by Leigh, Jo
DANI HURRIED DOWN the stairs. She found it hard to believe that just having a male body in the house was so disconcerting. Darn those pesky hormones. They certainly were persistent little rascals. Even during that brief and completely harmless conversation, she’d been aware of her rapid pulse, the heat in her flesh, the clench in her tummy. All signs of sexual arousal, which, although inconvenient and slightly embarrassing, were as natural and as meaningful as a hiccup.
It really had nothing to do with Alex himself. He could have been any guy she wanted to sleep with.
She stopped short, just shy of the kitchen. That last thought had been backward. It was biology that made her think of sex with Alex. Not her interest in him that kicked her hormones into gear. Very important distinction.
“Why are you standing there?”
Chloe’s voice startled her and she realized her daughter was standing only a few feet away. Her long blond hair was wet from her bath, but combed neatly. Instead of the green painted dress, she wore her white frilly nightgown, the one she saved for special occasions. There was still a hint of green on her arms, but Dani figured one more good bath and that would be gone.
“I thought dinner was ready,” Chloe said. “Is he going to eat with us? I saw three places set at the table. What are we going to talk about? Do I really have to be nice?”
Dani continued walking into the kitchen, confident that Chloe would keep up with her. There were unanswered questions in the room, and Chloe couldn’t stand an unanswered question.
“Please pour the water, Chloe, and put the salad dressing on the table.”
“But—”
Dani turned to her daughter, amazed as always that she was already so tall at eight. Of course her father was six foot four. “Dinner is ready. Mr. Bradley is going to eat with us. We’ll talk about whatever he wants, because he’s our guest. And yes, you really do have to be nice.”
“I appreciate the being nice part,” Alex said, rounding the corner. “But we don’t have to talk about what I want to. As a matter of fact, I’ve been awfully curious to find out more about that mural.”
Chloe spun around as Dani tried to calm her heart. He’d surprised her, that’s all. Nothing more.
“You don’t care about the mural,” Chloe said. “You’re just trying to be nice to me, aren’t you?”
“Hmm.” Alex studied the girl and Dani could see he was struggling not to smile. “Nope. I really hadn’t thought about being nice. But I will if you like.”
Chloe crossed her arms over her chest. “You needn’t bother. We won’t know each other long enough for it to matter.”
Alex looked at Dani. “Needn’t bother?”
It was Dani’s turn to grin.
“It’s proper English,” Chloe said, her voice holding just a hint of a worried question.
“That’s right,” Dani said. “It is.”
“I see I’m going to have to be on my toes around here, aren’t I?” Alex said. “Watch my split infinitives. But I am still interested in the mural, regardless of the length of our acquaintance.”
Chloe’s arms dropped and she turned toward the fridge. “I just thought a mural would be nice there. That’s all.” She got the water pitcher and walked to the table. She filled each of the three glasses, concentrating hard.
“Are you interested in other forms of art?” Alex asked.
Dani didn’t hear any condescension in his voice. Either he was a very good actor, or he was actually curious. She hoped for the latter, but expected it was the former. “Please sit down, Mr. Bradley. Everything’s ready.”
Chloe put the water back and brought out three bottles of salad dressing and placed them in the center of the table. Then she sat down. “I’m interested in all forms of art,” she said, sounding like the thirty-year-old her mother suspected was trapped inside the little girl’s body.
“I am, too,” Alex said. “I have a small collection of original pieces at my place. Maybe sometime you’ll come out and see them.”
“Where is your place?”
“New York. At least it will be in about a week.”
Dani brought the meat loaf to the table and got busy serving. She was grateful that Chloe was carrying the conversation. It was much easier being a spectator than a player. At least with Alex.
“What kind of a collection?” Chloe asked.
“It’s pretty eclectic. I’ve got a small Rubens, and a couple of Andy Warhol soup cans. A few other modern painters, but mostly I’ve concentrated on the French Impressionists.”
“Mom has a Monet print in her bedroom.”
Dani looked up just in time to see Alex react to the fact that Chloe knew about the French Impressionists. How she knew, Dani didn’t know. But after living with her for eight years, Dani had just learned to accept her little genius for what she was.
“I see,” Alex said, keeping the shock from his voice quite admirably. “Do you like it?”
“It’s okay. I like the Hopper in her office better.”
“Hopper,” he said, almost to himself. “Night Hawks, right?”
Chloe smiled. A genuine smile. An approving smile. “You know him?”
“I do.”
“You like him?”
“I’ve got two lithographs of his.”
Chloe nodded, then turned to Dani. “When can we go to New York?”
Dani laughed as she sat down. “Not this evening. You have homework.”
“I’m not joking. Mother. I want to go see his collection. He invited me.” She turned to Alex. “Didn’t you?”
Alex nodded. “I invited both of you. You’re welcome anytime.”
Chloe stared at Dani once more. “Well?”
“We’ll discuss it later. Eat your meat loaf.”
“It’s very good,” Alex said.
Dani saw he’d already eaten a good portion of the meat, as well as the mashed potatoes, the green beans and his salad. It had been a long time since she’d had a man over for dinner. A healthy, active man, that is. With a healthy man’s appetite. “Thank you. There’s more, when you’re ready.”
“I don’t get a lot of meat loaf at home,” he said. “Don’t know why.”
“You don’t cook for yourself, do you?”
He shook his head. “It’s a good thing, too. I’m hopeless in the kitchen.”
“I’ll bet you’ve never tried. Never had to, right?”
“No, I never have.”
She knew he was looking at her, waiting to catch her gaze. She wasn’t being nice. It wasn’t his fault he’d been born with a silver spoon in his mouth. But dammit, she had no patience for people who couldn’t take care of themselves.
The doorbell rang, giving her a perfect excuse to get up from the table. “Excuse me,” she said, although she should have said, “I’m sorry.” Hadn’t she just told Chloe to be nice to the guest?
She walked to the front door and opened it. Caroline Tully, a woman Dani hardly knew, stood in front of her. She was dressed to the nines in a tight red dress, high heels and enough makeup to last for days. She also held a casserole dish in her hands.
“Hi, Dani,” Caroline said, peering over her shoulder.
“Hello.”
Caroline finally glanced at her. “Is he here?” she asked, her whisper conspiratorial.
“Who?” Dani asked, although she knew perfectly well.
“Him. Alex Bradley. I heard about it this afternoon. I can’t believe it. Where is he?” Not waiting for an invitation, Caroline stepped inside, brushing past Dani. “I just thought, well, with you being busy at the clinic and all...”
Dani closed the door and followed her unexpected visitor to the kitchen. She had to slow as Caroline spotted her prey.
“I just thought that I’d bring over this little old dinner. In case, you know. That you didn’t have time for cooking, what with you working so hard and all.”
“Thanks for the thought,” Dani said, trying hard to control her temper.
Caroline stoo
d still, staring at Alex Bradley and pushing out her cleavage.
Alex stood up, smiling.
“Aren’t you going to introduce us?” Caroline whispered in a pseudo-Marilyn Monroe breathy tone that made Dani want to pinch her.
“Alex Bradley, Caroline Tully.”
“How do you do?” Alex said.
Caroline giggled. Dani sighed. She should have been prepared for this. The women of this town were never going to let an opportunity like this get past them. Caroline might be the first, but she certainly wasn’t going to be the last. Dani might not have to cook again for six months. They were all going to be dressed up. Wearing makeup and tight dresses. Showing off their bonded teeth, their feminine giggles. Every one of them hoping against hope that the Sexiest Man in the World would get one look at them and never want to leave.
They didn’t get it. Never would, probably. There was nothing and no one in this little town that would make a man like Alex Bradley stay. Nothing at all to keep him here. He’d leave. Oh, yes. He’d leave.
Chapter Four
Alex sized up Caroline Tully in five hot seconds. Single, probably divorced. No kids, but the biological clock ticking away. Dated the popular boys, but married the one with potential. Left him when his job dead-ended. Looking for a mate.
Of course he couldn’t ask her how much of his prognostication was correct, but maybe Dani would tell him later. His gaze switched to his hostess. She was scowling at her visitor. Interesting. Was it because Caroline just dropped by, or because she’d dropped by to see him?
“I read the article about you in the World,” Caroline said. Her voice was all wispy, as if she’d had a serious case of TB at some point.
“I plead the Fifth,” he said. “I take no responsibility for their exaggerations.”
Caroline took a step forward. “I see now they didn’t do you justice.”
Alex had to struggle not to roll his eyes. He looked at Chloe as a diversionary tactic, and she rolled her eyes. It was difficult not to laugh.
“I hope you like mango and lime glazed Cornish hens,” Caroline said.
“It sounds wonderful,” Alex said, clicking back into polite mode. He reached for the casserole dish. “Let me take that from you.”
As he took it, he felt two fingers, one from each hand, brush his. But instead of reacting to the very overt sexual ploy, he thought immediately about another touch. His gaze moved back to Dani. With her touch, he’d crackled like a live wire. Caroline’s was just a dead end.
However, he’d not been raised by wolves, and as he put the food down, he held his chair for the guest. “Care to join us?”
“Actually,” Dani said, stopping Caroline before she could get a word out. “We were just finishing here, and I promised to take Alex to the clinic.” Dani moved close to Caroline, and put a friendly arm around her shoulder. She hooked the taller woman in a semicircle and started her toward the door.
“But—” Caroline turned her head to look back at Alex.
“Very nice meeting you,” Alex said. “And thanks for the chicken.”
They were already at the door, and Dani had it open. She didn’t exactly shove Caroline out, but she didn’t pussyfoot around, either. In two shakes, the door was swinging closed. Alex heard Caroline call out, “Cornish game...” and then she was gone.
When Dani turned, the scowl had been replaced by a very satisfied smile. She walked back, her step just a little bit jaunty.
“Your best friend?” Alex asked.
“Hardly. I’ve barely said two words to her.”
“But she went to so much trouble for you.”
“For me? Come now, Alex. Don’t be coy.”
“Me? Coy? Never.”
Dani took her seat again and Alex followed suit.
“This isn’t going to be the last time someone drops by, you know,” she said.
“That seems quite neighborly.”
“Ha! There are quite a few single women in this town, Alex. And each and every one of them is at this moment frantically going through her collection of Martha Stewart recipes trying to figure out what would impress a man like you. Mango and lime glazed hens. Sheesh.”
He didn’t say anything for a moment. He just watched her. She was jealous. Nothing life threatening, but it was there. He’d like to think it was because of their almost-kiss. Because of the electric touch. But he wasn’t a hundred percent convinced. It might just be territorial, and not personal. Time to make sure. He held out his plate. “I think I will have some more of that meat loaf.” She took the dish and served him another piece. As she passed it back, he made sure his fingers touched hers. Whammo. Another lightning bolt. He felt it all the way down to his toes. Her eyes widened and her cheeks suffused with that wonderful pink blush of hers.
Suddenly he wasn’t in the least bit hungry. Not for food, anyway. He wanted to find out just exactly what was going on here. Why his physical response to this woman, this veterinarian from this little tiny town, was lighting him up like a Christmas tree.
“May I be excused? I have better things to do than watch you two flirt.”
Alex looked at Chloe. Then at her mother.
“We are not flirting,” Dani said quite firmly.
“No? I saw him touch you. I watched you blush. Then you looked down and fluttered your eyelashes like this.”
Chloe demonstrated, but Alex thought she went a little too far.
“According to the ‘Discovery Channel,’ that’s combining phase one and two of the courtship ritual.”
“No more TV for you, young lady,” Dani said, her flush brighter than ever.
“Hey, that’s an educational channel. You’re the one always pushing me to use my TV hours wisely.”
“Well, I was wrong. Don’t watch anything. Paint. Read. Cure male-pattern baldness.” Dani stood up. “You’re excused, you little troublemaker. Go do your homework.”
Chloe shot from her chair, and for a moment, she looked like a perfectly ordinary little kid running to her room. But Alex knew she was nothing of the kind. He realized then who she reminded him of. Ted. She was a female, very miniature version of his majordomo. Of course she didn’t look like him, but damn if she didn’t behave like him.
“You think she was right?” he said, now that he was alone with Dani.
“No,” she said, her vehemence practically knocking him off his seat.
“Does the lady protest too much?”
Dani took her plate and Chloe’s to the kitchen without responding. But when she came back, she looked him straight in the eye. “I do not protest too much. You’re here for a couple of days, max. Then you’re off to the big city and your important life, and your supermodel girlfriends. I think it’s probably a wise idea to remember that while you’re in my home. I don’t think one less notch on your belt is going to destroy your overall average. So let’s keep it light, shall we?”
“A notch on my belt?”
“How you keep score isn’t relevant.”
“What makes you think I keep score at all?”
He didn’t care for the look she gave him. Impatience mixed with censure. No, he didn’t like it one bit. He rose and walked to her. Close. She didn’t back away, he’d give that to her. But that’s all.
“Look, Dr. Jacobson. Despite your utter contempt for whatever lifestyle you imagine I have, I am not the one who stood on tiptoe, who wanted a kiss so badly I could have felt the pull from across the state line.”
“I didn’t—”
He silenced her with his hungry gaze. God, he wanted to kiss her. Kiss her long and hard. Taste that sweet mouth of hers and feel her breasts against his chest. He felt himself harden. He wanted her to feel that. To know what she did to him.
But he didn’t do a thing, except let her know that he was completely aware that keeping it light was impossible.
She knew it, too. He could see it in her eyes, in the lift of her brows. Then she touched her lower lip with her tongue, and there were absolutely no d
oubts left.
“I thought you wanted to go see Pete,” she said, her voice suddenly much lower. Much breathier, although nothing like Caroline’s asthmatic wheeze.
“I do,” he said, not missing the changes in his own voice.
“So let’s go.”
“okay.”
She didn’t make a move. He didn’t, either. He just kept staring at her. His gaze swept over every inch of her face, memorizing every millimeter. She had a small scar on her right temple. Barely noticeable. Maybe a quarter of an inch. His hand moved toward it and he brushed his thumb against the little imperfection that seemed, somehow, to make her even more beautiful. As he made contact, Dani’s eyes closed. She leaned into his touch, and again the urge to kiss her washed over him powerfully. If she stayed this way one more second, he wouldn’t be responsible for his actions.
But she opened her eyes and moved back just enough to break the connection between them.
“I fell off my bike when I was a girl,” she said.
He nodded. “I would have liked to have known you, then.”
“You would?”
“Yes. I bet you were a lot like Chloe.”
She shook her head slowly, still staring at him as hard as he was staring at her. “I was never that smart.”
“No? Why don’t I believe that?”
“It’s true.”
“But you were just as headstrong, weren’t you?”
She nodded.
“Still are, for that matter.”
“Worse.”
He smiled and was rewarded by her lips turning up at the corners. He could see a hint of her even white teeth, and a small dimple very close to her mouth. Her very seductive mouth.
“Pete,” she said.
He nodded absently. “Headstrong and beautiful.”
Her eyes widened just a hair. “I’m not.”
“Not what?”
“Beautiful.”
“You’re kidding, right? Of course you are.” The second he’d spoken the words, something shifted. She pulled back. It wasn’t a physical move, but an emotional snap. The invisible tie between them was severed in an instant, and although she was still close enough to kiss, the welcome mat had been snatched away.