Chapter Seven

How many times had she dreamed of a night like this? More than she could count. Kelsey dried her hands and wondered if she should pinch herself just to make sure she was awake. She couldn’t have scripted a better evening. Drew said and did all the right things.

The ladies’ room door opened behind her, and Ella’s image appeared in the mirror over the sinks. She wore the very dress Kelsey had wished she had time to borrow.

Oh boy, here come the questions. She hadn’t noticed Ella and Striker in the dining room, but she’d been rather focused on her date and not her surroundings. Had Ella spotted her sitting with Drew, or was this her first time seeing her as well?

“Finally, we can talk. I didn’t think you’d ever move from your seat.” Ella walked past the row of stalls and to her. “Okay, give me the abbreviated version for now. You can tell me everything tomorrow. When did you and Drew become an item? I didn’t even know you’d spent any time with him since he moved back.”

From the sound of it, Ella had not only seen her but also followed her into the ladies’ room. Somehow Kelsey wasn’t at all surprised by her friend’s actions. “I’m not sure we’re a thing.”

“Let me explain, just in case you’ve forgotten. A man only brings a woman to a restaurant like this on Valentine’s Day for two reasons. One, you’re already together, or two, he wants to be with you. So, which is it?”

Kelsey let her eyes sweep the space below each stall door. She didn’t see any feet, but she still lowered her voice when she answered. “I’m not sure. The first, I think. We were supposed to spend the weekend skiing in North Conway, but I agreed to take Annie’s shift tomorrow. He made the reservation here after I told him.”

Ella covered her eyes and shook her head. “Man, Kelsey. You’re probably the smartest person I know and one of my best friends, but sometimes you’re such an idiot.” Dropping her hand, she continued, “You passed up a weekend away with him to wait tables? You’ve loved him since you were ten. Why would you agree to work?”

She’d been wondering the same thing since she opened her front door tonight. “It seemed like a good idea at the time. Now, I’m wishing I hadn’t told her I’d do it.”

“Maybe there is some hope for you.” She opened her purse and took out her lipstick. “Before the weekend is over, please call me and give me all the details.” Ella reapplied her lipstick and dropped the tube back in her purse. “Even better, come over Sunday night. I’ll invite Cat too, and you can share with both of us.”

Drew had asked for all her free time this weekend, and she’d promised to give it to him. “As tempting as the offer is, I can’t Sunday.”

“Please tell me it’s because you’ll be with Drew and not because you’ll be doing up lesson plans or covering someone’s shift.”

The door opened again and another woman walked in. She cast a glance in Kelsey and Ella’s direction before going into one of the stalls.

“I told him I wouldn’t make any other plans, but I will need to get some schoolwork done before Monday morning too,” Kelsey said. Ella was a university professor, she understood the responsibilities that went along with teaching.

Ella moved in and hugged her. “I’m so happy for you.” Releasing her, Ella took a couple steps toward the door. “I better go before Striker comes in looking for me. He thought it was a bad idea to come in and question you, but I couldn’t wait. Please call me soon.”

“Will do.”

Kelsey received more than a few curious glances on her way back to her seat. Before her little trip to the ladies’ room and chat with Ella, she’d been more focused on her date than the other restaurant patrons. Now she realized she knew several of the couples seated in the dining room, and like Ella, they’d noticed her. Tomorrow the North Salem grapevine would have a new story to spread.

She saw Ray Larson and his wife, Maureen, talking to Drew as she approached the table. The couple hadn’t been married long, and she considered their love story a romantic one. High school sweethearts, they’d gone their separate ways and married other people, only to reconnect years later.

“Kelsey, it’s lovely to see you again,” Maureen said.

“Hello, Mrs. O—Mrs. Larson.” After calling the woman Mrs. O’Brien for so long, it still often slipped out.

Maureen gave her an understanding smile. “We’ll let you enjoy your evening. Ray can grill Drew with football questions later.”

Drew’s palm covered her hand as soon as she sat down again. Whether it was a hand on her arm or her thigh, he’d maintained physical contact almost all night. “Our server asked if we want dessert. I told her we were all set.”

Darn, dessert was her favorite part.

“Don’t worry. The candy wasn’t the only thing I bought in Boston today. I have something special in my refrigerator, and it has your name on it.” His hand moved over her wrist and up her forearm, the simple touch sending a warm shiver through her. “If you’d rather stay here and have something, we can ask her to come back over. But I think it’ll be more fun to have dessert alone.”

The idea of what else they could do alone had her nodding in agreement. “I think you’re right.”

At some point during dinner, the predicted storm had arrived. Already a layer of snow coated the ground, making those roads not yet treated slick. While Drew concentrated on driving, Kelsey watched the fat snowflakes hit the windshield. She’d always loved snowstorms and the time right after them. There was something about watching the white flakes fall from the sky and accumulate that fascinated her.

“Looks like we’re going to get more snow than predicted,” she said. The weather report she’d read called for only two inches of snow before it changed over to sleet. Already at least two inches covered the ground, and it was still coming down hard. “I love it right after a storm when everything is covered with fresh snow.”

“It’s nice, but I prefer a sandy beach with the waves rolling in and the sun beating down.” He didn’t take his eyes off the road as he spoke. “The beaches in Hawaii are the most beautiful ones I’ve ever seen. The ones in Puerto Rico are nice too, but nothing tops Waikiki or Kaanapali.”

Drew turned onto Blueberry Court. All three of the homes located there were breathtaking, but she thought Drew’s was a step above the rest. Considering the exterior of the home, she expected the inside to be incredible.

He started up the driveway. A perfectly clear driveway, she noticed. “Okay, how’s it possible that there’s no snow on your driveway and no sign a plow came by?”

One of the three garage doors opened, and Drew drove inside. “Heated driveway,” he said, looking at her. “The doctor who built this added all the extras.”

Heated driveway. She wished she had one of those, as well as a heated front walk. She loved the snow but hated shoveling it.

“I wasn’t sure how well it would work. Looks like it does the job.”

Kelsey watched him shift the vehicle into park, and her heart skipped a beat. Soon her ultimate desire would become a reality. Was she ready?

The back of his fingers brushed across her thigh until they reached her hemline. “Which would you prefer first, dessert”—his fingers slipped below the hem and moved a little farther up her thigh— “or a tour?”

She had a good idea what his idea of a tour entailed, and knew what she wanted first. However, she couldn’t resist having a little fun with him before going inside. “Depends. What do we have for dessert? Does it contain chocolate, or is it a fruity treat?”

“It’s a surprise.” His fingertips inched higher, his skin warm against hers. “Sorry, you’ll have to wait until you have some.” Drew moved his hand again. When his fingers rubbed against her underwear, she took a deep breath. “The decision is completely up to you. I’ll do whatever you want.” He snuck a single finger under the fabric and touched her. “If you want my opinion, though, I’ll give it to you.”

She half laughed and half moaned. “I think you’ve already shared your opinion.” Leaning toward him, she claimed his mouth. Then she stroked him and pulled her lips away. “Tour first. Dessert later.”

Drew took his hand off her waist long enough to switch on a bedroom light. When he made love to her, he wanted not only to feel her and taste her but also see her. “We’ll start the tour in here. This is the master bedroom,” he whispered against her ear.

“Mmm, I like it.” She undid his tie, then reached for his shirt’s top button. “But I thought you told me the other night we’d start our tour in the shower and then go to the master bedroom.”

She got two more buttons free before he answered. “You tell me where you want to start, and I’ll follow.”

Kelsey gave him a smile he could only describe as sinful. Kicking off her heels, she reached behind her back. His brain registered the sound of the zipper going down. Seductively, she pushed the dress off her shoulders and slipped it down past her hips. When it puddled around her feet, she stepped out of it. Then she headed for the open bathroom door across the room. When she reached the doorway, she paused and removed her bra, letting it land on the floor near her feet.

Damn, he never imagined Kelsey could be such a tease.

“You do plan on joining me, right, because it’ll be a lot more fun together,” she called over her shoulder.

He removed his shirt and shoes as he crossed the room. By the time he entered the bathroom, he’d pulled off his belt too. The sight of Kelsey already in his shower, the water cascading down her naked body, stopped him dead. His imagination hadn’t come close to the actual thing. Shucking his pants and underwear, he stepped inside the glass shower stall.

“Took you long enough.” Slick, wet breasts pressed against him. “I thought I’d have to wash my back myself.”

He licked a rivulet of water off her neck. “There’s no place I’d rather be than here with you.” He darted his tongue out one more time. Then like he’d done in his dream, he kissed his way toward her nipples and pulled one into his mouth.

Kelsey moaned and wrapped one hand around him. As she stroked him with one hand, the other caressed his shoulder and back.

He released her nipple so he could watch her touch him. The mere sight of her hand loving him almost sent him over the edge. “Damn, I want to be inside you. Tell me you’re ready.”

The fingers on his shoulder moved, and she took his hand. “What do you think?” She slipped one of his fingers inside her while she continued to touch him.

His erection throbbed, and he reached up for the condom he’d put on the shelf when he entered the shower stall.

Using his teeth, he tore the package open. “You’ve got to move your hand so I can get this on, sweetheart.”

“Let me.”

He didn’t argue. When she finished, he picked her up.

She wrapped her legs around his waist as Drew leaned her against the glass wall. Perfect. The single word shot through his mind as he entered her.

***

He wrapped a strand of Kelsey’s damp hair around his finger. They’d gone from making love in the shower to his bed, where they’d made love again. Now they were curled up together, and he felt more content than he could ever recall.

Kelsey shivered against him. He didn’t know how she could possibly be cold, but he pulled up the blankets they’d tossed aside earlier. “Cold?”

“A little. It’s the damp hair.”

“A perk of having short hair. Mine’s already dry.” Drew kissed her forehead. “We can go downstairs and make some tea or hot chocolate to warm you up.” He could think of an even better way of warming her up, but his body wasn’t ready for round three yet.

The blankets moved as she shifted her position. “A short break for some hot chocolate and dessert sounds perfect.” She placed a gentle kiss on his lips. “Then I think we need to continue the tour. The hot tub was next, I think.”

He enjoyed sex anywhere, but there was nothing better than sex in water. He didn’t care if it was the shower, a hot tub, or a pool, somehow the water always added to the experience. “Like I said before, you lead and I’ll follow.”

Kelsey sat up in bed, the blanket slipping low and exposing her naked body. “Do you have a shirt or something I can borrow, so I don’t have to put my dress back on?”

“Who says you need to put anything on. It’s just us here.” Her breasts taunted him, and he wrapped his hand around one.

She grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand away. “I don’t care. I’m not eating naked.”

“Fine. But considering how hot you are, can you blame me for wanting to keep you naked?” Drew got out of bed and went to the bureau. All of his T-shirts would be huge on her, so it didn’t matter which one he picked.

She accepted the shirt he held out. “Hey, I could say the same about you.” Her head disappeared inside his shirt. “But I don’t expect you to sit in the kitchen naked and drink tea.” Kelsey’s head reappeared, and she pulled the shirt down, covering the most exquisite set of breasts he’d ever seen.

“I will if you want. It doesn’t bother me.”

Kelsey stood and smiled at him. “Maybe some other time. At least for this part of the house tour, let’s both put some clothes on. We can finish the last part dressed however you want.”

He planned on doing that.

When they’d first come inside, getting upstairs had been the only thing on both their minds. Now as they walked downstairs to the kitchen, Kelsey got a chance to look around. Her initial assumption had been correct. The interior of the home was phenomenal. She didn’t even want to speculate on how much Drew paid for it.

“This house is amazing,” she said, following Drew into the gourmet kitchen. “But you do need more furniture.” She didn’t know the status of all the rooms on the second floor, but they’d passed two empty rooms on this one.

He went straight for the stainless steel refrigerator. “Soon we can go and you can help me pick out more.” He set a large white bakery box on the kitchen island. “Have a seat. Do you still want hot chocolate, or would you rather have wine? I have a few different kinds.”

Kelsey sat as he suggested, but ignored his questions. “You want me to go furniture shopping with you?” Helping a man pick out furniture seemed like something a girlfriend or fiancée would do. Did that mean Drew was looking for more than a weekend of sex?

“It seems like something a girlfriend would help with,” Drew answered. He placed a thin slice of chocolate cake on a plate and then added several white-chocolate-covered strawberries next to it. “You’re going to love this. I got it at Ambrosia. It’s a bakery in Boston. They have a few other locations as well. Everything they make is incredible.”

“So, I’m your girlfriend?” Okay, she sounded like an idiot. After wishing for Drew to return her feelings for so long, it was hard to accept he finally did. Well, at least to some extent anyway. He hadn’t said he loved her, and for now she’d keep the true extent of her feelings to herself.

Drew licked chocolate from his thumb, and her skin tingled at the memory of him licking water off her in the shower. “I thought I convinced you of that upstairs.” He put a dessert plate down in front of her. “Kels, I want more than sex from you. I wouldn’t have made love to you if I didn’t. I want to be with you and only you.”

He continued to say all the right things, so why did a kernel of doubt still remain?

“I thought we were on the same page. Tell me if I’m wrong.” He reached out and took her hand.

Kelsey shook her head. Drew had no reason to lie. “You’re not wrong. And I’ll help you finish furniture shopping. Maybe we can start next weekend.”