Fringe Benefits (6 page)

And that kiss…

“Ladies.” As Ben lifted his beer in a toast to the women, he grinned. “You’re joining us at the perfect time. We were playing Twenty Questions with Nate, and he was just telling us about being engaged to his sister.”

So much for deciding when to share the story with Dani… “
Step
sister,” Nate hurried to explain.

While the other Ladies’ reactions might have been humorous, all Nate cared about was the stunned expression on Dani’s face.

“What the heck?” With a cock of her head, Jules gave him a goofy grin. “Are you from Kentucky or something?”

“Ha-ha, Jules,” Nate said dryly. He explained the situation, hoping Dani wouldn’t think poorly of him.

“That sounds like a bad Lifetime movie plot,” Beth said. She sat down next to Robert and leaned against him as he draped his arm over her shoulder.

At least they were teasing, which meant they weren’t condemning him. “Let’s just say we were the butt of quite a few jokes.”

Mallory tossed her can into a green recycle container in the corner of the deck. Then she nodded at her husband as he held up a can of Diet Coke he’d fished out of the cooler. “I can’t imagine what family holidays are like for all of you.”

“It’s really not that bad now,” Nate said. “Kat’s off ‘finding herself’ overseas.”

Robert gathered his brows. “What about your dad? What’s he got to say about all this?”

“He’s kinda out of the picture,” Nate replied. “He and the trophy wife are busy raising my brothers. They’re only six and three.”

“And what exactly does one say to that?” Ben said.

“What did Kate’s—” Connor began.

“Kat,” Nate corrected.

“Kat’s mom say?”

“Hell, what did her
dad
say?” Robert asked. “I’d think he’d want to skin you alive.”

Since the Spanish Inquisition had clearly been revived, Nate went with the flow. “Kat’s mom passed away when she was in high school. She had cancer.”

The color drained from Mallory’s face, and she went to her husband, settling herself in his lap while Ben wrapped his arms around her.

Nate felt like an idiot. “I said something wrong.”

“Not at all,” Mallory said, leaning her head against her husband’s shoulder. “I’m a breast cancer survivor. It’s just hard to hear about people who don’t make it.”

His face flushed hot, and he wished one day he’d actually learn not to insert his foot in his mouth so damn often. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t… I shouldn’t…”

“It’s fine, Nate. Really it is. You couldn’t have known.”

“Tell us about Kat’s dad. Your stepfather,” Ben said, steering the conversation away from the hot-button topic.

“He wasn’t too keen on Kat and me, but Mark—my stepdad, Mark Brennan—got over it.” While there was more to the story, Nate was quite ready to stop being the center of attention.

He might have designs on dating Dani, but he didn’t have a clue as to whether she was entirely interested in him. There was that fantastic kiss, but nothing since. No sign that she wanted more from him. Sure, she’d invited him to this cookout, but that might have been because she felt sorry for him. He was all alone in Cloverleaf, living in a fleabag extended-stay hotel.

Beth smiled sweetly, looking as innocent as a child. From what he’d learned, she was Dani’s best friend and a person who bordered on sainthood. “Since we’re putting poor Nate under the microscope, Dani,” she said, “perhaps now is a great time to ask him to move in with you!”

The flush started on Dani’s cheeks before spreading out to her ears and down her neck. “Bethany!”

There was absolutely no doubt that Beth had worded her outburst perfectly to give Nate the wrong impression. The man wasn’t an idiot. He had to know that Dani wasn’t really going to ask him to move in with her, but there was a note of confusion on his handsome face. As well as a subtle hint of a smile.

“Are you looking for a roommate?” he asked, his tone full of hope.

“Yes. Um, no. Um…” Dani took a deep breath and tried to tamp down her embarrassment. “I have a basement apartment and—”

Nate jumped to his feet and held out his hand as though he wanted her to shake it. “Taken! When can I move in?”

She clasped her hands to keep from immediately taking his and begging him to move in today, to get his stuff right that very moment.

The implications stopped her.

Cloverleaf was a typical small town, rife with gossip. If she offered her basement to Nate, everyone at Douglas High would know about the arrangement in three minutes flat. Added to the “closet clinch,” they’d be the center of conversation all the way to Christmas break.

There were also meals to consider. Dani’s basement had been designed to house exchange students, not a full-time tenant. She’d wanted the students to have privacy, but she’d also wanted them to have the complete experience of being part of an American family. While the “family” would only be her, she planned on her exchange students spending time with her at meals, going to events, even riding to school. So she’d left out the one important thing that would make her basement a true apartment—a full kitchen. Although there was a small kitchenette, she’d wanted most meals to be shared in her gourmet kitchen.

Her feelings about Nate moving in were in direct opposition. Part of her wanted to see his face every day; part of her feared what would happen if she spent that much time with him. She already craved his company almost as much as she did chocolate.

“What’s the matter?” Nate awkwardly withdrew his hand and knit his brows.

“Um…” As if she could be honest with him.

You scare the shit outta me, Nate Ryan
.

He held his hand over his heart. “I promise the following: no wet towels on the floor, no unfolded laundry left in the dryer, no leaving the toilet seat up, no—”

With a shake of her head, Dani held up a hand. “Stop!”

“I mean it, though,” he insisted. “Every word of it. I’ll be the perfect tenant.”

She should turn him down. She should just shake her head and be done with it. She should use a little common sense and let Jules help him find a new place. What fell out of her mouth was as much a surprise to her as it probably was to everyone else at the cookout. “It might work…”

“You said you needed the money,” Mallory chimed in.

“Yeah,” Jules added. “You’re supposed to be saving for your grand tour of Europe.”

They had her there. Although she was paid more than the poor newbies like Nate, the money would come in handy. Seeing places like London and Paris with her own eyes was at the top of her bucket list.

Nate took her hand, stroking her knuckles with his thumb. “I’d be really grateful, Dani. And it will only be temporary.” His eyes shone with humor as the corner of his mouth rose with a lopsided smile. “ ‘The charity that is a trifle to us can be precious to others.’ ”

The man could fucking quote Homer. How could she ever turn him down?

“Fine. You can live in my basement.”

*   *   *

“This is the best way for you to get inside for now. I’ll talk to Ben about getting you a private entrance.” Dani tried to control the nervous tremor in her voice. She punched the code into the remote garage door opener and waited while the door rose.

“Don’t go to any trouble. I’m fine with this.” Nate followed her through the garage, stopping to stare at the empty pegboard and shelves. “You don’t have any tools?”

“I’ve got a hammer, a couple of screwdrivers, and a wrench. They’re in a drawer in the kitchen.” She shrugged. “Haven’t really needed anything else.”

“That’s ’cause this place is new. Trust me, you’ll need more as it ages.” His gaze returned to her, his eyes capturing hers. “Sorry. That was too pessimistic, wasn’t it?”

Unnerved by his intense scrutiny, she went to the door and opened it. “Not pessimistic. Realistic. A trait we share. I guess I always thought I’d have Ben or Robert to call on if I needed any help.” She stepped into the foyer and held the door for him.

Nate followed her, moving out of the way so she could close the door. Then he looked around her two-story foyer, eyes wide. “Wow. This place is amazing.”

Although she thought so, too, she didn’t want to sound as though she were bragging. “Robert builds amazing houses.”

He pointed at the etched glass chandelier. “I love the light fixture. So modern.”

They evidently had the same taste, because she’d loved it from the moment she saw it in the lighting store.

“Did Robert pick it out?” He brushed his foot across the ceramic tile lining the foyer’s floor. “And this? The color’s fantastic.”

“He pointed out some choices for me.”

“So
you
picked it.”

Since Nate had made it a statement, Dani wasn’t sure whether she should respond. It was easier to continue the tour. She was too rattled having him in her house to hold a genuine conversation.

That didn’t bode well. If he took the basement, he’d be in her house all the time.

Grow up, Dani. You’re not sixteen anymore
.

On that admonition, she got her pluck back. “Want to see the basement?”

“Nope.” He headed right to the staircase, running his fingertips over the carved cherry banister. “I want to see the whole house first. This place is a masterpiece!” Before she could say a word, he bounded up the stairs.

Dani loved his enthusiasm for her home. Robert worked miracles, no doubt about it. He’d helped a single woman living on a teacher’s salary build a beautiful, spacious home. A part of her enjoyed the fact that Nate felt comfortable enough with her to give himself an impromptu house tour.

He was waiting at the top when she followed him up the staircase. “I’m sorry. I’m being rude. If you don’t want to show me the house…” His fingers raked through his hair. “I shouldn’t have gone nosing around.”

“It’s fine, Nate. Really. I’m happy you like my house.”

Each room earned more praise as she led him through the bedrooms and baths. When she’d picked out the design, she’d known she might never have a need for four bedrooms. She’d decided a long time ago never to have kids of her own. She made her living with children. Day in, day out, her life was a revolving door of educating—and sometimes mothering—young people. That left her emotionally depleted. Her personal life would only include adults. And maybe a dog.

Not that she didn’t want a family. It was that her definition of the word was nothing more than a husband and wife. Two people who would share their lives, spending time traveling and seeking out all the experiences the world had to offer.

Maybe she’d chosen four bedrooms because in the back of her mind she was thinking about the Ladies Who Lunch. Or maybe because four was her lucky number.

The longer Nate was in her home, the more Dani relaxed. By the time she led him back downstairs and to the kitchen, things between them seemed natural. Easy. Exactly like at school.

“And here’s the
pièce de résistance
,” she said, sweeping her arm toward the kitchen.

Nate strode to the enormous island, smoothed his hands over the gray granite, and gaped like a child seeing the bounty left by Santa Claus on a Christmas morning. “My, oh my…” He glanced at her, smiling. That dimple was going to be the death of her. “Did I tell you how much I love to cook?”

“No, you didn’t.” They’d talked. A lot. About books. About music. About running. Although she was getting to know him better, there was still much about Nate Ryan she needed to learn.

“Well, I do.”

“So do I.”

He turned and put his hands on her shoulders. “Hope the apartment’s kitchen is half this nice.”

“Um, about that…” She nibbled on her bottom lip, feeling guilty.

His touch turned to a caress as he rubbed her bare upper arms. “What’s wrong?”

“I didn’t tell you, and I probably should have, especially since you’re so excited now…”

“Tell me what?”

She couldn’t speak; she was simply too tongue-tied. He was sure to be disappointed that she hadn’t told him, probably doubly disappointed since he enjoyed cooking so much.

That, and his touch evoked memories of his kiss—that incredible kiss that Dani wished she could forget.

But she couldn’t.

“C’mon, Dani. It can’t be
that
bad.”

The best thing to do was just spit it out. “There’s no kitchen in the basement.”

Nate blinked a few times. “You built an apartment without a kitchen?”

Dani shook her head. “I wanted to host exchange students. The basement would give them privacy.”

“So exchange students don’t need a kitchen?”

“Well, yeah. But—”

Mischief filled his features. “Pretty damn cruel to bring exchange students all the way over to America and never let them eat.”

“They’d eat up here. With me. In my kitchen. And the dining room, too.” Great. Now she was babbling. “Look, there’s a sink, a dorm fridge, and a microwave. But that’s it.”

A few long seconds passed before Nate said, “Then what’s the problem?”

“What do you mean?” She was having a hard time following how quickly his mind jumped from thought to thought, so she tried to clarify. “If you stay in my basement, you won’t have any place to cook.”

He gave the kitchen a good, long look as he rubbed his chin. “There’s a sink?”

She nodded.

“And a fridge?”

“A dorm fridge.”

“There’s a microwave, too?”

“Yes.”

“Do they all work?” he asked, the teasing plain in his voice.

“Of course they work.”

“Then I’ll be better off than I am now. But there is one thing that would help—one thing you can do to make me feel more at home.”

*   *   *

Nate savored the confused expression on Dani’s face.

She’d sounded so forlorn when she’d admitted her basement didn’t have a full kitchen. He’d been disappointed for a few seconds before he realized that her revelation wasn’t a disaster. There might not be a gourmet kitchen, but a kitchenette would do just fine.

It also left the door open—hopefully literally—for him to spend time upstairs, using her kitchen. He could cook enough to shove some meals in the freezer; then he’d be able to warm them up during the week. Maybe she’d even let him create special meals for her so they could talk some more about their favorite books. They might be able to share some mealtimes, something that bordered on intimacy.

In his mind’s eye, he could see them now, standing side by side at the big island, cutting vegetables. She’d dip one of her long fingers in a special sauce and offer it to him. He’d lick it off before tugging her into his arms and kissing her.

Yep.
He had it bad for her. And for the time being, he didn’t intend to let that bother him one bit.

“I want to be able to use this kitchen,” he said. “As part of the deal, I want you to let me cook in this awesome kitchen.”

“B-but…” Dani kept opening and closing her mouth like a kissing fish.

“Don’t worry. I promise I’ll clean up after myself.”

“Then you’re okay with just having a kitchenette?” she asked.

He swept his hand out toward the six-burner gas stove. “I am if you’ll share this. And if you’ll let me cook for you from time to time.”

“Of course!”

“Well, then… I’m anxious to see my new place. How do we get to the basement?”

She pointed at a door.

“Let’s go.” Taking her hand, Nate dragged her there and then let her lead him down the stairs.

The basement was no less dazzling than the rest of the house. Instead of being decorated in boring neutral colors, the walls popped with red and white. An enormous flat-screen TV was mounted on one wall, and a black leather sectional gave whoever was watching something a great place to kick back and get comfortable.

Nate skipped his fingers across the back of the couch. “I won’t even need my beat-up old sofa.”

Tucked away under the stairs was the kitchenette—a small stainless steel sink, a thigh-high fridge, and microwave. “It’s not much…”

“Like I said, it’s better than what I’ve got now.”

“You still want to stay here?” Her incredulous tone made him worry for a moment that she wasn’t nearly as attracted to him as he was to her.

Then he remembered their kiss, remembered how passionately she’d melted in his arms. No way she could’ve faked that kind of attraction.

“Gotta see the bathroom first. No stand-up shower is a deal breaker.” He peeked into the large bedroom, pleased with the size; then he poked his head in the bathroom. “Oh, yeah. This’ll do nicely.”

A large vanity gave him plenty of room for his stuff. The subway tiles in the shower had to have taken forever to arrange into the intricate herringbone pattern. Hell, this basement would probably be the nicest place he’d ever call home, even if he lived to be ninety. At that moment, he made himself a promise that if he did decide to stay in Cloverleaf, he’d find a way to get enough money scraped together to have Robert Ashford build a house for him.

“I’m ready to move in right now,” he announced.

“Nate, I’m not sure—”

“Wait. Before you say anything… there’s something important I have to do.”

“What’s that?”

“Time for some major league begging.”

“Begging?” Her brows knit.

He loved keeping her off balance. “Yeah, begging. Shameful, pitiful begging. This place is amazing. If I have to go back to that long-term hotel after having this carrot dangled in front of me, I’ll just curl up into a ball and die.”

The confusion on her face morphed into a smile. “That bad, huh?”

“The ninth circle of hell.”

“The ninth? Wow. That’s pretty bad.”