“Ria keeps me on my toes.” She sounded as breathless as he felt.
As he stroked her cheekbone, he moved in closer. The last time he’d kissed her with sudden hunger, searching for immediate satisfaction. But here, with her now, knowing some of her background, he realized more was at stake than momentary gratification. Bending to her, he touched her lips with his in a kiss filled with a gentleness of which he’d never known he was capable. Alicia stood perfectly still when he pressed his mouth against hers, then moved back and forth slowly in a brushing caress.
Restraining the surge of need that rushed through him, calling on the self-discipline he’d honed through adulthood, he backed away and fought the urge to draw her tight into his arms.
She looked a bit dazed.
He felt dazed, too. He’d never realized gentleness could be erotic. So erotic, he’d better leave now. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She nodded.
He remembered the stars in her blue eyes all the way to the hotel. As he undressed for bed, he could only think of their next kiss, of discovering more of everything about Alicia Fallon.
When Alicia awakened the next morning, she knew something was different. The sky had fallen in with Jon’s kiss. This one hadn’t even been a “real” kiss and it had heated her and shaken her for the rest of the evening. When he’d said good-night, his voice had been husky. Had the kiss shaken him, too?
Probably not. Not a man of his experience.
Alicia couldn’t put Jon or the kiss out of her thoughts as she dressed, looked in on Emily who was still sleeping and went downstairs. Mixing pancake batter, she realized her guard had slipped last night, and she didn’t know if that was good or bad. Jon’s powerful masculinity still scared her. So did his determination and confidence.
The phone rang and her heart did a hopeful little flip. But it wasn’t Jon. It was a crisis.
At noon Jon rang Alicia’s office doorbell. He told himself he just wanted to tell her he would pick up Chinese or something for dinner. He’d tried to call, but he couldn’t get through. Besides, he didn’t want to wait until tonight to see her again. He’d called himself an idiot at least ten times for giving in to the impulse to drop by, but impulses had paid off in the past in business. Maybe it was time he should be more impulsive in his personal life.
Trying the door, he found it open. He walked in and saw an office that was not as organized as the last time he’d seen it. The computer blinked at him. Copies of some kind of design lay in disarray across the desk. Half a glass of milk sat on top of the papers, precariously close to the edge.
He went to the bottom of the steps and heard clattering and the hum of Alicia’s voice. “Alicia?” he called, not wanting to startle her by suddenly appearing.
“Up here,” she called back.
He climbed the steps, stopping at the top at the sight that greeted him. Alicia held the phone hugged between her ear and shoulder while she tried to cut a sandwich in half. The counter was littered with pancakes on a plate, batter in a bowl and an open carton of milk. All of it looked like the remains from breakfast because she had packages of ham and cheese in front of her now. Dirty dishes tilted over in the sink.
Emily sat at the table with a coloring book. She glanced up at Jon. “Mommy’s busy.”
“Busy” didn’t quite cut it, and he wondered what had happened. He openly listened to Alicia’s phone conversation. “I’ll try to have a couple of designs ready, though it might be late.” She stopped for a moment to listen. “All right. I’ll finish them by tonight and fax them to your home. You choose the one you want and then call me. I have to get your choice into the computer and then shoot it. Doug said he’ll be on stand-by for tomorrow and can probably fit in the business cards and pamphlets late in the day. We should have them for Friday.”
She dropped the knife in the sink and reached for the cupboard that held glasses. “I’ll call you first thing in the morning to tell you for sure.” She listened for another moment, said, “I’ll try,” and hung up.
Seeing Jon, she blew out a breath and put Emily’s sandwich on the table in front of her. Alicia’s gaze hadn’t quite met his, and he wondered if she felt shy because of their good-night kiss the evening before.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, intuitively knowing Alicia would never have let him see her or her house in this condition if she’d had a choice.
“Jon, I don’t want to be rude, but my day is totally out of hand. If you came to visit—”
“I came to ask you what I should bring for dinner.”
That made her pause for a moment. “I’m probably not going to have time for dinner. I haven’t had a chance yet to call Ria and see if she’ll take Emily somewhere. With my luck today, she’ll be working late.” She poured Emily a glass of milk and set it on the table. The next minute she’d ducked into the refrigerator and searched the shelves. Finding a plastic bag filled with carrots and celery, she set it beside her daughter’s plate.
He leaned against the counter. “So why won’t you have time for dinner? I thought you were caught up.”
“Because I designed a logo for a new sports supplies store. I used a football and baseball and basketball because that’s what the owner wanted. He just found out another company has a similar logo. He wants a new one.”
Jon knew the intricacies of dealing with everyone from advertisers to CEO’s. “Is that a problem?”
Her hands fluttered before she picked up the strips of cheese on the cutting board and set them on Emily’s plate. “It wouldn’t be. But the store opens Friday and he needs the business cards and brochures to hand out. I have to redo everything.”
“I hope he’s paying you well for this.”
“At this point, money’s not the problem. I’m afraid my muse won’t work well on a time limit. What if I can’t produce something he likes?”
“You know you can,” Jon said quietly, taking a long look at her disarrayed hair she’d brushed off her forehead, her jeans and faded blue T-shirt with Hershey-park emblazoned on the front. She was sexy as hell when ruffled.
Shoving the milk into the refrigerator, she closed the door with her elbow. “Jon, it’s not that simple. I need to concentrate. I’ve been at it for the past two hours and I don’t like anything I’ve done. It’s not unique enough. And this time, unique is what he wants.”
“Are there any playgrounds around here?”
She looked as if she couldn’t possibly have heard him correctly. “Playgrounds?”
He pushed away from the counter. “Yeah. After Emily finishes lunch, she and I could go swing and slide.” He winked at the little girl. “Playground equipment should be able to hold me.”
“Oh, Mommy, can I go?” Mayonnaise on her upper lip, she swiveled around to Jon. “Can we ride on the seesaw, too?”
“If they have one.”
“I can’t ask you to—”
“Spend some time with my…with Emily?” Jon asked her, catching himself. “It’s a beautiful day out there. We’ll have a blast. And that way, you can work uninterrupted.”
Alicia bit her lower lip. Jon had noticed it was a mannerism she used whenever she was undecided.
Emily hopped off her chair and went to her mother. “I promise if we have broccoli tonight, I’ll eat all of it.”
Alicia laughed and stooped down to hug her daughter. “All right. A couple of hours would really help. And if Ria can come over later—”
“I can take Emily somewhere for supper or bring something in. Don’t bother Ria.”
Alicia straightened. “I don’t want to take advantage of you.”
“I want to do this, Alicia. I was going to be here working on the playhouse anyway.”
Emily ran back to the table and stuffed the last corner of her sandwich into her mouth and took a swallow of milk. “I’m ready. Can we go now?”
Alicia seemed to list the pros and cons in her mind. He knew he was the one taking advantage of the situation, and she knew it, too. But s
he must have decided in his favor because she asked Emily, “Can you show J…Mr. Wescott how to get there?”
“Sure.” She grabbed his hand. “Let’s go out the front door. It’s closer.”
He shrugged. “That settles it. We’ll be back sometime.” He added, “And don’t worry. I’ll take good care of her.” Alicia’s worried frown made him realize she still didn’t trust him with Emily. He’d prove she could.
At first, Alicia checked her watch every ten minutes. Finally she told herself she had to relax and give Jon time with Emily if they were going to form a bond. It was that bond that scared Alicia most of all.
An hour or so later, she heard the front door open and Jon call down the steps, “We’re back.” She sagged with relief and could concentrate on her work with her full attention. After she finished the first design, she went upstairs to find Emily. She was outside with Jon, watching him as he fitted the last section of paneling in the playhouse.
Alicia hugged her daughter and held her tight. “How was the playground?”
Emily squirmed out of her hold. “Fun. Mr. Wescott slid down the sliding board!”
“Oh, he did?”
“Yep. And he got stuck. I had to go up to the top and push him. We slid down together.”
Jon ducked out of the playhouse, bare-chested. Alicia’s gaze went directly to the strip of black hair down the middle. It looked so soft, his skin so bronze and taut…
“Apparently I was the first one down the sliding board today.” He turned around and tried to brush off his backside where two dusty streaks on his navy slacks made her more aware of him than ever. His broad back was as intriguing as his chest. Drops of perspiration gleamed on his spine.
As she followed it up to his dark head, her gaze collided into his. “I, uh…see.” Amusement sparked in his green eyes as he turned to face her, and she tried to control the rush of blood to her cheeks. “Are you making progress?” he asked.
She cleared her throat, feeling hot and bothered and not wanting him to know. “Yes. Yes, I am,” she repeated with more certainty. “I’ll soon be ready to start the second design.”
“Two? And he picks one? Isn’t that extra work?”
“If I’d done that the first time, this wouldn’t have happened. Or at least if it had, I would have had another to fall back on. No work is ever wasted. I’ll be able to use the design he doesn’t choose for something else eventually.”
“You’re a perfectionist.”
“I take pride in my work.” She still tried to do everything to the best of her ability. It was an old habit formed so her father wouldn’t criticize her.
“So do I. Come here a minute.” He waved her into the playhouse.
Jon had finished paneling the last corner and it looked like a professional job. “It looks fantastic. You’ll be done in no time.”
His shoulder brushed her arm as he stooped to pick up his shirt hanging over the open window. His hot skin touching hers jolted her; she was rooted to the spot. When he straightened, he stared at her for a moment, his gaze going to her mouth. His regard made her break out in goose bumps and she nervously brushed her hair behind her ear.
“I’d better get back in,” she murmured, still unable to move.
He reached out and skimmed his thumb over her lips. She shivered, though she was anything but cold. She could smell him, feel him, and heavens, she wanted to taste him. What was wrong with her?
“I still have the molding to attach,” he said, a raspy inflection edging his words. “Do you mind if I take Emily with me to the lumberyard?”
She concentrated on the question rather than the current zipping between them. “As long as you keep a close watch on her.”
“You know I will.”
Suddenly she did know he would. Emily was becoming as important to him as she already was to Alicia. Yet the thought also scared her as well as comforted her. Out in the sunshine again, she took in a deep breath. Spring. Warm, balmy and waiting. Waiting for what?
Jon ducked out after her and pulled his shirt over his head. “We won’t be long.”
His arms were so long; his legs were so long. He was too much man for her to deal with right now. She went over to her daughter on the swing, kissed her on her forehead and explained what a lumberyard was, directing her to stay close to Mr. Wescott. With a grin as wide as her face, Emily agreed, looking as if she was poised on the verge of a new adventure.
Alicia suddenly realized it wasn’t only her daughter who felt that way.
Chapter Five
Alicia smelled something. Something good. Her nose twitched as she sat at her desk and finished scanning the first design into the computer. The aroma made her stomach grumble. Taking her pencil in hand, she reminded herself that she didn’t have time to think about food. But then the door opened at the top of the steps, causing the smell to become more potent, and her stomach grumbled again.
Jon carried a plate and a glass of water down the steps. “Supper is served, madam,” he said in a butler’s voice as he set the plate in front of her.
“Steak? Jon, what did you do? Emily doesn’t even like steak.”
“Do you?” he asked, towering over her.
“Of course, I do but—”
“Then enjoy it. Emily’s got her hands on a hamburger she can’t get into her mouth.” He grinned. “Someone will have to teach her steak is far superior to burgers.”
Alicia laughed. “She’ll never accept that.”
Jon took a rolled napkin from his pants pocket and handed it to her. “Silverware. Corn on the cob is cooling. By the time you finish this, it’ll be ready. Butter and salt?”
She felt overwhelmed and answered automatically, “Just butter. But, Jon…”
He pointed to her plate. “Eat. We’ll save dessert for when you’re finished for the night.”
She took in a breath and took in him—male and sun and hard work. “Dessert?”
“We stopped at the bakery. Emily said you like lemon meringue pie as much as she does.”
Alicia sighed and shook her head. “Are you spoiling her?”
He grinned, looking roguish and amused. “I hope so. Don’t you like lemon meringue pie?”
Trying to keep her distance, Alicia said, “I thought bachelors didn’t know how to cook.”
“That’s a misconception. If I ate out every night, I’d have constant indigestion. I like good plain food and I can cook that.”
A small but loud voice came down the steps. “Mr. Wescott, Mr. Wescott, I’m ready for corn now.”
Alicia started to rise to her feet. “She can get demanding if you let her. I’d better talk to her.”
Settling his hand on her shoulder, he gently kept her in her chair. “She’s testing her boundaries. Give her some latitude. You work. And don’t worry. We’ll be fine.”
That reassurance bothered Alicia more than it comforted her. “I’ll be up to put her to bed.”
He gave her a long, probing look. “All right. We’re going outside after supper to work on the playhouse. I’ll let you know when we come in.” He turned to walk away.
Reflexively she caught his arm. Her fingers pressed into his warm tan flesh and his hair tickled her.
Surprise registered on his face.
Quickly releasing him, she felt a warm flush heat her cheeks. “Thank you. I really appreciate this.”
“It’s my pleasure. By the way, six boxes were delivered by someone named Butch. He said the folding machine broke down again and can’t be fixed till the end of the week.”
Glancing down at her desk calendar, she saw her notation. “Shoot. I forgot Doug was sending those fliers over today. And now I’ll have to fold them.” She closed her eyes for a moment. “I’ll deal with them in the morning…or afternoon.”
“When do they have to be ready?”
Almost smiling at the purpose in his voice, she imagined he managed his business dealings with a tight rein and expectation that kept his employees scurrying. “Day a
fter tomorrow.”
The silence between them made Alicia more aware of the fact that his pants leg grazed her leg, and that he was still close enough to touch. His green eyes seemed to be trying to capture everything about her.
Finally Jon waved to Alicia’s plate. “You’d better get started. Steak’s much better hot than cold. I’ll bring down the corn after Emily finishes.”
Alicia watched him as he climbed the stairs. It had been a long time since anyone had taken care of her, had thought about her needs. Even though she and Ria depended on each other, especially for moral support, they’d both learned at a young age to be independent. Neither of them wanted to end up like their mother.
Alicia cut her steak and saw that it had been grilled medium-well, the way she liked it. She took a bite and swallowed, unable to wipe Jon’s grin from her memory.
She went upstairs when she heard the screen door slam around eight-thirty. As Jon put his tools and supplies in the garage, she helped Emily wash up and get dressed for bed. Her daughter related everything she’d done that day, and everything Jon had accomplished.
He peeked in to say good-night while Alicia was reading Emily a story. Emily mumbled a sleepy good-night with her eyelids half closed.
Jon smiled. “So her energy is limited.”
“Did she tire you out?” Alicia teased.
He leaned against the doorjamb. “More than a day at the office. But I’ll get used to it. Do you mind if I take a shower?”
Jon naked in her bathroom. Alicia suddenly had a vivid picture she quickly banished. “You don’t have to stay,” she said, wishing he would, yet not sure she wanted to handle the situation that might arise if he did.
Crossing one ankle over the other, he shrugged. “We can have dessert together when you’re finished working. You’ve been at it all day. You need some time to unwind. Unless you’d rather do it alone.”
She could send him away. She could at least put his disturbing presence out of her life for tonight. But he was right. It would be good to unwind with someone, to relax over a cup of decaf. “If you don’t mind staying, that would be nice. I’ll get you a towel in a few minutes.”
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