Keep You Close, page 14
The puppies stopped and looked at her. Four of them hung back. Only one tumbled toward her, yelping and wagging its tail. The runt of the litter, this one had bowed legs and a bent ear.
Charmed, Kelsey dropped to her knees and held out her hands. The dog paused for a moment and then, wagging its tail again, came toward her. She scooped up the dog that wasn’t much bigger than her cupped hands. The dog licked her face and nipped at her ear.
When the other pups saw Kelsey lavishing attention on their litter mate, they scurried over, not to be outdone. The puppies jumped on Kelsey.
Kelsey’s deep throaty laugh had Mitch dropping down on a knee beside her. He’d never enjoyed a sight more in his life. If he could, he’d give all the puppies to her. She deserved happiness. “You should keep one.”
She glanced up at him, hope in her eyes. “I really can’t take care of an animal. I travel so much.”
He shrugged. “If you really want something, you’d find a way.”
She nuzzled the dog’s nose. “I’ve always wanted a dog. Donna said they were too much work.” The dog licked her. “But I bet I could keep you,” she said to the dog. “You’d have to be a gypsy like me. But we could manage.”
The dog yelped.
She laughed. “Well, then I’ll take that as a yes.” Cradling the dog close, she rose.
“Are you sure you want that dog? Don’t you want to look at the others?”
“This pup fought to get my attention even when he didn’t know what to expect from me. He wanted desperately to be chosen. I can relate to that.” The pup licked her cheek. “So who do we talk to about this dog?”
We. He doubted she’d thought twice about the word. He did. “I’ll take care of it.” Mitch found out the pups were owned by the owner of the burger stand, who was more than happy to give the animal to Kelsey.
Fifteen minutes later, Mitch and Kelsey were back on the road, the dog nestled in an ice-cream-cone box filled with shredded newspapers.
“Thank you,” Kelsey said.
He glanced at her. Lazily, she stroked the pup behind the ear. Sunlight streamed behind her head, highlighting her hair and adding a rosy glow to her cheeks. The utter look of joy in her eyes nearly stopped his heart. “You’re welcome.” He cleared his throat. “So have you thought about a name?”
“Buddy.”
“Buddy?”
“I used to dream about having a dog when I was a kid. His name was Buddy.”
“Buddy’s a good name.”
It took effort to keep the tightness out of his voice. Damn, but Kelsey was a survivor. There was so much to love about her.
Love. It certainly wasn’t something he’d ever expected to find, but he had. He knew with utter certainty that he loved Kelsey.
The trick now was undoing the damage he’d done years ago and winning back her trust.
The ride home took longer because of Buddy. He’d needed several breaks. Kelsey fretted the first time she saw him squat by the roadside. “I thought boy dogs were supposed to raise their legs? Do you think that he is okay?”
Mitch smiled. “He’s okay.”
She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I mean, if Buddy isn’t the most masculine dog in the world, it’s totally okay.”
He laughed. It was a rich deep laugh that reverberated in her chest. “All male pups squat. He’ll grow out of it.”
He leaned against the car, his arms folded across his chest. With his legs crossed at the ankles, he looked so strong and powerful. A warrior. He could be anywhere in the world, and yet he chose to stand guard over a couple of mutts.
She felt a sense of peace. “You’ve had a lot of dogs, I’ll bet.”
“My mother was a nurse before she married Dad. And for that reason she was dubbed the neighborhood savior of stray pets. Every pregnant stray or injured animal ended up at our house. We always had at least three cats and three dogs.”
Buddy stood, wagged his tail and started to sniff the dirt, pulling her closer to the car. He found something of interest in the dirt and started to dig.
She stood less than a foot from Mitch. “That sounds great. You were a lucky kid, Garrett.”
He hesitated and nodded. She could feel the tension tightening the muscles in his body.
She laid her hand on his forearm. “You don’t have to do that.”
“Do what?”
“Apologize for your great childhood. Mine was crappy but I’ve made peace with that. It’s okay.”
He took her hand in his. Warm, strong fingers wrapped around hers. Gently, he tugged her toward him. “If I could take all the pain away, I would.”
Her lips, just inches from his, felt so dry. She moistened them. “Then you would change who I am. I like who I am.”
His eyes softened. “So do I.” He kissed her, pressing his lips gently against hers. He was testing to see if she’d balk. She knew one word from her and he’d back off.
Kelsey leaned into the kiss, vaguely aware that the dog yapped at her. Mitch tasted so good. What she wanted from him now had nothing to do with protection or security. She wanted him to make love to her.
He wrapped his arm around her waist. Her breasts flattened against his hard chest. Through her bodice, she could feel his rapid heartbeat thrumming against her skin.
Her body pulsed and demanded release. Her mind drifted to the backseat of the Suburban. They were on the side of a rural road. No one would see them if they lay on the backseat.
Buddy barked and nudged his nose against her ankle. It took everything in her to break the kiss and glance down at the dog. He had wrapped his leash round their ankles and was hopelessly tangled.
Kelsey and Mitch laughed.
“Our timing is as impeccable as always,” Mitch said.
She thought about the first time they’d made love. It had been in the back of the scuba shop, in the storeroom. “To say nothing of our choice of locations.”
Mitch picked up Buddy, unfastened his leash and then unwound it. The dog licked his chin and Mitch ruffled him between the ears. “We better get back to Grant’s Forge,” he said, looking at the dog. “I’ve a nice spot in my garage you’ll like.”
Extreme focus kept her voice even. “We’re coming back to your place?”
His gaze settled on hers. “Why not? I’ve got more space than I need and the motels won’t take a pet.” Buddy barked at her. “See? My man Buddy, here, is okay with the idea.”
They both looked at her, waiting for an answer. She was playing with fire and she knew it. “Just for a few days.”
“Until you get your business sorted.”
“Exactly.”
He grinned. “Exactly.”
Mitch’s two-car garage was military neat. Shelves filled with dozens of different tools and neatly labeled paint cans hung above a neat work bench. Extension cords, ropes and larger tools hung from a pegboard.
Kelsey settled Buddy in his garage bed with a rawhide bone. Mitch had found her a cardboard box and a couple of old blankets with which she’d lined the makeshift bed. She set out his new bowls and filled one with Puppy Chow and the other water. “Do you think he’ll sleep?”
Mitch switched on a small clock radio on the work bench and tuned it to an easy listening station. “I think so. He’s had a long day.”
She hovered close to the dog’s box, knowing once Buddy was asleep it would be just she and Mitch. “Do you think he needs another walk?”
“You’ve taken the dog out three times since we arrived.” He laid his hand on her shoulder. Sexual energy ricocheted through her body. “Let’s head upstairs.”
“Okay.”
Chapter 14
Kelsey stood in the upstairs hallway facing Mitch. Though it was only eight o’clock, he’d locked up the downstairs and shut off the lights.
He took her hand in his and gently rubbed his thumb against her palm. Her heart thundered in her chest. The doors to his room and hers were open. Without words, she sensed again he was giving her a choice.
“You’re not being fair,” she said. Her voice was a hoarse whisper.
A slight smile tugged the edge of his mouth. “What do you mean?”
“You know when you touch me, I can’t think.”
He lifted an eyebrow, as he continued to make slow deliberate circles on her palm. “Really? I thought I’d lost my touch with you.”
Heat rose in her body. “I wish you had.”
“Why?”
“You throw me off balance and I don’t like it.”
He grinned. “Not even just a little?”
“I don’t want to get hurt again.” There, she’d said it.
He tugged her toward him and cupped her face. “I’d have done things differently the last time if I’d had a brain. This time won’t be a replay of the last.”
“How about we don’t make any promises?”
He frowned.
But before he could speak and she lost her nerve, she rose up on tiptoes, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. Immediately, he pulled her to him. The kiss deepened.
She wasn’t sure how long they stood there. Time ceased to matter. The problems of the last week vanished. It was just the two of them.
Mitch ended the kiss, but he kept his hand on her arm as if he didn’t want to break the connection. He guided her into his bedroom. Kelsey willingly followed.
A very large four-poster bed, crisply made with a tan coverlet, dominated the room. She was vaguely aware of a dresser, windows, a door leading to a master bath, but now it was the bed that held her attention. She sat down on it staring up at him. After kicking off her sandals, she scooted to the center. The pink sundress slid up her thighs.
His eyes darkened as he drank in the sight of her tan, taut legs. The mattress shifted as he came down on the bed and straddled her body.
He ran his hand up and down her smooth leg. “Silk,” he whispered, his voice rougher than sandpaper.
She smoothed her hands down over his chest and tugged the ends of his shirt out from under his belted waistband. He pulled off his shirt and tossed it on the floor beside her sandals.
Dark hair covered his tan, muscled chest. His belly was flat, the muscles so defined they looked as if they had been carved from marble.
She slid her hand toward his belt and unfastened it. He sucked in his breath as if he’d been burned. At least she wasn’t the only one ready to explode with desire.
Mitch lifted his hips so that she could push his pants down. She cupped his hard buttocks in her hands.
“Keep that up, and this will be over before it starts,” he said.
“Quick and dirty works for me,” she said.
“Sold.”
“Do you have a condom?”
“Nightstand.” He put on the condom in record time, though his hands trembled slightly as if he were a teenager. He pushed up Kelsey’s dress and helped her wriggle out of her panties.
Sweat trickled between her breasts. She’d never wanted a man so much in all her life.
He pressed his erection against her moistness and then in one thrust pushed inside of her. Her body was so tight. It had been a very long time since Kelsey had been with a man. Sensing this, Mitch waited and let her body grow accustomed to him.
Soon he was moving inside her. His thrusts grew in intensity, mirroring her building desire. He lost himself to the erotic sensations. Within minutes, they both climaxed.
Mitch collapsed against her, dropping his head by her neck. His breathing was rapid, as if he’d just run a race.
Kelsey drew lazy circles on his bare back. She’d never felt more relaxed, more at peace. Finally, he rolled off her and onto his back. She yanked down her skirt.
“How about a shower?” he said.
Now that the passion had gone, Kelsey felt shy. “You go ahead.”
He took her hand and pulled her off the bed. “Don’t tell me you are nervous?”
She shrugged, unable to deny it.
“Darlin’, after what we just shared, what’s a little water among friends?”
She kept her gaze hooded, unreadable. “Friends? Is that what we are?” She treaded into dangerous waters.
Mitch was determined to keep it light as he guided her toward the bathroom. He didn’t want to spook her with a lot of the sloppy emotional words she didn’t seem to like. But he wasn’t going to deny that they’d crossed a threshold.
“Figure of speech,” he said easily. “I’d say we passed friends about ten minutes ago.” He reached in the large glass shower stall and turned on the water. The water heated, and steam started to fill the room.
Mitch reached for the buttons that ran down the center of Kelsey’s dress. He unfastened three. The creamy edge of her breasts peeked out. “I’m liking this dress more and more.”
She lifted a seductive eyebrow. “What do you like about it?”
He reached inside the folds of the soft fabric and cupped her breasts. “This.”
She arched back, pressing her breasts against his hands. He grew hard again. The steam wrapped around them. He unfastened the last of the buttons on her dress and slid the straps off her shoulders. It fell to the floor.
She reached for his erection. They’d just made love and already he was ready to explode again.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her out of her dress and then set her a few inches away from him. “Let’s make this one last,” he said.
She laughed and guided him into the shower. Hot water pelted their bodies. He pressed his erection against her naked flesh. Despite his hope to savor this moment, raw, animal need pulsed through his veins. He wanted to be inside her again. Now.
He plastered her body against the shower wall, grateful now he’d paid extra for the larger stall. She hitched a leg around his waist and he pushed inside of her again. Her breathing was ragged and her fingers bit into his back. She dropped her head back against the shower wall and moaned. Water beaded on her breasts and taut nipples.
Mitch couldn’t take it anymore. Again, he started to drive faster and faster into her. She gripped his shoulders.
He exploded inside of her.
It didn’t hit him until after the fact that he’d forgotten to put on a new condom. With Alexa or any other woman, he’d never made a mistake like this.
But the idea that Kelsey could be carrying his baby now didn’t bother him in the least. In fact, it pleased him.
Later, Kelsey sat on the counter stool in the kitchen. Dressed in his oversized robe, her hair was still wet and her body thrummed with a delicious satisfaction. Mitch stood behind the counter, wearing only his jeans as he cracked a couple of eggs into a bowl. An omelet pan heated on the gas stove.
She pinched a bite of freshly grated mozzarella cheese. “And you cook, too. You are definitely a man after my heart.”
He started to whisk the two eggs together. “That’s the plan.”
He spoke casually, but she sensed an underlying tension. Neither had spoken of tomorrows or the problems she’d yet to face.
“We forgot the condom during round two.” The chances of a pregnancy now were slim to none and to her amazement, she felt a twinge of disappointment. The moment of sentimentality surprised her. She was practical to the bone when it came to this kind of thing.
“If you’re worried about STDs, I’m clean.” And there was that, too.
“So am I,” she said.
“Then we’ve nothing to worry about except pregnancy.”
She gulped. “We should be okay on that front, too.”
His expression was unreadable. “Okay.”
God, this was all too serious. “Where’d you learn to cook?” she said.
He shrugged, accepting the change of conversation in stride. “If a man wants to eat well, he learns to cook.”
“In all honesty, I’ve only mastered a few dishes,” Kelsey said.
He poured the eggs into the hot pan and they started to sizzle. “Stick around town for a while and I’ll teach you a couple of new dishes.”
After they ate, they made love again before they fell asleep in each others’ arms. Kelsey had never felt so content, so at peace.
“Bitch!” A figure stood in the woods outside of Mitch’s house and watched Kelsey pass in front of a window. The fire should have killed her.
The arsonist stared down at trembling hands and drew in a deep breath. Too many things were going wrong. Donna’s body had been found. And then Brenda Harris’s. Chris. The fire.
“This has got to end now.” The arsonist heard laughter and whirled around to find Donna Warren standing just yards away.
Donna had not returned for his usual taunting in several years. And now here she stood, her hard eyes looking so much like Kelsey’s, dancing with laughter. “I told you I’d haunt you to your grave.”
The arsonist pressed trembling fists to an already pounding temple. The medicine was supposed to keep Donna away. “Get out of here!”
“I’m a bad penny. I always turn up when you least expect it.”
“I won’t let your brat ruin my life like you did. I won’t!”
“She’ll finish you off. My daughter will avenge me.” The arsonist glanced up at Kelsey’s window. This would end tomorrow.
“What have I done?” Kelsey uttered the next morning when she woke up and stared at Mitch’s empty side of the bed. His pillow still held the crease from his head. The sheets on his side were still warm.
Grateful he wasn’t there, she rolled onto her back and dug her hands through her hair. The heavy scent of steam from his bathroom still hung in the air.
“Kelsey, remember the one thing you weren’t going to do when you came back to Grant’s Forge?”
Damn.
Her body still tingled from his touch and his scent still clung to her skin. And she realized to her utter displeasure, she wanted to make love to him again. Double, double damn.
Maybe she’d have been more levelheaded last night if she’d not made that stupid vow of celibacy years ago. If she’d gotten around to sleeping with more men, any man, she wouldn’t have been one big hormone waiting to explode. Her feelings for Mitch weren’t special. They were strictly biochemical. She’d had an itch and he’d scratched it.
