Work wasn’t her first choice of topics anyway. A broad smile crossed her lips. “Okay, you remember the time the freshmen class decided to pull that stupid prank and release ten chickens during midterm exams?”
He rolled his eyes. “I’d forgotten about that. I thought the best part was watching the freshmen trying to catch the damned birds and clean up the mess the birds made.”
She had to laugh at all the pranks they used to pull. “Yeah, but we had to come in on Saturday to make up that exam.”
“That did suck.”
Thinking about those times made her smile. “I think my worst prank involved you and your brother.”
His mouth gaped open. “Me? What did I do?”
“Don’t you remember after one track meet, Jake suggested we all head on over to the water tower and climb to the top?”
He groaned. “Yes. I can’t believe I went along with his crazy idea.”
“I think everyone did what Jake wanted to do.” Even me.
“The view from the top was great until the cops came.”
“I bet you didn’t get grounded like I did.” She finished off what was on her plate but kept her gaze on him. She loved how he was getting into the storytelling.
“Are you kidding? The old man made us do community service for a month after that.”
“Really? What did you do?”
Cal scratched his chest. “I agreed to sweep up after church and help weed the pathway in front of the rectory. I swear I was there for hours every Saturday and Sunday.”
“I bet you did a great job. And Jake?”
“He got off easy. He volunteered at the Y and helped run a basketball camp for little kids.”
She leaned back and smiled. “Your brother should have been a teacher.”
“I know, but I don’t think he sees how good he is with children. They all look up to him.”
When the tone turned serious, the conversation seemed to dry up. Cal jumped up and picked up the food. “How about I put this in your fridge?”
She’d been about to tell him to leave the food, and that she would take care of it, but she thought that would imply their time was up. She’d connected with Cal and wanted him to hang out. “Great.”
He disappeared with the food. The fridge door banged. “I’ve got some ice cream if you want to fix us some.” She hoped he’d get the hint.
“Okay.”
Yes! More door clanging occurred, and her mind wandered to how she could possibly get him in a position to kiss him.
“Did you hear Melanie’s niece arrived in town to take over the sex shop?” he said.
“No.” Ever since the owner had died, the store had been closing early. She hadn’t been able to get there with her busy schedule. While she kept her gaze away from all the fake cocks on the wall and the other paraphernalia associated with BDSM, she enjoyed their large selection of lingerie.
“Yeah. I welcomed her into town and found out her name is Casey Charles. She seemed like she could use a friend.”
She loved that he was always looking out for others. “I’ll be sure to stop on by.”
Her hands started to sweat just thinking about what she wanted to do with the wonderful Cal Martin. Perhaps Casey could give her a few pointers. She rubbed her palms over the ice pack to cool them off, but from the way it had turned mostly to water, the pack had to go back into the freezer. Dang. She picked up her crutches along with the ice pack and headed to the fridge. She rounded the bend just as Cal was coming out with the ice cream. They nearly collided. “Whoa.”
With his hands full all he could do was jump back. “Sorry.”
“It’s my fault. I should have mentioned I was coming in.”
“No, I should have been more careful.”
She burst out laughing. “You sound too much like me.”
He moved backward, set the bowls on the counter, and took the pack from her. “Let me take care of that.” He tossed it in the freezer probably figuring that was why she’d come in.
“Thanks.” Was this awkward or what? Maybe after they ate the ice cream, she’d just kiss him silly to get it over with. From the way he was looking at her, he wanted to kiss her, too.
He picked up the bowls. “Let’s eat this before it melts.”
She turned around and went back into the living room. He was about to sit in the chair opposite her when she patted the sofa. “Sit next to me.”
He glanced down as if he, too, wasn’t comfortable being with a woman. To her delight, when he sat their hips almost touched.
Be bold.
“So, Cal, you seeing anyone?” Her hands clutched the bowl so tightly she feared she might break the porcelain. She had to find out before making her move.
“No. You?”
No? Yes!
As unobtrusively as she could, she let out a breath. “When do I have time?”
He stuffed a big chunk of dessert into his mouth, and his eyes widened.
“Brain freeze?”
He nodded, swallowed, and opened his mouth. “Yes.”
What a cutie. Here was someone like her. She put down her ice cream, and he put down his bowl, keeping his gaze on her.
Go for it.
She wasn’t sure if she telegraphed her intent, but when she leaned forward, he cupped her face and kissed her. The pressure wasn’t too hard, nor was it too light. It was truly just right. His soft, pliable lips molded with hers, and electric pulses screamed across her body. She drew his shoulders closer, but when she tried to twist for more contact, her knee protested.
She pulled back. Streaks of pain radiated across her knee. “Pain.”
“Shit. I’m sorry. I didn’t think.”
“It was my fault.”
His gaze went from her face to her knee and back again. “Maybe I should go.”
No. “Give me a sec.” She’d messed this up, all because of the damned fall. “I’ll be fine.”
“Lana.”
“Okay, okay. I swear I’m getting better.”
That made him smile. “How about this? When you don’t need your crutches, we’ll go out on a real date.”
If she’d been able to, she would have jumped up and down with joy. “It’s a deal.”
He picked up her cell that was on the table. “I’m going to program my number into your phone. If you need food or anything, call me. Promise?”
She pulled him close and kissed him again, careful not to move her knee. “Promise.”
He got up. “I need to leave before I do something stupid and injure you further.”
There was nothing he could do to injure her unless it was to tell her wasn’t interested in her. “Tell Jake thank you for the dinner. I know you bought it, but it’s the thought that counts.”
“Sure. I’ll see myself out. Take care and heal real quick.” His cheeks dimpled.
As soon as the door closed, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes. She’d been so close to getting Cal Martin where she wanted him—in her bed.
* * * *
For the next three days, Lana was amazingly diligent about keeping off her leg and icing it. She had every reason to be good. Cal was waiting for her. She took a hot shower, making her knee feel quite good. It was time to give the old joint a try. The sex shop was only eight blocks from her house. While it was chilly, she dressed warmly and headed out. When, not if, she got Cal in bed, she wanted to wear something he couldn’t resist. The best place to buy something über awesome was at the Emporium. Now that Miss Melanie’s niece was taking over, she wondered if she’d change the name.
The sidewalks were clear, but she kept her pace slow and had worn low-heeled boots to avoid putting undue pressure on her knee. Being cooped up for days went against every inch of her nature and getting out in the fresh air reinvigorated her.
When she arrived at the store, she wondered if this Casey person would have changed anything. Nope. The store possessed the same enticing scent, which was a mixture of rose petals with a hint of lemo
n. The same worn, wing-backed chairs bordered the fireplace, and the lingerie sat on racks to the left. To the right, two men were bent over, hand-sanding long planks.
She stepped closer. “That you, Evan? Sin?” They’d gone to high school together. A series of tragic turns of events had caused them to be tossed from one foster home to the next, but despite their horrid upbringing, they turned out as nice as could be.
“Lana!” Evan rushed over and gave her a hug, while Sin, who rarely spoke, hung back.
“What you are you doing here? I mean, what are you going to do here?” She nodded to the beautifully crafted wooden shelves.
“Me and Sin are renovating the place.” His cheer immediately disappeared. “Seems Ms. Casey wants to put the store up for sale.”
What a shame. Cal had seemed excited about having another entrepreneur in town. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
Sin edged closer. “We want her to stay.”
Lorna rushed out from the back. “Hey, Lana. Good see you again. I heard you took a little tumble.”
Great. The whole town of Spirit seemed to have heard about her incident. “Yeah, but I’m fine now. I’m here to browse.”
“Glad to hear it. Let me know if you need any help.” Lana turned back to Evan and Sin. “Maybe once Casey sees how friendly everyone is, she’ll want to stay.”
Evan’s lips pressed together. “We’re sure going to do our darnedest to keep her here.”
She grinned. “I’ll let you two get back to work.” She held up her finger and winked. “No peeking.” She definitely didn’t want her purchases put up on Facebook.
Evan covered his eyes then turned around. As Sin twisted back to what he was doing, she caught his sly smile. If anyone could convince Casey Charles to stay, it would be those two.
Before she went on her quest to find the perfect panties and bra set, she sidled up to the counter where Lorna was processing receipts. “I heard Melanie’s niece came to town.”
“Casey. She’s a real doll.” As if she heard her name, a young woman came out from the back. She had long dark hair and real pretty light-blue eyes. Lorna introduced them.
While Casey was cordial, she looked a bit out of her element as if owning a sex shop hadn’t been one of her aspirations. Lana couldn’t blame her. If she’d inherited this place, she wouldn’t have known how to react.
Casey threaded her fingers together. “Is Lorna taking care of you?”
“Absolutely.”
Casey glanced at Lorna. “I need to check on something in the back.”
“Oh, Casey?” Lana called.
As if eager to have a conversation she turned around. “Yes?”
“I get together every Thursday night with some friends over at Fannie’s Old Time Saloon. If you want to share a drink and listen to war stories, stop on by.”
A radiant smile filled her pretty face. “Thanks. Maybe I will.” She turned and disappeared into the back.
She’d tried. Maybe Casey was just overwhelmed with her aunt’s death. To hear Melanie talk, Casey was the light of her life and vice versa.
With Casey out of sight, Lana headed over to the lingerie section. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to go with expensive and classy or expensive and trashy. Since it was Cal and not Jake she wanted to impress, she decided on the classy route.
She picked out three bra-and-panty sets. Decisions, decisions. Aw, hell. Since she couldn’t decide between pink, red, and black, she bought all three. In case Cal was available to go out tonight, she wanted to feel her best, not that he’d see her underwear. A girl could only get so lucky.
Making sure Evan and Sin weren’t watching, she went into the changing room and tried on the pink set. After twirling in the mirror and sucking in her stomach, she decided she looked hot.
She changed back and brought her purchases to the counter, where Lorna waved the wand over the price tag three times and took the proffered credit card.
On the counter sat several small spray bottles with a picture of a couple kissing on the label. “What does this do?” She loved new products.
“Oh, girlfriend. If you want fireworks to go off in the bedroom, then try this. Spray it on your tongue and you’ll be able to figure out what to do next.” Lorna laughed and winked. “Have your man try it, too. Comes in two flavors, strawberry and peach.”
A hint of color raced up her cheeks as she set two bottles next to her purchases. She was a plain vanilla type of girl, but she bet Cal might be game for something a little kinky, not that they’d get that far for quite some time. Just thinking about licking Cal’s cock got her hot. After she paid, she practically skipped out of the store.
On the way home, her knee gave her no problems. Boy, was she ready for action now. Look out, Cal Martin!
Chapter Four
Seduction was something that had to be planned, and timing was everything. So as not to let Cal think she was easy or that she’d had a crush on him for years, she decided she’d stop by the store and ask both men over for dinner. After all, Jake had not only saved her, but he’d brought over dinner, too.
Whether Jake would agree to come was anyone’s guess, but it was only right to ask. Not that she expected anything to happen right away, but since she believed in being prepared, she donned her new, pink lingerie set, a fairly tight sweater, and relatively new jeans. Pretending she needed a new pair of boots, she put on her old, ratty ones that she often wore when working in the yard and headed over to Martin’s Sporting Goods.
She stepped inside and saw the place was a madhouse. She knew Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays were their busiest days, but this was Tuesday and still it was crazy busy. She was happy for Cal and Jake.
Cal was at the cash register and looked a bit frazzled. When he spotted her, his face broke out into a grin, and her damned pussy gushed. Good thing she had on several layers of clothes because her nipples hardened as she drank him in.
She glanced around but didn’t see Jake on the climbing wall or on the ski simulator, the two places Cal said his brother liked to work. The line at the cash register was quite long, and the most recent customer had purchased a ton of items. Cal was taking his time, folding each piece neatly.
She skirted the line and came in next to him. “Need a hand?”
“Love one. Your knee good?”
“Yup.”
His eyes widened, probably because she was no longer using crutches, signaling they could go on their date. “Would you mind bagging, then? I know it’s not glamorous like facing a jury, but I sure would appreciate the help, as would these customers.”
The idea of doing manual labor actually appealed to her. To her surprise, she was quite deft at getting the purchases in the bag. As soon as Cal would finish ringing up a customer, the merchandise was set to go. Ten minutes later the line dwindled, and Cal leaned back against the counter.
“You were a godsend. If the store was empty, I’d kiss you.”
Her pussy clenched. She grinned. “I’d like to see you try.” She winked and darted out of his way, hoping for some miracle and he’d chase after her.
Just then, about six more people came in. Two of the newcomers were Josh Cooper and Rex Moore, who were old friends. Rex had paint down the front of his pants and all over his shoes. She had to laugh as both she and Cal went up to them.
“What happened to you?” Cal taunted him.
Josh poked Rex. “Guy is clumsier than a newborn cub. He kicked over a paint can and drenched his boots. We’re here for a new pair.”
Cal chuckled. “Looks like he poured the can over himself.”
“Watch it,” Rex warned.
He nodded to Josh. “How’s the reno coming?”
Lana had heard they’d purchased the derelict Silver Lodge and were turning it into a luxury lodge. Their grand opening was only a few weeks away, and they’d hired some English girl to help with promotion. She couldn’t imagine the work that entailed. When Lana was a kid, her dad had brought her to the hotel just to sit in th
e lounge on a cold day. She hoped these two could bring it back to its former glory.
“Slow, but we’ll get it done on time.”
Cal shrugged. “If you ever need a hand and if I’m not working, I’ll be glad to help.”
Josh nodded. “Appreciate it, man.”
They headed to the shoe department. Would Cal’s generosity ever cease to amaze her? Hopefully not. Two more customers came to the front desk to check out while Josh and Rex headed to the boot section. Cal jogged back to ring up the customers. Since she hadn’t spoken much to Josh in the last few years, she decided to chat. In high school, he was a scrawny kid with a big chip on his shoulder. Now look at him. Both he and Rex were broad shouldered and all grown up.
“Howdy, fellas.”
“Lana. What are you doing here?”
“Actually, I came in to get some boots myself when I noticed how swamped Cal was and offered to lend a hand.”
Rex waved a pair of boots. “How about seeing if they got this one in my size?”
* * * *
Jake plowed through the front door of the store and stopped in his tracks the moment he spotted Lana’s sweet ass sticking high in the air bending over some guy’s lap. He fisted his hands but immediately unclenched them. What the hell was up with that reaction?
You’re losing it, buddy.
Am not.
He was man enough to admit that Lana Dupree was funny, charming, and everything he wanted in a woman—in, say, ten years. The moment he’d seen her on the slopes looking vulnerable, something inside his head had snapped, but that didn’t mean he was interested in the responsibility of a relationship. No, siree. Not him. She was too good of a person to get tangled up with him. The image of them entwined in some sheets surfaced, and he pushed away the thought.
The only way to get his head on straight was to get some adrenaline racing through his veins and forget all about Lana Dupree. But first he needed to check to see if she was okay.
Only when she moved to the side did he see she was helping Rex Moore, someone they’d gone to high school with. The guy was just trying on a pair of boots, and his breath whooshed out. Josh Cooper, another school buddy, was facing them.
Her Colorado Dreams [Spirit, Colorado 1] Page 4