About That Kiss (10 page)

He heard the questioning tone in her voice. “If you want to ask me something, Joy, just ask.”

“Did you know that you had an allergy to shellfish?” Joy hated asking, but it was there in her head, though she’d managed until now to keep it squelched.

“No,” he replied somewhat impatiently before continuing in a calmer tone. “I haven’t had shellfish for quite some time. I didn’t have an allergy to it before now.” He glanced at her arms, crossed defensively over her breasts. “Can you try to believe me?”

Joy nodded her head jerkily.

“Are you warm?” he asked offhandedly, springing to his feet. “I set the thermostat all the way up this morning. I haven’t adjusted it at all.”

“Yes.” She saw the sheen of perspiration on his face and could feel the same on her own. Only it wasn’t just the heating system that had caused her to grow warm.

“You can take off your sweater if you want,” Joy said, trying to sound impersonal as he went to adjust the thermostat.

He sat back down next to her and ran a hand randomly through his hair. “I couldn’t possibly consider making myself more comfortable unless you’re going to do the same.”

Joy laughed, knowing from his teasing that he’d forgiven her for asking him about the shellfish. “What would you do if I took you up on that?”

“I could sit on my hands if you want.” He reached out to tentatively brush her breast.

Joy removed his hand and held it down on the floor. “We’re just talking about it as a possibility.” It was all she could do to keep a straight face. It was all she could do to keep from moaning.

Nick dropped his head down to the blanket and used his other hand to circle the back of her neck. “You’re still under the mistletoe,” he whispered, before he pulled her down and captured her mouth.

Joy flattened herself on top of him while they both made sounds of frustrated passion. Suns and moons and every other excuse she’d ever come up with to explain her reaction to him flashed across her mind as she let her tongue and lips and hands respond to him. They were pressed together so tightly that not even a bedbug could have come between them.

The doorbell did that, jarring them both.

“Who the hell could that be?” Nick growled, letting the ring continue.

“I think you’d better go see.” Joy drew a deep, shuddering breath as she rolled off him. “Your car is
in the driveway. Whoever it is will know that someone is home.”

He kissed her again, quickly, before he got up and went to the front door.

“Hi,” Diana and Kevin chimed as Nick opened the door.

Diana went on blithely. “Before she left for her weekend with her friends, Mom told me that you and Joy were having dinner here. We brought cake for dessert. We just had the worst meal ever. I’m absolutely certain now that we’ve picked the right caterer.”

“Diana insisted we come over,” Kevin said with just enough of an apology in his voice for Nick to pick up on.

Diana had already entered the house, and by the time the brothers caught up, she had handed Joy the cake box and was unbuttoning her coat.

“Where can we put our coats?” Diana asked Nick as Kevin was slowly removing his.

Back on, was the immediate response Nick had in his head.

“There are hangers in the closet,” Joy answered. “I’ll take them from you. Here, hold the cake.”

“Black Forest,” Diana enthused with the box back in her hand.

Nick didn’t try for an eager expression or even a polite one. Diana didn’t notice. She was eyeing the dinner plates and bowls still on the floor.

Joy returned and Diana said to her, “I’ll help you clean up. Then we can have the cake. I’m glad I’m wearing slacks. I didn’t think about there not being a
table and chairs. Oh, Nick, why don’t you show Kevin around.”

It wasn’t until Diana and Joy were alone in the kitchen that Diana took a closer look at Joy.

“Is something going on between you and Nick?” her sister asked.

“Going on?” Joy repeated, as she scraped off their dinner dishes.

“Have you and Nick gotten personally involved?” Diana put it more pointedly.

“Would it bother you if we were?” Joy returned, ruthlessly scrubbing the frying pan with a sponge she’d drenched in dishwashing liquid.

Diana contemplated. “I think it would.”

“Why?” Joy placed the clean frying pan on the. counter and began attacking the dishes. “You wanted to fix Nick up with Rachel.”

“That’s different,” Diana answered dismissively. “Is there a towel?”

“Paper towels,” Joy responded. “Why would it be different for Nick to be involved with Rachel?”

“It just would be. And you do work with him, that could be tricky.” Diana unwound a wad of paper towels and began wiping the pan. “You haven’t fallen for him, have you?”

“No,” Joy lied, feeling as if Eddie DeMarco’s prediction had come true. It was abundantly obvious that just the thought of Nick being interested in her had Diana jealous.

“Do you have small plates for the cake?” Diana asked.

“Yes.” Joy sluggishly nodded.

“How about coffee?”

“No,” Joy answered listlessly.

Diana walked to the doorway of the kitchen. “Kevin,” she called.

“Yes,” Kevin answered the summons, coming down from the second floor with Nick.

“Would you and Nick go out and get us all coffee? I think there’s a deli just down the street.”

“Do you want me to see if I can find someplace to get cappuccino?” Kevin asked.

“Regular coffee is fine for me.” Diana turned her head to Joy. “Would you rather cappuccino if Kevin can find a place?”

“No,” Joy said indifferently. She didn’t care what she drank. Her life was over.

“Joy, will you come with me tomorrow to pick up my wedding gown?” Diana asked a little while later as the two couples sat around finishing their dessert.

“Sure,” Joy answered. She’d barely spoken at all since Kevin had returned with coffee. And when she had, it had only been to respond with single syllable words. Joy didn’t think her quiet was noticeable. Diana, with Kevin’s smiling adoration, had been keeping up a steady chatter.

“I can’t believe that the wedding is next Sunday,” Diana continued. “Kevin, can you believe it?”

Kevin grinned. “It’s starting to hit me.”

Diana slid her smile from Kevin to Nick. “I know I’m not supposed to ask, but are you planning a surprise stag party?”

Nick felt badly that he hadn’t even thought about it. “You had it right to begin with. You’re not supposed to ask.” He delivered the line as glibly as he could.

“Nick, if you have one in mind, cancel it,” Kevin said. “I’d rather just the two of us go out for a couple of drinks.”

“No problem. If that’s what you want.”

Diana sighed happily, then stifled a yawn. “I feel like I’ve been going and going forever now.”

“Tired, sweetheart?” Kevin asked.

“Yes.” Diana covered another yawn with her hand.

“Come on. Let’s go.”

At Kevin’s magic words the light dawned at the end of a long tunnel for Nick.

“I’ll help Joy clean up first,” Diana said, getting up.

“Don’t worry about it,” Nick said quickly. “I’ll do the dishes.”

“We may as well all leave together,” Joy said. “I’m tired myself.”

“Sure.” Nick sighed as the light at the end of the tunnel blew out. “If you’re tired, you’re tired.”

“I am tired,” Joy reaffirmed, already leading the way to the kitchen.

In a matter of minutes they were all out the front door. Nick practically had to force Joy into riding back with him instead of with Kevin and Diana.

“I know what’s been wrong with me. Diana and Kevin’s arrival,” Nick said, starting his car while Joy sat huddled in her jacket. “What’s been wrong with you?”

“Diana and Kevin’s arrival,” Joy answered without intonation, letting him make of it whatever he chose. She laid her head back against the seat and closed her eyes.

“Are you really that tired?”

“Yes.” Joy made it sound like she meant it.

“Bull!” Nick growled as he drove..

Joy’s eyes flashed open and her head came up. “What do you want me to say, Nick?”

“I want you to say you trust me. How about trying it on just for size?”

“Diana is jealous,” Joy stated bluntly.

Nick needed a second with that one. “Are you saying that you told Diana about us?”

“I didn’t tell her. She just suspected it.”

“And you confirmed it?” The start of a smile began at one side of Nick’s mouth.

“No.” Joy jutted her chin out. “I denied it.”

“Then Diana has no reason to feel jealous.” Nick’s voice held a sharp edge of frustration. “Not that she’s really jealous, Joy. If anything she might be feeling a little strange at the idea. But that’s it.”

“Call it whatever you want.” The duplicity she’d felt the last time she’d thought she was in love was fresh again in her mind.

He looked her way. “I’d like to tell you to go to hell, do you know that?”

“I believe I’ve already said the same to you,” Joy retorted.

“All right. You said it first. I’m saying it second. We can fight about that now.”

“I don’t want to fight. Just…leave me alone.”

Nick pounded the steering wheel once. “I’m not leaving you alone. You’re not going to win, Joy. Because if you win, we both lose.”

“Nick…” Joy said his name tremulously. “I got really hurt the last time I thought I was in love.”

“I know, baby,” Nick said achingly.

She watched him hold a hand out to her. Shiveringly, Joy put her hand to his.

“No more tonight,” Joy pleaded.

“No more tonight,” Nick whispered back.

T
he following morning Joy walked by Nick’s bedroom and saw through the open door that his bed had already been made. She checked her watch again. It was just eight a.m. Not unexpectedly Diana’s door was still closed.

Joy found Maxie downstairs in the front hall. The huge mutt pounced up to place his front paws happily on her shoulders.

“You wanting to go out?” Joy ran a hand over the dog’s fur. “Oh, you have been out.” Maxie’s coat was damp. It had snowed during the night, coming down heavily enough to still be around to make it a white Christmas in ten days.

Joy heard the scrape of a shovel against asphalt. Moving the lacy beige curtain at the front door windowpane aside, she looked out to see Nick shoveling snow. Grabbing her long navy coat out of the closet
she put it on along with her knit cap and gloves and went outside.

“I’ll help,” Joy said, calling to Nick as she came down the driveway.

Leaning his weight on the long-handled snow shovel, Nick smiled. “This is man’s work.”

“I have more muscles than you know,” Joy answered cockily.

“Oh, yeah?” Nick’s smile widened to a grin. “Come here and let me feel.”

Joy gave Nick a cheeky, not-on-your-life look and went into the opened garage for another snow shovel.

“Have I ever told you that I love you in that hat?” Nick asked, as side-by-side they both pushed their shovels into a mound of snow.

“No,” Joy laughed. “I can tell you for certain that I don’t believe that.” Her shovel came up from the driveway with a lot less snow on it than his.

“Hey,” Nick said with a grin. “Are you saying that you’re starting to believe some of what I’ve been saying? Is that a little wavering I’m hearing?”

“My brain doesn’t function as well first thing in the morning as it does later on in the day.” Joy flippantly dumped the snow from her shovel onto the snow-covered lawn.

“And here I thought I was smart, saving all my best stuff until the sun came down.” Nick didn’t just dump the snow off his shovel, he tossed the shovel, snow and all.

“What are you doing?” Joy asked wide-eyed as he pulled the shovel she was holding out of her hands.

“What do you think I’m doing?” His smile got closer and closer to her mouth. “I’m taking advantage of the hour.”

It was a devouring kiss on both their parts, though they were unable to press hard enough against each other through the bulk of their clothing to satisfy either of them.

“Now what were you saying about muscles?” Nick asked, as Joy’s eyes opened languorously. He put the heel of one hand to a breast, hidden from him beneath her sweater and coat.

“That’s not where they are,” Joy whispered impudently.

“No?” Nick kissed the hollow of her neck, while Joy’s head fell back weakly.

“No…” Joy strained with arousal and the need to feel far more of his touch.

Nick raised Joy’s hat just a little up from one ear and put his mouth to the lobe he’d uncovered. “Can I interest you in having breakfast over at my place this morning?”

Joy released a shaky breath as she shook her head. “I’m going with Diana to pick up her wedding gown. I’m sure she’ll want to go early.”

Nick’s hand left the front of Joy’s coat. “Is that the only reason I can’t get you alone?”

“Hard question,” Joy teased.

“In-depth,” Nick quipped his retort.

“You know what I thought about before I fell asleep last night?” Joy asked, all humor gone from her voice.

“What did you think about?” Nick prompted at the pause, though he already knew from her tone that it wasn’t going to be something he wanted to hear.

“If you had been willing to settle down months ago, you and Diana would be married by now.”

Nick took a deep breath and picked his shovel up before he responded. “We would have never made it down the aisle. We would have both realized we weren’t right for each other.” He rammed his shovel into the snow on the driveway. “I guess the morning reprieve is over. Your brain seems to be functioning at full speed again.”

Joy picked up her shovel and braced her chin on the back of a gloved hand, trying to hold on to the slim thread of necessary obstinacy she had left. There hadn’t been anything at all wrong with his answer. Or his anger.

“You’re right. This is man’s work,” Joy said, letting the shovel drop from her hand before she crossed to the lawn and began slogging through the snow toward the house. She wasn’t winning this battle.

“One of these days you’re going to trust me,” Nick said, loading his shovel and turning it over at the side of the driveway. “I hope we’re both still young enough to enjoy it.”

Joy stopped in her deep tracks. She made a clumsy U-turn and faced him. “I wasn’t going to bring Diana up. I told myself not to say it. I don’t know how to make myself stop.”

Nick groaned to himself and looked at her. Obstinate, prickly and frustrating. But he wouldn’t have changed a hair on her head.

“Come back here.” His voice came out in a gritty near whisper.

Joy retraced the deep steps she’d made. Her eyes were on his lingering smile.

“How about you just stand here and watch and let me show off?” he said when she picked up her shovel.

“Then I can’t show off,” Joy answered, reconnecting with him in the way that was easiest.

Nick grinned. “Will I bring the roof down over my head again if I say you’ve already wowed me? I mean the sky.”

“Let me think,” Joy bantered, giving a measuring look up at the sky.

“Hurry up.” Nick grabbed a handful of snow, then gazed at her with fair warning in his daredevil eyes.

“If you throw snow at me, I’m going to throw snow back at you.” Joy laughingly refuted his threat, backing away from him as she said it.

She ducked as a snowball went sailing over her head. The snowball she threw back hit the shoulder of Nick’s leather jacket because he hadn’t tried to get out of her way. But he did charge after her then. Joy took off into the snow, and he followed, finally grabbing her around the waist and holding her to him.

“I don’t think you’ve got very much fight left in you,” Nick said, as she made a petty attempt to extricate herself. “Why don’t you give it up now and tell me you love me?”

“Egotist,” Joy accused.

“Sticks and stones…” Nick nipped the tip of her nose.

Joy nipped his jaw, and Nick laughed deeply.

“Torture me all you want, babe.” Nick’s mouth turned up in a very satisfied male grin. “I’ll take whatever you want to give.”

“Is that so?” Joy murmured.

“That’s so.” Nick smiled.

Joy reached up for his head and pulled him down, initiating their kiss. Nick groaned and kissed her back. And though it didn’t come near to fulfilling their needs, they pleasured each other with their mouths in a rapturous swirl of sensation, neither caring if a car happened to pass by.

“Do you have any idea what you’re doing to me right now, acting free and open like this?” Nick asked against Joy’s lips.

“I don’t think I need all that much of a brain to figure it out,” Joy parried, arms crooked around his neck, head tilted teasingly to one side.

“That, too.” Nick’s grin was audacious. “But I’m talking about this.” He took one of her hands down from his neck and brought it inside his leather jacket. “Can you feel that?” He pressed her damp glove to his chest.

Joy felt the hammering of his heart beneath her hand through his sweater and her wool glove. The thrumming of Joy’s own heart filled her ears. “Yes.”

“Good…” He nibbled the corner of her lips before his kiss grew wholly demanding.

“Don’t go with Diana,” Nick rasped.

“I have to,” Joy moaned.

“Will you come with me to my place after you finish up with Diana?” Nick asked solemnly.

“Yes,” Joy answered, just as solemnly sealing her fate.
I love you, Nick Tremain. I can’t help it.

Nick reached down for some snow, balled it in his hand, threw it high up in the air and winked at her. “Now, stop breaking my concentration and let me get this driveway done.”

Nick picked up his shovel. Joy picked up hers, but Nick took it away from her. “How about you go inside, get nice and warm and put on some coffee?” He was worried about her catching a cold.

“I’ll help,” Joy insisted.

“Believe me, I can get this done faster alone. You’re too much of a distraction.”

“Do you want some pancakes?” Joy asked shyly, poking the toe of a rubber boot into the snow.

“I’d love some pancakes.” Nick smiled.

“You made pancakes,” Diana said, as she sat down at the kitchen table dressed for the day in front-pleated oyster gray slacks and a soft sweater to match.

Nick passed Diana the platter brimming over with pancakes. He’d just sat down at the table himself with Joy. He hadn’t even had a chance to say a word to her.

“I really shouldn’t…” Diana vacillated. “Well, maybe I’ll have just one.”

Joy watched Diana select the noticeably smallest one.

At her turn, Joy piled her plate with four pancakes, though she couldn’t imagine herself eating. Her stomach was quivering.

Nick helped himself to a stack of five.

Joy glommed on butter and syrup. Nick did the same.

Diana ignored the butter, but dribbled on a little syrup.

“As good as your mother’s,” Nick said, having already swallowed a mouthful.

“Thank you.” Joy’s eyes didn’t meet his. She’d committed herself to sharing the most intimate of acts

with this man, and there was no calming her heart down now.

“Where do you have to go to pick up your gown?” Nick asked Diana, though his eyes remained on Joy. He hadn’t missed noticing that she wouldn’t look him in the eye.

“East Hampton,” Diana answered, pouring herself some coffee. “I’ve decided I’m not going to try it on again there. I’ll put it on here where I can take my time and be more relaxed.”

“Is Kevin coming by?” Nick asked.

“Yes.” Diana nodded her head. “He’ll be here in the afternoon. He’s already called me this morning. He wanted to know if he’s going to get to see me in my wedding gown. Which he isn’t. I’m not taking any chances on bad luck. Joy, hurry and finish up. I’d like to be there when they open. Do you think they open later on Sunday than the rest of the week?”

“Their hours are probably listed on their receipt,” Joy responded. “If you look in my closet the receipt for my bridesmaid’s dress is still pinned to the bag.”

Diana pushed the plate with her half-eaten pancake aside to fly upstairs.

Nick’s eyes went from the fork Joy was just dangling in her hand to her lowered eyes. “Joy?”

“Hmm?” She braved a quick glance.

“You can change your mind.” Nick drew a breath. And they both knew what he was referring to.

“I know…” Joy swallowed. His sensitivity was as wonderfully devastating to her as everything else about him.

“Do you want to change your mind?” He had time for a longer, more careful look at the apprehensive

expression on her face as she raised her eyes fully to him.

“No,” Joy whispered. She meant it. For all her trepidation, Joy meant it.

Diana came back into the kitchen with the receipt in her hand. “They open at eleven today. Joy, hurry and finish up. It’s going to take longer to get there with the roads the way they are. We can go for a cup of coffee if they’re not open when we get there.”

Nick hadn’t given any thought to the roads being hazardous. “I’ll drive the two of you there.”

Diana smiled. “You sound like Kevin. He wanted me to wait until he could get here to drive me, which would have had him making the trip back and forth and back again. My car is four-wheel drive with antilock brakes. I don’t have a problem with driving in snow. I heard a truck come by clearing the roads, anyway.”

“I’m driving,” Nick said, not at all swayed. “Tell you what…I’ll toss in lunch.”

“All right.” Diana smiled. “As long as it’s someplace I can get a salad. I know the kind of places you two like to go to eat.”

Joy picked up her dish and took it over to the garbage can by the sink.

“You didn’t eat anything,” Diana said, following Joy with her own dish. “Are you feeling all right? It’s not like you, not to eat. Is something bothering you? Let me feel your head.”

“I don’t need you to feel my head. Nothing is bothering me. I’m feeling fine,” Joy answered impatiently, trying not to think of herself as a “third wheel.”

“Let’s just leave the dishes in the sink,” Diana said, as Nick brought up his dish. “We’ll do them when we get back. I’m just going to run upstairs, call Kevin and get a scarf. Since we’re going to be in East Hampton for lunch I’m sure Kevin will want to meet us.”

A little peace settled in the corner of Joy’s heart Four was much better than three.

“We’ll meet you outside,” Nick called to Diana, as he went to the hall closet for their coats. He put on his jacket and held Joy’s coat for her.

As she put her arms through the sleeves Joy wanted to say something to him…but she couldn’t think of anything.

Nick turned Joy to him and started buttoning her coat. “You okay?” he whispered.

Joy nodded.

Diana was just coming down the stairs to get her coat from the hall closet as Joy and Nick went out the front door. At the side of Nick’s car, Joy opened the back seat door. Nick’s hand shot forward to close the back door before Joy had a chance to seat herself. He opened the passenger door.

“Don’t give me any of your lip,” Nick threatened with a smile.

Joy sat herself in the passenger seat. Crazy as it was, the action he’d just taken spoke louder to Joy than any of the words he’d said to her. As Nick got in on the driver’s side, she scooted as close to him as she could get. Nick smiled over at her as he put the key into the ignition.

Diana got into the back. “Kevin suggested Trotto’s,” she said, crossing her legs. “He’ll be there between twelve and twelve-fifteen.”

*   *   *

“Two rolls. Why did you butter two rolls for me?” Diana moaned to Kevin as they all went into the house some two hours later. “If my gown doesn’t fit, I’m going to murder you.”

Kevin grinned. “Take your coat off. Go upstairs with Joy and try your gown on. Then we can all put our heads together and decide what to do with the rest of today.”