Stealing Kisses

by Harmony Evans

  Her eyes, pleading and sorrowful, nearly tore him to pieces inside. Somehow he knew she understood. But he didn’t know why and at this point, he didn’t care. All he could feel was his own pain. “Sorry?” He smirked, knowing full well he sounded bitter and mean. “Remember when you said that family always forgives?”

  She nodded, her eyes welling with tears.

  “Well, you were wrong,” he stormed, his words as hard and impenetrable as the stone in his heart.

  He reached into his pocket and tossed her his car keys. “Take the Jeep back to Belle Amour and wait for me there,” he commanded, ignoring the hurt look on her face.

  And before she could say anything, he took off running and he wasn’t sure if he would ever go back.

  Chapter 7

  Natalie arrived back at the bed-and-breakfast a few minutes later, still in shock. Her heart ached for him, knowing how disappointed he was feeling right now. Plus, he was angry with her and at some level she felt she was to blame for the negative outcome of their reunion.

  She couldn’t blame Derek for being angry at her. On the drive back, she realized she’d made an error in judgment. Although her intentions were good, she’d probably set high expectations in his mind, without knowing the complete history of Derek’s estrangement with his family. No wonder she wasn’t practicing psychology anymore.

  With her head down, she walked toward the house, idly kicking pebbles out of her way along the stone path.

  “What’s wrong, pretty lady?” Wes called out.

  She looked up, startled, and hurried onto the porch.

  “Oh, I didn’t see you there.”

  He laid the paper across his broad belly. “I noticed,” he replied. “Where’s Derek?”

  When she didn’t respond, he tossed the paper on the floor.

  “Oh, no. He went to go see Pops, didn’t he?”

  To Natalie’s ears, Wes’s voice sound strained and tinny, almost fearful.

  She sat on the porch swing and kicked out her feet. It began to sway back and forth.

  “Yes, and it didn’t go well. Your dad basically slammed the door in his face,” she said in an accusatory tone.

  If she sounded upset, it was because she was. She remembered the contrite look on Derek’s face when he’d seen his father for the first time in years. Couldn’t the man at least have talked to Derek?

  Wes leaned on his knees with his elbows, covered his face and said nothing for a few seconds. When he took his hands away from his face, he looked ill.

  “How did Pops look? Did he seem sick?”

  Natalie thought that was a strange question. “I don’t know. I guess he looked fine. I only saw him for a few minutes. Why do you ask?”

  “No reason.” Wes looked away and that’s when Natalie knew he was hiding something.

  “What’s going on, Wes?” she asked.

  “Nothing I can’t handle,” he assured her. “Where’s Derek now?”

  She frowned. “I don’t know. He told me to drive back here and wait for him.

  “Derek was so hurt,” she continued, her eyes filling with tears. “I’m worried about him, Wes.”

  Wes stood and grasped the porch railing. He looked down the street. “Maybe I should go after him.” His voice sounded distracted, as if he was talking to himself rather than Natalie.

  “Would you?” she asked, her tone hopeful.

  Wes turned and leaned against the railing, seeming to weigh his options. She knew he’d changed his mind when he sat on the wicker chair and picked up the paper again.

  “He won’t get far on foot,” he declared. “Baker’s Falls is a small town. I’m sure he’ll come back when he’s ready.”

  She started to protest, but Wes interrupted her.

  “Sometimes a man needs to be alone with his feelings before he can share them with someone else.”

  She smiled, but only because his words of wisdom made sense.

  “Hmm. Does that trait run in the family?”

  “Nah,” he replied gruffly. “I wear my heart on my sleeve. Ask Janet.”

  She laughed, even though in the back of her mind she knew both he and Janet were keeping some kind of secret about “Pops.”

  Right then and there, she vowed to find out what it was. If she could prevent Derek from getting hurt any more, that’s exactly what she would do.

  She folded her legs up under her body, getting as comfortable as she could on the hard wooden bench.

  “Do you mind if I wait for Derek out here with you?”

  He shook his head. “Not at all.”

  She tilted her head toward the floor. “Anything going on in the news besides war, politics and the economy?”

  “Oops, how’d you get there?” he joked, stooping to pick up a section of the newspaper that lay scattered on the blue-painted wood.

  He gathered it up and folded it neatly. “Nah...just the sports section. I don’t play football anymore, but I like to keep up with what the guys out there on the field are doing.”

  She nodded. “I can understand that.”

  “It was also the way I kept up with Derek.” His voice softened. “I missed my brother, Natalie. Thank you for bringing him home.”

  “You’re welcome,” she replied. “I’m just sorry the reunion with your father didn’t go so well.”

  Wes looked away and snapped open the newspaper. “Pops will come around,” he boasted loudly. “I’m sure he was just shocked to see him.”

  She raised her eyebrows at his keen interest in the paper. She knew he couldn’t possibly be reading because the paper was upside down.

  Crossing her arms, she wondered why whenever she talked about Pops, Wes wouldn’t make eye contact. Plus his reaction was a little too confident, as if he could tell the future. What was he hiding?

  A few minutes later Wes lowered the paper again. “Say, you missed breakfast and lunch. Do you want me to make you a sandwich?”

  She shook her head. “No, thank you. I’m really not hungry. I think I’ll go up to the room and lie down.”

  Wes nodded. “Okay. Listen, if you see Derek before I do, tell him BFA is playing tonight against Glen Castle. Maybe he can make an appearance?”

  “BFA? Bachelor of Fine Arts?”

  Wes’s laughter could have woken the dead.

  “No. I forgot you’re not a local. BFA stands for Baker’s Falls Academy, our old alma mater. Glen Castle High School was, and still is, one of our biggest rivals.”

  “I’ll tell him,” she replied. “See you later.”

  She walked in, letting the porch door slam behind her. She trudged up the stairs, annoyed with Wes for keeping secrets from Derek. Plus, how could he be thinking about a silly high school rivalry at a time like this?

  His brother had gone to his father as a prodigal son, and had been totally rejected. And all Wes could think about was sports?

  She threw her purse on the bed and slipped off her shoes before heading up to the Turret Room.

  “I can see where his heart is,” she muttered aloud.

  But when she looked out the window and saw Wes hop into his truck and speed down the street, she wanted to take back her words.

  Wes clearly loved his older brother.

  The question was: Did she?

  She brought her fingers to her mouth and shivered.

  That kiss!

  Now that time wasn’t a dream, she mused. But she wished his lips would claim hers forever.

  The man was so fine. She yearned to feel the muscles that lay under every inch of his skin.

  But there was the trouble of his image—the one he claimed he wanted her to change. It wasn’t that she had a problem with bad boys. It’s just that most of them didn’t stick around long enough to
have any type of meaningful relationship.

  Is that what she wanted? she asked herself. A relationship with Derek?

  She placed her forehead against the glass, warmed by the midday sun.

  “I don’t know,” she said aloud.

  “Don’t know what?”

  She whirled around, surprised. “Derek!”

  He lifted his hands. “The one and only!”

  She wanted to rush over to him with a hug, but stopped herself. And not because he was dripping with sweat.

  She didn’t want to pressure him into talking about what went down with his dad. She wanted to give him time to sort out his feelings. As far as she was concerned, they had all the time in the world.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah.” He nodded, but something in his manner told her otherwise. He was too calm. It was almost as if he was walking a tightwire, trying not to fall off.

  “Where were you?” she asked, trying to keep her voice casual, even though she’d been worried about him.

  He shuffled his feet. “I decided to go for a run through town, but I forgot these clothes aren’t exactly marathon material.”

  He pulled at the collar of his shirt. “It’s boiling up here. Mind if I get rid of this?”

  She hadn’t noticed the temperature of the room until he peeled his wet polo away from his body and tossed it on the floor without waiting for her answer.

  Her eyes grazed the tight muscles of his broad, hairless chest, down to the abdomen cut with a six-pack of perfection, and below, where her imagination, and her hands, were bound to go wild.

  It’s definitely hot up in here now.

  “Will you show me Baker’s Falls? I’d love to see the town.”

  He shrugged and seemed distracted. “Sure, if we have time.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  He looked uncomfortable. “I planned on flying us out tonight.” His voice dipped low. “There’s no reason for me to stay in Baker’s Falls.”

  Her heart lurched and felt the pain he tried to mask.

  “What about Wes? He just went out looking for you.”

  “He’ll come back in time for dinner.” He stepped toward her. “Besides, we talked at breakfast. He wants to come and visit me in New York. At least he wants to see me, unlike my father,” he added bitterly.

  “Give him time, Derek.”

  He gave her an incredulous look. “Why should I? He hates me.”

  “Derek, I’m sure he doesn’t hate you,” she said, trying to reassure him.

  He backed up and leaned against the wall. “Oh, no? Well you must not have seen the look in his eyes. Like I told you before we even got here, he doesn’t want anything to do with me!”

  She thought about Wes’s reaction earlier. “Maybe he has something going on in his life right now. Something he’s trying to deal with.”

  Derek jammed his hands into his front pockets. “What could be so important that he can’t talk to me? His own flesh-and-blood son whom he hasn’t seen in years?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know, Derek, but I think that instead of throwing in the towel, you should wait it out for a while. Maybe he just needs some time to process things.”

  He shouldered himself from the wall and strode over to her, his eyes fiery with hurt. “Look, what’s done is done. Why can’t you accept that?”

  She crossed her arms and stood her ground. “Because I won’t and neither should you.”

  He closed his eyes and lifted his chin toward the ceiling.

  “People can change, Derek,” she said softly, admiring the strength of his jawline. On impulse, she reached out her hand and traced it gently. “You did,” she reminded him.

  He opened his eyes and she took his hand. “Maybe your dad has, too. You just have to give him time to show it.”

  He didn’t respond. Instead his eyes examined her face, seeming to want to memorize her every feature.

  “You care about my life, right?”

  Her stomach clenched at the serious tone of his voice. She squeezed his hand. “Of course, Derek. I care about the lives of all my clients.”

  He stepped closer, so that their bodies were mere inches away from each other. The scent of his sweat was surprisingly arousing, and she felt her nipples pucker under her dress.

  “Is that all I am to you?” he asked, caressing her cheek as though it was fine silk. “A client?”

  “No,” she responded, resting her cheek in his palm. He stroked it gently, and his touch caused her to sigh inwardly. “I care about you as a person.”

  He closed the gap between them. When she felt the hard length of his desire against her abdomen, her knees went weak.

  He cupped her face. “Anything else?”

  “Yes,” she said, slipping her hands around his waist. On impulse, she moistened her lips and kissed the tight muscle of his left breast. It flexed under her mouth and tasted of salt.

  “I care about you,” she whispered, moving her lips slowly up to the base of his neck. “As a man.”

  At that moment he pulled her even closer and uttered a loud groan. The sound of the pleasure she was giving him tickled her lips, and she felt the vibrations all the way through her body.

  Suddenly he pushed her away, breathing hard. “That’s what I thought.”

  Her eyes stole a look at his torso where the outline of his physical need for her was clearly evident beneath his khakis.

  “Did I do something wrong?” she asked.

  He ran a hand over his head and shook it side to side. “No, no, you did everything right.”

  His eyes trailed over her body, and the intense heat from his gaze made all of her inner places moisten.

  “God help me.” His breath was ragged. “I can’t hurt you, too.”

  She started toward him. “You’d never hurt me,” she said, reaching out her hands. She needed to be held by his strong arms. But more importantly, she needed to hold him.

  “Derek, I’m confused. Tell me what’s going on.”

  He backed away, splintering her heart.

  “I’m sorry, my mind is made up. Pack up because we’re leaving. I want to be back in New York by this evening. I’m going to hit the shower.”

  And before she could say anything, he picked up his shirt, tossed it over his shoulder and went down the stairs.

  She sank onto the window seat, feeling aroused and rejected.

  Now what? she thought. She couldn’t let him quit. She had to convince him to stay.

  Because he’s your client? her mind asked.

  “No, because I love him,” she whispered.

  * * *

  Thirty minutes later Derek stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. Despite the lukewarm water, his arousal had only half subsided. But his desire for Natalie was as strong as ever. He was falling for her. Hard.

  The woman who as a child dreamed of being a princess deserved more than he could ever give her. The only choice he had was to leave. This way, neither of them would be hurt.

  He squirted a few drops of coconut oil in his hand and massaged it into his locks, wishing he could spread it all over Natalie’s body. She was such a temptress.

  After a quick shave, Derek patted on some aftershave and brushed his teeth. Closing his eyes, he remembered the way she’d responded to his kiss. The feel of her soft lips on the bare skin of his chest. The woman was too hot to handle only one time. He knew if he made love to her, once would never, ever, be enough.

  He dropped the towel down the laundry chute, then looked around for his change of clothes and cursed. He’d been in such a hurry he’d forgotten to take them out of his suitcase. Hopefully, Natalie was either still upstairs or not in the room.

  He put
his ear to the door and heard nothing. The coast was clear.

  He stepped out of the bathroom, nude and trying not to think of her. Though the shades were drawn and the bedroom was half darkened, he immediately spotted her lying on the bed and she was fast asleep.

  Just like last night, he thought.

  He sucked in a breath, knowing he had two choices. Reason told him to quietly get his clothes, get dressed and get out of there. But his body told him otherwise. And what he felt in his heart for Natalie sealed the deal.

  He was falling in love with her.

  He wanted her.

  He would have her.

  Derek gathered his locks into a ponytail before moving forward. He stepped as lightly as he could so the floorboards wouldn’t squeak and awaken her.

  He stood by the bed, watching her, fulfilling a fantasy.

  She was lying half on her side, half on her back. Her sundress was hitched up almost to the top of her thighs, her chest moving up and down in rhythm with her breathing.

  But it was her mouth that did him in. Slack and slightly open. Ready. Tempting him even in her slumber.

  He lay next to her, as lightly as possible, even though his six-foot-six frame wanted to pounce on her like a tiger.

  He trailed his finger down her slender nose.

  She opened her eyes, questioning. Desiring.

  And at that moment, he was lost.

  “Forgive me,” he begged, and placed his mouth over hers, laying claim. Ripe and juicy, and all for him. He palmed her face, stroked her cheeks and tasted greedily.

  Her tongue joined with his, took charge. She licked the outside corners of his mouth so slowly he could feel the ridges of her taste buds.

  His body convulsed erotically with the new sensation. Such a simple display of affection, but no woman had ever done that before. He wondered what other surprises she had in store for him.

  She bit his bottom lip and they both moaned.

  He rolled on top of her and she encircled her arms around his waist and pulled him closer. Kissing him deeply, slowly.

  Suddenly, Natalie broke away.

  “It’s not fair,” she moaned, pouting.

  He leaned up on one elbow and smiled. Her heart-shaped mouth was formed in the most perfect little O he’d ever seen.