by Kira Archer
“How?” Lena asked.
“Cherice was already kind of the black sheep, moving off to North Carolina, ignoring our parents’ wishes when it came to her job. But she didn’t really jump off the deep end and commit to what she wanted to do with her shop and everything until she met Oz.”
Lena nodded thoughtfully, her face softening at the mention of her brother. Elliot stared at her, wondering what it was about the Oserkowskis that seemed to inspire the Debussheres. There must be something there because his sister had completely upended her life and was about to march up the aisle to marry a mechanic turned aspiring journalist who had no prestigious ties anywhere in his family tree. And Elliot… He’d been thinking of making some major changes, yes, but Lena seemed to be lighting the fire under him to actually do it.
Lena’s forehead crinkled in thought. “Okay. So, why don’t you approach this differently?”
“What do you mean?”
“Instead of coming to them as their son with an idea for the family charity, approach them as the president of a charitable foundation, complete with a fully developed business plan or presentation. Make an appointment to see them with their assistants, if you need to. Show them you are serious, and they might take you a little more seriously.”
Wow. She didn’t pull any punches. If he didn’t know better, he’d swear he was in danger of blushing.
“I know I’m not really the kind of guy that most people take seriously. I guess I shouldn’t expect my parents to be any different.”
Lena’s eyes flared wide, and she shook her head, putting her hand onto his knee. “No, that’s not what I meant at all.”
Elliot froze, afraid if he made any sudden movements she’d remove her hand. He was beyond thankful that his resort-wear tastes leaned heavily on the beach bum look. Her hand rested on the bare skin of his knee, not an area he’d ever thought of as erogenous, but there now seemed to be a direct line of fire from his kneecap straight to his groin. If she gripped or rubbed his knee one more time, he would need to find more comfortable accommodations for his favorite body part.
She removed her hand, and he wasn’t sure whether to sigh in relief or beg her to put it back.
She was still apologizing, and he’d totally forgotten why. Oh! She thought she’d insulted him about the whole serious guy thing. Right.
“It’s okay, Lena,” he said, interrupting her. “I like to have fun. No point in being miserable, but when the occasion calls for it, I can get the job done. Of course, my parents don’t seem to think so. I think that might be why they keep shooting me down. I mean, expanding a charity is hardly a bad thing to do. But if they think it’ll be more work for them, they’ll oppose it.”
“Exactly. So you need to go in fully prepared to answer all their questions and show them you are serious about it.”
“Right.”
“So, first you need a rock solid idea.”
Elliot frowned. “Where do I get one of those?”
Lena laughed and the sound washed over him like the cool ocean spray—refreshing, invigorating, and completely addicting. He had the irresistible urge to make it his mission in life to make the woman in front of him laugh as often as possible.
“I’m not sure I’m the best one to help you with this. It’s obviously important to you. I’m kind of bad luck when it comes to business stuff.”
“I don’t believe in bad luck.”
She snorted. “Wait a while. We’ve just met. You hang around me long enough, and you’ll believe, trust me.”
He laughed. “Oh, come on. I’m sure if we put our heads together, we can do amazing things.”
Lena’s gaze flashed to his, and he let his lips stretch into a sexy grin. She bit her lip and looked down, a slight blush staining her cheeks. Good. She’d caught that little innuendo. The fact that he could affect her like that with only a few words sent a rush of adrenaline through him. What was she doing to him? The weird hyper-focus he had on her should scare the shit out of him. But it didn’t. Instead, it made him even more determined to get as close to her as possible.
She looked up to find him still staring at her. Caught red-handed, he had no shame. He kept right on staring. Her cheeks flamed hotter, but she didn’t look away. A smile to match his graced her amazing, full lips. Elliot’s breath hitched in his throat, and her smile stretched wider.
“Well. Let’s see what we can come up with then,” she said.
Elliot held out his hand. She hesitated for a second and then slipped her hand into his. It felt so small wrapped in his. Tiny, soft. But strong. Just like Lena.
He shook his head, a little startled at the thoughts running rampant in his mind. If he wasn’t careful, he was going to fall for her. Shouldn’t that thought send him screaming for the hills?
Somewhere during her conversation with Elliot, Lena realized she was having a good time. A really good time. Apparently, there was a lot more to Elliot than a gorgeous face and a body to drool for. In fact, despite the whole man-child act, he was surprisingly intelligent. Just thinking that made Lena cringe.
She once had a school buddy who had been totally shocked when report cards came out and Lena had straight As, because, according to the friend, Lena came off as a total airhead. That had stung. She liked to laugh and amuse people, but that didn’t mean she was a ditz. No more than Elliot liking to have a good time and not knowing anything about kids made him some immature party boy.
She stamped down the urge to apologize to him. The guilt at her snap judgment sat like an uncomfortable knot in her stomach. She redoubled her efforts to help him with his ideas.
They’d wandered back to the lounge chairs, and she sat on the edge of one before crossing her legs and facing him.
“So, you said you wanted to expand your parents’ charity, keep doing something with children, but more focused?”
His face lit up. “Yes. I know we could do so much more than we are doing now. Which is where I was hoping you’d come in.”
“Me, with all my great business ideas, huh?”
“Stop with the tone,” he chided, narrowing his eyes at her.
She smiled. Kind of hard not to when a guy who should be gracing the cover of some Sexiest Men magazine was staring down at her like a disapproving school marm.
“Sorry. I’ll try to keep all tone to a minimum.”
“See that you do,” he said with a little mock glower that had her stomach doing happy cartwheels. “Now, back to what I was saying. Yes, you with all your great ideas. Look, they might not have panned out, but you definitely have a knack for thinking outside the box. For seeing something that I wouldn’t even notice and turning it into this great possible ‘something.’ That’s what I need. A little spark of what you’ve got going on up here.”
He reached up and touched her temple, letting his finger linger to make his point. When he dropped his hand, his finger trailed down her skin for a second, but it was enough to make goose bumps erupt on that side of her body.
She realized she was sitting frozen, staring into his amber eyes. She tore her gaze away and looked down at her hands. “Well, I don’t know. Do you want me to start throwing ideas out there?”
“Yes,” he said, leaning back onto the chaise with his hands behind his head. “Throw away.”
Lena laughed. “Okay. Well, do you have a particular group of kids you want to help?”
“I know there are a lot of kids that need helping, but I’d like to do something that isn’t being done yet. I think I’d actually like to do something with foster kids. Maybe sponsor a summer camp. Or give them some sort of gift basket or care package when they move to a new home.”
“You know, that’s not a bad idea.”
“Really?”
The surprise on his face was beyond adorable. Lena fought to keep her mind on the topic at hand. “Really. I mean, not a gift basket.”
“No,” Elliot continued. “But something similar. Foster kids usually don’t have much, if anything, as they mov
e from home to home. Some kids only have a trash bag to haul whatever belongings they might have with them. And many of them first coming into the system have nothing at all.”
“That’s terrible.”
Elliot nodded. “So what can we do to fix that?”
Lena’s heart skipped a beat or two at the word “we.” She pressed on, the familiar excitement rushing through her with the onset of a new idea. “What if we took your care package idea but expanded it?” She sat forward, her hands starting to fly as she spoke. “You could coordinate with whoever is in charge of placing the children in homes, and when someone new enters the system, you can do something special for them.”
Elliot sat up, his intent gaze totally focused on her. “I love that idea. We can give them something of their own. They’d have their own things to take into a new home. That would not only give them their own stuff but would help out the foster parents as well, so they wouldn’t need to provide so much.”
“Yes! What if we got something like those large plastic bins? We could decorate them pretty, put the child’s name on it, and fill it with everything they’ll need.”
Elliot nodded. “Exactly. Like sheets, clothing, books, toys. Even toiletry items, brushes, toothpaste. So that when they go to their first foster home, and if they have to move to others, they’ve got their very own things to take with them, in a case that’s theirs alone.”
“That would be perfect!”
He grabbed her hands and pulled her into a quick hug. “It is. It’s simple, but something those kids really need and would love. And it wouldn’t cost much for each child, so we’d be able to stretch the money further. We could even get the community involved. People could sponsor a child. Volunteer to create the case and fill it with items. This is so good. Really.”
“It is!”
Elliot stood up and pulled her to her feet, yanking her in for another hug. This time it lasted a little longer. He let her go a little slower. Her excitement for their idea died away, replaced by a very different kind of thrill running through her. One she hadn’t felt in a very long time.
She looked up, met his gaze while his arms were still draped loosely around her. It would be so easy to lean in a bit, press the rest of her body to his, rise up onto her toes, and close the distance between their mouths.
Elliot leaned down a little, as if his thoughts mirrored her own. She knew she shouldn’t. But… One little kiss wouldn’t hurt…
She moved enough for her lips to brush his. He jerked a little in surprise but recovered quickly, tightening his hold on her to keep her against him. His mouth moved over hers with increased intensity.
Oh my God.
Lena trembled and pressed herself closer, every nerve in her body blazing in a flood of heat that left her head swimming.
Her watch alarm went off, and she jumped with a little squeak, her heart pounding in her chest. She slapped at the thing until she connected with the button that shut it off. Elliot laughed, but he didn’t let her go. He held her lightly enough that she could pull away if she wanted, giving her the choice.
She almost hated to make it, but she knew it was the smart thing to do. She drew away from him, but smiled to take the sting out of any rejection he might feel.
“I need to go pick up Tyler.”
“Ah. Well. May I escort you back?”
She looked back into those shining, eager eyes. How he managed to both make her want to laugh like a total goofball and shove him up against the wall with her tongue down his throat, all at the same time, was beyond her. Just talented, she supposed. And she knew she should say no. Business talk was all well and good, but more than that could be bad.
Then again, hell, it was just a walk, and she actually didn’t know where she was, so…
“Sure. I’d like that.”
Lena shoved the responsible-mommy part of her that was sending up warning flares and SOS signals down into some deep, dark box that she could ignore for at least a few more minutes.
Elliot reached out and took her hand, his brow lifting in a brief question. She should pull away. Her momentary lapse in judgment was already coming back to bite her in the ass. Because all she wanted to do was finish what they’d started. That small taste hadn’t been nearly enough. And if one tiny kiss could affect her this much, then anything more would be a colossal mistake. She should walk, no run, away.
Instead, she curled her fingers around his and tried to keep from taking his hand and rubbing her cheek over it like a cat scent-marking its territory. His thumb lightly caressed her skin as they walked. Each stroke was like adding a new butterfly to the mix already cascading through her stomach, fluttering uncontrollably at the mere touch of his skin brushing hers.
Good God, if she was finding it difficult to do normal things like breathe and hold a coherent thought in her head just because he held her hand, she could only imagine what it would feel like if he touched other parts of her. Bare skin to bare skin. She inhaled so quickly at the fantasy images flooding her head that it came out in a soft gasp, and Elliot looked down at her.
“You okay?”
“Yeah, fine.” Except for her cheeks, which were filling with enough blood to make her light-headed. “Must have swallowed a bug or something.”
Elliot grimaced. “I hope it was a mosquito. The damn things have been eating me alive.”
She grinned. “Me, too. Actually, here.” She stopped and reluctantly pulled her hand from his so she could dig around in her fanny pack.
Elliot peered into the recesses of the bag, eyes narrowed.
“What?” she asked, pulling out a small tin container.
“I’ve been meaning to ask why you carry that thing. What could possibly be important enough that you need to strap that monstrosity onto your body?”
From someone else, that might have hurt her feelings. But there was no malice in Elliot. He might be poking a little fun, but somehow he exuded enough good will that you could tell he was having fun with you, not at you. There was a huge difference. And besides, she was well aware of how unfashionable the Mommy Pack was, as Tyler called it.
She held up the tin. “So I always have stuff like this on hand, for one. I have a kid. I used to carry around a purse large enough to pack half our house in. Okay, I still carry that thing around, but for trips such as these, the pack works great. I’ve got baby wipes, hand sanitizer, sunscreen, tissues, a little bottle of water, tweezers… Well, you get the point. It’s always better to be prepared.”
Elliot was laughing, though his eyes looked slightly glazed over. “And what is that stuff?” he asked, pointing at the tin she was opening.
She scooped a little of the ointment onto her finger. “Bug bite remedy.”
“You made this?” He took the tin from her and sniffed it.
“Mmm-hmm. Just some coconut oil, a little olive oil, and some other essential oils. Works better than any store stuff I’ve found.”
“It actually smells pretty good. You sure this won’t make them eat me more?”
She laughed. “No, I promise. Now where does it itch?”
He pointed to a few spots on his arms, and she applied the balm to the bites, taking her time as she did so. Not so slow that she was being obvious about it. She hoped. But long enough to enjoy the feel of his skin and the muscles beneath it. Such an intoxicating mix of soft and hard. She wondered how that skin would feel beneath her lips. She leaned closer. Her mouth actually parted slightly, like she would quickly lean forward and take a tiny taste.
She caught herself in time, before she did anything too humiliating. Barely.
She started to pull away, but Elliot’s voice stopped her. “You missed one.”
Lena glanced up. Elliot’s gaze burned into hers, and he closed the already small distance between them so she was nearly pressed against his body.
Her breath hitched, but she tried to force herself to breathe normally.
“Where?” she said, though it was more a whisper than an actual wor
d.
He pointed to a spot on his neck, just under his ear. She scooped a little more ointment out, and he leaned down so she could get to the bite. It put his face mere inches from hers, their breath mingling together while she tended to the bite. She rubbed the balm on it for much longer than necessary.
Elliot reached up and took her hand. She tried to pull away, heat burning her cheeks. But he didn’t let her. Instead, he pulled her even closer. Her startled eyes met his. He moved slowly enough that she could back away if she wanted. But she didn’t. Sweet Mother of all that was holy, she was very happy to stay right where she was. The responsible wench having a shit fit in her head could shut the hell up. No way was Lena turning this down.
Elliot smiled against her lips and whispered, “Thank you.”
She had half a second to wonder if he was thanking her for the bite balm or for letting him kiss her before his lips covered hers. It started gently, just a sweet kiss, a bare brush of his lips on hers. Even that small touch had sparks shooting through her, jump starting her heart. Then his hand came up to cup her face, his fingers threading into her hair, and he pulled her in closer, his lips increasing the pressure, moving with hers. His other hand tightened around her waist, drawing her in as close to him as she could get.
She leaned into him. His rock hard chest beneath her softer curves made her want to rub against him like a cat against a bedpost. If he kept up the magic his lips were working she’d be purring too. Her wrists trailed up his arms. She still held the bite balm, but she had no intention of breaking the kiss to put it away. She’d make do.
His lips parted, and he kissed her again, tilting his head for a better angle. His tongue flicked against her lips, and she opened for him, sucking in a sharp breath that ended on a quiet moan in the back of her throat. The noise spurred him on, and he crushed her to him, exploring every corner of her mouth, their lips moving together, tasting each other like they’d never get enough. Her heart raced, every nerve ending tingling. She wrapped her arms around his neck, rising onto her toes so she could get closer.