Read, Write, Love (Love in Bloom: The Remingtons, Book 5) Contemporary Romance (7 page)

IF THERE WAS one thing Kurt was sure of, it was that he was never going to concentrate with Leanna’s bike in his garage. Not knowing that he didn’t have a chance in hell with her. Dressed for his morning run, he pulled her bike out and looked it over. Pink.
Of course
. With a small basket on the front and a larger basket on the back like Miss Gulch in
The Wizard of Oz.

Perfect. Just fucking perfect
.

He’d found her bike lying on the ground at the end of the beach access road, and he’d ridden back to his house in the dark the night they’d met. He glanced at his sports car, realizing he didn’t want to chance marring the leather by manhandling the bike into it, even with the top down. There was no way it would fit in the trunk without some elaborate tying down. With a loud, frustrated sigh, he put the bag of things he’d picked up for Leanna into the basket and felt a pang of longing chased by something akin to anger only not quite as harsh, directly to his heart. He stared at the bag. He couldn’t even get Leanna out of his head enough to forgo buying the things she needed. For the first time in his life—and he’d experienced a lot of firsts since meeting Leanna—he felt like the very definition of the word
fool
. He was sure if he Googled the word, his picture would appear, and he was powerless to do anything short of climbing on the damn bike and riding it the mile and a half to Leanna’s cottage.

Thankfully, there wasn’t much traffic on the back roads at seven in the morning. He could only imagine what he looked like. He was a foot too tall to be riding the bike in the first place. Add the pink color and the baskets, and he looked like he’d either stolen the damn thing or he was more interested in men than women.

He stepped off the bike when he came to the entrance of Seaside, and instead of heading directly to Leanna’s cottage, he walked the bike around the other side of the development, where he found a gray building with
laundry
painted over the door and noticed that Leanna’s van wasn’t parked there.  He followed the narrow gravel road around the bend, passing a large house on the left, which seemed out of place among the cozy cottages, and three more cottages on his right, before coming to a pool. He paused for a moment, trying to reconcile the postage-stamp-sized houses with the large swimming pool. There weren’t many in-ground pools on the Cape besides the ones at the motels, and it intrigued him. A pool would offer something even the ocean could not. He could jump in to cool off and not have to worry about being sticky with sea salt when he went back to writing. His eyes fell to the bike, and he pushed away the daydream and continued up the road to Leanna’s cottage.

Her driveway was empty.

I park it by the laundry room
.

His chest tightened with the realization that she’d probably spent the night at Carey’s.

None of my business.

Shit.

He opened the gate to the deck, and Pepper barked from behind a window screen, nearly giving him a heart attack.

“Holy hell, Pepper,” he said through clenched teeth. “Hush. Please.” He leaned the bike against the house.

Pepper stopped barking and panted.

He touched the screen with his finger and Pepper licked it. “Did she forget you last night?”

Leanna’s face appeared behind Pepper. She blinked several times and sleepily rubbed her eyes.

“I could never forget Pepper.” She hugged Pepper’s head, and Pepper licked her cheek.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.” He couldn’t take his eyes off of her devastatingly sexy bare shoulders.

“You brought my bike back?”

She smiled, and he felt his anger float away. He stifled the urge to say,
Oh, come on. Not the smile? That’s not fair.

“Come on in,” she said through the window.

He watched her walk away and—
holy Christ
—she was wearing only a pair of lace panties. She disappeared into the bedroom, and when she came back out, her arms were up in the air and a silk camisole was sliding down over her bare breasts. Kurt could. Not. Move.

She came out on the deck, took his hand, and—

A chipmunk ran across the deck inches in front of her feet.

“Did you see him? Wasn’t he the cutest little thing?” Her eyes widened, and the joy that she exuded was contagious.

Kurt felt a smile form on his lips.
She
was incredibly cute, but he could not form a sentence to save his life.

Another first
.

“Come on. I’ll make you some coffee.” She led him inside.

The clothes she’d worn the night before were on the kitchen table, her shoes were in the middle of the floor, and there she stood, barefoot, in a pair of lace panties and that seductive silky camisole, setting a teakettle on the stove. He might not be able to speak, but he could feel the rise in his pants and the squeeze of his heart, and his legs had a mind of their own. Two silent steps put him behind her. His hands found her glorious hips—the hips he’d dreamed about more times over the past two days than he cared to admit.

“No coffee,” he whispered in her ear. “I…I’m jogging back home.” His heart thundered in his chest, and when she turned to him and pressed her hands to his pecs, she stole his breath.

“I’m sorry about yesterday.” Her voice was soft and tender.

Pepper whined at his feet, but he was too focused on Leanna blinking up at him to notice.

“Is…Carey your boyfriend?”

She shook her head. “I don’t do boyfriends very well.”

He narrowed his eyes but didn’t want to—couldn’t—take the time to decipher what that might mean. He had to taste her sweet, sexy lips. He had to be closer to her. He lowered his mouth to hers and wrapped his arms around her body. He placed one hand on the graceful curve of her lower back, and the other snuck beneath her hair. Her lips parted as she opened up to him. Her hands slid up his chest to his shoulders, and her tongue—her luscious, hot tongue—stroked his in perfect sync. He had to feel more of her. He slipped his hand beneath her cami, reveling in the soft, tender feel of her back. The back he’d been envisioning since she’d first changed into his sweatshirt. Her breasts pressed against his chest, and he craved more. So much more. He drew back and searched her eyes, and the desire in them mirrored the heat raging through his veins.

“Wow,” she whispered.

A half smile was all he could manage, because
wow
was right. That kiss sent a bolt of lightning right through him. “Sorry.”

“Sorry?” She wrapped her arms around his waist and snuggled into him. “That’s the best kiss I think I’ve ever had in my life, and I really, really want another.”

He lowered his lips to hers again, and she made the cutest, sexiest little sounds of pleasure. He wanted to kiss her forever just to hear more. She reached up and stroked his cheek, and he couldn’t help but back her up against the bathroom door and deepen the kiss. She pulled back. They were both breathing hard.

“Teeth. I have to brush them.”

He hadn’t even noticed. She reached behind her and turned the doorknob. The door opened, and he kept his grip on her, then lifted her up and set her on the sink before he kissed her again—deeply, greedily, hungrily devouring her. She opened her legs, and he stepped between them. She arched into him.

“You taste delicious.” He kissed her again just to prove it. His lips slid to the corner of her mouth, where he placed another soft kiss, and he couldn’t stop there. He kissed her jaw, her neck, her sweet shoulder before reclaiming her mouth again.

She took his face in her hands and looked into his eyes.

“I’m a train wreck, and you’re anything but,” she whispered.

He loved her honesty. “You are. I am.”

He kissed her again, and she pressed her hands against his back, closing the inch gap between them. He couldn’t believe she was in his arms, and relief from what he knew now had been disappointment, not anger, forced his lips from hers, and he gazed into her eyes.

“I thought you went home with Carey.”

She shook her head and brought her lips to his chest, pressing soft kisses along the tattoo over his heart and making him want her even more. Kurt buried his hands in her hair and tilted her head back so he could look into her eyes again. What the hell was it about her that enraptured him so? Time was ticking away. He should be back home eating breakfast, reading the paper, and getting ready to write, and all he wanted to do was carry her into the bedroom and make love to her.

He was too torn to move. Another day of not writing would set him back, and his deadline was looming. “Leanna.”

She smiled. “I know.” She dropped her eyes to his chest and ran her finger over the ink again. “You have to write. I need to get my van.”

“Go out with me tonight.” He didn’t wait for her to respond. He kissed her again and groaned as he forced himself to tear his lips away again before he became too lost in her and wasn’t able to.

“Okay,” she whispered.

“Okay?”

She nodded. “Tonight.”

He’d forgotten what he’d asked. His mind was running down another path—swooping her into his arms and making love to her until he forgot how to write and she forgot…Oh hell. Until she remembered everything. No. He wanted more than that. More of her than an hour of ravaging her heavenly body.

“Tonight.” He took a step back to try to cool the heat between them. He ran his hand over his face and his eyes down her captivating curves. Kurt lowered his forehead to hers. “You are the most alluring woman I have ever met. I can’t stop thinking about you.”

Her finger got busy tracing him again and he lowered his lips to hers, then took another step back and helped her off the sink. Her hand remained a soft pressure on his chest, her hips found his, and he noticed how perfectly they fit together. The thought of making love to her right there against the sink, then in the shower, then in the bedroom, shot another bolt of desire through him.
Christ Almighty
. He needed to put space between them.

He caressed her cheek before stepping out of the bathroom with Pepper on his heel. He looked down at his erection. There was no way in hell he could run with
that
. He glanced back at Leanna. She held up one finger, then closed the bathroom door. He sat down on a chair and buried his head in his hands. He was hard, hot, and his brain couldn’t think past Leanna’s scent, the feel of her, the look in her eyes—and the way she read his mind, then reacted without throwing him out. She knew he needed to write.
Knew!
He’d been with enough women to know that her reaction was not typical. He had to get a grip. He was becoming more enchanted by her every time he saw her.

Pepper whined at his feet, his tail wagging for attention.

“Good dog,” Kurt said.

Pepper barked.

Kurt gave him a stern look, and Pepper lay down beside the chair.

A few minutes later, Leanna came out of the bathroom fresh faced and still clad in her panties and camisole. She straddled his lap and looked him in the eyes. So much for letting his erection fade.

“Thank you for bringing me my bike.” Her breath was minty, her smile still a heart slayer.

“You’re welcome.”

“And thank you for helping me with the mess yesterday.” She kissed his cheek.

Jesus, do I really have to go write?
“I have no doubt that you could have cleaned it up yourself, but you’re welcome.”

She crinkled her nose. “You’ve seen me with a broom.”

He kissed her crinkly nose. “That I have.”

“Since even I know you can’t jog home in your present state, can I make you breakfast?”

There was that honesty again. “Are you as good in the kitchen as you are at kissing?”

She shook her head as she rose to her feet. “But I’m better than I am with a broom.”

AS KURT JOGGED out of the development, Bella, Jenna, and Amy burst into Leanna’s kitchen, each still in their sleepwear and carrying a mug of coffee.

“Details. I want every last detail.” Bella sat at the table in her cotton nightie that stopped two inches below her butt.

“He arrived shirtless and with your bike. I saw him.” Jenna tugged at her T-shirt, which was hung up on her enormous braless breasts above a pair of men’s boxer shorts. She looked down and wiggled her boobs into submission, then gave up with a defeated sigh and leaned against the counter. “And I want to know why he brought these.” She tossed a dog’s leash and a box of baking soda onto the counter; then she put the empty bag she’d taken from the basket on the bike beside the contents.

Amy popped two pieces of bread into the toaster. She wore a T-shirt and plaid pajama shorts and looked like a teenager rather than a twenty-seven-year-old woman. “Morning booty call. Nice. I like that. You get all the action and still get a good night’s sleep. But baking soda?”

Leanna laughed as she fingered the leash. “Yesterday he was at the flea market and I had Pepper tied up with rope because I couldn’t find his leash, and the baking soda?”
Because he’s thoughtful
. “Pepper went kind of crazy, and a couple jars of jam broke. My skirt got splattered, and I guess he’d Googled how to clean the stain on my shorts that I’d left at his house because when he brought them back, they were perfectly clean.”

“Left your clothes at his house?” Bella puckered her lips and made kissing noises.

“You guys are awful. It wasn’t a booty call. How often have you seen me have any type of booty call? I swear, I’m at the point of needing a chimney sweep to clean out the cobwebs.”

“Oh, that’s just sad.” Bella shook her blond hair in front of her eyes and then gathered it in her hand and drew it all away from her face.

“Seriously. Sex is hardly a priority. But it was really thoughtful of him to bring this stuff, don’t you think?” Although, now that she’d kissed Kurt and felt him, really felt him—all of him—against her, thoughts of climbing between the sheets with him were lingering.
Taunting
.

“Yes. Very thoughtful. So, nothing happened? The guy washes your clothes and brings you stuff to keep stains away, and nothing happened?” Amy pulled her toast from the toaster, grabbed a jar of jam from the fridge, and read the label. “Apricot-lime? Is it okay if I try it?”

Leanna shrugged and set the leash down. “Sure. It’s a new flavor. Go ahead.”

Amy spread it on the toast and took a bite. She narrowed her eyes, and a second later they widened. “Oh my God,” she said with a mouthful of toast. “This is amazing.”

“Really? I wasn’t sure anyone would like it.”

“Mm. It’s like a cool summer drink.”

“Can we cut to the chase here? I’m glad you like her new flavor, but I want to hear about Kurt’s bite.” Jenna leaned forward a little. “Oh, and, Amy, make me one? Pretty please?”

“Sure.” Amy popped more toast in the toaster.

“Me too,” Bella added.

“Already on it,” Amy said with a smile.

Leanna thought about kissing Kurt, and she sighed. “All I can say is that the second our lips met, it was like…like, you know that feeling when you’re going up on a roller coaster? Not down when your stomach falls, but that ride up when everything in the world seems possible, when the wind is at your face and you feel like you could just close your eyes and be carried right up to the clouds?” She sighed again. “Kissing Kurt was like that, only about a million times better.”

Bella shook her head. “Jesus.”

“Imagine how good the sex will be,” Jenna added.

“I want a kiss like that.” Amy set a plate in front of the others with toast and jam on it.

“That’s not all.” Leanna covered her face. “I can’t even believe I’m telling you all of this two seconds after he left.”

Bella kicked Jenna under the table. “Told you. Booty call.”

“No, no. Not like that. When he wrapped me in his arms, it was like everything else fell away.”

“Wait. What?” Amy took a bite of toast and tossed one to Pepper, who ate it quickly and then whined for more. “Fell away?”

“The chaos in my head. You know how my mind goes a mile a minute? Well, for those few minutes it calmed.”

“He really is magical.” Bella took a bite of the toast and jam. “This is fucking amazing. It really is like a summer drink, but better. It reminds me of that night last summer when we had the bonfire on the beach. Why didn’t you give me a jar of this?”

“I was afraid you guys wouldn’t like it.”

Bella pointed at her. “There are two things I like to make up my own mind about. Food and men. Don’t tell me what I want to eat or who I want to fuck. Got it?”

“I know that about men.” Leanna smiled. “You’re definitely a taste tester.”

Bella ripped off a piece of toast and threw it at her. Pepper caught it midair.

“So, no bing, bang, boom? Why did he leave?” Jenna asked.

“He has to write. He’s so focused. I’m not sure I’ve ever met anyone more focused than him.”

“I’m focused,” Jenna said.

They all laughed.

“Really? What’s on your agenda today?” Leanna asked.

Jenna tucked her hair behind her ear and looked up at the ceiling.

“Right.” Leanna rolled her eyes. “You’re organized and efficient, very obsessive, but over the summer, you’re focused on finding rocks and drinking and men, like the rest of us. I think he’s always focused on writing.”

“Always, like too much?” Jenna bit into her toast.

“I don’t know that it’s too much, because I’m not really an expert on focusing, but I can see it in his eyes. When he’s not writing, I can tell he’s thinking about it.” She ran her eyes over her friends’ concerned faces. “And we’re going out tonight.” She watched the concern lift, replaced with delighted smiles.

“Finally. Hope for some action,” Bella cheered.

“But what if he has that look all night? I could tell today. We were making out and he looked at me, and in that split second I knew he was thinking that he had to go write. It was like from his brain to mine, I knew it.”

Amy put her arm around Leanna. “Honey, I think you had your signals crossed. He was probably wondering how he could get you into your bed and out of those sexy little panties.”

Leanna shook her head. “You could be right, I guess, but I don’t think so. When I said he had to write, he agreed. Lord knows I never get my signals right.” She shrugged. “Other than with you guys, I’m never in sync with anyone.”

“I say just follow your gut. I mean, you’ll know pretty quickly if he’d rather be writing. Hell, you’ll know if he would rather be doing anything else, and then you can decide what to do.” Bella took another piece of toast from the plate. “You look so worried, and there’s nothing to worry about.”

Leanna sank down to the floor, and Pepper rested his head on her thigh. “Yes, there is. I’m totally awkward when things heat up with guys. I can never get my timing right, and I mess everything up.”

Amy sank to the floor beside her and petted Pepper. “You don’t mess up everything. You’re doing great with your Sweet Treats business, and your timing must be okay or he wouldn’t have asked you out.”

“Yeah, but…” He brought Pepper a leash. He didn’t even really like Pepper. Although she had heard him say,
Good dog
, when she was in the bathroom.
Hmm
.

Jenna slid off her chair and sat by Leanna’s feet. “You can’t mess up sex, honey. You know that. You’ve had sex.”

Leanna sighed.

Bella threw her hands up in the air. “Are you freaking kidding me? This is what worries you? Leanna, honey.” She sat down with the others. “You could just lie there and the guy will be happy. Seriously, how
off
can you be in the bedroom? You would have told us by now. We’ve known you for years.”

Leanna swallowed hard.

“No way.” Bella smiled. “This, I have to hear.”

“I can’t.” Leanna covered her face and took a deep, mortified breath before dropping her hands. “Ugh. I’m fine. Really. I’m just not one of those delicate girls who knows how to be all sexy and feminine and…I don’t know. I’m just always a little off with my moves.”

Jenna swatted the air again. “With a body like yours, it wouldn’t matter if you were off, on, or ten paces behind. Girlfriend, you’ve got this. Just relax. Drink some wine beforehand, and you’ll be fine.”

“I guess. It’s not like I’m having sex tonight anyway. He asked me out, not to bed.”

The others exchanged a glance.

“You said you made out with him?” Amy asked.

“Yeah.”

“What are you thinking about right now?” Amy narrowed her eyes.

“Sleeping with him.”

“And what do you think that handsome hunk is thinking about after making out with you dressed in your take-me-now outfit?” Amy touched her shoulder. “You’re doin’ the dirty tonight unless you don’t want to.”

Leanna traced circles on her thigh. Oh yeah, she wanted to. She wanted to so badly that her stomach was tied in knots and she worried that her heart wasn’t far behind.