I am. I promise, Vic assured his dad.
CHAPTER TWO
RACHEL STOOD IN her closet, looking at her clothes. Annoyance warred with delight. Itd been a while since shed dressed up for a man for more than just a few weeks of sex and then moving on. That was easy. A mask, a costume that spelled out the limits and boundaries of the interaction.
Sexy in a generic sense.
But Vic wasnt some dude shed bounced on a while. He was someone she knew and liked. Someone who came over to her house on a regular basis. A guy whod seen some of her most private stuff aired out.
God. She shouldnt do anything with him. Just stay friends. If they started something and it went bad it would be awkward. And she really liked the Orlovs and his cousin was living in her house, sullying up her sister. Gah!
So much energy buzzed just under her skin. Had been since shed gotten out of bed and tried to pretend it wasnt a big deal that he was coming over and making her food and giving her a ride and being all helpful and nurturing and it was really insanely hot and comforting and he was sexy. So sexy and he wanted her. Her!
Going off the rails here, she murmured to herself.
Of course she was naturally going to try to talk herself out of getting into anything romantic with him. It was dumb and risky, just as shed reminded herself.
And of course she was going to do it anyway.
He made her dizzy and sort of sappy and dumb and really horny. She wanted to see what it would be like. To have something with him, to give the zing a chance. She wanted to let herself feel all this really good stuff.
* * *
BY THE TIME he showed up at her door shed managed to get the eyeliner on both sides into pretty respectable wings and given the goofy look on his face when he checked out her tits, the choice of the snug T-shirt shed worn over a long-sleeved Henley was a good one.
Hi. He smiled at her, all gorgeous teeth framed by his beard. Sometimes she let her cheek brush it when he hugged her. And she wondered what it would feel like against the sensitive skin of her neck. Or the inside of her thighs.
Holding up an armful of packages, he thrust a huge bouquet of flowers at her. I bring food and flowers in tribute.
Rachel took them, pausing to breathe in the scent of the pink-tipped cream-toned roses hed given her.
Good morning. She stepped back to let him come inside, taking a surreptitious sniff of him as he passed.
Yum.
She led him into the kitchen, where he began to unpack the haul hed brought. Trying not to show how giddy she was that hed brought her such pretty flowers, she made busy with trimming the stems and arranging them in a vase she placed in the center of the kitchen table.
Thank you for the roses, she said, shyness in her belly.
He turned, approaching her slowly until hed backed her to the counter, his body shy of touching hers. You deserve roses.
The shyness in her belly turned to butterflies.
I do?
He nodded and then, shocked her into total stillness as he dipped and slid his lips over hers. Tasting. Sipping.
He backed up just a little before he got close again, this time sliding his tongue against her lips and into her mouth when she opened on a sigh of pleasure. The heat of him blanketed her, along with his scent, and she had to exercise all her self-control not to rub against him.
One last kiss, this one with a nip of her bottom lip. Ive been waiting a long time, he murmured, gaze searching hers. Looking for fear? Hesitation?
She went up on her tiptoes and kissed him quickly, one last time, chasing that query from his eyes.
I hope it was worth the wait, she said, trying to sound saucy.
He smirked. It was.
She smiled. Good. I concur. On the being worth the wait, that is. Coffee?
Yes, thatd be great. Omelets okay? he asked.
Nodding, she poured them both a large mug, leaving his near where hed begun to assemble the ingredients for their meal.
You know where the milk and sugar are if you want some. She indicated the sugar bowl.
My mother says Im sweet enough on my own, he told her.
Snorting, she rolled her eyes and went back to looking at him, enjoying the tingling left after that kiss.
You do pretty well in that department, I must admit.
Visibly pleased, he shrugged, not at all bashfully. He was just so damned self-assured. Easy with himself as he moved around her kitchen.
Ive decided we should go on a date. First dates can be weird, even when you already know the person. So I propose this to be our first date so when I take you out, it can be the second date and we dont need to be nervous. Naturally therell be flowers because, as I mentioned, you deserve them. He nodded as he began to assemble things in a fashion her love of order found very sexy. He poked around in the cabinets until he found what he needed and got about his business.
She sat back in her chair, utterly charmed. Damn it, why did he have to be so sexy and funny? So emotionally well adjusted and stuff? The whole of him was utterly irresistible.
Itd been hard enough when he was aiming all that charm at others. But over the last several months hed turned it on her. Making it clear what his intentions were. Even as he never pressed for more than she was comfortable with she couldnt deny the chemistry between them.
Hed pushed his sleeves up, exposing ridiculously sexy forearms, and then washed and dried his hands. He stood, giving her his profile, his features exposed because his hairacres of thick, gorgeous hair, nearly shaved at the sides but long on topwas captured in a ponytail at the back of his head. He usually wore it that way when he worked.
It should have been douchey or bro-something. It was hot. Slightly messy but that was because hed been up since four working on that upper body she got a little dizzy when she looked directly at. Like the sun.
When you turn on the taps you go all the way, dont you, pretty boy?
Too much? he asked, knowing she wasnt going to agree.
Its impressive.
Impressive is good. Cocky, he raised a shoulder slightly.
That remains to be seen, she told him, teasing.
His laugh was one she hadnt heard from him before. Low and lusty. It made all her hormones stand up and cheer.
Im very competitive. It means I tend to get very focused when Im trying to hit something out of the park. Get your rest.
It was Rachels turn to laugh. Flirting with him felt good. And she couldnt deny the curiosity about just what hed show her to impress her.
Do you want ham or turkey? He pointed at the cutting board with his knife.
Ham is good. Thanks.
Silence lived between them for a bit as he cooked, filling the kitchen with some really good scents. It wasnt uncomfortable. Being with him rarely was.
Busy morning at the bakery? she asked.
Even my mother was pleased with the business today. Shes a hard taskmaster and has very high standards when it comes to what she considers a successful days take.
Rachel laughed. Mrs. Orlov was one of her favorite people. Though small in stature, she was a big presence. Especially within her family. A force to be reckoned with in her community.