The Anniversary Party (3 page)

"Sorry,” he said and she expected a smile. Not this time, though. This time his face remained serious. His eyes dark and brooding, his mouth set in a serious line. He looked almost sad and Kylie felt her heart constrict, squeeze with an overwhelming sadness at what could have been. What
should
have been. “Guess I still can't be in the same room with you without wanting to touch you. Old habits die hard. Old needs die harder,” he finished, his gaze fixing on his shoes.

Why couldn't he look at her? Kylie almost asked him but decided it better to let sleeping dogs lie.
Why get into an emotional scene in the grocery store?

Mr. Bernard, the oldest man in Parkville, wheeled his cart down the aisle and stared openly at them. Kylie met his gaze and tried to control the urge to growl at him. He was a nosy old codger and usually unkind to boot.

"Takin’ up the whole damn aisle,” he snapped, staring openly at Wade. Recognition flashed across his wrinkled face and a cruel smile lit his face. “So the runaway boyfriend returns. Did he come to finish you off?” he cackled. “Break your heart again?"

Kylie swallowed her nasty reply and pushed her cart to the side. “There you go, Mr. Bernard, now you can be on your way!” she said with forced cheer. She would not let this cruel old man reduce her to tears. She'd already fallen on her ass today, she'd be damned if she'd cry.

Mr. Bernard pushed past then turned. “Best to take her to bed or just finish her off, boy,” he said, addressing Wade. “That girl weren't right for years after you up and left.” Then he turned the corner on a wicked laugh.

Kylie gaped, felt her face flush as her anger flared anew.
Of all the nerve!
And to think she'd controlled her anger in deference to his age.

Wade grimaced like a man in pain. “Kylie, I'm so sorry.” He sighed. “I see he's just as nasty as ever."

Kylie flushed hotter under his pity. She would not be pitied by a man who broke his promises and ran away like a scared little boy. “I pretty much ignore people like that, Wade,” she snapped. “And just for the record,” she lied, “I was perfectly fine once I realized you weren't coming back. I got on with my life.”
Liar.

Wade nodded, his face still sad. Then he smiled with forced cheerfulness. His hand strayed toward her once more but he quickly caught himself and pulled it back. “I hear your dream came true. You're a full-time writer. That's great! Mostly interview, my mom says."

Kylie nodded and drew her shoulders back. Tried to stand up strong and tall in the face of the ghosts of her emotions. Standing in the grocery store having a frivolous conversation with Wade was something she had never imagined. For an instant her mind flooded with the erotic images of her dreams. The full feeling as his cock drove into her. The sweet torturous joy of orgasm.

She shook off the image and forced a smile, though her eyes strayed for just an instant to the faded fly of his jeans. She licked her lips and cleared her throat. “That's right,” she almost barked, then consciously controlled her voice. “In fact, I won the assignment I really wanted. My editor was so impressed with my last two interviews she assigned me the big one."

He raised an eyebrow and leaned against his cart. Kylie studiously ignored his easy sensuality and self-confidence. He was a man completely at ease in his own skin. Not a nervous twitch or shift to be found. “Who's it with?” he asked.

"Some photographer. Goes by ‘Pix'. That's it. I guess it's like Cher. Anyway, no one knows his real name. He really is a phenomenal photographer. I've been a huge fan for awhile now,” Kylie couldn't help but brag. It felt good to rub her accomplishments in his face. Sad but true. “Americana kind of stuff. Like Norman Rockwell but one step further. Everything from white picket fences to crack dens. The real world around us. The good, the bad and the ugly.” She took a deep breath and bit her tongue. That was enough. Any more about the photographer and she'd sound like a stalker.

Wade smiled and nodded. “I think I've heard of him."

"Anyway, Marcia, that's my editor, said he's in town for some reason or another. She assigned me the interview. Thank god she set it up for two days after the party. Otherwise, I might actually go insane. He's done a lot of war photography. Combat stuff. Now he's moving into other areas. Marcia said there's talk of a book. Current affairs, nature, that sort of stuff."

Wade stuck out his hand and for the second time that day Kylie stared at it stupidly. Stupidity was becoming the theme of the day, she mused. “What's that?"

"Nice to meet you.” He laughed.

"What?"

"Nice to meet you, Kylie. I'm Pix."

Kylie hung her head as she half-giggled, half-sighed. Why was this not a surprise? Why was she not the least bit shocked that Pix would turn out to be Wade after that insane rant she had just given on his work? She'd won the assignment. There had to be some kind of rotten twist. Some kind of karma. It seemed the universe had a sick sense of humor.

She stared at her battered running shoes, willing her breathing to stabilize. She would not cry. She would not lose it! If she could talk to him in the grocery story and avoid him at the anniversary party, she could sure as hell sit down and rattle off a bunch of questions to him. She could record his answers and remain emotionally removed. She could!

She felt him near her before his fingers ever touched her. Felt his energy mingling with hers as it had a thousand times before. He gently touched her chin and just as gently tilted her head back so she would look him in the eyes. Dark chocolate eyes that were so full of kindness, and humor, and something else that eluded her.

"I'm sorry. I had no idea it was you. There have to be more freelance writers in this area than you, right? I really didn't know, Kylie, but it will be fine. We'll get you a really good interview and I'll be as professional as I possibly can. That's one thing the military is really good at beating into you."

"What?” she asked, feeling the heat of his fingers sink into her willing skin. Each nerve in her face drank in his gentle touch.

"How to control your emotions. No matter how strong they are."

And then he kissed her.

Kylie felt her lips part against her wishes. They opened wantonly allowing his tongue to touch hers. Letting it explore each soft inch of her mouth. He nipped the end of her tongue gently and she felt a shiver work through her. Wade grasped her hips and pulled her firmly against him. Her body went forward with fluid ease, her curves melting against the angles of his lean form. A whoosh of air escaped her, a breathy sigh of desire and remembrance. Her tongue helplessly stroked his, meeting him stroke for stroke as her sex urged her further. She wanted him. Worse than ever. Only Wade could have her acting this way in public. Kissing in the middle of a grocery store for all to see.

His fingers against her waist burned like fire through her sweatshirt. He pulled her flush and she felt his erection, long and hard against her thigh. Another sigh. Another gulp of air. And the kiss continued, an exotic mating ritual of wet eager mouths. His hands cupped her bottom as he pushed gently against her mound. Kylie was both thankful and mortified that her leggings were so old, worn thin by years of washing. A meager cloth barrier between cock and pussy. Her stomach tingled with nervousness and lust.

His cock rode the cleft of her sex, brushing for an instant against her swollen clit. A thrill of pleasure flowed through her as the steady quiver in her slick channel increased. Her body screamed to be stretched and filled by that cock even as her mind screamed for her to run. To pull away and walk out. He had no right to make her want him again. No right at all.

Wade forced his knee between hers and she could feel the lean hard muscle in his thigh. His pressure opened her stance a little wider as he leaned into her body, the heat from him becoming nearly unbearable.

Kylie pulled back. A harsh hiss of air issued from her parted lips. “Let me go, Wade!” Her voice like broken glass was foreign to her own ears. “Let me go now! I can't do this. It's too much.” She arched back before he could release her and half a dozen cans of olives went rolling across the shiny linoleum floor.

Wade ran a hand through his thick hair. It stood in spikes and horns, his eyes shone with confusion and desire. “I'm so sorry, Kylie. I'm so damn sorry. I don't know what got into me. It's just—"

"I don't care!” she said, her voice giving away conflicting emotions. Euphoria. Fear. A steady pulsing rage. Her words trembled out on a rush of air as she straightened her wrinkled sweatshirt, pulling it low on her hips. God only knew if she had a wet spot in the crotch of her nearly threadbare pants. It wouldn't surprise her one bit since the pulse between her thighs was still demanding attention, quivering with an urgent need to be filled, stroked, fucked.

"I have to go,” she whispered.

She reclaimed her cart, maneuvered around him, and whisked down the aisle with her head held high. She held her shoulders back, her spine straight. She walked quickly, her vision becoming obscured as the tears came. She didn't look back when he called out.

"Kylie! I'm sorry. I'll see you at the interview. Okay?"

She'd be damned if she would let him see her cry.

Wade watched Kylie walk away. He could tell by the way that she held her shoulders back and her spine straight that she was upset. Nothing got Kylie stiff and tall faster than fighting her emotions. He could feel the hurt and pain radiating off her in invisible waves. They hit him like a punch to the solar plexus. Wade shook his head and took a deep breath. He'd done that. Put that pain in her heart, that stiffness in her gait.

His lips still tingled from kissing her and he could smell her scent on his fingers. She still smelled like honeysuckle, still tasted like summer and fruit and sunshine. His stomach sizzled with electricity from touching her. His cock, aching and hard, felt heavy in his jeans from the feel of her tongue sliding over and under and around his.

Wade watched her turn the corner, her auburn hair swishing. She stared ahead of her, spine held ramrod straight. He considered going after her, then rejected the idea. She wasn't ready to talk to him. More importantly, she wasn't ready to listen to him. He deserved this. The torturous arousal, the wounded pride, the brunt of her anger. He deserved every last bit of it. Kylie didn't understand why he had left, and he'd never had the courage to explain to her.

Wade claimed his cart and started in the opposite direction. The least Kylie deserved was to exit the store with some dignity. He hadn't meant to put her in that position. Hell, he hadn't even known she was here. If he had, he might have turned and left to avoid exactly what happened. Being near Kylie made his thoughts chaotic. He thought with his heart instead of his head when she was near. Touching her had been the only thing he could focus on and feeling her lips against his had damn near stopped his heart.

She'd forgotten the damned peppers! Kylie had intended to get red, orange, and yellow peppers for her veggie platter but it had slipped her mind as she stormed out of the store. She jotted them down on a pad. She was noting all the stuff she was missing as she went along. The day before the party she fully intended to send her sister to the store. It was one chore Fawn wasn't going to get out of.

The phone rang for the third time since she'd gotten home. Kylie relented and grabbed it from the table. “Yes, Fawn.” She sighed.

Laughter tickled her ear and she grinned. “It sounds as if you're frustrated with your sister again,” her mother said.

"Sorry, Mom. We had a little tiff earlier and the phone's been ringing every ten minutes since. I just assumed."

"What are my two girls fighting about now?"

"Nothing!” Then realizing she sounded suspiciously nervous, Kylie forced a sigh. “Just Fawn being Fawn. Sometimes she drives me up the wall. I just need to take a few hours of time off from being her big sister."

"Well, whatever it is she's done, I'm sure she meant well."

"Doesn't she always?” Kylie giggled. “Remember when she attempted a hamster rescue program? We had about thirty allegedly abused and neglected hamsters running wild in the house."

"Yes. I nearly lost your father to a heart attack over that generous act.” Carol Walker laughed.

"Dad never did like ‘vermin', as he calls them. What's up, Mom? We haven't talked in a while."

"Well,” Carol hemmed, “I wanted to invite you to dinner tonight. Your sister will be here of course. I don't have to worry about any dysfunctional family antics, do I?"

Kylie smiled and ran her hands through her disheveled hair. She twirled one auburn ringlet around her finger and examined her ends.
Split. Ick.
She definitely had to try and squeeze in a trim before the party. “We're not dysfunctional. Just normal. I really don't know if I can, though. I have tons of work piled up on my desk, a deadline looming, and I'm starting to feel a little frazzled.”
To say the least.

"Oh, Kylie, take a break. Dinner with your loving family is just what the doctor ordered. A little wine, a nice rare roast beef. I'm even making your favorite,” Carol sang.

"Not cream cheese garlic mashed potatoes?” Kylie squeaked for effect.

Her mother's rolling laughter told her it had worked. “Yes, my dear, those wonderful fattening potatoes. A chocolate bomb cake for dessert."

Kylie's stomach rumbled and she realized she hadn't eaten anything all day except half a grapefruit with her coffee. “Count me in! I have to hop in the shower and check my emails, though. What time were you thinking?"

"Is five good?"

Kylie glanced at the clock. That left her nearly three hours to do some prep work for the party and get some work done. “I'll be there. Can I bring anything?"

"Just your gorgeous self, sweetie. Love you."

As she put the groceries away, her brain kept trying to stray to what had happened in the grocery store. Had she really been necking with her long lost flame in the pickle aisle? Had she really let him press against her wantonly and invade her space while anyone and everyone could see? Yes. She had. A delicious erotic thrill made her shiver. How slutty. How naughty. Something she would never have conceived she was capable of. The fact that it had opened a big empty space in the middle of her chest didn't deter from the brazen sensuality she suddenly felt.