They would know what she should do. Of course that would mean spilling to them that she’d been foolish enough to have sex with Noah last night, using the spiked condoms that she’d purchased for Grace’s honeymoon. Geez. Chalk last night up to temporary insanity because she must have been insane to think having sex with Noah could ever lead to anything more.
“We’ll be doing a lot of cleaning today and probably all night,” she said, shaking her head. She sucked in a deep breath, willing her emotions away.
Then Noah stepped closer, his body heat enveloped her, and her head began to spin. Her heart took off like a runaway mare with no chance in hell to catch it.
He dropped his voice. “I think we have time to do more than clean.”
There was an edge to his voice that she’d heard last night. Goosebumps pebbled her skin. She watched as he grabbed a bottle of red wine and placed it inside the cart.
“For us,” he said.
There was that word again. Us. She resisted, but finally met his eyes, and if she wasn’t mistaken there was a heat there that she’d also seen last night.
“I’d hate for you to spend the whole weekend cleaning. The mountains here are a place you don’t want to miss, and I’m kind of looking forward to seeing it through your eyes.”
“I’ve been to the mountains before,” she said, still guarded and now wholly confused. And under no illusion that she’d be able to resist any advances he made toward her again this weekend. When it came to him, she was a goner.
“Yes, but you haven’t experienced the Sawyer mountains.”
Despite her frustration, she laughed. “Now you own the mountains?”
“No. But my family does claim that little section of heaven on earth in front of them. Maybe I can take you fishing on the lake tonight. I know how much you like fishing in new places.”
Only because of him. If it wasn’t for Noah, she could probably not have cared less about fishing.
“What do you say? We can clean today and relax with wine on the water tonight.”
Against her better judgment, she nodded. Because that word “together” sounded nice in reference to them. The word “us” made her heart illuminate like a well-lit gazebo. This was insanity. But part of her couldn’t help but think that maybe he wasn’t such a lost cause. Maybe there was a chance, however small. After all, he’d never looked at her like he had last night. He’d never touched or kissed her—until last night. “Okay,” she said. “That sounds nice.”
“It does, doesn’t it?” He took hold of the cart and started pushing it forward. “And maybe you’ll teach me a little bit about romantic cooking, since apparently I know nothing.”
A laugh bubbled up on her lips again. The lump in her throat was gone. “Well, have you ever cooked a romantic meal for a woman?”
“I don’t usually do romance. But maybe we should get another serving of that pasta so I can make up for my unromantic stew.” He winked again.
If he didn’t do romance, why was he offering to do it with her? Maybe the boy down the road, who she never thought would grow up, just might.
Chapter 12
Noah was in over his head, but he’d decided to just go with it. That’s what Krista seemed to be doing. Ever since their little talk at the grocery store, she’d been back to her old self. Whatever was bothering her—and he hoped it wasn’t regret about last night—had melted away. The mountains tended to do that to a person. It was one of his favorite places, aside from being in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
And in Krista’s arms. That was a new favorite place. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever get back there again, but he sure planned on trying tonight, despite that little voice inside him telling him it was a bad idea. He’d never been able to listen to that voice, so why start now?
“Okay. The bathrooms are sparkling.” Krista walked out of the master bathroom—the one where he’d seen her deep in a bubble bath yesterday—and blew up a breath to lift the strand of hair that had fallen in her eyes.
“You must really love Grace,” he said. “Jack’s my flesh and blood. I’m obligated to do this dirty work, but you aren’t.”
Krista set a bucket of cleaning supplies down on the kitchen island and went to wash her hands. “I do love Grace, just like she was my own sister.”
“So when Joey gets married one day, you’ll do this for him, too?”
Krista rolled her eyes. “No, way. Joey is on his own.”
Noah chuckled. “Well, I’ve stacked the firewood and cleaned up outside. Tossed some mothballs around the place because we don’t want the honeymoon mood ruined by snakes.”
Krista’s eyes widened as she turned to face him. “Snakes?”
“Rattlesnakes mostly. The closest hospital is miles from here. You could die from a bite by the time you get there. Best to keep the hissers away.”
“You didn’t tell me there would be snakes.”
“I didn’t know I needed to. You’re an outdoors girl.”
“Ocean-outdoors girl. That’s a lot different than mountain-outdoors girl.”
Noah scratched his chin as he watched her. “Okay. Well, just so you know, there are bears out there, too. And coyotes.”
Her face grew a shade paler, which he found adorable…and sexy. Without thinking, he pulled her to him. “Lucky for you, I know my way around all the outdoors, ocean and mountains.” Holding her against him felt as natural as breathing. Feeling her heart beat against his made his pulse jump.
After a moment, she tugged out of the embrace.
Noah cocked his head sideways. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m, uh…I’ve been scrubbing tubs and toilets this afternoon. I don’t think you want to hold me.” She hooked a thumb behind her. “I should probably go get cleaned up.”
Images of her in that bubble bath yesterday flooded his mind. “Need help with that?”
This made her laugh.
“Just being a nice guy,” he added as she continued toward the master bedroom.
“Uh-huh. I won’t be long. I want to go out to the lake before dark because now you’ve got me worried about what’s scurrying around out there.” Her gaze went to the window.
“You’re such a girl,” he teased.
“Are you just now realizing that?” Before he could answer, she disappeared behind the bedroom door.
No, he’d always known she was a girl, but he’d been doing his damnedest not to notice what a sexy woman she’d become. Now he’d seen her naked. He’d
been inside her, and she’d felt like velvet magic. He’d gotten a taste of that forbidden apple he’d been circling for years—and he wanted more.
He pulled a few supplies out to make her dinner, resisting the fear that had been edging in on him all day. He hoped to God that he hadn’t made one of the biggest mistakes of his life last night. Krista knew him, though, and there was no way she was going to start dreaming up her own wedding bells and happily-ever-afters. She wasn’t like that. They could deal with their actions and move past them, like two consenting adults.
He’d gotten a little squirrelly earlier but, out of his need to make Krista smile, he’d slipped back into his fun-loving, flirtatious self. They had a rhythm that came easy, that felt right and he never wanted to lose it.
Ten minutes later, Krista walked back into the kitchen, fresh and clean, and absolutely kissable.
“I’m going to teach you the art of fly-fishing today,” he told her, leaving the cooking supplies on the counter and gesturing toward the back door.
Krista was wearing his flannel button-down shirt over her own T-shirt to keep her warm. How the heck could something like that look so damn sexy?
She pulled on a heavy jacket and a knit toboggan hat, too, because it was freezing outside. Then they started in the direction of the lake. After a few steps, Noah stopped and turned to her with one eyebrow raised. “What are you doing?”
She looked up. “What do you mean?”
“You’re lifting your feet about a mile off the ground every time you take a step.”
“I’m avoiding the snakes,” she said, looking serious.
“The snakes have all scared off by now. They’re typically more scared of us than we are of them. Plus, they’re likely hibernating.” He shook his head lightly, chuckling under his breath, and continued leading the way until Krista shrieked behind him.
“Oh!”
Noah turned and caught her as she came flying forward. His hands tightened around her, keeping her from face-planting on the ground. His gaze immediately surveyed the land and saw the culprit.
“You do still have to watch out for knots in the ground. The trees have thick roots that poke up out of the dirt. It’s not as flat as Blushing Bay.”
“Uh-huh. Got it.” She struggled to get her feet back underneath her. Noah didn’t release her until she was standing upright, and not even then.
“Um. You can let go now,” she said, her voice low because he was only a breath away from kissing her. But if he did, there’d be no fishing today. If they kissed, he might find himself tossing her to the ground and making love to her right here. It was freezing outside, but their bodies together could definitely start a fire. “Really. I’m fine,” she said.
“You sure? Don’t want you to fall for real this time.”
“I think I can take care of myself.”
“I’m well aware.” He let go and they continued forward in silence. When they reached the lakeside, Noah laid his tackle box and pole on the ground.
Krista didn’t move. She just stood there, staring at the slick water. So slick that it reflected every tree around it. “This is breathtaking.”
Noah looked out, seeing it through her eyes just like he’d wanted. “I used to play a game in my mind. Would I rather live here or in Blushing Bay? If I had to pick just one and never leave.”
Krista smiled. “I guess you chose Blushing Bay because you never left.”
He’d thought about leaving, though, that one time in college before everything had gone to shit. He shook his head. “Nope. I always chose this place. The tipping factor is that it snows here in the mountains.”
“And rarely does in Blushing Bay,” she said.
“You can fish and ski here, too. And roast marshmallows in the fireplace. Houseboats don’t have fireplaces.”
Krista shrugged. “Good thing you don’t have to choose between one or the other. Because I don’t see you ever giving up that houseboat.”
“I don’t know. Sometimes I think it’d be nice to have enough room to move around without hitting a wall.”
Krista laughed. “It’s funny. You’re a wide open guy who doesn’t want to be pinned in, yet you live in a shoebox on the water.”
“It’s bigger than a shoebox,” he protested, grinning at her. “But not much.” He grabbed a fishing pole and started prepping the line. “You think you love pole fishing at the beach. Just wait until you try this. You gotta take your shoes off and put your feet in the water, though.”
“What? It’s freezing cold in there. And snakes.”
Noah winked. “I’ll keep you safe, and I promise to warm you up when we get back inside.” He scrutinized her every movement to see if that was what she wanted. Because even though there was a war going on in his brain, his body had no reservations. His body really wanted a repeat of last night. He’d be willing to cook her that romantic meal he’d promised. He’d be willing to strip naked and jump in this ice cold lake if that’s what it took.
Kicking off his own shoes, he pointed at her feet. “Fair’s fair.”
She didn’t look convinced.
“Do I need to pin you down and pull those shoes off you myself? Because I can.”
Krista rolled her eyes at him. “Fine,” she said, plopping to the ground and tugging off her boots. Then she rolled up the cuffs of her jeans until they were at her knees.
Noah took a few steps into the water and waited for her.
A soft squeal tumbled off her lips as she dipped her big toe and then her foot into the chilly water. He pulled her out a few feet, positioned himself behind her, and wrapped his arms around her under the pretense of helping her hold the pole.
“I know how to hold the pole. You could just tell me what to do,” she said, but she didn’t try to pull out of his embrace, he noticed.
“Thought I’d keep you warm in the process. And there’s a trick to fly-fishing.” He gripped her hand on the pole and led her arm back over her head. Then in a quick movement, he guided her to flick the line forward and out into the water. The bait pierced the lake’s smooth surface, causing a ripple effect.
“Now we wait,” Krista said, shivering in his arms.
He held her tighter, his mouth just beside her ear. She smelled like lavender and honey, and he breathed her in for a long moment until the line tugged and Krista squealed excitedly.
“We got one, we got one!”
“Hold on.” Noah jerked the line back up and out of the water, revealing a small trout, wiggling and wrestling against the air.
“Wow! I forgot how much I love that feeling,” Krista said, as Noah reached for the fish, securing it tightly in one hand. “She’s so beautiful.”
“It’s been a while since you’ve gone fishing with me. Wanna kiss her before I toss her back?”
She scrunched her face. He’d always threatened her with kissing the fish when they were kids. “The answer is still no. And as much fun as that was, I’m f-f-freezing.”
He gently placed the fish back into the water. Once released, it swam away like its life depended on it. Noah could learn a lot from that fish. “Well, you got a little taste of the action here at least. Guess I’ll have to bring you back in the summer time when the water is just right. We can even go skinny dipping if you want.” He waggled his brows as if he was teasing, but he was mostly serious.
Krista rewarded him with a laugh. The sound, like the fishing lure, pierced through him, causing a ripple effect of its own. This whole weekend had been one series of ripple effects.
“C’mon. Let’s go warm you up,” he said, taking her hand and helping her back to dry land.
—
Thank God she could feel her hands and feet again.
Krista leaned over a plate of hot pasta at the kitchen table. She lifted her gaze to watch as Noah headed to the table holding two candlesticks and some matches. He lit them both, then sat down in the dimly lit room. “Who says I’m not romantic? I give you a candlelit dinner and wine.”
“You’re doing well.” Krista reached for her glass and started to take a sip.
“Whoa, hold up. Let’s toast.” He raised his glass and waited for hers to meet his. “Since you’re teaching me a little bit about the subject this weekend, let’s tap our glasses to romance.”
“To romance.”
They drank and then dug in.
Krista closed her eyes as she tasted the food.
“Good?”
“So good. I had no idea you could cook like this.”
“Well, you were coaching me on that, too. I can’t take all the credit. We make a good team. We always have.”
Krista twirled a forkful of pasta above her plate. “I dread leaving here tomorrow.”
“Yeah?”
She nodded. “It’s going to be a busy next three weeks. I had no idea there were so many maid-of-honor duties.”
“Jack only gave me this, and this isn’t so bad. I’m kind of having a great time. And by kind of, I mean a whole hell of a lot.”
Krista shifted on her chair. “I promised Grace I’d help with the gift registry and the reception they’re having afterward, too. Jack has no interest in filling out a registry and Grace’s mom isn’t really healthy enough to help because of her Parkinson’s disease.”
“Jack said he didn’t want a bachelor party. I asked.”
“Grace said the same about a bachelorette party. But I don’t feel right about doing nothing. I mean, you only get married once.”
“If you’re lucky.”
Krista met his gaze. Did he mean that? Did he think that those who fell in love and got married were lucky? Because that would surprise her. “Maybe we should have an anti-bachelor-and-bachelorette party. We could do it the week before Thanksgiving. And plan it together, since we make such a great team and all.”
Noah thought on this. “I like that. Sounds like a plan to me. They’re getting married the weekend after Thanksgiving. Why don’t we just—”