Momentous Kisses: Love in Sandy Beach

by Gray, Jessica

  Russell looked from her to his kitchen and asked, “What are you doing?”

  She looked at him and then wished she hadn’t. He was sex personified in his running shorts and dripping wet tank top, and with that sexy smile on his face. It was obvious he’d enjoyed his run, and Allison imagined how much she’d enjoy him doing all sorts of dirty things to her right now and here. It took everything in her not to jump him and forget about dinner.

  She tried a smile. “Cooking dinner. I hope you like steak.”

  “I love steak, but…there was nothing in the fridge.”

  “I noticed. That little store on the corner had what I needed, although I should probably visit a real supermarket tomorrow.”

  Russell shifted from one foot to the other. “I hate cooking. I eat most of my meals out or at the clinic.”

  Allison opened her mouth to tell him how pathetic that sounded, but he suddenly got agitated and fled the kitchen as if a black panther was chasing him.

  Before he disappeared down the hallway, she shouted after him, “Russell?”

  “Shower.”

  She tried not to let his abrupt departure bother her and shouted back, “Okay. Dinner will be ready in ten minutes.”

  He didn’t reply, and she went back to finishing dinner. She wasn’t sure what had just gone through his mind, but she wasn’t going to let it bother her. She was here to test out whether or not they could have a relationship, and she’d better find out before the week was over.

  Chapter 10

  Russell escaped down the hallway into the bathroom and he immediately started the shower. On cold. Ice cold, to be exact.

  He’d hated to leave her without a word of explanation, but seeing her all domestic in his kitchen had fired up his body and he’d only had a few seconds to escape before his obvious hard-on would have been pushing against the thin fabric of his running shorts.

  He stood under the shower in a fog of confusion. How can she have such an effect on me? She was fully dressed, for God’s sake.

  The icy water did its task in calming down his body. Shivering, he turned the water off and grabbed a towel, his mind going in a hundred different directions.

  She cooked for me. And didn’t even mention my pathetic kitchen. For that, he was grateful. Sweet Allison would never point out the obvious or intentionally make someone feel badly.

  He grabbed fresh clothes, and walked into the dining room, only to be surprised again. With the limited means in his apartment, she had somehow managed to make the set dining room table look fabulous.

  She’d even found the only candleholder he possessed and organized flowers, albeit in a glass instead of a vase. The decorations had changed his utilitarian ebony wood table into an inviting and enjoyable place to sit down and have a pleasant meal. With her. The most wonderful women of all.

  “This looks great,” he said, but what he really meant was, You look great.

  “Thanks,” she told him with a blush. He thought it was cute how she turned her head away while pulling out her chair. A strong urge to walk over and wrap his arms around her took hold of him. How long had it been since a woman had cooked for him? Apart from the breakfast at her place…He licked his lips.

  The steak and salad in front of him smelled wonderful and he tried to get a grip on his insane attraction to her. “I don’t know if anything this tasty has ever been made in that kitchen before.”

  She didn’t answer him, just watched intently as he took his first bite. The steak was perfectly cooked and done just this side of rare –his favorite way to eat red meat.

  “Mmmmm. That’s awesome. Allison, you are a genius.”

  She relaxed and took the first bite herself.

  After a few moments of silence, he said, “So, I did some more thinking about your little test while I was out for my run…”

  Allison almost shrieked and looked at him with big scared eyes. “You already agreed. You can’t back out now.”

  “I really think…”

  “Besides, it’s already late, and you wouldn’t want me driving back to Sandy Beach at this time of night. Would you?”

  Russell felt like a cad and shook his head. “No, of course not. I just thought…”

  “Please don’t. It won’t be so bad. Just one week,” she cajoled him.

  Russell nodded his head and continued eating. She sure was persistent. He actually liked that, just not right now.

  “So, what time do you need to get up in the morning?” Allison asked.

  “Why?”

  She beamed at him. “So that I know what time to get up and fix breakfast.”

  “Allison, you don’t need to take care of me,” he growled at her. “I don’t eat breakfast anyways.”

  Allison shrugged. “Hmm, not what I remember.”

  He glared at her, but the memory of her heavenly delicious crêpes softened his growl and all he could do was nod. The thought of the last time made his mouth water. He’d love to have breakfast, he just hated to cook it and eat all by himself.

  She continued, “It’s really no bother. I love breakfast and I’m going to be cooking for myself anyways. I might as well make enough for two.”

  Russell wanted to be mad at her, but her sweet, innocent smile wouldn’t let him. Instead, he felt his body responding and was tempted to take her into his arms and kiss her senseless. No way are you going there. No getting attached to the crazy lady who invited herself to stay for the week.

  Allison was everything he’s been subconsciously looking for in a woman. A woman he could trust, a woman he wanted to wake up with every morning. A woman he could love with all his heart. If only he accepted that he still had a heart full of emotions.

  While his body had long given up resisting Allison’s attractions, his head still thought he wasn’t cut out for a relationship and she’d be better off with another man.

  I’ve been perfectly fine on my own for the last twelve years. Why should I change that?

  But a little nagging voice in the back of his head told him it would be nice to have a girlfriend to share his daily life with. Think how much he enjoyed having his sister Toni back in his life, and not only her, but also the huge family of her fiancé Douglas Armstrong.

  Russell had enough and told that little voice to shut up. Anyone he’d ever loved had left him. His parents died and left him. His sister had left him. But only after you kicked her out. His ex-girlfriend Sandrine…he slammed a stop on those memories. They were too painful.

  Russell inwardly sighed. He’d had no choice but to kick Toni out a decade ago. She’d been stuck after their parents’ death, and totally dependent upon Russell for everything. She’d needed a good kick in the seat of the pants to force her to get a grip on her life again. And it had worked.

  But what about you? Did you get on with your life? His subconscious was on a roll, asking all the difficult questions he’d been avoiding for years.

  Of course he had. He was a highly successful, considerably rich and famous plastic surgeon. He had lots of clients, a fantastic business partner, and friends. Correct that. Not friends. Acquaintances. Colleagues.

  Russell was okay with not having friends. Friends expected emotions back and love, even if only on a platonic level. Who needs love? Not me. Love only hurts.

  During his inner dialogue, Allison had become very quiet and watched him with big eyes. When he became aware of her piercing stare, he felt vulnerable and naked. Exposed.

  What if she could see right through his masque and into his soul? Her compassionate expression raised the irrational fear in him that she’d been able to listen to his thoughts and find out about the dark emotions he’d kept carefully hidden for so many years.

  He shrugged off this thought. It was outright silly. Even sillier than her idea of a relationship test. He focused on the present, starting with her plans for tomorrows.

  “I thought I could put my time in Chicago to good use and visit some galleries. You said there might be some interest for my p
aintings here…”

  “Did you bring some of your paintings with you?” he asked.

  Allison nodded. “I unloaded them while you were out running.”

  “May I see them?”

  “Sure.” Allison led him towards the guest room and showed him the stack of paintings leaning against the far wall.

  Russell entered the room and had to look twice to make sure he was still in his apartment. Somehow, Allison had turned the functional bedroom into a colorful, lighthearted, happy place.

  Happy. That word had been excised from his vocabulary years ago. Every time he’d been truly happy in his life, something horrible had happened. Tired of dealing with crisis and heartbreak, he’d simply stopped allowing himself to be happy anymore. It was much easier that way.

  Even though his sister Toni had reappeared in his life a year ago, he still felt uncomfortable with his emotions for her. He was afraid that if he let her crawl too deep into his heart, she’d be taken away. Like his parents. Like Sandrine.

  Allison in contrast exuded happiness wherever she went. He had never seen her other than laughing, smiling, or singing. Just the way she had done when he’d entered his kitchen before dinner.

  It struck him in this moment she was the epitome of happiness. But that only made a relationship between them even more impossible, because she probably wouldn’t want to be tied down to a grumpy old man like himself. And deep down in his heart, Russell didn’t believe he had a right to be happy.

  He looked at her and watched as she nervously showed him a few of the paintings she had brought with her. By the anxious expression on her face, he knew she waiting for him to express his opinion.

  Russell took his time leafing through every single one of them. “These are fantastic. I love them all.”

  The smile on her face brightened the room, as if the sun were shining.

  “Yes. And you know what? They’d be the perfect wall decoration in my clinic.”

  “Really?” she asked.

  “Yes. The images you’ve depicted are so natural and genuine. They convey a warm and happy feeling.”

  Her smile reached from ear to ear and she let out a sexy shriek of happiness. Good lord, that woman was sexy. He had to fold his hands to resist the urge to sweep her into his arms and throw her onto the bed besides them.

  He thought about how joyless most of his clients were. These women were rich, had everything money could buy, gorgeous bodies, and what most would deem the perfect life. And yet, they were horribly unhappy. Always finding some imperfection and allowing it to make them miserable. Just like myself.

  But Allison was completely different. She didn’t let the mishaps of live take away her high spirits.

  He spent a few minutes giving her directions to some of the galleries nearby, telling her to not be shy and just ask for what she wanted. When she looked up at him with her sweet smile of thanks, he knew he had to get out of her room. Now.

  “Goodnight,” he told her, leaving abruptly.

  Chapter 11

  Allison was lying in bed two hours later, but she still couldn’t sleep. Russell invaded her thoughts and her emotions. He’d behaved differently today than at the party last week.

  At the party, he’d been fun when he flirted with her; but today it was as if he had a dark cloud hanging over his head. He hadn’t smiled much, and every time his lips had curved up into a smile, he’d immediately stopped it. It was almost as if he was afraid. But afraid of what? Afraid of smiling?

  That was utter nonsense. Who would want to deprive themselves of the joys of life? Life was so much more fun when you smiled and saw the good parts instead of focusing on the inevitable severities that happened to everyone.

  She finally fell asleep, only to be awakened by her alarm going off early the next morning. Climbing from the bed, she heard the shower go on in the room next door and hurried to the kitchen.

  Today’s breakfast was critical. She planned to have him eating out of her hands. By the end of the week, he’d be begging her to stay and keep feeding him.

  Allison switched on the radio, pulled her hair up into a messy ponytail high on her head, and set about mixing eggs for omelets. The small convenience store hadn’t carried everything she needed to make the perfect omelet, but she’d found eggs, cheese, ham, and plenty of vegetables.

  Russell wandered into the kitchen as she was plating their breakfast. What was it with men and their ability to know the exact moment when food was ready to be served? He made a grumpy face and sat down with nothing more than a growled “Morning”.”

  But she didn’t let his behavior faze her. She’d already witnessed twice what an effect her cooking had on him. By the time he’d eaten most of his omelet, his face lit up and with some imagination she could decipher a smile around his lips.

  In a much friendlier voice he said, “That’s awesome, Allison. Incredible. Can I have more?”

  “Sure. I’ll make you another one. It just takes a minute.” He’ll come around. He just needs a little time to adjust to the idea of me being here.

  After breakfast she followed him to the front door, watching as he picked up his briefcase and then fumbled with his keys for a minute

  “Here’s a key to the apartment. I’ll be gone all day long. If you decide to leave, be sure to lock up.”

  Allison took the key and then watched him for a moment. She longed to kiss him goodbye, and when he made no effort to move towards her, she took the initiative herself. Someone had to make the first move, right?

  She stepped in close enough that her breasts brushed against his chest as she up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. He looked at her slightly confused, but bent down to her. One glance into his amazing blue eyes gave her the rest, and on an impulse she changed her mind and kissed him on his mouth instead.

  As soon as she felt his warm lips on hers, her mind went blissfully blank. He parted her lips with his tongue and explored every corner of her mouth, sending delicious tingles throughout her body, and enflaming every last part of her with a burning fire for him.

  Gasping for breath, she met each leap of his tongue with her own and wrapped her arms around his neck and shoulders to press herself tighter against him. She was like a starving woman, needing his kiss to survive.

  Pressed against his pounding heart and his defined abs, she could feel his arousal again her hips. The kiss seemed to go on forever and she very soon stopped thinking, just feeling.

  When he broke away after what seemed like an eternity and gave her a cute and soft kiss on her forehead, she had to giggle. Opening her eyes, she looked into his and lost herself in the deepness of them. But behind the glowing desire and the tenderness she could see fear and grief looming there – something she vowed to get to the bottom of.

  She smiled impishly and said, “I could get used to that.”

  Russell’s face darkened instantly and with a shake of his head, he growled, “You better not. I should leave now.”

  He’d already turned around and she hastily asked, “What time will you be back?”

  He glanced at her over his shoulder, annoyance about the intrusion into his life written all over his face, but then his lips curved up into something similar to a smile. “I’ll try to be home by six. Would you like to go for a run with me before we eat dinner?”

  She nodded. “I’d love to.”

  Russell stepped out, closing the door behind him. Allison waited the space of two heartbeats before throwing her hands up into air in victory. “Yes! He’ll have to admit that we’re good together.”

  Allison was determined to show him she was right, even more so after that body-tingling kiss they’d shared. An hour later she left the apartment still smiling from ear to ear.

  Showered and carefully dressed, she was prepared to tackle the world and visit several galleries. They’d be blown away by her paintings and eager to showcase her work.

  Reality, though, had its way in bringing her down from cloud nine. The first gallery she appr
oached liked her work, but they currently didn’t have any openings for new artists. They asked for her business card and promised to call as soon as they had some space available.

  She received the same response from the second, third, fourth, and fifth galleries. When she arrived back at the apartment later that evening, she trudged upstairs with sagging shoulders and hurting feet.

  To her surprise the door was unlocked and Russell already home. She followed the noises and then stopped to lean against the kitchen doorjamb. Her mouth fell open when she saw what he was doing. He’s unloading groceries.

  Chapter 12

  Russell had spent the whole day thinking about Allison. She’d been nothing but nice, and he’d had to admit being a grouch in the morning. He wanted to make it up to her.

  That’s why he left the clinic early and headed to the nearest supermarket with a list in hand. He detested shopping, and since he’d never actually done it before, he’d been forced to ask his receptionist what a normal grocery list might contain.

  She’d laughed but obliged, promising to write him out a list that would include several meals for each time of the day as well as a few snack items. Armed with this list he left work early, much to the surprise of everyone who knew his working late hours.

  He hadn’t explained his reasons and left straight for the closest supermarket. An hour later, he reached his place with three big bags of groceries and started to unpack everything, desperately trying to find a suitable place for all those items.

  His heart missed a beat or two when he heard the key turn in the door. Allison was the first person to ever have a key to his apartment, and he wasn’t prepared for the turmoil of sensations the simple sound of an opening door evoked in him. It was a strange yet wonderful feeling.

  Russell listened to her steps coming down the hallway as he put the milk into the fridge and then he turned with anticipation. She was leaning against the doorframe, her small frame sagging and her cute face tired, without her signature bright smile.

  The sight of her sent shockwaves of desire coursing through his body, but beneath the burning heat he could feel another sensation. Concern.