Tart (8 page)

Her breath caught. His words, the tension in that normally slow and easy voice of his, snagged her attention. Tugged low in her belly. This whole week had been utterly delightful. He was this boy she’d known but so much more. The man he’d become interested her.

The intensity of this connection knocked her for a loop. She’d never had this, not with anyone. She was bold. A take-charge woman who got what she needed and gave as good as she received.

Gideon made her feel so damned alive.

Sexual tension vibrated between them. His weight against her body. No harming. But he wanted her there and that was . . . well, it ran over her hot and fast. Sex wasn’t something she was ashamed of enjoying. She sought it out when she needed it. Enjoyed the men she had it with. For a time.

But this wasn’t enjoyable.

This heat between them was hot and intense and it got under her skin that he wanted her the way he seemed to.

They would end up in bed. No doubt about it. And when they got there, it would be absofuckinglutely fantastic.

For now he held her there, slowly seducing her into a wobbly-kneed mess of a woman frightfully close to begging a man to have his way with her.

“I’m glad I’m not the only one.” She slid her palms up his chest and to his shoulders. “And yet you’re going.” She tiptoed up and nipped at his bottom lip.

It would be a whole heaping helping of just what she needed to get naked and sweaty with this man. Right then. And for a few hours more.

“I’m hungry for you, Jules.” He took a deep breath and stepped back. “I’m hungry for you and it aches.”

He bent and took a kiss, this one more bold than the last. His tongue slid in, against hers and then he was gone again.

“I want to enjoy that ache a while.” He bent and kissed her again, but with this kiss he settled in. This wasn’t quick. No, he took a long, leisurely tour. Little kisses against the edge of her mouth, nips of her bottom lip, the slide of his tongue against hers. He stole her breath as she held on. Held on as he kissed her until her spine eased and all there was was his scent on her skin, his lips on hers, hands at her hips.

He pulled back and tipped his forehead to hers. “When does Tart close tomorrow?”

“Eleven. I’m shortening my Saturday hours and Mary will take over and close up at two. She’s doing these nifty little box lunches. When they’re gone, they’re gone. This is the first week she’s doing the weekend lunch boxes so I hope they’ll kick butt for her.” God, she needed to stop talking. He made her blurty, which was not something she’d experienced with too many people.

“How about we go on a picnic?”

“Really?”

“Yes. Let me deal with the food. Can you meet me at the house?”

“All right.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow at eleven thirty.” He kissed her, fast, and then stepped away; this time he stood on her porch and put his coat on.

She lifted a hand and waved, watching as he walked away.

6

C
al looked up to see his sister Mary come through his door holding one of his favorite things: a canvas tote he knew would be filled with food.

“You’re an angel sent from heaven.” He went to her, taking the bag and kissing her cheek. “Come in. Do you have time to eat dinner with me?”

“Calvin Whaley, it’s nine at night. You haven’t eaten dinner yet?” Mary looked around the room, one eyebrow raised. “You can’t work every minute of the day. It’s not healthy.”

“I have work to do. It’s do it here or in the office. I prefer here where I can drink a glass of wine and take my shoes off.” He led her to the kitchen where he began to unpack the tote while she got plates.

She was petite, his baby sister. Curly hair like their grandmother and while Cal’s eyes were blue, Mary’s were brown with flecks of gold. She was like a sprite on speed as she bustled around his kitchen, muttering to herself.

“You need a woman. Or a man—I don’t care which—who cooks and will make sure you eat.” She dished up some cucumber salad to go with the skewered chicken she plated. “Hang on, there’s a sauce.” She opened containers until she found what she was looking for and pushed it at him.

He hopped up onto a barstool at the island in the kitchen and began to eat. “Holy crap. The problem is, Mary Whaley, you’re such an amazing cook that no matter who I was with, I’d be unhappy with their cooking. You’re too good.”

“Ha.” She frowned.

He’d known her all her life, of course, which is why he could tell she wasn’t there just to bust his chops about not eating right.

“So why don’t you tell me why you’re really here. Not that I don’t appreciate the food, but you have that look you get right before you deliver a lecture and it’s not about my work habits.”

“I’ve been wrestling with myself for the last few days. Telling myself I shouldn’t say anything. But of course that argument never wins.”

She sat next to him and pushed a glass of juice his way.

“What? You’re starting to scare me.”

“Jules is seeing someone.” She blurted it and Cal tried to keep his expression casual but this was his sister so she saw right through that.

“Not the first time. She’s had dates before. Why tell me? Unless.” He sat forward and held her eye contact. “Is this guy hurting her?”

Mary made a face and he felt better. “No, no. At least I don’t think so. This guy is . . . you know him actually. It’s Gideon Carter.”

“Gideon?” He knew his old friend had recently come back to Bainbridge for good. Gideon had even called and left a message, saying he’d love to get together soon.

“Look. I’ve watched you watch her for years. Unless you want it that way forever, now’s your time to move.”

“How could it be serious? He’s only been back a week, right? Maybe two?”

“Yes. But they . . . she talks about him differently. I’ve seen him look at her. This isn’t some fast, shallow thing. This isn’t
fun
. It could be more. And you know, it should be if she wants it to be. He appears to be into her and all.”

“So why tell me?”

Mary just stared at him.

“She’s not for me.” He pushed to stand. “We’ve been friends a very long time. It suits us.”

“Does it? Must be why you’re pacing at the mention of her dating someone else.”

“Well of course. I worry about her like I’d worry about you.” He cringed as he said it. Despite the jokes about unethical attorneys, Cal hated to lie. He was pretty shitty at it, as it happened.

His sister snorted at him. Staring right past his excuses.

One of her brows slid up. “Really? So your feelings for Jules are
brotherly
. This is the bill of goods you’re trying to sell me right now? I’m insulted that you’re actually saying this to me. I’ve let you go on this subject for too long. You’re being a dookiehead. God.” She punched his arm pretty hard.

“Ouch.” He rubbed the spot. For a little thing she was totally strong.

“I don’t want to ruin the connection we have. I appreciate your concern and all, Mary, but things are better this way.”

She blinked at him, saying nothing for a long time.

And then she sighed. “What to do with you, Calvin? What would you do without me? Don’t even try to pretend you don’t know I’m right. Poop! I call total poop on you for this lame-ass excuse.”

He started laughing before he took a risk and leaned in to hug her, kissing her cheek. It wasn’t that she was afraid to curse, she did and often quite creatively. But between the three Whaley siblings, their old childhood insults often reigned.

“I’m duly chastened. But I’m not going to ruin what I have with Jules. Sure, there’s a little spark. But I’m not going to act on it. If things went bad, I wouldn’t have her in my life. I like having her in my life. But not to date.”

She actually stomped her foot and glared at him. He backed up a step, his hands up.

She pointed at him. “You are a serial monogamist. Oh, you like one guy or one woman at a time, you’re not a cheater. But you always have an expiration date in your head. I know you, Calvin. You can be a dick sometimes. You’re messier than you should be. But you’re smart. And you’re good and kind and you help people when you don’t have to because that’s who you are. You don’t normally pretend away the truth.” She stood and smoothed the tote, folding it carefully.

“I want you to think carefully on this. Because if you lose her because you’re too . . . whatever it is that keeps you from admitting just how much you want Juliet, you’ll hate yourself for it. And her eventually. Maybe even Gideon for doing what you didn’t have the courage to.”

She headed to the front door. “Stay for a late dinner with me.” He tipped his head to the table where the food lay. “I have wine. We can hang out and not talk about Jules.”

“No. I need to go home. I’ve got a long day tomorrow and I want to go to bed. Plus you’re harshing my mood.” She opened the door and turned back to face him. “I see the way he looks at her. He is not the kind of man who will miss what an extraordinary woman Jules is. He’s moving in on her. They’re forming a relationship right now. He’s taking her on a picnic! I shouldn’t even be telling you this.”

His stomach twisted a moment.

“Don’t be a dumbass, Cal. Don’t let her go.” She waved and left him there alone with the thought of losing Jules.

Jules Lamprey was a person he’d always loved having in his life. She ran with his sister and had pretty much been a fixture in his house from an early age. Over time they’d grown close and at this point in his life he counted her as one of his very best friends.

But when he’d just about finished high school there’d been
more
. He saw her as she’d grown and developed as a woman and he’d found it pretty irresistible. There’d been a kiss. But she was so young and he left for college right after. And then he’d thrown himself into his life as a student. He’d developed a taste for men as well as women. He’d learned a lot about himself and he wouldn’t trade that for anything.

His family had always been accepting of who he was, but it was when
he
could be that accepting that he’d felt like he’d truly grown up. Heartache had been part of that process and he couldn’t imagine making her hurt the way he knew he’d hurt other people when he’d broken things off in the past. He never wanted to see hurt that he’d caused in her gaze.

Whenever he’d been single she’d been with someone. And even when they were both single, he’d hesitated at moving their friendship into anything else. Because he counted on her. Jules would always be there when he needed her. She loved him and supported him and he didn’t think he could recover if he lost that.

Even if he did want her so badly it took all his energy at times not to change the tenor of a hug and finally kiss her for real. He cherished Juliet Lamprey. This thing with Gideon probably wouldn’t last. The others hadn’t, after all. Some day she’d find someone to settle down with. But probably not for a while.

She’d still be his friend even if she loved another man. And he’d have to deal with that. When it happened.

•   •   •

She showed up at eleven thirty, as he’d asked her to. She went to the main house, not knowing if he was there or elsewhere, but Patrick would most likely know.

It was Patrick who answered, a big grin on his face. “Hey there, pretty girl. Come on in. Gideon’s back in the kitchen.”

She entered the house, pausing to kiss Patrick’s cheek and squeeze his hands. “How are you today?”

He closed the door behind her and then smiled, taking the pastry box. “Better now that you’ve brought me one of these boxes. I do like something sweet in the afternoon with my coffee.”

She linked her arm through his and he led her through the house. “Clearly I’ve been remiss in bringing things by then. I’ll have to add it to my to-do list.” She didn’t tell him she’d made adjustments to the recipe of the turnovers she made him. Lowered the fat considerably and added some whole wheat to the pastry too. What he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

He grinned and patted the hand on his arm. “Good. I like the idea of a beautiful woman coming over here to bring me goodies. Gives me something to look forward to.”

Gideon turned at the sound of his granddad’s voice. He’d known Jules had arrived, but seeing here there, her arm linked with his granddad’s, made all his nervousness wash away.

“Juliet.” He dried his hands off and moved to her, taking her from his granddad with a wink. “I hope you’re hungry. I may have gone a little overboard with the food.”

“As it happens, I’m starving so it’s a good thing. Looking like rain out there though so I hope you didn’t have anything super picturesque in mind.”

“I remember that much about living here. I have backups in place.” He grabbed the ice chest with one hand and took hers in the other.

“Have a good afternoon, boy. Don’t rush back on my account. Mainly because I have a date with the game and some cherry turnovers and you’re not invited.”

“I put a pot of tea in the front room for you. It’s still hot. Hiram should be over soon. There’s plenty of snacks for him, even if you don’t want to share the turnovers.”

He led her out the back door and down the steps to the golf cart parked to the side. “I’m out at the creek house.”

“I haven’t been out there since, gosh, since I was twelve or thirteen I guess.”

He put the ice chest in the back and she got in.

“I’d planned a picnic. Forgetting how silly an idea that was for May. So when it was clear it was too rainy to have one outside, I shifted and decided to have one inside.”

The farm was large enough that the little golf cart was a necessary evil. But the cart had an electric motor so it was quiet enough and it was perfect for getting his granddad around.

The creek house was a one-room A-frame five acres away on the other side of the land from the house. It had been built as a place for Gideon’s father to live in while attending college. But then his dad had gotten married and moved to California. Gideon loved it out there though. Quiet solitude was often what he needed at the end of a long day, though given his granddad’s age, he’d have to move into the main house at some point he knew.