Everybody Knows (Sunnyside #1) (18 page)

“Turn on your living room lights, maybe your
bathroom, and even the bedroom is okay, but don’t turn any on in the kitchen.”
Fixing his eyes firmly on hers, he tried to communicate with a look how
desperately he wanted to kiss her. But there were all those eyes boring holes
in his back.

“Seriously? Is all this subterfuge necessary?”

“Oh, yeah. See you in a few minutes, as soon as
the coast is clear.”

When had his life been reduced to this?

Bemused, curious, and a little hopeful, Harper
turned on a living room lamp. Unlocking the door to the back porch, she
returned to the kitchen, and waited in the dark. Jeez, how whacked was this?
How long should she wait? What did he want to discuss? If she knew what was
good for her, she would just turn out the light and go to bed.

Last night, when she’d pounded her pillow and
turned it over for the tenth time because she couldn’t get him out of her head,
had thoughts of her been keeping him awake, too?

Did he want to kiss her as desperately as she
wanted him to?

Focus
!
He had something he wanted to discuss with her.

Discussion sounded more mundane than intriguing.
She’d only wait a few more minutes.

When he finally tapped on the backdoor, she was
waiting right beside it, developing a definite case of second thoughts.

Subtlety escaped her. “What’s this all about?”

“Don’t you know? It’s about this.” Cupping her
face in her hands, his mouth came down on hers.

The kiss was light and teasing while he waited for
her reaction. She appreciated the restraint, but it wasn’t necessary.

She wanted so much more.

Stretching up on her toes, she pressed the soft
parts of her body closer to the hard planes of his. She needed tongue and
teeth. She needed to deepen the contact between them and, most of all, she
needed out of these clothes.

But, wait. What? This was not like her. Sure, he
was good, gorgeous, tempting, and, apparently available, but this was so fast.
Too fast. Did she really want
him
or
was she just lonely? Was she feeling insecure in a new location and needing the
big old shot of confidence he could provide? Did he really want her or was he
just sex-deprived?

With her hands on the back of his neck, she rested
her forehead against his chest. His fingers slid beneath her halter and held
the weight of a breast in his palm.

“This top has been driving me nuts all day. I
couldn’t keep my eyes off you and now to feel you in my hands... Do you know
how gorgeous you are?” His lips trailed down her neck to her bare shoulder.

She took a deep breath and a step back.

His hands gripped her waist. “What?”

“You said you had something to talk about.” It
took some effort for her to get the words out. “This isn’t talking.”

“It’s saying a lot to me.” He released her. “But
you’re right. Let’s talk.”

Her hand shook as she brought it to her forehead.
“Sure, let’s talk. You’re the one who started with the kissing.”

“But you liked it.”

“And your point is?” Pulling a chair out from
under the kitchen table, she sat. “Unless I’m mistaken, we’ve been on the brink
of kissing several times, but you were the one who always pulled up.”

He dropped into the chair beside her. A slice of
moonlight illuminated the right side of his face and shoulder. “Do you know
why?”

“I guess you don’t want the town to think less of
their golden boy.”

“That’s not it,” he protested but narrowed his
eyes. “At least, I don’t think that’s it.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

“It’s a long and convoluted story, but the long
and the short of it is that this town practically owns me. For the moment.”

“What? Why?” She propped her chin on the heel of
her hand. “How?”

“For many reasons that have to do with past
recriminations, acceptance, forgiveness… all those swirling, eviscerating
emotions. But the main reason is that they paid for me to go to medical
school.”

Wow. She hadn’t known that, but it made sense.
“That was generous.”

“Wasn’t it?” A hint of bitterness sliced through
the words of agreement. “It was mutually beneficial. They paid for medical
school, and I came back here to work for seven years. I was grateful, really
grateful, more than grateful, but after a while, I came to feel like I had to
do everything they asked for and be everything they wanted. My life is not my
own.”

“And you can’t have a girlfriend of your own
choosing?”

“I probably could, but in order to meet their
expectations, it would have to be someone from Sunnyside, and they would still
feel like they’d have first right of approval.” He got up to root around in the
refrigerator. He came out with two bottles of water and handed one to her.

“Yeah, I met Claire Willoughby today. I guess
anyone you hooked up with would be met with the same kind of reserve she’s had
to face.”

Leaning against the counter, he twisted the cap
off his bottle and took a long drink. “Claire’s great, but some of the biddies
still don’t like it that Mick brought her back here as a ‘done deal’. They
didn’t have time to get used to the idea before Mitch married the love his
life.” He held up his hand to ward off her comments. “I know, it was none of
their business, but that’s the way they feel. When I first came back here, they
were constantly trying to fix me up with someone. They want me to marry a girl
from Sunnyside, raise a family in Sunnyside, practice medicine in Sunnyside, do
all those things before atrophying of boredom, dying, and being laid to rest in
Sunnyside, forever and ever, amen.”

Harper was starting to
understand the extent of the pressure they exerted over him. “And you don’t
want that.”

“I’m sick of living up to everything they want me to
be. I want to travel. I want to practice medicine in places that only expect me
to be a good doctor, not anything else.”

“What’s up this faux relationship with Kate?”

Zach stared at her before returning to his seat at
the table and taking one of her hands in his. “How did you figure that out?”

“Oh, please. It’s pretty obvious Kate’s gay. What
I don’t understand is why other people believe you’re a couple.”

He shrugged. “They see what they want to see. They
want me to date a girl from Sunnyside, and Kate fits the bill. They don’t want
to acknowledge that she’s a lesbian, so they pretend to accept the fact that
she’s with me. It saves me a lot of blind dates, and it saves Kate from being
outed against her will.”

“How does Rachel fit into it?”

“As far as Rachel’s concerned, she doesn’t. Kate
and Rachel were best friends growing up. Rachel still thinks of Kate as a
friend. As long as Rachel can pretend along with everyone else that Kate and I
are a couple, she can pretend not to know Kate’s infatuated with her.”

“That’s a lot of pretending.”

“There’s more to it than that, but those are the
basics.”

“What’s up with Rachel and Brady?”

“You picked up on that, too? That’s a really old
story. They dated one summer when they were younger, before he was the hound
dog he is now. Rachel thought it was serious, but Brady doesn’t want to live in
Sunnyside and Rach doesn’t want to live anywhere else. So, stalemate, I guess.
And if you don’t think it puts a strain on a friendship when a guy sleeps with
another guy’s sister and then breaks her heart, think again.”

“All of you are whacked, letting this town dictate
who you’re with or not with. Relationships are hard enough without all those
peripherals. Are you really all right with not having a normal relationship
with someone?”

“That’s the point. I can’t have a normal
relationship with someone from Sunnyside. As soon as I ask out someone they
think is eligible, they’ll call the church to see what dates are available for
the wedding.”

“And you haven’t, uh, been with someone since you
opened your practice?”

“I didn’t say that. I have normal relationships
with women, just not women from here.”

“Then, what? From where?”

“I have a friend from medical school,” he said
cryptically. “We get together in St. Louis once in a while.”

Harper squelched a flash of jealousy. “And is this
friend a woman?”

“Yes!”

“Just checking.” She arched an eyebrow. “Since
some people around here are in denial about their sexuality.”

“There’s no question about mine. And the
arrangement with my St. Louis friend isn’t so bad, since the women around here
don’t trip my trigger. Most of them are my mother’s age or older, or they’re my
patients, or I think of them like a sister.”

“So, where does that leave us?”

“Here’s where we are.” He leaned over, lifted the
bottom of her halter a few inches, and placed a very wet kiss on her tummy
before nipping her with his teeth.
Wow
.
Her nipples immediately responded, pebbling sharply against the silk. He looked
up at her and smiled, tracing a finger over her breast. “I’ve been thinking
about doing that all day.”

She pressed his hand against her, holding it in
place. “I like the way you think.”

His other hand moved up to join the party. He
gently massaged her breasts, sending neutrons of lust spiraling through her
body.

“If you’re interested, we need to figure out what
to do about it without the town trying to run you out on a rail.”

She was so interested that she could hardly think.
Standing, she stepped away from his touch to collect her thoughts. “And they
would want to do that because...?”

“You shattered their illusions about me and Kate.”

“And you don’t believe honesty is the best
policy?”

He drummed his fingers against the table. “I would
if it were just me, but not at the risk of ruining your reputation and your
chance of success here. Besides the Kate-factor, they wouldn’t be happy about
me being with an outsider. And if you think they’re not that friendly now,
believe me, it would get a hundred times worse.”

The truth hurt, but she was an outsider. Crossing
her arms, she leaned against the counter. “So, what are you proposing?”

“What do you think about a short-term, mutually
beneficial relationship for the two of us that’s strictly under the town’s
radar.”

She wasn’t crazy about the secretive nature of his
proposal, but another phrase had an even more chilling effect. “Short-term?”

His gaze shifted away from hers and then back.
“When my seven years are up, Josh will be finished with his residency, and I’m
leaving the practice in his hands.”

“Leaving the practice in his hands while you do
what?”

“I’m signing on with Doctors Without Borders.”

Gaping at him, her mouth dropped open. “Are you
leaving without telling them?”

“Dad and Josh know, but they’ve been sworn to
secrecy. Liam probably suspects. I’ll tell the town council and everybody else
before it’s time to renew my contract. I’m not leaving the town in a lurch, but
I don’t expect them to be happy about my departure.”

“When will that be?”

“In the fall.”

“And until then, you want us to…”

“Set the night on fire.’ He stood and leaned into
her space. With his hips pressing hers against the counter, his interest in her
was obvious. “If you’re not comfortable with the idea, forget I asked. But I’ve
wanted you since the minute you climbed out of your car and pushed your
sunglasses to the top of your head.”

His hands grazed up her arms and over her
shoulders until his fingers burrowed into the hair at the nape of her neck. He
planted a row of soft kisses along her neck, revving up her interest and
reigniting her desire for him. “The night life here is non-existent. What
passes for a social life is a feverish round of bake sales, church socials, and
bingo. Or having a beer at the Lucky Dog.” He drifted the hint of a kiss across
her lips. “We’ve got lights-out chemistry between us. But I don’t think either
one of us wants anything long-term. Do we?”

Thinking about it, she tucked her hair behind her
ear. “No-ooo.”

“And we don’t want the local citizenry uprising
against us. You need them on your side, and my family will still be here long
after I’m gone. I don’t want my love life to cause your or them any backlash.”

When his mouth settled on hers, the kiss was both
a question and a promise. He settled into it, taking her with him, heating her
up, and asking for so much more. If Harper had never experienced a kiss like
that before, and she wanted it. Wanted it to go on and on. Wanted it to cocoon
her in a blanket of desire and forgetfulness and enough sheer energy to take
her to the moon and back.

But she was here for a reason. Maybe the reason
was to make secret hot-monkey sex with the crazy-hot doctor before he left for
parts unknown, and maybe it wasn’t. Maybe she needed to think about it when his
hands weren’t all over her breasts and his tongue wasn’t in her mouth. But what
the freaking hell? Maybe she shouldn’t overthink it.

Her hands moved beneath his shirt, preparing to
take it over his head first chance she got when his phone blew up.

“Oh, Christ.” He groaned into her ear. “Not now.”
But he retrieved the phone from his pocket, looked at the display, and shook
his head. “Yes, now. Sorry, I’ll have to go.”

Harper wanted to whimper, but she was tougher than
that. She slumped against the counter and nodded. “Probably for the best.”

“Probably not.” He kissed her again to prove his
point. “It’ll give you time to think about it, if you need to. But don’t think
too long.”

Zach ducked out the way he came in. Through back
alleys and under the cloak of darkness. She hadn’t exactly thrown him out on
his ear, but he had left without the end result either one of them had
anticipated. His proposition kept her awake all night, her brain whirling with
possibilities, both good and bad.

Was she attracted to him? The answer to that
question was easy. More than just yes.
Hell,
yes.

Was she opposed to having a relationship with him
for the short time he had left in town?
 
Tougher question. Short-term flings weren’t her style, but in this case,
maybe she could be convinced.

Did she like the idea of indulging in a secret
affair? A little bit. Clandestine. Secret. Private. Romantic. All of those
words held a certain appeal for her. What women didn’t fantasize about being somebody’s
secret passion, at least for a little while?

But she had to consider the seamier side to it. At
what point did the relationship cease being a secret passion and evolve into
something less desirable? A fundamental part of her didn’t want to be anybody’s
Dirty Little Secret.

Her mom had been a dirty little secret for her dad
one summer. And that relationship had ended with India pregnant and alone while
her lover went back to his fiancée and his pre-planned life as if India had
never existed.

And no matter what, Harper didn’t feel like anyone
should be ashamed to acknowledge her. Not for
any
reason. Her behavior should never be subjected to that kind of
unflattering light. Her grandmother had always said, “If you’re doing something
in secret, you probably shouldn’t be doing it.”

Although there were really no parallels between
Zach and her father, she couldn’t help making the comparison. Two doctors,
highly-thought of in their communities and by their peers, ashamed or
embarrassed to acknowledge their relationship with her. Zach had his reasons
for keeping their relationship under wraps.

Not the same situation as her mother and father.
Not at all.

She knew in her heart that her desire for Zach
would win her over. And the knowledge that the longer she put him off, the less
time they’d have together was a powerful motivator.

The next morning, Zach stopped in to see Harper at
the library. On the pretense of showing her some water damage she needed to see
in the basement, he managed to get her alone. After he’d kissed her breathless
and had her all hot and flustered, he released her. “Well? Have you decided?”

She nodded. “I’m tempted, but it’s too soon.”

He reached out toyed with her earlobe, providing
just the right amount of stimulation to send heat shooting through her. “Then
I’m going to have to convince you.”

“How will you do that? It will require more than
sexual temptation, you know.”

Taking her by the hand, he led her toward the
stairs. As he gestured her to go ahead of him, he pinched her bottom. “I’ll be
creative.”

For most of the next week, Harper’s days were
filled with ordinary details and mundane tasks. But her evenings were taken up
with Zach’s escalating convincing techniques. Slipping in the back door on
respective nights, he wooed her with a peck of perfect peaches, a decadent
cream puff, a veggie pizza, and a book on local history. All of these were
accompanied by physical and verbal flirtation.

On the sixth day after his initial proposal, he
came through the back door as Harper slid a veggie frittata into the oven for a
late dinner. He cuddled an adorable calico kitten against his chest.

“For me?” She scooped the fluffy ball into her
arms as he crossed the kitchen. “How precious.”

“Just for tonight.” Zach leaned over the cat to
kiss Harper hello. “But you have options. You can keep her or give her back to
Cora and leave it at that, take her back and pick out one you like better, or
return her and borrow one as often as you like.”

“Cora loans out cats?” Harper rubbed her cheek
against the soft fur. “Like a kitty library?”

“Sometimes. If she likes you. She thinks the cats
need outings. If it works out and the borrowers keep them, it narrows down the
size of her collection. She sent over some supplies, too. I left them on the
screened porch.”

“Well, how can you take back a cat after its spent
the night with you?”

“That seems to be the root of her theory.”

“Have you borrowed cats from her before?”

“Yeah, that’s how Rachel got Cleo. We always had
barn cats, but Rachel needed something more civilized for her house.”

“Where on earth did Cora get a Siamese?”

“Cats sort of show up at her house. Trust me, she
has something for everyone.”

“Well, this one is adorable. So sweet. Look at
that face. What’s her name?”

“Calliope.”

“Perfect.” Harper rummaged through her cabinets
for a small bowl to fill with milk. “What does she eat?”

“Cats are carnivores, so if you were thinking of
keeping her, that might be a problem for you.”

“Aren’t there vegetarian cat foods?”

“Probably, but that can be problematic for them. And
she’ll still want to treat herself to the occasional bird or rodent, you know.
You can’t fight Mother Nature.”

“What if I don’t let her outside?”

“That will cut down on her hunting opportunities,
but not on her desire to do it.”

She chuckled as the kitten dipped her nose in the
milk. “This might be a moral dilemma.”

Zach wrapped his arms around Harper from behind
and nuzzled her neck. “Those are the best kind.”

“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

“Nope, I just thought you’d like having a pet. But
Calliope can go back to Cora’s tomorrow if feline dietary preferences bother
you.”

His courtship had been seductive. She’d barely
been able to resist the man intent on flirtation and flattery, plying his
designs with sensual kisses and heated glances.