Love and Leftovers (3 page)

"Time for bed." Lucy tucked Alexa in and gave her an extra big hug. Then she went outside and sat on the deck staring at the ocean, watching the whitecaps glow under the full moon. She dozed off in her chair, lulled by the slapping of the waves on the shore.

* * *

"Lucy?"

Lucy woke with a start to find Tate squatting next to her. "What time is it?" she asked.

His gray eyes looked silvery under the moonlight. "Eleven. I thought it might be too late, but when I realized you were sleeping I didn't want to just leave you out here."

Lucy sat up and smelled something wonderful. That's when she spotted the plate on the table. "What is this?"

"A blueberry truffle tart. I wanted you to taste it and tell me what you think."

She took a bite of the exquisite, tiny dessert and closed her eyes, moaning. "God, yes."

"Shh." He laughed. "What will the neighbors think?"

She popped the rest of the tart into her mouth and licked the tips of her fingers. "I don't know, you're the neighbor. What do you think?"

She looked up at him.

He stood and held out his hand, pulling her up from the chair. They stared at each other, unmoving, as if they were each waiting to see who'd make the next move. Tate took a step closer and her throat tightened. He threaded his hand through her hair, then grazed his knuckles down her cheek. "I think I'm very lucky to be staying next to you this summer."

Her better sense was telling her to back up, to tell him, "No can do," but when he slid his arms around her neck, she felt herself lean into him. She couldn't help herself. It'd been months since a man had touched her, and she'd never been touched by a man like Tate.

"I know what you mean," she said.

He bent to kiss her, but she sucked in a breath, still battling her feelings. "My daughter's inside."

"That's why I'm kissing you outside."

She laughed softly, and he cupped his hand behind her head, bringing her mouth to his. Any remaining protests disappeared with that kiss. It was soft and divine, but demanding. Her lips tingled and she wanted more.

He pulled back, smiling. "How am I going to get any work done with you next door?"

"Work during the day, play at night," Lucy said, surprised by her flirtatiousness.

He rubbed his thumb across her bottom lip. "Are we going to have to stay outside every night?"

Every night? She struggled to swallow. So this was going to be a summer romance, not just an eventual one-time fling. "Alexa's spending a week with her father. She leaves on Sunday."

He kissed her again. "Then I'd better get some work done before then."

* * *

Lucy was surprised. Despite his plans to work during the day, Tate made time to take the occasional beach break with Lucy and Alexa over the next week. He also treated them to gourmet dinners.

Lucy had never eaten such amazing food, and she admired his talent and thoughtfulness - he even sent his cleaning lady over so she'd have more time to work on her projects.

"I was only joking when I said you should lend her to me," she told him.

"I figured you wouldn't mind a little help. It's your vacation - you should relax."

"Well, it was way better than a dozen roses."

He sent her a dozen roses the next day with a card that read, "Are you sure?"

Lucy found herself becoming giddy at the end of each day after Alexa went to bed; she knew Tate would be coming over.

This isn't long term. Don't get too excited, she had to tell herself more than once.

At night after Alexa fell asleep, they would kiss and talk while Tate fed her the treats he'd made that day. But she was resisting taking things further until Alexa was gone. She and Tate both knew what they'd be doing on Sunday.

* * *

On Sunday morning, Lucy was awakened by a knock on the back door. She hurried downstairs and found Tate holding two buckets. "I'm up early to help you collect stuff from the beach."

"Early isn't usually this early," Lucy said, rubbing her eyes.

"Alexa's going to be gone for a week. She needs to stock up."

"I'll go get her."

The morning was chilly, so they pulled on sweatshirts and headed down the path to the beach. Shells and bits of glass dotted the sand. "Hurry up before someone else gets them!" Alexa shouted.

At that early hour, the beach was empty. The sand was slick and smooth, without the usual clutter of footprints; it was as if no one had ever been there before them.

Alexa snatched up her treasures like it was an Easter egg hunt, shrieking with delight at her finds.

"Being at the beach with a kid makes everything more fun," Tate said.

Lucy stopped walking, surprised. Tate really liked Alexa - he wasn't just tolerating her and being kind for Lucy's sake. She resisted the urge to reach for his hand in front of Alexa.

With two buckets full of beach glass and shells and sand dollars and odds and ends, they went back to Lucy's house, where Tate made them cinnamon apple pancakes. Oh, she would miss his food when the summer was over.

Her stomach was a fluttering mess as the morning rolled on. In a few hours, she and Tate would be moving things to the next level.

They shared a smile across the table.

"I should get back to my place and get some work done," he said.

"I'll see you later."

"Yes, you certainly will." With a playful smile, he pushed away from the table.

* * *

Mike showed up right after dinner. Alexa left her half-eaten hotdog on the plate and rushed into his arms with an excited, "Daddy!"

Mike scooped her up and swung her around. "We're going to have so much fun!" He buried his face in her hair and held her for a long time, until she squirmed to get down. She slid out of his arms and he looked at Lucy. "This place is great! You guys having fun?" He smiled, but she could see through it to his pain.

Lucy crossed her arms, like that would provide extra protection for her heart. Moments like this were always hard. "Yes, lots of fun, but she misses you."

"I missed her, too, and you. You're welcome to come to the family reunion. My mom made a point of saying so." His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed.

Lucy pressed her lips together and looked off over the ocean. "No, you two need time together, but please tell your mom I said thank you. Alexa's things are packed. I'll go get them." She went inside, where Alexa's suitcase and the bunny blankie she still slept with sat at the bottom of the stairs.

She closed her eyes for a moment, keeping her emotions in check. She was not going to let Mike wiggle his way back into her heart. He knew that she was dismayed over breaking up their family. It would've been easier if he cheated on her, or was a drunk - then her resolve wouldn't be shaken.

Be strong.

She stepped onto the deck and forced a smile. "I'll see you next Sunday, Alexa. Come here for big hugs."

Alexa wrapped her arms around Lucy's neck and squeezed. "Will you tell Tate goodbye?"

Mike cocked his head. "Who's Tate?"

"He's our neighbor for the summer," Lucy said, gesturing to his house.

"He's a good cook," Alexa said.

Mike pressed his lips together. "I see. I'm sure you'll enjoy your time alone."

Alexa held Lucy's hand and then reached for Mike's. "Do you want to come too, Mommy?"

The three of them were linked by Alexa in the middle, desperate to see her parents back together. But Lucy let go of her hand.

"You're going to have great fun with Daddy."

Mike picked Alexa up. "Come on, pumpkin, let's go."

"Bye, Mommy." Alexa opened and closed her little hand.

Lucy blinked back tears and watched them climb in Mike's truck and drive away. Her heart sank. Had she done the right thing in leaving him? Breaking up their little family? How would she ever know?

There was no point in rehashing this all again. Desperate to push the uncertain feelings away, she stared at her toes, noting their need for a new coat of pink polish. When she looked up, Tate was watching her from his deck.

She walked over and stood there for an uneasy moment. Tate took her in his arms, "It's gotta be hard each time you say goodbye."

She pressed her head against his chest and nodded, letting a few more tears slip out. "What have I done to her?"

Tate tipped up her chin with his forefinger. "My parents got divorced and I turned out fine. There's an adjustment period, but she'll get through it. Most kids do."

"And you don't hate your parents?"

He shook his head. "No. They get along much better now than when they were married." He threaded his fingers through hers. "Let's go inside."

She followed him in, feeling better. Surely things would be much easier for Alexa as time went on. For Lucy, too. She was grateful for Tate's kindness and understanding.

Tate tucked his arms around her, drawing her in for a kiss. His mouth was warm and soft on hers. He tasted like sugar.

He swirled a finger along the back of her neck. "You know what I've been wanting to do with you all week?"

She felt her mouth curl into a smile. "No idea," she said innocently.

"Cook." His words came out in a whisper against her lips. "I've wanted to cook with you, feed you. Make love to you. That's the trifecta for me."

She shivered and laughed softly. "I like the sound of that. Keep talking."

He raised an eyebrow. "How about a fresh berry compote?"

"Compote," she said seductively. "Say that again."

"Compote," he said, in a deep, sultry voice. He kissed her once more, then plucked a strawberry from the counter and brought it to her lips. "Take a bite."

She sank her teeth into the juicy fruit. "Mmm."

He kissed the dribbles off her lips. "Wait until you taste the end result. Could you slice those while I work on the rest of dinner?"

She looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. "We're cooking first?"

He simply smiled at her and nodded.

Her heart thumped in panic. "I thought that would be after ... " Was he crazy? She set her hand on his chest, running it down his torso, over his abs, toward his better sense.

Wincing, he stepped back. "It's going to be a night to remember and I don't want to rush things. Not with you. That would be like making a gourmet meal in a microwave."

Her insides twisted. She wanted him now. A week-long wait had been tough enough. Ten minutes more would be torture. "Microwave meals aren't all bad. That's what I usually have. Not that I've had one in a while." She moved toward him and he set his hands on her arms, keeping her at a distance.

Learning forward, he kissed her forehead. "You deserve better than that. Trust me. We're going to enjoy every moment of our evening alone together - every sight, sound, taste, and touch." He moved closer and kissed her on the mouth, letting his lips hover over hers. "It'll be worth the wait and that's a guarantee."

She shivered.

"You cold?"

"No, hot. Very hot." She blew out a breath.

"It will be, I promise." He laughed and squeezed her bottom. "I thought we could try 'having' lobsters for dinner again."

She laughed. "Okay." Breathing deeply to settle her hormones, she rinsed a quart of fresh blueberries, letting the cold water run over her hands. She should douse herself in it. "I'm really hungry." Yeah, for the food, too.

"Good." Tate dropped the lobsters in the huge pot of boiling water. While they cooked, he rolled bits of brie in crushed pistachios and sautéed them in butter. Then he drizzled a balsamic reduction over them.

The smells were driving Lucy wild, and so were the kisses and nuzzles he gave her as he passed her on his way to grab a measuring cup or plate.

Soon, he plucked the bright-red lobsters from the pot and set them on a platter. Then he pulled Lucy to him, kissing her again, this time with the taste of butter on his lips.

"I appreciate the sample," she said. "I'm not sure how much longer I can wait for the whole thing."

His hand slid up her hip and along the ticklish part of her ribs, then settled on one of her breasts, gently stroking it. "It won't be long."

She groaned.

"The sun will be setting soon. Let's enjoy this on the beach. Can you grab a few blankets from the back hall closet?" he asked.

She tucked the blankets and under her arm, and Tate handed her a bottle of wine and two glasses.

He hooked a picnic basket in the crook of his arm, picked up the lobsters, and they headed down to the sea.

The last dribbles of a tangerine sun melted into the ocean. They stood on the beach, waves lapping their bare toes, and watched for a few moments until it was gone, leaving behind a dusky blue sky. She turned to Tate and saw he'd been watching her instead of the sunset.

"I could never get sick of watching that," Lucy said quietly.

"And I could never get sick of seeing you watch it."

They moved away from the water and spread a blanket in the sand where the dune grass ended, near the big rock Lucy loved. The remnants of a bonfire were close by, and Tate tossed a few pieces of driftwood on top of the charred remains.

Lucy looked around. "We've got the whole place to ourselves."

The beach was deserted save a few seagulls swooping overhead to check out their meal. They landed nearby to investigate.

Tate clapped his hands a few times and they took off, landing farther away, but still watching. "Guess we won't be totally alone," he said, glaring at the birds.

Lucy shivered and tugged a blanket over her shoulders. Tate moved next to her, pulling the blanket around them both. His eyes met hers. "Ready?"

"I have been for a while."

He laughed. "Me, too. We'll start with these pistachio Brie bites." He placed one in her mouth, slowly pulling his forefinger over her bottom lip as she let the gooey cheese spread across her tongue. She moaned a little and he gave her another, then popped one in his own mouth.

"Exquisite," she said, as he offered her a glass of wine.

She took a long drink of the pale gold liquid.

"It's a Riesling, do you like it?"

"I love it. All of this." She wedged the glass into the sand, and leaned into him, nudging her nose against his.