Catch of the Year (7 page)

At the doorway, she turned and made slow, beckoning movements with her finger.

His eyebrows rose, but every other inch of his lean, lanky self stayed right where he was. She waited, still hoping he'd move. At last he did. He lifted the can of beer. When it was halfway to his lips, he paused and glanced toward Adrian as if to say “us guys had better stick together here.”

Adrian stared at Jade, then looked up at the ceiling.

“Code white,” he muttered, obviously deciding his sister had gone loopy.

Jade gave up and collapsed onto a nearby easy chair. She removed the nose. Now what?

Adrian grinned at her. “You didn't tell me you'd been taking clowning classes in the city. It's cool. I approve. Don't stop now.”

She shook her head.

Paul, his expression enigmatic, drank some more beer.

A little force might do the trick. Jade jumped up again and moved to stand in front of him. Reaching down, she grabbed his hand. He looked surprised but not displeased. His mouth quirked, allowing her a fleeting glimpse of The Dimple. In the next second, he got into the spirit of things and curled his fingers around hers. His hand felt warm and strong and made her whole arm tingle.

Stunned at the sensation, she stood still. What had Adrian said about being electrocuted?

At last Jade remembered her intention. To get Paul out of there. She tugged. He didn't move. She jerked her head toward the door again and tugged harder.

“What's the problem?” he asked with a grin. “Is this your chair? You want to sit here? Fine by me.”

But instead of standing up, Paul did a bit of tugging himself. In a second, Jade lost her balance and landed in his lap.

She let out a squeak. Adrian wrinkled his nose.

“If you guy's are gonna get romantic, I'm outta here.”

Great. This would solve her problem. From her somewhat undignified position on Paul's knee, she nodded at her brother and gave him a broad smile of encouragement.

Heaving a sigh of resignation, Adrian hauled himself to a sitting position and rose to his feet.

“See you later,” he said, and dragged himself out the door.

Jade knew she should get up immediately, that they should leave. But it felt so good, so warm and sexy sitting on Paul's lap that it took her a little while and a lot of effort to shore up her resolution.

“I have to take you back,” she said softly, her mouth close to his ear. “How about a ride on my hog?”

She felt him go rigid with surprise. At eye level, his Adam's apple bobbed.

“I wouldn't refuse,” he answered in a throaty voice, his arms cradling her.

His body against hers felt like nothing she'd ever experienced. And he smelled wonderful. A little like nutmeg, her favorite spice, enhanced by a hint of spearmint. Nice. Much too nice. How was she ever going to persuade herself to put an end to this?

Her annoying and intrusive conscience intervened and delivered the answer.
Just remember, you're deceiving the poor guy.

That gave her the impetus she needed. She pushed at his shoulders.

“Storm's over,” she said. “And the Harley's waiting. Let's go.” Somehow or other, she managed to scramble to her feet.

He muttered something as he stood. She thought it sounded like “spoilsport.”

At the door, she paused.

“I need to let Adrian know we're leaving.”

She went down the passage toward her brother's room. Paul followed, staying close enough to be in earshot. Jade slowed, hoping he'd back off. Paul hovered.

The low sound of a boom beat throbbed through Adrian's closed door. She knocked loudly.

“Yeah.”

She opened it and peered in.

“I'm taking Paul back now.”

Adrian was sprawled in his desk chair, idly playing a game on his computer. He looked up. “Pardon?”

She spoke louder, but made her voice high in case Paul could hear.

In response, Adrian scrunched up his nose. “Whassup with you tonight, sis? You sound like a chipmunk. Did the rain shrink your vocal chords or what?”

Jade cast a nervous glance over her shoulder. With relief she saw Paul had turned away and was heading back toward the front door, out of earshot. Her first bit of luck in hours.

• • •

Jade switched off the bike. Paul's hard, warm body pressed tight up against her back, making her wish he'd keep it there. Surely he'd soon release his hold on her waist? Or would he make a move on her?

With a sense of disappointment, she felt the pressure ease as he lifted his hands away. Then his warmth was gone from behind her, leaving her body bereft. A pity. But probably just as well. Determined to behave herself, she kept her own hands firmly fixed on the handlebars.

He was silent as he stood next to the bike, removing his helmet, then holding it out to her. She stowed it away. When she looked up again, Paul was right there, up close. Before she could blink, he bent down and planted a gentle kiss on her mouth. One second, two seconds, their lips clung. Tingles rippled through her, little flashes of lightning, even though the electric storm was long gone.

He stood back.

Breathless, Jade stared at him. “What was that for?”

Even in the darkness, she could see his expression. He looked innocently at her, but the dimple peeked. “For the fish, of course.”

She shrugged, assuming nonchalance. “That was your doing, not mine.”

“Thanks anyhow.” He pushed a hand into his pocket and withdrew his keys. Knowing she should restart the bike and leave, but reluctant to make the final break, she watched him take a few steps toward his car.

“Same time tomorrow?” Paul turned back.

“Excuse me?”

“We're going out fishing again, aren't we?”

This had to end right here. “I don't think so.”

He leaned against the car and folded his arms. “A contract is a contract, honey.”

Honey? She wasn't his honey, but for a second she thought how sweet it might be if she were. She straightened her shoulders and gripped the bars, letting her legs swing from the knees.

“What are you talking about? You wanted to go fishing on the lake and that's what we did.”

“Yeah. But the arrangement was for two hours. According to my special sports timepiece, we were only out for an hour and a half … . I'd say you owe me thirty minutes.”

Thirty minutes. All kinds of things could be done in thirty minutes. Delicious things, naughty things, romantic things.

Jade sat there, staring at him.

“You still have all my fishing gear, remember.”

“True. Plus all those fish.”

His eyes glinted as he waited for her reply. These still waters were running ever deeper, ever more dangerous. More and more she was tempted to throw caution to the northwesterly wind and just plunge in.

“Serendipity?”

She blinked at him.

“Whaddaya say?”

Settling her feet in place, she started the bike. As soon as she heard the motor, magic happened. Serendipity took over from Jade.

“See you tomorrow, Paul.”

He grinned, made a confirming, thumbs-up gesture and opened his car door.

Now she'd
really
gone and done it.

• • •

The night was hot and muggy after the rain. Paul sat on the stoop outside the simple log cabin and gazed across the small sickle of beach to the dark waters beyond. The north shore of Lake Huron definitely had its own special appeal. He felt good here. His limbs were quite content to be still. More than that, they felt heavy, relaxed.

Ten minutes later, he lay flat, covered to the waist by a light cotton sheet. As he drifted off to sleep, images from the day gone by played in his mind. He saw again Serendipity's antics in the living room of her family home. He chuckled. It was great to meet a woman with a sense of fun and spontaneity. How he could have thought, even for one second, that she might be his uptight boss, he couldn't imagine.

• • •

Foolish, foolish, foolish.
The refrain pounded through Jade's head as, hot and sticky, she tossed and turned in her bed. It should have been a simple fishing trip, easy to handle, no problem. But she'd let herself be drawn into something that felt like so much more and could present plenty of problematic repercussions at work and in her life.

She should never have agreed to take Paul on the lake.

Oh lordy, how she'd love to take Paul on the lake.

Back and forth went her emotions. She was mortified that he had caught all the fish and annoyed with herself for having agreed to go again tomorrow. Partly that had to do with her competitive spirit. But agreeing had hardly been wise. Every time they were together she enmeshed herself further into this deceit.

On the other hand, he intrigued her to the point where she longed to know him better. So his appeal had grown. Not to mention her attraction to him. And now he simply refused to be banished from her mind.

There he was, out on the lake, the last rays of sunlight caressing his firmly muscled body; he was here in her home, relaxing with a beer and regarding her with teasing, amused eyes; he was pressed up close against her on the Harley. She could feel him, smell him, want him. Oh yes.

She sat up in bed, still wide awake, hours after midnight.

“Oh, for goodness' sake.” Punching the pillow, she muttered to herself. “I have to chase him off. Get him out of my brain.”

She had no clue how to accomplish either of those, especially as the thought of seeing him again tomorrow sent a trickling thrill of anticipation through her. But her game was dangerous. Sooner or later she was bound to betray herself.

Or would she?

About to punch the pillow again, she paused. She released her fist and smoothed the cover instead.

So far things had worked out okay. Apart from a couple of small slipups, keeping up “the voice” had proved surprisingly easy. And a woman had to have some human contact, didn't she?

Human contact,
male
human contact, bodily contact with Paul, that's what she yearned for during all that long, hot night.

But when Jade woke at dawn, she knew. This could only lead to disaster. Somehow or other she had to let Paul know she wouldn't be meeting him tonight. If he insisted on another half hour, Adrian would have to go.

With that settled, she turned on her side and fell into a heavy, dreamless sleep.

Two hours later she forced her eyes open. She'd promised to go into the store and help her dad with some paperwork. And she had to get a message to Paul. Uh-oh. This presented a difficulty. She had no idea where he was staying. Well, she'd just have to lean on Adrian and get him to take Romeo on the lake that evening.

She stretched to reach the radio on the bedside table and turned it on. The weather forecast predicted more sunshine and more heat. Jade wasn't sure how much more heat a woman's body could stand. What a pity she had to deny herself the opportunity to find out.

• • •

“I really appreciate you coming in to help with this,” Frank said later that morning. He and Jade sat side by side in the small backroom of the store.

She looked up from the invoices she was sorting and keying into the accounting program. “That's okay.” She put another slip of paper on the “‘done” pile. “But I thought Kip Hunter did all this side of the business.”

“Yeah. He used to. These days he doesn't seem to have the same interest in the store.”

“How old is he now?”

Frank stroked his beard. “Hard to tell. Going on seventy-six, I think.”

“Maybe he's feeling it's getting time to retire.”

“That's my guess, too. Any day now I expect him to say he's selling. Then I'll be out of a job.”

Jade's fingers paused. She looked at her father. “This is worrying you?”

Frank shrugged, his expression rueful. “Yup. Not much I can do about it, though.” He stood up, and went to fetch another folder.

Meanwhile, Jade stared gloomily at the screen saver — an aquarium scene. Various tropical fish disported themselves, drifting from left to right. If Paul were here they'd probably jump right out of the computer and hit him on that Roman nose of his.

“How did the fishing expedition go?” her dad asked.

It was Jade's turn to look rueful. “Epic fail.”

“Why? Didn't you catch anything?”

“No, I didn't.” She rested her elbows on the small table that served as a desk and leaned forward, stretching her back. “But Paul did. Six good-sized ones: two pickerel, a couple of smallmouth bass, and a salmon.”

“Sounds like success to me. What was the problem?”

Marigold came into the little backroom in time to hear his question. This morning she wore slim denims and a peacock-blue, short, cotton smock. In her hands, she carried a small tin tray. On it was a mug of coffee and a plate containing two of her freshly baked muffins. She placed these next to Jade.

“You didn't get caught in the storm did you?” she asked.

“Yup.” Jade put the computer on sleep, ready to take a break.

“Dipity, I thought you were smarter than that.” Frank shook his head. “In any case, you should have been safely off the water by then. The guy only paid for two hours.”

“So?”

He straightened and looked at Jade as if the answer was obvious.

“So his time was up.” Then he dropped the firecracker. “You went out at seven. Storm only blew up after nine.”

She stared at her father. “You're kidding, right?”

“I kid you not. When I heard the first rumbles of thunder I thought of you and checked my watch.”

Unaware of the sparking effect of his words, Frank wandered back to the front of the store.

“The scheming cheat,” Jade exclaimed.

“Who? The dream lover?” Marigold grabbed a wooden chair and set it opposite Jade at the desk, clearly ready to hear more.