Dating the Guy Next Door (6 page)

“On the twenty-eighth, which is in about three weeks. So, do you want to go ahead with it?”

“I do,” she said before she could change her mind. Once the call was finished she jumped to her feet and tried to shake off the nerves that were now racing up and down her arms. She'd just hired a builder to come and do work that she couldn't afford to pay for.

Unless she got the commission, she reminded herself as she walked back to her workbench. She'd been up since four to try and get everything finished in time, but by her calculations she still needed at least another ten days. Which was a pity since her meeting was in twenty-four hours. It wasn't good math.

She rubbed her tired eyes and realized there was only one way she was going to get through the day. With lots of coffee. Unfortunately, her coffee maker had gone the way of her dishwasher, so the only way she would be getting caffeine was at the diner down the road.

Kate gulped. Leaving her gallery meant that she might run the risk of running into Matt, which would definitely be a problem. Especially considering her reaction on Monday evening. What had she been thinking? But of course she knew the answer to that one. She hadn't been thinking at all. She'd been acting on impulse, just the way she'd done with Harry, and look how that had turned out. She'd ended up alone and heartbroken.

Even worse. She was the one who didn't want a relationship. The one who didn't want to risk being betrayed again and yet she had launched herself at Matt like a missile. Which was why, when he'd knocked on her door yesterday, Kate had done what any self-respecting denial fan would do. She'd hidden herself away until he'd left. He'd returned again later in
the day, but thankfully she'd been upstairs and had again just stayed out of sight until he went away. Besides, he was obviously only there out of guilt and good manners, which was why she'd decided to put off their meeting for as long as possible. A month. A year. A decade. Any of those would work.

“Don't judge me,” she said as Socrates jumped onto her workbench, despite the fact it was meant to be a cat-free zone. Then she let out a sigh. There was no way around it. She definitely needed coffee.

She grabbed her purse before peering out the window. There was no sign of his red convertible that was normally parked out in front of the place and she let out a grateful sigh as she stepped outside and fumbled with her keys. As long as he didn't come back within ten minutes, she'd be safe and, more important, loaded with caffeine. And perhaps some sugar, because it really was going to be a long day.

“Kate,” a voice said, and she looked up to see Matt standing at her doorstep.

Her traitorous pulse fluttered in approval.

He was wearing a crisp white shirt that seemed designed purely to show off his sharp jawline and masculine neck, while in his hands he had what looked like a plate of brownies.

Damn him.

“H-hey,” she said as she tried to keep her distance from him. “I didn't realize you were at home. Your car's not here.”

“I've just started renting a garage two doors down,” he explained as he held out the brownies. “Anyway, I'm glad you're here. This is the third time I've come by bearing gifts and if I'd had to eat this batch as well I think I'd need to get my waistband extended. Did you get my notes?”

“Oh,” Kate said as her eyes were drawn to his lean body. If he really had eaten too many brownies, there was definitely no sign of it. “Yeah, I did get your notes, but I've kind of been busy.” Busy avoiding this very situation. She licked her lips and wished that she wasn't so attracted to a man who baked sugary delights.

“Please, don't apologize. I just wanted to come by and say thank you for Monday.”

“Oh.” She tightened her grip on the brownie tray as much to stop herself from doing anything crazy like touch his arm. “Like I said, you're welcome. And now, if that's everything, I was just on my way out. “

“You're going out?”

“Um, yeah.” She nodded, not quite sure why he was looking at her the way he was. “Is something the matter?”

“It's just you've got your painting smock on.”

“Oh.” Heat flared to her cheeks as she stepped back into the gallery and put the tray of brownies down before awkwardly reaching around to the back of the smock so she could unzip it. She normally didn't bother wearing one, but it had been so long since she'd done a laundry run that she couldn't risk getting any more of her clothes covered in paint.

Unfortunately, the more she wriggled, the more the zipper remained elusively out of reach. She swore as her body twisted around on itself causing her to go lunging sideways.

“Do you need a hand?” Matt asked, a small but bemused smile hovering around his mouth.

No. Definitely not.

She needed to keep her distance from him, and it was bad enough he'd turned up bearing brownies, but letting him get so close to her neck was only inviting disaster. However, unless she got out of the smock soon, she was going to be seriously behind on her schedule. When had life become so complicated?

“If you don't mind,” she said and then caught her breath as he made his way over. Her heart fluttered as he stood directly in front of her, and for a moment she thought he was going to kiss her.

“Kate.”

“Yes,” she managed to croak.

“If you want me to have a look at it, you're going to have to turn around.”

“Oh, right.” She knew that. She quickly turned around as much to hide her heated cheeks as anything. But if she had trouble breathing while he was standing in front of her that was nothing compared to what her lungs were struggling with now that he was behind her. In fact, as she felt him carefully push her hair around to the side of her neck, she thought her whole body was going to explode with the effort of expelling oxygen.

“I see what the problem is.” His breath caressed the nape of her neck, causing her spine to tingle in response. She could feel his hand moving away from her shoulders and trailing down to where the zipper was caught. Never had anything felt so exquisitely painful before.

“I'll try to be as gentle as possible.” Matt's voice was husky as his fingers pressed into her skin and continued to tug at the militant zipper until it was finally released. “There, all done.”

“Thanks.” She spun around to face him. Somehow, the idea of him being so close and not touching her seemed almost unbearable. “S-so I guess I'd better be on my way.”

“Actually, I did have an ulterior motive,” he admitted, and Kate sucked in her breath. If it involved any more hiding out then she was just going to have to be firm with him. That or sell her shop and move somewhere far, far away. “I wanted to ask you out to dinner tonight.”

“Dinner?” Kate's throat went dry. Was this a test to see if she was going to stick to her word? “As in a date dinner?”

“Well, yeah, I guess if that's what the kids are calling it these days.” His smile widened to reach his eyes. Then he titled his head and clamped down on his lower lip. Was he nervous? Her heart fluttered. There was nothing more endearing than a guy who was nervous when they asked someone out on a date. It also meant that she mustn't have misjudged the situation as much as she thought she had the other night. Which might lessen the embarrassment she'd been feeling about it, but it didn't solve her problem.

“There's a new French place that has opened up at Pioneer Square. It's had excellent reviews. Plus, if you wanted to go somewhere else for dessert we could walk along to Gio's. They do an amazing cheesecake.”

“You've put a lot of thought into this.” Kate blinked, almost expecting him to pull out a spreadsheet of the evening.

“Once a planner, always a planner.” Matt let out a reluctant laugh and Kate almost found herself smiling before she
collected herself. Unfortunately, there was no way she could say yes. Not if she wanted to stay sane and focused on her work. Because if Monday night had proved anything, it had been that when it came to her neighbor, she wasn't trustworthy. “So, what do you say?”

“I can't go. I'm sorry.”

“Oh.” Some of the smile left his face. “Well, we could do it another night. Maybe when you're not so busy.”

“The thing is that I don't date.”

“Like ever?” Matt raised an eyebrow and looked at her like she had paint on her face.

“That was the plan. I kind of had a bad breakup and it put me off ever talking to a man again,” she admitted, while willing herself not to look at the slight bristle on his chin. She could almost imagine running her fingers across it. Or ripping his clothes off and touching his torso. It was a close call as to which one she wanted to do more. She also realized that maybe Jenny had been right about the pressure cooker. At this rate she'd be arrested for becoming a public menace. She licked her lips and lowered her gaze. “But it has recently been brought to my attention that my dating stance is a bit too inflexible and that it might have some . . . er, side effects.”

“I see.” He raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything else, for which Kate was profoundly grateful. “Does that mean you will go on a date with me?”

“I—” She paused and silently groaned. No one should have to have a conversation like this without coffee. “The thing is that I've been known to make bad decisions when it comes to the opposite sex and right now I have so much going on with this commission, not to mention the gaping hole in my ceiling. So even if I did want to go on a date, I'm not sure that now would be the right time. I'm sorry.”

“It's okay,” he cut her off, his voice soft and warm. “I won't say that I'm not disappointed, but I don't want you to think of me as the terrible guy from next door who must be avoided at all costs.”

“O-of course I wouldn't think that.” Kate's cheeks warmed. Did he know that she'd been avoiding him? Then she offered him a small smile. “But thank you for asking. It was very kind of you.”

“Trust me, being kind was the last thing on my mind,” he confessed before catching sight of the six framed paintings that had been delivered half an hour ago. “And I can see that your framer got them done on time. They look amazing. So when's the big pitch?”

“Tomorrow,” she admitted as she stuffed her hands into the pockets of her jeans to try and hide her telltale nerves. Mind you, the fact that she'd just turned down his dinner invitation meant that he probably didn't care how nervous she was. “Actually, I've still got a lot of things to do before then.” Like trying to forget that the gorgeous man in front of her had just asked her out.

“Well, just make sure you have an early one tonight. Because when you're tired it's harder to think straight. You'll find you get a much better result if you've had your seven hours,” he said before his face twisted into an apologetic grimace. “Sorry, I didn't mean to go into business mode on you. Emma says I'd organize the world twenty-four-seven if I could. “

“It's okay,” Kate said, secretly touched that he even wanted to give her advice. With Harry it had all been about his career and what was best for him. “And speaking of Emma, how are the twins?”

“Itching, scratching and moaning,” he replied. “But apparently that's all part of it and things should start easing up soon.”

“That's good news.” Kate nodded, not sure whether to be pleased or upset that he seemed to be taking her rejection so well. “Anyway, I'd better get moving.”

“Of course—” he started to say before pausing. Then he grinned as he threw his hands up into the air. “Oh, to hell with it. Kate, let me help you.”

“Wh-what?” She blinked. “I'm not sure I follow.”

“You have bags under your eyes, you couldn't even unzip your smock and tomorrow you have one of the biggest opportunities of your life. Plus, you look like you need a hand.”

“But we just discussed this and I said that I wasn't ready yet,” Kate said as she resisted the urge to pat her eyes to check for bags.

“You weren't ready for a date, and I respect that, but all the things you're dealing with are all the things that I happen to excel in. So, let me help you. In a totally non-datelike manner.”

“Why would you do that?” Kate sucked in her breath. When she'd first started dating Harry, he'd wooed her with flowers and pretty words, but no one had ever come along and offered to help her before. Not in such a practical way.

A small smile hovered around his mouth. “Let's just say that it's been brought to my attention that I'm too controlling and planned and that I don't know how to be messy and spontaneous. And while I'm not promising how messy I'll get, this seems like a good chance to practice my spontaneity. So, tell me what you need and I'll do it for you.”

“I need coffee,” Kate said, still not quite sure if this was the smartest or dumbest thing she'd ever done. All she knew was that Matt was right. If she wanted to even have a chance at her pitch tomorrow, she was going to need some help. The fact that it was coming from a man who made her pulse race in a dangerous manner was something that she would think about later.

This was all Matt's fault, Kate decided the following morning as she sat in the modern boardroom surrounded by her oil paintings and preliminary sketches. Normally she preferred to let her art do the talking, but in between helping her with her final preparations Matt had spent yesterday coaching her on his six simple tips for doing a business presentation, and somehow that had loosened her tongue.

She let out a small groan. What if the Petersons didn't want an artist who talked so much? What if they didn't care what Kate's position on arts grants were? More important, what if they didn't like the way she'd asserted herself? Or that she'd explained just why using such childlike painting techniques wasn't a gimmick but rather an accurate interpretation of how she viewed the world.

She tapped her fingers on the table. It had been ten minutes since she'd finished her presentation and the Petersons were still in the other room, no doubt discussing just what an idiot she was.

Kate smoothed down her one good suit and tried not to feel like a fish out of water, but it was difficult. She was used to being behind the scenes. Standing in the background—preferably close to an exit sign. Her chest tightened as a familiar anxiety crept in. What was she even doing here? Unfortunately, Matt had given her specific instructions not to leave, no matter how tempting it was. Instead he'd told her to just breathe through her feelings until the panic subsided, and while Kate hadn't really believed him, she found herself taking in a lungful of air. Her whole body tingled in response and by the time she released her breath, the urge to flee had left her.

For better or worse, she was going to wait this one out. Which was probably a good thing since even if she had tried to walk out, Matt, who was sitting out in the foyer, would just send her right back in, in a non-datelike manner. Now that she thought about it that was probably why he'd insisted on coming with her today instead of just wishing her luck.

He'd known she was a flight risk.

She sucked in some more oxygen and was forced to admit just how grateful she was for his help. Especially since, true to his word, yesterday had been all work and no hint of a date, not even when he'd ordered them both Indian food. Instead they'd discussed possible interview questions along with how many paintings she should include in her portfolio and even whether to bring up a tenth grade art award that she'd once won. Not to mention that if she hadn't had his help carrying all of the paintings up, she would've looked a lot less presentable than she currently did.

“Kate, sorry to keep you waiting for so long.” Monica Peterson suddenly reappeared and Kate forgot all about her breathing as her nerves kicked in again. Monica was in her early sixties and was dressed in a simple but expensive skirt and blouse. Her hair was also groomed to within an inch of its life and she didn't look like she laughed very often. All in all she was an imposing sight.

“That's fine.” Kate's mouth was dry as Monica marched to the large table, clutching at the notes she'd been taking
during the presentation.

“Calvin sends his apologies. He had to go to another meeting but I wanted to let you know that we both loved your ideas. There is a freshness to them and we both adore the way it creates nostalgia without being too overwhelming, which is why we want to offer you the commission.”

For a moment Kate was quiet as a wave of energy rushed through her body, leaving her breathless and hot. They'd said yes. They'd given her the commission.

“We were both particularly impressed with the preliminary sketches for the mural. The color palate, the artistic integrity and the hidden objects that you've included are very appealing and I'm sure will entertain our customers no matter how many times they visit,” Monica continued, obviously quite used to dumbstruck artists.

Kate felt a sense of pride swell up in her chest, quickly followed by relief that she'd be able to keep Socrates in the expensive cat food that he felt was his birthright.

“Thank you,” she finally managed to speak. “So, what happens now?”

“We'll have contracts drawn up and then as soon as the builders have given us clearance you'll be able to start on the mural itself.” Monica smiled and Kate's body buzzed with joy as the reality began to sink in. “We will also pay a quarter of the money up front and the rest once everything has been completed.”

“Sounds great.” Kate numbly nodded her head in agreement.

She'd done it.

She'd really done it.

“Oh.” Monica paused. “There's one other thing. We're throwing a fund-raiser tomorrow night and it'll be a perfect opportunity to introduce you when all of our investors are in the one place. We'd really like you to be there. And please bring your partner as well. You make a handsome couple and I'm sure that the press will eat it up.”

“M-my partner?” Kate stammered as some of her euphoria slid away as she realized that Monica Peterson thought that Kate and Matt were . . . well, that they were a couple.

“Yes.” Monica gave an impatient nod as if she found giving details to be a tiresome job. “I'll get my assistant to leave two tickets for you at the reception desk, so don't forget to pick them up on the way out. Oh, and it's formal wear.”

“Actually, the thing is—” Kate took a deep breath and hoped she didn't look as flustered as she felt. She searched for the words to explain that Matt was nothing more than her neighbor. A very, very good-looking neighbor who sometimes hid in her art gallery and who wiped paint from her cheek and insisted on helping her in a totally non-date kind of way.

A shudder of desire raced through her at the thought. What if they really were partners? What if she got to go to bed with him every night and wake up next to him each morning? What if she could tug away at his neatly ironed shirts until the buttons all flew off and her hands had access to what she knew would be his smooth, lean chest?

What if he one day woke up and decided that having her wasn't enough?

What if he was like Harry and wanted a baby after all and she'd once again be on her own?

Kate's desire ebbed away in an instant, but before she could even open her mouth Monica's cell phone rang and a small frown gathered around her new patron's lips.

“I have to take this, but don't forget about the tickets and I'll look forward to seeing you tomorrow night,” Monica said in an efficient voice before answering the call as she walked out the door. “Tony, I hope you have a solution for me, not a problem . . .”

No. Kate gulped as she hurried after Monica Peterson. She had to tell her the truth about Matt, because while she said she might be open to dating him, she'd planned for it to be sometime in the future. The distant future. Not tomorrow night.

“Hey.” Matt instantly stood up as soon as she stepped out of the boardroom, effectively blocking her path. “So, how did it go?”

“What?” Kate blinked as Monica disappeared down the corridor and out of sight. Then she readjusted her focus and realized just how close Matt was standing to her and how intently his dark eyes were scanning her face, looking for clues. “Oh, well the good news is that I got it.”

“Kate, that's wonderful. I'm so proud of you,” he said as his entire face transformed from one of concern to one of joy. Unexpectedly she felt like crying. Harry, who was not only older than her, but also an established artist, had never had much time for her career, and so in the past the only ones who celebrated her achievements were Jenny and Socrates. But up until now she hadn't realized how nice it was to have someone else's support.

“Thank you. And thank you for all your help. I might have the painting side sorted out, but as you might've guessed, the business side of things can be a bit overwhelming. I'm not sure I would've gotten it all done without you.”

“Then it was lucky that I was there,” Matt said before he stepped closer and studied her face, so close she could almost feel his breath. “So, why don't you look happy?”

“I am.” She gulped as her pulse fluttered. “I mean, it's the best thing that's ever happened to me. But there's a slight problem.”

“A problem? Like what? They want you to make everyone nude? Or only use three colors? Or no color. Black and white. That could be a challenge considering how bright your other work is.” He arched one eyebrow and Kate let out a reluctant giggle.

“No, it's nothing like that. It's just they want me to go to a fund-raiser tomorrow night so that they can introduce me to some of the investors, and she mistakenly thought that you were . . . Well, that we . . .”

“We're a couple,” Matt finished off, and Kate gave a helpless nod of her head. See, this was why she didn't like facing things head-on. Because it was embarrassing and could result in breathing difficulties.

“I guess she saw you helping with the paintings. And before I could correct her she received a phone call and now she's no doubt in her office telling someone else that she doesn't want to hear problems, just solutions.”

“Hmmm. That's unfortunate. Especially since this non-dating thing is working so well for us. I'd hate to ruin what we have just to keep your new boss happy.” Matt frowned, still standing so close that he could probably hear her heart pounding
away in her chest. “Then again, if you really begged me . . .”

“So now you want me to beg you to go on a date with me?” Kate said as a wave of his aftershave curled its way into her nose.

“Okay, no begging. It's undignified.” He unleashed a dimple and she took a giddy step back and tried to take a breath of Matt-free air. “But I'm more than happy to go to the fund-raiser with you. And don't look so worried. I promise that I own a tuxedo and I have it on good authority that my table manners are perfectly respectable.”

“It's not that,” Kate protested as she thought of all the reasons why she should refuse him. Of how standing too close to him made her pulse spike. Of how it made her think dangerous thoughts. Of how she might trust him. “It's just this whole dating business. Matt, I meant what I said before about my breakup. It was pretty brutal. I'm not sure how ready I am.”

“Then we'll take it one step at a time,” he said. “In fact, let's not even call it a date. Let's just pretend that we're two neighbors spending time together. We can make our own rules. A non-date. Does that sound less terrifying? Not to mention that it makes me look very spontaneous.”

“Y-you want to wing it? The guy who I saw tidying up my paintbrush collection when you thought I wasn't looking yesterday?” Kate raised a quizzical eyebrow as hope flared in her chest. Was this her way of having it all? Of being able to spend time with a guy who made her pulse flutter, while still keeping her heart safe?

“You saw that, huh?” Matt winced, though his brown eyes were shining. “Well, I guess that means I'll have to hand my ninja badge back. But I do mean it. I'll let go of my need to control and plan everything and you can let go of your fear of getting hurt and we'll just spend time together. No pressure. What do you say?”

“Okay.” Kate blinked, unsure how any of this happened. One minute she was a broke artist with a hole in her ceiling and a strict policy on men, and suddenly she had the biggest commission of her life and was going on a non-date with the best-looking guy she'd ever seen. It really had been a strange week.

***

“A tuxedo?” Keith raised his eyebrows as he sat down on one of Matt's neat white sofas and sprawled out his legs. “What's the big occasion? Don't tell me that you're going on a date with one of the women from the Stop the Clock competition.”

“Please say that you're not,” Emma's husband, Sam, said from over by the breakfast bar, where he was indulging in a second beer while his health-conscious wife wasn't around to see him. “Because you know that Emma will go ballistic. She says that the more you enable Keith and his stupid ideas, the more stupid ideas he'll keep having.”

“Hey, I'm right here,” Keith complained, but Sam and Matt ignored him.

“Please. I'm not that desperate,” Matt said as he carefully took the tuxedo out of the dry cleaning bag it had been stored in, to check that it was in perfect condition for tomorrow night. “Besides, I'm perfectly capable of meeting a woman on my own.”

“Oh, you can meet them, all right,” Keith chimed in. “But are they the right kind of girl for you? Whereas the Stop the
Clock competition was perfect for a man in your situation.”

“Keith, I think you might be beating a dead horse,” Sam said before looking at Matt with interest. “So, you've met someone? Emma was doing that annoying smile of hers to suggest that she knew something I didn't, but then refused to tell me because it wasn't her secret to tell. Like that's ever stopped her before.”

Matt took a gulp of beer as he recalled the feel of Kate as his fingers had worked to loosen the zipper of her painting smock the previous day. The effort it had taken to restrain his fingers from exploring the slightly jutting bones of her shoulder blades had been immense, made all the worse by the fact she'd said no to a date. Which meant that exploring her shoulder blades was entirely off-limits.

He'd been half-tempted to try and change her mind with a list of excellent reasons, but instead, as he'd watched her nervously chew on her lip while the dark shadows under her eyes grew heavier, he'd found himself offering his help. He actually wasn't sure who had been more surprised. Her or him, since spontaneous wasn't normally in his wheelhouse. Then again, someone like Kate wasn't normally in his wheelhouse, yet the more time he spent with her, the more she fascinated him.

“Well?” Sam said, bringing Matt back down to earth.

“Kind of. She lives next door and gave me refuge when Keith dropped his Stop the Clock bomb,” Matt said, not really sure how to define the magnetic attraction between him and Kate. She was so different from him in every way. But somehow that didn't seem to matter. Nothing mattered except seeing her again.