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“Not anybody I know, huh? Okay—” Jake looked way too interested.
“Not anyone at all. No one was here. I wouldn’t do that.”
Nick started to say not with Jake in the house, but that sounded a bit hypocritical. Was he supposed to pretend to be a monk? Just because he was single and raising a kid? One who happened to be a teenage boy, no doubt with raging hormones of his own?
Nick didn’t think so, but what did he know about the etiquette of single parents and their sex lives?
Not much.
He’d never been seriously involved with a woman with kids.
Hardly been seriously involved with any woman.
“So, you’re just going to do without until I’m eighteen?” Jake asked, like he couldn’t quite believe it. “’Cause I thought you’d be really cool about things like that. I thought…you know. You’d bring your ladies over here, and I’d bring mine, and we’d both be cool with that.”
Nick did a double take. “You have ladies? Plural?”
“Well, not exactly,” Jake said. “Not at the moment.”
“Okay, one? You have one? Who you intend to entertain in your bedroom? At fifteen?”
“Well…maybe.”
“No way that’s gonna happen,” Nick insisted.
“Really?” He looked crushed.
“Really,” Nick said, barking out the word.
“Jeez,” Jake grumbled, looking all put out. “I thought—”
“Well, you thought wrong.”
Jake grumbled as he made his way into the kitchen, no doubt hungry already. After all, it had been a whole six hours or so since he’d eaten. Nick had found him in the kitchen at midnight, gulping down a giant bowl of cereal. Now the kid was already up and hungry again.
Nick couldn’t sneak a woman into and out of this house, even if he’d wanted to. Jake got hungry too often to make that work.
And had ideas of entertaining, all of his own.
“Jesus!” Nick said, more of a prayer for help and understanding than anything else. “What am I supposed to do about that?”
And he couldn’t even go for a decent run, because when he opened up the door to do that, he saw Audrey lurking behind a tree at the house next door, looking for him, no doubt.
Nick slammed the door and wondered if he could wait her out.
Didn’t the woman have to go to work? Or take care of her kids? Did she have nothing better to do than stalk him?
He’d either have to find a way to avoid her, by finding out her schedule and running at a different time, or convince her he wasn’t interested, and he’d bet she hadn’t heard that from many red-blooded American males. It might be hard to convince her it was true.
“Damn,” he muttered.
He was mowing the grass later that morning when Lily pulled into her driveway and got out of her little SUV, neither of her kids in sight.
He waved and kept on mowing, wanting the job done before it got too hot. But then he saw her open the back of her SUV and start wresting with a pile of wooden trim, and he cut off the mower and went to help.
“Here,” he said, coming up behind her and catching an errant piece that was dragging on the ground. “Let me help.”
“Oh.” She whirled around, but the trim wasn’t all the way out of the vehicle and didn’t quite move with her.
Nick had to move fast to keep it from going all over the place and from hitting the ground and getting scuffed up.
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to startle you,” he said, wondering if she was naturally jumpy or a bit of a klutz.
“No. You didn’t. I just…forgot I was holding all that and then…well, you know the rest.”
“I’ve got it. Let me carry it in for you,” he said, wiping the sweat off his face with his forearm and hoping the trim didn’t slide out of his hands.
“Okay. Thanks.”
She fished out her keys and headed for the back door, leading him through the kitchen and into the dining room, the top half of the walls freshly painted a muted gold tone and ready for the wide, white trim.
“Anywhere here is fine,” she told him.
He piled the wood in the far corner. “You doing all this work yourself?”
“Yes. I like it. I used to be an interior decorator, but I found out I liked making all the decorating decisions myself, much better than following someone else’s orders, and I like doing the physical work on a house myself. So after the girls were born, I started rehabbing houses and selling them.”
He looked around at the room in progress and the kitchen that she’d obviously already done. “You do good work, Lily,” he said.
“Thanks. How are you? How’s Jake?”
“Jake’s…as good as can be expected, I think,” he said. “But what do I know? How do you think he is?”
“Sweet. Smart. Eager to please,” she said. “He offered to mow my lawn in exchange for another batch of fudge.”
“Hey, sorry—”
“No, it’s great. I get tired of mowing the lawn, especially by this time of year. Believe me, it’s worth a lot more to me than a plate of fudge to have someone else do it.”
“You’re sure?”
“Absolutely.” She walked into the kitchen and grabbed a couple of glasses from the cabinet. “Would you like something to drink? You look like you’ve been out there in the heat for a while.”
“Water. Thank you.”
She handed him a glass, which he downed in one, long swallow. She watched as he did it, looking like she wasn’t quite sure what to make of him or if he made her uneasy or something.
But then she just smiled and refilled his glass again.
“So, if it’s all right with you, I’ll make a deal with Jake? Food in exchange for lawn-mowing duty?”
“Fine with me. Just don’t let him take advantage of you or your time.”
She shrugged, smiled a bit nervously. “I like to cook, and it’s just as easy to make something for five people as it is for me and the girls. What’s his favorite meal?”
“I don’t even know,” Nick said. One more thing he didn’t know about kids in general and this one in particular. “I mean, I haven’t found anything the kid won’t eat. I do remember being at my sister’s a year or so ago, and she’d made a pot roast. Jake ate plates full. I came into the kitchen not an hour and a half later to get something to drink and found the pan of leftovers still on the stove, cooling I guess, and Jake was eating out of the pan. Kid’s got no manners when it comes to food, and that he could be hungry again after eating so much at dinner…”
Nick just shook his head in wonder.
“Okay,” Lily said. “A pot roast, it is. Everything else going okay?”
Nick hesitated, needing to talk to someone, but…Lily?
He didn’t know her that well, and as open about their sexuality as some women were these days, he suspected Lily wasn’t one of them. She seemed sweet and a little shy, and Jake had volunteered that she hadn’t been divorced from her husband for that long.
Nick just couldn’t see asking her how she handled her sex life with two little girls in the house.
“I’d like to help, if I could,” she said, all sweetness and earnestness.
Nick frowned, thinking he could at least find out a little more about Audrey Graham to help him avoid her.
“Well…” He hesitated. “I don’t think there’s any easy way to say this, and I really don’t want to make you uncomfortable, but…”
Ahhh!
Lily thought she was going to die of embarrassment right there on the spot.
He knew!
He knew she’d been practically slobbering all over him, and he wanted to talk about it?
“Ahhh,” she whimpered.
She didn’t mean to. Not out loud at least, but she must have, because suddenly, he looked concerned. He took her by the arm and said, “Lily? You okay?”
“Yes,” she lied and not at all convincingly.
“You sure?” he asked.
“Yes. Really. Just go ahead. Tell me. It’s about—”
“Audrey Graham,” he said, looking like it pained him to even say the name to her.
“Oh! Audrey?” Lily smiled, so relieved she could have fallen to her knees and said a prayer of gratitude right then.
She’d been certain he knew she’d been all but drooling over him while he moved in and then while he’d been doing yard work the other day. She was so grateful it hadn’t gotten that hot yet, and he still had his shirt on this morning.
Him shirtless in her kitchen was probably more than she could have handled.
“Yes, Audrey. Did you say something about her running every morning?”
“Yes,” she said.
Did he want to watch?
Because the woman was certainly putting on a show.
Her outfits got skimpier by the day. She must have gone shopping after Nick moved in.
Someone had even said Nick and Audrey had run together the day before, and that when it was over, Audrey had followed Nick into his house. But people said a lot of things, and Lily made a policy to discount at least half of what she heard, just on principle alone, and it must have been one of the few occasions when Lily hadn’t been watching his house, because she hadn’t seen a thing.
“Do you know where she runs? Like how far and the route she takes?” Nick asked, looking really uncomfortable with the question.
“Not really. I’m not a runner. I mean, I see her go by our houses sometimes,” Lily said.
More often, now that Nick moved in.
Did that mean he hadn’t run with her the other day?
“And…uh…I guess there’s no easy way to say this, but…if I wanted to run without…running into her?”
“Oh,” Lily said, relieved, but puzzled.
He wanted to avoid a woman with a body like Audrey’s?
She didn’t think anybody who looked like him would want to avoid someone who looked like Audrey.
“I like to run alone,” he said. “That’s all. Really. It’s just time to clear my head, and she followed me the other day and…well, she talked the whole time.”
“Oh. Of course.” Lily nodded, gleeful at the thought of Audrey, half-dressed and nearly bouncing out of her bra and annoying Nick every step of the way.
It shouldn’t make Lily so happy, because Audrey’s husband had walked out on her just like Lily’s had, and Lily knew how awful that was. Lily felt bad for everything Audrey had gone through, but still…She didn’t want Audrey to have Nick.
“If you cut through my backyard on the side farthest from yours, then take the first left, then a right, it will take you out of the neighborhood the back way. From there, you might be able to run without seeing her, because I think she stays in the subdivision.”
He grinned. “That would be great. Thanks.”
“Sure,” she said. “Anytime.”
He looked like there might be more he wanted to say, but then thought better of it and just put his empty glass down on the counter and said, “Well, I guess I’d better be going, finish the lawn before it gets any hotter.”
“Okay.”
Lily went to open the door for him, and he reached for it at the same time, which meant they ended up almost bumping into each other, and when they pulled away, she went left and he went right.
Which meant, they ended up even closer.
He gave a little chuckle. “Hang on.” And caught her by the arms, to keep her from moving again the same way he did, she thought.
Which was fine.
It was…almost a polite gesture.
Nothing more.
She didn’t move at first, didn’t want to if she was honest with herself, just stood there breathing in the scent of him, a big, strong man who’d been outside doing manly things, and the sheer heat of him, which seemed to be radiating from his body.
And then he froze. “Damn,” he muttered, turning his head back to her.
“What’s wrong?”
Had she done something? Completely given herself away?
Would she be forever embarrassed in his company and have to live with him being right next door forever and knowing she wanted him as much as Audrey? Would he be getting tips from someone else on how to avoid Lily?
Still, he held her gently by the arms, mere fractions of an inch from being pressed up against him, and he wasn’t moving away.
“Audrey’s out there. I saw her through the kitchen door,” he said.
“Oh.”
“And she sees us,” he said.
Okay?
So?
“I don’t understand—”
“Lily, she followed me into the kitchen two mornings ago and practically jumped me as Jake was coming downstairs.”
“Oh!”
“I thought I made it clear, as politely as possible, that I wasn’t interested, but maybe I didn’t. Because she’s been stalking me ever since, and Jake is daydreaming about going out with her daughter. So I’d rather not piss her off completely, if I don’t have to.”
“Okay.” Lily said, still frozen there, half an inch from him and liking it. Liking it a lot. “But what does that have to do with…this?”
He took a breath, chest and shoulders rising, coming that much closer to actually touching her, and she wanted him to touch her. She was tingling all over, like her body was singing, it was so happy. Like she’d already anticipated this slight touch a dozen times in the few seconds they’d been standing here, her waiting and waiting for things she couldn’t bring herself to ask for.
He was just so big and strong. So much…a man.
And it had been so long since she’d been this close to a man.
If she was really honest with herself, she’d admit she’d never been this close to a man as appealing as him. In a completely physical way, of course. She didn’t really know him. She just knew that her body really wanted to know his better.
“Well,” he said, dipping his head ever so slowly until his lips were resting somewhere near the base of her throat.
Not touching her.
Not really.
Doing something oh so sexy that was almost like touching.
Breathing on her, breathing in her, like a man taking a moment to savor a great meal he knew he was going to love before he ever took the first bite.
Bite!
She couldn’t think about him taking a bite of her.
Men didn’t take bites of her!
She wasn’t that kind of girl.
Maybe she should have been.
Maybe she regretted that right this minute, but still…
“If I could just do this for a moment,” he whispered, his arms sliding carefully around her.
“Mmm-hmm,” she said, her voice coming out a little squeaky and weird.
“And you were to put your arms around me, just for a minute…”
“Okay.” She was all too happy to comply.
She’d been thinking about touching him for days. Touching him in all sorts of ways, in all sorts of places that made her blush.
And actually touching him was even better, she found.
His body was solid as could be, all hard and sexy, muscles curving and sloping one into another, her hands sliding up his biceps, to cup his broad shoulders, one hand even sneaking onto the base of his neck and into the ends of his hair.
“There you go,” he said, like he really liked that. “Just like that.”
Oh, yes.
Just like that.
Lily took a giant gulp of air, her breasts rising to the point where they just barely brushed his chest.
He sucked in a breath, then gave a shaky little laugh.
“She’s watching everything we do,” he said. “And if it’s okay with you, I think if I just do this for a few moments…”
And then he stroked the tip of his nose along the side of her neck, lips so close they left a trail of heat and longing in their wake.
Lily whimpered. Couldn’t help it.
If this didn’t stop soon, she’d be begging him to stop putting on a show for Audrey and just kiss her already and be done with it.
As it was, she could imagine his mouth opening and then landing right there in that spot where the base of her neck met her shoulder, a spot that was already tingling with longing. She thought about his warm, moist mouth teasing, caressing, his beautiful, hard body plastered up against hers.
Lily stretched her neck out to the side, like she was giving him that spot, giving him anything he wanted, and let her body settle in against his. His arms tightened around her ever so slowly and carefully, like he was determined not to take advantage of the situation.
Or she hoped that’s what it was.
That he was a nice man.
A very nice, wickedly sexy man.
His nose nuzzled her ear, teased her hair, his hand cupping one side of her face and his lips settling as gently as a whisper against her temple before he slowly drew back, a wry grin on his face.
Lily tried not to whimper or to beg for more. Tried to stand on her own two feet without any help from him and tried not to look too thrilled by what he’d done or too devastated that it was over.
“So…she got an eyeful?” Lily asked, reminding herself what this had all been about.
“Yes, she did.” He grinned easily, the way a man might look at a woman he considers a good friend. “I hope that was okay? I mean, I hope I didn’t offend you…”
“No. Of course not,” she said. “Anything to help out a neighbor.”
“Well, she’s gone so…” He waited, like he wanted to say more.
She waited, too, hoping, wanting, needing, thrilled and a little bit scared.
But then he shook his head and all he said was, “I should be getting back to work. Thanks again, Lily.”
“You’re welcome,” she said.
She waited until he was out the door and she heard his lawn mower start before she sank down to the floor in her kitchen, leaning back against the cabinets, closed her eyes and relived every glorious second of what had just happened.
Sadly, it was the sexiest thing that had happened to her in years.
Chapter Four
Jake hadn’t been trying to spy on them.
Honestly.
He’d been spying on Audrey Graham, the woman who wore all the skimpy tops and had practically attacked his uncle in their kitchen, because Mrs. Graham had an absolutely gorgeous sixteen-year-old daughter, clearly miles out of Jake’s league and who’d never so much as looked down her nose at him at school.
But still…a guy had to have hope, didn’t he?
If nothing else, Jake could look and hope.
At the moment, he’d been looking at Mrs. Graham, hoping her daughter might be with her, but she wasn’t. He’d seen Mrs. Graham staring into Lily’s house and looking none too happy at what she saw, and then Jake wondered what was going on, and that’s when he saw them.
His uncle and Lily?
It looked like Nick was licking Lily’s neck or something, and it sure looked like Lily liked it.
Women liked to have their necks licked?
Jake frowned.
He didn’t exactly know a ton about women, but he’d sure never heard that one.
Kissing necks, yes.
Licking?
Not that he had a problem trying it.
He was open to pretty much anything, especially with Andie Graham.
He would be her willing slave, fulfilling her every wish, if he ever got to the point where she knew he was alive and was willing to have him close enough to do things to that pretty neck of hers.
Jake took one more look at his uncle and Lily, not quite sure what he thought about that. One, he didn’t want his uncle to make Andie’s mother mad, just on the off chance that Andie might one day have anything to do with Jake. And he liked Lily. She was sweet, and she’d been kind and understanding and made the most incredible fudge Jake had ever eaten. He didn’t want anyone to hurt her, and if she knew his uncle was all over Mrs. Graham in the kitchen the other day, and now all over Lily, Lily wouldn’t like that. Would she?
Women didn’t like to share.
It was one thing Jake was pretty sure about.
And he didn’t like thinking his uncle was the kind of man who’d hurt someone like Lily. Was he that kind of man? Jake frowned and—
“Excuse me? I’m looking for the Malone house? Is this it?”
Jake thought for a second he must be dreaming, because he was pretty sure he knew that voice. He dreamed about that voice. About more than the voice.
He turned around really slowly and hoped he didn’t look too stupid as he stared for a minute and wondered if he was actually dreaming or if Andie Graham was actually standing in front of him. If she’d actually spoken to him.
“Uh…” was all he managed to get out before he had to take a breath and try to calm down.
She was wearing some really short shorts and a little white top with spaghetti straps and a scooped out neckline, and truly, it was hard to breathe this close to her. Especially with her looking the way she did. Looking as good as she did.
Had to be a fantasy come true.
She was looking for his house?
“No way,” he muttered, out loud he feared.
She gave him an odd look, one he no doubt deserved, like he might have the IQ of a piece of fruit.
“The Malone house?” he repeated, his voice doing that weird, cracking thing that it hadn’t done since he was fourteen. He hated that stupid cracking thing.
She nodded, like she feared words might be too much for him.
“That’s my house,” he said, still thinking this had to be a mistake.
No way she’d come looking for him.
She frowned, like maybe she didn’t believe him or was really confused. “Your dad is Nick Malone?”
“Uncle,” he said, his voice still sounding funny.
“Oh. And this is your house?” She pointed to Lily’s.
“No, this one,” he said, nodding in the other direction.
“Oh. Okay. I was actually…” She looked thoroughly exasperated, not so much like the blond princess of his fantasies. More like a real person who might actually have normal problems like everyone else. “I was looking for my mom.”
And she didn’t like admitting that. Or maybe it was…thinking her mom was here with his uncle? That something was going on between them?
“She’s right over…” It was Jake’s turn to frown. She wasn’t there anymore. “She was there just a minute ago.”
Andie sighed, like she dreaded the next part, then asked, “Do you think she went inside?”
“No. My uncle’s not there,” Jake told her, not adding that his uncle was at Lily’s, licking Lily’s neck or something like that, and that Andie’s mom had seen them and hadn’t been happy about it.
“Oh,” Andie said, sighing once again. “Your uncle? Is he married?”
“No,” Jake said. Why would she care if his uncle was married?
“Well…thanks, I guess. I’ll just…I’ll be…” She paused for one more moment, then looked him over one more time. “Do I know you?”
Jake shook his head, then woke up to the fact that this was his chance. She knew he was alive, even if it was just to help her find his house. “I’m Jake. Jake Elliott. We go to the same school. I mean…I’m pretty sure we do. Jefferson?”
“Yeah, I go to Jefferson. What are you? What year?”
“Sophomore,” he admitted, knowing she was a junior.
Just one more way in which she was way out of his league.
“Oh,” she said. “Well, I’ve got to go find my mom. See you.”
Jake mumbled goodbye, and then was treated to the sight of her walking away from him in those short shorts, with those long, tanned legs, her long, blond hair swinging as she walked, wishing he could start this whole conversation over again and not sound like an idiot, not act like one, not be one.
She’d talked to him.
She knew his name and where he lived.
Jake suspected he’d be dreaming of her tonight, dreaming in more vivid detail than ever before.
Okay, maybe that wasn’t the best idea I’ve ever had, Nick told himself, safely back in his own house, out of sight of any prying eyes and not mere centimeters away from being plastered up against Lily.
Luscious Lily.
He made a face, trying to get that particular description out of his head.
He did not need to be thinking of his neighbor as luscious.
Particularly with a teenage boy in the house who had visions of entertaining his own ladies in his bedroom.