Checking It Twice (6 page)

“Yeah, just have something in my eye.” Jana made a show of rubbing at a nonexistent irritant on her lashes. “Thanks for putting in the extra half an hour.”

“I can stay later if you need me to.”

Usually she enjoyed the opportunity to chat with Allie, but the last thing Jana wanted to do was feel like an even bigger idiot by breaking down in front of the girl. “No, I’ve got it covered.”

After a few more reassurances directed towards Allie, Jana waved goodbye to her employee, headed to the register and tucked her purse beneath the counter.

As she was straightening, her attention snagged on the pink sticky note stuck to the register’s cash drawer.
3:00—in-store demo with Naughty Girl Nights.
She exhaled heavily. If she’d known the emotional wallop she’d take today, she never would have scheduled the meeting. The last thing she wanted to do was wax poetic about vibrators when she’d rather be drowning her heartache with a pitcher of margaritas and a carton of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. Still, business took precedence over her misery.

Besides, it’s not like she wouldn’t have the rest of her life to cry Kevin out of her system.

Chapter Three

Nick clicked the tabs shut on his presentation case before picking up the copy of
Metro Cuisine
he’d brought with him from Chicago. He flicked the pages to the feature on the Dockside restaurant. He’d read the damn article so many times it’d been unnecessary to mark the section—the magazine fell open to it automatically. His focus lowered to the trio of small pictures at the bottom of the glossy page and locked on the image of Kevin. It wasn’t a clear shot of him, and he was half blocked by a waitress holding an enormous platter of St. Louis-style short ribs. But the brief glimpse managed to fill Nick with the same mix of hope and regret he’d experienced six weeks ago, when he’d first spotted the picture.

It was an odd twist of fate that he’d even come across the article. If not for boredom and a layover in Cincinnati, he’d be clueless of his former best friend’s whereabouts and would no doubt be contemplating for the thousandth time whether he should hire a private investigator to track Kev down. There’d been several motivating factors that’d prevented him from giving in to the urge, but stubbornness had been the most paramount. For the last five years he’d convinced himself that if Kevin didn’t feel the need to stay in touch, Nick damn well didn’t either. That of course had been a crock of shit. No one understood him like Kev, and it hurt like a motherfucker that Kevin had walked away from their friendship. He knew why Kev did it, but it didn’t make it any easier.

Dropping the magazine on top of his case, he reached for his navy blazer and shrugged it on. Grogginess weighed at him, an undesired side effect from the nap he’d forced himself to take shortly after checking in to his hotel room. Normally he wouldn’t have bothered, but after a month of nonstop travel, the jet lag was taking its toll. The good news was his latest pet project was proving to be a big hit with the vendors he’d pitched the Bodylicious line to, but the bad news was he’d been living out of a suitcase for the better part of the past eight months.

He was fucking exhausted. And lonelier than shit.

His attention returned to the magazine. Kevin was the biggest factor behind his impetuous decision to make the trip to Michigan. Not the only one, certainly, but finding a way to repair things between him and Kev was priority number one. This might be his only shot at getting his best friend back. He wasn’t going to blow it. No fucking way.

He strode to the nightstand situated near the bed and freed the phone from its cradle. After dialing the valet to have his car brought around, he slipped his hotel keycard into his wallet and threw on his wool peacoat before snatching his presentation case. Less than five minutes later, he rode the elevator down to the lobby and spied his rental waiting outside the entrance.

“Enjoy your evening, Mr. Pappas.”

Offering a distracted nod, Nick passed a tip to the valet and stowed his case on the backseat before settling behind the wheel. He probably should have flown in a day early so he could see Kev before diving into business. Fear of having a door slammed in his face had stalled that idea dead in the water. Granted, there was still a strong chance of getting that slamming door, but this way he had something to look forward to after his meetings.

Chuffing a humorless laugh that did little to dispel his uncertainty, he punched the address for Wicked Delights into the GPS. The directions loaded and a rather bossy female popped on, demanding he turn right. Shifting the Audi into gear, he swung out of the Townsend’s service drive.

An electrical zing zipped along his spine as he headed toward the expressway and Jana’s shop. Kevin wasn’t the only reason he’d endured the extra dose of jet lag in order to come to Michigan. Jana had assumed the starring role in his X-rated musings for the past year, and she dominated a good portion of his thoughts. It didn’t matter that he had no damn clue what she looked like. From the start, there’d been something about her that’d intrigued him. For one thing, she had the sweetest, sexiest voice. She’d make one hell of a living as a phone-sex operator because merely listening to her made his cock stand at attention. It’d gotten so bad lately he’d been forced to take matters into his own hand—literally—after the majority of their phone conversations. He’d lost count of how many times he’d ended up stroking his cock while imagining the lips attached to that alluring voice bobbing up and down his length, sucking him deep into her throat. Unbeknownst to her, Jana had contributed to some of the best damn blowjobs of his life. The realization prodded a grunt from him. Now if only he could convince her to try out the real thing.

Judging from the flirtatious nature of their conversations, there was a better than decent chance that their attraction was mutual. Hell, attraction was a mild word, in his case. He was half convinced he was in love with Jana. Insane? Fuck yeah. How else did you describe falling for a woman he’d never met live in the flesh? Then again, he’d never met a woman who stimulated and engaged him the way Jana did. If they had this much of a connection just through their phone and email interactions, how off the charts might their chemistry be face-to-face? That was precisely what he aimed to find out.

The GPS announced he was less than half a mile from his destination. Not wanting to overshoot his last turn, he slowed and scanned the addresses on the right side of the road. Up ahead, he spied a small strip mall. Figuring it must be the spot, he clicked his blinker on and pulled into the lot. Sure enough, Wicked Delights occupied the end building. He parked next to a vintage black Mustang, and after fetching his case, made his way to the front entrance of the shop.

Eager anticipation firing his blood, he elbowed the door open and stepped inside the spacious store. The sound of Woody Woodpecker’s famous laugh briefly interrupted the bouncy rock music floating through the central speakers. He jerked to a halt, frowning.
Woody Woodpecker?
His gaze trekked to the chime box situated overhead. Running his fingers behind the edge of the handle, he tugged the door open. The obnoxious laugh pealed out again. He chuckled, his infatuation with Jana increasing tenfold. Any woman who used Woody Woodpecker as her doorbell obviously was an intriguing female indeed.

Releasing the door, he surveyed the nearby racks of lingerie. He’d always been a sucker for the stuff. Silk, lace, leather. Didn’t matter. It was all better than fine by him. He especially loved the delicious exploration involved with removing all that sexy frippery from a woman’s body.

A familiar surge of liquid lust spiraled through him as he recalled the numerous occasions he’d taken his time with that delightful task while under Kevin’s heated stare. Their predilections had been perfectly matched. He lived to perform, and Kev loved to watch. But Kev had also needed to be lured into joining the action. Distancing himself from physical contact and intimacy had been Kev’s security blanket. God knows it probably still was.

Anger flashed through Nick. Not at Kevin, but the circumstances that’d led to Kev’s need to lock himself away from people. It’d been one of the key reasons Nick decided to bite the bullet and seek out Kevin. He needed to verify firsthand that his best friend hadn’t burrowed too deep in his self-inflicted solitude. After the disaster with Heather, it’d be just like Kev to retreat from the world around him, his personal demons his only true companion.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to keep you waiting.”

The unexpected apology behind him made him jump slightly. Embarrassed by the gesture, he swore beneath his breath. Despite his chagrin, a prickle of pleasured awareness hopscotched along his spine.

That voice.
It was a million times more alluring in person. A powerful kick of lust nailing him square in the groin, he sucked in a steadying breath and pivoted. He was instantly thankful for the lungful of oxygen he’d taken because one glimpse of Jana Colton managed to rob him of air. And the function of speech, apparently.

She was the epitome of voluptuous sex kitten. Leggy, blonde,
stacked
. A saint would be tempted to commit a bevy of sins for one tiny touch of those incredible breasts showcased in her skintight Sex Pistols T-shirt. Clearing his throat, he lifted his gaze to safer quarters. “Jana?”

“Yes?” She cocked her head to the side, tiny frown lines pinching between her eyebrows. There was no mistaking the perplexity that held her captive. No doubt she was trying to place where she knew him from.

The knowledge provoked his grin. “I decided your sixth toe was something that needed to be appreciated in person.”

She gaped at him blankly for what seemed an eternity before her eyes widened a fraction. He watched the recognition break across her pretty face, a heady rush of happiness surging through him while he took in the blush creeping across her cheeks. That simple yet oh-so-telling cue was all the proof he needed that their long-distance attraction hadn’t been an entirely one-sided affair.

“Nick?” Her voice came out a croaked whisper.

“I hope you’re okay with me dropping in on you like this.”

“I…uh…” She scraped her fingers through her hair and mumbled a curse of her own.

A twinge of unease speared through him. Fuck. Had he misread things? “I’m sorry, I should have called first.”

“No, you…just surprised me.” Her lips took on an ironic twist. “Well, you did say you were sending a surprise along. Only I wasn’t expecting it to be
you
.”

“Are you disappointed?” His breath was a tight, heavy weight in his chest while he waited for her answer.

Another tinge of pink decorated her cheeks. “No. Not at all.”

The stretch of his smile let him know he was grinning like a dopey fool, but at the moment he didn’t much care. “Shit, am I glad you said that.” He plunked his case down. “If it’s okay with you, I’d really like to give you a hug now.”

An answering smile lit her face and she stepped forward. The next moment his arms were around her, and his senses were completely enslaved. Soft, feminine curves molded against him as his hands brushed her shoulder blades. A seductive floral scent teased his nose. He subtly tightened his hold on her, his thumbs stroking just above the back clasp on her bra. A noticeable shiver trembled through her, and he caught the wispy intake of her breath. The sound was as potently erotic as fingers curling around his cock.

He smothered a groan. “I have a confession to make.”

“If it’s anything to do with your erection, I’ve already figured it out.”

“That obvious, huh?”

“Well,
something’s
poking my hip. I figured it was either that, or you have the world’s biggest pen stashed in your pocket.”

He rasped a laugh. “Why the hell did I wait so long to come see you?” Pulling back an inch, he gave her a mock-chastising look. “Oh yeah. Someone kept shooting down that idea every time I mentioned it.”

She cast her gaze toward his chin but not before he spotted the uncertainty lingering in her eyes. The flash of doubt that’d plagued him earlier uncoiled in his gut again.

“Hell.” The word escaped him in a weary gust. “You’re seeing someone, aren’t you?” The few times he’d sneakily inquired on her relationship status, she’d never mentioned a significant other. But that didn’t necessarily mean jack shit.

“No.” She nibbled her lip. “Not really.”

“There’s a huge span between no and not really, Jana.”

“He’s only a friend.”

There was something about the sudden droop of her shoulders and the briefest flash of vulnerability he detected in her that more than filled in the gaps she’d left in her pronouncement. “Whoever he is, he’s got a severe case of dick for brains.”

“Why would you say that?”

“Because you obviously want more. If I were in his shoes, you wouldn’t be able to get me in your bed fast enough. And once there, I’d never fucking leave.”

Another sweet flush tinted her cheeks, making every cell in his body buzz with anticipation.

He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this electrical of a pull toward a woman. Hell, he couldn’t recall if he’d
ever
experienced it. One thing was certain. He’d never wanted a woman this fiercely before. Prior to his weekly phone chats with Jana, he’d suspected he’d lost his mojo. The thrill of the chase had walked out the door along with Kevin on that fateful day five years ago. Sex had become unadventurous. Unexciting. Unfulfilling. After a while he’d stopped putting much effort into it. Then he’d just stopped, period.