The cat blinked back.
She gave a slight gasp. “Oh, Fred, it makes me very happy that we exchanged blinks.” She tried it again but an owl hooted nearby.
Fred tensed. Then he turned and bounded back to the shelter of the woods.
“That’s okay, Freddie. You need to protect yourself against owls. Just not against me.” Feeling triumphant, she collected the bowls and hurried into the barn. In the midst of washing them, she heard a cat purring. Sure enough, Gandalf had heard her come in and had decided to join her.
“I hate to tell you this, cat, but Grady’s not with me.” She finished cleaning the bowls and dried her hands. “But he plans to come back to see you later tonight.” Crouching down, she held out her hand.
Gandalf came over and gave her a good sniff before bumping his head against her hand in an obvious bid to be petted.
She obliged him. “Any port in a storm, huh, Gandalf? Listen, kitty, I’d love to stay here and love on you, but I have places to go and people to see.” After one last scratch, she stood.
The cat meowed in protest.
At least, that was what it sounded like to her. “Yeah, well, that’s life, kiddo. Sometimes you’re rolling in clover and sometimes you’re wallowing in muck. Considering the fact that you’ve captured Grady’s heart, I’d put you in the clover category.” She picked up her purse and headed to the door. Gandalf followed her, so she exited quickly so he wouldn’t dash out.
On the drive to her house she glanced at the dashboard clock. Running late. Locating her phone in her purse, she pulled it out and called her mom. “Hey, Grady and I are about fifteen minutes behind schedule.”
Her mom laughed. “So he said when he called.”
“He called you?”
“Not long ago. Must have found our number somewhere in your house. He said you were out feeding the cats and would need a little time to get cleaned up before you two came over. Is that code for having a quickie?”
“Mom!”
“Whether it is or not, I appreciate his call. He sounds nice on the phone.”
“He is nice, but that doesn’t change the fact that he’s an artist.”
“Has it occurred to you that your father and I are both artists?”
“I, um— Well, sure you are, but—”
“In case you haven’t noticed, we’ve managed to stumble through twenty-nine years of marriage without killing each other. If artists are incapable of having a decent relationship, how do you explain that?”
The conversation was giving her a headache. “You’re both obviously exceptions to the rule. I just pulled into the driveway, so I need to go. See you soon!”
“Don’t rush, dear. I remember when your father and I started dating and we couldn’t get enough of—”
“Bye, Mom.” She so didn’t want to hear whatever her mother had been about to confide. That topic hadn’t been discussed when she’d dated Jeremy, Edgar or Cal. Why now? Had Grady won her over with a single phone call?
When she walked into the house, Grady was sitting there in the robe she’d loaned him. “I thought you’d be dressed.”
“I bought us a little time for makeup sex.”
“Makeup sex?” She put her purse on the table by the door. “We didn’t have a fight.”
He stood and came toward her. “No, but I said some things I shouldn’t have. You have a right to handle your life however you want and I was out of line to suggest any different.”
“And you have a right to be jealous and upset because you ended up wearing an old boyfriend’s shirt this morning. I don’t blame you in the least. That can’t be pleasant, especially for someone with your level of testosterone.”
Stopping in his tracks, he stared at her. “My what?”
“Testosterone level. You’re extremely virile. That’s part of what makes your sculptures so exciting. Virile men are usually territorial like wolves.”
“Wolves? Hey, I don’t—”
“Last night we talked about my other lovers, but it was fairly abstract. This morning you had to wear the garment, or the skin, in a way, of someone who had encroached on what you temporarily claim as yours. Naturally, you got a little snarly.”
“Oh, my God.” He grinned at her. “You’re too much.”
“I happen to think I’m on target!”
“I happen to think you’re adorable.” He gathered her close. “We used to have ten minutes for this but after that testosterone speech we only have about eight. I might have to do it with most of your clothes on.”
Although he was exciting the hell out of her, she pretended that she didn’t need what he was offering. “Grady, this isn’t necessary. We should just get ready and go.”
“It is necessary.” He edged her over to the sofa. “We can accomplish this right here.”
“You’re making it sound like a chore to be completed.”
“Believe me, it’s no chore.” He guided her down to the sofa and urged her back on the cushions. “I’ve decided I like the wolf analogy you came up with, after all. Since I was subjected to wearing the skin of my rival, I need to reassert my dominance.” He pushed up her skirt and pulled down her panties.
“This position is awkward.” But her heart was beating like a snare drum.
“No, it’s not.” He worked one of the leg openings of her panties over her foot. “That does it.” He stroked her and slid a finger into her. “I think you might be more interested in this makeup sex than you’re letting on.”
“My mother wanted to know if you called because we were going to have a quickie.”
A condom appeared, no doubt tucked in the pocket of his borrowed robe. “Smart woman, your mother.” He rolled it on and moved between her trembling thighs. “The alpha wolf is taking control. Just go with it.” And he drove into her with all the authority of the leader of the pack.
She responded with a moan of ecstasy. She’d known from the moment she’d walked in to find him wearing the black robe that barely covered his magnificent physique that this would be the final outcome. Whether he called it makeup sex or alpha sex didn’t matter.
Nothing mattered but the firm thrust of his cock and the orgasm he would soon coax from her quivering body. Bracing herself against the cushions, she rose to meet him. In this, the primitive language of male and female, they understood each other. Their communication was exquisitely timed to the rhythm of his strokes and the undulation of her hips.
His voice was thick with passion. “I love how this feels.”
“I love how you feel.” She gasped. “Moving inside me. Ah, like that. Like that.” She tipped over the edge, falling into a whirlpool of color and light.
He followed soon after with a deep groan of satisfaction. As he shuddered in her arms, his happiness became hers and in that brief moment life was perfect.
* * *
THEY TOOK SHOWERS in different bathrooms or they would never have made it to her parents’ house. Arriving at her childhood home after having explosive sex with the man who walked in with her was a surreal experience made even more so when her mother clearly was in the know.
She gave Sapphire a big hug. “You’re looking so happy.”
“I’m a happy person.”
“But tonight you’re especially so.” She turned to Grady with a wide smile. “How generous of you to be a part of the Art Barn’s fund-raiser.” She held out her hand. “You’re a credit to your alma mater, even though I never had you in class. Why was that?”
He took her hand in both of his. “Because I was young and stupid, Mrs. Ferguson.”
“Please call me Jane. You’re not a kid anymore and I can tell you’re older and wiser.”
“I sure hope so, ma’am.”
Sapphire had expected her mother to be friendly. After all, she wanted Grady to talk to her classes sometime this fall. But the level of welcome was even greater than she’d counted on.
Her mom had put on her favorite dress, a purple caftan embroidered in gold that comp
lemented her salt-and-pepper hair. She wore it with lots of gold jewelry and she was tall, almost as tall as Sapphire’s father, so the outfit made her look like a queen.
Her bangles jingled and sparkled as she gestured toward Sapphire’s dad, a lanky, balding man who liked wearing black turtlenecks and faded jeans. “You remember Stan, don’t you? His band played for several of the school dances.”
“I sure do remember.” Grady shook his hand. “Good to see you again, sir. Sapphire tells me you still have a jazz band.”
“Yep, and we’re busier than ever. It’s great to see you again, too. Impressive what you’ve accomplished, son, and I want to personally thank you for driving up for the silent auction. People really appreciate it and I know Sapphire was turning cartwheels when you agreed.”
“Happy to do it.”
Her dad had always been a jolly sort, so his effusive greeting wasn’t a surprise. He entertained for a living and everyone he met was a new friend. Maybe her mom’s reaction wasn’t so shocking, either. She admired talented people, especially when they were focused. She’d probably heard from a couple of the co-op members by now and no doubt they’d raved about him.
Conversation flowed easily during dinner and by the end of the meal she had no doubt that both her parents liked Grady very much. He’d readily agreed to talk to her mother’s classes in the fall and possibly again in the spring.
They were at the door saying their goodbyes when the discussion turned to her mother’s entry in the silent auction. Grady wanted to see the weaving she planned to donate, so she took him back to her studio for a quick look.
After they left, her dad chuckled. “Your guy was a hit, Sapphie.” He was the only person in the world who called her that, but a nickname from her dad was an expression of love and affection, so she treasured it.
“He’s not really mine, Dad.”
“Maybe not yet, but I can tell he wants to be. I recognize that look. He thinks you hung the moon. Which of course you did, so that makes him smarter than the other schmucks you brought home.”
“You didn’t like any of them, either? I know Mom didn’t, but you like everybody.”
“I like everybody until they prove they’re dumb as a box of rocks. Anybody who doesn’t appreciate your value falls into that category. I’ve only spent one evening with Grady and there’s a lot I don’t know about the guy. But I’ve already learned the most important thing about him. He thinks you’re fantastic.” He looked into her eyes. “It’s important, Sapphie.”
She’d never received romantic advice from her dad before. She had a feeling this might be the one and only time she would. “I’ll remember that.”
12
“THEY LIKE YOU.” Sapphire started her truck and backed out of her parents’ driveway.
“I like them, too. They’re great.” If Jane and Stan were in charge, they’d make sure he had a prominent place in their daughter’s life. But they weren’t in charge and he wouldn’t wish them to be. If she didn’t make her own decisions, she wouldn’t be the same independent woman he admired.
“Are you still planning to work tonight?”
“Yep. If I don’t, I’ll be worried about rushing the sculpture and I’d like to take it to her tomorrow night.” He glanced at her classic profile illuminated by the dashboard lights. She was so beautiful it made his heart hurt. “Want to come with me?”
She hesitated. “Do Rosie and Herb know anything about...us?”
“I doubt it. I haven’t talked to them since I got here. I didn’t want to take a chance that I’d slip and mention the sculpture.”
“Or me?”
“I didn’t consciously decide not to tell them about you, but if Rosie thought I had a girlfriend, even a temporary one, she’d be here in a shot.”
“How come?”
He laughed. “She has this old-fashioned idea that each of her boys needs to find a good woman and live happily-ever-after. She’s more set on that than my own mother. I guess it’s because Rosie’s had a great marriage and my mom had to make her way through a couple of losers.”
“Hmm.”
“What?”
“So what will Rosie think if you show up with me in tow?”
“She’ll pick up on the fact that I think you’re pretty special. I’m sure your folks did.”
“They did, which makes my point. Let’s not complicate this any further. I don’t think it’s a good idea for me to go out to Thunder Mountain with you.”
Her answer disappointed him more than he wanted to admit. “Don’t you want to see Rosie’s reaction to the sculpture?”
“Yeah, but—”
“Then come with me. It’ll be fine.”
She sighed. “If I thought she couldn’t read you like a book, I might consider it, but I don’t want to get her hopes up. When you get back, you can tell me all about it.”
“All right.” Maybe he shouldn’t have said anything about Rosie’s dream of seeing all her foster boys settled. No, he was glad he’d said it. Taking her out there without mentioning it would have been unfair.
But he’d wanted her to be on hand when Rosie caught sight of the wolf sculpture, and yeah, that was selfish. He’d hoped Rosie’s reaction would make Sapphire like him a little more. He was no different from a ten-year-old doing tricks on the monkey bars to impress a pretty girl.
“I’m sorry, Grady. I just don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“Probably not.”
“I had to let my mom know about us since you’re staying in my house instead of at Ben and Molly’s, where she’d planned to contact you. But going to see Rosie would open up a whole new can of worms.”
“I hate to say it but you’re right. The last time I brought a girl out there, it was senior prom. Taking you to meet Rosie and Herb would be seen as a significant move.” No point in kidding himself. He’d wanted to raise the stakes but Sapphire hadn’t let him.
“My dad’s band played for that prom.”
“Yeah, they did. I wonder if we appreciated what a great band we had. Probably not.”
“You might not have then, but you do when you look back on it.” She smiled. “I’ll bet my mom’s hoping you’ll tell her students that you regret not taking her class when you were at SHS.”
“Don’t worry. I will.”
“Thanks for agreeing to do it. I know she’s thrilled.”
He was glad to do it for Jane, but he had ulterior motives. Keeping the connection with Jane meant keeping the connection with Sapphire. “I was flattered. I never thought of myself as a role model before.”
“I’m sure that’s one of the reasons they like you. You’re modest.”
He’d had enough of that kind of talk. He didn’t want her thinking of him as some effing choirboy. “About my art, always. About my sexual attributes, on the other hand...” He reached over and stroked her thigh.
“Stop that before I run us into a ditch.”
“Or you could drive into a ditch on purpose and we could climb into the bed of your truck.”
“Don’t tell me you brought a condom with you for the trip to my folks’ house?”
He pulled it out of his pocket and tossed it on the dash. “But sadly, we’re not going to use it to have sex in the back of your truck. Never fear, though, I’ll have it handy when I finish up for the night.” He scooped it up and shoved it back in his pocket.
“I believe you.” Her laughter had a tremor of excitement in it.
Well, good. At least he still had that going for him. “Are you going to work tonight, too?”
“I thought about it, but I’m pretty well caught up. Instead I’ll stay home and clean.”
He winced. “Cat hair.”
“It’s been on my mind. Might as well take care of it.”
“That’s just wrong. My cat, my cat hair. I’ll do it.”
“I appreciate the offer but you said you needed to work on Rosie’s sculpture so you won’t feel as if you rushed it.”
“True
. Maybe when I get back.”
“Seriously?” She glanced at him. “With a hot condom in your pocket?”
“Maybe not. How about tomorrow?”
“We’ll be up early to feed the cats, both the ferals and Gandalf. Tomorrow night you’ll be going out to Rosie’s. Think of it this way. If I clean the bathroom and wash all the towels, we can shower together in the morning.”
“That’s a powerful argument, lady. But I still hate to stick you with the job. I’ll find a way to make it up to you when I get back tonight.”
“I’m sure you will.” She pulled into her driveway, turned off the engine and took something out of her purse. “Here’s a spare key.”
“Was this—”
“Don’t read anything into it.”
“Okay.” But he already had. He’d bet money this key had belonged to the cheater. He wouldn’t care except her old boyfriends had left a toxic legacy. Anything associated with them was a reminder of the mess he faced because of their bad behavior.
He hopped out of the truck in time to go around and hoist her down. Drawing her close, he gazed into her starlit face. “I’m not going to kiss you, because if I do, I won’t leave.”
“And I want you to leave, cowboy.” She gave him a playful little push. “Get the hell out of here. We both have work to do.”
Backing away, he touched the brim of his hat. “See you soon.”
* * *
THAT HAD BEEN his sincere intention. But it was after three in the morning when he picked up his phone to check the time. His string of obscenities woke Gandalf, who’d been sleeping peacefully on his cat tree.
“Sorry, cat.” He walked over and ran his hand over the soft fur. “I just blew it.” The sculpture was nearly finished. A couple more hours should do the trick, but he’d promised Sapphire he’d be back to make sweet love to her as a thank-you for cleaning up the cat hair. She’d probably fallen asleep cursing his worthless ass.
He considered staying to complete the sculpture since he wouldn’t make any points showing up now. But that didn’t feel right. He’d go back, use the cheater’s key and climb into bed as quietly as possible so he wouldn’t wake her. It was the least he could do.
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