Monroe, Marla - Hot and Bothered (Siren Publishing Classic) (11 page)

Savanna sighed and walked into the kitchen. There were dirty dishes in the sink, which wasn’t like her friend at all. She was one of the cleanest people Savanna had ever known. She washed the dishes while turning everything over and over in her mind, trying to come up with possible scenarios. By the time she had the salads ready, she had a couple of possibilities. She was just about to go looking for Karen when she walked into the kitchen looking much better, though still gaunt with red-rimmed eyes.

“I wasn’t sure which dressing you wanted, so I didn’t put it on the salad.” Savanna indicated the two bottles of dressing sitting out on the counter.

“Doesn’t matter, either one would have been fine.” Karen still didn’t sound like her old self.

“Have you talked to Ben at all since you two split?” She hated to bring it up, but she still thought they were great together.

“No, I don’t think he wants to hear from me. I didn’t exactly leave on good terms,” she said.

“He loves you, doesn’t he?”

“Well, he did.” Karen fiddled with her salad.

“I think you love him, too.” Savanna didn’t look at her friend.

She hoped talking about Ben would take her mind off the job worries. Plus, she wanted to see how Karen really felt about him. Karen needed someone to care about her to get through this. She knew she had Savanna on her side, but she’d never gotten close to anyone else.

“I don’t know. Some days I think I do. Then, other days, I’m not sure.” Karen bit her lip. “I really screwed up, didn’t I?”

“Maybe not. You could still try to go back to him. Tell him you’re sorry and that you were just feeling pressured—needed some space to think things through.”

“I don’t think he will ever forgive me, Savanna. I’m not sure I could forgive him if it were him that acted like I did.”

They ate their salads in silence. At least Savanna did. Karen played with hers more than she ate. She could tell her friend was thinking about Ben and what she had done. She wished things had been different. Maybe she should have caught on to what was going on sooner. They were best friends. She thought they knew everything about each other. Had she failed Karen?

Savanna spent the rest of the afternoon with Karen talking about how to set her boss up and what it would take to have a hold over him. By the time Savanna left, they had a tentative plan all laid out.

Savanna made it home with just enough time to put dinner on before Dustin knocked on the door. She wiped her hands on the dish towel and answered it. As soon as she opened it, Dustin pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

“Wow, what was that for?” she asked once she caught her breath.

“Just because.” Dustin flicked her nose with a finger and walked into the kitchen. “What do I smell? It smells delicious.”

“Chicken casserole. Nothing fancy, though. I spent all afternoon with Karen. She’s really upset over some things.”

“Did you need to call off our movies tonight?” he asked.

“No, she’s better. It’s nice of you to offer, though.” She was surprised he understood how she felt about her friend. Most men didn’t have a clue.

“So, did you take care of your business?” Savanna checked the casserole. It wouldn’t be long now.

While she readied the rolls for the oven once the chicken was ready, Dustin opened some wine.

“You know, you wouldn’t have been able to get in touch with me if you had wanted to put off tonight. You don’t have my phone numbers. Where is your phone? I’ll program my numbers in.”

Savanna hesitated. Was this turning into something too close to a relationship? She didn’t want it to come to that so soon. She was enjoying his company, and the sex was unbelievable. No, he was right. They did need each other’s phone numbers in case something came up and they had to cancel a date. She smiled, retrieved her phone from her purse, and handed it to him.

“If I remember correctly, you already have my phone numbers.” Both her home and her cell phone numbers were with the same company and would have been on the bill.

He had the audacity to grin at that. “Yep, already in my phone.”

Savanna shook her head at him and pulled the casserole out of the oven. She popped the rolls in. It shouldn’t take more than ten minutes for them to get ready. They could eat and then start the movies. What movies? He hadn’t brought anything in with him. She only had a few movies she’d already seen. Hmm, maybe that meant he didn’t plan to watch any. She was good with that.

* * * *

Dustin punched in his home and cell numbers in Savanna’s phone. He hadn’t missed that she hesitated to give him her phone. Why was that? Did she think he would snoop through her numbers? Maybe she wasn’t sure about them as a couple. Then it hit him. He saw them as a couple. He wanted more than just sex from her. When had that happened? They’d only been seeing each other for a couple of days.

He smiled and handed the phone back to Savanna.

“Here you go. Put my cell and my home number in it.”

Savanna smiled and replaced the phone in her purse. She had a cute little smile on her face, making him wonder what had put it there.

“What are you smiling about?” he asked.

“Nothing. Just thinking about watching movies is all.”

“Movies! I forgot all about them. I’ll be right back. Left them on the bike.” He raced for the door.

He had been so intent on seeing her again, he had totally forgotten about the movies he had in the saddlebags. It made him grin. First time he had forgotten something like that all because of a woman. Hell, not just any woman—Savanna. There was something about her that made her special. He couldn’t put his finger on what it was, but it really didn’t matter to him. All he cared about was enjoying it.

He reached his bike and unlocked the saddlebags. He’d brought four different movies. All action, because he didn’t know what she liked. He was sure it would be some chick flick, but they could watch those another night. Dustin had purposefully chosen the ones with actors most women loved, to make up for the action part of the movies. He grinned to himself. He would know who she liked most by which movie she picked out to watch.

When he returned with the movies, he noticed she seemed a little quieter than before. What had changed in the few seconds he had been gone? Had she had a phone call that upset her? No, couldn’t have been that. He hadn’t been gone long enough for a phone call. He sighed and dropped the movies on the couch. With women, there was no telling about their moods.

“Dinner is just about ready,” she called from the kitchen.

“I’ll run and wash my hands,” he said as he walked by the kitchen.

Dustin washed his hands in the bathroom and returned to the kitchen to find the bar set for two and the casserole already out on the stove. Savanna was just putting the rolls on the top of the stove. He wrapped his arms around her and bent to kiss her neck.

“Thanks for cooking dinner tonight. It smells great.”

“It wasn’t any problem. I don’t mind cooking when there’s more than just me to eat it.” She sounded a little more like her normal self.

“Still, you could have spent more time with your friend if not for cooking for me.” Dustin let go of her and took the plate she handed him.

“I had enough time. She’s doing better. I’ll check on her again tomorrow.”

He watched Savanna dip out a large spoonful of the casserole and was surprised when she put it on his plate. He wasn’t used to being served. She offered him a roll and sat down. He sat next to her and leaned over to kiss her. She smiled when he pulled back.

“What was that for?” she asked.

“Just because.” He smiled when she raised her eyebrows at him.

They ate in silence, but it was an amicable silence. He was comfortable with it. She seemed to be, as well.

Once they finished eating, he cleared the bar and washed up their plates while she tended to the casserole. As soon as the dishes were put away, he grabbed her hand and dragged her into the living room. Then he sat her on the couch and handed her the four DVDs.

“Okay, I know they’re action movies, but pick the least offensive one you see. Next time, you can choose the movies, and I’ll watch whatever you pick out.” He made it a point to cringe.

She swatted him. “Don’t worry. I’ll choose the mushiest chick flick I can find.”

“I knew I could count on you.”

He watched Savanna go through the DVDs. She set out two right away. Then she turned them over and read the back of each one. She chose the latest
Die Hard
one and handed it to him.

“Here you go. I can handle his movies. I liked the first ones okay.” She smiled and sank back on the couch.

He got up and put the DVD in the player and fiddled with it a second to make sure it was on the right channel. Then he sat next to her on the couch and put his arm around her. He squeezed her and kissed her cheek. The movie came on, and they watched. She made several comments throughout the movie. Strange, they didn’t bother him. He normally didn’t like someone talking during the movie. Either it was because it was her, or he’d watched the movie enough times it didn’t matter.

When the credits rolled, he started to get up, but she stopped him with a hand on his arm.

“Wait, I want to read the credits and see who I knew in it that I didn’t recognize. There is always someone I failed to notice.”

It struck him as funny. He normally watched the credits as well. He’d already seen these several times, though. Still, he waited till they were finished to turn off the DVD and TV. He looked through her CD collection and chose a mellow one. He put it in her CD player and turned it on low.

“Want to dance?” he asked.

She smiled and drifted into his arms. “I’d love to dance.”

He held her tight and nuzzled until he could kiss her temple and then next to her eye. He loved the way she shivered in his arms when he reached her ear. He drew her earlobe into his mouth and sucked it. She giggled, and he smiled. He loved hearing her laugh, and the giggle was almost as good. His lips found their way down her neck. He drew back and looked at her. Her eyes were closed with a relaxed expression on her face. She opened them and smiled. Her eyes were dark with passion, and he was sure she would be ready for him should he check.

That would wait. He enjoyed just holding her in his arms. She stopped dancing long enough to rise up on tiptoes to kiss him. It was a quick, soft kiss. He wasn’t having any of that. He bent over and took her mouth, deepening the kiss. He sucked her tongue then her lower lip. Her soft moan was music to his ears. She aroused so easily. It thrilled him to know he turned her on as much as she turned him on. He wanted more, more of her kisses and more of her body. He wanted all of her.

Chapter Six

He hugged her tighter then ran his hands down to her ass and squeezed her there, drawing her even closer to his body. His erection pressed into her abdomen. She drew in a deep breath and nuzzled her face into his neck. She could barely reach his neck with her lips, but she managed to suck lightly at it. It was the last straw. Dustin reached down and picked her up. It was time for the bedroom and the bed. He wouldn’t take her on the couch or the floor. Maybe another time, but not tonight.

She squealed. “Put me down. I’m too heavy for you to carry.”

“No, you’re not. Just be still so I don’t drop you.” He grinned when she tightened her arms around his neck.

The bed was already turned back partway. She must have planned on them ending up there at some point in the night. It dawned on him that maybe she had planned on that instead of the movie. That would explain the change in her between the time he went to get the movies and the time he got back. It swelled his ego to know she would rather have sex with him than watch a movie.