by Rachel Cross
“Yes?” Kate leaned in the car door.
“Promise me you’ll give Alec a chance if it comes to that?”
“After tonight’s experience? Ha!”
“Promise!”
“‘Night, Ava.” She shut the door with a grin, walked up the path and let herself in to her silent cottage.
Chapter 11
It had been a week since the rescue. Back in Cielito for the past two days, Alec looked for her every morning while he surfed. This morning the ocean was laughably flat. No one in their right mind would be out trying to surf an ocean that was lake-like in its calm. He sat astride his board, the early morning sun reflecting off the blue sea. If he did see Kate this morning, what explanation could he give for being out in such poor conditions? Why didn’t he call her? This attempt to bump into her was a bust and he couldn’t put off his meetings in LA tomorrow.
He spotted her then. Running. Loose red hair gleaming in the morning light, neon pink shoes in motion. His heart gave a leap. Even at this distance, he could see when she spotted him. He put a hand up, she waved in response. Turning his board toward shore he lay down, paddling hard.
“Morning.” He pulled his board from the water as she ran up.
“Hi.” She stopped, breathing hard. “I was hoping to see you. Doug Curley was discharged two days ago.”
“That’s awesome.”
“Yeah. He wants to thank you in person. I have his info at home,” she said, staring down at her feet.
“Yeah, yeah. Of course.” He nodded. “Do you have time to grab breakfast or something? I can get his info from you then.”
She hesitated. Her enchanting green eyes met his gaze, her face flushed, hairline damp. “Uh, okay,” she said.
There it was again, that little hitch in his chest. Odd. He usually felt lust a little lower.
“Want me to swing by after I clean up?” he asked.
“I’ll be ready.” She ran backwards for a moment, gave him a dazzling smile and headed back down the beach.
• • •
Almost two hours later, Kate watched Alec across the table on the patio of the sidewalk café, breakfast devoured, leisurely enjoying coffee and people watching. Hard to believe she could be so comfortable casually chatting with the guy she had jumped in a cab. He was funny and easy to talk to, just like he had been over dinner in New York. There was something about him. Granted, he was charming — charismatic even, but he had a sincerity about him. She’d been around charming men and distrusted them and she’d be willing to bet her father was charming. But instead of recoiling from him, she found herself falling further and further into the soft comfort of his voice.
What had Ava told her? Not to hold stuff against him that he couldn’t control?
A familiar face in a hooded sweatshirt and board shorts appeared, whizzing down the sidewalk on a skateboard in front of them.
He caught her eye and did a double take. “Kate!”
“Buzz. I haven’t seen you in ages.”
Buzz picked up his skateboard and clambered over the railing.
He leaned over to give her a hug. His lips puckered and Kate quickly averted her mouth, taking the kiss on the cheek. She shook her head. He hadn’t changed since high school. He pulled up a chair from a neighboring table; the smell of patchouli emanating from him widened her smile.
Kate introduced the two men. “I went to high school with Buzz. He works at Pizzatown and does some contracting jobs for a friends company. Buzz, this is Alec Sawyer — ”
“Yeah. I know who he is. Big fan, man. I heard you lived in town.”
The men chatted a few minutes, discussing everything from construction in the area to the coming swell generated by storms raging in the Pacific.
“So Alec, any chance you’ll get back in the biz?” Buzz played air guitar over the table.
Alec shook his head. “Nah. I just represent the talent now.”
As they talked, she watched a convertible red Mercedes pull into a metered parking spot across the street. The occupant didn’t emerge. Mercedes were a dime a dozen in this town, but lately she had been seeing that particular one everywhere, on her street, in town. The personalized plate read FIXNHRT. Fixing hurt? Maybe a therapist or psychiatrist. Strange what people put on their license plates.
Kate sipped her coffee. Pleasantly exhausted from her run and her shift, she lacked the energy to feel nervous or awkward with Alec. Her phone vibrated. She pulled it out and checked the number. Billingsly. She turned it off and stuffed it back in her pocket, frowning. Ever since that bad date, he had been leaving voicemails and sending text messages. The message he left last night was really over the top. How he could give her everything she could ever want, she just had to give him a chance. Was there a way to block his calls and texts? Ignoring him didn’t seem to be working.
“Kate, you ok?” asked Alec.
“Yeah, sorry, yeah,” she said, and Alec smiled, and turned back to Buzz.
She cast a surreptitious glance Alec’s way. God he was sexy. She must have relived that incident in the cab a hundred times since returning to Cielito. To make matters worse, he played a starring role in each and every one of her fantasies. He’d even crept his way into her dreams. She watched his beautiful mouth as he spoke to Buzz. Perfectly shaped lower lip, slightly fuller than the upper, quirked in an amused half smile as he listened to Buzz. It was impossible to see that mouth and not remember how it had stroked her own. Her fingers touched her lips reflexively. Alec’s gaze caught and held hers and the heat of arousal mixed with embarrassment crept over her. His smile turned knowing. She looked away.
He turned back to his conversation with her friend and she resumed her study of his features. Presumably he always had that five o’clock shadow, highlighting a strong jaw and enviable cheekbones. Even right after he had shaved, leaving for their appearance on the morning programs in New York, his beard was evident. Most men with that much scruff on their face were hairy everywhere. Not him, his arms only had a smattering of hair. It took her a moment to realize that deep-set, intense, bright-blue eyes were watching her with amusement, corners creased with laugh lines.
Dropping her gaze to his hands, she watched the long elegant fingers of his left hand flip and toy with a spoon. What was with his fingertips? She had seen a lot of deformities in the hospital. Advanced lung or heart disease often caused the fingers past the last joint to become rounded and bulbous or “clubbed”. That was not clubbing. She leaned closer, puzzled. He was giving his full attention to whatever Buzz was saying.
She studied his other hand resting on the table, the one without the spoon. No, the tips of his left hand were callused, but not the right. Now why would that be? She was on the verge of asking him about it when it came to her. Those were calluses from playing guitar. She gasped and both men turned to her. She covered the gasp with a cough and averted her gaze toward the street. He told her on the airplane that he didn’t play anymore. Hell, he’d just denied it to Buzz.
What a whopper!
A tall, thin blonde in a blue micro-mini, yellow fleece hooded sweatshirt, and tan Ugg boots clomped down the sidewalk.
The woman noticed Buzz and froze. Even from this distance, Kate could see her eyes widen and her face contort into a mask of rage. She stormed over, marching through the gate toward their table.
“Uh oh,” Kate whispered to Alec. He followed her gaze, sitting back in his chair.
“Madison!” Buzz greeted her with a shout of happy recognition, oblivious to what was so clearly written on her face. Kate and Alec exchanged wide-eyed looks. Her figure taut with thinly suppressed animosity, she strode to where they sat.
“You son-of-a-bitch,” she hissed at Buzz, eliciting curious stares from other patrons at the café.
“Babe,” Buzz sounded hurt, “what the hell? I haven’t
had a chance to call--”
“You didn’t tell me you lost the condom last night!”
“Whaaaa?” He was either too stoned or too clueless to catch her meaning.
“Last night? You failed to mention that your condom came off?” She was spitting fury. All other conversation on the patio died down. All eyes turned to the spectacle.
Slowly the light dawned for Buzz. “Yeah,” he said, stroking his chin. “It did come off. Wonder what happened to it?”
Kate was caught between horror and hilarity, mouth agape. Even Alec was leaning forward now, studying the couple.
“It was still in me!” she shrieked. “It came out at Zumba this morning!”
A snort of laughter escaped Kate. She clapped a hand over her mouth at the twin expressions of incredulity on the male faces.
Madison turned a scathing look on her.
Alec met Kate’s gaze, then he started to laugh, and didn’t bother to stifle it.
Madison glared at them both. “So. Not. Funny.”
Buzz was the picture of concern and confusion. “Can that even happen?”
“Asshole,” she spat and turning on her heel, she fled the patio.
The patio was silent.
“Seriously, Kate, can that even happen?” Buzz asked, shifting in his seat.
She shrugged. “I have no idea.”
“I know you don’t really know, like first hand,” Buzz responded. “But, like, as a nurse, have you ever heard of that happening … ” he trailed off as Kate shot him an incredulous glare. She could not believe he was alluding to that around Alec.
Alec turned a quizzical expression on her, then turned back to Buzz. Intercepting Alec’s look, Buzz said “Dude, I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know. Kate doesn’t put out. Hell, do you even date anymore, Kate?”
Kate sat stunned. The hot flush of embarrassment crept up her neck and then over her face.
Damn her fair skin.
“I date,” Kate replied. Recovering, but still flushed, she turned to Buzz. “Why don’t you ask our resident sexpert about disappearing condoms?” she said, gesturing to Alec.
“Damn man, it’s never happened to me.” Alec laughed, putting his hands up as if to ward off the series of questions he could see Buzz gearing up to ask.
Alec turned a wicked look on Kate, his teeth flashing and his eyes boring into hers. “But then again, condoms are a snug fit for me.”
Kate pursed her lips. She refused to laugh.
Buzz was oblivious.
“Later,” he muttered, obviously still puzzling over Madison’s bombshell, he picked up his skateboard and hopped back over the gate. Kate stood and walked to the sidewalk. She put a hand on his shoulder.
“She’s mad Buzz, but there’s no injury. Maybe call to apologize?”
He nodded, glum, and took off down the street.
• • •
Alec watched her standing at the gate. Probably reassuring the guy.
She was, as Asher said, ‘smokin’ hot’. He studied her from the top of her still-wet, thick curling hair to her pale pink toenails. His groin tightened. So much for hoping her effect on him had diminished.
She returned to the table and sat down.
“So, you don’t put out?” He didn’t believe it of course. Not for one minute. No one got to twenty-five, looking like she did, and stayed a virgin. Didn’t happen. He sat back and played with his spoon, flipping it, eyes on her.
She seemed taken aback, then blushed again. He watched her translucent skin pink up with fascination. Do I even know anyone who still blushes? He racked his brain. Nope. It was charming. He enjoyed reading every emotion as it crossed her face. People in his line of work prided themselves on keeping their cards close to their vest. He was surprised and delighted at being able to read what she was thinking in her expressive, green eyes.
She peeked up at him through her lashes and tugged on a strand of her hair. He almost groaned aloud as his body responded.
“He only knew me in high school.”
“You didn’t have a serious boyfriend in high school?” he asked, idly raising a hand and signaling the waitress for the check. He hadn’t meant to stay so long. There was a conference call he couldn’t miss in less than an hour.
“Not really. There wasn’t a lot of time.”
His attention snapped back to her. “Right. Because of your mom and your sister.” The smile he directed at her was gentle.
“Well, between that and school and things.”
“Hmmm. Yeah, but in college … right?” He watched her. There it was again, the downcast look, the hair tug, that half-embarrassed air he was coming to know.
“Kate?”
She glanced up, eyes wide and guileless. “Well, it was nursing school, which is mostly women … ”
He knew his face was registering astonishment.
Her gaze skittered away.
“Since you got out of nursing school?” Even he could hear the pleading is his tone. Don’t let her be a virgin. Her youth he could deal with, even her relative inexperience, she’d been on an airplane only four times for heaven’s sake, but virginity? No fucking way. He had never been with a virgin. Ever. The idea of someone of his experience with a virgin was ludicrous.
“It’s not something to be ashamed of,” she said, hotly, raising what he now knew were innocent eyes to his.
“I’ve dated. I just … I just wanted to wait for the right time,” she said, softly.
He muffled a groan but she heard it.
She stood. Hands fisted at her sides.
“Sit, please,” he said.
She flung herself back into the chair with a scowl as the waitress arrived with the check. Kate pulled out her wallet and tossed money on the table. He ignored the cash, stuffed a black credit card into the plastic tray and shoved it back toward the edge of the table.
He rubbed his hands over his face. He hadn’t been able to get her out of his mind since he met her. The incident in the cab fired up his libido and he fantasized about her constantly. Finding out she was inexperienced — no, more than that, a virgin — cooled his ardor. How did he extricate himself from this politely?
When he glanced up, he caught sight of her heading out the patio gate. A hissing breath escaped him and he called her name authoritatively. Patrons on the patio turned to stare at him. He’d be damned if he would give them another sideshow. She didn’t stop or turn back.
Damn it!
He pulled the credit card off the table, replaced it with cash and hastened after her.
His long stride ate up the pavement. He grabbed her hand and spun her toward him. Her eyes were so full of tears he doubted she could even see. He felt the bottom drop out of his stomach. Crap! Pulling her into an alleyway between buildings lined by plants, he tugged her into his arms.
“I’m sorry.”
She sniffled. He held her tightly to him and kissed the top of her head. He had to bend over to do it. How could someone so tiny have so much hair and why did the smell of her send another surge of lust through him?
“I’m an asshole.” He squeezed her, arms wrapped tightly around her curvy frame.
She didn’t argue.
“I knew you were sheltered,” he said. “I didn’t realize the extent of it.”
She drew back and looked up at him. “I’m not sheltered. No teenager who watches their parent die and assumes the responsibility of a child is sheltered. I’m a virgin.”
He grimaced.
“Stop doing that,” she growled.
He gave a half-laugh. “What am I doing?”
“Making faces and rude noises!”
Another laugh escaped him and he felt an unexpected surge of tenderness wash through him.
/> “It’s not that crazy. I wanted to wait for the right time and the right person. You try parenting a teenage girl and explaining why you can have sex and she can’t. Besides, a lot of guys don’t want to date a girl with as much baggage as I have, then or now — ”
“I have baggage,” he interrupted, “the whole Louis Vuitton set. Trust me, you don’t even have a carry-on.”
“But I do have baggage. And some of it now is this damn virginity,” she insisted, eyes peeking up at him through her mass of wavy hair.
He paused for a split second and stared down at her.
He yanked her up, hands cupping the firm swell of her bottom, got her to eye level and pushed her back against the wall, holding her there with his body. Lowering his mouth to hers, he kissed her, fierce, hard. Instant conflagration, just like in the cab. He leaned back and met her smoldering green half-closed eyes. Her arms went around his neck and tugged. Her open mouth pressed eagerly to his. She smelled of flowers and sunshine.
His hands moved up and down her body, fingers stroking her until she moaned her pleasure into his mouth. He moved his hips against her and felt her legs move restlessly against his. One hand went gently under her shirt and pulled her bra cup down until her breast filled his palm. He rolled the nipple lightly between his fingers and she went wild; her tongue lashed his, her thighs wrapped around his hips as she tried to squirm closer, using her legs to pull his hips against her, harder. A low noise rumbled through his throat. Pinching her firmly, she gave a cry of pleasure muffled by his mouth. He fisted a hand in her thick hair and pulled her toward him.
“You make me ache,” she whispered against his stroking mouth. His breathing accelerated, the kiss spun out of control.
A police siren shrieked up the street startling him. He pulled back, shocked.
They were in an alley for God’s sake.
He gently lowered her feet to the ground and set her from him to pull himself back together. He was shaking. She had never been so alluring.
“God you’re beautiful.” The words slipped out of him, unbidden.
She smiled shyly. “Well, I guess that answers that question.”