Under Your Skin (20 page)

“Actually, I might grab a yogurt before our walk. I'm hungry.”

“Mmm-hmm” was all Lani said before returning her attention to the book in her hand.

Norah wasn't sure how she felt about Lani making those assumptions about her and Kai. Sure, she wanted to start something with him, but it wasn't something she wanted to declare to his mom. That would be weird.

Kai leaned against the kitchen counter, shirtless again, drinking his coffee. “Enjoying my sweatshirt?”

“Actually, I am. It's very comfortable.” She reached into the refrigerator and took out a strawberry yogurt.

Kai didn't want to stay and watch Norah, but he couldn't move. Ever since he'd kissed her by her car, he'd done his best to avoid her because she was some kind of irresistible. Standing there in his battered sweatshirt that had to be three sizes too big, she was cute.

Then she peeled back the foil lid on her yogurt and licked it, managing to make eating yogurt sexy. Without speaking, she said plenty with the way she swirled the spoon over her tongue. She wanted to torment him and she was good at it.

“You shouldn't play games.”

With her spoon poised for another dip, she said, “Games can be fun. We're all entitled to a little fun.”

“No game is fun when the rules aren't clear.”

She jabbed the spoon into the container and set the yogurt on the table beside her. She stepped forward, getting close enough to him that she had to crane her neck to look him in the eye. “So let's lay out the rules.”

Standing toe-to-toe with him, she tried to look tough, but he saw her sweet softness. “You don't want to play with me.”

“You're wrong. We definitely want to play with each other. Otherwise you wouldn't have kissed me. Twice. And it was smokin' hot both times. There's no denying it.”

He closed his eyes and hoped for strength. Without it, Norah would win whatever battle she was forcing.

A gentle finger stroked down his chest. “Look, we're adults. Our lives had been rough lately. All I'm saying is let's enjoy our time together. Your mom will be moving back to Jaleesa's in a couple of months. I'm not looking for a life partner. I'm looking to have some fun with you until I move on.”

“And what does that fun look like?”

She swayed a little as she lifted her shoulders. “We can hang out. Mess around a little, see if the chemistry holds, and when I get the all clear from my doctor, get tangled up in some sheets.”

“And you think your brother's going to be okay with us hanging out and . . .”

“Neither Tommy nor any of my brothers get a say in how I live my life and who I see.”

He laughed. He might not have been the best brother in the world, but who his sister dated had always mattered. He'd thrown a scare into more than one teenager even though he was only two years older than Jaleesa.

Norah stroked his jaw. “That's a good look and an even better sound.”

“What?”

“You smiling and laughing.”

He enjoyed the feel of her palm on his cheek. Enough that he wanted to lean down and kiss her again. “So you want to date?”

She shrugged again. “Sounds silly when you say it. I just . . . Don't avoid me. Hang out and drink your coffee while I eat my yogurt and talk for a while.” She smiled up at him. “Be friendly.”

“Chatting and friendly aren't my thing.”

She sighed. “Then what is?”

He pressed a hand to her hip to move her back, checking the urge to squeeze and bring her closer. “My thing? Taking you hard and fast up against the wall until you're screaming.” He watched her throat work as she swallowed and her eyes dilated. Damn. He'd hoped to scare her off, but she was getting turned on.

She cleared her throat. “Then let's compromise. A month of my thing, followed by a month of your thing. Then your mom will be better and you won't need me anymore.”

“I have to get to work.”

“Don't be a chicken. Think about it.”

The temptation was great. Two months of Norah being his. Well, a month of her being his and in order to get that, he'd have to what? Be friendly?

“Hey, Kai?”

He turned from the door.

“Do you think I can have Friday night off? I want to go out. Get a break.”

Two thoughts immediately hit him: One, he didn't want Norah finding fun with some other guy, and two, he had a hockey game Friday night. But then he remembered his mom's physical therapy appointment was late that afternoon, and Jaleesa had offered to take her. He couldn't do anything about his reaction to the first, but the second could be remedied. “Should be okay. I'll ask Jaleesa to stay with her.”

“Thanks.”

Kai said good-bye to his mom and drove to work. He parked in front of Ink Envy and saw Tommy leaning against the door. “Where the hell is Puck? He was supposed to open.”

Tommy shrugged.

“Damn it. Have any clients come by?”

“I've only been here about fifteen minutes, but haven't seen any.”

Kai unlocked the door and pulled out his phone to text Puck. Puck got back to him immediately that his client had canceled so he didn't see the point in opening up. Kai didn't respond. It was a stupid argument to have over the phone. He'd wait until Puck came in.

Tommy plopped on the couch. “You know, if I had a set of keys, I could open for you.”

Kai stared at him.

“What? I've been here for over a year. Haven't fucked up yet.”

He had a point, but Kai still looked at Tommy like he was a kid. Which, when he considered it, was bad because he didn't look at Norah like a kid and she was younger.

“I'll think about it.”

“Hey, how's Norah doing?”

Kai paused in prepping his station and schooled his face. If Norah wanted to include her brothers in their arrangement, it would be up to her. Damn.
Their
arrangement? He hadn't agreed to anything. Yet. “Why ask me?”

“You see her more than I do these days. When I see her, she seems totally normal, like not sad and shit. But then other times, I think I hear her crying.” He lifted a shoulder like it was no big deal, but Kai saw the concern on his face.

“She's not as weepy as she was before having the baby.” He thought about her toying with him. He'd seen no red flags. Was she that good of an actress? “She seems to be getting back to normal. Not that I know what that looks like.”

“I can't figure out if she's faking everything being okay. I just thought she'd be more upset, you know?”

“Maybe she's not upset because she's okay with her decision. Maybe she doesn't have any regrets.”

“I guess.”

The door jingled and Kai was saved from talk of Norah. He didn't want to worry about her feelings and whether she was faking anything because he knew when they kissed it had been all real. The chemistry between them and her proposition had nothing to do with emotions. And that was the way he liked it.

* * *

Norah tugged and pulled the elastic into place. She was going to look good tonight even if it killed her. And it just might because she wasn't sure she'd be able to breathe. With the shapewear in place, she studied her closet to choose an outfit. Jeans and a sweatshirt would be fine for the hockey game, but going to a bar after dictated something sexier. A miniskirt would be too obvious.

But a miniskirt with cute leggings underneath and her heeled boots topped off with a cami—perfection. Enough to draw the eye without actually revealing anything.

She'd missed this so much. Being a girl, hanging out, flirting with guys.

Blowing out a puff of air, she grabbed the clothes. This week, she was determined to make friends, starting with the girls at hockey. With the exception of Moira, they were the only people she'd had any contact with and they'd been nice to her. And right now she was desperate to make friends.

Since it was starting to get cold out, Sean was driving a car and he said she could ride with him. Tommy was going straight from work.

“Norah! Get a move on. I need to leave,” Sean yelled from the bottom of the steps.

“Coming.” She swiped on some mascara and lip gloss and slipped her feet into her boots. At least they still fit her without help. Scanning herself in the mirror, she decided she was good. On her way out the door, she snagged Kai's sweatshirt to wear. It was warm enough to not need it now, but by the end of the night she might. Plus, she'd have the added benefit of annoying Kai by wearing it.

It had become almost a game at this point. She'd wear the sweatshirt and he'd make a comment about it, but never request she return it.

At the bottom of the stairs, Sean whistled. “Dressed up for an amateur hockey game.”

“I haven't been out in ages. I want to relax and have some fun.”

Sean chuckled. “Who are you kidding? You want to ogle the sweaty guys.”

“Maybe a little.” She wasn't about to reveal there was only one sweaty guy she had her eye on.

At the rink, Sean walked her in and pointed to the stands where the players' families sat. She walked down the aisle looking for Caitlyn. Although she might recognize some of the other people, she wouldn't remember names. Just as she was about to give up, someone tapped her on the shoulder. She turned to see Caitlyn behind her.

“Hi.”

“Hey, you look great.” Caitlyn opened her arms wide and swept them over Norah.

“Thanks.” Norah hadn't thought about how to address the whole baby thing. These people had seen her pregnant and at some point they were going to ask about the baby. “Do you think I can sit with you?”

“Absolutely.” She pointed to where she already had a seat. “So how'd you get out tonight? We usually don't see girls who've had babies for months at least.”

“I gave my baby up for adoption.”

“Oh.” Caitlyn shimmied down the aisle to her seat.

Norah followed and once they were settled, an uncomfortable silence sat heavily between them. Crap. She managed to ruin the only shot she had at making friends.

“I feel like an ass for asking. I'm sorry,” Caitlyn said.

The simple, unnecessary apology let Norah know there was no judgment. “Sorry for what? It was a normal question. You had no way of knowing. I don't mind.”

“Thank God. I have a habit of running my mouth. Chris is forever reminding me to think before I say something stupid.”

“Nothing stupid. It was a pretty safe assumption for you to make. When we'd met before, I hadn't decided yet, but it was ultimately the best decision for me and Ella. That's her name.”

“You got to name her?” As soon as the words left her mouth, Caitlyn's eyes widened. “Shoot, I did it again.”

Norah patted her knee. “It's okay. I did an open adoption, so I met with the parents. I chose them. We talked about names and when they suggested Ella, I agreed. I think it's pretty.”

“Wow. You're so cool about all this. I think I'd be a mess if I got pregnant right now.”

Norah laughed. “Trust me, I spent months being a mess. Now, I'm ready to move on.”

“I'm glad you're here. You coming out for drinks after?”

“You bet. I haven't had a drink in forever.”

The guys were on the ice warming up and Norah chatted with Caitlyn while watching. She found that now that she knew Kai a little better, he was easier to spot on the ice. Not that a guy his size was ever hard to miss.

She still didn't understand much about the game, but Caitlyn was nice enough to guide her through. The woman was a treasure trove of knowledge. “How do you know all this?”

“Chris and I have been dating since high school. He's been playing since he was five. For him, it would be a deal breaker for a girl not to understand hockey. Plus, when you're exposed to it as much as I am, with him playing and watching every professional game imaginable, it's bound to sink in. You'll see.”

“I don't know. My brothers never cared much about whether I watched.”

“So you're here for Sean and Tommy?”

“Of course.”

One of Caitlyn's eyebrows shot up.

“Well, if you really want to know, I'm here for you. I haven't lived in Chicago for ten years. I don't have any friends.”

“Uh-huh. And?”

“And what? My girl crush isn't enough for you?”

“I don't believe you're wearing the cute skirt and cami for me.”

“I'm finally starting to get my body back. I want to show it off.”

“To who?”

Norah released a long breath. “Am I that obvious?”

“Maybe not to everyone, but I see you checking out Kai. You track
him
on the ice, not your brothers. Not that I blame you.”

Norah pressed her lips together and questioned if coming tonight was a good idea. If Caitlyn saw, so might Tommy and Sean. Well, Tommy at least. Tommy knew about her boyfriends in the past and had never been terribly overprotective, but then she got pregnant and it was like it flipped a switch in him.

“So what's the story?” Caitlyn asked as she leaned close.

“We have this chemistry thing and he's hesitant to act on it.”

“Why?”

“Not sure.”

“Well, if that outfit doesn't work, maybe it's time to set your sights on someone else. Lots of guys on the team are single.”

“Thanks. I'll let you know if I need an introduction.”

They watched the rest of the game and the guys won, but it had been a tough win. There had been at least three ugly fights and that didn't count the guys slamming against the glass. Norah rode with Caitlyn to the bar since the guys needed to shower and change. She was on her second beer when the team arrived. They crashed through the doors whooping and hollering.

Boyfriends and husbands moved straight to the women waiting for them. Norah couldn't help but look for Kai. When she didn't see him over the heads of his teammates, she thought maybe he went home because Jaleesa had been taking care of his mom. So much for her killer outfit.

Regardless, she was going to stay and have fun. This was a chance to make new friends.