Stitches and Scars (10 page)

“I’m glad I could help,” Kate said, holding back a giggle. “After all, vegetables are good for your body.”

The two of them continued to stare at each other in silence, both of them feeling the spark between them crackle to life.

“Shall we move on to fruit?” Ethan held out his hand and just like that, Kate knew she’d let him take her anywhere. She watched as their fingers intertwined with each other’s, and she quieted the screaming voice of excitement that rang in her head.

“So what are your ‘tips’ for picking out fruit? Are they better than your vegetable pointers? Because if they are, I’ll have to prepare myself.” He shifted slightly.

“What? Was that hard for you? You don’t think you can take too much more
information
?” she teased, hoping that he would catch her double meaning.

“Oh, I can handle more
information
. But it would require us leaving the grocery store, and you haven’t finished your shopping.” Ethan’s eyes held hers and Kate knew without a doubt he was being serious. The thought of leaving with Ethan made her knees go weak.

“All right, then, I’ll take it easy on you.” She gave him a quick wink and let go of his hand. Kate knew if she was going to carry on a coherent conversation with Ethan, she would need all of her energy focused on the words coming out of her mouth and not on the desire she felt to grab him and leave. “What fruit should we start with?” She looked around at the selection before her and waited for him to choose.

“I like all fruit, but I really only feel safe picking out the basics.”

“Okay, so you’ve got the apples, bananas, and oranges covered. Am I right?”

He nodded. “Right.”

Kate laughed. Never in her life would she have pictured herself in this situation, teaching a guy the finer points of produce shopping. And not just a good looking guy, but someone who could make her body feel the way it did.

“What is so funny?” he asked, looking around for the source of her laughter.

Kate twisted the hem of her shirt between her fingers. “It’s nothing really. I just never thought I would do something like this.”

“Something like what, exactly?” he asked, amused.

“Show you, a doctor, how to pick out produce.” She went from laughing to shy in a matter of seconds and dropped her eyes to the floor.

Ethan stepped forward and tucked her hair behind her ear. His voice lowered and he looked her in the eyes. “You may not know this, Miss Thomas, but they didn’t teach us
everything
in medical school. I’m glad that you’re willing to fill in the blanks. You’re a great teacher.”

“Thanks for the compliment.” Kate smiled.

“You are very welcome.”

“So …” She paused. “What are some of your favorites?” She walked over to the nearby bin and picked up a cantaloupe. Holding it in her hands, she turned around to face him. “How about cantaloupe?”

“Cantaloupe I like, but it
is
a melon and I find melons to be the most puzzling.”

Kate’s lips twitched and she fought of the laughter threatening to escape. She knew he was talking about fruit, but her mind was still wandering in the sexual danger zone.

“Sorry, that probably sounded like I have no idea what to do with uh … with umm … melons,” he stammered, running his fingers through his hair and shoving them in his pockets nervously.

Kate watched the beautiful man get flustered and was shocked at how sexy she found him at that moment. His nervous fidgeting, the way his body swayed from one foot to the next, the slight pink color of his cheeks, the way he licked and bit on his bottom lip. He seemed so vulnerable. And as much as she would have loved to watch him squirm a little longer, she couldn’t.

“I know what you mean about melons being tricky.” She gave him a little wink, signaling she wasn’t going to give him a hard time. “With watermelons, you go by weight. Pick one that feels heavy for its size. And with cantaloupes you go by smell.” She held the melon up to her nose, closed her eyes and breathed in.

Ethan had to stifle back a moan. The woman in front of him was the perfect example of a real life angel and yet everything about her drove him crazy. It took all of his strength not to pull her towards him and ask if he could handle her
melons
right there in the middle of the produce section.

“Mmm, it smells perfect,” she purred, the sound of her voice driving him even crazier. “Here, smell.” She held out the melon and waited for his move. Ethan looked at her cautiously before stepping forward and mimicking her motion.

“It does smell good. First shot and you picked a great one.” He smiled down at her. “Do you want to take this one?”

“No, why don’t you have it. I’ll grab another one.” She reached down into the bin, and when she stood back up, he was gone.
Great, another disappearing act. This guy has got that down to a science,
she thought as she looked around. It took all of two seconds for her to spot him at another section of the produce department, and when their eyes met, he signaled for her to come to him.

“I thought you pulled one of your disappearing acts again,” she said, nudging him with her elbow, once by his side.

“I’m sorry. I thought you saw me walk over here. And I am sorry about the other times too. Sometimes I get called away with work.”

“You don’t have to apologize for that. I completely understand. Why did you come over here anyway?”

“Well, after showing me all of your little tips, I’m sure you think I’m a complete idiot.” Kate opened her mouth to correct him, but he held up his hand, motioning for her to stop. “I wanted to show you that I do know how to pick out some things, especially my favorites.” He held up a package of strawberries and flipped open the lid, removing a bright red berry.

“The trick to picking out a good strawberry is much like the cantaloupe. You go by smell.” He brought the strawberry up to his nose and breathed in its scent, then held it out. He watched Kate’s eyes carefully, never looking away as she leaned in. “Smells delicious, right?” She nodded. “And for most people that would suffice. But for me, I like to make sure they taste as good as they smell.” He pulled the strawberry back to his mouth and took a bite. Kate’s eyes went wide as her mind filled with images of kissing that delicious mouth.

Without realizing that she’d stopped breathing, she began to feel light headed. Inhaling quickly, she made herself concentrate on the simple act of pulling air into her lungs.

“Want a bite? It’s really good and
juicy
.” Ethan smirked at her and held out the strawberry. The look on his face let Kate know that that he was more than aware of the effect he was having on her.

She cocked an eyebrow.
Fine, Ethan, you want to play again, let’s play,
she thought with a devious smirk.

Slowly taking a step closer to him, she pressed herself against his chest and looked up into his eyes, which were focused solely on her. Giving her lips a quick lick, she opened her mouth and waited for his move. In one fluid motion, he lifted the strawberry and held it a few inches away. Knowing that if she wanted the full effect she couldn’t rush it, she leaned in and let her tongue slowly reach for the berry. She licked at the juice from where he’d just taken a bite, and when she did, she heard him swallow loudly.

Repeating the step a second time, she then used her tongue to pull the berry into her mouth. Kate closed her eyes as she bit down, letting some of the juice drip onto her lips. The sound of his breath came rapidly and the quick rise and fall of his chest pressed against hers.

Ignoring the desire she had to climb up his body, she focused on chewing slowly, accentuating every movement. When she was done, she opened her eyes and stepped back. She didn’t have to look into his eyes or see his face to know what he was thinking. The tension in his jaw said it all. Feeling quite satisfied with her demonstration, she very casually licked her lips.

“You’re right; those are really good, very …
juicy
. I think I’ll get some myself.” She reached down and grabbed a package of her own, all the while holding back a giggle of satisfaction. Knowing that she couldn’t end on a better note, she decided it was a perfect place to end their conversation. “Well, Ethan. I think I better get going. I need to get dinner started, and my friends are not the most patient people.” She turned away from him and silently pleaded that he’d stop her.

“Wait.” He reached out and grabbed her hand. “I’d like to call you sometime, if that’s okay.”

Kate’s heart thrilled at his words, and it was all she could do not to blurt out her number. But then Elle’s voice entered her head and reminded her to make him work for it. “You’re a doctor, right? And you work at the hospital?” He looked a little confused by her questions since he knew she already had the answers, but he nodded anyway. “Good, then that means you’re a smart guy. If you want to see me again, I’m sure you’ll figure out how.” Kate gave him one last wink and turned around pushing her cart slowly, making sure to give him a nice view as she swayed away.

Ethan couldn’t take his eyes off of her as she walked away from him. When she stopped and turned around, he smiled, taking in every last detail of her beautiful face.

As soon as she was out of his sight, he let out a sigh. He was exhausted. Never in his life had he had such a sexually frustrating, emotionally draining, thrilling, enjoyable experience. Laughing quietly to himself, he replayed everything from the past few minutes and turned his cart around. He only got a few feet when he noticed a pile of peaches. Rolling his eyes, he said a silent prayer of thanks that peaches were not part of Kate’s demonstration. Something told him that if she had grabbed a peach during their little game, he would have literally lost all control. His pulse quickened at the simple thought, and he let out another exhausted sigh while picking one up.
Produce will never be the same again,
he thought, before opening his mouth and taking a big bite.

***

Kate’s drive home was a blur. She was in complete and utter euphoria as she replayed everything that happened. The way he looked at her like she was the only one there, the way his eyes glistened with excitement, the way he smelled, the way he smiled at her, everything. She didn’t have to look at her reflection to know that she had a huge smile on her face.

She was still floating as she walked up the steps of her townhouse and opened her front door. Once inside, she could hear the laughter of Sophie and Logan coming from the kitchen. With her groceries in tow, she made her way through the door. Just as she thought, Logan was standing in the kitchen with Sophie clinging to his back, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

Kate froze, right there in the middle of the doorway, and waited until both of her friends were focused on her. Then she dropped her bags on the floor and flung her arms and head up into the air victoriously.

“He’s
single
!!”

Chapter 10

Rumble

E
lle sat on her bed, flipping through another fashion magazine. Lately, she hadn’t been able to get her fashion fill. She knew from past experience that meant one of two things. Either she was in need of another serious shopping excursion, or she needed a job.

Considering the fact that she had just gone shopping last week with her girls, she knew that meant only one thing. She needed to get another job lined up. Sophie kept telling her to be patient, but Elle was worried. It had been a little while since she’d landed anything really big and she was beginning to feel scared. With a sigh, she reached for another magazine when her cell rang. After assuring Kate that she didn’t need anything from the store, she hung up, satisfied to hear the smile in her friend’s voice. The past four days had been interesting. After Kate came home from the hospital with the news that her Dr. Hottie had a girlfriend, she seemed a little off. Both Sophie and Elle knew that she was ready to move on after her break up with Scott, and they were hoping that this mystery guy Ethan was going to be the one to help with that. It was disappointing to all of them to learn he was taken.

Kate had made it pretty clear to the two of them that she was just going to forget about him and write the whole situation off as one big misunderstanding. Of course, both Sophie and Elle knew that there was no way he was fading away any time soon. They had never seen her so affected by someone before, at least not since Scott. And even then, it was different.

Their relationship had seemed to be based in convenience. They had become such good friends and had grown to love one another. It just seemed fitting that it should have taken the next step. That was probably why it ended so badly. How do you end a relationship and lose your best friend in the process? They both missed each other’s friendship so much that they were confused as to what that meant. Did they miss each other as lovers and partners? Or did they simply miss the platonic friendship they had? Where did they draw the line?

Elle had to admit she was glad when the whole fiasco was finally over. It was one of the hardest times in Kate’s life, and it killed Sophie and her to see their best friend in such heartache.

Now the only thing Elle had to do was set Kate up on a date, get her back into the dating scene again. After all, Elle could spot a sexually frustrated person a mile away, and Kate was definitely in that category. She needed to find someone and the sooner the better.

Elle was flipping through her mental Rolodex of guys that she could hook Kate up with when the phone rang. Pleased to see it was her manager, she answered her phone with a smile.

“Hello, Graham.”

“Hello, beautiful. How is my gorgeous Elle doing on this fine day?” His thick British accent always made Elle feel like she’d stepped into a movie.

“Well, that all depends on what news you have for me.”

“News? Can’t I just call my sweet girlfriend to chat?” he asked.

“Graham, why are you teasing me?”

“Darling, you know I don’t tease. I just like being playful.” He was stalling and even Elle could tell.

“I know what you’re doing, Graham. I can tell when you’re hiding something from me. Please, you know how I can’t handle surprises.”

“All right fine, but I’m only giving in so quickly because I love you and because I can hear the stress in your voice. You know what stress does to your skin. It does nothing but cause breakouts and give you wrinkles.”

“So … ?” She waited for him to start talking.

“Well, last week, I had lunch with my old friend Samuel. We went to that fabulous little bistro I told you about, the one with the great beet salad. So anyway, it turns out he’s now working with Alexandre Beaumont, the French designer, and he’s on the search for a model to open next month’s show here in New York. Naturally, I shift our discussion to business because you know I can’t miss out on an opportunity like this.”

“Uh-huh,” Elle said.

“So, you’ll never believe who shows up right when it’s getting good and interrupts our conversation.”

“Who?” she asked, truly puzzled.

“Sheridan Wyatt.”

Elle froze. “What was she doing there? I thought she was in China.”

“Well, apparently, she decided to come back to the States and try things here again.”

She let out a sigh of annoyance. “So, why was she at lunch?”

“That’s the best part. She showed up saying that it was just an amazing ‘coincidence.’ I know how she works, sweetheart. She’ll stop at nothing to get all the inside information she can get her hands on.”

“Sneaky bitch.” Elle felt her insides get hot thinking about the one girl who had made her career more difficult than it needed to be.

“Don’t I know it? Anyway, we had just started talking names when she practically pulled up a chair and started saying how she would love the opportunity to work with them again.”

“Ugh,” she groaned. “What did he say?” Elle held her breath while waiting for his response.

“He told her that they would be in touch with her agency if they were interested.”

Elle relaxed slightly, but then remembered that it didn’t mean a thing. She’d gone head to head against Sheridan before and had lost out. Of course, Graham had blamed it on marketing at the time, saying that the wide demographic was looking for a different ‘look.’ But they both really knew the truth. Sheridan slept her way through the modeling world. Her specialty was landing photographers. All it took was one and she was in.

The funny thing was, if anyone asked Elle, she would be the first to admit that having a great body can get you things in life. But sleeping with someone to move up in a job was where she drew the line.

“When do they make their decision?” she asked.

“They already have, that’s why I’m calling.” Elle didn’t have to ask. Graham didn’t sound the least bit excited, and if there was one thing he wasn’t good at it was masking his feelings. As soon as Elle realized that she not only missed another great opportunity, but that he was calling to inform her that she’d lost out, she got angry.

“You called me acting like you might have good news, and then just drop a big ol’ bomb on me? Seriously, Graham, I am this close to looking for another manager!” She wasn’t serious, but was definitely mad enough to try sounding like she was.

“Oh, shut it, Elle. Do you honestly think I would let an opportunity like this slip by?”

Now she was confused. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m talking about how I charmed the pants off of Samuel and told them that no one would be better for the job than my smart-ass Elle. Of course, I may have said something about you having the perkiest set of breasts this side of the Equator.”

“Are you serious? You really did that? And you really think my breasts are that great?”

“Yes, yes, and yes. And after sending him prints of your previous work, he agreed. They want you up here on Saturday for a fitting.”

“Are you serious?” she asked happily. “Thank you so much. This couldn’t have come at a better time.”

“You are more than welcome, darling.” He paused. “Now for the good news …” he trailed off.

Her brows furrowed. “Good news? I thought that was the good news?”

“On a normal basis, yes, it would be. But today is different. I just got a phone call from my friend at
Sports Illustrated
.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Elle froze. She’d done a shoot with them a few months before, for their yearly swimsuit issue. She knew that it had the potential to be big—big because there was a chance to end up on the cover. But since she hadn’t heard back from them, she figured she’d lost out on the chance.

“Have they made this year’s choice?” she whispered, almost afraid to ask.

“Not yet,” he said slowly. “But, he did tell me that you are one of their top two choices.”

Elle’s jaw hung open in shock. “You’re kidding, right?”

“I’m afraid not.”

“I … I … I can’t believe it,” she stuttered. It took a moment until she could form words and once she could, she was overflowing with thanks. “You are seriously amazing, and if you were straight, I would be begging to go out with you. And you know I don’t beg for anything, especially when it comes to men.”

“My dear Elle, you sure know how to boost a man’s ego,” he teased. “I’ll have my office send you the info about this weekend, arrival time, etc. Now, go out and celebrate. I’ll call you tomorrow. Oh, and Elle, you realize what this means, right?”

Elle nodded. “It means that I could—”

“Land the coveted cover of the
Sports Illustrated
swimsuit issue,” Graham finished with a tone of awe.

If Elle had a hard time finding words before, there was definitely no finding words now. Landing the cover of
Sports Illustrated
was something she’d dreamed about forever. It would change her career.

Hanging up the phone, Elle let out a squeal that even Sophie would be proud of and grabbed her purse. She intended to do just as Graham suggested and celebrate. And if there was one way to celebrate, it was eating chocolate covered Oreos from the Goodie Bag on South Main Street and drinking margaritas.

Racing down the road with the windows partially down, Elle let the cold wind whip around her. With the music blaring, she was lost in her own world when she heard a loud bang. Her car swerved to the right, and Elle immediately knew she’d blown a tire.
Crap, crap, crap. Changing a tire in heels is the last thing I feel like doing right now,
she thought with a roll of her eyes.

Her dread was not because she didn’t know how to change a tire. Her dad’s business in the automotive industry made him a car aficionado, and he made sure to teach his little girl the basics, like changing a tire.

Elle pulled over to the shoulder, making sure she was far enough away from any other passing cars, and popped the trunk. Thankful that she wouldn’t have to wait for AAA, she grabbed her spare, wheeled it around to the front of the car, and went back for the tools.

Just as she bent down to jack the car up, she noticed a vehicle pull over. Actually, she heard it before she saw it. Music was blaring at a deafening level. Elle’s eyes flashed upward long enough to see that it was a huge black SUV, not a small car like she’d assumed. Neon lights surrounded a license plate that read RUMBLE.
Typical jock. You’ve got to be kidding me,
Elle thought with a laugh.

The music abruptly ended as the driver turned off the SUV and stepped out. She watched as a tall man walked towards her. His fitted shirt clung to his chest, accentuating his muscles, and the sun glistened off of his light blond hair. He walked toward her, and there was no way Elle could stop her eyes from roaming. Something about him looked familiar, yet she couldn’t place his face. Pushing those thoughts away, she peeled her eyes away long enough to gather her thoughts and started to unscrew the lug nuts.

“You look like you could use some help.” His attempt to make his voice sound sexy made Elle laugh.

“I’m fine, thanks.”

“Yes. You. Are.” He spoke slowly, and she could feel the weight of his eyes watching her.

Elle looked up at his face and was greeted by a wide smile and bright green eyes. For a second, she felt her heart flutter, but ignored it when she remembered what he had said.

“Thank you for that astute observation. Now if you’ll excuse me.” She turned back to the tire and finished with the last nut, all the while knowing he was still watching her.

“So, you know how to change a tire?” She looked back to him with wide eyes as if acknowledging the obvious. “But you’re … you’re … beautiful,” he stammered.

“Does exhaustive research show that beautiful women can’t possibly know how to change a tire?” She forcefully heaved the tire off the wheel hub and began rolling it around to her trunk.

He followed behind her and continued talking. “Umm … no, that’s not what I meant, it’s just—”

“Why in the hell can’t a beautiful girl know how to change a tire?” she spat, cutting him off. “See, this is what’s wrong with men. They make stupid assumptions.” Elle walked back around to the front, lifted the spare, and shoved it in place.

“Look, I’m sorry if I offended you. I was just taken off guard. It’s not every day I meet a hot girl who knows how to change a tire. It’s impressive.”

She peered up at him with squinted eyes, trying to read him. Was he just being a smart ass or was he honestly serious? He continued looking at her and his smile grew even bigger, showing off a set of perfect white teeth. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest, and she immediately reprimanded herself for gawking. Forcing her eyes away from him, she told herself he was just another guy, nothing special.

“Impressive? Would it also surprise you that I’m a girl who can actually drive stick?” It was a simple statement, but it was clear by the look on his face that he took it out of context. She let out an exhausted sigh. “Typical man. I make a simple non-sexual statement and you assume it means I want to have sex with you.”