“Back to the hotel?” Kamari asked as the car pulled up. And it was the wine’s fault her mind jumped from going back to the hotel to going back to her room.
“Or”—he gestured toward the bakery still brightly lighted a few stores down from Clyde’s—“we can get dessert there.”
By the Fire beckoned her, and Laura immediately agreed. Not only because she knew the bakery was delicious, though it was one of the few off-site bakeries the hotel used, but because she simply wasn’t ready to end their night.
She waited on the sidewalk while Kamari spoke to the driver. When he returned, he took her hand in his gloved one. Laura tried not to read too much into that gesture, but was desperately afraid she’d already read more into tonight’s date than she wanted to. Or meant to.
Her head was spinning and she knew, she just knew, things were going to end badly. He held open the door for her and ushered her into the warmly lighted bakery that was still partly packed even now.
Suddenly conscious of her weight, Laura hesitated over the selection. Her favorite, the éclairs, came in two sizes—the delicious large one and a smaller one. Normally, she’d simply order a half dozen of the larger ones, and stash the rest in her room.
Tonight, she very carefully ordered two of the smaller ones. After all, dinner had been delicious and she’d eaten quite a lot.
Boys won’t like you if you’re too round. Here, have a carrot, pass on the éclair. Damn. And she’d been doing so good during dinner, ignoring that stupid little voice.
Kamari ordered a cinnamon swirl puff pastry and two hot chocolates for them. They walked along the antique-looking pavers in silence while Laura carefully avoided diving into her éclairs. She’d had a really wonderful time tonight and didn’t want to ruin it with a reminder of her weight.
“Did you really come to Vermont to hang out with me?” Laura asked as they continued to slowly walk. The night had taken a colder turn, but she didn’t want to return to the hotel just yet.
“Guilty.” Kamari smiled over the rim of his paper to-go cup. He carried their bag of pastries, but didn’t seem in a rush to do anything other than walk with her.
A flush of warmth spread through Laura that had nothing to do with the hot chocolate.
“Even though,” he added with a grin that made her stomach swoop, “you turned me down every time—my invitations to dinner, coffee, movies, concerts. I had to give it another try, Laura.” He shrugged, but that smile remained. “I don’t normally ask more than once, but with you it’s so different.”
The honesty in his voice moved through her, and Laura felt a piece of her resistance shatter. He wore his heart on his sleeve, entirely open and for her to see, and wasn’t ashamed in the least. It surprised her. More than that, it showed his confidence.
Showed how much he wanted her, she realized—finally. It unsettled her; she hadn’t expected such sincerity. Sure, a holiday fling was one thing, but Kamari seemed to truly want her.
“Why?” she asked and was unable to keep the disbelief from her tone. “You must meet women all the time who’d jump at the chance to go to dinner with you.”
Laura shook her head. Her previous boyfriends and lovers had not looked anything like Kamari and certainly hadn’t treated her as their sole focus during dinner as he had. “And,” she added as the car he’d hired came back into sight, “who don’t say no at every turn.”
He stopped and looked down at her. That same feeling of being in the center of his world enveloped Laura, and she tried to remember how to breathe. She needed to patent that look, she absently thought as she looked into his blue gaze, oddly shadowed in the streetlight. She’d make a mint.
“Remember that night we stayed late at the office working on the Miami additions?” Kamari asked, his voice low and intense, as if he wondered if she remembered something from almost six months ago.
She did, of course she did, but Laura only nodded.
“I told you about how my parents left South Africa for New York, what with my mother being white and my dad…” He trailed off and pointed to his face. “Not so white.” He said it with a humor that spoke of being so well adjusted, Laura, now as then, barely registered it as important. “It would’ve been illegal for them to marry at the time.”
“I remember,” Laura whispered, pastries, hot chocolate, cold December nights, and her earlier fears gone in the face of his openness and absolute attention.
“You said you respected how they made their own path in the world.” He nodded as if that had solidified something for him. “Most people comment on how scary that must have been or ask about apartheid or some such. You didn’t.” This time, his smile was slow and warm and still had the ability to steal her breath.
“You had the same reaction I did, that my sister did, when we were old enough to understand exactly what they’d done. Really understand. And that just made me want to date you even more. And the fact that you are absolutely gorgeous…well.”
Kamari shrugged and winked, and Laura laughed. His words wound through her, and she released a breath she hadn’t realized she held. No, she could no longer go on calling him Kamari. He was most definitely Tyler now.
“Too superficial?” Tyler asked with a smile.
“No,” she whispered and leaned into him. With her free hand, she softly touched his face and wished she hadn’t worn gloves, despite the cold night. She looked into his eyes and caught herself. Blushing, she pulled back.
“Oh,” she managed and looked away from him.
Tyler took her hand and brought it to his lips. “You can touch me all you want.”
Chapter Five
She slammed her alarm off, but Laura took a whole fifteen minutes extra to stretch herself awake and simply luxuriate in memories of last night.
On their ride back to the hotel, she’d debated asking Tyler into her room, first date or not. Sure, she’d turned him down a half dozen times before. And yes, all right, her mouth did tend to run away from her brain last night. Somehow she’d managed to not say anything, not to invite him up.
And it hadn’t been because she didn’t find Tyler undeniably attractive. She did. Oh, did she ever. It was one of the reasons she’d said no to him in the first place, contrary woman that she was.
He’d held her hand on the elevator ride up, and Laura had debated how to take off her gloves so she could feel his fingers against hers. Then suddenly they’d been on her floor and at her door. She’d turned to him and smiled up at him, the words inviting him in tumbling around her brain.
Never had she been bold enough to invite a man into her bed after the first date. But their dinner date hadn’t felt like a first date, and Laura had finally admitted that.
Then he’d kissed her right outside her door, and all coherent thoughts scattered. Damn, that man could kiss. His tongue had slid against hers in a slow dance, delving deeper and deeper as if he wanted to memorize her taste. His hands, chilled from the cold night, had framed her face, and Laura had forgotten why she’d turned him down every other time he’d asked her out.
Even now, wrapped up in the soft comforter of the hotel bed, Laura’s fingers danced over her mouth as if Tyler’s kiss was her first kiss ever. Shaking her head at herself, it didn’t stop her from reliving that kiss or the taste of him.
Humming, her body pulsing with arousal and giddiness, she finally climbed out of bed and headed for the shower. Despite the arousal thrumming through her, and the very strong and sudden need to skip work and play hooky with Tyler, Laura methodically got ready for her day.
They planned to have breakfast together before they got to work, and Laura couldn’t believe how excited she was over such a simple prospect. And, okay, maybe her mind drifted to breakfast with him in bed, but one step at a time.
And if she spent more time on her long black hair than normal, only she knew. All right, and if she took an inordinate amount of time choosing an outfit, well…no, she really didn’t have an excuse for that one.
La
ura looked at herself in the floor-length mirror and spent all of five seconds debating if she dressed for Tyler or herself. But the black skirt and festive red blouse made her feel sexy, and if she happened to pair the business attire with her sexy black heels from last night, well, those made her feel sexy and powerful, too.
Grinning at her reflection, she grabbed her lipstick just as her cell rang.
“Sorry, Laura, but there’s a problem with one of the floats,” Henry, the general manager, said. He sounded annoyed and let out a long breath. “A big problem.”
She wanted to ask how big, but didn’t, ignoring the way her heart sank at that news, as the first parade was today at three. She made a quick decision; it was simply easier to head for the sheds housing the parade floats and see for herself.
“Please contact Mr. Kamari,” she said, just barely stopping herself from calling him Tyler. “Let him know I have an emergency and can’t meet him for breakfast. I’ll meet up with him later.”
Henry agreed and Laura clicked off the phone. Hmm, maybe sexy heels weren’t the best choice of footwear for trekking across the hotel grounds to deal with parade problems. Laura debated with herself for half a second before she changed into the knee-high boots she usually wore with her skirts.
It was at least a mile walk between the main hotel and the parade warehouse.
She grabbed her cell and slipped into her coat, and on her way down the hall called Sam, her assistant. She quickly filled him in on what little she knew, and he agreed to hold down the office until she got back. Laura knew he would; he was quite possibly the best administrative assistant in Vermont, and possibly the entire country. Definitely in the company.
She hadn’t even had her coffee, let alone breakfast, but hurried along the paths, around the skating rink, and through woods covered with a dusting of snow. The trees helped hide the more practical aspects of the hotel, but she had to admit, they were also beautiful.
The instant she came into view of the open doors to the warehouse, Jim Hadley, the outdoor events coordinator, stopped screaming at a young man and turned to rush over to her.
“I’m so sorry,” Hadley said the second he saw her. He glared over his shoulder, but when he turned back his voice, though rushed, had lowered. “I had that young idiot moving it just a few feet so I could move some equipment, and he hit the back of the damn building and crushed the whole back of the float!”
“Can it be fixed?” she said, her voice calm. The parade was in hours, their first Christmas parade, and she didn’t want to put on a half-assed show. The first of anything was the most important, and she’d be damned if this one didn’t live up to not only Gideon Hotel’s standards, but hers.
“Who do we need to get in here?” she added, not entirely certain which float it was or how extensive the damage.
“I don’t know,” Hadley admitted. “I have a call into a carpenter from the next town, but the guys who worked with us are all away for the holidays.”
Laura shoved her hands into her coat pocket and sighed. She’d signed off on that, too. All the floats had been constructed, under budget and early, and she’d thought it a nice holiday gesture to give the workers extra time with their families.
No, she supposed she didn’t regret that. This was an unforeseeable circumstance.
“All right, let me see the float.”
Hadley gestured to allow her to precede him. She caught the glare he gave the kid out of the corner of her eye but said nothing. This wasn’t a simple mistake; it had the potential to cost thousands of dollars and a delay the parade couldn’t afford.
She’d talk to Hadley after they sorted out the float and find out the whole story.
Atop the half-crushed float stood several Christmas elves around a brightly decorated Christmas tree and mounds of fake snow. Directly behind them, staked in the fake snow, was the name plate that read “Prancer.” Prancer’s stable, however, was nowhere to be found.
Oh.
No, this wasn’t going to be repaired in any reasonable amount of time or for any reasonable price.
“What did the carpenters say?” she asked in what she hoped was an optimistic tone as she tried to keep the dread from her voice.
“Oh.” He waved his hand and she knew they’d basically said to forget it this close to the holidays. “They said they’d get back to me.”
Right.
Clearing her throat, Laura tried to figure out a way around this. What she really needed was coffee. And maybe food. But definitely coffee.
Footsteps echoed along the concrete floor of the warehouse, and Laura turned to look. Tyler entered, looking far more awake than she did. She’d bet he had his coffee. Next time, breakfast date or not, she was making coffee in her room.
His hands were shoved in his pockets, his head tilted as he looked at the crushed parade float. Tyler shook his head and made a sympathetic sound in the back of his throat.
“Stood up for an inanimate Prancer?” he asked with a wicked twinkle in his eyes.
Laura looked up at him and offered a small, weak laugh. “I’m sorry, but had a bit of a crisis here.” She gestured toward the damage. “And I’m not sure how to get it fixed!”
Tyler walked closer and moved around one side of the float.
“And there don’t seem to be any carpenters available,” she added. “They’ve all gone away.”
Oh, that sounded like they fled the apocalypse or something. Laura sighed. Well, maybe nothing quite so dramatic. She glanced at Hadley but he was already moving away, probably to call more carpenters about serious last-minute work.
And who didn’t need work? she wondered. Even around the holidays. Especially around the holidays.
Letting out a breath, she released the annoyance with it. It didn’t matter; they were stuck and needed a solution. She looked to Tyler, who had now made a complete circuit around the float. He looked far more confident than she at the moment.
Then again, how hard was it to wield a hammer? And smash the thing into smithereens. Laura took a deep breath. Now was not the time for destructive frustration.
“I think I have a solution for you,” Tyler said, now standing directly before her.
If it didn’t involve her hammering nails into things, Laura was all for it. But then she looked into his eyes, caught the suggestive spark in them, and promptly forgot about hammers, floats, and parades.
“Oh?” she replied, and yes, that was her voice, and yes, there was definitely a breathless quality.
“You can’t fix the back now,” he said and took her hand. Tyler dragged her around the back of the float. “Not without an overhaul to the under chassis, and not in the next six or so hours. But,” he said and pointed with his free hand, “you can probably hook this one to the next float. Then you can either push it or lead it.”
Laura sighed at the simplicity of the solution. Leaning up, she pressed her lips to his cheek. “Thank you, Tyler,” she said heartedly and only then realized it was the first time she’d used his first name in conversation.
Last night she’d spent so much time trying not to call him Kamari, but uncertain about Tyler, that she’d ended up not calling him anything and refused to use his name all night. Laura mentally shook her head. Always had to be difficult, even with herself, didn’t she?
“No problem.” He grinned down at her.
“My hero.” She laughed and her heart flipped when he joined in.
“Your hero has a request,” Tyler said, slipping his hand into hers with an ease she only noticed because it felt ridiculously right.
Or she was losing her mind. Either way, she was definitely reading too much into it.
“Breakfast with the fair damsel who can cause distress?”
Cause distress? Oh. Because she’d dumped him for work. Smiling again, she tugged on his hand until he let go. She needed to talk to Hadley, let him know the solution. Laura waited until he hung up on his latest call before filling him in on Tyler’s suggestion.
; The three of them walked around the float, with Hadley nodding and making notes. Back at the front of it, Hadley turned to Tyler.
“Thank you, Mr. Kamari, I think it’ll work. If you’ll excuse me, I’ll get on this right away.” With that, Hadley disappeared into the small crowd of workers who had done their best not to be noticed and, no doubt, induce the further wrath of their boss.
Laura turned back to Tyler and held out her hand. “Breakfast?”
The restaurant was busy, nearly an hour after their original reservations, but everyone knew Laura and it wasn’t a problem to be seated immediately. Ordering from the menu instead of the buffet, she waited until their server disappeared to lean over the small table for two.
She never before liked the small two-person tables, sure they were intimate, but they were also small. And she was most definitely not. But now, sitting across from Tyler, Laura finally appreciated the intimacy of the seating arrangement.
“That was the perfect solution,” Laura told him as she stirred in a packet of the raw sugar into her coffee. “And it saved me a lot of trouble.” Grinning over her first cup of coffee she added, “Thank you again, Tyler.”
“You’re welcome,” he said. “And since I’m your hero, can I make a request?”
Nerves fluttered in her belly and Laura eyed him warily. She sipped her coffee to cover the nervous clearing of her throat. “I suppose so.” She looked up at him through her lashes and added softly, seductively, “What does my hero want?”
Tyler took her hand and toyed with her fingers. “Let’s play hooky. Like real hooky—let’s leave our phones in our rooms and be completely incommunicado.”
Laura sat back and blinked, but she didn’t remove her hand from his. “Hooky? Like in not work?”
Either he’d read her mind or had the same mad desire to spend as much time with her as possibly. Why, she asked herself for the hundredth time, had she said no to him before?
“Yup!”
Laura thought about it, about what awaited her on her desk, about the Napa Valley plans, and Sam’s ever present list.
Christmas Curvy: A Curvy Girl's Holiday Fling Page 4