Kiss in the Dark (17 page)

“Well,” Danielle began, “I was just thinking that maybe you could give up your Tootsie Pop habit. You know…replace it with something else.”

“Oh, you’re hilarious, Danielle,” Boston said, shaking her head and thinking it would be a nice trade—being able to kiss Vance Nathaniel as often as her mouth watered for a chocolate Tootsie Pop.

As she lay in her bed that night, however—actually, as she tossed and turned in her bed that night—Boston couldn’t purge the sense of Vance’s kiss from her memory. She’d tried—all night she’d tried. Following Vance’s seductive kiss in the dark, Boston had attempted to keep her mind from lingering on the incident—yet she couldn’t. Vance’s kiss had haunted her all through dinner with Logan, all through the movie he’d taken her to. Then, finally, when Logan walked her to her door, told her what a wonderful time he’d had in her company (which she found hard to believe, considering she’d been preoccupied with thoughts of Vance all night), and kissed her—she’d known. Logan West’s kiss hadn’t curled her toes. Logan’s kiss hadn’t even curled her interest! And she knew why. Danielle had been right: Logan West wasn’t “the one.” Logan West wasn’t even “the maybe.” Furthermore, Boston suspected—no, Boston knew—it was all Vance Nathaniel’s fault. Vance Nathaniel and his bad-boy kiss—his delicious, sensual, ethereal bad-boy’s kiss.

Stephanie Crittendon was out of the picture. Sharing an apartment with Danielle would bring more relief and joy than Boston could even imagine. Furthermore, Boston suspected the assistant news scriptwriter’s job would be hers. All should be right with the world. But no—now there was Vance Nathaniel. Beautiful, ridiculously ripped, wise, insightful, funny, heroic Vance Nathaniel.

With a heavy sigh, Boston closed her eyes and attempted to sleep. Why was it, just when everything in life seemed to be falling into a nice rhythm, why was it something always disrupted the harmony?



“How much do you love me?” Vance asked Boston.

Danielle chuckled as Boston breathlessly exclaimed, “Wh-what?”

“How much do you love me?” he repeated. He frowned. “Actually, let me put it this way. What would you do for me if I was about to make you the happiest woman on the face of the earth?”

Boston blushed. No, Boston turned red as a sun-ripened tomato!

“W-well…how are you planning to make me the happiest woman on the face of the earth?” she asked. He was so affecting, so handsome standing there in his dirty, dusty work clothes!

Boston giggled, delighted with Vance’s attention. She noticed then that he held one hand behind his back. She figured it was probably a bag of Tootsie Pops from Sandy’s Sweet Tooth Shop.

“So, I’ll ask you again. What would you do for me if I was about to make you the happiest woman on the face of the earth?” he teased.

“Well, what would you expect me to do for you?” Boston flirted, delighted in owning Vance’s attention.

“Ooo! That’s a brave response,” Danielle warned.

Vance chuckled, pretending to think hard. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll accept an IOU for a comparable favor…but just this once.” His smile broadened, and he said, “Write me out an IOU, and I’ll make you the happiest woman in the world.”

Boston giggled and hurried to the fridge, grabbing a pen off the counter and ripping a piece of paper from the magnetic notepad on the freezer compartment door.

IOU one comparable favor
, she quickly wrote.
Sincerely, Boston Rhodes.
She folded the piece of paper and handed it to Vance. “Will that do?”

Boston gasped, however, as in the next moment, Vance returned—carrying a small wooden barrel—the same kind Sandy used to display candy in her store.

Vance set the barrel down on the kitchen floor and announced, “There you go, Miss Boston Rhodes. Two hundred eighty-three chocolate Tootsie Pops, compliments of yours truly and Sandy’s Sweet Tooth Shop.”

Boston squealed with delight and clapped her hands with excitement.

“It’s like Christmas!” she exclaimed, plunging her hands into the barrel to feel the seemingly endless supply of her favorite lollipop. “You must’ve cleaned Sandy out!”

“Pretty much,” Vance admitted. “But she said she didn’t mind…once I told her who they were for.”

Oddly enough, Boston herself would’ve never felt okay about cleaning out Sandy’s supply of chocolate Tootsie Pops—but she didn’t feel bad at all about Vance’s having done so.

Boston gasped and looked to Vance, horrified as sudden realization washed over her. “Oh my heck!” she said. “How much do I owe you? These are, like, fifty cents apiece…plus tax!”

But Vance reached into his ratty T-shirt pocket, producing the IOU Boston had written.

“Oh, don’t you worry, Tootsie Pop girl. I’ve got this IOU signed and delivered by your own little hand. You’ll pay me back one way or the other,” he said, winking at her.

“I cannot let you spend, like, a hundred and forty dollars on my stupid habit and not—”

“Hey! I said we’d find a way to call it good,” Vance interrupted. “After all, Danny told me to pick up, like, thirty. I’m the one who decided to buy the whole barrel.”

“Hey!” she exclaimed as Vance suddenly reached out and pulled the sucker from her mouth, however. Boston’s mouth dropped open as Vance then popped the Tootsie Pop in his own mouth, saying, “You don’t want to spoil your dinner, do you? Anyway, you’re gonna rot your teeth out eating all these, you know.” He winked at her and headed for the bathroom.

“Ew! Vance!” Danielle scolded. “Eating after someone is one thing…but sucking on a lollipop? Sick!”

Boston stood somewhat startled. In her whole life she wasn’t sure she’d ever known anyone she’d share a lollipop with—at least, not before knowing Vance.

“Thanks, Danielle,” Boston said, digging into the barrel of Tootsie Pops.

“Don’t thank me!” Danielle laughed. “I just texted him and asked him to pick up ten or twenty if he had time. It’s Mr. Overachiever that bought the barrel. Sandy must’ve been having a fit!”

“Yeah,” Boston said. She stared at the barrel, still unable to believe Vance had taken the time, not only to go to Sandy’s Sweet Tooth Shop but to rummage around and pick out so many chocolate Tootsie Pops. And the cost! Even if Sandy cut Vance a deal—and Boston could well see Sandy falling prey to Vance’s gorgeous appearance and rogue-like charms—she must have charged him for the barrel too. There was no way Vance paid less than a hundred and forty dollars for the Tootsie Pops and barrel.

“Now stop right there, Boston Rhodes,” Danielle suddenly scolded.

“What do you mean?” Boston asked, as guilt over Vance’s expense of time, effort, and money on her behalf began to thicken.

“I know you! You’re starting to worry about this,” Danielle said. “Well, don’t. For once just let someone enjoy doing something fun without slathering yourself with guilt. Besides, you gave Vance a handwritten IOU. And believe me, you’re treading dangerous waters there.”

“But this must’ve cost easily over a hundred bucks,” Boston began.

“Boston,” Danielle said, lowering her voice, “I haven’t seen my brother that delighted in something crazy he’s done for a long time. I’m begging you—for my sake if nothing else—just let him know how much it meant. Let him enjoy his moment. Okay?”

Boston frowned and felt her eyes narrow as she stared at Danielle. Danielle was so sincere. She truly was begging Boston to enjoy the gift—for Vance’s sake. Again Boston had the sense of being ignorant of something, something she may never gain a knowledge of. And that was okay because she loved Danielle—and she feared she was beginning to love her brother.

“Okay,” Boston agreed.

“Thank you,” Danielle said. She forced a smile—a rather melancholy smile—and said, “Let’s finish dinner. Vance is probably starving!”

Boston smiled and nodded. It would be nice to have Vance over for dinner. Who was she kidding? It would be fantastic! She’d be able to look at him for maybe half an hour—and what wasn’t delightful about that?

“I still can’t believe he took that sucker out of your mouth and stuck it in his. Bleck!” Danielle grimaced. “You should be very flattered.”

“I am,” Boston said, looking at the barrel of chocolate Tootsie Pops once more. “I really am.”

Vance chuckled as he washed his face, neck, and arms with a washcloth from the bathroom’s linen closet. The look on Boston’s face—the pure delight and joy—had been worth a hundred and sixty bucks. Still, he shook his head, worried for a moment that maybe Boston Rhodes was getting into his head—or worse, his heart. He wouldn’t pay for nicer accommodations—was staying in the dive of a motel—but he’d blow a hundred and sixty bucks on a barrel load of candy just to see Boston smile?

Vance’s smile faded a little. He couldn’t let her get in his head, though he admitted she already was. There was just something so vulnerable about Boston—yet something strong too. He’d never really met anyone who owned as much empathy—owned as much guilt over not being able to fix everyone’s problems and save the world—as Boston did. It was admirable. Sure, it made her the perfect target of idiots, users, and jerks, but it also made her sort of ethereal, something the world had lost—a genuinely nice, caring, compassionate person. He shook his head, hoping she never got wind of what kind of a loser he really was. No doubt her empathy would take quite a beating, and he didn’t want that.

He swallowed, excess moisture having flooded his mouth as he thought of Boston. He couldn’t believe he’d kissed her the night before! Furthermore, it’d had nothing to do with her being nervous about kissing the dude she had a date with. Vance reprimanded himself—bathed in self-loathing—knowing kissing Boston just before her date had everything to do with planting himself in her mind so that the other guy wouldn’t get anywhere close to first base with her. He was a jerk, and he knew it. Still, he couldn’t stand the thought of this other guy kissing her—even being with her. She deserved better. Sure, he’d never met the dude, but Vance was sure Boston deserved better. There was no sparkle in her eyes when she talked about this Logan West—no fire in her cheeks. Naw, the Logan West guy needed to be history. So Vance had kissed Boston before her date. It was mean maybe—but if she’d had a sparkle when she talked about the guy, Vance would’ve left well enough alone. At least, that’s what he told himself.

His mouth watered again, and he shook his head. She’d tasted like pure sugar when he’d kissed her! Furthermore, in the short time he’d had her in his arms and known the moist warmth of her mouth, she’d put his mind to traveling down all sorts of inappropriate and unrealistic venues. He’d even wondered if he’d be able to let her go. Wondered if, when the lights went back on, he might not just tie her up and keep her from going out with the guy at all.

Vance bent down to the sink and splashed cold water on his face. Too much thinking—it was never a good thing. Not for Vance Nathaniel. He’d learned long ago not to let his mind nest too much on certain subjects. He decided then and there that his sister’s roommate was one of them.

Still, he chuckled again as he tossed the empty lollipop stick into the wastebasket. Boston’s face when he’d brought the barrel of Tootsie Pops in—priceless!

“What did Dempsey ask you to bring to the party Saturday?” Danielle asked.

“That bean salsa stuff I make that he likes,” Boston answered, cutting her pork chop with her knife and fork.

“I’m bringing chips,” Vance said, smearing cinnamon-flavored applesauce over his. “Do you think he means, like, potato chips or, like, corn chips?”

Boston and Danielle both giggled.

“Well, what exactly did he say when he asked you to bring them, Vance?” Danielle asked. Boston looked when Vance paused in smearing the applesauce.