Becoming Bella by Sarah Hegger (12)

Monday morning brought a steady stream of internet orders. Bella hadn’t heard anything more from her family, but the good business might go a ways to appeasing Nana. In fact, if things got busier, she might have to work out a better system for filling and packaging all the orders. Maybe she’d even be in a position to employ someone. The thought trickled through her on a thrill of anticipation.

Mondays tended to be quiet and she got busy with her Christmas decorating. Not a plastic reindeer in sight. Hate the pink as she did, she was stuck with it until Matt could work his magic, so she went for a Christmas bling theme, adding touches of sparkle and glitter.

The bell over the door tinkled as she finished positioning a banner of glittery snowflakes over the front of her service counter. Speak of the devil. “Matt!”

“Hey, Bella.” He responded to her smile with one of his. “And before you ask, Pippa is doing great. Jo is working too hard but seems to be enjoying it. I haven’t heard from Isaac, Eric is still a dog, and Nate is Nate.”

“I wasn’t going to ask.” She tried to get a bit huffy, but he had her there.

“Yeah, you were.” He pulled a tube out from under his arm. “Because you always ask and you genuinely care what the answer is. Now come and see what I have for you.”

“My plans?” The words came out in a breathy whisper. The plans for her new store. The world went blurry for a second. She wanted to do this so much, but there would be so much grief when she did.

Did she dare? How could she not? “Show me.”

Matt strode over to her, snapping the elastic band off the tube of drawings. “You sure you want to see this?”

Bella couldn’t seem to keep her feet still, shifting back and forth. “Yes.”

“Sure-sure?”

“Matt!” He was killing her here.

“Okay.” Matt laughed and spread the plans out on the counter. “But just so you know, I had Pippa give me a hand with these.”

There, spread on her service counter, lay one of her biggest dreams. Suddenly, Bella didn’t want to look. What if she didn’t like them? Or worse, what if she loved them?

“Okay, first things first.” Matt stabbed the plans with his big forefinger. “We need to move this counter toward the back of the store.” He pointed to her wall of shelving. “Which means that has to go.”

Finally, Bella dragged her gaze onto the plans. Her breath hitched. Tears formed and dropped onto the paper.

“Bella?” Matt’s handsome face creased into a frown. “If you don’t like them, I can change them.”

“No.” Bella tried her best not to cry, but too late, she was already blubbering. “They’re great. Better than great. They’re perfect.”

“Damn, girl.” Matt pulled her into a rough side hug. “You had me worried there for a moment.”

Scrounging up a Kleenex, Bella mopped herself up. “Show me.”

“Okay, so over here,” Matt jabbed at the plan and then pointed to the back corner, “Pippa thinks we should put in some decent fitting rooms.” He pulled a face. “And I’m under strict instructions to make sure the lighting is good. I guess that’s a thing or something.”

“It totally is.” Bella gave one more sniffle. “Unless you’ve been swimsuit shopping under bad lighting, you can’t know the torture.”

“All right, then.” Matt nodded. “Good lighting you’ll get.”

“Is this the size?” Bella leaned closer to the drawing.

“Yeah. Pippa, again, insisted on me making them a little bigger than standard.”

The bell tinkled over the door. A massive bouquet of roses, above a pair of polka-dotted red and pink leggings, trotted through.

“Where do you want them?” Debbie’s voice emerged from behind the blooms. “Only tell me quick because these are heavy.”

Being the world’s original nice guy, Matt leaped forward and wrestled them away from Debbie.

Round cheeks glowing, Debbie bounced around him. “More flowers for Bella.” She poked her finger in the previous arrangement and tutted. “You need to water these or they’ll die.”

She bustled into the back and the faucet turned on.

“Where shall I put them?” Matt craned his head around the side of the arrangement.

On the sidewalk. Bella resisted the impulse and pointed him to a low coffee table in front of the divan. Hurrying in front of him, she cleared away a couple of magazines to make space.

“You’re keeping me in business.” Debbie emerged with a coffee mug and watered the dry arrangement. She gave Matt a severe glance and then beamed at Bella. “That man of yours could teach the men around here a thing or two.”

Grinning, Matt crossed his arms. “Some men don’t need flowers to keep their woman happy.”

“Oh, you.” Debbie went bright pink. “Now, remember to water the new ones too.” As she stared at Bella, she rocked from her toes to her heels. “There’s a card.”

“Is there?” Bella tried to look at least a little interested, but she’d recognized Adam’s handiwork.

Debbie shoved her hands in her back pockets. “Aren’t you gonna read it?”

It didn’t look like she had much option with both Matt and Debbie staring at her. “Okay.”

She plucked a white card from its holder.

Pretty much as she’d expected.

“Well?” The word exploded from Debbie. “I don’t know how you can just stand there. If it was me, I’d be jumping for joy. The guy sure does know how to apologize.”

Debbie had written all the cards. Of course she knew what they said.

“Uh-oh.” Matt raised an eyebrow and peered at her. “He must really have screwed up.”

“He did.” Bella crumpled the card and tossed it in the trash.

Debbie’s mouth drooped as she stared at the crumpled little card. “Are you sure you don’t want to keep it?”

“I’m sure.” Managing a smile in Debbie’s direction, Bella straightened her skirt. “Thanks for bringing them around. They’re beautiful.”

“No problem.” Debbie trailed out the door, casting a couple of forlorn glances over her shoulder.

“These are from the same guy.” Matt pointed to all three bouquets.

Bella nodded. She really didn’t want to talk about Adam.

“Wow.” Matt shook his head. “He must screw up a lot.”

It dragged a laugh out of her. Matt was always good for that. “The first ones weren’t for screwing up.”

“Yeah?” Matt studied the flowers as if they were alien invaders. “What did he send those for?”

“A looking-forward-to-seeing-me kind of thing.” Bella marched over to her lovely new plans. “So, we were talking about the fitting rooms.”

“Before the first date?” Matt scowled.

“Lots of men do that.”

“None that I know.” He sauntered over to the plans. “What did he do that made him send those?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Bella used her best repressive tone. The one she saved for kids with sticky fingers all over her clothes.

Matt rubbed the back of his neck. “See, that’s not going to cut it, Bella.”

“Huh?”

“Well, it goes like this.” Mischief danced in his topaz eyes. “Debbie will tell her mother, who will tell Pippa’s mother. She’ll tell Laura and Laura will tell Pippa.” He shrugged and held up his palms. “Pippa knows I’m here this morning and she’ll want to know. Don’t make me go home without the details.”

Bella did her best to glare at him. “Stop twisting my arm.”

“Honest to God, that’s how it will go.” Then he ruined his sincere expression with a wink. “And if you don’t tell me, Pippa will come right on down here and make you tell her.”

She didn’t want to talk about it. After a bottle of wine with Liz, she’d made her decision. A couple of chick flicks watched together only strengthened their resolve. But maybe Matt could give her the guy’s perspective on this.

“How would you define a cocktease?”

Matt’s jaw dropped. “Say what, now?”

“When would you call a woman a cocktease?”

“I wouldn’t.” He huffed. “And I gotta say I’m not used to stuff like that coming out of your mouth and I don’t like it.”

Bella waved her hand at him to shut him up. People would have to get used to a whole lot of new stuff from her. “I want to know what makes a woman a co—”

“Nothing.” Matt almost yelled at her. “A woman always has the right to say no.”

“I know that.” She tried to hush him with her hand. Everybody on the street would hear their conversation. “What I want to know is, when do you think a woman is leading you on?”

“Never.” Matt clearly didn’t have any concerns about the street. His outburst startled a mom and daughter on their way in.

“Hi there.” Bella gave them her most reassuring smile. “What can I do for you?”

“Is this a bad time?” The mother glanced at Matt and sidled back a step.

“Not at all.” Bella hurried over to them. From the looks of this pair, they came from the resorts, and she needed as many customers as she could from up there. “My contractor gets passionate about paint colors.”

The mother eyed her doubtfully. “Actually, we were just browsing.”

“Take your time.” Arms wide, Bella stepped back. “I’ll just be over here with the contractor.” She forced a strangled giggle. “Keeping him calm. About the paint.”

“Okay.” They slid into the store and moved to the racks farthest away from Matt.

“Did flower guy call you a cocktease?” Matt had lowered his voice, but his face grew stern. “Is that what the flowers are for, to say sorry?”

“Maybe.” Under Matt’s scrutiny, she wanted to turn and run. Matt’s nice-guy overlaid a will of steel and an inflexible integrity. Bella sometimes forgot that when he played the charming, easygoing boy next door.

“Did he hurt you?” Matt went scary still.

“No.” Bella squeezed his arm. “He didn’t hurt me. He made me angry.”

“Good.” Blowing out a long breath, Matt straightened away from her. “Because you should be angry. Taking a woman out doesn’t mean you’re going to get some action. If he doesn’t understand that, he doesn’t deserve to take you out.”

More for herself than anything else, Bella gave his muscular forearm one more squeeze. Matt had the sort of arms you wanted to gnaw on. Pippa said so all the time. “I shut him down. He got pushy and mean. End of story. End of Adam.”

“Promise me.” Matt’s hard stare bored into her. “Because you’re not so good at walking away from men who are bad for you.”

Heat climbed her cheeks as she got his not-at-all-subtle reference to Nate. “I know that, but that’s over now.”

“It is?”

“Sure is.” She gave him a perky nod for emphasis. “Adam and the . . . er . . . other one.”

“Good.” Matt stared for a moment more before turning back to the plans. “Now, let me show you the rest of these.”

The store kept her occupied for the rest of the afternoon. The mother and daughter browsed long enough to try a couple of things on and eventually went away with two dresses. A couple of local women came in for something special to wear over Christmas, and a group of young girls from the resorts also kept her bustling.

Busy enough to stop her from checking her phone constantly. Every time she looked at the damn thing, Adam had sent another text. When he apologized, he went all out, it seemed. She ruthlessly deleted all of them.

Later, when she got home, she would call him and calmly tell him she couldn’t see him again. Perhaps she should get Liz over for a bit of moral support. This time Liz could bring the wine because that woman could drink.

She turned into her street later that evening and swore.

A silver Lexus sat outside her house.

As she parked in her driveway and got out, Adam climbed out of the car.

“You’re ignoring me.” He strolled toward her, a small smile playing around the corners of his mouth.

Bella grabbed her house keys out of her bag. “I was busy at the store. I was going to call you tonight.”

“Here I am.” He opened his arms wide. “And I brought wine.” He held up his offering. “Let’s go inside and talk.”

She prayed Liz would make one of her porch appearances. “We can talk out here.”

Adam tilted his head and studied her. “Come on, Bella. You’ve made your point. I was an ass. I get it. Can we move on?”

“It’s not that.” He stood between her and her front door. “Not only that.”

He raised an eyebrow, waiting.

God, she hated this. Her mouth dried and her heart hammered away in her chest. Going through this with Liz in the kitchen last night had made it seem supereasy. Confronted with the real man, her courage wavered. “The thing is . . .” She cleared her throat. “I like you, Adam. You’re a nice guy, but . . .”

“But?” His eyes went cold.

“I’m not really ready to date.”

He shoved his hands into his pockets. “Is that so?”

“I’m just getting out of a thing.” Nate could be described as a thing. Only a her thing, but still a thing. “And I’m not ready.” God, so lame. She stood there with her pulse pounding away. A growing part of her wanted to make a run for the door and safety.

“I see.” Adam nodded. “So, this is a brush-off ?”

“No.” She bet Pippa would have handled this with much more poise. “Maybe.” Liz would have given it to him straight. Bella, on the other hand, vacillated, part of her wanting to take it all back and not hurt him and another part wanting to hide under the bed and avoid the confrontation. “I don’t think we should see each other anymore.”

“I don’t agree.” Adam shrugged. “I think we have a good thing here, Bella. I’ll see you around.” He strolled back to his car and activated the fob to unlock the door. “I’ll give you some time to think about it.”

Wait! What? She didn’t need time. Bella opened her mouth, but the words didn’t make it out.

A car turned into her street and hope surged. Maybe it was Liz on her way home. As the sheriff ’s SUV slid up to her house and parked, hope crashed into the ground. Nate unfolded from the driver’s seat and stood there for a moment. The winter sunset caught the light on his dark hair and played happily over his perfect bone structure. He wore sunglasses so she couldn’t see his expression as he turned toward Adam. But an expert in the body language of Nate Evans like her could read that his screamed angry.

He kept his attention on Adam. “Everything okay, Bella?”

Mr. Responsible Matt must have called Nate as soon as he left her store. “Everything’s fine.”

“Ah, the good sheriff.” Adam rested one hand on his car roof. “Imagine seeing you here.” He opened the car door before turning to her. “Is he your thing?”

God, open the earth and take her now. “Umm . . . no . . . not really.”

“Yes,” said Nate.

Bella heard the whistle of pig wings soar past her ear.

“You all done here?” Still looking at Adam, Nate strolled over to her.

Adam chuckled, a nasty sound that made her shiver. “For now.”

“I’d say you’re done.” Nate stood beside her, not touching her but throwing her under the shadow of his protection. He couldn’t have gotten more territorial if he’d lifted his leg and peed on her.

Adam returned his look before he climbed into his car and drove away.

Nate watched him drive down the street and turn at the end. He glanced at her. “You all right?”

“I’m fine.” Or at least she would be if life gave her a break for a second. Taking charge of her life was about being strong, standing up for herself. Every time she tried that, she ended up needing a rescue. “Whatever Matt said, he was overreacting.”

Hoping to get away from men for the day, she quick-stepped it to the door.

As she opened her front door, Nate caught up with her.

“Damn it, Bella.” He shoved the door open. “Has that been unlocked all day?”

And what was with his door obsession? “Get over it.”

Nate went deathly still.

Bella scurried into her house. She got the door halfway closed before he came after her.

With a gentle shove, he pushed her back inside and slammed the door behind him.

“What is it with you and locking the goddamned door?”

She yelled right back. “What is it with you and my door!”

She’d known Nate for far too long for him to think he could stand there and loom over her and bully her. Much.

“I’m trying to keep you safe.” He kept coming, tall, broad, and intimidating the hell out of her.

Bella had seen him do this over the years she’d known him. She’d never had it directed at her before. It wasn’t an experience she cared for much. “From what?” She forced her feet to stop retreating. Any sudden movements from her and God alone knew what he’d do. “This is Ghost Falls. Nothing ever happens here.”

“I think I’m in a much better position to judge that than you.” Nate had obviously never watched Nat Geo WILD because the whole predator/prey thing meant nothing to him. Even though she’d stopped running, he kept coming until his boot toes nudged up against hers. “Liz saw someone sneaking around your house.”

“Liz sees people sneaking around her house all the time.” Bella tilted her head up to maintain eye contact. Nate gave off enough heat to have sweat sliding down her sides. “Why are you so worried about it this time?”

“Because I saw the footprints.” Nate pointed to her kitchen. “Outside the window.”

“Oh.” She didn’t like the sound of that. Her heart gave an erratic beat. Whether it did so because of Nate or the footprints, she couldn’t be sure. Please God, she hoped it was the footprints. “They could have been mine.”

He gave her the look of derision her feeble attempt deserved. “Be careful, Bella.”

“Okay.” She. Had. No. Backbone. Just call her marshmallow girl, and squish her between two graham crackers. “Thanks for being concerned.”

His eye twitched. “Tell me about this Adam jerk?”

“There’s nothing to tell.” Had Nate gotten closer? The wall pressed cold into her back. Damn, but it had gotten hot in here. She needed to turn the central air down. “Matt is making too big of a deal.”

“Matt has a good gut and he doesn’t like what it’s telling him.”

“This is about Matt’s gut?” Bella tried to get her head around that one. “You’re here acting like a total caveman over your brother’s gut?”

“Caveman?” His voice came out in a low growl.

Bella’s hackles rose in response. Finally, her backbone snapped straight and she raised her chin. “Caveman.” She poked his wide chest. Her knuckle bent on impact. “Barging into my house, yelling at me about the door, looming over me. What would you call it?”

“Tell me about the dickhead.” Nate stood so still, like granite. His gaze fixed on her with an intent that made her fidget.

“Okay.” She made a business of rolling her eyes. “He got a bit pushy on our date. I said no. He got pissy. End of date. End of Adam. End of story.”

Nate shifted, bringing one hand to the wall near her shoulder. “And the flowers?”

“He sent me flowers.” His wrist poked out from his jacket. Dark, wiry hair covered it. A strong wrist, at the end of a large, blunt-fingered hand. A hand currently holding her captive. She moved to the side. His other hand came up. Bella glared at it. “Really?”

“How often does he call you?”

“Not often.” She hunched her shoulders to make herself small. She didn’t much like the pinning-up-against-the-wall thing. Liar. Nate Evans had her pinned up against her hallway wall and her girl parts were singing the “Hallelujah Chorus.” “He texts.”

“How often?”

“A few times.” Her voice came out on a breathy rush. Her tummy clenched as he leaned even closer. His breath hit her face in a hot wash of mint and musk. Dear God, her knees had joined the all-out mutiny and refused to stay locked. “Maybe five, six times a day.”

He ducked his chin. “Five or six times?”

“Maybe more.”

“Bella.” He rumbled her name on a bass warning. “Don’t make me fetch your phone to check.”

“Okay, more like ten, fifteen times a day.”

“Fuck.” Nate breathed deep, bringing his chest close to her breasts. Thank God her sweater hid her nipples, currently standing up and pleading with his chest to come a little closer. “And you didn’t think that was odd? You still went on a date with him? What the hell, Bella?”

Okay, unfortunate lust aside, that was rude. “I thought he really liked me.”

“I’m sure he does.” Nate sneered. “What’s not to like?”

“Sorry?” It came out in a humiliating squeak. Her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth. She swallowed to ease the dryness in her throat.

“I’ve seen what you’ve got to offer.” Nate’s lids lowered over his eyes. “What man wouldn’t want that?”

If she didn’t know a whole, helluva lot better, she would think Nate was giving her hot eyes. The sort of look that said he wanted to do her up against the wall. Her knees buckled and she pressed her back into the wall. How many fantasies had she had with that particular scenario? “You haven’t seen anything of mine. Ever.”

“Have too.” He leaned forward, his breath rasping against her ear. “You never did ask how I ended up with your dress.”

She shook her head because . . . no words. No breath. Just a steady dum-da-dum-da-dum-dum-dum that started in the traitorous girl bits and headed north.

“You took it off.” He skimmed her cheekbone with his mouth.

“You slipped out of your dress and walked away from me.”

She had? Bella’s lust haze burned away under the scorch of embarrassment. “I did not.”

“Did too.” He reached the corner of her mouth and stopped. “I saw your pert little ass walking away from me.”

“No.” Nate Evans had his mouth within kissing distance. If she moved a quarter inch to her left, she could suck on that full bottom lip she’d been dreaming about ever since her hormones first had kicked in. Instead, she prayed the floor would open up and swallow her because she had the nasty suspicion he’d just told the God’s honest truth here.

“Yes,” Nate whispered. “Such an incredible fucking ass, I can’t get it out of my head.”

“ No.”

“Yes.” His soft laughter brushed her lips. “I always knew you’d be gorgeous, Bella. But that night . . .” He groaned, more breath than sound. “That ass.”

“You should have looked away.” Really? Really? That’s what came out of her mouth?

“Not a fucking chance.” He pressed closer to her, pinning her hips with his.

Nate was hard, impressively hard, and for her. Apparently. “What are you doing, Nate?”

“Damned if I know.” He touched his lips to hers. “Did he kiss you?”

“Who?” She had no room in her mind for any man right now but the one with his mouth against hers.

“Dickhead.” He ground his erection against her. “Did he get a taste of what keeps me hard at night?”

“Shut up, Nate.” Since first grade she’d waited. Time for him to fish or cut bait. “Kiss me or get the hell out of my house.”

He kissed her. Pinning her to the wall with his body, he thrust his tongue into her mouth.

Wanting, waiting, needing, dreaming, dying a little inside year after year. It all ripped through her in a wave and Bella lost her shit. Lost. Her. Shit.

Gripping his hair, she tilted her head and plunged her tongue into his mouth. There might only be this one time and it had better count. It had better be good enough to take her through the next twenty years. He tasted of spice and heat and he kissed her like he’d been the one with the crush all these years.

She wrapped her leg around his waist, straining onto her toes to get closer.

Nate growled; he tugged her hands from his hair and slammed them into the wall above her head.

It lit a fire in her, running beneath her skin like a fever, pooling between her thighs. Bella pressed her aching beasts against his chest. Not enough; she undulated against him.

He groaned, his kiss getting more demanding, consuming her with each thrust of his tongue.

None of her fantasies had come close to the reality. Nate kissed with his entire being. Hard body creating friction against her. Hip to hip, breast to chest.

Bella wanted to touch and she strained to get her hands free.

Nate tightened his grip. He kissed her as if he wanted to inhale her.

Bella met each stroke of his tongue, each grind of his hips. She wanted. Every part of her wanted and needed.

Nate tore his mouth from hers, breathing fast. He pressed his forehead to hers. “Shit.”

Bella dragged herself back into her hallway. Her body responded slowly, still hot and achy. She closed her eyes, desperately clinging to the last few moments of utter insanity. Her heart twisted. What the hell was she supposed to do now? She’d patted herself on the back for how far she’d moved on from Nate, and in one devastating kiss he’d blown her theory to hell and back.

Nate raised his head. “Look at me, Bella.”

She shook her head. If she looked at him now, he would see straight into the heart of her, and she couldn’t be that raw. “You need to go.”

“Bella—”

“Go.” She dug her nails into her palms. She had about five seconds left before she came apart. Tears already welled behind her closed lids. “Please, just go.”

His body heat left her and she slumped against the wall.

Her front door opened. “Lock this behind me,” he said. “We’re not done here.”

The door slammed shut and his footsteps receded.

“We are done.” Bella’s legs gave out and she slid to the floor. “We have to be done.”

* * *

Nate stopped halfway down her walkway and glanced back. His libido demanded he go back in there and finish what they’d started. He took a deep breath of the cold night air. The bite of snow rode the night and he pulled the chill deep into his body.

Damn! Shit! Fuck!

He’d done the one thing he’d promised himself he would never do. He’d kissed Bella. Sugar-sweet, big blue eyes, tempting little body, Bella. That Bella. The one decent thing he’d done all these years was never take her up on the offer she’d held out to him constantly. He sucked at making women happy. Instead, he broke hearts. He always had and everybody knew it. Somehow that had been enough to keep him away from Bella and inflicting his special kind of screwed-up on her.

Then she’d taken off her dress, and in his head, she’d moved from off-limits to pure temptation. The call from Matt had lit a fire in him. He should never have come around here tonight. Never have let the urge to rip that dickhead from her head overpower him.

Then he’d seen the prick on her front lawn, and Bella backing up.

His veneer of civilization had torn away, disappeared under the need to pound his chest and bellow mine. Then he’d gone and kissed her and crossed the forbidden line. Who the hell knew where that left him now? In a new kind of hell.

He crossed the lawn to his SUV.

A car started up the street. Habit had him checking it out. The car tore down the road in a flash of silver.

Caveman Nate balled his hands into fists. He was halfway into his car, determined to chase the bastard down before his head kicked back in. There was no crime in driving down a public street. No crime even in parking outside someone’s house.

He hoped to God dickhead had seen that kiss.