“Hey, have a seat and finish your champagne.” he told her. “I’ll be right back.”
He couldn’t help the way his glance strayed toward her bedroom when he slipped into the bathroom. He’d just finished washing his hands when he remembered Kat’s mother’s words about meds. Letting the water run, he quietly opened the medicine cabinet above the sink and scanned the shelves. No prescription medicine bottles—just a lone packet of birth control pills. Completely normal. If that’s where she kept those, wouldn’t she keep all meds there?
A twinge of guilt rippled through him, and he blew out his breath then shut the door and turned off the water. And still wondered what her mother’s comment was all about.
Kat was in the kitchen already working on clean-up when Nick returned. He gathered the remaining dishes from the table and joined her at the sink.
When she reached across and removed a napkin from one of the plates, softly brushing her arm against his, Nick’s pulse hammered. He grabbed a plate and began scraping into the disposal with quick movements. He was barely even aware of what he was doing as his glance kept snapping back to Kat. She’d taken off her sweater, leaving the lace blouse to hug her curves.
He scraped harder, until her hand stilled his arm.
“Nick, I think that’s good enough.”
Surprised, he looked up and saw the humor in her eyes. With a short laugh, he expelled his breath, relieving the tension that was building between them. “Okay, then. Here you go.” He handed her a plate. “You wash, and I’ll dry.”
He leaned against the counter just as she turned on the water. The stream hit the handle of a pan and splashed them both. Kat let out a shriek and quickly turned off the water, and in the next second they were laughing and reaching for towels.
Nick found one first and began blotting the droplets off her face. He wiped them off his arms, then she caught the end of the towel and drew it against her chest, where the water left tiny dark spots as it soaked into her shirt. Nick’s hand came with the towel. After a moment, he released the towel to Kat but kept his hand where it was.
Her eyelids fluttered up at him.
With a low groan, he brushed a hand over her exposed skin. His lips met hers as she murmured softly. The kiss deepened, and his heart slammed against his ribs, beating wildly. He let his hands move slowly across her back, exploring the smooth flesh. He turned and leaned against the counter, pulling her closer.
Her hands twined around his neck and into his hair, sending thunderbolts through his system. When one of her hands dropped to his chest, he closed his own around it and bent his knees enough to look into her eyes—to give her the opportunity to slow down or slam on the brakes. “We leaving this mess in here, babe?”
Her soft smile turned to a grin just before she stretched up to meet his lips again. “I think the dishes can wait.”
ChapterTwelve
Kat quietly slipped out of bed and pulled on leggings and a comfy sweater—her Saturday morning loungewear. Except today she didn’t have time to lounge. Her apartment was still a mess, and she had to be at the community center by ten-fifteen to be ready for the kids at ten-thirty. She’d give Nick a few more minutes to wake on his own.
As she hand-washed the champagne flutes, her thoughts drifted. Suddenly, life was so full. So much had happened in two short months—and overnight.She had a love life.There was a gorgeous, amazing man in her bedroom.
She smiled at the feel of Nick’s warm hand at her back.Or not. His lips brushed her cheek.
“Morning, angel.”
“Morning.” She gestured toward the counter of dirty dishes. “Look what’s still here.”
“Yeah. I hate it when that happens. Guess we kind of got distracted last night.”
Grinning, Kat turned. “That’s one way to put it.”
“I have no regrets.” He playfully nuzzled her neck. “Hey, do I smell coffee?”
Kat heard the hopefulness in his voice. “Mugs are in the cupboard, top left.”
He filled a mug then topped off hers with fresh coffee and leaned against the counter, facing her.
And Kat went shy. Her face warmed, and she looked away from Nick’s intense gaze. It was so…so intimate. And yet so ordinary, natural. As if they woke up together every day.
“How we doing on time, Boss?”
Kat glanced at the clock on her microwave. “Okay, but we probably need to get moving, especially if you want to stop and grab something to eat. There’s a great cafe on the way.”
“Let’s do it.” He gave her a little nudge. “You shower first.”
By the time Kat showered and dressed, Nick had put away the dry dishes from last night, finished washing those that were left, and wiped down the counter.
