“Good morning.” Charlene forced her feet to move. She crossed to the island and turned on her laptop. “You’re up early.”
“I have a meeting in San Antonio this morning.” He yawned, dragging his hand over his eyes. “Thought I’d get an early start.” He nodded at the coffeemaker. “Coffee should be done soon.”
“Great.” Charlene walked to the counter and opened an upper cabinet. She took down two pottery mugs and paused, glancing over her shoulder at Nick. “Do you want your travel mug?”
“Sure.”
The metal mug with the UCLA logo Nick carried to work each morning was on the top shelf. She stretched, going up on tiptoe, but the mug was just beyond her fingertips. “I need a ladder,” she murmured, trying to stretch another half inch.
“Here, I’ll get it.”
Before Charlene could step back and out of his way, Nick was behind her, bracketing her between his body and the countertop when he reached above her.
She was surrounded by him. The scent of clean soap and the faint tang of his aftershave enveloped her while the warmth of his body narrowed the brief distance between them even more. He leaned forward slightly as he picked up the mug and his bare chest brushed her shoulderblades.
Her breath caught in a faint, audible gasp, and she froze, immobilized as she struggled to deal with an overload of emotions.
Nick heard the quick intake of breath, felt the swift, slight press of her shoulders against his chest as she inhaled. He fought the fierce urge to claim and possess, his muscles locking with the effort. But then her rigidly held body eased slightly against his and his control slipped a notch.
He set the mug down and planted his palms on the countertop, bracketing her between his arms. The faint scent of flowers teased his nostrils and he bent his head until his lips nearly touched her hair, closing his eyes as he breathed in the smell of shampoo and warm woman.
She turned, her shoulder brushing against his chest, faced him, her back to the counter. Her green eyes were dark with awareness when her gaze met his, the curve of her mouth vulnerable. A spray of small freckles dusted the bridge of her nose and the arch of her cheekbones, golden against her fair skin.
Nick clenched his fists against the counter, muscles bunching in his biceps as he fought to keep from touching her. A lock of hair slipped out of the narrow clip holding it away from her face. Tempted beyond reason, Nick lost his battle and gently brushed the strand away from her cheek, tucking it behind her ear.
Her skin was as soft and silky as the bright threads of hair. Lured by the warmth under his hand, he traced his fingertips over the tiny freckles on her cheekbones then followed the smooth curve of her jawline. Her pulse fluttered at the base of her throat and he tested the fast beat with the pad of his thumb, his fingers and palm cupping the curve where shoulder met throat.
His gaze flicked up, met hers. Her green eyes were nearly black, a faint flush heating her throat and coloring her cheeks. Her lips were fuller, slightly parted, her breathing quicker.
The moment spun out, tension thickening the air between them.
“Tell me to step away,” he rasped, his voice rougher, deeper than normal.
“I can’t,” she murmured.
“Why?”
“I don’t want to.”
“We shouldn’t do this.” His thumb stroked slowly, compulsively over the fast pound of her pulse point.
She lifted her hands and laid them, palms down, on his chest. Her fingers flexed and he groaned, his fingers tightening reflexively on her shoulder. Her gaze fastened on his mouth and she slid her arms higher around his neck, going up on tiptoe, her body lying flush against his.
Nick lost the struggle. He bent his head, meeting her halfway as her lips sought his.
Determined not to lose control, he pressed his fists against the countertop, resisting the urge to wrap his arms around her and press her close.
Equally determined not to give in to the raging need to devour her mouth, he brushed her lips with his, refusing to deepen the contact when she opened her mouth under his and licked his lower lip.
“You taste like honey and mint,” he muttered against her mouth, changing the angle to taste the corner of her mouth. Primal satisfaction seared through him when she gasped and pressed closer.
“Stop teasing and kiss me,” she demanded, frustration in her voice. She cupped the back of his head in her palms and refused to let him move away as she crushed her lips against his with pent-up desire.
Nick lost the ability to reason. He wrapped his arms around her and pinned her between his body and the counter behind her. Their mouths fused in a heated exchange.
On some distant level, he knew he had to stop this—stop them—before he lifted her onto the counter and slipped off her clothes. He reached for control, struggled to bring them back from the precipice, until at last their breathing slowed.
He took his mouth from hers, her lips clinging in protest, and rested his forehead against hers while his heartbeat continued to slam inside his chest and thunder in his ears. “You’re killing me,” he murmured.
She eased away from him, just far enough to look up and search his face. “What do you mean?”
“I’ve wanted this since I looked up and saw you walking down the plane aisle,” he told her.
“Really?” Her face glowed. “Me too.”
“Don’t tell me that.” He groaned when his body leaped in response. “I’m having enough trouble keeping my hands off you. And you’re off-limits. You work for me. I don’t kiss employees.”
“Then maybe I should quit.” The bemused smile she gave him held a hint of mischief.
“I wouldn’t blame you if you did,” he said grimly. “But for God’s sake, don’t. The girls need you.”
Her smile disappeared. Her thick lashes lowered, screening her eyes.
“Of course,” she said, her voice cooler, more distant. “For a moment I forgot the circumstances.”
She eased back, separating their bodies and putting a bare inch of space between them.
Somehow, Nick felt as if she’d moved across the room.
“I think I’ll take my coffee upstairs. I have a few things to do before the girls wake up.”
He wanted to drag her back into his arms and kiss her until the cool remoteness dissolved under heat and she was once again pliant and eager. But he knew it was far better that she’d put distance between them. He’d reached the limits of his control. If he spent much longer with her in his arms, he doubted whether he could make himself let her go.
“Right.” He shifted away from her, leaning his hips against the counter, arms crossed, while he waited for her to pour her coffee and leave the room.
She didn’t look back, her murmured goodbye and “have a good day” spoken over her shoulder, her face half-turned from him.
Then she was gone and he was alone in the kitchen.
He couldn’t be sorry he’d kissed her. But now that he knew what she felt like in his arms, what her mouth tasted like under his, he knew keeping their connection strictly employer-employee was going to be damned near impossible.
Frowning blackly, his temper on edge, he filled his coffee mug and headed upstairs to finish dressing before heading for San Antonio.
Once safely in her bedroom, Charlene slumped against the wood panels and closed her eyes to blank out the light.
Stupid. That was so stupid, Charlene.
She never should have given in to the need to discover what it would be like to kiss Nick.
And it was mortifying to admit he would have walked away if she hadn’t turned to face him, hadn’t been the one to wrap her arms around his neck and instigate that kiss.
She nearly groaned with embarrassment. He was her boss. He’d said he didn’t kiss his employees.
And it’s against every principle I believe in to have an affair with my boss, she told herself. So why didn’t I stop?
She’d never been tempted to break her own rules before. What w
as it about Nick Fortune that blew all her good intentions to dust?
She pushed away from the door and crossed to the bathroom. Running cold water, she pressed a dampened washcloth to her still-flushed cheeks, lowering it after a moment to stare at herself in the mirror.
“Nick is off-limits,” she said to her reflection. “From now on, act as if this morning’s kiss never happened.”
Just how she was going to do that, she had no idea.
She hoped she was a better actress than she suspected, otherwise, Nick would know with one look that she was playing the role of disinterested woman.
And nothing on earth could be further from the truth.
On Saturday evening, two days after their fateful encounter in the kitchen, Andrew Sanchez telephoned. Nick and Charlene were in the upstairs bathroom, taking turns bathing the triplets before tucking them into their pajamas.
Nick left Jackie and Jenny chortling, happily sitting naked atop their damp towels on the bathroom floor, and stepped into the hall just outside the bathroom, covering one ear with his palm as he talked.
When he hung up, Charlene knew by his solemn, faintly grim expression that something had happened. Despite her vow to keep their conversations to business issues only, concern compelled her into speech. “Is something wrong?”
“The attorney in Amarillo found Lana and her husband.”
“Oh.” Charlene stared at him, torn between relief and dread. “Are they all right?”
“Yes.”
“Where were they?”
“At the privately run clinic. The investigator used the information we found in the photo, flew to Africa and tracked her down. She’s been out of touch because a river flooded and cut off the clinic from contact with the outside world.”
“Are they on their way home?”
“Yes.”
“How long before they arrive?”
“Sanchez wasn’t sure—probably a few days, maybe a week, at most.”
Which meant their time with the triplets was growing short, Charlene realized. Her arms tightened unconsciously, protectively around Jessie’s chubby little body.
“I’m going to miss them,” she said, her voice husky with emotion.
“Yeah. Me too.” Nick’s eyes roiled with emotion.
Playing on the floor at his feet, Jackie grabbed a fistful of Nick’s jeans just below the knee and pulled herself to her knees. Nick broke eye contact with Charlene and went down on his haunches next to her. Jenny immediately crawled toward him too, babbling imperiously.
“Hey, you two. What are you doing? Are you trying to stand up, Jackie?”
The gentle affection in his voice brought tears to Charlene’s eyes. She turned away, Jessie perched on her hip, and leaned over to fiddle with the tub, twisting the release to let the water drain. By the time she turned back, she had her emotions under control once more.
“I’ll get Jessie ready for bed. Would you like me to take Jackie or Jenny too?”
“No, I’ll bring them.” Nick slipped an arm around each baby and lifted them as he stood. The babies gurgled and shrieked as they rose.
“You’re a brave man,” Charlene said in an effort to lighten the moment. “Neither of them are wearing diapers.”
“I like to live dangerously,” he replied with a half grin.
Later, when the girls were tucked into bed, Nick and Charlene stood in the hall outside their room.
“I think I’ll read for a while before I go to sleep,” she murmured.
“Wait.” Nick caught her arm as she turned away, stopping her.
The feel of his warm fingers and palm on the skin of her bare arm sent heat shivering through her veins, making her heart beat faster. But the moment she stopped and turned back, he released her.
“Yes?”
“I meant to talk to you about this earlier, but after I spoke with Sanchez, I forgot….” He paused, thrusting a hand through his hair. “I want to take the girls to a party celebrating the reopening of Red. The Mendozas are longtime friends, and most of my family will be there. And I’d like you to come with me.”
Charlene’s brain stopped functioning. Had Nick just asked her out on a date? Then she realized he’d said he wanted to take the girls. He needed her help.
“Of course,” she replied. “When is it?” She calculated swiftly when he told her the date. The opening would be before Amy’s sister arrived to take custody.
They said good-night and Charlene headed down the hall to her room. She wanted time to come to terms with the sadness she felt, knowing that her time with the triplets would soon end.
She suspected Nick would miss the babies as much as she would.
Charlene knew the dinner at Red Restaurant wasn’t a real date. It was a family affair, a chance for Nick to introduce the triplets to his extended family and friends. Despite sternly lecturing herself that she was accompanying them as an employee only, the evening of the grand reopening found her standing in front of her open closet, torn between choosing a sexy black cocktail dress or a less glamorous gown.
“Oh, get over yourself,” she muttered impatiently. She scanned the contents of the closet and took a dress from a hanger. The black-and-white print was less likely to show food stains if one of the triplets tossed dinner at her, and the modest, scooped neckline wouldn’t expose too much skin if one of the girls tugged it lower.
She stepped into the dress and pulled it on, zipping the side before standing back to look in the mirror. The dress was comfortable, the fitted waist and full skirt with its just-above-the-knee hem pretty but less figure-revealing than the body-hugging, midthigh hem of her favorite little black dress.
But the one I’m wearing is far more practical for an evening spent with three one-year-olds, she told herself.
She consoled herself by choosing frivolous, black, strappy sandals with three-inch heels before she slipped black pearl studs into her earlobes. Experience told her to skip a necklace, since the triplets delighted in playing and tugging on her jewelry. Instead, she settled for the matching black-and-white pearl ring.
Then she caught up a black clutch evening bag, tucked a few essentials into it, and left the room.
She heard LouAnn’s distinctive raspy voice, followed by Nick’s quick laugh, and followed the sound to the living room, pausing on the threshold.
LouAnn sat on the ottoman, her skinny frame bent at the waist as she supported Jenny. The little girl was on her toes, wobbling back and forth with a delighted grin.
Jackie and Jessie sat on the carpet, watching Jenny with fascination. All three of the little girls were dressed in matching blue jumpers with white knit blouses beneath, the neat Peter Pan collars edged in blue embroidery. They wore cute little patent-leather Mary Jane shoes with lace trimmed, pristine white socks. Each of them had a white satin bow in their black hair. They looked adorable.
Charlene purposely saved the best part for last. Her gaze found Nick, standing next to the stereo system. He wore black slacks that she was sure must have been tailored for him, a black leather belt and a white dress shirt with the cuffs folded back to reveal the gold Rolex on his wrist.
He looked over his shoulder at LouAnn, smiling as he watched her encourage Jenny. Then he looked past her and saw Charlene. His smile disappeared. His gaze ran from her face to her toes, then back again and something hot flared in his dark eyes.
“There you are,” LouAnn said, breaking the spell that held Charlene. “Don’t you look nice.” She beamed and stood, picking Jenny up.
Charlene forced her gaze away from Nick and smiled at LouAnn. “Thank you.”
“And you’re right on time,” LouAnn continued, waving a hand in the direction of the mantle clock. “You all better scoot or you’ll be late.”
“She’s right.” Nick walked toward them, pausing to pick up Jackie and Jessie. “The car’s out front.” He stopped in front of Charlene. “If you’ll take Jackie, I’ll collect the girls’ diaper bag from the kitchen.”
�
��Of course. Come here, sweetie,” Charlene murmured, holding out her arms.
“I’ll meet you at the car,” Nick said, his face reflecting no emotion beyond casual friendliness.
“I’ll carry Jenny out and buckle her in,” LouAnn said, leading the way. “I would have been happy to babysit the girls for you and Nick tonight,” she continued as they followed the sidewalk around the front of the house and reached the SUV, parked on the drive in front of the garage. “But Nick said he wanted his family to meet them.”
“Mmm hmm,” Charlene murmured.
“I must say, I’m impressed by our Nick,” LouAnn chattered on as the two women tucked the girls in their car seats and fastened buckles. “He’s really stepped up to the plate to take care of these three. Not many confirmed bachelors would have changed their whole life to accommodate babies at the drop of a hat.”
Before Charlene could agree with her, Nick joined them. Moments later, the diaper bag was stored away, Jessie was buckled into her car seat, and the SUV was reversing out of the drive to the street.
LouAnn stood in the drive, waving good-bye as they pulled away.
She’s right, Charlene thought as the house disappeared in the rearview mirror. Nick really has reacted in an exceptional way. If I were in desperate need of help, he’s the person I’d want on my side.
And as a woman, he’s the man I want in my bed.
The unbidden thought brought a flush of heat to her cheeks. She glanced sideways at Nick. Fortunately, he was looking at the street as he drove, otherwise she was sure he would have known she was picturing him naked.
Chapter Seven
N ick ushered the girls and Charlene into the courtyard of Red and her eyes widened in surprise. Holding Jessie in her arms, she turned in a slow half circle.
“They’ve restored it just as it was,” she exclaimed with delight. The square patio was tucked into the center of the building, edged on all sides with the dark walls of the restaurant. A fountain dominated the middle of the area. Its trickling water splashed against blue-and-white Mexican tiles, greeting diners with soft music. Several fan trees dotted the space, their green ribs draped with strings of tiny white lights. Tables were scattered around the courtyard, the underside of their colored umbrellas sporting more of the small white lights. Before the fire, the courtyard had boasted masses of old bougainvillea; these new plants were smaller, younger, but still colorful with bursts of vivid fuchsia, purple and gold. “This has always been one of my favorite restaurants in Red Rock, and I was hoping the new version would have the same feel.”
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