It's Not a Date

by Heather Blackmore

  “Hi, Dad.”

  Gordon shifted his eyes to hers and nudged her palm.

  “It’s good to see you,” she said politely, if not truthfully. Placing the tablet on the bed between them, she said, “I’ve brought you something. It’s a tool for us to be able to communicate better than we can on our own.” Kade pushed aside the thought that they could have used something like it years ago.

  She swiped the screen to bring it to life. “I’ve never used anything like this—well, a tablet, yes, this kind of software, no—so we’ll both be figuring this out as we go along.”

  Frustration mounted as Kade sat with Gordon and opened the different exercises the software offered, hoping to land on one that piqued his interest. She found it difficult to explain simple technological concepts to him, regardless of the software company’s reputation for ease of use. Gordon had spent his life outdoors, not behind a computer screen. No app could bridge that gap, at least not one she knew of.

  For his part, Gordon was recalcitrant, which didn’t help matters. Kade was used to his irritable demeanor, but after learning that some of his motor skills had returned, she’d hoped for solid progress. Today, he scarcely applied himself, if his restored ability to shake his head didn’t count. She wasn’t sure whether it was due to her visit, resentment about his condition, or something else. She was inexperienced with asking simple yes/no questions, and the most she could get out of him was that he wasn’t in physical discomfort. But with the few swipes of his hand across the tablet, the only thing he did was return time and again to the home screen and tap the clock in the corner.

  And then an idea struck her. Gordon was such a schedule hound, Kade wondered if he was telling her he wasn’t in the loop about when the daily routines were supposed to happen and, as importantly, whether they were happening on time. Setting aside the tablet, she asked, “Has anyone given you your daily schedule?”

  He shook his head, which in reality wasn’t a shake so much as a slow turn of several degrees to one side and back again.

  “Okay. I’ll track down a nurse and make sure they share it with you. And I’ll ask them to pay particular attention to arriving promptly at the times designated.” If Gordon had a button to push, being off schedule would press it with the force of an explosion. “Keep in mind, Dad, some of the residents need more help than others, so sometimes the staff won’t be able to keep to the schedule as much as you’d like. Okay?”

  He nodded.

  Kade wasn’t convinced her father would handle disruptions to the schedule quite so easily when they actually occurred, but it wasn’t as though he was in a position to do anything other than accept them. They’d had enough for the day, and Kade told him she’d return tomorrow. She consulted her calendar and specified seven o’clock. Hopefully he’d be more conducive toward his own therapy by then. She wondered whether his speech therapist was having better luck. It was doubtful those sessions could be worse.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  When the doorbell rang, Kade practically jumped from her chair. It was approaching an hour since she’d called in her order to the Thai delivery place, and she was hungry. One of the downsides to takeout was the lack of attention to keeping within estimated delivery windows, like ordering new cable service. She opened the door, startled to see Jen holding a white plastic bag smelling of food.

  “Looking for this?” Jen said as she brushed past Kade without waiting for an invitation. “I love being white-listed with building security.”

  Kade’s hunger vanished. She closed the door and backed against it, staring at her visitor’s departing form. She heard Jen calling out from the kitchen, “Hope you don’t mind sharing.” Kade couldn’t move. She wasn’t prepared to deal with Jen. She knew what her heart wanted, and every day the hold that her head had over her desires and actions grew more tenuous. Weak-willed had never been a term she would have used to describe herself before Jen, but she couldn’t deny the degree to which Jen made Kade want to disregard every self-imposed boundary she constructed between them. Several moments passed before Jen returned to the entryway, grabbed Kade’s hand, and tugged her toward the kitchen. “Come.”

  Kade parked herself with a shoulder against the wall while Jen opened the cardboard containers and began scooping rice, curry, and noodles onto two plates.

  Jen asked, “What’s that look for?”

  “It’s good to see you.” And Jen was good to see, looking scrumptious in boot-cut, low-rise jeans and a casual, white button-down shirt that did little to hide the dark bra beneath, hugging curves Kade shouldn’t be thinking about. Her hair was down and fell around her shoulders, perfectly framing her face as if she were starring in a shampoo commercial. Kade shoved her hands into her pockets to prevent herself from threading its soft strands through her fingers.

  Jen stilled the serving spoon and met Kade’s eyes. “Hungry, I see.”

  Immediately, Kade broke eye contact, having forgotten how well Jen could read her.

  “I should be angry with you for the mixed messages,” Jen said. “Setting boundaries and then crossing them by wooing me. But you don’t even know you’re doing it, do you?”

  This confusing jumble of information was lost on Kade, who opted to open a bottle of chilled German Riesling for the to-be-determined occasion. “Wooing you?”

  “I thought so,” Jen said as she continued dishing. “Do you know who I met the other day?”

  “Are we playing Twenty Questions?” Kade asked as she pulled wineglasses from the cupboard.

  “Hunter, the shepherd mix.”

  Kade was unaware of what this tidbit meant. “As in German shepherd?”

  Jen nodded. “Hunter was visiting Nana for the second time, his handler told me,” Jen said as she began closing the containers. “He reminds her so much of her old dog Roscoe, she was beside herself with joy.”

  Kade busied herself pouring the wine since she had no idea what Jen was talking about. She hoped it would become obvious soon, so she wouldn’t have to make a fool of herself by asking about something she was supposed to know.

  “Hunter’s a therapy dog whose owner takes him around to visit people who register to receive volunteer service animals. Lo and behold, Nana registered.” The look Jen bestowed on Kade made it clear she knew Nana wasn’t involved in that part. “Isn’t that interesting?”

  “Good for Edna,” Kade said as she corked the bottle.

  “This, on the heels of my grandmother’s dear friend visiting from Tucson. Another high note for Nana recently.”

  “This all sounds really great, Jen. I’m glad.”

  Amazingly adept at tracking down the napkins and water goblets, considering how little time she’d spent in Kade’s kitchen, Jen set them on the table. “On top of that, Creative Care is already garnering interest from several of the VCs on our wish list that you’ve put us in touch with. Jeremy and I have our first meetings on Monday.”

  No longer on an uncomfortable subject, Kade closed the fridge and grinned. “Fantastic news. Yay.”

  “Know what else?” Jen asked as she dimmed the dining-room lights and turned off the bright kitchen ones.

  Kade remained planted in front of the fridge, stilled by the gleam in Jen’s eyes.

  Resting the small of her back against the counter, Jen smiled in a way Kade could only describe as wicked. “Our food’s going to get cold.”

  Kade swallowed with difficulty.

  “Don’t worry, Kade. I’m not going to throw myself at you.”

  Smiling slyly, Kade voiced her train of thought. “And here I thought I might discover a whole new meaning to the words ‘special delivery.’”

  Jen returned Kade’s smile. Unhurriedly, she began to unbutton her shirt, offering tantalizing glimpses of trim torso beneath. “You’re going to throw yourself at me.”

  Kade’s eager eyes took in every inch of skin exposed by the ambient light, and the sound of her heartbeat began to crescendo in her ears. “Jen…” Oh, why was it suddenly
so hard to speak? “Please don’t do that.”

  “Holly did an admirable job of keeping a low profile, but I’m afraid it wasn’t enough to remain incognito.”

  Kade shook her head, eyes trained on each button being unfastened. Jen was like a matador, waving a red cape that tantalized and stirred the bull. “I’m not sure I follow,” she said, though she had a pretty good idea.

  “You seem to understand far better ways to woo a woman than with chocolate or roses. Treat someone she loves with kindness.”

  Wishing she had something to grasp in order to keep her hands from reaching out for Jen, Kade wrapped her arms around herself. “I wasn’t…I wouldn’t use Edna or play with someone’s emotions to get to you.”

  “I know. Your only objection to us is that you’ll hurt me. Is that accurate?”

  Objection. Yes. With Jen deliriously close, looking so edible, Kade found it difficult to recall why they shouldn’t be together. Wresting her eyes from Jen’s body to her face, Kade met Jen’s gaze. She nodded.

  “How? My company’s already running out of money so you can’t make it worse. You can’t fire me since we both have a board seat and cancel each other out. You can’t impact my marriage or relationship because I’m not in one. I’m in fund-raising mode, so I’m not doing anything adventurous any time soon.” Jen slowly untucked her shirt until it hung loose and bared more flesh. “What else?” Jen’s eyes sparkled with mischief.

  “Jen, so help me God, if you don’t cover up—”

  “You’ll do what?” Jen leaned back, resting her palms on the counter, parting her top. Black, lace-covered mounds of pale flesh rose and fell with each breath.

  The matador’s cape whipped around. Provoking.

  “This can only end badly,” Kade said, holding on to the last vestige of any argument against this seduction.

  “The only way you can hurt me is to not touch me.”

  The thread by which Kade’s willpower was hanging snapped. She strode over to Jen and slid one hand inside her shirt and around her waist, while, with the other, she teased a nipple through thin satin. Jen’s arms immediately came around Kade’s shoulders as she tried to pull Kade in for a kiss, but Kade kept their mouths millimeters apart. She wanted to savor the anticipation, to feel Jen’s breath against her lips while she caressed the body she so craved. This close, she caught hints of apricot from Jen’s shampoo. Her eyes latched onto Jen’s blue ones, seeing desire there and an intoxicating mix of confidence and vulnerability.

  The hitch in Jen’s breath from the light graze of Kade’s thumb was the death knell to holding out longer. With one sweep of her arm, Kade shoved aside everything from the edge of the counter. Then she lifted Jen onto it, stepped between her legs, and pulled her head down for a demanding kiss.

  Jen threaded her fingers in Kade’s hair until she was cupping the back of her head, matching her abandon. Wet heat blossomed in Kade’s mouth as she welcomed Jen’s tongue inside. Kade slipped both hands inside Jen’s shirt, splaying her fingers across her bare back and hugging her more tightly against her. All other thoughts faded from her mind. Only Jen existed, and she couldn’t get close enough.

  Kade made short work of Jen’s front-closure bra, freeing the ample flesh and breaking their kiss to draw a breast into her mouth. She gently scraped the nipple with her teeth, arousal shooting through her at the sound of Jen’s gasp.

  She wanted to taste more of Jen, but as she released the button on Jen’s jeans and slid the zipper down, she realized she should have freed Jen from her pants before setting her onto the counter. Not that she had a ton of experience trying to take advantage of women in her own kitchen—though Thai food would forever hold sentimental appeal.

  Kade kissed Jen and saw a glimpse of a smile, as if Jen was cognizant of the access restrictions Kade faced. “Although you would definitely be the sexiest thing I’ve ever eaten in here, I’m inclined to move this to the bedroom.”

  Jen slid off the counter and took Kade’s hand. She marched them straight into the master bathroom, removed her footwear, and started the shower. Turning around and swiftly tugging Kade’s shirt over her head and off, she asked, “I take it you’re okay delaying dinner?”

  “You know what they say,” Kade replied, as Jen moved to the waistband of Kade’s slacks.

  Jen unbuttoned and unzipped, slid her hands into Kade’s bikinis, and worked the clothing off her hips. “What do they say?”

  Although she was standing before Jen in only her bra, the way Jen was devouring her with her eyes bolstered Kade’s confidence. “Life is short. Eat dessert first.”

  Shrugging off her bra and shirt, and shimmying out of her remaining items, Jen cocked her head toward the shower. “Dessert might get wet.” Splendid in her nakedness, Jen entered the stall and dipped her head back to let the water saturate her hair and cascade down her body.

  Breathtaking, Kade thought. She swiftly removed her bra and stepped into the shower, feeling for the handle and closing the glass door behind her. “I certainly hope so.” Her voice sounded lower to her own ears. It had a needy, desperate edge.

  Jen slowly turned in a circle as she leisurely palmed her torso, sides, and arms. Brazenly raising a leg and assuming a wide stance on the small shower seat, Jen moved out of the spray until her back rested against the tile, giving Kade access to more than the water. She met Kade’s gaze and continued caressing herself, one hand running across her breasts, the other along her inner thighs. Her lips parted slightly and she leveled Kade with a lustful look, demanding participation.

  Emboldened and completely turned on by Jen’s wantonness, Kade advanced, quickly ducking under the showerhead. Then she launched herself at Jen, pressing her against the wall, plundering her mouth with her tongue and swiftly entering her. Jen broke the kiss to cry out, wrapping her arms around Kade for balance. Kade swallowed Jen’s cries, needing to be inside of her, surrounding her, part of her.

  And still there was too much distance for Kade. Abruptly she dropped to one knee and put her mouth to Jen’s center, devouring her. She sheathed her fingers into Jen’s slick heat and stroked her as she continued to work her with her tongue, spurred by the wet warmth evidencing Jen’s desire.

  “Yes, Kade. Oh, God. More.” Jen’s moans were joyful music to Kade’s ears, and she increased speed, pushing Jen farther, higher. It wasn’t long before Jen’s muscles convulsed around her. She eased slowly to her feet, worshipping Jen’s body with her mouth and hands as she rose, enjoying the slight tug of Jen’s hands in her hair, urging her upward.

  Upright once again, Kade was enveloped in Jen’s arms and met with a passionate kiss. The feel of their warm, wet skin against each other was exhilarating, and the shower quickly vaulted to her favorite area of the condo.

  As they toweled themselves dry, Kade couldn’t take her eyes off Jen. She wanted to ask what had possessed Jen to come on to her in such a decisive way. Was Jen simply needing an outlet, a way to keep her mind off her grandmother’s situation and the challenges facing Creative Care? Or was it more than that? Nothing had changed between them, had it? Kade still couldn’t give Jen more of herself. Yet she just had. She hadn’t skipped a beat. She wanted Jen as much as Jen seemed to want her. Why had she given in so easily? So completely? Why didn’t she have the willpower to keep Jen at arm’s length?

  “Hey.” Jen’s voice brought Kade back to the moment. Jen threw a towel over Kade’s shoulders and held her by it. “Stop it.”

  Kade wrapped her towel around Jen and her arms around the towel to keep Jen warm, though the steam in the room was sufficient. “Stop what?”

  “Overanalyzing.”

  Kade rested her forehead against Jen’s and closed her eyes. She couldn’t deny how good she felt, how she wanted to be closer. She pulled Jen to her, letting the towel drop, relishing the feel of their bodies intertwining, of Jen’s arms coming around her.

  She was falling in love and completely unprepared for dealing with it.

  To her shame, h
er emotions threatened to overwhelm her, and tears welled in her eyes.

  Jen cradled Kade’s head and tenderly kissed Kade’s wet eyes before wrapping her arms around her again. “I’ve got you,” she said softly.

  And Kade felt it, felt that Jen would hold her up and not let her fall. She wanted to ask why Jen cared, why she was here of her own volition, what she saw in Kade that Kade couldn’t see. Yet as she looked into blue eyes shining with adoration, she wondered if it was better not to know, not to understand. The magician’s magic was more awe-inducing when you weren’t informed of the inner workings of the trick.

  She unleashed the tiniest shake of her head as she stroked Jen’s cheek, amazed and grateful to be sharing this moment with her.

  Jen kissed the hand caressing her face. “It’s reciprocal, you know. I see the same thing being reflected back to me.”

  Kade tilted her head, not following.

  “What you’re seeing is how being with you makes me feel,” Jen added.

  Jen’s face was so earnest, Kade almost checked her immediate inclination to doubt. “How can you mean that?”

  “How can I not?” Jen turned Kade around to face the mirror and scooped a towel from the floor to wipe away the steam. Standing behind Kade, looking over her shoulder, she asked, “Who’s the prettiest brunette in this room?”

  Kade laughed and turned her head. “I’m the only brunette in this room.”

  Jen used her index finger to push Kade’s chin back around so they were once again seeing themselves through the mirror. “Answer the question.”

  “I am.”

  “Don’t look at me. Look at you. Who successfully started and sold two companies in her twenties?”

  “I did.”

  “Who came to my house to check on me and help me with my fund-raising deck?”

  “I did.”

  “Who gave my grandmother the incredibly thoughtful gifts of inviting a friend and companion animal over?”

  Kade wasn’t about to take credit. She turned her head as far around as she could. “Who didn’t even bother asking if you needed help with anything?”