Over the Fence (36 page)

It was her surprise at the level of warmth she was greeted with, that made me shake my head. She really had no idea how much people liked her.

“I need another drink,” Annie announced, glaring at the bottom of her empty wine glass.

Jason grinned. “Kourtney and I will go. You want another Coke, Nathan?”

“Sure. Thanks.” I wasn’t drinking anything tonight. My passenger was far too valuable.

Kourtney glanced back over her shoulder with a nervous smile as she left with Jason. I winked and threw her a kiss, grinning at the instant color that stained her cheeks.

Annie snorted beside me. “You have it bad.”

“I do.”

“She’s been a different person the last while.”

“Funny, my co-workers say the same about me.”

“You’re good for each other. You give her the confidence she needed.”

“We’re good for each other.” I agreed.

“Shit.” Annie looked over my shoulder as she cursed.

“What?”

“I didn’t think she’d come.”

I glanced behind me, not seeing anyone I knew. “Who?”

“Colleen.”

I turned and faced the direction where Annie was glaring. A tall, extremely thin woman was by the bar, her gaze taking in the group, looking far too formal for a staff barbeque. She was out of place in this casual setting; her clothes overdone, her posture stiff. How she even walked in the heels she was wearing was beyond me. Her cold eyes met mine, and a smug sneer curled the corners of her mouth as she appraised me openly. I turned to Annie, not at all interested in returning her unwelcome flirting.

“Who is she?”

“One of the administrators of the lab.”

“You don’t like her?”

“No one really does. She doesn’t often come to these things. She, ah, she makes Kourtney very uncomfortable.”

I stiffened. “Oh?”

“She makes . . . remarks.”

“Remarks?”

“She referred to Kourtney once as ‘a lump—round and doughy.’”

I frowned. “Kourtney heard her?”

“Yes.”

“Has she said other things?”

“A few times—often about her eyes. I told her off once, but she ignored me.” Annie sighed. “She’s the reason Kourtney keeps to herself at the lab, I think. And it’s not only Kourtney. She enjoys making others feel less.”

My dislike for this woman grew exponentially. I especially loved Kourtney’s eyes.

Her eyebrows shot up. “Look out, Nathan. Barracuda at ten o’clock.”

“Hello.”

I turned and faced Colleen. Up close she was even more out of place. Older than I originally thought, she was a woman on a mission. One I recognized—a hook up with no strings.

But that was before Kourtney. My sweet, insecure girl who was so easily crushed by words. Words this woman liked to use.

I studied her dispassionately, seeing things I would never have noticed before. Her clothing was out of place and too tight. Her hair was too vivid a shade of red to be natural and her make-up had been applied too liberally. She had an overbearing attitude and her stance screamed predator. Light blue, cold eyes gazed at me, so vacant of any emotion, I almost shivered.

Annie had the word correct; she was a barracuda.

I nodded politely. I wouldn’t do anything that might reflect poorly on Kourtney. “Hello.”

“I don’t remember seeing you in the lab.” She laid her hand on my arm, trying to sound seductive. “I’d have remembered you.”

I shook off her touch and stepped back. “I don’t work in the lab.”

Annie spoke up. “Save it, Colleen. He’s taken.”

Her cold gaze flitted over to Annie, then returned to my face. “He’s a big boy. He can speak for himself.”

Before I could respond and tell her to back off, Kourtney’s gentle voice spoke from beside me, a nervous edge making it shaky. “Nathan?”

I looked at her with relief, reaching out and winding my arm around her waist, tucking her into my side. “Hey, Chefgirl. I missed you.” Nuzzling her hair, I met Colleen’s cold stare with a smirk. “I think you know my Kourtney.”

Colleen’s over-plucked eyebrows shot up. “
Your
Kourtney?” She blinked. “
Kourtney
is your girlfriend?”

“They live together,” Annie announced with glee.

I didn’t bother to correct her and tell her it was only temporary. Instead, I nodded. “Lucky bastard I am.”

Colleen shook her head. “My, my what a dark horse you are, Kourtney. Who would have guessed you could attract a man like Nathan? You never mentioned the hottie you have held prisoner at home. You must never let him out of your two-toned sight.”

Her choice of words was the wrong one to use, and I didn’t appreciate the snide tone either.

“I’m the one holding
her
hostage, Colleen,” I informed her, my voice cold. “You’re lucky I let her come to work some days.” I bent down, kissing the side of Kourtney’s neck, while staring at Colleen. “Most days I don’t want to let her out of my bed—especially when she looks at me with those beautiful, sexy eyes.”

I felt Kourtney’s blush and saw the flare of Colleen’s anger. She didn’t like rejection or being put in her place. Spinning on her heel, she marched away, disappearing into the crowd.

Annie and Jason both chuckled. “Nice job, Nathan.”

I snickered. “What a bitch.”

Kourtney sighed, turning to look up at me. “But she’s so elegant.”

I snorted. “She’s overdone and cold. She makes my magic refrigerator look like a sauna.”

“Really?”

I traced the heat of her blush along her cheekbone. “Really. She’s desperate and trying too hard.”

“She isn’t, ah, your type?”

I yanked her into my arms. “No. My type is a short, pretty brunette with exotic eyes, who can cook like a dream.” I kissed her. “And makes me happier than I’ve ever been.”

“I like making you happy.”

“Good. I like making you happy, too.”

She looked past me. “I think maybe Colleen is lonely. That’s why she’s so desperate. Maybe if she found someone, she’d be nicer.”

I leaned my forehead to hers, not pointing out the fact she’d been lonely and never chose to make other people feel less because of it. “You astound me. You always try and find some good in people.”

Annie snorted and grabbed Kourtney’s arm. “Okay, enough with the love-fest. You’re making me ill. I have to pee and I hate going alone.”

Jason leaned closer to Kourtney. “We need to talk strategy for the deliveries this week when you return, Kourtney.”

Kourtney giggled before the girls walked away, and I turned to Jason. “Strategy?”

His eyes followed the girls for a minute, turning back to me. “I guess Kourtney hasn’t told you about her little secret work project, has she?”

I shook my head. I was still learning so much about her.

“The floor she works on is divided into three different research areas. We all share a common lounge for breaks, casual meetings, that sort of thing. The bulletin board has a list of people’s birthdays. Once a month, Annie would bring in a cake and everyone who had a birthday that month would share it with the rest of the staff. But then, people started finding a small gift on their desk on their birthday. Some small, thoughtful item. No card, nothing. Nothing to identify who was doing it.” He smiled knowingly at me.

“Kourtney.”

He nodded. “I didn’t even know who was doing it at first. Problem was: there are a few locked offices on the floor she couldn’t get into, like Annie’s. Finally she had to come to me and ask for my help in unlocking the door to put the gift on their desks.”

“And no one has figured it out?”

“Only Annie. It was hard to keep her in the dark. And she helps. Between the three of us we make sure it is delivered in secret and, I don’t think anyone wants to figure it out. They know I have to be involved due to the locked doors. I think many people suspect it’s Kourtney, since it started not long after she arrived, but everyone loves the mystery—you know you’re getting something, but you never know when it’s going to show up and what it’s going to be. Someone started calling the mystery gift-giver the Birthday Elf and it stuck. Now, they all look forward to the Birthday Elf and their gift. Everyone’s name is on the birthday list now.” He chuckled. “The other floors are quite jealous of our little elf.”

“What about on Kourtney’s birthday?”

“Oh, your girl is smart. She put a box of chocolates on her own desk the first year, which, of course, she shared with everyone. Annie put something there this year.” He paused, a sad look on his face. “I think it was the only gift she received.”

I felt a tug on my heart. “I’m sure you’re right. Annie is a good friend.”

“Yeah, she’s been trying. She likes Kourtney a lot. Has from the time Kourtney started.”

“Is Annie in the same lab as Kourtney?”

“No, Annie oversees all the labs on the floor; she doesn’t actually do research—didn’t you know?”

“No, I didn’t. I know she went with Kourtney to the last medical conference. I assumed she did research, as well.”

Jason shook his head. “No, she runs them. More an office manager. Each floor has one. There is so much going on, it’s needed. She also is in charge of overseeing when they go to conventions, etc. and she attends when needed. She went with Kourtney because of the last minute substitution. Kourtney rarely goes to them; because of her, ah—”

“Overwhelming shyness?” I interjected. “Her fear of speaking in front of people? Her deep-rooted fear of rejection?”

He nodded sadly.

“I’m aware of all those, Jason. Believe me. I’m hoping between Annie and myself, we can help Kourtney overcome some of those issues.”

“We feel very protective of her. She is—”

“Remarkable.” I finished for him.

He nodded, and I glanced over to see Kourtney standing with Annie, who was talking to a group of people. I blew her another silent kiss, chuckling when her cheeks colored at my gesture. My heart warmed as I thought about what Jason had told me. Somehow, hearing what Kourtney did for her co-workers wasn’t surprising. She made someone else happy, without drawing any attention to herself. A rush of tenderness flowed through me as I gazed at her, and I wanted her back by my side.

“You care for her a lot, don’t you?”

I looked over at Jason who was watching me closely. “I do,” I stated simply. “I’d do anything for her. She’s changed my life.”

“We see a change in her, as well. She has always been pleasant, kind and ready with a smile. But it never reached her eyes. Now when she smiles, it’s real. And we know it’s because of you.”

“That may be the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.”

He laughed. “You do have it bad, don’t you?”

I shrugged. “Yep. And I have no desire to hide it. She’s too special.”

“You’re exactly what she needed.”

“We’re exactly what each other needed, Jason.”

I couldn’t wait anymore. I glanced at Jason who knew what I was thinking and laughing, he clapped me on the shoulder. “Let’s go.”

I crossed the short distance to where Kourtney was standing, slightly off to one side of the small group. Reaching her side, I wrapped my arms around her, drawing her tight to me. Her head tilted back, but before she could say anything I lowered my mouth to hers, kissing her deeply, despite our audience. I drew back, but not before dropping a few more small kisses on her full lips. I smiled at her somewhat shocked expression.

“What was that for?”

“For being you, Little Elf,” I whispered into her ear.

“Oh.”

I kissed her again. “You astound me, Kourtney Whyte.”

“I like seeing people happy.”

I tucked her tighter into my side and nuzzled her fragrant hair. “I like to see
you
happy.”

“You do that for me,” she replied, looking up at me with her brilliant, beautiful eyes.

I groaned deep in my chest. “When can we leave and not have it be rude?”

“You only want to go home and devour those brownies.”

I leaned down. “It’s not the brownies I want to devour, Kourtney.”

“Oh!” She breathed out.

My lips brushed her ear. “As pretty as your dress is on? It’s going to look far prettier on the floor beside our bed.”

A small whimper escaped her throat.

“Soon.”

I nodded. Looking over, Annie winked at me.

I grinned.

Our first date was a definite success.