by Jo Leigh
Damn, he hoped things didn’t get weird between them.
He had no idea what he’d expected. To take her right there on her big old desk? That they would rush back to her parents’ home and go at it in her bedroom with Mr. and Mrs. Fitz downstairs and the TV blaring from the family room?
None of the reasons that being with Shannon was a bad idea had disappeared. He was a guest in the family home. He supposed he could move back to the hotel, but he hated that idea.
He had to really think this through. Yeah, he wanted her something fierce, but he wasn’t going to be in New York for long. Shannon didn’t strike him as a casual sex kind of woman. Besides, he wasn’t feeling particularly casual about her. Casual meant that each of them were mostly out for themselves. Not a bad thing when it was mutual, but Nate cared about the possible fallout.
Danny had mentioned that Shannon was looking for something real, for something that would last. She wasn’t sitting in an ivory tower waiting, but she was particular about her choices.
He wouldn’t be anyone’s choice, especially someone like Shannon. She’d never want his kind of life. He couldn’t picture her in Bali, not the Bali he knew. He wasn’t living with the expats or hanging out with the spa retreat crowd. He lived on the cheap, in a shack near the beach. The electricity was spotty at best, the plumbing wasn’t much better, and he slept in the raw under a mosquito net.
A friend of his, an expat from England into real estate, kept a room for him in his South Bali cliffside villa, which was where Nate stored his clothing and anything of value, but as he spent so much time in inhospitable areas where the only shoes he needed were flip-flops or his heavy work boots, he didn’t visit it often.
Shannon was a villa woman all the way.
She was also someone he liked a great deal, and sex complicated things. He might not want to live in Manhattan, but when he did come to visit, there was no place he’d rather be welcomed than the Fitzgeralds’. He’d hate it if he messed things up with her, with them.
Weirdly, though, he wasn’t interested in anyone else. It didn’t seem to matter that sleeping with Shannon was off the table, he’d rather spend his evenings with her than any other woman in New York.
Good thing he was well versed in the single palm arts.
He threw the basketball entirely too hard. It flew back to the shadowy section of the court. He hadn’t noticed it was getting so late. Time flew when a guy was realizing he wasn’t going to get laid for at least a month.
Wiping his face with his T-shirt, he headed for the ball, and when he bent to get it, he heard a very distinctive voice.
“My ma says you better get home right this minute, Nate Brenner. She didn’t slave all day over corned beef and cabbage so that you could be out here playing with yourself.”
He grinned through his wince. The speech had been almost verbatim from back in the day. Only he’d been out here with Danny, and Shannon had never said that last bit. He was glad she had now. Guess things wouldn’t be weird between them.
“Tell her to keep her shirt on,” he said, which was something Danny had shouted more often than not. “I’m coming.” Nate stood, and there she was, outside the gate. She had her hands stuffed in her coat pockets, and the last rays of the sun were showing off in her hair, making her look like something created by magic. As he walked toward her, his grin got bigger with each step.
“How’d you know I was here?” he asked.
“Mom saw you leave with the basketball.”
“I didn’t see her.”
“She’s good at that.”
“Stealth Mom.”
“I think it comes with the territory. Especially with four boys.”
“What,” he said, standing inches away, watching her through the wire fence, relieved there was no awkwardness, no averting of gazes, “you don’t think she had to keep her eye on you?”
Shannon shook her head. “I was the Princess, remember? I got off on being perfect.”
“Sounds excruciating.”
“It was. Certainly no fun.”
“There’s still time to make up for that,” he said. “Catch.” He tossed the ball over the fence and she caught it easily. After grabbing his jacket, he started climbing, jumping down on the other side a little too soon. He jarred his neck and cursed his vanity.
“I’m not good at getting into trouble. Not enough practice.” She slid him a look he couldn’t interpret, but something about it got his cock’s attention.
“Good thing you’re friends with a master, then,” he said, studying her reaction.
“A master, huh?”
He slipped on his jacket, his mind racing. So neither of them was bringing up the kiss. Not overtly, anyway. Trouble was he had no idea what that meant. That they were going to pretend it never happened? Or pick up where they left off as soon as humanly possible? His body emphatically voted for the latter, but his head warned him to watch his step.
“You coming?” she asked. She’d taken a few steps toward home and he hadn’t noticed.
He decided to test the water. Put a toe in, nothing too drastic. He caught up with her. “After dinner, you want to do something?”
She looked at him, eyes narrowed, and if he had to guess he would say that she was testing the water, as well. “What did you have in mind?”
“It’s obvious you’ve missed out on a large part of your education. It’s a moral imperative that I corrupt you to make up for the lack. We could start with stealing a candy bar at the Duane Reade.”
“No.” She laughed the word more than said it. “I’m not going to steal things from the drugstore. Jeez.”
“Ah,” he said, as they walked very slowly, “a challenge. Which is fine. I’d be disappointed if you made this too easy.”
“And there’ll be no cherry bombs in toilets, or toilet paper wrapped around trees, or crank phone calls, either.”
“Those are classics for a reason.” Her laughter made him ridiculously happy. “You don’t have to work tomorrow, right?”
“I don’t have to, but I’m going to. I have to make a million Easter baskets.”
“A million?”
“Give or take.”
“Okay, so that means I can get you drunk, but not epically hungover.”
A big man walking a tiny little dog shared their sidewalk for a moment, forcing Shannon’s right side against Nate’s left. When the coast was clear, they didn’t shift back. “I don’t like being drunk,” she said.
“I’m beginning to see why you aren’t very good at getting into trouble.”
“I don’t think you were drunk every time you got sent to the principal’s office.”
“Not every time, no.” He turned to find her grinning up at him.
“I don’t like to be drunk because I don’t like to miss things,” she said. “Especially not wonderful things. I want to be where I am and remember what I’ve done.”
“You think getting into trouble with me would be wonderful?”
“Not a doubt in my mind.”
They had slowed down so much they were barely walking. They’d reached the steps of the house, cars continued to zoom past, the night had finally come to stay. She stood in a pool of lamplight, and he couldn’t hold off any longer.
He had to kiss her.
* * *
SHANNON KEPT HER GRIP ON the stupid ball under her arm, even though she wanted to pull Nate closer. She’d wanted to kiss him again, but it had seemed like a bad idea. She’d been right. They were standing in front of her house, for goodness’ sakes. He was a master at getting in trouble.
Unencumbered by basketballs or good sense, Nate found the perfect angle, and his lips warmed quickly in the night air. Actual breathing was thrown out in favor of not stopping at all, just learning new ways to make the parts that mattered light up with sensation and need.
A honk blew it straight to hell. She jerked back, he tried to push her behind him in some kind of cavemanish gesture of protection, and the kids
honked again, shouting lewd things out the window of their car.
“Well, that sucked,” Nate said.
Shannon shoved the ball at him until he took it. “I’ll see you at the dinner table.” She didn’t even glance at him as she ran up the stairs. It probably would have been more polite to hold the door for him, but she let it slam in back of her instead, then made a beeline for the stairs to the second floor, to her room, where she locked herself in.
She leaned her head against the door, struggling to catch her breath. Nate was going to be here for another month. The situation was already untenable. What was she supposed to do now?
Obviously, the kiss in her office had been an error in judgment. So what had they done within five minutes of seeing each other again? Kissed. Awesome.
But that wasn’t the real issue anyway.
He was here for a short while. He would be gone soon for a very long time. The way she liked him wasn’t appropriate for a short-term fling. That was the core of the problem, and it wasn’t negotiable. Feelings weren’t.
Why she had to care this much about this man, she had no idea. There was no vote, no thoughts with pros and cons and doubts. Boom, she’d been punched in the heart and the head. If there had been a choice, she’d have nipped this business in the bud. But he’d kissed her, and she’d kissed him back. Twice. It was unrealistic to think things would get easier.
She pushed off from the door and took off her coat. She was still wearing her work clothes—black wool trousers, black blazer and a deep blueberry silk blouse. It was one of her favorite outfits, which she saved for special meetings or events. She’d had none of those things today.
All week she’d been dressing to impress him, on the off chance that she would see him, or more accurately, that he’d see her. Idiotic female behavior. As was the extra care she’d taken with her makeup, the time she’d spent last night over her pedicure, the gloss she’d put on her hair.
There had to be something she could do. Leaving wasn’t an option. She hadn’t heard the final word from Carnation yet, but she had a feeling she was going to have to start smaller if she wanted to compete in the label game. But she had gotten one new client. A small chain of automotive parts suppliers wanted Fitzgerald & Sons to do their catalogs. It was a good account, and their financial stability was rock-solid. It wasn’t a game changer, though.
So that meant that Nate needed to be the one to leave. She couldn’t ask him to go back to Bali. But she could help him find a town house, then make sure he moved there for the duration of his stay.
How? She had no idea. She really didn’t have time to go house hunting, let alone decorate a two-bedroom place for sublet. But this was an emergency, and she’d have to make time.
First thing? A call chain. She had five women she could always count on to phone at least five other women each when there was something that had to be done yesterday. She could get a few of them to take over the Easter basket duties. God, her mom could gather up a crowd in no time for that. So Shannon wouldn’t supervise every last bit of candy placement. No one ever noticed the details anyway. More importantly, she’d put out the word for condos, town houses, duplexes, brownstones, whatever.
What was the use of doing favors for half the people from Little Italy to Midtown if she couldn’t tap them for real-estate tips?
She’d include Nate’s Realtor, get her excited. But before that she had to find out if Nate had made a decision on the condo they’d already seen. She doubted it. He would have said something.
Shannon changed into jeans and a sweater, then went downstairs for dinner. After that, the plan would go into motion, and she’d feel a hundred times better knowing she was taking action instead of simply sitting back, letting her hormones run her life.
She might not have a choice about who she fell for, but she was completely in charge of what she did once the die was cast.
“Has anybody done anything about it?” Nate asked.
Shannon hadn’t rounded the corner to the dining room yet, so she had no idea what Nate was talking about or to whom. That didn’t seem to matter to her libido. His voice alone was enough to stir things that had no business being stirred as she was about to sit down for the family meal.
“What’s there to do?”
It was Danny’s voice, and Shannon hadn’t realized he was coming by. That probably meant he expected to go prowling with Nate. So why was she disappointed? Problem solved. She wouldn’t have to make an excuse about not doing something with him.
“It’s private property, and they don’t have the money to fix the court. They don’t want to sell, either.”
“Then the community should pay for it.”
“Pay for what?” Shannon joined Nate, Danny and her father, who were all seated at the table.
“The basketball court.” Nate frowned. “You saw what a mess it is. No wonder there were no kids playing. Somebody’s got to be interested in fixing it up.”
“What about your company?” she asked, looking at Nate as she tried to act as if everything was completely normal. “Brenner & Gill must do playgrounds and things when they build apartment complexes.”
Nate stared at her for longer than would be acceptable in mixed company, but it wasn’t her aura of glamour keeping him riveted. His eyes weren’t even focused. He was thinking. When he snapped out of it, he shook his head. “It’s not my company. Not mine alone, and there’s no way Albert’s going to want to donate our services, much less spring for materials and labor when he’s on his way out. He never would have gone for it even when the company was rolling in contracts.”
“He doesn’t believe in contributing to the community?”
“No, nothing like that. He donates, but he’s careful about where and how much, and what the company gets in return.”
“That’s a shame,” she said. “I know how much that court meant to you two growing up.”
Shannon’s mom poked her head out from the kitchen. “If you think I’m waiting on you like this is the bloody Ritz, you’ve got another think coming.”
Nate grinned, and Shannon returned it as Brady walked in to join them. “Head right to the kitchen, Brady,” Nate said. “Your ma’s on a tear.”
Everyone pitched in to bring the big meal to the table, and Mr. Fitz did the carving of the corned beef. The beers came out, but Shannon passed, having water instead. The boys got to talking about fantasy leagues, and the food was delicious as always. Shannon watched as she ate, listened to how Nate spoke differently to Danny than he did to Brady. He was respectful, always, to her parents, but he had learned where he could tease and what he should ignore, and that compliments to Ma were always a good idea.
He was part of this family, there was no getting around it. He had listened to fights, gotten into fights, interrupted fights. He’d wept, he’d laughed and he’d bled at this very table.
But he wasn’t her brother. He wasn’t even the kid she’d grown up with. What he was made all her scattered wants and needs and likes and dislikes fall into place. He was the man she’d been looking for.
Who was only passing through.
9
NATE COULDN’T BELIEVE HOW many prime two-bedroom homes his Realtor had lined up for him. Or that Shannon had been free to come along for the viewings. That took some of the sting out of being hijacked by Danny last night. But she was here now and it was a good thing Aiko was completely professional and easygoing, because Shannon was not just on her game, but on fire.
Her eye for detail impressed him, but not as much as her practical sensibilities. She hadn’t been swayed by inconsequential trappings, not at any of the five properties they’d been to this morning, and she was also quick to find the bottom line.
He couldn’t help but imagine what she’d be like in a crisis. She was such a natural leader, she’d calm people instantly and she’d make practical decisions that would save lives. That was an incredible gift, one he hadn’t really understood she possessed until today.
&nbs
p; She’d be an asset anywhere. Now he got how that monstrous old printing plant was still in business, despite the antiquated equipment. Shannon wouldn’t have it any other way. They’d have to move into digital printing soon. Or get a whole lot of new clients.
It wasn’t a kind thought, not considering his loyalty to the family at large, but she was wasted at the plant. On the other hand, what did he know? He’d never had a family that valued loyalty or togetherness. Since he’d been in the States, he’d spoken to his sister twice and met her for a quick lunch. He liked his sister, he did, but they weren’t connected the way Shannon and her brothers were.
She tugged on his sleeve. “You coming?”
“Yeah,” he said. “Where are we going?”
“Are we boring you with finding your new home?”
He grabbed her hand and brought it to his lips for a kiss. “You’re distracting,” he said. “It’s hard to look at storage space and dishwashers when you’re so much more captivating.”
She rewarded him with a blush, but she pulled her hand away. That was a shame because he hadn’t lied. Touching Shannon in any capacity was his new obsession, and he wasn’t a man known for getting carried away.
All his rules seemed to crumble in her wake. He’d been determined not to kiss her, yet he fully intended to do it again at the next opportunity. He knew that taking her to bed was an enormously stupid thing to do, and if he hadn’t believed she’d regret it, he’d have gone after that, too.
He’d built his life around not being beholden to anyone. He was fond of his family, but he’d never made an adult decision about his life that took their wishes into consideration. Many people didn’t understand that, especially not someone like Shannon, but that’s who he was. Who he would continue to be.
“Well, come on,” Shannon said, standing by a door that led…somewhere. He dutifully followed her, noticing how her slacks hugged her body, want for her riding low and hot in his body.
Ah, the master bedroom. Which was really big and nice. He was instantly drawn to the motorized blackout drapes.
“Just a toy,” Shannon said. “You can write them in but don’t let that influence you.”