Chapter Five

Kelsey checked her cards and then the notebook while Drew considered his next play. Down by fifteen points. Phooey.

She’d been certain she could beat him today, especially after the first two hands. Even when he tied the game, she still believed she had it in the bag. After all, she played this game all the time on her cell phone. When she did, she beat both online opponents and the computer. If she could do that on a regular basis, she could beat Drew. Once she did, the house would get painted, and even better, Drew would finally stop calling every single month.

Across from her, Drew put down the two of hearts. His long, tanned fingers flipped over the three of hearts next and lined it up with the first card. Her eyes followed each movement. When he’d grabbed her shoulders earlier, the very same fingers had scorched her skin and switched on every female hormone in her body. She’d wanted to lean into him, throw her arms around his shoulders, and use her body to make sure he never thought of her like a little sister again.

Of course she hadn’t done any of the above because it had dawned on her that if Drew knew what type of place the Purple Cat was, he’d been there himself. The idea of him sitting at the club watching nameless women dance had her stomach coiling into a knot.

Drew turned over the last card he held, a six of hearts, and added it to the first four cards he’d put down. Kelsey snapped her eyes away from his fingers and to her cards.

“Well?” he asked.

Oh, man. How did that happen? She didn’t even have to count all her cards to know he’d won. She held the queen of spades and the nine of clubs in her hand. Those two cards alone gave Drew the points he needed. The other three she held were only icing on the cake. Kelsey put her cards down faceup. “Looks like you won.” Maybe she should’ve suggested they play chess instead. Her dad was the only person who’d ever been able to beat her at it.

“When’s your next night off?” Drew asked.

“Friday, remember.” She’d already told him. “Unfortunately, I have the whole weekend off.” Friday and Saturday nights were two of the busiest nights at the restaurant. Where would she be on both? Home. Darn it.

Drew smiled. For a moment, her anger at Lou for cutting her hours disappeared, and desire took its place.

“Excellent. Before I leave, we can decide on a time for Friday night.” His smile dimmed, and she knew what was coming next. “It’s time to come clean.”

Kelsey gathered up the cards and put them back in the box. She’d agreed to the terms. She couldn’t back out of them. Angry with not only Drew for suggesting the stupid game but also herself for agreeing to it, she shoved her chair back and walked away.

“C’mon, Kelsey, we had an agreement.”

She dropped the cards back in the junk drawer and slammed it shut. “I know.” She headed toward the living room. If she had to share, she at least wanted to be comfortable while she did it.

“Then where are you going?”

She heard his chair scrape against the floor behind her. “The other room. It’s more comfortable.” She didn’t check to see if he followed. She didn’t have to. She could sense him behind her.

Kelsey took her favorite spot on the sofa and waited for Drew to sit in her dad’s recliner again. Instead, he sat next to her, his thigh rubbing against hers. Make this a little harder, why don’t you.

“Do you remember when my parents expanded Bancroft Automotive?” The sooner she started, the sooner she’d be done, and he’d leave.

“It was a year or two before Ian got sick.”

“When they did, they took out a business loan. By then Mom and Dad had added Ian’s and my names to the business. So when they got the loan, we all cosigned it. None of us thought it was a big deal. Small businesses take out loans all the time for different reasons.”

“Is the garage not doing well? Is that why you’re selling?”

If he interrupted, they’d be here all night. “It’s doing fine. Please let me explain without interrupting. It’ll be quicker.”

Drew nodded.

“When Ian got sick, his medical bills mounted. I’d started teaching, and cosigned the home equity loan Mom and Dad took out to pay them. With three incomes, it was easy to cover the monthly loan payments, especially since I was living at home again.” Tears stung her eyes, and she fought to hold them back. She didn’t want to cry in front of Drew.

Kelsey cleared her throat, hoping to get rid of the giant lump there. “When Mom and Dad died, I was left with the loans. And since I’m not enrolled in classes, my student loans went into repayment too.”

A tear rolled down her cheek, and she hoped he didn’t notice. “I work at Masterson’s and do some tutoring in the summer to supplement what I make as a teacher. Whatever I don’t use for bills goes into savings, so I can hopefully get back to school before I turn eighty.” She sniffed as another tear leaked from the corner of her eye. “Months ago, Cat and Ella suggested I sell the garage or the house. I ignored them until Lou cut my hours at the restaurant. I’m hoping if I sell, I’ll get enough to pay off the business loan and the home equity loan too. If I don’t have enough to cover both, I might put the house on the market as well. It’s not what I want, but it’s the best option I have.”

Several more tears slipped down her cheeks. It’d been well over two years since her parents’ death, and over three since Ian passed away. Talking or thinking about them still had the ability to turn on her waterworks.

Before she could wipe away the tears, Drew’s fingers moved across her cheek. “You should’ve told me, Kelsey.”

“Why? It’s not your problem. And I have it under control. I’ll meet with the real estate agents this week and get things rolling. Fingers crossed, I’ll be enrolled for the fall semester.”

Drew touched her jaw. “Let me help you. Keep Bancroft Auto. I’ll take care of the home equity loan. You can pay me back. We can set up some type of monthly payment plan if it makes you feel better. It’ll be an amount you can swing while you’re in school.”

“When did you add ‘savings and loan’ to your name?” It was a tempting offer but not one she could accept. Since sitting down, she’d kept her eyes straight ahead, focused on the wall. Now she faced him. “Drew, I’ve got this. Don’t worry about it.”

He leaned closer and she saw the gold and black flecks in his eyes. She’d known him a long time, and she’d never noticed them before now.

“Please, Kels,” he said, using the nickname only her family and he had ever used.

She glanced down at his lips. They were so close to hers. She’d spent countless nights dreaming of them against hers. All she had to do was move a little and she could fulfill one of her teenage fantasies. Not only that, if she suddenly kissed him, it’d shock the hell out of him. He’d fly out of the house and not bother her again.

“Let me—”

Before she changed her mind or lost her nerve, she closed the space between them and covered his lips with hers.

Shock hit him first and he froze. Kelsey was kissing him, her soft lips tentatively moving against his. Pent-up lust rolled over him next. He’d wanted to kiss her since Sean’s wedding. Now, finally, months later, he had what he wanted.

Before she changed her mind or pulled away, he cradled her head in his palm and wrapped his right arm around her waist. Drew moved his lips against hers, learning all he could about them before tugging on her bottom lip, encouraging her to open for him. Kelsey responded immediately. Parting her lips, she gave him access, and he didn’t hesitate. Her tongue touched his and sent blinding desire through his veins. He let the hand on her waist slip under her T-shirt. In the kitchen, he’d guessed the skin he saw was soft. He’d been right. Slowly he moved his hand up along her spine. When he reached her bra, he slid his hand around and cupped her breast. Her nipple pressed against his palm, and he teased it with his fingers through the lace. Kelsey moaned, and he dipped his fingers inside to touch her.

Hands came down on his shoulders, and Kelsey’s lips left his. The combination of the two kicked him back to reality. He pulled his hand away and settled it back on her waist.

Kelsey cleared her throat and bit down on her bottom lip. “I… we… uh,” she said, a slight tinge of embarrassment and confusion in her voice. “I’m….” Kelsey shook her head before she finished her statement. “You know what, I’m not sorry.” She met his eyes. “I understand if you’re ticked at me though.” No hint of confusion lingered in her voice anymore. “I know you think of me as a sister. You’ve told me enough darn times. But I’ve never thought of you as a brother.”

“Good.”

She moved, and her T-shirt slipped off her shoulder, revealing the fire-engine-red bra strap. His eyes zeroed in on it. Kelsey was a no-frills kind of woman. The kind he expected wore plain white or tan cotton bras. The strip of fabric he saw now and the lace he’d felt told him otherwise.

“Good?” Her voice went up an octave. “You’ve always treated me like a little sister, Drew. And after Sean’s wedding you specifically said I’m like a sister to you.” She pointed toward the front door. “We were standing right outside the door. I remember the whole conversation. You said you cared. Insisted you wouldn’t call me every month if you didn’t care, and then you finished up by saying ‘you’re like a sister to me.’”

Drew had said what he thought he should after the reception. What he thought she expected him to say. Their kiss wiped those arguments out of the playbook. “Kels, I do care, and that’s why I call.” He ran a finger along the exposed bra strap. “But believe me, my feelings toward you aren’t brotherly.”

Kelsey inhaled deeply, and his mind registered what he’d just admitted. Mentally, he slapped himself in the head. He’d come over to learn her secrets, not reveal any of his own.

“Oh.”

He pulled her against him and lowered his mouth toward hers. In case the words hadn’t been enough, he’d show her. “Yeah, oh,” he whispered, and kissed her before she could speak.

Kelsey didn’t hold anything back. Her lips moved against his, and her fingers danced across his upper back. She raked her teeth across his bottom lip, and he opened for her. When her tongue touched his, a tidal wave of desire unlike anything he’d ever felt hit him head-on. Drew dropped his hand from her shoulder and reached under her T-shirt again. The hand still lingering on her waist joined his left. He ran his fingertips up her stomach. When his palms covered her breasts, he found her nipples hard and straining against the thin fabric.

Drew released her lips and kissed a path down her neck. He felt the slight shiver go through Kelsey’s body, adding more fuel to the fire already raging inside him. He planted one final kiss in the hollow of her neck before pulling back and tugging her shirt off. He outlined the circle of one breast before easing the lacy cup aside. Drew repeated the action on the other side before taking one taut nipple in his mouth. She arched into him, and started working the buttons on his shirt free. He gave her nipple one last tug before he released it and took her lips again.

When Kelsey slipped the final button free, she pushed the shirt off his shoulders. She raked her fingers down his back before ending their kiss. Kelsey looked at his face, and then her gaze traveled over his body slowly. When her eyes hit his waist, she reversed her path and met his gaze. Her blue-gray eyes told him everything. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. As if to prove him right, she unclipped her bra and tossed it aside. He didn’t need an additional invitation. Seconds later, her leggings and his jeans joined the growing pile of clothes on the floor. Lifting her up, he settled her across his lap, straddling him. Drew slipped a hand between them and pushed aside her lacy red panties to touch her. She sucked in a deep breath and moved against him.

“Did you like that? Tell me what you want,” he said near her ear before taking her earlobe between his lips. He touched her again, and her grip on his shoulders tightened.

“You.” She kissed his neck.

Drew didn’t need to hear anything else. He grabbed his jeans and the wallet inside. Driver’s license, cash, credit cards. He searched through it a second time. Damn it. How many times had he had condoms in his wallet and not needed them? Now he needed them and he didn’t have a single one.

He tossed it back on the floor. He already knew the answer, but he’d ask anyway. “Do you have condoms upstairs?”

“No, I thought you’d have some.”

Every foul word he’d ever heard in a locker room went through his mind. Running a hand through his hair, he closed his eyes. “Nope.”

Kelsey grabbed her bra hanging off the corner of the coffee table and put it on. Then she tossed his shirt toward him without turning around to face him. With her back to him, she yanked her T-shirt and leggings on. She hoped he was putting his clothes back on too. Facing him was going to be hard enough after what just happened. She didn’t need him half naked too.

She’d kissed Drew expecting him to either bolt out the door or remind her he considered her a sister. Nothing had prepared her for his response.

If he’d had protection, at this very moment they’d be fulfilling another of her longtime fantasies. An assortment of emotions pulled at her. It was probably for the best they’d stopped. Maybe they’d be able to remain friends despite what they’d shared.

Get real. He’d touched her in the most intimate ways possible. She’d never look at him again and not think of this afternoon. By kissing him, she’d altered their relationship forever. She should regret her decision. Should wish she could turn back the clock and stop them from taking things so far.

She didn’t. Given the chance, she’d do it again too.

She’d loved Drew since she was ten. Wanted to kiss him since she was thirteen, and make love to him since she was sixteen. Today she’d finally gotten a taste of what it’d be like to be with him.

Rough, callused fingers closed around her hand. On cue her pulse sped up as her body remembered the feel of his fingers exploring her body.

Drew gave her hand a little tug, and she turned. He’d put his clothes back on but hadn’t buttoned up his shirt. She waited for him to say we went too far and we can’t let it happen again.

“Are you going to stand over there all day?” he asked instead. “I’d prefer you over here.” He released her hand and grabbed her waist, pulling her onto his lap. He traced her jaw with his index finger and brushed a tender kiss across her lips. “I’ll make sure I have condoms next time.”

He kissed her again, and for half a second she considered telling him to go buy them and come back. Tomorrow he might decide making love to her was a terrible idea. But this afternoon he wanted her as much as she wanted him.

Why couldn’t he have had one? Drew had checked his wallet, so he must normally carry a condom. Had he used his last one with a woman he’d picked up at a place like the Purple Cat? Kelsey’s stomach rolled at the thought of Drew with someone like Delilah or Cora.

Drew moved his lips away from hers and reached for her hand again. “What time should I get you on Friday?” He kissed her knuckles before lacing his fingers through hers. “And what do you want to do?”

She recognized what she felt as pure jealousy. An emotion she had no business feelings. Who he’d been with wasn’t any of her business. A few kisses didn’t make them a couple.

Recognizing a fact and coming to terms with it were two different things.

“Did you forget it’s Valentine’s Day? Don’t you already have plans with someone?” The same someone you used your last condom with.

“It is? I thought Valentine’s Day was Saturday.” He checked the date on his watch. “You’re right. Doesn’t matter. My only plans are with you.” He cupped her breast and gave it a gentle squeeze. “You have the whole weekend off, and I intended to take advantage of that.”

Stuff the jealousy, and take what he’s offering. “Anytime Friday night, I guess.” Two weeks from now he might be feeling up someone else. Right now he wanted her.

“Does school still get out at quarter past two, or did they change that too?”

“It’s the same.”

“Good. We can leave after school and drive up to North Conway. We can stay at my parents’ place and hopefully get some skiing in Friday night. If not, we’ll have all day Saturday and Sunday.”

Since everyone in the McKenzie family loved skiing, his parents had bought a small house in North Conway. She and Ian had tagged along on more than one McKenzie family ski trip up there.

She hadn’t gone skiing in five or six years, but her gear was in the basement. Hopefully skiing was like riding a bike. Once you learned you never forgot how. “I can’t get home late on Sunday.”

***

“I’ll start painting this week.” Drew put the key she gave him in his jacket pocket and then kissed her. Despite winning the bet, he’d insisted on painting the kitchen and living room like he’d originally promised. “Call me and let me know how the meeting with the real estate agent goes.”

“I’m going in to work after I meet with him. So, it’ll be on the later side by the time I get home.”

“Doesn’t matter. Call me whenever. I’ll be up.”

After another kiss hot enough to melt all the snow in her driveway, Drew walked outside. She watched him back onto the street, and then closed the door. “Wow.”

She collapsed on the sofa. She didn’t need to check her watch to know it was ridiculously late, but unfortunately falling asleep now or anytime soon wasn’t happening. Not after the afternoon and evening she’d spent with Drew.

“Man, can he kiss.” Kelsey closed her eyes and replayed their time together. Before today, the last time she’d seen him without shirt, he’d been in college. Back then she’d thought him gorgeous, with muscular arms and a toned six-pack. Today the word gorgeous didn’t do him justice. He’d packed on muscle and refined his body into a perfect male specimen.

She envisioned his long, tanned fingers pushing her panties aside, and a throbbing started between her legs. She could almost feel him touching her there. She lingered on the memory for a moment longer and opened her eyes. She hadn’t had sex or been touched by a man in three years. Until this very moment, her body hadn’t protested. Thanks to Drew, every inch of her was loudly voicing its displeasure and demanding she rectify the problem soon.

I’ll make sure I have condoms next time. His promise was burned into her thoughts. She didn’t know if she’d see him before Friday. They hadn’t discussed each other’s plans for the week. Come Friday afternoon though, there would be nothing to disturb them. Months from today she might regret going up to North Conway with him. If she turned him down and stayed home instead, she’d regret it even more.

“It’s going to be a very long week.”