Mixing Temptation (6 page)

“You're still the toughest woman I know. And my brothers hooked up with some pretty badass chicks,” he said. “But you're the most interesting. Certainly the sexiest. Although I've never pictured Kat or Lena naked. Chad would kick my ass for that. And even Brody might take a swing at me.”

He won a small smile. But he'd hoped for a laugh. He leaned over, resting his right forearm on the center console. He raised his left and brushed the back of his hand over her cheek before lowering it to the car's center. “Caroline—­”

“I wanted to be less of myself. After he attacked me. The way I looked. The way I behaved—­I wanted to wipe it all away. It took taking a step back and coming home to the States before I woke up to the fact that he didn't attack me because of how I looked or because I tried so hard to fit in and be ‘one of the guys.' ”

Josh stared at his date. Suddenly the gulf between a second kiss at a wedding—­under the pretense of a false relationship—­and where they stood now looked like a river lined with white-­water rapids instead of the smooth first date pond. What if he'd messed up and she wasn't ready to date again? What the hell did he know about surviving rape? Or shit, surviving a war? He'd never served.

But he'd had his sense of self stripped away along with his memory. And he'd been pulled close to depression waiting for it to return, wondering if he'd ever wake up with a clear picture of what had happened yesterday or the day before that.

After all of that, he'd changed too. It hadn't happened overnight, but gradually, he'd looked for a different future, ready to claim his second chance. Caroline wasn't there yet and he could respect that.

“You're right,” he said. “I didn't know you before. But I know you're locked into some sort of epic battle with fear. I saw you pull a gun on that raccoon behind Big Buck's when you first moved to town. Shit, I don't mind if you're carrying tonight.”

“I'm not,” she said firmly.

He let his gaze shift away from her dead-­serious expression. He lingered over her loose-­fitting shirt. “Really? Because I've been imagining all the places you might be hiding—­”

“Josh.”

Her voice shifted from serious to doom-­and-­gloom. And he knew it was time to save his first date.

“OK, I'll be serious for a second. But after this we're going back to traditional first date chitchat. We're not on some reality dating show. I hate to break it to you, but I don't have a rose for you at the end of the night if you spill your guts and put on a good show. And . . .”

He pulled away from her and sat upright in his seat. “Wait for it now, because I'm going to be straight up honest with you right now. I like you, Caroline. You're straightforward. No games. And that works for me. I've spent the past year telling myself that if I show you respect and offer friendship, we might land right here on a date. So how about we go into the winery, grab the picnic basket they prepared for us, and hike out to one of my favorite spots in the great state of Oregon.”

She cocked her head. “I thought most dates started with a rose, not ended with one.”

He pushed open his door. “Do you live under a rock? There's this reality dating show—­”

“I know, Josh. It was a joke.” She followed his lead and climbed down from the truck. “And I promise I'll save the rest of the heavy conversation for the hot tub.”

“
L
OOKS LIKE WE
got lost on the way to the hot tub.” Caroline added a note of mock despair to her voice.

“I must have made a wrong turn,” he teased as he put the truck in park and cut the lights. The bright, nearly full moon illuminated the pickup's interior.

“I guess that means the heavy conversation will have to wait for our second date,” she added. “But after hiking through grape vines in these crazy heels—­”

“You took them off ten feet into the field,” he said nodding to the shoes resting next to her feet.

“I'll put them back on if that will win me a steamy make-­out session in the front of your truck,” she said holding tight to the brave and bold feelings she'd stumbled on during their walk through the vineyard. She had revealed more about herself, how she'd felt in the aftermath of what had happened to her in Afghanistan, than she'd told anyone else, including her sister, Noah, and her parents.

Though to be fair, she knew her parents believed her former CO. Her father had served in the Marines too and he'd held tight to the ‘good soldier' defense. Her mother followed her dad's lead, choosing to believe Dustin's version of events. So she'd never confided in them.

But Josh had listened and come back with the unexpected
I like who you are now.
Then he'd taken her out to a quiet, secluded spot overlooking the valley below. He'd poured her a glass of wine and told her about what he'd learned in his wine making course. And he'd made her laugh, reminding her why she'd looked forward to his visits each week.

Because he didn't look at her and see less of the person she'd been before. He just saw her.

“You know, I usually have this rule about kissing barefoot,” he said. “But for you, I'll make an exception.”

“An exception?”

“If—­”

Her eyes widened. “There's an if?”

“
If
you take off your shirt.”

“I think you've been misreading all of those ‘no shirt, no shoes, no ser­vice' signs.” She leaned forward, slowly closing the gap between them. Her lips were an inch from his.

“You might be right about that.”

He brushed his lips over hers. A soft, gentle touch that set off fireworks inside her. And she slanted her mouth over his and deepened the kiss.

Her tongue tangled with his and her hands begged to participate. She wanted to touch him . . . feel him . . . break her own rules and strip off
his
shirt.

But then he broke away and sat back in the driver's seat.

“So do you think I won a rose?” he murmured.

She cocked her head. “Do
you
think you earned one?”

“Yes.” He lifted his hand and brushed his fingers over her cheek. “And I'm ready for the second date whenever you are, Caroline.”

 

Chapter 5

J
OSH PRESSED PAUSE
on the mental replay of last night's end-­of-­date kiss. Daydreaming about how much he wanted to slip his hands under Caroline's pretty pink shirt would lead to a reaction that didn't belong in his big brother's kitchen. If Caroline were sitting at the table his big brother had handcrafted . . .

“Planning to make us dinner?” Brody pulled out a chair and sank down.

“I thought Kat was at a conference this week,” Josh said as he played Tetris with an assortment of leftovers to reach the beers in the back.

“She is. But Chad is about a minute or two out. He had the day off and gave me a hand on a volunteer search and rescue mission. Another lost hiker. We found her safe and sound.” Brody held out his hand for a brew.

“Not for you,” Josh said.

Brody raised an eyebrow. “You're stealing my beer? What are you planning to make with it?”

“I'm planning to drink it,” Josh said.

“All alone in your apartment?” Chad strode in and claimed a seat across from Brody.

“I'm expecting company.” Josh set two bottles on the counter and then returned to the fridge for the lone remaining can. He carried it over to the table. “And I don't have time to go shopping.”

“Caroline?” Brody asked as he cracked opened the can. He took a sip and passed it to Chad.

“Yeah.”

“You just saw her last night,” Chad pointed out.

“Yeah,” Josh said. “And we had a good time so I invited her over to watch a movie and share a take-­out pizza.”

“Moving a little fast, aren't you?” Brody said, reaching for the beer can.

I can count on one hand the number of times I'
ve kissed her this past year,
Josh thought.

“She has to work the rest of the week.” Josh picked up the bottles. “And I'm done playing games. I wanted to see her so I called and invited her over.” He raised his hand holding the beers and pointed first to Brody. “You shouldn't be lecturing me about fast. You were messing around with my doctor on her first night in town.” He shifted his attention to Chad. “And you—­”

“Lena's different,” Chad cut in, his easygoing, playful tone forgotten.

“So is Caroline.” Josh lowered his arm. “Stay out of the barn tonight.”

“We could always send Katie over to check on the horses,” Chad pointed out.

Josh shook his head. “I already told her that I'd let her goats out in the middle of the night if she did that. You'll be out there helping her round them up and making sure they didn't get their heads stuck in the fence again if you encourage her.”

“We'll leave you alone,” Brody said firmly.

“One more question,” Chad added. “What are you watching?”

“Katie lent me that adventure movie about that kick-­ass girl with the bow and arrow,” he said.

“You can't watch a movie based on a kid's book,” Chad said. “Not if you want to get laid tonight.”

We could watch porn and the date still wouldn't end in bed,
Josh thought. But he wasn't about to explain Caroline's three date rule to his brothers. Or his suspicion that three dates might stretch to four or more.

“I have a better idea.” Brody pushed back from the table and stood. “Wait here a sec.”

“I'm not watching some cheesy romantic tear-­jerker,” Josh called after him.

“Afraid you'll cry?” Chad said without cracking a grin.

“Or she will,” Josh muttered. He wouldn't run from a crying woman. But their relationship already had a shitload of serious. He didn't need a high-­drama movie tossed into the mix. Hell, he would have watched their favorite reality dating show. Too bad it didn't air on Tuesdays.

“Take this,” Brody said as he walked into the kitchen and held out a DVD. “That way you can offer her a choice. Plus, Kat loved this movie. She begged me to watch it with her. I caved and . . .” His big brother raised his hand and rubbed the back of his neck as his gaze dropped to the floor.

What the heck? Is Brody blushing?

“It's a good date flick,” his oldest brother added.

“Thanks.” Josh took the disc and headed for the door. “But I still think she will prefer the adventure movie.”

The screen door leading from the farmhouse kitchen to the great outdoors slammed behind him. But not before Josh heard Chad say, “How come you never gave me porn to share with my girl?”

C
AROLINE ST
ARED OUT
the window of Dominic's truck. She understood cause and effect. She'd ventured outside her comfort zone and now she felt skittish, as if she should open the passenger door and dive out of the moving vehicle.

But that would be stupid and probably lead to injuries. Then Lily would drag her to the hospital instead of taking her to Josh Summers's place.

“It's nice of you to drive me all the way over here,” Caroline said.

“Josh promised cookies, brownies, and a berry pie for the kindergarten bake sale,” Lily said. “I can take a ­couple of hours out of my Tuesday night to give a friend a ride if it means I won't have to slave over an oven this weekend. Plus, I'm happy for you. Getting back out there. Dating again.”

“Two dates in two days might be too much,” Caroline said.

“After a year of sharing pie, I think you're ready. But I'm only a phone call away if you change your mind. And I'll be back in three hours to drive you home if you don't.”

“You don't have to stick around,” Caroline protested.

“I'm meeting an old friend for dinner in Independence Falls. It's no trouble. Plus, I want to hear the details of your date.”

“We're going to share a pizza and watch a movie,” Caroline said. “There won't be much to tell.”

Lily turned off the country road and headed for the two-­story farmhouse standing beside a bright red barn.

“They repainted,” Lily mused. “The house, the barn, it looks good.”

But Caroline's heart was beating too fast to take in the details. She waited for the truck to halt beside the lone door on the long side of the barn. Three trucks lined the parking. Four now that Lily had added Dominic's to the lineup.

“They're here,” she murmured. “His brothers. Maybe his sister—­”

“I doubt Josh invited them to tag along on your movie date,” Lily said. “Go have fun. You deserve a night out—­or in—­with Josh. Plus, I bet he baked you a pie.”

Five minutes later, Caroline surveyed the cramped studio apartment over the Summers' family barn. A queen-­sized mattress resting on a metal frame filled most of the space. Two doors lined the far wall both open just enough to glimpse a bathroom behind door number one and a closet behind door number two. A flat-­screen TV was mounted on the wall. And a table surrounded by a pair of wooden chairs offered the pretense of a dining area in the tiny space.

No pie.

She didn't see so much as a cookie on the counter in the kitchenette. But two DVDs rested on the round wooden table.

“Double feature?” she asked as Josh cracked open a beer and handed it to her.

“My siblings offered their suggestions.” He picked up the movies and held out one to her. “I'm guessing you'll like this one.”

She glanced down at the familiar image. “Who picked it?”

“My sister.” He set the second DVD down beside the mini-­fridge and withdrew a second beer. “The girl, she's the hero in the movie, she fights back and kicks some major ass with her bow and arrow.” He opened the bottle, raised it to his lips, and took a sip. Lowering it, he added, “She's fierce, tough, and hot. Just like you.”

She set the DVD on the table. “I fought because it was my job.”

“True, but when you were attacked by one of the good guys, you fought—­”

“No, I didn't.” She shook her head. “I couldn't. He was my commanding officer. I couldn't fight him.”

“But you called him out. You pressed charges.”

She picked up the beer bottle and ran her finger over the opening. “Noah called the hotline. The one set up to report situations like mine. He found the number and placed the call. I didn't . . . I didn't even try.”

“Caroline,” he murmured.

The way he said her name, the pity in his voice—­it was as if her past had sent a hand grenade into her second date. And if she didn't remove it fast their evening would blow to pieces.

But she refused to pretend to be some sort of hero. Last night he'd looked at her as if he liked her just the way she was. He deserved to know the truth.

“Protocol dictated that I report the . . .” She couldn't say the word. She stole a glance at the movie cover. She didn't even know the story, but she knew she wasn't the badass with the bow and arrow. And if that was why he'd spent the past year baking for her, if that was why he'd asked her out, he needed to know the truth.

“Protocol demanded that I report the incidents to my commanding officer,” she continued. “And really there was no one else. We were on a remote base in the middle of a desert. Cut off from everyone. My family. My friends. Everyone around us would take his side. Except Noah. And he . . . he found a way to report it. He researched the hotline. And he did everything he could to keep our CO away from me. Noah followed me like a shadow whenever he could. It didn't stop . . . everything.”

Oh hell, I'
m making a mess of our second date,
she thought.

“Really,” she added softly as she raised her beer to her lips. “It was all Noah.”

“No,” he said firmly as he set his beer on the counter. “It was you. You survived. You're still surviving.”

“I'm running,” she said flatly.

He crossed the kitchen/dining area in two strides. “Not right now.” His hand cupped her jaw, his touch featherlight and seemingly at odds with his firm tone. “Right now, you're on a movie date.”

She let out a rough laugh. “If we start every date like this—­”

“We're getting to know each other,” he said, his thumb stroking her cheek. “Nothing wrong with that. Now I know you and my sister don't share the same taste in movies. So we'll watch Brody's pick . . .”

He stepped back and she missed the feel of fingers against her skin. His right hand plucked the second DVD from the counter.

“
Magic Mike
,” he said.

She laughed as her lips formed a smile that would have felt impossible moments earlier. “Your big brother gave you a movie about male strippers?”

“Yeah.” Josh turned the case over and read the back. “Sorry. I didn't look at it too closely. He said Kat liked it. After they watched it . . .” He glanced up at her. “He didn't offer details, but he blushed. And that's rare for Brody. But we can watch whatever is on TV. Maybe there is a reality show? You can look while I heat the pizza I picked up in town. Half cheese, half pepperoni.”

“Oh no.” She plucked the case from his hand. “We're watching the male strippers.”

He shook his head as he turned to the small oven with a pizza box resting on top. “See, I was thinking you would go for the adventure movie. Maybe curl up in my arms and pretend to be scared. We'd both know the truth, but—­”

“I'll still curl up in your arms.” She removed the DVD and knelt down to insert it into the player. Mike had already worked his magic, banishing the serious from the conversation. “And maybe later I'll talk you into a striptease?”

T
HANK YOU,
C
HANNING
Tatum,
Josh thought as the final credits rolled.

Thirty minutes into the movie, Caroline had set her plate of half-­eaten pizza on the floor and sat back against the pillows lining the wall with her shoulder touching his. Then her hand had brushed his thigh as the men on screen thrust their hips in time with the music. And when the show started and he took off his shirt? Caroline had rested her head against his shoulder. He'd wrapped his arm around her and held her close, the side of her body pressed against his.

Who needs bow and arrows when you have male strippers?

“I liked it,” he said. “Good message.”

Caroline laughed and the fingers resting on his thigh pressed into his jeans. “What message?”

“Following your dreams and all that.” He allowed the hand draped over her shoulder to explore. His fingers dipped beneath her neckline of her black scoop neck T-­shirt and drew a small circle. “You know, I think Mike will have a really successful furniture business.”

“I don't know about that,” she said. “If his business takes off, why did they film a sequel?”

“You're kidding,” he said, glancing down at her.

She looked up at him and her expression didn't give anything away. She appeared downright somber with her wide green eyes staring into his. And she didn't pull away and tense beneath his touch.

“
Magic Mike XXL
,” she said. “I haven't seen it—­”

“But now you're dying to know what happens next?”

“I saw a few commercials and watched a preview online,” she said. “I have a pretty good idea.”

“I guess I know what we're watching on our next movie night,” he said.

“You know,” she said, pulling away and shifting to sit facing him on the bed with her legs crossed, “I'm not sure I can wait until our next date for more male strippers. Why don't you show me what you've got?”

Her sensual, playful tone, so different from her guarded responses in Big Buck's back room—­or the broken note he'd heard earlier when she'd tried to explain how Noah had done what she couldn't when faced with an impossible situation in a damn war zone—­left only one response.