Hearts Awakened (26 page)

It’s been ten years since Felicity skipped out of high school, leaving behind the taunts of “retard”. Things have hardly improved since then. Her job waitressing at a strip club is just one more tick in the “sucks” column of her life. Now she’s signed up for tutoring and her future looks bright…until her hunky new landlord starts wreaking havoc on her libido.

And did he just say, “Evicted”? Not so fast, buddy. She may be dyslexic, but she’s not stupid.

Daniel MacKenzie is this close to achieving his dream of setting up his own renovation company, so he’s not interested in more demands on his time. Not even if one of those demands is a tenant wearing skintight jeans, teetering on four-inch heels and complaining a blue streak with the most kissable mouth on the planet.

Despite his resolve not to mix business with pleasure, Daniel not only teeters, he tumbles head-first into the scorching sexual tension between them.

He’s a man who’s used to getting what he wants, and he’s not above pulling every trick in the book to get—and keep—Felicity in his life. But she’s holding something back.

And he’s afraid it’s her heart.

Warning: Smart women outwitting gorgeous men, hot explicit monkey-lovin’ and some graphic language.

Which was how he ended up driving to Home Depot with her two days later. When he’d shown up at her door, her body language had been a billboard of rejection. He’d reexamined the showerhead and looked for signs of water damage in the immediate area then checked the pipes in the other units.

She’d kept her distance and her silence, curled up on that ratty sofa in the main room of the flat, her head buried in a book.

Finally he’d walked up to her, ignoring the hostility that rolled off her as she slapped the book shut and hugged it to her chest.

“Was it so bad?” he’d asked. “When we kissed? Was it so damn bad?”

He watched her blush deepen and his need grew, to hear her say the kiss had affected her also. That the memory, the hunger for more, also kept her up late at night.

She’d stared back at him with those large gray eyes, her thoughts well hidden beneath their silvery depths. He wanted to know those secrets she kept hidden away.

“It was just a kiss.”

He shook his head. “It was more than that. Could be more. Sometimes life gives us opportunities, Felicity. Why not take them?” Now if that wasn’t the lamest speech he’d ever uttered. A couple nights of tossing and turning, and stroking himself to release, this is what he came up with?

Yet what else he could have said? Certainly not anything that might even hint at the feelings congealed in his throat. Not that there was emotion involved here except attraction.

He watched as she gave his words some thought, then a slow, tentative smile came across her face, and she hugged the book closer. That smile curled up in his chest. Nested there. Daniel had a sudden urge to sprint for the door.

During the drive Felicity was silent, content to stare out the window at the old buildings that lined St. Clair Ave. West. She loved the vibrancy of the neighborhood with its mix of trendy bars, boutiques and old-fashioned fruit stands and butcher shops. It was home. She’d put down roots here. Finally.

Besides, window-shopping gave her something to do, since Daniel didn’t seem inclined to make conversation over the music spilling from the radio. Instead he nodded his head and tapped the steering wheel to the selection of songs, while singing snatches off-key. And under his breath, thankfully.

She was supposedly tagging along to pick out a showerhead of preference. But it felt like a date. Felicity started nibbling on her hangnail collection.
“Why not?”
he’d asked. And her belly had slithered down to her ankles and wrapped itself around them, while her next heartbeat played hide and seek.

He was the candy in the jar that had been moved down to eye-level and he was telling her to reach right in and grab a handful…of his licorice.

Felicity had never grabbed for anything in her life. It had always been a struggle just to keep up. Yet things had changed in the last year—she’d finally found the strength to leave Stuart and then the tutoring had come through.
So…

She glanced sideways at Daniel’s profile, softened by the sensuality of his mouth and thick sweep of lashes and thought,
why not,
indeed?

Then she started thinking about his gumballs.

When they arrived at Home Depot, Daniel parked the truck before hopping out and quickly making his way to her side of the cab to see her out. Felicity took his hand and was rewarded with a current of awareness that shot up her spine and smacked her in the back of her head.

After that, she kept some distance between them as they walked towards the store. So much for gumballs.
Jawbreakers
was more like it.

Once inside the store, she looked around the cavernous warehouse with avid curiosity. She was probably the only person on the face of the planet who hadn’t set foot in a Home Depot, but there was never any need to before.

She followed Daniel down the aisle, past displays of every gadget, tool and material needed to build, fix, decorate or destroy, and a jumble of ideas raced through her mind.

Excitement slowed her step as she took it all in, then she took a deep breath of the lumber-scented air…and fell in love. Now
this
, this was a candy store.

Felicity hurried to catch up as Daniel disappeared around a corner. Luckily his tall, broad-shouldered physique made him stand out amongst the Saturday-morning crowd milling around.

As she came up beside him, she tugged on his sleeve. “Can we see what they’re doing over there?”

Daniel glanced over at the demonstration taking place. “Sure.” Indulgence curved his mouth and she felt an answering warmth flutter in her stomach.

Felicity turned away from that look, that smile, but she couldn’t get away from his hand that landed lightly on her back, guiding her forward. Heat radiated from his touch, spreading outward along her limbs.

It was almost impossible to concentrate on the expert’s instructions with Daniel standing behind her. She moved slightly to the right, his hand moved to her hip. She stepped forward, his hand came to rest on her shoulder.

She kept fidgeting until Daniel leaned forward and spoke low in her ear, “If you’re really interested in this, we’re doing some tile work at one of the job sites. I could pick you up one day and bring you by.”

Felicity swung her head around. This close to him, she noticed the gold-dusted tips of his darker lashes. “Really?”

“Really.”

She watched his lips, inches from her own, shape the word and felt his breath like a kiss.

Abruptly, Felicity faced front again and took a deep calming breath. But images of a bare-chested, tool-belted Daniel kept dancing through her head.

Will you get real!
Felicity could almost hear Cheryl’s no-nonsense voice. She blinked, and the vision of some fat guy with plumber’s bum—oily pimples, hairs and all—lumbered into her imagination. Her pulse slowed some.

“That would be great, if it’s not too much trouble.”

“Do I look like a guy who’s looking for trouble?” he asked dryly. To her relief he straightened and moved back to guide her through the crush of bodies. “Let’s go find that showerhead.”

They came to the selection of bathroom accessories and Daniel picked a box from the shelf.

“Master Stroke 2000, flexible spray nozzle, three-way adjustable head.” He paused, looking up with a decidedly wicked glint in his eyes. “How about it, you interested in a three way?”

“No thank you.” Blushing, she pointed to another model. “This one looks fine.”

He moved closer and the faint scent of citrus that emanated from him became stronger.
“Hmmm
…adjustable spray prohibits calcium buildup.” He shook his head. “Naw”, then his interest shifted to a different package. “Maybe…The Invigorator?”

Bending forward he noted the various features. “‘You never dreamed water could do this before.
Enjoy the total satisfaction
of phenomenal power at work.’” He glanced at her and her nipples power-constricted into two tingling vortexes of phenomenal pleasure. Felicity mouth-breathed as Daniel continued.

“‘Your body will be revitalized by the
warm, sensual, pulsating
spray—’”

“I don’t need my body revitalized, thank you. Just clean. Here, I’ll take this one.” She grabbed another model. It didn’t matter which one. Daniel didn’t even touch the box.

“‘Eco-friendly, low-flow ceramic valving’,” he read the specs off in a monotone. “
Borrring
.”

“Look, I like boring, and energy efficient and-and…”

“Liar.” His voice dipped. “You don’t like boring. Not with that mouth,” he said baldly, barbecuing her on the spot with the heat in his gaze.

Before she could catch her breath he switched gears on her again, his mouth curling in mischief. “So you wouldn’t—” he looked down at the package he held, “‘—
enjoy a deep, throbbing, fully satisfying massage to all the key areas of your body
’
?
”

“Throbbing?” she sputtered, very aware of the parts of her that fit that description right now.

He raised his eyebrows innocently.

“The head is extra large.”

“Okay, fine! I’ll take it!” Felicity shoved the package into his arms. He was obviously determined to continue along this vein.

As they went around to pick up a few other items, she found herself smiling. She liked his teasing, almost as much as she liked him intense and bent on seduction.

Although “like” seemed a wishy-washy way to describe what she felt when he focused his molten green gaze on her. Her smile disappeared.

Suddenly she was crazy with awareness of his large presence beside her, brushing against her with every other step and the peek-a-boo whiffs of his cologne that tantalized her. She had to get away.

As they neared the cash registers the rich aroma of coffee wafting through the air offered her perfect excuse.

“I’ll be back in a second.” She didn’t wait for his answer before beating a hasty retreat for the snack bar.

While Daniel paid for the purchases, she bought two coffees, then met up with him at the exit. She offered him one of the cups. “Black?”

“Thanks. How did you know?”

“I didn’t.” She pulled some sugar packets and creamers from her pocket with an impish grin.

Deep down inside, though, she had a glow of satisfaction. How could she explain the odd times she’d found herself thinking he would like a certain type of food, or music or that his favorite color was— “Blue?”

“Blue?”

“Your favorite color. You look like a blue type of guy.”

His smiled hitched her heartbeat. “That’s my second favorite.” He started walking.

Feeling a little disappointed and foolish, she couldn’t help asking, “So what is your first?”

“Gray. Silvery, like lake-water on a cloudy day.”

She made a face.
Color me shades of depression. Oh please
.

The drive back home was a repeat of the drive over, only this time with Billie Holiday singing variations on his second favorite color all the way.

They turned onto Southview Blvd. As they drove under the leafy canopy of mature trees a sense of security softly cloaked her. That it was all the sweeter because she was with Daniel didn’t bear closer inspection.

He pulled into the driveway, parked, then reached into the back seat. Without thinking, she turned also, coffee in hand.

He swung around again with the shopping bag.

“Oh! Oh! Oh!” Pure reflex made her jerk back against the door, extending her arm as far away from her own body as possible.

Which, coincidentally, happened to be in the vicinity of
right-smack-damn
over Daniel’s body.

The cup came to life in her hand, bouncing off each finger in mid-air, then coffee——black, two sugars——splashed down in a steaming waterfall.

“Son of a bitch!” Daniel reared back, dropping the bag, hands in the air. “Awh, fuck!”

She watched in horror as the dark brown stains blossomed on his shirt and khakis.

“Daniel, I’m so sorry.”

Felicity fumbled in her pocket for some napkins she’d taken from the coffee kiosk. The two crumpled specimens she pulled out were pathetic, but she attempted to sop up some of the damage anyway.

Daniel clamped her wrist in an iron grip. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” he ground out between clenched teeth.

She froze under his glare. “The coffee stain—I was just trying to help.”

“Don’t. Help.” He shifted gingerly in his seat, grimacing. “Jesus,” he said in an almost tortured whisper.

Felicity looked down at his lap and comprehension dawned.

“Oh.”