Hope Smolders

by Jaci Burton

  Okay, so this wasn't so bad. For the first thirty seconds anyway, until her thighs started burning. If it wouldn't have been such an embarrassment, she'd have stopped the damn thing and gotten off. But since there was currently some kind of fashion model with a centerfold's body walking next to her--wait, did Jane know her? She looked familiar, but Jane couldn't place her. Really light brown hair, full lips, and small, perky breasts. Obviously she hadn't had two kids, because this woman's thighs were perfect. Everything on her was perfect. And she was working her elliptical with the ease of a gazelle, the bitch. No way was Jane going to get off after--she looked at the timer--four and a half minutes.

  Jane had set her program for twenty minutes.

  Twenty minutes? Was she insane?

  God, she was going to die on this thing.

  She tried to focus on the television. Something sports-related was on. Ugh. She couldn't focus. Sweat pooled and ran like a river down her back and between her breasts, and she was pretty sure she'd lost all feeling in her thighs and calves. She had no idea how she was continuing to walk. She took a quick glance over at the centerfold, who glanced back and had the audacity to smile at her.

  "Jane Smootz?"

  The woman knew her maiden name. "I used to be, but now it's Jane Kline. I'm sorry, you look really familiar to me."

  Another smile. Not fake, but genuine. "We went to high school together. I'm Emma Burnett."

  "Emma. Of course. I'd heard you were back in town." She could barely breathe, while Emma was walking along like she did this every day. Hell, she probably did do this every day. And did she have to be so damn gorgeous?

  "I am. I bought out Dr. Weston's vet clinic. I've been working to get everything ready to reopen it and I've hardly had any time to get a workout in."

  Right. Like it looked as though she didn't work out. "Glad to have you back in Hope."

  "Thanks. I'm really excited to be here. So, you're married?"

  "Divorced, actually."

  "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that."

  "It's okay. It's been a couple years since the divorce. But I have two great kids."

  Again, that charming smile that made her look even more beautiful. Could you hate and like someone simul-

  taneously?

  "Two kids? That's awesome, Jane. Congratulations. How old are they?"

  Emma continued to engage her in conversation, forcing Jane to try to work this elliptical and breathe and talk at the same time. But it did help pass the time, and before she knew it, her timer beeped and her hideous workout was finished. She moved her nearly immobile legs off the elliptical.

  "I guess I should move on to the weights," Jane said while huffing and puffing. And sweating. In the meantime, Emma looked like a catalog model for perfect fitness.

  "It was great to catch up with you," Emma said. "If you have any pets, I'd love to see you at the clinic once we open."

  "No pets, though Ryan and Tabitha keep pestering me about a dog."

  Emma grinned. "Well, kids and dogs. They kind of go together, you know."

  "So they keep telling me. See you around, Emma."

  Jane went and grabbed a cup of water, downed it in three very unladylike gulps, then swiped the sweat from her neck with a towel and limped over to the weight machines.

  She wasn't sure she had any energy left to lift more than the towel in her hand, but she set it down and tried the chest press, keeping the weight low.

  Not bad. Not impressive to anyone but herself, but at least she was doing something.

  She was on her third set when she saw Will come in.

  Crap.

  He hadn't seen her, and he went right for the treadmill. She watched him as he stopped to greet a few people he knew, then he set his machine, plugged in his earbuds to listen to some music, and began to walk, slow at first as he warmed up, then faster, finally settling into a comfortable run.

  Where she was clunky and out of shape on the machines, he seemed a part of his, running fluidly, his muscles hard with tension as he ran. She was so lost in watching his arms flex and the tightening of his calf muscles that she got lost and forgot she'd been hogging the chest press until an older man came up to her and asked her if he could work in with her.

  "Oh. I'm so sorry. I'm finished here and guess I was daydreaming."

  She climbed off the machine and looked around, trying to figure out where she could hide so Will wouldn't see her.

  Or, she could be an adult and go talk to him instead of avoiding him like she'd been doing for the past two weeks.

  She hovered around a couple machines, watching him while he finished his run. When he got off and swiped the sweat off his brow, heading for the water, she met him there. He looked surprised to see her.

  "Jane."

  "Hi, Will. I don't mean to disrupt your workout."

  "It's okay. What are you doing here?"

  She offered up a half smile. "Fumbling my way through a few of these machines."

  He glanced around the room. "Need some help?"

  Leave it to him to give her an out. "That'd be great. Thanks."

  She told him what she'd already worked on. He took her past the machines and into the free weight room.

  "I'm not sure I'm ready for these. The elliptical nearly killed me."

  "Yeah, I hate that damn thing. I avoid it."

  "That makes me feel better."

  "We'll start with really light weights and you can do multiple reps. I don't want you to get hurt."

  The way he said it, the way he looked at her, made warmth coil low in her belly. "Thanks."

  He walked her through a workout that made her feel good--made her feel strong. By the time she was finished, she felt like she'd worked every body part. And he lifted alongside her, with much heavier weights of course, so she got to see his muscles flex, which was a nice bonus.

  "Do you need to go pick up the kids?" he asked as they left the weight room.

  "No. Actually, they're both spending the night elsewhere."

  "I see. So, you have a free night tonight."

  "Yes."

  "That's nice."

  He wasn't going to let her off the hook quite that easily. She was going to have to eat a little crow, which she deserved. "Will, would you like to go out with me tonight? If you don't have anything else going on?"

  His lips curved. "I'd like that."

  Her already shaky legs wobbled just a little more. "Great. I'm going to head home and take a shower."

  "I'll pick you up in an hour. I don't know about you, but I'm starving."

  For the first time in a while, she felt relaxed. And eager. "Me, too."

  She dashed home and into the shower, then grabbed a pair of jeans and a silk T-shirt she was certain Chelsea would approve of. She slipped on a pair of fancy sandals, and was just putting the finishing touches on her hair when Will rang the doorbell.

  She opened the door and inhaled his crisp, just-showered scent. "Hi."

  "Hi. You ready to go?"

  "Definitely."

  "I thought we'd eat local tonight. There's a new Italian restaurant that opened up here in Hope and I thought we'd give them some business."

  "I saw that sign go up last week. Sounds great."

  New business was always something exciting in Hope. The parking lot was full because, like them, folks in town tried to check out new restaurants. There was a line waiting for tables, and the owners were enthusiastic and welcoming. And oh, the place smelled fantastic, which was a very good sign. After about fifteen minutes they were seated at a charming table by a window.

  One of her former students scurried over to take their order, another girl trailing behind her.

  "Mrs. Kline," she said. "How are you?"

  The one thing about small towns was you couldn't escape running into someone you knew. "Hi, Melanie. Nice to see you. Are you still on school break?"

  Melanie gave Will the once-over, and then grinned. "Yes, ma'am. I'll be heading back to school in about a week, b
ut since the Serranos are friends of my parents and their restaurant is new, I'm picking up a little extra money before I go by helping them train the new staff. This is Tina, by the way. She's the trainee."

  Will and Jane both said hello to Tina. Jane didn't recognize her, so she wasn't in any of her math classes.

  "That's right," Jane said to Melanie. "I remember you used to work at Bert's when you were in high school."

  Melanie nodded. "And I waitress part time during the semester in college."

  "How's it going at Oklahoma State?"

  "Great. Still making A's in all my math classes, thanks to you."

  "That's good to hear. You always were one of my best math students. Have you decided on a major yet?"

  "I'm in premed right now."

  She always knew Melanie would go far. "Excellent. Your parents must be so proud of you."

  Melanie beamed. "Thanks. What can I get for you two?"

  "I'll just have iced tea."

  "Same here," Will said.

  "I'll be right back. Our special tonight is chicken parmesan. Gail and Orlando make the best. Trust me, you'll love it."

  Melanie hurried off, and Will met her gaze. "A good student?"

  "A great one," she said. "If they were all like her, my job would be so easy."

  He laid his menu to the side. "Now what fun would it be if it were easy?"

  She laughed. "Believe me, I'd love easy."

  "So would I."

  She closed her menu, too. "Did you have a challenging day?"

  "I've had several. You'd think living in a small town it would be quiet and boring here. But it hasn't been that way lately."

  "Hey, I drive on the highways. They're never quiet or boring."

  Melanie came back with their drinks. "Have you decided what you'd like?"

  "I'm going with the special," Jane said.

  "Ditto," Will added.

  Melanie scooped up the menus. "You won't regret it."

  After she left, Jane took a glance around. The place was packed and noisy, plus there was music. There was no time like the present to clear the air between them. She'd put it off long enough.

  "I'm sorry for avoiding you."

  He shrugged. "It's okay. You've been busy."

  "That's true. But I'm always going to be busy. That was no reason to ignore your calls. You were so nice to me and to Tabitha that night. And I was rude to you by not talking to you afterward."

  "I didn't expect thanks, Jane."

  "I know that." She looked down at her hands, clasped them together. "It's just that I have some issues regarding men and dating and I'm trying to work past them."

  He laid his hands over hers. "I'm in no hurry. We're not running a race here, you know."

  She lifted her gaze to his. "Thanks for being understanding."

  "Yeah, that's me. An understanding guy."

  She sensed the undertone there, that maybe this wasn't all water under the bridge, but she let it go when their salads and bread arrived. Hunger took precedence over everything, even a pissed-off man.

  After dinner, he took her to a movie. When was the last time she'd been to a movie that wasn't animated or rated G? She couldn't remember. He let her pick and she decided not to torture him by choosing the romance she'd been dying to see, instead selecting a comedy.

  It was a good choice. She laughed until her stomach hurt, clutching Will's arm during some of the really funny scenes. He laughed, too. It was a great movie and they left the theater arm in arm, talking about some of their favorite parts.

  "Thanks for picking that movie," he said as they climbed back into his car. "I'd been wanting to see it."

  "So you secretly hoped that was the one I'd choose."

  "Yeah. I was sending you psychic vibes."

  "Apparently you're good at it. I was going to choose the romance."

  He made a grimace. "Really?"

  "Would you have gone if I did?"

  At the red light, he turned his head toward her. "Of course. Why wouldn't I?"

  "Even though you would have hated it."

  "I didn't say I would have hated it, but it wouldn't have been my first choice."

  She laughed.

  "There's a new club in Tulsa that plays country. Do you like country?"

  He was being so nice and entertaining. But she wanted to be alone with him. "How about we go back to my place. I can play some country."

  He gave her a look. "Yeah? You know any moves?"

  She arched a brow. "I know a few."

  "All right."

  There was no way she wanted to waste any more time. She'd already wasted enough by being stupid and afraid. After they got to her place, she pulled out her keys and tried not to appear too anxious or in a hurry as they made their way to her front door. But her fingers fumbled with the lock. He put his hand over hers to steady her.

  "That's not helping," she said, staring at his hand.

  "What's not?" he asked, his body nestling very nicely against her--and her backside.

  "You. Touching me."

  He stayed right where he was. "So, you don't want me touching you?"

  "Oh, I most definitely want you touching me."

  "Then move your hand out of the way so I can get this damn door unlocked before we end up doing something indecent on your front porch."

  Her lips curved at that thought, and at how scandalized her neighbors would be. She moved her hand and his deft fingers--oh, she really liked the things his fingers could do--had the key turned and the door pushed open in a few seconds, his body propelling her inside.

  She flipped on the light, then turned around and took him by the hands, leading him into her living room. She grabbed the remote and turned on the TV, scrolling through until she found the music channels, selecting country.

  His lips curved. "You gonna show me your moves?"

  She held out her arms. "You don't really want me to line dance for you, do you?"

  He swept an arm around her and tugged her close. "Hell no. Not when I can hold you against me."

  They swayed together to the rhythm of the music, though she had to admit she had no idea what song was playing, whether it was a driving beat or something sweet and slow. All she knew was the length of Will's body pressed up against hers, and melting into the way he looked at her. And when he cupped the side of her neck and leaned in for a kiss, she was lost.

  And all those reasons for avoiding him seemed so stupid, because she had been missing out on his incredible mouth, the way he teased her by brushing his lips across hers. He deepened the kiss and held her head with his hand, his tongue sliding in to possess.

  She felt dizzy, mesmerized with each stroke of his tongue against hers. She reached for his shirt, lifting it up so she could palm the warm skin of his stomach and stroke his rock-hard abs. They quivered under her touch and she moaned against his lips.

  Her world turned topsy-turvy when he picked her up in his arms and carried her to the bedroom.

  This was all very romantic. She couldn't remember ever being carried to the bed before. If she knew how to swoon, she'd be doing it right this moment.

  He flicked on the light switch, then set her on the bed and drew his shirt over his head. She took a moment to admire that view of him with his jeans hanging low on his hips, the dark swirl of hair disappearing into his jeans.

  And as she gazed at his erection pressing against the tight denim of his jeans, she licked her lips and lifted her gaze to his.

  He moved toward her and lifted her top off.

  "Nice bra," he said, teasing the swell of her breasts with the tip of his finger.

  She'd bought new underwear on the off chance they might get to do this again. Now she was glad she did, because the look of appreciation on his face was well worth it. And the light touch of his fingers was causing her heart to beat faster. When he dipped his fingers inside her bra to tease her nipples, she gasped and arched against him.

  Will thought there was nothing as beautifu
l as the sight before him. Jane's body was flushed with desire, her nipples tight, hard points against his questing fingers. He flicked the front clasp of her bra and separated the cups, baring her to him.

  She leaned back and let him pull the straps down her arms. He leaned over her and put his lips over one crest.

  She tasted sweet and soft, the sounds she made as he covered her breast with his hand and sucked her nipple into his mouth making his cock throb.

  Everything she did made him hard. She was beautiful and honest in her expressions, giving him everything, watching him as he pleasured her, her curiosity as natural as what the two of them were doing.

  He pushed her back on the bed and undid the button on her jeans, then drew the zipper down, his fingers brushing her soft skin as he pulled her jeans over her hips and legs.

  Man, he really liked her legs. After he dropped her jeans to the floor, he lifted one of her legs and pressed a kiss to her calf, smoothing his hand over her thigh. Her eyes glazed and her lids partially closed. Her breasts rose and fell as her breathing deepened.

  Yeah, he liked watching her body. All of her body, especially her eyes as he put her leg down, leaned over her, and mapped a trail over her skin with his lips. Her eyes were windows, showing everything she felt. The blue would go dark and stormy when she was mad or turned on, then bright and sparkly when she was laughing. He could get lost in her eyes--hell, in all of her. He was a goner whenever he was around her. Her skin was like silk and he couldn't get enough of touching her, tasting her, breathing in her scent. She smelled like fresh strawberries, and he put his lips on her, wanting to lick her all over. He started at her hip bone and worked his way up over her ribs. She giggled--ticklish there--but she definitely didn't laugh when he covered her right breast with his mouth and took a long, slow suckle.

  She grabbed his head and held him in place while he licked and sucked. He reached down and slid his hand over her sex. Even through her panties she was damp. He caressed her, teasing her. She arched her hips against his hand, whimpering, her hands grabbing the covers.

  His dick pounded in answer.

  He moved down, kissing her belly, sliding his tongue in her navel, then moving lower. Here, her scent grew more exotic, sweet and musky, and he couldn't wait to taste her, to take her right to the edge and watch her fall over.