“Ok, then. What’s new with you, sweetie?”
Kelly hesitated for a moment. She could tell her mom some benign stories about work, or she could fill her in on Damian. There was no contest! “I’m dating someone,” she blurted.
“Well, that’s not really new…”
“No, Mom. I meant that I’m dating someone special.”
“Oh. Then tell me all about him.”
Kelly gave her mom a summary, purposefully omitting certain details, and ended with, “I think that you and Dad would really like him.”
She should have known that her mom would jump all over that one, and sure enough, Maria said, “Well, then why don’t you bring him down for Thanksgiving.”
“Um… I don’t know, Mom. I’ll think about it.”
“Whatever you decide. Just let us know.”
They talked for a little while longer, and then Kelly spoke to her dad for a few minutes too. When she hung up, she thought more about asking Damian to join her in Florida for Thanksgiving. True, she had already been around his parents plenty of times, but initially it was because of Emma and Zack. If Kelly asked Damian to go with her to Florida, he might get spooked. He might feel like that was too serious a step, or even worse, it might remind him of his broken engagement. Surely, he had formed ties with his fiancée’s family, but where were they now? Kelly was still contemplating the idea when the store phone rang, and she saw Emma’s name on the display.
“Hey, Em.”
“Hey. How’s business today?”
“Dead, as expected.”
“That’s what I figured. Why don’t you close up, and take the rest of the day off.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I feel bad about you sitting there when it’s such a beautiful day outside. You should be out enjoying it along with a certain handsome Greek man.”
“Too bad Zack is taken,” Kelly teased.
“I was talking about the other one!”
“Unfortunately, he had to work today too.”
“Well, why don’t you stop by his shop and surprise him? Maybe you can convince him to kick off early too.”
“Now that’s an excellent idea.”
“I’m full of them.”
“You’re full of something!”
“Hey! Maybe I should rethink giving you the afternoon off.”
“Don’t you dare. I’m outta here. See you tomorrow at the barbecue.” Kelly hung up the phone without saying goodbye. She had a tall, hunky Greek man to go see, and she couldn’t close the store fast enough!
A short time later, armed with bags of sandwiches, chips, and sodas from Rudy’s Market, Kelly entered Damian’s shop. The front door was propped open, so the bell didn’t ring to announce her arrival. Kelly set the bags down on the front desk and peeked her head into the shop itself. A radio blasted out Def Leopard’s “Pour Some Sugar on Me” while Kelly peered around for Damian.
A slight movement caught her eye, and there, sticking out from underneath a bright orange 1969 Pontiac GTO, were Damian’s scuffed work boots. Kelly smiled at the sight of them, and just as the song ended, she called out, “Anybody home?”
Damian rolled himself out from underneath the car and sat up on the creeper. Even though his face and clothes were smeared with grease and his hair was rumpled from lying down, he looked absolutely delicious. His grin said that he was happy to see her too, and she felt the air crackle around them.
“Hey. Didn’t expect to see you here.”
“The store was dead, so Emma let me close early. I brought lunch.”
“Awesome. Let me wash up, and I’ll join you in the office.”
Kelly returned to the office area and set up a makeshift picnic with the food and drinks. It didn’t have quite the same ambience as a picnic in the park or on a beach, but there was something romantic about it all the same. It was them, she decided when Damian strolled into the space. Their chemistry is what made any place electric.
“Wow, Kell. This is great. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until now.”
“Well, dig in. I got you a Reuben, because I remembered that you liked it before…”
Damian shot her a look that told her he remembered too. The last time they’d had Rudy’s sandwiches had been after a particularly vigorous lovemaking session that had left them both famished.
Kelly averted her eyes and tucked into her own sandwich. “So, I see you have a new car to work on.”
“Yep, and she’s a beauty.”
“You said that about the Corvette too.”
Damian shrugged. “What can I say? I’m a car whore.”
Kelly giggled. “It looks like business is good.”
“It is right now because the weather is still warm. Things will slow down once winter comes.”
“I’ve been thinking about some advertising ideas for when you become the owner.”
“Hit me.”
“For one, I think you need to have a grand reopening party. You can invite all of Jim’s previous customers but also make it open to the public so they can stop by and check you out. You should also have some giveaways, like coffee mugs, pens, hats, that sort of thing. People love freebies!”
Damian set his sandwich down and looked at her with awe. “That’s a great idea. I never would have thought of it.”
“That’s because you just want to work on cars, which is understandable, but you need to build customer relations too.”
“See, that’s why I need you.”
Kelly had just taken a hefty bite of her turkey club, and it lodged in her throat, making her cough and sputter. She quickly reached for her Dr. Pepper and took a long slug.
“You ok?” Damian asked.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Too big a bite.”
“What other ideas do you have?”
“Well, I think we should run ads in all the local papers and put up flyers in the auto supply stores around here. We have to get your name out there so that people start to recognize it.”
“Speaking of names, I’m not sure what to call the place. I want something with pizazz, but I haven’t come up with anything yet.”
“Don’t worry. We’ll come up with something.” Kelly realized that she had been using the word “we” an awful lot, but Damian didn’t appear to mind. On the contrary, he seemed to welcome her advice, and in his words, he “needed” her. It warmed her insides to hear that he needed her in more than just one way, and she was more than happy to lend her services.
After they polished off the rest of their lunch, Damian said, “So, what’s on your agenda for the rest of the day?”
“You know what? I think I’m going to lounge at the pool and read a book.” The apartment complex contained a decent-sized pool that Kelly rarely used because it was usually teeming with kids. But since it was a holiday weekend, the pool would probably be quiet.
“Sounds great. Wish I could join you, but I have some work to finish up.”
“Yeah, I figured,” she replied, unable to mask her disappointment.
“Maybe we could get together later,” Damian suggested.
Just the thought of it made Kelly’s toes tingle. “Sure. Give me a call when you get home.”
“Count on it,” he said and then leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Thanks for lunch.”
Why was it that such simple words and such a simple gesture had her heart thumping like crazy? “See you later,” she said, and she hurried out the door before she was tempted to fist her hands in his shirt and pull him in for a deeper kiss.
Kelly chuckled as she drove away. While some women would have been repelled by the smell of oil and grease on a man, she had been turned on by it! She would take a dirty Damian over a sharp-dressed businessman any day!
When Kelly pulled into the apartment complex, she noted the lack of cars and drove past her building to where the pool area was. She was in luck—completely empty! Twenty minutes later, Kelly was leaning back in a lounge chair in her bright red bikini, her hair in a m
essy bun atop her head. She had already slathered on sunscreen and donned her oversized sunglasses, so now she could kick back and read.
She had chosen to reread the novel that would be featured at her book club meeting, just to refamiliarize herself with the plot and the characters, although there really wasn’t all that much to the story. A hot millionaire falls for his equally hot secretary (or, in modern times, administrative assistant), and they have several lusty encounters in the office, on his desk, in the supply room, and so on. Kelly cringed a little when she read some of the sex scenes, wondering how Mrs. Simmons’s friends would react, but then she got caught up in the story and her worries faded away.
She must have faded away also, because the next thing she knew, she was awakened by a loud whistle of appreciation. Her eyes snapped open, and there was Damian, staring down at her with the widest grin that she had ever seen.
“Now that’s what I call a bathing suit,” he said.
Kelly sat up and blinked her eyes a few times. Am I dreaming again? “What are you doing here?”
“Couldn’t stand the thought of you out here all alone. Plus, it’s hot out, and I could use a swim.”
Kelly’s eyes had finally adjusted to the bright sunshine, and she eyed Damian from head to toe. He was bare-chested, his shirt having been discarded on the chair next to hers. Her eyes followed the smattering of dark chest hair over his defined pecs, down the middle of his muscular abs, and further south, where it disappeared into his swim trunks. When she redirected her gaze to the lightning bolt tattoo on his right upper arm, she swallowed hard and was met with a deep chuckle.
“You done yet?”
“Oops. Sorry,” she muttered.
“Hey, I got no problem with it. You can check me out anytime.” Damian removed his sunglasses and set them on top of his shirt. “Meet ya in the pool,” he said and then turned and dove right in.
Kelly wiped the water droplets off the cover of her book, placed her bookmark inside, and carefully set it on the table next to her chair. “Hey, you got my book wet,” she scolded.
“Just get in here,” he called.
Damian had seen her butt-naked numerous times, but why did she feel even more exposed with her bathing suit on? Maybe it was because of the way he was staring at her like she was a ripe red apple that he couldn’t wait to sink his teeth into!
She stood up, walked over to the edge of the pool where he was waiting, and daintily dipped a red polished toe in the water.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m testing it,” she said.
“You’re testing it alright!” With that, Damian reached out of the pool, grabbed her around both ankles, and lifted her into the water.
The cool water felt heavenly against her heated skin, but not as good as Damian’s hard chest that she was now smashed up against. “I was going to get in,” she snapped.
“I ran out of patience,” he said.
Damian’s hands were still on her waist, and Kelly wondered if his words held a double meaning. She wouldn’t blame him if he was running out of patience with her. Hell, she was running out of patience with her too!
“You wanted to swim, so let’s swim,” she said, her eyes issuing him a challenge.
“You want to race?”
“Sure, but I have to warn you that I was on the swim team,” she said haughtily.
“When?”
“In high school.”
Damian tipped his head back and laughed. “That was what? Twelve years ago?”
Kelly tried to put her hands on her hips under the water, but the gesture was slowed down by the water pressure, and Damian laughed even louder. “Are you going to race me or not?”
“Yes. Freestyle or breaststroke?”
“Let’s go with breaststroke.”
“That’s my favorite kind,” Damian teased.
They took their positions at the shallow end of the pool. “Down and back, and whoever touches the wall first wins,” Kelly said.
“Got it. On the count of three. One…two…three!”
Kelly drew a gulp of air into her lungs and took off. She was amazed at how good it felt to move her limbs through the water again. She tried not to pay attention to Damian and just focused on her strokes and her breathing, and before she knew it, she was back where they had started. She popped her head out of the water to see Damian smiling down at her. He had obviously beaten her, but she felt good about her performance anyway.
“Not bad,” he said, clearly impressed.
“See? You’re learning new things about me every day,” she said triumphantly.
“How about if you teach me some more things tonight—over dinner?”
She recognized the look in his eyes and hesitated for a moment.
“I promise to be a good student,” he said, and he held up three fingers to simulate a Boy Scout pledge.
Kelly giggled, and said, “Ok.”
They climbed out of the pool and wrapped themselves in towels.
“How long do you need to get ready?” Damian asked.
“That depends. Are we going out or staying in?”
“I vote for staying in.”
“Ok. Give me a half hour and then you can come over.”
As they walked down the sidewalk from the pool area to their apartments, Damian said, “Why do you even need that long? You’re gorgeous just like you are.”
He said it so matter-of-factly that Kelly knew that it wasn’t a line. Plus, Damian wasn’t one to waste words. “Thank you,” she said when they stopped in front of her building.
“But you’re still going to take a half-hour, right?”
Kelly nodded, and smiled up at him.
“Then what are you standing here for, woman? Go. Get ready!” He placed his hands on her bare shoulders and practically pushed her toward the stairs.
Chapter 16
When Damian arrived exactly thirty minutes later, Kelly was in the kitchen, rummaging in her cupboards for something to eat. She held up a box of spaghetti noodles and a bag from the freezer that contained all the ingredients for a chicken stir-fry. “Either of these sound appealing?”
Damian glanced from one to the other and said, “Or we could just order a pizza."
Kelly couldn’t locate the carry-out menu fast enough, and after she called in their order, they moved into the living room. Damian made himself comfortable on one end of the couch, and she took the opposite end, tucking her bare feet underneath her. Kelly had changed into a simple knit skirt and a tank top, and because she hadn’t had much time, she had thrown her hair into a high ponytail. She felt comfortable and relaxed, and it was obvious that Damian did too.
“So, what do you want to do?” Damian asked, keeping his expression neutral for a change.
“I thought we could play some games,” she answered.
“What kind of games?”
“Some ‘get to know each other better’ games.”
Damian looked at her suspiciously. “Such as?”
“Have you ever played Would You Rather?”
“Is it a dirty game?”
“No!”
“Well, then I probably haven’t played it.”
“That was my idea, so if you don’t like it, why don’t you suggest something?”
“Ok. I’d rather just have us ask each other whatever we want to know. There’s no reason to play a game.”
“Fine. You can start.”
“Question one. Where is your ideal vacation destination and why?”
“Wow, that’s a good one! Are you sure you haven’t played this kind of game before?”
“Just answer the question.”
“I would choose Hawaii, because I’ve never been there and the pictures make it look so beautiful. Plus, I love warm weather and beaches, so it would be the perfect place for me.”
“Noted. Your turn.”
“Since that was such an excellent question, I’ll ask you the same thing.”
“Easy. Alas
ka, because I like wide open spaces with plenty of places to get lost in.”
“Hmm.”
“Surprised?”
“Maybe a little. Did San Diego have places like that?”
It looked like a curtain had closed over Damian’s face, but he quickly collected himself. “I lived near the city there, but it was surrounded by mountains, so yeah.”
“So, no surfing for you?”
“Nah. Wasn’t my thing. I would rather hike through the mountains any day.”
“Hiking, huh?”
“I take it that doesn’t sound very appealing to you, what with the lack of beaches and all.”
“Well, I haven’t really done it before.”
“What? You’re kidding.”
“No, unless easy strolls down a sandy beach count?”
Damian threw back his head and laughed. “No. That’s not the kind of hiking I’m talking about.”
“So, you’re talking about the full-on, backpack-and-hiking-boots kind of hiking.”
“Yep. Nothing like it.”
“Well, I guess I’ll have to try it sometime.”
Just then, the doorbell rang, announcing their pizza delivery.
“I’ve got this,” Damian said, and he rushed to the door before Kelly could open her purse.
She should have known that Damian wouldn’t let her pay. He never had when they were dating the first time either. She liked that he looked like a tough alpha-male, but inside, he was a real gentleman. Not that he would want anyone to know it!
They ate pepperoni pizza and drank beer in her living room, and it felt just like old times. Only, in those days, dinner would have been followed by…
“So, whose turn is it to ask a question?” Damian said after they had cleaned up.
Since they were on the topic of traveling, Kelly decided to take a risk. “I think it’s my turn.”
“Hit me.”
“I was wondering…uh, I was going to ask you…”
“Out with it, Kell.”
“Ok. Would you consider going with me to Florida for Thanksgiving?” Her palms were sweaty, and her heart pounded rapidly, while she waited for his response. He looked at her intently, but when he didn’t answer, Kelly felt compelled to fill the silence. “I mean, it’s no big deal either way, so don’t feel obligated. In fact, you can take some time to think about it. I don’t need an answer right now. It’s just that…”
Twice as Tempting Page 10