Autumn Wish (7 page)

Make your own case?

Without giving himself a chance to rethink the insanity of his proposal, he closed the dishwasher and blurted out his offer. “I’ll help you get him back if you want.”

Chapter 7

Nikki blinked at Sam, shocked by his suggestion. Where’d he get the idea she wanted Joe back?

Did
she want him back?

No
.

The instant answer brought relief. She lifted her gaze to Sam’s, curious why he’d offer such a thing. “Why would you do that?”

“You’ve been helping me with Ella, so I’m returning the favor.” He averted his gaze, picking up the dishrag to swipe across the counter before folding it once, twice. “Based on your response in the grocery store, obviously you still care for him.”

And she hadn’t denied having residual feelings a moment ago when he’d asked her outright. The truth was, her emotional reaction in the store had more to do with the realization that Joe’s rejection had made her
need
Sam to want her. Even if he only wanted help with the baby, she was desperate enough to take whatever she could get.

Not a good way to start a relationship, and yet, face to face with Joe and his new girlfriend, that truth had blindsided her.

Standing with Sam now, contemplating his offer, frustration swirled like fog in the wind. Darn it, she wanted to move on with her life, and she liked him. She wanted to get to know him better, and definitely wanted to explore the surge of electricity that had tingled through her when his lips met hers in the store. Unfortunately, he’d said outright he wasn’t looking to add the complication of a relationship to his suddenly upside down life. Which left her with no reason to spend time with him once he settled into a manageable routine with the baby.

Unless...she took him up on his proposal. Could she figure out a way to make him want her for more than Ella?

Lounging a mere three feet away with one lean hip against the counter, he was the definition of sexy. He’d rolled up the sleeves of his hunter green flannel shirt, revealing muscled forearms, and the way his jeans fit should be outlawed. She’d love to tell him what she really wanted instead of pretending, but she wasn’t brave enough to put her desires front and center. Joe’s supple Italian leather dress shoes had already done damage. Sam’s steel-toed work boots were too big for her bruised heart to survive any kind of emotional stomping.

However, if he thought he was ‘helping’ her, she wouldn’t have to risk admitting anything.

“How exactly would we go about this?” she ventured, her pulse kicking up a notch.

“Make him jealous.”

Good answer, except... “I told you, Joe isn’t the jealous type. He knew he never had anything to worry about.”

“He does now.”

Does? Or
thinks
he does?

“I can assure you,” Sam continued. “He did not like it when I kissed you.”

“No?”

“Definitely not. If you’d have said goodbye to him afterward, you would have seen it.”

“You surprised me,” she defended. “I didn’t want him to see that on my face.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s okay.”

It was so okay she wanted him to do it again.

He pushed the dishrag across the counter, bunched it in his hand, and tossed it in the sink while taking a step closer. “Your reaction could be a problem, though. I would suggest we practice so the next time you’re not caught off guard.”

Next time
. “You’re full of suggestions tonight.”

One shoulder lifted as he gave her a cute grin.

“Okay.”

The grin widened, yet he didn’t move. So she took a step forward. And smiled. All the while her heart beat so fast it practically climbed her throat. Heat flooded her face, filled her body. Expectation stole her breath. She closed the remaining distance between them, lifting her hands to his broad shoulders. His rose to rest lightly on her hips.

The absurdity of the situation made her draw back. Their gazes locked, and her humor reflected in his gold-hued eyes. Encouraged, she returned to her position, but this time flattened her palms on his chest. Beneath those flannel-covered muscles, his heart pounded as hard as hers.
Thank God.
He began to lower his head as she tilted her face up to his and closed her eyes.

His breath caressed her lips, and out of nowhere, amusement bubbled up. Rocking back on her heels so she didn’t laugh right in his face, she lifted her lashes to see his smile lined with confusion. His fingers tightened on her hips, checking her withdrawal.

“That’s a new one for me.”

“I’m sorry.” She drew in a breath, and tried to stem her mirth. “It just...struck me as funny—or pathetic, really, that I need to practice kissing.”

He tilted his head a bit to the right, eyes narrowed. His smile faded. With a firm, decisive tug, he drew her body flush with his. The full contact curbed her amusement, and then his mouth covered hers.

Nikki’s senses rocketed into overdrive, registering his stimulating strength. Despite his take-charge move, he took his time easing into the kiss, exploring her lips, giving her a chance to get comfortable and enjoy his sensual expertise.

It was nice—
really
nice—and yet, the moment she murmured a throaty approval, the intensity of the kiss changed. Passion replaced courtesy, and the controlled power in his embrace stirred butterflies in her stomach. She was good with that, too.

Winding her arms around his neck, she pulled herself closer, opening her mouth to invite him in. He took full advantage, sliding his tongue inside to caress hers.

Time slowed as reality narrowed to only Sam and the sensations coursing through her. Her brain registered movement, and then she found herself sandwiched between the small section of wall near the kitchen doorway and his equally unyielding body. His warm, calloused fingers eased under her sweater at the waist. When they inched upward, her pulse leapt and her nipples tightened at the thought of the rough pads rasping across her sensitive skin. Intense longing throbbed deep in her core.

He uttered a low groan. Fisted his hands on the hem of her sweater, and pulled it down in a frustrating show of restraint. He trailed kisses across her cheek until his labored breathing tickled her ear when he murmured, “Nothing pathetic about that.”

She struggled to get enough air into her lungs so she could think straight. “I guess not.”

A husky chuckle filled her ear. “You
guess?
Oh, hell no.”

He turned his head and captured her lips once more. Those large hands rose to bracket her face, angling her head to allow him maximum access.

Damn, the man could kiss.

She welcomed his possession, and gave into the overwhelming need to touch him. Feel the heat of his skin. Explore all those muscles her eyes had feasted on the night before.

A couple determined tugs dragged his shirt from the waistband of his jeans, and then she set to work on the buttons of the soft flannel. Her fingers wouldn’t cooperate, or the buttons were conspiring against her, so she gave up and slid her hands under his shirt and T-shirt at the waist. Another groan rumbled from deep in his throat as her fingers made skin to skin contact. His warm, firm flesh made her want more.

So much more
.

Without breaking the kiss, he lowered his hands to start unbuttoning his shirt from the bottom up. Once the last button was free, she pushed the material off his shoulders, down past the bulk of his arms.

Musical chimes pierced her consciousness. Her hands clenched on his shirt as the unexpected noise forced her back to reality. Ella began crying from the other room and Sam stilled.

He dragged in a ragged breath as she pulled his shirt back over his shoulders by the collar. Then he braced his hands against the wall above her shoulders, and leaned forward to rest his forehead against hers.

“You know, I’d have put money on the baby interrupting us, not the damn doorbell.”

She palmed his face with one hand and pressed a quick kiss to his frowning mouth. “You get the door, I’ll get Ella.”

Pushing away from the wall, he muttered, “Better not be more pie.”

Lips still tingling from his kiss, Nikki grinned at his back. She smoothed her hair, checked to make sure her sweater was in order, and then followed him from the kitchen. He also straightened his clothes, and though he didn’t have time to button up the flannel, he ran both hands through his hair before reaching for the door.

As she turned and bent to pick up Ella, she heard Sam greet his visitor. “Hello.”

“Hi, Sam, right?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m Eric Riley. Nikki’s brother-in-law.”

She glanced over her shoulder to see Sam extend his hand.

“Nice to meet you. Come on in.”

She straightened and turned as Eric stepped inside and Sam closed the door. She soothed Ella with the pacifier while crossing the living room floor. “Hey, Eric.”

“Hey.” His gray gaze shifted from giving Sam’s unbuttoned shirt the once-over to accessing her with an equally keen eye. She resisted the urge to check her hair again and cursed the heat that rose in her face when she noticed the slight lift of his eyebrows.

“I brought the crib over,” he explained, though she’d already figured that out.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Sam protested.

Eric gave a wry smile. “My wife insisted.”

Yeah. Because her sister was nosey. “I’m surprised Marissa didn’t come with you.”

Eric’s laugh told Nikki he had no trouble reading between the lines. “Oh, she wanted to, but it’s a school night.”

“I bet it’s killing her.”

“Yep.” He reached out to touch the baby’s hand, and she curled her little fingers around his. He waggled his captive thumb and smiled at her. “So, this is Ella. She’s a cutie.”

Nikki waited for Sam to reply, but instead of a standard
thank-you
like most proud parents, he simply said, “She is.”

“You know, I hope you don’t mind, but Nikki explained your situation.” Eric cast him a sideways glance. “How’s it going? A little overwhelming?”

Sam ran a hand through his hair again and rubbed the back of his neck. “That’s a bit of an understatement. But Nik’s been a great help.”

Eric shifted his gaze to her. “Yeah. Nik’s good like that.”

She caught the tiny inflection he added to her shortened name. Eric knew she wasn’t a big fan of it, but it was only the third time Sam had called her that, so it wasn’t like she’d had a chance to say anything. Besides, she realized the usual flare of irritation when he said the name was completely absent.

“Come on out and give me a hand unloading,” Eric told Sam as he reached for the door. “Then I’ve got a few questions for you so I can give Marissa a full report when I get home.”

“Uh, okay.” Sam’s raised eyebrow glance at her made Eric chuckle as they headed outside.

Nikki shook her head and whispered to Ella. “We’d better not leave those two alone for too long.”

She held the door when they carried all the pieces inside, then joined them upstairs while they assembled the crib.

“This is really nice.” Sam ran his hand over the elegant curve of the footboard as Eric snapped the adjustable side into place. “It looks handcrafted.”

“Eric made them when Marissa was pregnant with the twins three years ago,” Nikki confirmed.

A frown furrowed his forehead. “You didn’t tell me this was a family piece.”

“It’s okay,” Eric assured him. “We wouldn’t have offered if we minded, and I’d much rather have it being used instead of sitting in our basement.”

Reluctant acceptance filled Sam’s expression as he continued to admire Eric’s craftsmanship. “Well, I appreciate it. It’s a great piece of furniture. I’m working with Hansen Construction out of Redemption, but I’d love to learn how to do stuff like this.”

“I’ve done some contract work for Carter Hansen.” Her brother-in-law stood up and double checked the sturdiness of the reassembled pieces. “His houses are beautiful, and he’s well respected around the area.”

“Yeah. I’ve only been there about three months, so I was worried about calling in this morning. He was very understanding, though. Told me to take as much time as I need.”

Nikki handed Ella over to Sam and grabbed the dust ruffle from the crib set she’d unpacked earlier.

“He’s a good guy.” Eric leaned back against the dresser. “Are you originally from around here, Sam?”

“I grew up in Upper Michigan.”

“What brought you to Wisconsin?”

“Nothing in particular. I’ve spent the last twelve years moving around a lot.”

“For a previous job?”

Nikki had turned for the crib mattress, and noticed Sam’s shoulders tense while his gaze dropped to the baby in his arms. Much as she wanted to tell Eric to cool it with the pseudo-interrogation, she also wanted to hear Sam’s answer.

“No. I just wasn’t sure where I wanted to settle, that’s all.”

“You picked a good place in Pulaski.” Eric stepped forward to help her with the mattress. “It’s a small town, lots of families, and we have a real close-knit community. Plus, we’ve got a great school district.”

The idea of Ella in school clearly never crossed Sam’s mind. And why would it? She’d only been with him for a day. Nikki quickly said, “It’s not like he has to worry about that right now.”

“True. How about child care? Do you have that lined up?” Eric asked.

“Not yet.” He reached for the pacifier Ella spit out. “I’m going to look at two places tomorrow—not that I have any idea what I’m looking for.”

“I can help you with that,” Nikki offered. “If it’s the places I told you about, either one will take good care of Ella.”

He nodded, though he still looked uncertain. With the crib all set up, they went back downstairs, and Nikki detoured into the kitchen to warm a bottle while Sam laid the baby in the playpen.

“I’m going to head home,” Eric said. “See you Friday for Savannah’s party, Nikki.”

“I’ll be there.” She glanced back to see Sam walking him to the door.

“Thank you, and your wife, for everything.”

“We’re happy to help.” After a slight pause, he added, “Listen, you mind stepping outside with me for a minute?”