Whisper's Edge (23 page)

“Busted. It seemed like a smart idea at the time. I had some other lamebrain ideas up my sleeve as well. It’s a good thing you left or one more ale and I might have even attempted to sing. And that would not have impressed you at all.”

Savannah chuckled. “You were really going to sing? To show Jeff up?”

“Hell, no. I was desperate and hoping for the sympathy vote. I figured I could pull off “Family Tradition.” My plan was to get the crowd singing along with me so they wouldn’t know how much I sucked.”

“Smart plan.”

“I thought so.”

“Ah…so you were truly jealous.”

She sounded so pleased that he nodded and confessed again. “Yep. No doubt about it.” He raked his fingers through his hair again. “Now I feel like a damned stalker. I guess my behavior would just about qualify. Although, I did think I would catch up to you on the way home. Waiting in the wings wasn’t the plan.”

“I lollygagged on the back deck at Sully’s.” She smiled. “Well, I’m inviting you in so you can squash the stalker theory.”

“So you’re not calling the cops.” He gave her a fake sigh of relief. “This night is looking up after all.”

She tilted her head up and there it was…that throaty laugh that made him want to drag her into his arms. “No,
but you’re lucky I didn’t karate chop you. Or give you my three-sixty, one-legged Charlie’s Angels kick.”

“I just bet you know karate as well as me.”

She laughed again. “Actually, I punch like a girl but I have a bloodcurdling, movie-worthy scream that would have, at the very least, brought ferocious Willie to my rescue. Maybe even would have brought the Camden brothers running outside in their pajamas.”

“They wear pajamas?”

Savannah winced. “My brain will not picture anything else.”

Tristan laughed.

“Miss Patty definitely would have come running and she packs.”

“Packs?”

“Carries a gun.”

“I’d ask if you were kidding but clearly you’re not.”

“Southern women are ones to be reckoned with.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Luckily, I saw your face before I had a chance to scream.”

“Ah, praise the lord. And for the record, I would have announced my presence but you were making quick strides for the door and were almost upon me before I could say anything.”

“I was on a mission.”

“Oh…damn, I’m sorry. For the bathroom?” Wincing, he stepped out of her way.

Savannah laughed. “No, I was making a beeline for the freezer. I was in some serious need for ice cream. And I’m talking a pint with a spoon. No dish required.”

“Do you have two?”

“Spoons?” she asked.

“No, pints.”

“Of course. I stay stocked up.” She unlocked the door and flipped on a light. “What kind of girl do you take me for?”

Tristan couldn’t keep from having a silly grin on his face as he followed her inside. He hadn’t known how she would react when she spotted him sitting there on her front stoop, and felt like a fool when he scared the daylights out of her. This, however, was going much better than he planned…well, if had planned any of this craziness to begin with. For the first time in his life he was winging it.

Savannah tossed her purse down onto the table but then snapped her fingers and reached for her phone. “Oh, I’d better text Kate that I’ve gotten home safely before I forget. I wouldn’t want her to worry.”

“Good idea.” Tristan nodded, thinking that Savannah was so sweet and thoughtful.

“I’m going to get out of these jeans and into some ice cream-eating sweatpants. Make yourself at home. I’ll be back in a minute.”

“Okay, thanks.” Tristan nodded and then sat down on the sofa. Memories of making out with her came flooding back so vividly that he picked up a magazine and started flipping through it in an effort not to have to put a pillow over his lap. He’d never been this crazy over a woman before and, oddly enough, he was beginning to like the feeling. After spending a lifetime disciplining himself to study, to work, and to keep his cool, this out-of-control emotion felt…well, rather exhilarating. He grinned, thinking that he was a geek gone wild.

Savannah returned shortly, dressed in gray sweatpants with the University of Kentucky Wildcats logo down one leg. Her T-shirt matched but had
REFUSE TO LOSE
printed boldly across the front.

“I approve of your choice of teams,” he said with a thumbs-up. I went to school there. I might have moved to Cincinnati but I will always bleed Kentucky blue.”

“It was a gift. There are a lot of Wildcat fans here in Whisper’s Edge. When they won the NCAA championship a roar went up in the entire community. Believe me, they bleed blue here when your Wildcats lose too.” Savannah
shook her head. “I’d never seen anything like it in all my born days. I had to become a fan or else.”

Tristan watched her walk over to the kitchen and snag two pints of ice cream out of the freezer and then, as promised, came back with two spoons. She plopped down onto the sofa and held both pints up. “Pineapple coconut or rum raisin? I’m out of mint chocolate chip.”

“Rum raisin?” He wrinkled his nose.

“It is surprisingly delicious.”

“No plain vanilla?”

“Are you serious?” She shook her head slowly. “Plain vanilla is only for à la mode with pie, on the side with chocolate cake, or scooped into a root beer float. I have my standards.”

“I’ll go for the pineapple coconut.”

“Excellent choice.” She handed him the carton. “There might be a bite or two out of it.”

“Only a bite or two?”

“I was trying to diet.” She rolled her eyes. “Fail.”

She pointed her spoon at his pint. “I usually have vanilla Swiss almond chilling in the back of the freezer but that pint bit the dust last week along with the mint chocolate chip.” She peeled off her lid. “I only splurge on Häagen Dazs when it’s on sale and I really need to restock.”

Tristan felt a sharp pang of guilt. She had to pinch pennies for ice cream? “You need to get paid more.”

Her eyes widened and she put a hand to her chest. “Oh, Tristan, I wasn’t fishing for a raise!”

“I know,” he assured her, but left it at that. He knew that she struggled with the fact that he owned Whisper’s Edge, and he decided to drop the subject. Instead, he took a bite of his ice cream. “Wow, pineapple coconut is really good.”

“Sometimes you have to venture away from plain vanilla, Tristan. There’s a whole new world of ice cream out there just waiting to be explored.” He watched her take a bite of her rum raisin, and when she licked the spoon he almost groaned. “I didn’t think I’d like this combination but
now it’s one of my favorites.” She took another bite and seemed to savor the flavor. “White chocolate raspberry truffle was another pleasant surprise. And I hate it when I get hooked on a flavor that’s a limited edition. Puff, just like that it’s off the shelves. Cruel, I tell you.”

“There should be a law.”

“I know!”

“So you’re a connoisseur of ice cream?”

She gave him a puzzled, slightly embarrassed look, and he wished he’d kept his mouth shut. “If that means I like it a lot, then yes.”

“It means that you’re an expert.”

“Well, I’m an expert at eating it, that’s for sure.”

Tristan took another bite that contained a big chunk of frozen pineapple and then shook his head. “Oh no you don’t, Savannah. You choose top-of-the-line ice cream and bold flavors. You have a much more discriminating palate than you give yourself credit for. Just like with the wine. You detected the subtle notes and nuances right off the bat.”

She lifted her nose in the air. “But of course,” she said in a French accent, and then gave her spoon a twirl.

“I’m serious.” Tristan laughed. “May I have a sample of your rum raisin?”

She pointed her spoon at his pint. “Only if you give up some of your pineapple coconut. That’s how it works.”

“Deal.”

“Okay then.” She leaned forward and placed a bite in his mouth. She waited for him to swallow. “So, do you like it?”

Tristan raised his eyebrows. “Hmm…I’m not much of a raisin kind of guy but, yeah, surprisingly I do.”

“It’s all about flavor combinations. Two things that are good by themselves can be awesome together.”

“You’re so right.” He looked at her for a minute, scooped up a generous dollop, and then leaned closer than he needed to in order to feed her a bite. “And sometimes so unexpected.”

“Like peanut butter and banana?”

“Ew, no.”

She giggled. “Don’t knock it unless you’ve tried it.”

Tristan slid the bite into her mouth and then drew the spoon from her lips very slowly. When she closed her eyes he watched her let the ice cream melt on her tongue. “Mmm…delicious.” The act of feeding each other felt so damned seductive, and when her tongue darted out to lick coconut from her bottom lip Tristan couldn’t hold back any longer. He put his mouth against hers and kissed her.

The coldness of the ice cream mingled with the heat of passion. The dessert was decadent but she tasted even better. After he finally pulled his lips from hers he quickly fed her again. She savored and then swallowed. When she opened her eyes and looked at him with such longing, Tristan melted faster than the rum raisin.

“That was scrumptious,” she said softly.

“Better than the ice cream?”

“Definitely, and that’s saying a lot coming from a
connoisseur
like me.” She chuckled low in her throat. “I told you it was all about the combination of flavors.”

“You and me?”

“Yeah, like that. Unexpected since we are so…different.”

“How so?”

Savannah paused as if gathering her thoughts. “Well…I’m causal, live in the moment and…”

“I’m formal…stuffy.” Tristan had a sudden vision of her laughing with the country singer. “Unlike jeans and a cowboy hat?” he asked, but when she raised her eyebrows he groaned and slapped a hand over his face. “Wow, that comment was uncalled for.”

“Really? Because I happen to be totally flattered that you’re jealous.”

When he peeked through his fingers she laughed, but then he reached over and cupped her chin. “Look, I know I can be uptight and on the nerdy side sometimes. And I get it that there are other complications…”

“Like you being my boss?”

Tristan shook his head. “I own the place but I’m not exactly your boss. But, Savannah, the bottom line is that I can’t stop thinking about you.” When her eyes widened slightly he continued. “And yeah, we have our differences, but just like the crazy ice cream, some flavors just blend together as the perfect combination and sometimes the result is simply irresistible.” He rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip.

“You think so?”

“I know so.” When she swallowed hard Tristan gave her a slow grin. This sweet seduction should feel somewhat foreign to him but Savannah continued to bring out parts of his personality that he didn’t know he possessed. Jealousy…passion, damn but the girl could get him fired up. And he liked it.

“Allow me to demonstrate.” This time he dipped his finger into the carton instead of using the spoon. Her eyes widened once more but she understood and leaned forward. She let him slide the creamy goodness into her mouth. He groaned, loving the feeling of her warm tongue laving it off thoroughly, and then blew him away by slowly sucking his fingertip.

“That was so good.” When she giggled low and sexy he did it again.

“My turn.” She dipped a finger into her rum raisin and then into his mouth.

For someone who had never been a playful kind of lover, and was more of a straightforward kind of guy, this was…fun,
sexy
, and totally seductive.

“Yummy?”

He put his carton down and then gave her finger a lingering lick. “You bet.” He warmed up to the idea even more and put a bit on her bottom lip and then licked it off. When she closed her eyes and moaned, it drove Tristan crazy. “Savannah, take your shirt off for me,” he pleaded softly. She opened her eyes and met his gaze for a long, heated
moment. They both knew that if she did there would be no turning back. They would make love. “Please…”

Savannah nodded oh so slightly and put her pint down, nearly missing the coffee table since her eyes remained focused on him. She tugged the hem of her T-shirt upward and over her head and tossed the garment to the floor. The movement dislodged more of the curls from her ponytail, framing her sweet face. Her pale skin turned slightly rosy and she licked her bottom lip as if unsure of what his reaction would be.

She had nothing to worry about.

“God…Savannah.” A black satin bra seemed to have trouble containing full breasts that spilled out over the top of the lace trim. Freckles, sprinkled across her skin, seemed like an invitation to lean forward and lick. Taste.

A throaty moan escaped her when he cupped the silk-covered fullness in his hands and squeezed ever so slightly. She tilted her head back and to the side and closed her eyes. With a hammering heart Tristan reached behind her and unhooked her bra, exposing her breasts for him to feast his eyes upon. Creamy skin, rosy nipples…How could she not know that she was sheer perfection?

Tristan dipped his head and took one nipple into his mouth and sucked lightly. She gasped again and reached out to thread her fingers through his hair. He licked…teasing, toying, and then sucked harder, drawing a deep, sexy moan from her that seemed to slide over his body like thick, warm honey.

Then, he reached back and replaced the heat of his mouth with a cold smear of ice cream.

“Oh!” She arched her back, half groaning, half laughing.

“Delicious.” He licked the ice cream from her skin, taking his sweet time doing so. Tristan repeated with the other breast while rubbing his thumb over her puckered nipple. She squirmed, moaned, and when Tristan gently pushed her back against the cushions she didn’t protest.

Tristan dipped his finger into the rum raisin and painted a swirling trail of sweetness down her torso all the way to
her belly button before licking it off. He repeated the action until her breath came in short gasps and her nipples puckered as if begging for his attention.

He gave it to them. First, cold, creamy ice cream followed by his hot, hungry mouth.