Sizzling

by Susan Mallory

  Lori found herself just standing there, not sure what to do with her arms, her hands or even her body. She felt awkward and stupid, but the one thing she knew for sure was that she never ever wanted the kiss to end.

  His mouth demanded things from her and she found herself wanting to give them. But even as he took and insisted, his lips weren't too hard. There was just the right amount of pressure and heat and promise to make her want to lean into him and beg.

  She liked the way he smelled and how he was exactly the right height. She liked the feel of his hand in her hair and the first teasing, erotic brush of the tip of his tongue against her lower lip.

  Had she had access to her brain and any voluntary functions, she would have pulled back. It was the sensible thing to do. It was the only thing that made sense. But she didn't, so it wasn't her fault when she put one hand on his shoulder and parted her mouth.

  He nipped her lower lip. The gentle bite shocked her. She gasped, he chuckled, then swept inside, claiming her with a passionate dance that took her breath away.

  He kissed like a man who loved women. He kissed like a man who understood that sometimes kissing wasn't just a stepping stone on the path to something better. That it could be- if done correctly- a destination.

  He kissed like he meant it and made her feel she'd been waiting her whole life for this moment.

  Heat flared inside of her, burning through her body, making her weak. She felt uncomfortable in her clothes and in her skin. She wanted him touching her everywhere and she wanted to touch him back. She wanted to know what his perfect body would feel like, naked and straining. She wanted him inside of her.

  The image of them together in that way was so vivid, her body clenched in anticipation. He deepened the kiss and she met him stroke for stroke, following him back to his mouth to tease and explore and excite.

  Then, as suddenly as the kiss had begun, it was over.

  He stepped back. "You're trembling."

  Was she? She felt the tremors race through her body. Okay, so maybe she was.

  "Low blood sugar," she told him in a foolish attempt to protect herself. "I didn't have enough protein at breakfast."

  Reid stared at her for a long moment, then he began to smile. It was a slow, self-satisfied, male smile. One that spoke of his superior ability to bring a woman to her knees with just a kiss.

  He was still smiling when he walked out of the kitchen. Lori stared after him, not sure who she was mad at more. Him for turning her on and then leaving, or herself for responding in the first place.

  * * *

  TWO DAYS LATER Reid let Walker and Elissa into Gloria's house. Walker's expression was as unreadable as usual, but Elissa looked ready to jump out of her skin.

  "Command performance," Walker explained by way of greeting. "Gloria called and asked us both to come by."

  Elissa bit her lower lip. "You're sure about the both of us part? I'm sure she just meant you. She doesn't like me and I find her really, really scary."

  Walker smiled down at the woman standing next to him. "You can wait here with Reid, if you want. I'm not going to force you."

  She sighed. "Of course you're not, because that's the kind of guy you are. But because you're being so nice, I'll feel guilty for being afraid, so I'm just going to come in with you and be polite. I can do that. I was raised by very nice people."

  Reid thought about reassuring Elissa, telling her that Gloria had been through something of a change. But as he wasn't completely sure the change was going to last, he decided to keep quiet.

  "I can come in with you, if you want," he offered. "If it gets ugly, I'll take Elissa out so you're not forced to kill your grandmother."

  "Sounds like a plan," Walker said. "How's your life going?"

  Reid led the way down the hall. "I'm still doing damage control. Every day some other woman comes forward and says the earth didn't move for her. It's grim and humiliating, but at least it's a distraction. I fired my manager and I'm going through all the boxes he sent over. There are so many requests and letters that went unanswered. I hate knowing there are kids out there assuming I'm an ass."

  "What are you going to do to fix it?" Walker asked.

  "I'm still trying to figure that out."

  Reid wasn't so sure what to do. The job was daunting.

  * * *

  LORI SMOOTHED the sheet on Gloria's bed, then tucked in the end, all the while wishing she weren't so on edge.

  She'd spent the last couple of days trying to ignore Reid. After that kiss they'd shared, she didn't know what to say to him. Just as annoying, she hadn't run into him, which made her miss him, which really bugged her. She hated that with a simple brush of mouths she'd gone from a completely capable in-charge woman to a sighing, mooning giggler desperate to see the man of her dreams.

  Yesterday she'd taken both a morning and evening run, in an effort to tire herself out enough to let her sleep. It hadn't worked. The second she'd closed her eyes, she'd seen his face and felt the damp heat of his kiss. Reliving the sensations over and over had kept her up half the night.

  "Ladies," Reid said as he entered the room. "We have company," he told his grandmother, who sat reading in a chair, then gave her, Lori, a wink. "My brother. Two for the price of one. Of course, he's taken."

  Lori straightened and tried to speak, but it wasn't possible. With less than a couple dozen words, he'd reduced her to brainless silence. It was so humiliating.

  A second man walked into the room. He looked enough like Reid for her to be able to guess their relationship. With him was an attractive woman with long brown hair and blue eyes.

  "So you came," Gloria announced. "Good. Walker, Elissa, nice to see you. This is Lori, one of my nurses. Lori, my grandson and his girlfriend. Oh, did you bring your adorable daughter, Elissa? I'm sorry, I can't remember her name."

  "Ah, Zoe," Elissa said, a puzzled look on her face. "She's in school."

  "Too bad. Maybe she could come along next time. Children add such positive energy to a room."

  Lori glanced at everyone's stunned expressions and took that as her cue to leave. Gloria was working the program. Sure, it would take time to convince her family that the change was genuine, but Lori was confident that would happen.

  "You didn't hit her over the head, did you?" Reid asked as he walked out beside her. "I checked her medication so I know you're not drugging her."

  She tried to ignore his nearness and how she was so aware of his breathing. "Why can't you simply accept that she wanted to make a change, so she did?"

  "You should have come along sooner," he muttered. "Life would have been much better. The last time Gloria met Elissa, she threatened to have her fired, evicted and maybe arrested. All because Elissa dared to date Walker."

  "She's not like that anymore."

  They'd reached the kitchen. Lori moved to put the island between them- she had a feeling a physical barrier would help her maintain control- but Reid grabbed her hand and held her in place.

  "It's because of you," he told her. "You're the reason for the change."

  It was difficult to think with his fingers touching hers. "She's the one who made the decision. I simply pointed out that being nicer might be in her best interest."

  "Why don't you want to take credit?" he asked.

  "It's not necessary."

  She tugged free and took a step back. She didn't want to stand there anymore, having him look at her as if she mattered. As if she were someone special in his life. How could she ever believe that?

  Why him? Why couldn't she have had a strong physical reaction to someone else? Someone not so far out of reach. She didn't mind that she could never have Reid. What she hated was being pathetic and knowing that if he ever figured out how much of a crush she had on him he would pity her. That would be the worst.

  A few minutes later Walker came out for coffee.

  "I wouldn't have believed it," he told Reid.

  Lori busied herself setting out a tray.

&
nbsp; "She's a totally different person," Walker continued. "Warm, friendly. She told me I was doing a good job and I think she made a joke."

  Reid grinned. "Hang in there, big guy. You'll get used to it."

  "I hope it lasts."

  "Me, too," Reid said. "But if you want a for-sure answer, talk to the master."

  Lori looked up to find them both staring at her. She shrugged. "I'm not the master of anything. Gloria was feeling lonely and sorry for herself. I just pointed out that the reason people avoided her is that she's incredibly difficult to be around. I suggested she try being nicer."

  "That's it?" Walker asked. "No water torture?"

  Lori smiled. "She's been through a lot. The heart attack, the recovery from her hip. She's in pain and feeling vulnerable. I think both of those events pushed her to want to do something different. I'm hoping the changes are permanent, but I can't promise."

  "Either way, it's a miracle," Walker said. "We owe you big time."

  Reid walked over and before she knew what he was going to do, he put an arm around her. "I'm the one who found her. Don't forget that."

  Walker shook his head. "You're never going to grow up, are you?"

  "Not if I can help it."

  He gave Lori's shoulders a squeeze, then he released her. He and his brother returned to Gloria's room with coffee and a plate of cookies. She was left alone in the kitchen.

  His touch hadn't meant anything. She knew that. It had been a quick, casual embrace and if he knew it had left her shaken, he would feel bad for her.

  "An impossible situation," she murmured into the silence.

  She knew better and yet here she was. Trapped.

  She was going to have to get over Reid and fast. And she knew exactly how to make that happen.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  DANI PLACED HER ORDER for her latte and then moved to the right to wait for her name to be called. She glanced around the crowded café and stiffened slightly when she saw Gary.

  He was bent over what looked like a pile of term papers, a red pen in his hand.

  Dani turned back to the counter and waved when her name was called. After collecting her latte, she hesitated. While she'd enjoyed speaking with Gary a couple of weeks ago, she didn't know if she wanted to go up and say hello. She wasn't interested in any man romantically and from her limited personal experience, men weren't interested in being friends.

  Before she could duck out, she heard him call her name. She turned and smiled.

  "Hi, Gary."

  "Hi." He waved her over, then motioned to the empty seat on the other side of the tiny table. "Do you have a moment?"

  She barely hesitated before nodding. There was just something about him, she thought as she took a seat. He defined…nice.

  "Looks like a lot of work," she said, motioning to the papers. "Are they good?"

  "Some. The assignment was to compare three religions, past or present, finding similarities and differences. There are a few Web sites that provide very tidy lists. Some of my students went there and copied the lists. They won't be happy with their grades."

  "I can imagine. Going online is easier than going to the library."

  He nodded. "I don't object to using the Internet for research, but I do expect them to assimilate what they've learned and write it up using their own words."

  "Sounds reasonable."

  He smiled. "They won't see it that way. So, how's the job search going?"

  She shrugged. "Not as well as I would like. I think…" She hesitated, then leaned forward. "I turned down a great job. It was at a very popular and upscale restaurant. The food was good, the money excellent. In theory, it was everything I wanted."

  "But?"

  "But I had a funny feeling. I just didn't like the owner. I can't even explain what it was specifically. He was a little over the top, but that's fairly typical in the business. There was just something about him. Something…"

  "Dark? Dangerous? Threatening?"

  She smiled. "Thanks for helping. Actually he was…cold. The staff seemed afraid of him and not in a respectful way. More like they were worried he was going to have them shot at dawn. And the kitchen was too quiet."

  Gary frowned. "How can a kitchen be too quiet?"

  "Have you ever worked in a restaurant?"

  "No."

  "They're crazy places- especially in the kitchen. It's hard work with a lot of pressure. The kitchen staff is loud, insulting, especially if they're gifted. But it wasn't like that. I just wasn't comfortable." She sighed. "I turned down the job. I still can't believe it."

  "Sounds to me like you listened to your gut. Finding the right job is important. It helps define who you are as a person. Why would you want to spend the majority of your time in a place that didn't feel right?"

  She stared at him. "When you say it like that, I feel positively in tune with the universe."

  "You are. Dani, this has to be right for you. You're not desperate- don't settle."

  His gaze was steady, his expression kind. She nodded slowly.

  "You're right. I'll keep looking until I find the right job. Maybe then I won't regret all the years I've already wasted."

  He raised his eyebrows. "You're too young for regrets."

  "You'd be surprised." She sipped her latte. "My family owns restaurants. I've wanted to go into the business my whole life. My parents died when I was young and my grandmother raised me and my three brothers. There was always something tortured about my relationship with Gloria- that's my grandmother. It was as if she didn't really like me." She paused. "I should probably stop talking now."

  "Not on my account," he told her. "I'm a good listener."

  She frowned slightly. "Yes, you are. Why is that?"

  For a second, she would swear he looked uncomfortable, then he smiled. "It's a gift. Go on. Gloria was acting weird."

  She smiled. "More than weird. I got my master's and came home to go to work in the family business. There are four restaurants in all. Two fine dining places, a sports bar and a place called Burger Heaven. She put me to work there, which was fine. I was more than willing to prove myself. But years went by and I couldn't get her to talk to me about moving up the food chain. Nothing I did made her happy."

  She shook her head. "I finally quit."

  Gary studied her. "There's more to it than that, Dani. But if you're not comfortable talking about it, I understand."

  She believed him. He would be okay with her moving on. Yet there was a part of her that wanted to tell the whole story, to share it with someone outside of the family.

  "Gloria and I had a huge fight. I demanded to know why she'd been holding me back. She said it was because I wasn't a real Buchanan. My mother had had an affair and I was the result. She was never going to let me work anywhere but Burger Heaven. She said I wasn't worthy. So I quit."

  Gary nodded slowly. "She sounds like a very unhappy woman."

  Dani blinked. "You're taking her side?"

  "Not at all. I'm saying that if she raised you and then later refused to see your potential because of who your father is, there are a lot of rules in her life. That doesn't usually make people happy."

  "I hadn't thought of it that way. Honestly, and I know this makes me sound like a horrible person, but I don't care if she's unhappy. She's been so mean to me for so long."

  "So you quit and now you're going to find something you like."

  "I am. No matter how long it takes."

  "What about your father? Are you also looking for him?"

  "No." Dani sipped her latte, then set it back on the table. "I'm afraid," she admitted. "I'm guessing he didn't know about me, but what if he did? What if he just didn't care?"

  She wasn't looking for any more rejection in her life right now.

  "Is that enough of a reason not to go looking for him?" Gary asked.

  "So far it's working just fine."

  "He's your family. What is more important than that?"

  Good question, she thought. "So
what about your family?" she asked.

  "Two sisters, both married. Between them they have seven kids." He grinned. "I love being an uncle."

  "No kids of your own?"

  His expression tightened slightly, then he relaxed. "I've never been married."

  He had to be in his mid to late thirties, she thought. While not everyone got married, it was strange that Gary hadn't. He was a great guy. Kind and sensitive and easy to talk to. The kind of man who…

  Duh, she thought, wanting to smack herself on the side of the head. Of course. He was gay.

  She looked him over. All the signs were there. His low-key occupation, the perfect grooming, his interest in actual conversation, the lack of any sexual spark.

  Relief spilled into pleasure. If Gary was gay then maybe they could be friends. She could use a few more friends in her life.

  * * *

  "I WOULD HAVE COOKED," Madeline said as Lori stirred the simmering beef and filled a pot of water for the noodles.

  "I've got it," she said. "You cooked all week."

  Madeline leaned against the counter. "I cooked twice, we had takeout twice and leftovers once. I'm not overwhelmed with work."

  "You should be resting."

  "You should try to catch your breath," her sister told her.

  Lori set the pasta pot on the stove and turned on the heat. "I'm fine. The whole breathing thing is fine."

  "You looked panicked- like we're going to be firebombed any second."

  Lori did her best to smile. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

  Which was a big, fat lie, she thought grimly. Madeline was many things, but stupid wasn't one of them. Of course Madeline wasn't anything bad or negative. She was perfect. Physically, mentally, spiritually. She was what the rest of the world aspired to be.

  Lori had given up being bitter about that years ago. It was a matter of accepting her sister's amazingness or live her life chronically cranky. She'd decided to move on. These days all she allowed herself was a little ambivalence.

  The fact was Madeline couldn't help being beautiful and smart and charming. So when Lori had realized she didn't know how to get her feelings for Reid under control, she'd decided to manage them the only way she knew how. Introduce him to her sister.