The Man Upstairs (You, Me & The Kids)

by Pamela Bauer

  “You apologize more than any woman I know,” he told her. “This isn’t such a bad place to be.” His voice had turned husky, his eyes had darkened.

  “Aren’t you cold?”

  “Uh-uh. Are you?”

  “No.” It was almost a whisper. “You make a good blanket.”

  Then his mouth was on hers. Unlike the other times he’d kissed her, this was no featherlight touch to tantalize her. It was a kiss full of promise as his mouth moved over hers in a sensuous exploration, giving her a taste of the desire that burned inside him.

  It didn’t matter that she was on a bed of snow or that the air temperature was below freezing. Warmth spread through her as the kiss deepened, tempting her to forget that they were on the cold ground in a public place. Quinn didn’t forget, however.

  “As much as I’m enjoying this, I can think of a better place to be doing this,” he said as he reluctantly lifted himself from her with an ease she envied. As she struggled to her feet, her ankles wobbled.

  “I think we should go sit in the warming house for a bit,” she suggested.

  He kept his arm around her, as if protecting her from the elements. “That’s probably enough skating for one night. I want you to be able to walk tomorrow,” he said with a grin.

  Dena really didn’t want to think about tomorrow, which was why she was pleased when he said, “How about if we go get something hot to drink?”

  “Something warm would be nice,” she agreed. “But before we go I want to see you skate.”

  “You’ve been watching me ever since we got here,” he answered.

  “No, I’ve been watching you teach me. Show me how you would skate if you were with a bunch of your hockey buddies.”

  He did as she requested, skating with a speed and finesse to which television didn’t do justice. When he was done, he stopped right in front of her, a spray of ice flying into the air.

  “Satisfied?” he asked with a grin.

  She applauded but her mittens muffled the sound. “That was amazing. I didn’t realize you could skate that fast.”

  “You would if you had used the tickets I sent you.” There was a hint of a reprimand in his words, and she felt contrite. She should have mentioned the tickets when she’d first seen him.

  “I’m sorry. I had planned to go to the game, but I ended up having to stay late at work that night, so I gave the tickets to my brother and my nephew.”

  “So that’s who the bearded guy was,” he said, a grin spreading across his face. “I should have noticed the family resemblance.”

  “You didn’t think Ryan was a boyfriend, did you?” When he didn’t deny it, she said, “I told you I’m not seeing anyone right now.”

  “Yeah, I know, and I’m really glad, because I’m not seeing anybody right now, either. Well, anyone but you,” he amended.

  Dena wanted to believe that what he said was true.

  WHEN QUINN PULLED INTO the alley behind 14 Valentine Place, Dena assumed he planned for the two of them to return to Leonie’s party. Judging by the number of cars lining the street, it was still going strong.

  When she would have walked around to the front of the house, he stopped her. “Let’s use the back entrance.”

  “I thought you wanted to go back to the party.”

  “What gave you that idea?”

  “You said we were going to get something warm to drink.”

  “We are, but on the third floor, not the first,” he said with a sexy grin.

  So he was inviting her up to his place. Excitement stirred inside her.

  At the foot of the stairs he paused. “If you’d rather go back to the party, we can do that.”

  In other words, if she wasn’t ready to take their relationship to the next level, he understood. “No, I’d rather go to your place,” she told him.

  When they reached the third floor, he unlocked the door and pulled her inside. “Welcome to my world, Dena.”

  Unlike the apartments on the second floor, Quinn’s had its own bath and a small efficiency-size kitchen. There were actually four rooms, although the wall separating the living room from the kitchen was four feet high. He helped her out of her coat, hanging it next to his on a hook near the entry.

  “This is nice,” she said, looking around the apartment. “I didn’t realize there was so much room up here.”

  “More than enough for me.” He stepped into the small kitchen area. “You like hot chocolate?”

  It wasn’t what she’d expected him to offer her, thinking more along the lines of brandy or a coffee with Irish Creme. “That sounds good.”

  “Make yourself at home.” He gestured for her to move into the living area, where one whole wall was an entertainment center that housed a projection TV as well as several other pieces of electronic equipment. Resting on the coffee table in front of the leather couch were five remote controls. The only other piece of furniture to sit on was a big leather chair in the shape of a baseball mitt.

  She looked around, expecting to see trophies or awards representing his accomplishments as a hockey player. There weren’t any and she couldn’t resist asking,

  “How come you don’t have any trophies?”

  “I’ve got a couple in my bedroom, but most of my awards are at my mom’s. I thought when my dad retired and they moved into their condo that she’d finally get rid of the stuff that had been in my old room, but she didn’t. Instead, she’s got this shrine…or at least it feels like a shrine. You know, the pictures, the trophies…all that stuff,” he told her from across the counter separating them.

  “I’m sure she’s proud of your accomplishments. Are these pictures of your family?” she asked, noticing a row of frames on one of the shelves of the bookcase.

  “Yeah, those are the Sterlings. Do you see the family resemblance?”

  “Yes, most definitely.” She studied the photos. “You have three sisters?”

  “Yup. Another reason why I spent so much time at the Donovans’. It was like hormone city at my house.”

  When he finally joined her, she had taken a seat on the leather sofa. He handed her a mug, then sat down next to her. “Cheers.”

  She echoed his sentiments, raised her mug to his, then took a sip. The hot chocolate was topped with whipped cream and laced with alcohol. “Mmm. This is good. What is it?”

  “It’s called a Peppermint Patty. I’m surprised you haven’t had one by now. They’re everywhere in the Twin Cities during the winter.” He reached for one of the remotes on the glass-topped coffee table and pressed a button. As soon as the music began she recognized the voice. It was Chris Isaak.

  “I have this CD,” she said as the sensual love song drifted around them. “Actually, I have all of his CDs.”

  “Me, too.” His eyes gleamed with satisfaction. “So have you warmed up yet?”

  “Quite nicely, thank you.” She took another sip of the hot chocolate. “This helps.”

  “Your cheeks are still red.”

  “So are yours,” she said over the rim of her mug.

  “We were outside a long time. Some women I know would have whined about being in the cold for that length of time.”

  “What can I say? I’m a Midwestern girl at heart. All those years in Iowa must have made me hardy.”

  “You were a good sport.”

  “It was fun. I enjoyed it.” She wondered how many other women he’d taken skating in the moonlight. “Thank you for the skates.”

  “Every Midwestern girl should have a pair,” he said with a grin.

  “Even uncoordinated ones?”

  “You’re a very graceful woman, Dena. Just because you’re not athletic doesn’t mean you’re uncoordinated,” he said with a sincerity that, combined with the alcohol, made her feel all warm inside. “Every time I’m with you I discover something else I like about you.”

  “And what was tonight’s discovery? That I’ve got good antifreeze in my veins and can skate on the frozen tundra?”

  “No
, that you like being kissed in a snowbank.” The look in his eyes reminded her that he had liked it just as much as she had.

  She smiled lazily. “I have to admit, that was a first for me. Even though I grew up in Iowa, I never made out on the ground in the snow.”

  “So I introduced you to two things tonight,” he said, a touch of male pride in his voice.

  “Actually, three,” she said with a lift of her mug. She took another sip of the Peppermint Patty and licked her lips. “Is there a number four?”

  His answer was to set both of their mugs on the coffee table, then take her in his arms. The look in his eyes sent a shiver of awareness rippling through her. She knew what that look meant and wasn’t surprised when his mouth covered hers in a passionate kiss that had both of them breathing heavily by the time it was over.

  He pressed his forehead to hers, his breath warm on her face. “You taste so damn good.”

  “It’s the peppermint and chocolate,” she told him in a shaky voice.

  “No, it’s you,” he said, trailing kisses across her cheek and down her throat before coming back to capture her mouth once more.

  It had been a long time since Dena had been kissed so intimately by a man. Too long, she realized as she trembled with an unexpected yearning that should have warned her to pull back from his embrace.

  But she didn’t. She couldn’t. Because she loved the way she felt in his arms. He was all strength and hardness, yet incredibly tender with his touch. As their hands made their way inside each other’s clothes, she knew they were heading toward dangerous ground, yet an empty place inside her wouldn’t allow her to consider stopping.

  When he pulled his mouth from hers, he said in a husky voice, “Ever since I first saw you standing outside your door in those penguin pajamas, I’ve wanted you, Dena.”

  “I know,” she whispered against his lips.

  “I’m not a patient man,” he said in between kisses.

  “You were when you were helping me skate.”

  “This isn’t skating.” He stopped kissing her and gazed into her eyes.

  “No, it’s not. And I don’t need anyone to keep me from getting hurt.” Her voice was thick with emotion. “I can take care of myself.”

  “Are you sure?”

  He was giving her a chance to change her mind. She’d known from the start that his interest in her was a physical one. She just hadn’t expected that tonight would be the night he would want to show her. She’d always believed that becoming intimate with someone was a decision made after careful consideration.

  It was the way she’d done everything. With careful consideration. Think, Dena! Her father had said the words often enough that now she said them to herself on a regular basis.

  Well, tonight she didn’t want to think. She simply wanted to go with her feelings and follow her instincts, which at this very moment were telling her that she should be with Quinn. So she looked him straight in the eyes and said, “Yes, I’m sure.”

  He smiled then, that lazy, sexy grin that was even more potent when his eyes were dark with desire. Then he scooped her up into his arms and carried her into the bedroom.

  WHEN DENA AWOKE it was still dark. She was in an unfamiliar bed with a man who had become very familiar to her. At the memory, a rush of heat spread through her. For one brief moment she was tempted to snuggle close to him, to close her eyes and go back to sleep. But then her common sense overruled her emotions.

  She shouldn’t have listened to Quinn when he’d suggested she go to sleep in his arms. Spending the night had its drawbacks. She didn’t have a change of clothes or a toothbrush, and then there was the whole morning-after awkwardness. Although there really was no reason she should feel uncomfortable around Quinn in the light of day.

  On the contrary. After what had happened between them last night, there was no reason to feel any uneasiness with him. And she didn’t. Only that was the problem. It felt perfectly normal to be with him. It was almost as if she belonged with him—and that was what frightened her.

  She hadn’t been prepared for the intense feelings he would stir inside her. But then, her behavior, when it came to him, was not what she’d expected of herself. She hoped she hadn’t made a mistake becoming intimate with him.

  She waited for her eyes to adjust to the darkness, then quietly slid off the king-size bed, moving as carefully as she could so as not to disturb the sleeping man beside her.

  She bent to pick up her clothes from the floor and found only a pair of jeans. Her body warmed at the memory of how Quinn had peeled the straight-legged denims from her body, tossing them across the room with the same reckless abandon he’d shown the rest of her clothing. She got down on her hands and knees and crawled across the carpet in search of her blouse and other garments, then headed for the bathroom, waiting to turn on the light until she’d closed the door.

  She looked in the mirror and grimaced. Her hair looked as if a bird had been trying to nest in it. She remembered how Quinn’s fingers had played with it, grasping it in longing as they’d reached the heights of passion together. She shivered and quickly pulled on her clothes, trying not to notice her reflection. She didn’t want to see lips swollen from intimate caresses or eyes still smoldering with passion.

  She splashed cold water on her face, then looked again at her reflection. Nothing had changed. Staring back at her was a face that indicated she’d been made love to in a most thorough and intimate fashion. She couldn’t prevent the tiny smile that tipped the corner of her mouth.

  It had been very special for her, but what about for him? He’d used all sorts of superlatives while they’d been making love, and afterward he’d kissed her tenderly and made sure she knew he’d been satisfied. But she wondered if it truly was anything out of the ordinary for him. Maybe in the life of a hockey player, a night of passion such as the one they’d shared was as routine as a dinner date.

  Which was precisely why she needed to leave. It was the uncertainty of not knowing just what their lovemaking had meant to him. And the fear of discovering that maybe it hadn’t been as special for Quinn as it had been for her.

  So she left the bathroom as quietly as she’d entered, padded across the bedroom carpet and into the living area, feeling her way in the dark apartment until she found the door. With the same caution, she tapped the floor until she found her shoes, then her jacket.

  Carefully she turned the handle, pulled open the door and crept out into the hallway. Down the stairs she went, praying she wouldn’t run into Krystal on the second-floor landing. What she didn’t need was to be caught sneaking home from Quinn’s in the middle of the night.

  As soon as she was inside her apartment, she went straight for the bed. Because it was almost morning, she didn’t bother changing into her pajamas, but simply flopped down onto her mattress, pulling the comforter over her. As she closed her eyes and tried to get back to sleep, she was very much aware of the man she’d left sleeping upstairs, and wished she was still lying next to him.

  THE NEXT TIME DENA AWOKE it was to the sound of someone pounding on her door. Her first thought was that it was Quinn. She pushed aside the comforter and got up off the bed. With a quick peek in the mirror, she ran a brush through her tangled hair and went to see who it was. To her disappointment, it wasn’t Quinn, but Krystal.

  “Were you sleeping? I’m sorry,” her neighbor said, eyeing her wrinkled clothes curiously.

  Dena knew Krystal had noticed that she still had on the same outfit she’d worn to the party last night.

  “No, it’s all right. Come on in.” She motioned for her to step inside.

  “I can’t. I’m on my way out, but I need to ask a favor.”

  “Sure. What is it?”

  Krystal stared at her, distracted. Then she asked, “Were you out all night with Garret?”

  “No, I was not out all night with Garret,” she replied a bit impatiently.

  Her face brightened. “No, of course you weren’t.”

 
; “Is that what you wanted to ask me?”

  “No! A friend of mine offered to pick up a chair I bought at the furniture outlet. If you’re going to be home today, I was wondering if you would let him in? I’d ask Leonie, but she’s going to be gone all day.”

  “Sure, it’s not a problem.” Dena held out her hand and Krystal dropped the key into her palm. “Is there any particular place you want him to put it?”

  “He knows where it goes.” Which told Dena that the guy had already been in Krystal’s room.

  “What’s this man’s name?”

  “Oh, it’s Danny. He’s about medium build, blond. Cute.”

  “Krystal, I’d be surprised if one of your guy friends did not fit that description,” she said dryly.

  She giggled. “What can I say? I have a thing for cute guys.”

  “I noticed.”

  “So what did you think of Roy?” she asked, curiosity sparking in her eyes.

  “He’s hot—although you don’t need me to tell you that, do you?”

  She sighed. “No, but I wish he was more dependable. We’ve dated on and off for five years, but it’s been more off than on.”

  “I take it that after last night it’s on again?”

  “He’d like it to be. If he had said that a year ago, I would have been over the moon, but now…I’m not sure.” She sighed. “It would be much easier if he wasn’t so darn cute.”

  To Dena he didn’t look as irresistible, but she didn’t say that.

  “You didn’t mind that he and I hooked up last night, did you?” Krystal asked.

  “No, not at all,” she answered honestly.

  “Good, because I wasn’t planning to abandon you, but when I saw you go off with Garret I figured you wouldn’t mind if I left with Roy.” She eyed Dena curiously. “By the way, where did the two of you go?”

  “Just into Leonie’s office. We were looking for a quiet place. He doesn’t like parties any more than I do,” Dena replied.

  “I know. And what did you think of Leonie’s son the doctor?”

  “I liked him. He’s a very interesting guy. We had a good conversation.”

  “He talked?” She looked surprised.