The hot water ran in rivulets over her breasts. God, she did. It had been a very long time since she’d felt like this. The bigger question was, would she let something happen? Because they barely knew each other. Attraction, desire … were all well and good. But it felt weird, knowing that the mystery man she’d been fantasizing about was flesh and blood, in her house, and unless her radar was way off, interested in her. Despite the fact that she looked like death warmed over this morning.
“Oh, stop analyzing and get out of the shower already,” she muttered to herself, shutting off the spray. There was no rush for anything. They could totally take it one step at a time. Get to know each other better. She did have some self-control, after all.
The air in the bathroom was still cold and she hurried to dry herself and get into her clothes. It would take too long to blow-dry her hair, so she simply squeezed out the water with a towel, brushed it, and held it back off her face with a thin black headband. She smoothed on some moisturizer, swiped a bit of lip balm over her lips, and decided that was enough—she didn’t want to appear too obvious.
She pressed a hand to her stomach, took a deep breath, and opened the bathroom door.
The cottage was already warming up, thanks to the thermostat and the fire she could hear crackling behind the grate. Entering the living room, she saw Dave squatting before the fireplace, adding some small sticks to the dancing flames. She hadn’t actually had a man back to her place since moving to Jewell Cove. Her little living room was changed just by having him in it. It felt smaller. More alive. Over by the sofa, the baby slept on, his head at a slight angle, one of Charlie’s throw blankets draped over him.
“You’re very good at building a fire,” she said quietly from the doorway.
He looked over his shoulder. “I could claim it was my military training, but the truth is, I was in the outdoors a lot as a kid. My dad’s a fisherman on the Chesapeake.”
She went to his side and squatted too, holding her hands out to the warmth of the fire. “Is that where you learned to fix boats?”
He nodded. “Yep.”
“But you didn’t go back there when you left the army?”
“I did for a while.” He threw two thicker logs on the fire and closed the screen.
Talk about basic answers. Charlie frowned. “And then you moved here to be closer to your daughter?”
He rested his forearms on his knees. “Yes. I did my time, but it’s so hard to be a SEAL and a dad at the same time. George Adams is actually an old friend of my dad’s. He offered me a job, and that lets me support myself and be close to her.”
Charlie was curious about how his ex fit into all of this, but didn’t want to ask. Instead she focused on his daughter, who he clearly doted on. “What’s her name?”
“Nora. Nora Emily Christensen.”
Christensen. Not Ricker. Bit by bit Charlie was beginning to realize that the situation between Dave and his ex was complicated.
“That’s a beautiful name,” Charlie replied, standing up. “Now, the fire’s going, I’m warmed up, and I promised you good coffee.”
She left him in front of the fire and went to the kitchen to put on the kettle. While it was heating she got out coffee beans, her grinder, press, and frother. She put the remaining pastries on a pretty plate and ground the beans, and then when the water boiled, she warmed the press and mugs and put the milk in the microwave to heat.
It was a slightly more finicky process than using a regular coffeemaker, but it was worth it, in Charlie’s opinion. Within a few minutes she had freshly pressed coffee with a rich swirl of frothed milk added. She put both cups and the pastries on a small tray and carried it all into the living room.
Dave was still sitting on the floor in front of the fire, staring at the flames.
“Hey,” she said, putting the tray down on a small coffee table. “You don’t have to sit on the floor, you know.”
He looked over at her and smiled, some of the tension gone from his face. “Just watching the fire. You’ve got a nice place here, Charlie. It suits you.”
She liked the light colors—white, with bits of creamy beige and blue and greens. It reminded her of the ocean and sand, very soothing and relaxing. “Thanks. It’s the first place I’ve ever decorated myself, for myself.” She’d liked the cottage so much that after her first six months of renting, she’d bought it from the owner.
He laughed. “I’m not much of a decorator. Then again, I didn’t need to be. The Navy had it covered. And now I’m renting, which suits me fine.”
“Have some coffee while it’s hot,” she suggested. She nearly sat on the sofa but decided the rug in front of the fire was fine for her too. She sat, cross-legged, handed Dave his mug, and grabbed her own, then put the plate of pastries between them.
“This is good,” he complimented, taking a sip. “Damn. Really good.”
“Fresh beans and a press. Makes all the difference,” she replied, taking a sip of her own. She reached for a pain au chocolat and a paper napkin. The flaky pastry sent wisps of crumbs flying at her first bite, but she didn’t care. Butter and chocolate together was heavenly.
Dave snagged a sugared doughnut from the assortment and bit into it. For a few minutes they munched happily, in comfortable silence. What was amazing was that they didn’t feel the need to make small talk or break the stillness.
Her coffee was half gone when Dave finally restarted the conversation. “So,” he said, wiping his sugary fingers on a napkin, “you know a bit about me. How about you? Where did you grow up? Why did you become a doctor?”
The buttery croissant went papery in her mouth. She didn’t like talking about herself much. “Oh, my story’s pretty boring.”
“I doubt that. Especially since you’re avoiding the topic.” He leaned back on his hands. It made his shoulders look incredibly muscled, she noticed.
“Okay, so here’s the short version. I grew up in Boston. My mother teaches at the Berklee College of Music and my father works in clinical research for a pharmaceutical company. My dad is second-generation Chinese, and my mom’s family probably came over on the Mayflower.” She rolled her eyes at him and continued on. “They have very busy careers and very high expectations of their one and only child.”
“So you became a doctor.”
“Sure. After several years of violin and piano lessons, courtesy of my mother, and a lot of pressure to major in biochem.” She let out a breath. “There were good points to that too, though. They were so busy with their own careers and social lives that I stayed under the radar quite often. And I did want to become a doctor.” Eventually, anyway. Lucky for her. She couldn’t imagine what might have happened if she’d hated medicine.
He looked at her steadily. “It sounds lonely.”
Her heart gave a little thump. “It was, actually. And I know they’re disappointed that I’m a family doctor in a small town and not doing important research like my dad or being a top trauma doctor like my best friend, Lizzie. But I’m happy with my choices. I like my job and I like it here.”
And maybe she was still lonely at times. But she’d work on it. After all, she’d taken the step of volunteering for the church Christmas decorating, and look what had come from that. Sunday morning coffee and sweets in front of a fire with a gorgeous man. Progress.
She smiled to herself.
“What’s so funny?”
“If I told you, you’d get a big fat head, so never mind.” She pushed away the plate, her sweet tooth finally satisfied. “You make me laugh, Dave, and that’s kind of nice.”
He put down his coffee cup, then took hers and put it down too, on the brick hearth in front of the fireplace. Her pulse hammered frantically, beating at the base of her wrists. It was the kind of move she expected a person made before they made a bigger move. When he turned back to her, she swallowed thickly, nervous and excited all at once.
He put his hands on the sides of her thighs and pulled her forward, so she was sitting besi
de him but facing him, close enough that she could see gold-and-chocolate flecks in his dark eyes. Her breath shortened, her chest cramped as he lifted his hand and cupped her jaw. His thumb grazed the corner of her mouth and her breath stopped altogether. He removed his hand and put his thumb to his lips, tasting the buttery crumb he’d taken from her mouth.
Oh my.
Charlie was certain her eyes widened as he leaned closer, taking his time, making sure. Half of her was a jittery mess of nerves and the other half wished he’d hurry the hell up already, but she made herself be patient. To wait, to let him take the lead. If things hadn’t gone hinky last night, this was where they might have ended up, after all.
He closed the final distance between them and her eyelids drifted closed as his mouth touched hers for the first time.
His lips were soft, warm, and tasted like coffee and nutmeg and something that was just him. He nudged subtly, prompting her to deepen the kiss, and she did, somewhat shyly but enjoying the slow sweetness of it. One of his hands reached around to cup the back of her head, controlling the contact in a way she wholly approved of. She liked how he took charge of the kiss without forcing anything. Hesitantly she reached out and placed her palm on his chest in silent approval.
“Mmm,” he murmured against her lips, the vibration of the sound sending ripples of desire through her. “You’re good at that, Charlie.”
“So are you,” she replied, a little bit breathless.
“Should we try it again?” he asked.
There was no way she could say no. The combination of suggestion and teasing was impossible to resist.
This time she leaned forward and slid into the kiss, hungering for more. She put her hands on his shoulders and shifted until she was sitting across his lap, her fingers sliding through his hair as the contact deepened and quickened with urgency.
Chapter Five
God, she was sweet, soft and pliant beneath his hands.
Dave forced himself to go slowly, even though his blood was raging and his desire for her was burning hot. There was something about Charlie that was fragile. Something that made him want to take his time. For the first time in years, he worried about being careful with a woman.
She was so beautiful today, so approachable in her soft yoga pants and fleecy hoodie. Testing, he slid his hand beneath the waistband of the sweatshirt and touched the silky skin of her belly, gliding upward until he encountered the satin fabric of her bra. He cupped her small breast in his hand, the point of it pressing against his palm and he reminded himself to not hurry. Even if he did want to. Desperately.
Instead he focused on kissing her, thoroughly, until his mind was clouded with only her.
“We probably shouldn’t do this,” she murmured.
“I know,” he answered, closing his eyes and letting the sensations fill him completely. He kissed her again. She tasted so good. Like rich butter and smooth chocolate and woman.
Panting, she broke the kiss and leaned away a little. “I need to stop.”
He did as she asked, even though it damn near killed him. He pulled the hoodie back down and rested his forehead on her shoulder, working on regaining his senses.
Her breath came hard and fast. That and the crackling of the fire were the only sounds in the room for several seconds.
“Wow,” she finally breathed. He took it as a good sign she didn’t pull away from him. Their legs were still entangled on the rug, though their hands and clothing were all in the right places.
“Wow is right. That’s some good coffee, missus.”
She giggled, and he loved it. It had been too long since he’d made a woman laugh, and the sound warmed him from the inside out.
“I don’t know if it was the caffeine, the sugar rush, or just you,” she said softly. Her hand stroked at his hair and he kept his eyes closed, loving the feel of it. “But that was … unexpected.”
“Not for me,” he admitted. “I’ve wanted to do that since you nearly threw that doll at me the other day.”
She did slide away then, sitting all the way up. He rested his elbows on his knees and grinned up at her surprised face.
“You did?” she asked.
“Do you honestly think I would have gone to that caroling nonsense otherwise?”
The look on her face was priceless. She looked so … pleased with herself. Dave had the sneaking suspicion she had no idea how attractive she was right at this moment. Even in an oversized hoodie with her lip gloss thoroughly kissed off. Especially then.
“You are very good for my self-esteem,” she admitted.
“And you’re good for my self-control,” he replied, and then chuckled. “Don’t mind me if I don’t thank you for it.”
She tugged at the hem of her hoodie. “I, uh … help me out here. Is there a way to transition from this gracefully?”
And then he laughed. He couldn’t help it. Neither one of them was particularly smooth, were they? And he liked that about her. A lot. She seemed incapable of playing games. That was damned refreshing.
“I’m no good at this either,” he admitted. “It’s probably really bad form to talk about exes at this particular moment, but it’s been a while since I had to navigate…” He paused, scrambling for the right word. “Dating,” he finished, not sure if that was the right choice or not, but relationships seemed premature.
“You guys were together a long time?”
“Not too long. We were friends.” He felt his cheeks heat. “Friends with, uh … well, anyway, Nora was a surprise. I haven’t dated much since then. I was away, then figuring out what was next, and being a dad…” He raised an eyebrow. “You?”
She laughed. “Are you kidding? I had med school and then crazy, crazy hours. Hard on relationships.”
“And there’s been no one here in Jewell Cove? I find that hard to believe.”
She shrugged. “It’s a small town. There’s not always a huge selection on the dating market. And then there’s the fact that everyone is a potential patient. Awkward…”
She looked at him earnestly. “I spent most of my childhood studying or practicing violin. I had friends, sure, but social skills didn’t come naturally to me. I swear, if it wasn’t for my college roommate, I’d be a hermit.”
“You’re no hermit,” he confirmed, and he slid over closer to her. “Hermits are old and wrinkly and hairy.”
“I think you’re confusing them with trolls.”
He laughed, then kissed her quickly. “Maybe.”
“So if I make a confession, you won’t laugh at me?”
“Cross my heart.” He made the motion across his chest and she smiled sweetly.
“I’m not good at the fling thing. I’m more of a slow mover. Just so you know…”
“Hey,” he offered gently, realizing that the more he got to know her, the more he liked her. “We only just met. There’s no hurry. Besides, last night was the most unusual first date I’ve ever had. There’s something different about you, Charlie.”
“Um, is that a good thing or a bad thing?”
It took all his willpower not to kiss her again. “I like being with you,” he said. “And I’d like to see you again. Let’s start there.”
“Like living in the moment? Keeping it simple?”
“Yeah. Like that.” He halted, considered before he spoke again. “I’m not really the jump-in-headfirst kind of guy when it comes to relationships either.”
She looked up and her lips curved the slightest bit. “I wouldn’t be opposed to getting to know you a little better too.”
The attraction hummed between them again and Dave considered whether or not he wanted to start over … or pick up where they’d left off. He looked over his shoulder, saw the baby still sleeping, and debated. Finally he decided to wait. Charlie needed to nap when she could, and he shouldn’t get in the way of that. “I should probably go,” he decided. “You really do need some sleep. I’ll call you?”
“I’d like that.”
She
walked him to the door and waited while he shoved on his boots and put on his jacket. “Drive safe,” she advised, and he nodded.
“I’m only a couple more miles up the road. But I will. Don’t worry.”
“And thanks for the drive home.”
“You’re welcome.”
There was an awkward pause where he had his hand on the doorknob, not quite out the door, but almost. He wanted to kiss her. Finally he leaned in a bit and dropped a small kiss on her lips. Not too much. Just enough to let her know that he was interested.
“I’ll call you,” he repeated, and went out the door into the snow and ice.
* * *
Charlie was already at work the next morning when her cell phone vibrated with a new text. Her heart gave a little thump when she saw the short message.
It’s Dave. Do you need a lift to pick up your car? I can pick you up on my way to work.
She’d deliberately set the alarm for a half hour earlier than normal and called one of the two taxis that Jewell Cove offered. With the added time required to get the baby ready, the last thing she wanted was to be late to work. She knew everything would take her longer and was still trying to figure out how she was going to manage appointments. By seven fifteen she’d been on her way to the waterfront where she’d warmed up her car and scraped the ice and snow from the windows, and by seven thirty she was in her office tackling her e-mail as best she could.
She’d had a lot of time to think since yesterday morning and had decided to take a step back from whatever had been developing between her and Dave. Looking back at the last few days, she realized she’d been dealing with two different situations, neither of which was conducive to clear thinking. First, there’d been the whole fantasy-in-the-flesh thing when he’d shown up at the church and then at the tree lighting. She’d been, as Thumper said in Bambi, “twitterpated.”
And then there was the whole baby-in-the-manger thing. It had been an extreme situation, and at the end of it she’d been exhausted.
She put down her coffee and quickly tapped a reply.
I’m already here. But thanks for the offer. I appreciate it.
It Must Be Christmas Page 12