On a Gamble (4 page)

Not that it mattered in the least she chastised herself, as she exited and made her way over to order.

She needlessly perused the menu, but knew she’d end up ordering vanilla in the end.

Tony, the tall, lean high school kid who carried a torch for her, smiled. His face flushed a bright red as he met her eyes. She shook her head, and smiled.

“Hi there, Charlie. Your usual today?” He completely ignored Alex.

“Yes, thank you. And my friend here will take?” She addressed Alex, amusement crossed his features, and she could see he tried to hold back a laugh.

“I’ll take a vanilla cone, please.”

The boy scowled at Alex, before he turned to prepare their order. Patiently, she waited for whatever barb he’d would playfully throw at her.

“You have an admirer there, I take it?”

Charlie bristled. “He’s harmless. Just some high school boy with a crush, that’s all.”

“I don’t know. By the looks of it,” he whispered, “if looks could kill, I’d be dead right about now.”

She playfully smacked his arm. “Knock it off.”

Whatever he’d wanted to say remained unspoken as Tony made his way back with their order.

“That’ll be five fifty.” He spoke to Charlie. Again, ignoring Alex.

Charlie started to fish out the crumpled up ten stashed in her pocket, when Alex stopped her. He pulled out his wallet and paid. She grabbed several napkins, and they found a nearby bench.

“Thank you, you didn’t have to do that,” she said, licking a stray drip from her cone.

“It was my pleasure, Charlie.”

She veered them toward the far side of the building, away from the burning sun, and potential prying, nosy eyes within the small town. Where gossip spread like crazy, and very quickly. Never knowing whom she might see, or who might see her and Alex together. And of course, they’d assume
something
was going on, even if it couldn’t be further from the truth.

Setting a napkin on her lap, she dove in, licking the tasty treat. Enjoying the sweetness on her tongue, she turned to spy Alex enjoying his as well. He turned toward her, grinning from ear to ear. “You’re right. This is the best custard I’ve ever had.”

Stifling a laugh, she noted a good size dollop on his chin. Without thinking, she leaned in, and swiped it away with her thumb, licking the excess off. “There. That’s better.”

Glancing up, she met his gaze, and swallowed the hard lump in her throat. He didn’t speak, just continued to study her. The act of licking stray vanilla off her finger seemed innocent enough, but the way he looked at her, did not look innocent in the least. A fire lit within the brown depths of his eyes, speeding up her heartbeat. She should look away, but couldn’t. Jesus, what was it about this man that could make her feel this way? So alive, so much unlike herself, and ready to give in and steal what they both so obviously wanted.

She tore her gaze away, but by the time she got back to her cone, it’d melted. White streaks flowed down her hand. She wiped what she could, and continued eating.

Alex cleared his throat. “So, what do you like to do in your spare time?”

Thankfully, they were on the same wavelength, as he seemed intent on breaking the awkward silence as well. “I enjoy knitting believe it or not. I know. I’m a nerd. But during the long winter months I get bored when I can’t be outside.”

His eyebrows rose as he just about finished his cone. “Oh, yeah. Who taught you?”

“My grandma. That first winter I was here. So from time to time, I’ll knit an afghan or a scarf. Things like that.” Finishing up her dessert, she cleaned up the sticky mess of her hands as best she could.

“What about you, Alex? What do you like to do in your spare time?”

“When time allows, I love to travel. Greece is on my bucket list, especially the islands. I think it’d be great to take a cruise and explore each one.”

She nodded. “That sounds lovely. I’ve seen pictures, and that blue, blue water just takes my breath away. I can only imagine what it’d be like in person.”

They finished their cones in companionable silence.

Charlie checked her watch. “We’d better head home. We have a few chores to finish up.”

“Sounds good.” He tossed his garbage into the nearby can. She did the same, and with a quick wave to Tony, she drove home.

As they drove in blessed silence, he mentally counted one Mississippi, two Mississippi and onward until he reached one hundred. He had to calm his senses, knowing she hadn’t meant anything by it whatsoever, but the innocently sexy way she’d removed the ice cream, and then licked it off her finger. The intimacy of it sent his heart clamoring at a rapid pace. The way the sides of their legs touched while they sat, side-by-side, her scent permeated, invading his nostrils. Geez, it made him want to whip aside her half-eaten cone, and kiss her. Right there in broad ass daylight, in front of the custard shop, ice cream on his lips and all. Her appearance, disheveled, tousled, from work, sweat, and late summer sun would be made worse from his eager, roaming fingers.

Wow.

Even if he knew it was a bad idea. Even if she were a temptation he’d be eternally damned for taking. Even if he could read her body language crystal clear:
Kiss me, Alex
. He couldn’t, and needed to rein his desires in.
Way the fuck in
.

Which is why he’d said something, anything to keep his mind on the straight and narrow. He’d needed to keep his mouth moving. And let’s be honest, to keep his mouth from doing what he
really
wanted to do.

He needed to cool his jets, and bring his mind back to his primary focus. Stealing a glance at her from the corner of his eye, his gaze flicked downward to her jean-clad curves. Greedily roving over the gentle swell of full breasts, before he snapped his eyes forward, and back in their sockets.

The sooner he re-gained focus, the better.

Charlie lay in bed the next morning, not wanting to move. It would be another interesting day indeed. Especially after the little ice cream outing yesterday. Good Lord.

It still made Charlie blush to think about it. As innocent as it had been, the way he looked at her had not been. The sheer force of the heat emanating from his gaze made her cone melt, not the hot afternoon sun.

Shaking the image free, she rolled out of bed and stretched. Not wasting anytime, she brushed her teeth, washed her face, and took a brush to her hair. Putting it up in its usual ponytail, renewed vigor coursed through her veins, hardly able to wait to see Alex.

She tossed on jeans and a T-shirt, and made her way downstairs. The usual, welcome sight of her grandma cooking, and her grandpa making out bills at the kitchen table, greeted her.

Grandpa Eugene smiled at her from above his spectacles. “Good morning, Charlie.”

She leaned over and kissed his forehead, giving him a little hug, not knowing what she’d do without these two wonderful people. They were her rock, had always been there for her, and she loved them dearly.

Grandpa ripped the check from of his bank ledger. Handing it to her, he let out a little chuckle. “Here, give this to your boyfriend.”

“Grandpa, he’s not my boyfriend,” she defended.

Her grandma stood their making eggs and bacon, tossing a coy grin over her shoulder, but didn’t say a word.

He shrugged. “Okay, whatever you say.”

Charlie waved away his comment, and hoped to goodness she wasn’t blushing. Folding the check, she tucked it in her back pocket, and went to get herself a glass of milk. The both of them were being ridiculous.

As she stood at the kitchen window above the sink, watching the sun rise and melt into the blue sky, a flurry of movement caught her attention.

Moments later, Alex’s truck pulled into his usual spot. The butterflies stirred and took flight, as memories of yesterday unwillingly entered her mind. He got out, his brown wavy hair perfectly combed, but still looked a bit disheveled, in a sexy sort of way. He walked so confidently, like he knew where he was headed. What a turn on.

Charlie openly stared until his eyes met hers. A gasp escaped at having been caught, and momentarily, she lowered her stare. Curiosity got the best of her. She looked up once more, catching the grin spread across his face. He boldly held her gaze.

Those butterflies flapped around like crazy, like they wanted to fly but had no place to go. This strong, growing attraction to Alex unnerved her, and had thrown her into a tailspin.

What the hell am I going to do?

Mother Nature gifted them with another hot, sticky day, and it made her long for a cool shower. Better yet, clothing and all, a dip in the swimming hole sounded wonderful.

Mid-morning, she paused in the middle of her chore. Swiping the sweat from her brow, she suddenly remembered the check burning a hole in her pocket. “Before I forget, here’s your first weeks’ pay.”

She held the check out to him, but he hesitated, and looked as if it might bite him.

“I don’t need it after all, you keep it.”

She frowned, taken aback. “What do you mean? You’ve worked hard for this. You’ve earned it.”

Ignoring him, she stepped closer, and placed it into his front shirt pocket.

“Charlie, really, it’s okay. I don’t need it.”

She scoffed, and turned away. As she gathered her tools, out of the corner of her eye, she saw him walk toward her, holding out the check.

“I don’t want this. Take it back, please.”

“And I told you it’s yours. What the heck is your problem?”

“I don’t need it,” he shot back.

As this conversation grew more ridiculous by the minute, she collected her thoughts before she spoke. “Who would turn away a hard earned paycheck?”

She noted the way his jaw clenched and unclenched. Fists balled at his sides, she sensed his anger, irritation, or both. Fine, let him be mad because this was just plain stupid, fighting over a check that rightfully belonged to him.

Charlie held her breath as he stepped closer, invading her personal space. A welcome one, she looked up into his handsome face, and didn’t move, or try to push him away. Never breaking the gaze, he held the check up, and tore it to pieces, sending them flying like confetti all over the barnyard floor. “And I told
you
, I didn’t want the damned check.” Authority and passion laced his voice.

He stepped even closer, until they were blessedly nose-to-nose and mouth-to-mouth. She swallowed the huge lump in her throat as his gaze burned into hers. Slowly, gently, he cradled her face within the palms of his hands, eyes lowered to her mouth. Her lips parted in anticipation, and hazy heat mixed with charged electricity.

The point of no return had arrived. And damn it, she wanted this.

An eternity passed before he finally spoke. “Charlie, may I kiss you?”

Staring brazenly at his lips, already envisioning how they’d feel against hers, she murmured, “Yes. Please.”

He didn’t hesitate, pressing his warm lips to hers. The marching band at half time sounded in her ears, drowning everything else out.

Charlie moaned against his mouth, resolve worn thin. His lips as exquisite as she’d imagined, and even better. Full, delicious, and boy-did-he-know-how-to-kiss shivers ran up and down her back, as he continued kissing her. His hands gently held her face, and heat sweltered and exploded in her belly. A bead of sweat traveled between her breasts, senses on high, pulse escalating by the minute. Time stopped. A white foggy haze hovered over her brain, because damn, he was a tremendously good kisser.

An angel and a devil sat on either shoulder. The angel murmured: This is so inappropriate. He’s your employee. The devil: Hot damn and holy hell. Don’t stop!

The devil won.

Too delicious to think of stopping, her hands traveled with renewed fervor, roaming up his chest. She moved higher still, stroking his facial hair, scruffy against her skin, voracious fingers sought and grasped the thick texture of his hair.

Pure greed overtook her, and keeping one hand in his thick mane, she moved the other down his arm. Taking her time to feel the dips and planes of his bicep, she grasped the side of his shirtsleeve tightly. As tightly as she could, and was rewarded when he moaned into her mouth. Cocking her head, she deepened the kiss, wanting more even as her mind screamed to stop. Her body screamed another message altogether. Everything from her tingling toes, her aching center, to her puckered nipples, could not get enough. She reveled in the feel of his lips, until even her
scalp
prickled, tingling with new awareness.

What started as a sweet, soft kiss grew urgent, and more frenzied by the second. His tongue teased and caressed her own, sweeping the inner recesses of her mouth, as eager fingers grasped a fistful of her hair, and gently crushed it. Her belly free fell to her knees when he moved his hands, gathering at the small of her back. Enclosing her, he wrapped them around her waist, pressing her to him. Right there on the spot, she turned into silly putty. He assaulted her senses, in a fantastic way, made her want things she’d never wanted before. The heat between her legs threw a damn ticker tape parade, complete with a song and dance number, and cheerleaders twirling batons.

Never having been kissed so thoroughly, or completely before. Who knew one little kiss could be so potent, so erotic? It was a heady, seductive feeling indeed the way he took his time.

Alex brought out her inner beast, and on impulse, she tilted her head back. Allowing him further access, he took advantage, moving past her lips to the edge of her jaw, scattering open-mouthed kisses against her exposed neck. Nibbling as he kissed, and going lower still, casting aside part of her button down shirt, he placed moist kisses just above her breasts. She bit down, hard, on her bottom lip. Her belly shivering, quaking with need.