Just One Taste (5 page)

S
he looked so cute spinning
her straw around her Coke. Real Coke, not Diet, which had surprised him. Most of the women Will knew ordered no-sugar, low-fat, dressing-on-the-side, pain-in-the-ass food, but not Alex. She’d devoured her cheeseburger and sweet potato fries as if she hadn’t eaten in a week, and now they were waiting for pie. Chocolate cream for her, cherry for him. He was stuffed, but it only seemed gentlemanly that he join her for the dessert she was obviously hankering for.

“I forgot to ask. Did your sister like her birthday present?”

“Loved it. Thanks again for going shopping with me. I told her I had help—she knew right off the bat something was fishy. Usually I get her a box of wine.”

Alex grinned. “Happy to be of service. Does she need a stylist?”

“Funny you should ask.” Will had confessed all to Kelly and had shown her Alex’s pink and black card. “She’s going to call you. She says her closet depresses her.”

Alex’s blue eyes lit up. “Fabulous! She’s a Realtor, right? That’s such a competitive business.”

“Yeah, so she says. She works with a lot of out-of-town buyers, people who want a second home on the water or ‘in the country.’ People like that expect a lot.”

“I’d love to assess her closet. Sometimes it’s just a few little things that can make a difference. Accessories. New combinations with old clothes.”

Will shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. I’m a jeans and plaid shirt kind of guy.” Although tonight he’d worn his mutilated Brooks Brothers jacket again over them.

“That suits
your
career. I imagine Kelly has to make a different impression.”

The waitress placed two enormous wedges of pie in front of them, and the fashion talk ceased as they dug in. It was refreshing to be with a woman who wasn’t fiddly or fussy about her food. Will made a valiant attempt to finish, but couldn’t. Alex, on the other hand, ate every bit and eyed his before she reconsidered and took the napkin off her lap and folded it neatly.

“That was delicious. Thanks so much for asking me out.”

“Thanks so much for coming.” Will’s tongue felt thick and useless—he felt like the most boring guy on earth. He wanted to ask her to come over to his house—it was clean for a change because he’d slaved like a dog after work for three days to get it that way.

Just in case.

But she’d driven herself to meet him. Ms. Alexandra Russell was a careful girl.

She was looking at her watch now. Like Cinderella, she was about to flee the ball.

“It’s kind of late.”

Will nodded in agreement. Yeah, that would get him far.

“But I actually don’t have an appointment until tomorrow afternoon. I suppose you’ve got to make an early start, though.”

“I’m on the job every morning at seven.”

Come on, Will.

“I get up a lot earlier than that, though. I’m renovating my house—would you like to see it?” he blurted.

“Your house? Now?”

“Why not? I can fix us coffee. Decaffeinated.” He wouldn’t offer a nightcap. Alex had said she didn’t drink much, and he’d passed up a beer with his burger.

“Okay.”

Okay? Could it be that easy? He hadn’t even told her about the vintage kitchen wallpaper. “You won’t have to go far to get home. I’m on Plain Hill Road.”

“Practically right around the corner! Have you lived there long?”

“Nope, just a year or so. The property was in pretty rough shape when I bought it. It was a foreclosure.”

A vee appeared between her golden eyebrows. “I know all about
those
, but from the opposite perspective.”

Will swallowed his surprise. Hard to believe the princess’s house was seized by the bank. Wasn’t her ex some kind of financial wizard?

Apparently not.

He left some bills on the table and they went to the restaurant parking lot. Her little Audi sported a new bumper and didn’t look quite so pathetic. “Follow me.”

The ten-minute drive gave him plenty of time to build up some massive butterflies. It wasn’t like he was going to jump her or anything. A quick tour of the house, some coffee in the kitchen, maybe a good-night kiss—he didn’t want to scare her off.

He’d left lights on, so the long driveway didn’t seem so spooky. Will just prayed that Rocky wouldn’t knock Alex over; the dog had a tendency to jump and lick like a lunatic. Sometimes Will brought him to work, where he got spoiled with doughnut holes and sandwich ends by the guys. If he wasn’t more careful with his dog’s diet, poor Rocky would be unable to jump up at all.

Will helped Alex out of her car. “Welcome to my humble abode.” Gah. He sounded like such a dork.

“I know this house! Gee, you’ve done wonders with the outside. It used to be so…so…”

“Words fail you, right?” The place had looked like a candidate for a haunted house ride.

“You must be up to the challenge.”

“I try. Wait till you go in and see what you think.”

Rocky was barking at the kitchen windowsill already, tail wagging like a deadly weapon. Will unlocked the side door and turned off the alarm. He’d taken the precaution of putting a baby gate up between the mudroom and kitchen, but Rocky vaulted over it like a gazelle.

“Down! Don’t even think about it. Sit. Stay. Oh, hell.”

Alex was giggling as the world’s goofiest border collie mix ran circles around her, yapping happily. She dropped gracefully to her knees, apparently still as limber as when she was a cheerleader.

“Who’s a good boy? Is it you? Aren’t you handsome? Yes, you are.”

Lucky damn dog. Rocky’s tongue was lolling out of his head as Alex scratched behind his ears and down his back.

“C’mon, Rocky. Time to go out.”

Will opened the door. Clearly Rocky was conflicted between the need to do his business and the beautiful blonde whose hands were working magic on his black and white fur. After more than a moment’s hesitation, he bounded down the steps, peed on the overgrown lilac bush, and came right back in.

“What a cutie,” Alex said, brushing dog hair off her jeans.

“He sheds. A lot. Something they never told me at the shelter.”

She shrugged. “Nobody’s perfect.”

“I used to think you were.” The words came out before he had a chance to think.

“Really? I wasn’t, I assure you. I had as many problems as the next girl.”

Will smiled. “Honor student. Homecoming princess. Fancy house.”

She poked a pink-tipped finger in his chest like she did before. “I did my homework like a little nerd and didn’t cut class. Ever, unlike a boy I knew who went to the beach as soon as the thermometer registered over 50 degrees. I wore braces for five years—yes,
five
years to get that princess smile. And believe me, living in a colonial museum is no fun. I longed for wall-to-wall carpet so my friends didn’t go home crippled after a sleepover.”

“I like the beach,” Will said. He didn’t get to go very often anymore. Wasn’t even sure where his board shorts were.

She took her finger away, and Will thought he kind of missed it. “I hope you wore sunscreen. Skin cancer is a killer.”

“Spoken like a doctor’s daughter. How does your dad like his retirement?”

“It’s okay.” Her eyes slid to the coffeemaker, and Will hustled over to the counter.

“How do you take your coffee?”

“Leave it. Give me the tour first. I like what you’ve done with the kitchen. It’s cozy.”

All Will had done was put down butcher block for the countertops, paint the original cabinets because he couldn’t afford new ones, and pull up years’ worth of linoleum. He hadn’t gotten around to sanding and sealing the floors yet, but they looked kind of trendy rustic. His mother had made plaid tab curtains that matched the sage-green of the cupboards and his sisters had chipped in as a joke with a hideous three-foot ceramic rooster that sat on top of the ancient refrigerator. It ruled over the zillion chickens that were busy pecking away on the walls. The wallpaper must have been attached with extra-strength Gorilla glue, and Will had decided not to mess with it. It was weird but kind of wonderful.

“I’ll replace the appliances eventually. Two of the burners on the stove don’t work.”

“Do you cook?”

“Sure, don’t you?”

“Not if I can help it. Actually, I haven’t had much time lately, and my mother’s housekeeper is very territorial. Mostly I just do simple stuff for Emma. My daughter.” She stuck her chin out as if to challenge him, remembering what he said that first day they reconnected.

“I like kids,” Will said truthfully. “How old is she?”

“Almost five. She’ll be in all-day kindergarten in September.”

“That’s a fun age. I have a five-year old nephew.” Brandon was a handful, driving his mother crazy, and Will wondered if Emma was equally spirited.

“She’s my heart.” Her voice thickened as she said it. He looked down, wondering if she was about to cry.

“Kind of like Rocky here,” he joked, trying to lighten the mood. The dog was at her feet, a trip magnet if there ever was one. “He likes you.”

“I like him.” Alex swept a strand of hair behind her ear. “Lay on, Macduff. Let’s see your DIY.”

“It’s not finished. Might never be. I don’t know whether I’m going to run out of time or money first.” He was fortunate to come across a lot of salvage and repurpose stuff in his business, and handy enough to know what to do with it.

He flicked on the lights as they went from room to room. The living and dining rooms were basically empty but the walls had been patched and repainted. He’d left the dark woodwork as he’d found it on the built-in shelves, cupboards and the archway between the two rooms. The house was nowhere near as old as Alex’s, but it had character.

“Great fireplace,” Alex said, running a hand over the dentil molding.

“It works too, now that I relined the chimney. I had to shore up the foundation and replace all the mechanicals—wiring, plumbing, furnace. Not very glamorous, and you can’t see where the money went, but the house won’t fall down anytime soon.”

“I love to watch those HGTV fixer-upper shows when I get a chance. There’s always disaster lurking somewhere, isn’t there?”

“Which is why I love new construction. But I couldn’t pass up this deal, not that you might see it that way.”

She turned to him. “I can see it. And n-now,” she stuttered, “I’d like to see your bedroom. The bed, specifically.”

A
lexandra couldn’t quite believe
she’d said it aloud. From the look on Will’s face, he couldn’t either.

“You…you’re sure?”

“I like you. It doesn’t have to mean anything.”

“Like hell it doesn’t,” Will growled. “I don’t go around having one-night stands, Alexandra.”

He was mad! Here she was, breaking her own rules, and he was giving her shit for it! Weren’t guys just supposed to shut up and take advantage?

She shrugged. “Never mind then.” Maybe she should have waited until they’d gone upstairs. For all she knew, he slept on a dirty mattress on the floor. With the dog. There might even be fleas!

“You can’t say never mind. You can’t just—just turn it on and off like that.”

Rocky was standing between them, looking back and forth like he was at a tennis match. Alexandra bent over in embarrassment and patted the dog again. “I guess I’ve forgotten how it’s done. I didn’t mean to annoy you.”

“I’m not annoyed! Well, I am, but not because you want to—wanted to—sleep with me. I can’t think of anything I’d like more. But it
would
mean something, at least to me. I’m not much of a man-slut, Alex. Alexandra, I mean.”

She bit her lip to stop from smiling. He really was making an effort here. And when he forgot and called her Alex, she didn’t even really mind.

“And I’m not a girl-slut. Woman-slut, I guess now. I’ve always been such a…”

“Princess?” Will offered.

“I was going to say good girl. For all the good it’s done me.”

“Hey, everybody makes mistakes when they’re young.”

“Not like mine. I gave a decade away to a rat bastard.” She stopped. No guy wanted to hear her whine about her past. The important thing was it was over, and she’d learned a hard lesson.

So why was she trying to lure Will Garrity to bed? She was as stupid now as when she met Rick Russell as a seventeen-year-old college freshman.

He’d been much older. Handsome. Established in his career. Supposedly rich. Alexandra thought it was so romantic that he was waiting for her to graduate. She knew now he’d cheated on her even before they were married in a ceremony that fulfilled her mother’s every dream. A Vera Wang dress. A garden reception at home. A string quartet to play her down the aisle and a big band group later for dancing. Alexandra had been dazzled by the details. But Rick was all surface and no substance, and she’d fallen for it hard.

“I—I guess I should be going—”

“You shouldn’t blame yourself—”

They both spoke at the same time.

“Don’t go,” Will said softly. He put his big hand over hers.

Alexandra felt his warmth seep into her. She didn’t want a one-night stand, either. But she’d placed her trust in someone once and had been burned. There’d been no happily-ever-after, except for the attorneys who cleaned up her mess. What if she cared more about Will than he cared about her, and she wound up with a broken heart?

Nope. Hearts didn’t break. They bruised and healed, and there was no reason to dwell on failure. There were no guarantees in life now, were there? Alexandra had played by all the rules and still had lost her game. But it was time to get back on the field.

Good lord. Sports metaphors. Will Garrity was having an insidious influence on her.

“Let’s take things as they come, okay?” He was looking down at her with his blue, blue eyes and she found herself nodding.

“Nice and slow,” he continued, smoothing over her knuckles with a rough thumb. “We don’t have to do anything tonight, but I’d like to see more of you.”

“I’d like to see more of you, too.” Out of the blazer, shirt and jeans. Was he wearing socks? Them too.
Right now
.

She stood on tiptoe and brushed her lips across his. He stiffened in surprise, but he quickly overcame any reservations he’d been having and kissed her back.

Boy, did he ever. Alexandra was hot and cold all at once. She might even have enough goosepimples on her scalp to make her hair stand on end.

But no more standing. The stairs beckoned, and she pushed him backward. Not hard enough to knock him over, but enough to let him know what direction to go in.

“You’re sure?” he asked, sounding out of breath when he tore his lips away.

“I think you’ve asked that question before. To tell you the truth, I’m not sure about anything anymore, but I want to…to go to bed with you.” She wouldn’t say
fuck you
. That wouldn’t be ladylike. “You do
have
a bed, don’t you? There’s not a lot of furniture downstairs.”

“I have a bed. There are clean sheets on it, too.”

“Ah, so you planned this whole seduction, did you?” she teased.

“I think you’ve got it wrong. You’re the one seducing me. Consider me putty in your soft, sweet little hands.” He bent to kiss her fingertips, and her knees buckled.

Trouble was, Alexandra wasn’t absolutely sure what to do with him. Sex had been okay with Rick, but it wasn’t until her friend Jessa brought a vibrator to her divorce party that Alexandra had understood the whole rockets, crashing waves, swirling stars and toe-curling stuff from her romance books.

Her mother had been horrified. To this day, Alexandra suspected the woman searched her room to throw the device away.

They climbed the stairs, pausing every few steps to kiss. Rocky was smart enough to remain at the bottom, his head cocked in interest.

“He doesn’t like stairs,” Will said. “I think in his past life he must have taken a tumble.”

“Good. Not about the falling part. But it would be weird if he watched us.”

“Definitely. No watching.”

Alexandra shivered. In some books she read—no, no, this was real life now, and silly fantasies had no part in it. She was not a performer. Hell, she wondered if she even remembered how to do it.

Will would help. He shut the door in case Rocky had a change of heart, and slipped Alexandra’s cardigan down her arms.

“Pink for the princess.” He grinned.

“I like pink.”

“I do too, especially where it counts the most.”

Alexandra had a feeling he’d just made a double entendre, and felt her blushes begin anew. She raised her arms as he pulled the shell over her head.

And there she stood, in her pearls and pink bra and jeans, trying to suck in her stomach.

He took a step back. “Perfect. Better than perfect.”

“You don’t have to say nice things,” Alexandra chided, struggling with the button of her pants.

“Yes, I do. But I think pretty soon I’m going to become a blithering idiot. Enjoy the compliments while they’re still coming.” His jacket was on the floor now, Brooks Brothers from the label. Will didn’t strike her as a Brooks Brothers guy. His shirt followed suit, and Alexandra had to stop herself from yelping. He was brown and buff, his arms corded with muscle, and he had an actual six-pack. He was…he was
beautiful.

There was the matter of the tattoo over his heart, some Celtic design than undoubtedly had meaning. Alexandra should object that tattoos were
common
, but she found she couldn’t. No wonder Tonya Lassiter had ogled out the kitchen window.

She traced the pattern with her finger as they stood facing each other, still mostly clothed.

Something needed to be done about that. Stat.

He pulled her to him roughly, his hands over her angel wings. They found the hooks on her bra, and she felt the confinement over her breasts lessen. He made no effort to release her and remove it though. She was flush up against him, her lips at his nipple. So she did what occurred to her first.

He hissed in pleasure.

“Witch.”

“I thought I was a princess.”

“Wrong fairytale. Hell, Alex, I want you.”

You’ve got me. At least for now. But she didn’t say the words aloud.

“What are you waiting for then?” She slipped her bra off, enjoying the appreciative light in Will’s eyes.

He picked her up and dropped her gently on the bed, pulling her jeans down over her hips.

“A pink thong. Christ, you’re trying to kill me, aren’t you?”

“That would be counter-productive.”

A
lexandra wasn’t
sure when she’d lost her ballet flats, but she wiggled her toes in anticipation.

They were going to curl. She knew it.