Unexpectedly Yours (8 page)

“If I leave a messy edge, you’ll notice it every time you sit down to study, and you won’t be able to concentrate.”

She laughed. “Okay. No messy edges. I need all the help I can get with school.”

He gave her a long look. “You’re all fired up for nursing school, aren’t you?”

“Am I ever. I want this, Derek. I want to prove to myself that I can do it.” She paused, twisting the brush in her fingers. “Rick always said it was a waste of my time, but of course he was only thinking of himself.”

“What a bastard,” Derek growled, unable to hold back.

“I should’ve realized what he was sooner. The signs were there, I just didn’t want to see them.” She sighed. “Looking back, I realize now that Rick was always a bit immature. He wanted to be this big-shot plastic surgeon, but he didn’t like dealing with real life. He married me because I was willing to look after him, not because he wanted to share his life with me.”

“He didn’t deserve you.”

“No, he didn’t.” She pulled back her shoulders. “But I’m over Rick. He’s in the past. I’m moving on with my life.”

She might be moving on, but she wasn’t completely over her douche-bag ex. That asshole had made her wary of men. She wasn’t going to put her trust in another man easily. Especially a man she might consider “immature.” Like him. The idea made his shoulder blades tighten up. He hated Hannah thinking he was too wet behind the ears. That he was only good enough for a quick and dirty one-night stand. But what more did he want? A repeat of that night, obviously. But beyond that? He wasn’t sure.

Uneasy, he turned back to his paintbrush.

“We’re just about done in here,” Derek said.

“It looks great.” Hannah looked about the living room which had just received its second coat. “Amazing what a bit of paint can do.”

She couldn’t help watching Derek as he laid his brush down and stretched his arms above his head. God, he had a beautiful body. Those broad, solid shoulders were made for running her fingers over, and how could she forget how it felt to have those strong, tanned arms wrapped around her? His paint-spattered T-shirt lifted a little, giving her a glimpse of his abs. Just a few nights ago she’d kissed that hard belly of his. Kissed and licked it… She stifled a groan of longing.

All through their painting session she hadn’t been able to stop herself from ogling Derek. It had to stop. He was only here for a couple of weeks, and she wasn’t going to sleep with him again. One night of mad passion was all he was supposed to be, and she was sticking to that. Her job at the nursing home was far from secure, and she couldn’t afford to antagonize her manager further, even if Vera was ridiculously biased. More importantly, she didn’t want to risk a rift between her and Caleb, not when she was starting a new life and needed his support. And she’d feel terrible if Caleb and Derek—friends who’d stuck by each other—had a falling out over her. There was too much at stake; she had to resist temptation.

“Let’s stop for lunch,” she said, needing a distraction from Derek’s hot body. “I’ve got a cooler filled with sandwich fixings in the kitchen.”

“Any pecan pie?” Derek looked hopeful.

“Sorry, I gave the leftovers to Caleb, but there’s plenty of other stuff.” She’d brought enough food for two, expecting Amber would drop in, but it seemed Amber was steering clear. Because she knew Derek was here. In fact, she’d deliberately sent him here, the devious plotter. “I’ll fix us a couple of sandwiches.”

“Oh, Hannah,” Derek called after her as she headed for the kitchen. “I don’t mind horse feed in my sandwich.”

She turned and laughed. “Right. You’re all grown up now.”

“Glad you noticed.”

He had an elbow resting on the stepladder, causing his T-shirt to ride up and give her another glimpse of his flat stomach with its happy trail arrowing past his jeans. She swallowed. Jesus, how could she not notice Derek was all grown up?

She hurried to the kitchen where she focused on making the sandwiches. A few minutes later, Derek’s footsteps sounded behind her. The hair on her nape stirred.

“I’ve got ham, roast beef, or tuna. Plus pickles and chips. Oh, and there’s grapes, too.” She heard herself babbling but couldn’t stop herself. “And iced tea in that other cooler. Do you want to eat outside away from the paint fumes?”

“Sure.” He gave her a close look but said nothing more as he helped her carry their food out to the porch stretching along the back of the house.

“This is great,” he mumbled appreciatively as he munched on his second sandwich. “Wish I had your cooking skills. Otto’s been complaining about the dinners I make for him, but I don’t want him eating takeout every night.”

“When are you heading back to L.A. exactly?”

“End of next week.” He swallowed his bite. “I need to find a care assistant for Otto, but so far no luck. He’s hated all the ones I’ve interviewed so far.”

“I can keep an eye on him, if you like. When you’re gone.” The thought of Derek going took the flavor away from her sandwich for a few moments.

“I can’t let you do that. You’ve got enough to deal with.”

“It’s a plan B, in case plan A doesn’t work out.”

He considered that for a while, then nodded. “Okay. Plan B, but I really need plan A to work before I go.”

Again her stomach clenched. Why was this happening? A few days ago she’d been filled with dismay that her one-night stand had showed up again. Now, she was filled with dread at the thought of him
going
. What was up with her?

“Will you miss me when I’m gone?” Derek asked, his voice soft.

She started as if she’d been caught red-handed. Were her thoughts that transparent? She really needed to cultivate a poker face.

“Of course.” She forced herself to sound lighthearted. “Who’s going to knock down wasp nests and paint my walls for me?”

“Not to mention buy you mojitos and dance with you.” His eyes gleamed.

Memories triggered flutters in her stomach. “Oh, yeah, your dancing is very memorable.”

“I put a lot of effort into my moves.” He shifted his arm until his hand was almost touching hers on the porch boards. “My dancing moves, that is.”

And she was putting a lot of effort into looking nonchalant. She needed a distraction. As she turned away, a movement in the nearby bushes caught her attention. A gray-and-white cat appeared and squinted at them with suspicious yellow eyes.

“Oh, it’s you again, is it?” Hannah said to Derek, “I noticed him the first time I inspected the house. And he was hanging around the yard this morning, too.” Bending closer, she made a soft purring noise at the mangy-looking animal. “Here kitty-kitty,” she murmured. The cat bared its fangs at her.

“That’s no kitty. Looks more like a snarly old alley cat.”

“He does look like he’s been in the wars.” The cat was no best-in-show feline. He had one torn ear, a scar over one eye, and he bristled with disgust, wary of them but not afraid.

“He doesn’t have a collar, and he seems cautious of people, so I’m thinking he’s a stray, and this house must be part of his territory.” Hannah pinched off a piece of ham and threw it at the animal. The cat pounced on the morsel, then bounded back to his hiding place under the bushes.

“I know, I know,” Hannah said as she caught Derek’s eye. “I shouldn’t feed a stray or it’ll hang around all the time.”

“I wasn’t going to say that.” He rested his chin in his hand. “I was a stray once, and you fed me and I ended up hanging around your place almost permanently.”

Her heart squeezed. “But you’re not a stray anymore,” she said softly, keeping her gaze on the snarly cat. “You have a home, a business, a TV career, and…”
Women like Marla Beaudry to keep you company
. Now why did she have to think that? She pressed her lips in annoyance. She didn’t want to dwell on Derek and other women.

She hauled herself to her feet, and the cat dashed from sight. “I should get going. My shift starts in half an hour, and I need to clean myself up.”

He stood too. “I’ll stay here and put in a few more hours.”

She started to protest, but the look on his face was adamant, so she gave up. “Thank you, Derek.”

“I’ll see you again tomorrow morning?”

“Yes.”

Her heart shouldn’t be lifting at the thought of seeing him again. She shouldn’t be looking forward to spending time with him. She had planned to avoid him as much as possible, but that was clearly not working out.

Chapter Eight

The next morning, Derek was already at the rental house when she arrived there. His face lit up as he spotted her, and she couldn’t help her stomach flipping at the sight of him.

As he stepped off the porch, a gray-and-white blur dashed away.

“Is that our stray?” she asked.

Derek nodded. “I’ve been making friends with him over a saucer of milk, but he’s still very twitchy.”

“I brought an extra can of tuna today,” she admitted.

“Knew you wouldn’t be able to resist. Let’s wait until lunchtime, though. We’ve still got a lot to do.”

The way he said “we” gave an extra bounce to her step. She valued her independence, but it was great having Derek help her with the house. Not that she was depending on him for anything. His future lay far away from her and Pine Falls. He was a rising TV star, with lots of money and celebrity friends, while she was a struggling nursing student, with barely a roof over her head.

They got to work and tackled the bedroom. Hannah had chosen a soft, creamy color that she hoped would give her tranquil dreams. She tried to concentrate on her painting, but it was impossible with Derek’s distinctive, compelling physique, especially in such a small room. It seemed she was constantly bumping into him, and she wasn’t sure if her subconscious was doing it on purpose. The constant brush of his body against hers left her in a state of tingling torment and desire, and caused her several painting mishaps. Judging by the glimmer in Derek’s eyes, she was sure he was fully aware of his effect on her, too. When she eventually slept in this bedroom, she knew she’d be visited by sweet, tortuous dreams of Derek.

It was almost a relief to break for lunch. Once again, they carried their food out onto the back porch where it was sunny, warm, and private.

Hannah opened the tin of tuna she’d brought for the stray. The cat was nowhere in sight, but he would come soon enough when he got a whiff of their food.

“Hey, pecan pie.” Derek beamed as he lifted the pie dish from the cooler. “You made it for me?”

She’d gotten up early today to make the pie for him, but she wasn’t going to admit that. “Just my way of saying thanks.”

He lowered the dish between them. “There are other ways of saying thanks.” His gaze drifted to her lips, leaving her in no doubt what he had in mind. “Ways just as sweet and tasty as pecan pie.”

Her trigger-happy desire surged again as she imagined his lips on hers. “God, Derek, I thought we were keeping things platonic.”

“I thought so too, but you brought pecan pie.”

“Pecan pie?
That’s
a turn on?”

“Well, yeah. That, and those shorts you’re wearing.” His gaze lowered to the denim cutoffs hugging her hips. “I think you put on those itty-bitty shorts on purpose just to torture me, didn’t you?”

She gulped. “It’s a hot day, and they were the only shorts I had.”
Liar
. She had other, more modest shorts, but for some reason she’d chosen these tight-fitting cutoffs with the frayed hem. Again, she blamed her subconscious.

He snickered at her, and she knew she wasn’t fooling anyone. “You’re right. It is a hot day. In fact, it’s so hot I think I need to do this.” He stretched his arm behind his neck, gripped his T-shirt, and pulled it off in one swoop. Tossing aside the T-shirt, he stretched out in the sun. “Ah, yeah. That feels so much better.”

Her mouth fell open, and she might have made a choking sound. Her eyeballs felt like they were on stalks as she gawked at Derek’s naked torso. What a magnificent sight. Sunlight bounced off his smooth pecs and bulging biceps. His chest was a drool-worthy sculpture of muscle and sinew. He didn’t have an ounce of fat on him. Hard, broad shoulders narrowed to lean hips showcased by his low-slung jeans. Grungy, paint-flecked denim, but oh so sexy on him.

He rubbed his chest, drawing her attention to the trail of fine, dark hair that tracked down the center of his body. “What’s the matter, babe?”

Babe
. Heat seeped through her pores. Just one “babe” from him, and she was already melting.

“Uh, n-nothing,” she managed to stutter. For the life of her, she still couldn’t tear her eyes away from him.

“See something you like?”

She was almost panting now. Dammit, he was so devilishly tempting, but she was
not
going to cave in.

“Yes, I do.” She leaned toward him, slow and deliberate, until his eyes widened and he licked his lips in anticipation. Then she stretched her arm across him, brushing against his naked chest, and grabbed a bottle of iced tea. “This is what I’d like.”

She twisted the cap off and tipped a deep gulp of liquid down her throat. When she lowered the bottle, Derek was grinning at her.

“Nice move. You play hard.”

Her blood fizzed like she’d drunk champagne, and she acknowledged she was enjoying this way too much. It was such fun teasing and flirting with Derek. It made her realize she wasn’t old after all and that Derek brought something out of her that no one else did.

“You didn’t think I’d swoon at your feet just because you bared your chest, did you?”

“A guy can hope.”

She couldn’t let him know she’d practically dissolved into a puddle of lust a few seconds ago. “You forget I’m a nurse. I’ve seen plenty of male chests before. Male butts, too.”

“Yeah, but weren’t those butts mostly saggy and wrinkly and pale?”

“Young guys end up in the hospital, too, you know, and I get to see their butts.”

“Hmm, please don’t talk about other guys’ butts.” He rubbed his impressive pectorals. “I’m disappointed. I thought for sure you’d find this a turn on.”

The movement of his fingers mesmerized her. “Uh, y-you shouldn’t do that.”

“Why not?” His fingers slowed as they moved over the flat discs of his nipples, and the air squeezed out of Hannah’s lungs. “Does it turn you on too much?”

Her hand holding the bottle of iced tea wobbled, and cool liquid splashed onto her bare thigh. Derek jerked, his eyes sizzling, and suddenly the air between them was crackling with static.

He plucked the bottle from her hands and laid it aside. Then he bent his head over her and licked the spilt iced tea from her thigh. The heat of his tongue branded her and lit a firestorm of desire in her. He trailed his mouth up the length of her thigh like she was the last snow cone on earth, making her shiver with delight as she threaded her fingers through his hair.

And then he pushed himself upright, and his mouth was on hers, and they were kissing with wild starvation. She coasted her hands up and down his bare back, relishing the play of muscles beneath his skin as their bodies strained together. His mouth was hot and demanding, his tongue parting her lips, wanting more, and she was happy to give it to him. Some part of her brain told her this was madness, that she had to stop, but the primitive part of her body had taken over, and for once she was happy to go with it.

Derek eased her onto her back and positioned himself on top of her. Sandwiched between the warm boards of the porch and his hot body, she gave herself up to the moment and wrapped her legs around his hips. He groaned into her mouth, and when he lifted his head a fraction, his eyes were molten blue.

“This feels so right,” he breathed on her.

Yes
, she thought. Then everything was forgotten as he lowered his mouth to hers.

Heaven knew where their kissing might have led to, but Derek was just sliding a hand under her shirt when a grumpy
grrrh
sounded nearby.

Derek lifted his head. “Did you just growl at me?”

“N-no.” Her skin was on fire where Derek’s hand rested over her stomach.

The low-pitched snarl sounded again. They both twisted their heads to see the gray-and-white stray crouched at the edge of the porch, his tail swishing from side to side irritably. He didn’t seem to approve of their antics.

“He wants the tuna,” Hannah said. “I think we knocked it over.” Common sense came tiptoeing back, and she eased herself from Derek’s grip.

With a sigh, Derek levered himself into a sitting position. “Damn impatient animal.” But he picked up the opened can of tuna and pushed it toward the cat.

The stray cautiously approached and began to eat, keeping a suspicious eye out for them.

Hannah tugged her T-shirt back into place and swiped the back of her hand across her mouth. Her lips felt swollen, and her entire body was throbbing with craving for Derek. God, if it hadn’t been for the cat, what might have happened? She might have let him make love to her right here in the backyard for all her neighbors to see.

Anxiety flooded her, dousing the fire he’d lit in her. She picked up his discarded T-shirt and tossed it to him. “You should put that on.”

He caught the T-shirt, his eyes narrowing on her, but he pulled it on.

“There’s no one home next door,” he said. “No one saw anything.”

He was trying to reassure her, but it wasn’t working. She had assumed she could resist Derek’s charms, but the longer she spent with him, the more he became her Kryptonite.

“Derek, I—”

She was interrupted by Derek’s cell phone ringing. He answered it, frowned, said a brief few words, then hung up.

“That was my grandpa’s new caregiver who started today. She’s already quit.” He scraped his fingers through his hair and sighed. “I should get back and find out what happened.”

“Of course.” She’d be relieved to have time on her own to recover. “I’m sorry your grandpa’s causing you so much worry.” Here, she was on firmer ground. She was his friend and nothing more. “Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help.”

He nodded. “I’m sorry to leave you like this.”

“No, it’s fine. I appreciate all your help, but your granddad comes first. You should go to him. Don’t worry about anything here.”

“Thanks. I’ll call you.”

He left, and she was surprised at how hollow she felt. Even the stray had disappeared, and she was all alone in her new house.

“Why did Estella quit?” Derek asked Otto as soon as he got back to his granddad’s house.

“She wouldn’t stop talking to me,” Otto grumbled. “All morning she was at me, asking questions about what I liked to eat or wear or do. Even when she made me lunch, she wouldn’t let me eat in peace. So I told her to quit yakking, and she grabbed her purse and left.”

Derek sighed in defeat. “She was only trying to be friendly.”

“I don’t need any friends.” Otto snorted. “She’s too young, anyway. If you insist on getting me a babysitter, then at least get me someone who isn’t in diapers herself.”

“It’s not easy finding a care assistant in the first place.”

“Then don’t get me one. Problem solved. I can take care of myself.”

No, you can’t
. Derek kept his mouth shut as his grandfather shuffled about the kitchen. If he left Otto alone, he was sure something would happen to the old man, and another tumble might leave no alternative but a nursing home. Otto would loathe that.

He called the agency that he’d hired Estella through and told them the situation. The sympathetic woman he spoke to said she’d send him a few suitable résumés as soon as possible.

Derek ended the call and gazed at his difficult grandfather. The sunlight streaming through the window highlighted Otto’s papery cheeks. Since the accident, he hadn’t been outside much, and he was beginning to look anemic. His grandfather needed a change of scenery, some sunshine to boost his vitamin D. An idea took hold in Derek’s mind.

“Hey, Granddad, would you like to come with me and Hannah to the lake tomorrow?”

Otto turned to him in surprise. “Why?”

“You’ve been cooped up inside for too long. Thought you could use some fresh air.”

“We’ve never gone to the lake.”

We’ve never done anything together
. But that wasn’t an argument for today, if ever.

“You don’t have to do anything with us,” Derek said. “Hannah and I can swim, and you can sit and read a paper or something.” He was making this up as he went along. He wasn’t even sure if Hannah was free tomorrow, but if she was and he asked, he was sure she’d agree. He’d make out it was to help his grandpa, which it was, but it would also be great to spend an afternoon at the lake with her.

“Who’s Hannah?” Otto asked, still looking wary.

“Hannah Willmett. You remember the Willmetts.” Otto had never cared how much time he’d spent at the Willmetts, but he knew who they were.

“Any relation to Joe Willmett?”

“He was her grandfather.” He was also the person behind Derek’s business success. Without Grandpa Joe’s encouragement, he shuddered to think where he’d be now.

“We played pinochle once. He cheated.”

Derek shook his head.
How To Lose Friends and Alienate People,
by Otto Carmichael
.
“Yeah, well, Joe’s dead now, so you don’t have to mention that to Hannah. So are you coming? We’ll be going in the afternoon.”

“Is she a chatty Kathy, this girl of yours?”

My girl, Hannah
. It had a nice ring to it. “No, she’s not. She’s really nice. So, you’ll come?”

“I’ll think about it.”

If Otto didn’t want to go, he would’ve said it straight out, so Derek was encouraged. Now, he just had to get Hannah to come too. As a health professional and caregiver, Hannah could take a look at Otto and make sure he was in okay shape. That’s how he’d sell it to her, but as he picked up his phone to make the call, he found he was as excited as if he were asking her out on a real date.