Satin Sheets and Strawberries (17 page)

She felt the heat of his glance and melted. "Only twice."

Logan lowered her to the sofa and stretched out beside her. He traced her lower lip as lightly as a butterfly. "Tomorrow I’ll call and cancel the interview."

"Why?"

"Because it upsets you. Utah is too close to memories you want to forget."

She was genuinely touched. He was willing to give up Utah because he thought it might upset her. Well, it did upset her, but not for the reasons he thought. How could she admit to a rational man like Logan that she was distressed for far different reasons. She’d read everything she could get her hands on about Utah . . . and not once were fairies mentioned.

"Don’t worry," Logan said. "I got a very encouraging letter from Texas today. How do you feel about rodeos and snakeskin boots?" he asked in a serious tone. A small giggle escaped her parted lips. No doubt about it, he is the sweetest man alive, and he’s mine. "Logan, I want you to go to Utah and knock their socks off. I’ve dealt with my past, it’s behind me now. This is the opportunity you’ve been waiting for. Go for it."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. I’ll even read up on camping while you’re gone." She smiled devilishly. "Come to think of it, the sporting-goods store sells sleeping bags that zip together to form one large one. I always thought that sounded sinfully erotic."

"The hell with Utah, is that store still open?" asked Logan.

"It’s ten o’clock at night."

He positioned a leg over hers and pressed her deeper into the couch. With unsteady fingers he slowly started to unbutton her blouse. "Please come with me to Utah for the interview."

Pleasure surged through her with every brush of his fingers. "We’ve been over this before. I can’t. The play opens Friday night and I have to be here."

He moaned as he unfastened her lacy bra with a flick of his fingers. Her satiny smooth breasts were begging for his attention. He lowered his head, capturing a dusky peak with his lips and pulled it deep into his mouth.

Kelli arched her back and entwined her fingers deeper into Logan’s thick hair. Excitement raced through her. She should be used to his touch, his kiss by now—but she wasn’t. Every kiss was better than the first, his every touch excited her, and every time they made love she grew to love him more.

Raising his head, he looked down on her flushed face and said, "Three nights away from you. Lord, I’m going to miss you."

She rotated her hips, moving herself closer to him. "You don’t leave for another two days."

In one fluid motion Logan stood up, cradling her in his arms. He took the steps two at a time. "Then why are we wasting time talking?"

#

"Thanks, Josh, I really appreciate it."

"No problem. Does Kelli know you’re asking me to check up on her every night?"

"It’s not checking up. Think of it as looking in."

"She doesn’t know." Josh chuckled.

"She’d have my hide."

Josh laughed harder. "She already has that. Heard congratulations are in order."

"Thanks. I would like you to be one of my best men along with my uncle. We haven’t set the date yet; that will depend on this trip."

Josh leaned back against the police cruiser and rubbed his jaw. "I know you love Kelli, she loves you, and I think you’re perfect for each other. But are you sure about moving to Utah?"

"A man has to have a job to support his family."

"Kelli hasn’t voiced any objections to moving?" he asked doubtfully.

"None. She’s dug up more information on the state than their own chamber of commerce." Logan frowned briefly. "I’ve thought about staying here, but there aren’t many requests for geologists in the local want ads." He looked over to where Kelli was helping the stage crew set up lighting and sighed. "I can’t imagine Fairyland without her." Josh stared at Logan as if he’d said something profane. "There won’t be a Fairyland without her. Kelli is Fairyland."

#

Kelli stood in the middle of the bedroom and nervously ran a sweating palm down the front of the red satin nightshirt she wore. Logan had bought it for her soon after she’d explained why she always wore red. Solitary Fairies always dressed in red, while Troop Fairies wore green. Since she had started Fairyland alone, she’d decided she was the former and had begun dressing accordingly. With a nervous gesture she shifted a wrapped box behind her back. When Logan came into the room and closed the door she blushed.

Logan raised an eyebrow. "You sure did hurry out of the bathroom."

"I bought a going-away present for you."

He was more intrigued by her blush than by the idea of a present. "I don’t leave for thirty-six hours."

Kelli took the brightly wrapped box from behind her back and handed it to him.

Amused, Logan studied the swirling lime-green and shocking-pink wrapping paper. He slowly slipped the canary-yellow bow off the package and ripped off the paper. Under two sheets of orange tissue paper he spotted his gift. Two pairs of satin boxer shorts, one boasting purple horseshoes, the other green shamrocks. "Oh, Kelli, they’re fabulous. Where did you find them?"

"I had to drive all the way into Somerset to get them. Sadie Foster doesn’t carry anything but straight Fruit of the Looms. She was quite shocked when I asked if she stocked satin boxers."

He sat on the edge of the bed and laughed harder. He had met Sadie Foster. The woman still thought saddle shoes and beehive hairdos were the height of fashion. With great care, he pulled the shorts from the box and held them up. "I love them."

"You’re to wear them during the interview and they will bring you good luck."

"Which pair?"

"I’m not sure. I couldn’t make up my mind, so I bought both." She gave the matter some serious thought. "You decide once you get there."

Logan looked at the woman standing in front of him and grinned. Lord, how I love this woman. He put the box on the floor and opened his arms.

She didn’t need a second invitation—she flew straight into his arms. She heard his groan as he tumbled backward under her weight and smiled as she bent to kiss away the pain.

#

Ruth planted her hands on her ample hips and glared at her nephew. Logan was systematically destroying her once-gleaming domain. "Are you sure you know what you’re doing?"

He glanced at the growing pile of pots and bowls. Silently he acknowledged that his aunt’s question was justified. He was more comfortable with gravimeters and seismographs than with cooking. Since he was leaving in the morning, he’d wanted to make Kelli a special good-bye dinner. His aunt and uncle had been invited to a covered-dish dinner with a group of senior citizens, leaving them some privacy. Two frozen Maine lobsters sat in Kelli’s sink on a bed of ice, and a pound cake was baking in the oven. Everything was going smoothly. He smiled confidently. "Piece of cake. How hard can it be to throw those two critters into a pot of boiling water?" Ruth tapped her foot and glared at her nephew. "I wasn’t talking about your cooking. I was referring to this job in Iowa."

"It’s Utah."

"Same difference."

Logan knew the people who lived there would not have agreed.

"Don’t you want to move to Utah, Aunt Ruth?"

"It doesn’t matter to these old bones where they are, as long as they have a soft bed at night. It’s Kelli I’m worried about."

"Why?"

"Because she won’t be happy there," said Ruth. "She loves you and would follow you anywhere. But it won’t be home for her. Didn’t you see her face when she entertained those kids with tales of fairies and legends. She believes in them. She believes they live here."

He glared at the bowl of potato salad he was making. "What am I supposed to do? I have to work. Fairyland can’t support this family, let alone a couple of kids."

Ruth’s expression became dreamy. "Babies?"

Exasperated, he snapped, "Oh course, babies. We’re talking long-term commitment here. Marriage, babies, orthodontists, and college tuition." He softened his voice and asked, "Wouldn’t you like to hold a grandnephew or niece?"

"Oh my!" With a stubborn look she declared, "Fairyland is perfect for raising a family."

For the first time in his life, Logan lost his temper with her. "Dammit, Aunt Ruth. Money doesn’t grow on trees. I want Kelli, Henry, and you to have the best. Our children deserve the best I can give them." He ran a hand through his already disheveled hair. "If that means moving to Utah, that’s what we’ll do."

Ruth blinked and gawked at her nephew.

Logan regretted his show of temper. It wasn’t Ruth’s fault he had spent a restless night tossing in his sleep tortured by dreams he couldn’t remember. He opened his mouth to apologize when the cookie jar fell off the counter and smashed against the floor.

They stared at the scattered ceramic pieces and cookies, confused.

"You must have moved it too close to the edge," Ruth said.

The soft swish of the pet door caught his attention. He could have sworn all the cats were out. With an apologetic glance toward his aunt, he went and got the broom and dustpan. A frown creased his brow as he swept up the mess. He couldn’t remember touching the cookie jar, let alone moving it.

After he’d returned the broom to the closet, he lovingly wrapped his arms around his aunt. "I’m sorry I yelled at you." He kissed the top of her head and gave her a gentle squeeze. "You could be right about Kelli, but I don’t know what else to do. If we move to Utah, I’ll buy her twenty acres and let her convert it into another Fairyland."

Ruth returned his hug. "You don’t need to apologize. I was putting my nose where it didn’t belong. I’m the one who’s sorry."

"Nonsense. You have a right to voice your opinion. This move involves you too. We’re family, and we’re in this together."

She placed a motherly kiss on his cheek. "Sink or swim, huh?" Logan laughed and shooed her out of the kitchen.

#

Kelli sat back and groaned. "So that’s what lobster tastes like." Logan slid his arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck. "Ummm . . .

She tilted her head to allow him more room. "It’s the ugliest thing I’ve ever eaten, but it tastes great."

"Ummm . . . "

"Stimulating conversation we’re having."

Logan laughed and stepped away from her. "I can’t help it. I’m leaving in twelve hours."

Kelli pretended to pout. "You promised me dessert."

He quickly filled a tray with the remaining wine, two glasses, two slices of pound cake topped with Cool Whip and strawberries, and two forks. He turned off the light, leaving her standing in the dark. "If you want dessert, it’s in the bedroom," he said as he left the room.

"Isn’t that a little obscene?" she asked, following him.

A wicked smile flashed across his face. "Only if you tell."

She turned toward the stairs. "I wonder if this is what’s known as having your cake, and eating it too."

#

"Dammit, Kelli. There’s a strawberry stuck to my knee."

She giggled as she raised her head. "It goes with the Cool Whip in your hair."

Logan touched a patch of stickiness in his hair and grumbled something under his breath. Then he glared at the closed door, exasperated. "Why is Tinkerbell whining?"

"Strawberries are her weakness and she didn’t appreciate it when you locked her out."

"Well, hell, she drank my wine."

Kelli reached over and scooped a smear of cream off his chest. She closed her eyes and sighed as she licked the white foam off her finger. "Stop whining, I shared mine with you, didn’t I?"

He groaned as she licked her finger with her small pink tongue. Desire curled through him as he lovingly brushed at the crumbs clinging to the sides of her breasts. A gleam sparked in his eye as he spotted a crushed strawberry on her gently rounded hip. His white teeth flashed as he bit the fruit and tenderly licked the satiny skin clean of any juices. Logan lifted his head and studied the moist hip. Satisfied, he said, "You sure are a sloppy eater." He turned her over onto her stomach. "Are there any more berries stuck to your luscious body?"

Kelli gulped air as his lips touched the small of her back. "You started it when you put Cool Whip on my--"

His fingers teased the back of her knees and slowly made their way up her thighs. "Oh yeah, them. But didn’t I get it off?"

Moisture gathered between her thighs and her hips rotated an invitation. "Didn’t I get the strawberry that I’d dropped?"

Blood and heat rushed to heighten his arousal as he remembered exactly where the berry fell and how she got it. With rekindled desire he rolled her over and entered her with one sure stroke.

Her trembling thighs cradled his lean hips as she arched to meet his thrusts. The tempo increased as need drove them forward, reaching for the zenith. His name tumbled from her lips as she attained her goal. He followed her over the edge with one mighty plunge, calling her name. Minutes elapsed before he raised his head from the softness of her breasts. When his breathing returned to normal, he rolled over and hugged her to his side. "I love you," was whispered against her moist temple.

Kelli smiled and snuggled closer to his warmth. As sleep overtook her she said, "I love you too."

#

Logan threw his suitcase in the back seat and slammed the door. He had hurried through his shower and finished packing so that he could manage a few minutes in private with Kelli. But when he came downstairs the only people waiting for him were Aunt Ruth and Uncle Henry. They had wished him a safe and pleasant journey, and then handed him a note from Kelli.

"I’m sorry I can’t look you in the eye and say good-bye. Let this morning’s loving be my goodbye to you. You carry my heart with you. Dazzle them with your brilliance and hurry home to me. I’ll be waiting. Love and Godspeed, Kelli."

Logan stared off into the surrounding woods. Where in the hell could she had gone? He didn’t notice the narcissus or the yellow daffodils dancing in the morning breeze as he purposefully headed for the pond. She had ended her note with "Love and Godspeed." Who in their right mind used the word "Godspeed"?