Page 15

Nicolette held her cup of mint chocolate chip ice cream and sat on the bench in the park, watching as Garth spoke on the phone with someone from work.

The sun was setting behind him, casting him in the perfect light.

She adjusted her crossover bag, propping the weighted portion on the bench next to her while the strap was still over her left shoulder.

When she’d found out Garth’s friend was doing much better, she’d been thrilled for him and had expected him to leave.

He hadn’t.

He’d stuck around the school for the first half of the day, and then he’d gone to lunch with Cody.

The two men had resurfaced at the end of her work day, seeming to have set aside whatever tensions had been between them earlier.

Garth had been surprised that children as young as three and four went to school at all, let alone for full days. It was adorable and made her wonder where he’d grown up.

She took another bite of ice cream, still unable to believe she’d collided with the perfect man.

A man whom a close friend of hers trusted and knew fully.

A man who had let a four-year-old spit chewed cupcake into his hand without so much as blinking.

Butterflies fluttered low in her abdomen as she looked at Garth, pacing as he spoke, moving in and out of English and French.

Whoever he was speaking to was someone he really didn’t like.

Already he’d called the other guy every choice name in the book as he demanded to speak to someone named James.

He’d also told the man to drop deader more than once.

Garth ran a hand into the back of his hair as he faced the other direction, looking agitated.

The muscles in his arm flexed and the quickening in her lower stomach returned.

It was as if her girl parts were very aware of the perfect specimen of male in the vicinity.

He hung up and put his phone in his pocket before turning to face her.

A slight breeze caught his long hair, blowing it forward a touch.

He covered the distance to her in several powerful strides, basically leaking maleness all along the way.

Nicolette had lost track of the number of women whose heads Garth had turned without seeming to notice.

Before he’d walked into her on the sidewalk, he’d more than noticed other women watching him.

Not now.

Now he seemed to only notice her.

She really wanted to talk to Clara about it all, but Clara had been tied up in meetings since Nicolette got off work.

Plus, there hadn’t been a time she’d been without Garth since then.

He came to a stop in front of her on the bench and bent, going to one knee on the inlaid brick.

He swiped his thumb over her lower lip and came away with a touch of ice cream.

He then licked it from his thumb, his green gaze never leaving her.

In a flash, her nipples were hardening, and her body began to burn for him.

He took a deep breath and grinned before taking hold of the back of her head and drawing her face closer.

He kissed her lips tenderly and in a chaste manner that still managed to turn her on more.

She kept her head close to his. “Are you sure your friend is okay?”

“He is. Though his doctor is an asshole. Okay, one of his doctors is an asshole. The other is fine,”

said Garth.

“Let me guess, the asshole one is French.”

He nodded. “Good guess.”

“Not really. I caught part of your phone conversation. You really do not like that doctor,”

she offered.

“I can’t stand him. He hates me too, so it’s all good.”

Garth kissed her quickly and then stood, drawing her up and off the bench as well. “You don’t have to work again until Monday, correct?”

She nodded.

“Come away with me. We can take off together for the weekend. I can rent a beach house or a cabin. Whatever you want. Just the two of us. No interruptions.”

She held her cup of ice cream in one hand and touched his chest with the other. “Is everything all right?”

“Yes. It’s perfect…and that has me worried. Never has everything in my life lined up this well at the same time. I’m scared it will all come crashing down. Gram is apparently doing so well that he was shouting at me from his bed, loud enough for me to hear over his dick of a doctor on the phone. He says I’m not allowed near him while he recovers. He claims I hover and I’m a shit bedside nurse.”

She laughed softly. “I can see that.”

“Hey. I’m caring and nurturing and…never mind. Even I can’t get all that out with a straight face, beauty.”

She nudged him gently. “You were great with the kids today.”

“It was a fluke. Trust me. Normally, I’m total shit with little ones. Once, a kid bit me.”

Unable to help herself, she laughed. “Sorry. That isn’t funny.”

He gave a sheepish grin. “It’s a little funny looking back at it now. Two decades adds a great deal of perspective to things.”

“What you’re saying is when you were just a kid, another kid bit you?”

Garth looked pained. “I’m a bit older than I look.”

“How much older are we talking here, buddy?”

Nicolette took another bite of her ice cream as they stood face-to-face. “I’m thinking you’re around twenty-eight.”

Garth swallowed hard enough for her to hear. “No. I’m older than that.”

“Early thirties?”

She offered him a spoonful of her ice cream and he took it, shaking his head as he did. She pursed her lips. “I’m out of guesses, because you don’t look any older than that.”

He waggled his brows and kissed her, tasting of the ice cream.

She laughed against his lips. “I should refuse to kiss you until you tell me the truth.”

“I’m just over twelve hundred years old,”

he blurted before kissing her again. His tongue explored the recesses of her mouth, making her body ignite with desire—not that it needed far to go in the combustion department.

Nicolette slid a hand up his chest to his collarbone. “Twelve hundred, huh? You’re like as old as a mummy.”

He chuckled. “No, but I am good friends with an ancient Egyptian. Does that win me points? We call him Tut. Pisses him off.”

“You dared to call me odd,”

she chastised playfully.

He grinned and lifted her off her feet a moment before giving her a peck on the lips and setting her down again. “Beauty, you make me want to steal you away for all eternity.”

She kissed his cheek and drew back slightly, worried they were being too affectionate in public.

Garth growled and yanked her back against him. He apparently didn’t care how much public display of affection they indulged in. “You won’t be getting away from me that easy.”

“This has been nice,”

she said, feeling the need to express as much.

“Dinner and ice cream?”

He took hold of her free hand with his. “That is a really cheap date. You didn’t even let me get you two scoops.”

“Hey, Clara would be shocked I’m eating this much. She likes to make fun of my food choices.”

“Was she for or against the cupcakes?”

questioned Garth.

“Against.”

He nodded. “I like her.”

Nicolette laughed. “She also hates my gray drinks. She says they taste like grass.”

His brows lifted. “She was foolish enough to try one?”

“You’re trouble.”

He nipped playfully at her. “Of the worst kind, beauty. Want to get into trouble with me?”

“I’m pretty sure I already am,”

answered Nicolette. She’d already been more daring, freer with him than she’d ever been in her life. Taking him home with her had been bigger than skydiving.

Way bigger.

Her cell rang and she sighed. The thought of ignoring it sounded nice.

Garth kissed her cheek. “Beauty, what if it’s your friend? Won’t she worry about you and the Viking-Cupcake Dude?”

Nicolette stilled. Had she told Garth about what Clara had said?

Her phone rang again, and she answered. “Yes?”

“Oh good, you’re not a murder victim,”

said Clara with a laugh. “I want to hear all about the mind-blowing sex with the cupcake guy.”

As the side of Garth’s mouth tugged slowly upwards, she wondered if he could hear Clara. “Can’t really discuss it right now.”

“Why? Is his head between your legs?”

asked Clara with a snort. “Hold up, if his head is between your legs, why in the hell are you answering your phone?”

Garth’s smile moved to full-blown. His gaze skimmed down her and Nicolette squeaked, positive the man had heard what had been said.

“Ohmygod, stop. I’m standing here with him.”

“Was that a yes or no regarding his head between your legs?”

asked Clara, snorting as she continued to laugh. “Did the Viking raid your panties? Did he conquer your nether regions?”

“I kind of hate you right now,”

said Nicolette, knowing her face was beet red.

Garth leaned close. “I like her. I’m all in for raiding your panties and conquering your nether regions.”

Clara cackled so loudly that Nicolette had to pull the phone from her ear to avoid hearing loss. She stared at Garth as she did, her face heating more.

He kissed her forehead. “Beauty, it’s going to happen again very soon, so I suggest you get used to the idea.”

“Holy shit, he’s a keeper!”

yelled Clara. “Does he have a brother?”

Garth’s smile faded. “I do, but she wants nothing to do with him. Trust me on that.”

Nicolette grunted. “Clara, I’ll call you back when I can.”

“Okay, but no rush. I heard what’s in store for you tonight. Carry on! And have fun with him raiding your panties.”

Her friend hung up.

Nicolette slipped her phone back into her crossover bag. “You have really great hearing.”

“Yep.”

He stayed close to her. “So, about me raiding your panties…?”

“Garth!”

“Nicolette,”

he returned suggestively.

Giving up, she buried her face against his chest while he wrapped his arms around her, laughing softly as he did.

Nicolette considered his offer to go away with him for the weekend and nearly said yes. Cody knew him and trusted him and deep down, she trusted him too. “If we left for a weekend trip, we’d be back in time for me to get to work Monday, right?”

“Beauty, I saw how much your class means to you. I would never dream of keeping you from them,”

he said, his hand finding her cheek. “I want you all to myself for the weekend.”

“You already have me to yourself all weekend. If you want me, that is. Clara won’t be back from her trip until next week. Maybe longer, if she gets held up like she has before,”

said Nicolette. “It’s just the two of us at my house for the weekend. You don’t have to spend money.”

He caressed her cheek. “I’m okay in the money department, but thank you for your concern.”

She’d already guessed as much.

“Okay, which would you rather do? The beach or a cabin in the woods?”

she asked.

Garth dipped his head and kissed her temple. “I want whichever you like more.”

“I burn easy, so I won’t be much fun at the beach. I’ll need shade during peak sun times.”

“You’re very fair skinned,”

he commented. “Let’s go with the cabin then. I’ll make a few calls and we can get a bag packed for you.”

He took her hand in his and began walking in the direction of her house.

When he’d insisted on taking her for dinner to the place of her choosing, she’d picked a small bistro that she liked that wasn’t too far from her house. Garth had impressed her by eating enough food for several men. He’d then insisted on getting her an ice cream even though she’d tried to tell him she was fine.

They walked in relative silence, seeming content to simply be near one another. The wind changed slightly, and Nicolette paused as the smell of vanilla, clove, and cinnamon came out of nowhere.

Garth stopped too and sniffed the air in a dramatic fashion.

The smell dissipated, and Garth glanced down at her, the edges of his mouth drawing upwards. “Is it wrong that I’m excited to have you to myself all weekend?”

“I hope not. I’m excited too.”

The walk went by far too quickly and before she knew it, they were back to the house. Nicolette withdrew her keys from her purse and automatically handed them to Garth, as if they’d done that very thing a hundred times before.

They hadn’t.

He opened the door and held it for her. As she walked past him, he dipped his head and kissed her cheek. “Beauty, I’m planning to conquer your nether regions before we leave. Consider yourself warned. You have a two-minute head start.”

Laughing, Nicolette hurried in the house and up the stairs.

Garth was hot on her heels.

“You said I had a two-minute head start!”

He swatted her backside playfully. “I lied.”

She twisted at the top of the stairs to face him.

He lifted her with ease and walked in the direction of her room, grinning along the way. “Beauty, I plan to conquer you again and again.”

She cupped his cheeks. “Garth?”

“Yes?”

“Would it be so bad to just spend the weekend together, here? We have the house all to ourselves.”

He kept her off the ground but stopped in place. “Beauty, I want to spoil you.”

“You barely slept last night. You managed to get Ernie to remake the cupcakes and did so much for me already. I think you’ve spoiled me enough,”

she protested. “I’m not fancy. I don’t need wined and dined. I just need you.”

“I need you too, beauty. And that scares me,”

he said, his voice raw.

She kept hold of his cheeks. “It freaks me out too.”

“What do you think we should do about it?” he asked.

“I heard Viking panty raids are all the rage. We could start there,”

she said with a wink and a quick kiss to his lips.

He flashed a sexy smile. “This is a good plan, beauty. We’ll stay here if that’s what you really want.”

“It is.”