Blaze of Winter: A Loveswept Contemporary Romance (16 page)

He smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling with mirth. “I can tell.”

“You can’t have any of mine,” she said, curling her arm around her plate as protection. “Wait for your own order.”

“It’s not your food I’m after.”

She didn’t even look at him as she forked another bite. “You can’t have any of
that
, either,” she said under her breath.

Then he laughed, a deep sound that filled the entire place. Though her every nerve ending was taut with longing and desire, she kept on eating, trying in vain to pretend he wasn’t sitting right beside her. A big man with a hungry look in his eye.

“I am so full,” groaned Theo as he walked slowly down the sidewalk on Columbus Street with Avery. “But it was worth it.”

A train whistle sounded as it left the Back Bay station and the wind whipped through the bare trees lining the street. He couldn’t take his eyes off of Avery, who was just ahead of him, transfixed by the length of her coppery hair, her cinched-in waist, and the sway of her softly rounded ass underneath her coat. This jacket with its elegant belt and skimming form was a major improvement over that ridiculous oversized down coat she liked to wear.

“Glutton,” Avery said over her shoulder. “I told you it was enough for two meals. That’s why I take half to go.” She held up the small Styrofoam box as she kept walking, the heels of her calf-high boots clicking on the sidewalk.

“I can’t bring the food with me to my next stop,” he said, stretching his arms above his head and following her down the street. “So what now?”

“Now I go back to Star Harbor and you go to do,” she waved a gloved hand dismissively, “whatever it is that famous authors go to do.”

“I’m going to the Bostonian Society to do some research. But I’d love a coffee. Want to grab some with me?”

“No, thanks,” she said, not even bothering to turn around as she dodged another pedestrian ambling down the sidewalk.

“Aw, c’mon,” he said. “We could take the Green Line to Government Center. I know a great place near Faneuil Hall. They have the absolute best lattes.” She didn’t respond. “Oh yeah, I forgot. You like hot chocolate. They have that, too.”

“My car is right here.” She turned abruptly on one booted heel. If he hadn’t been watching her ass so intently, he would have smacked into her. Instead, he stopped just in front of her, a hair’s breadth away. “So how is it that you’re this amazingly handsome, charming, successful author and you don’t already have a girlfriend?”

“So you
do
care.” He grinned at her.

She frowned back. “I’m serious, Theo. I find it impossible to believe that you’re unattached. You mean to tell me that there’s no one in San Francisco?”

“That’s right.”

She crossed her arms under her chest. “Uh-huh,” she said, disbelief coloring her voice.

“It’s true.”

Avery simply pursed her lips.

“You want the real truth? Sure there were women. Plenty of them. But they weren’t what I was looking for.”

She gave him a little frown. “What
are
you looking for?”

“Something real. Something complicated.”

“You want to talk about complicated? I’m not long for Star Harbor, and I don’t think you are, either. Why would we even start something we couldn’t finish?”

Because there was a powerful attraction between them. One he was hard pressed to deny, even if she tried to do so. Because every time they kissed—hell, every time they
touched
—she responded as if she were made for him. The thought of the heat simmering beneath the surface had him arching a brow.
I want you, and I know you want me, too
, is what it seemed to say.

She pointed a finger directly into the center of his chest and poked him. “Well, I don’t know what Emma and Jimmy told you, but I am not interested.”

“Is that right?” Her little poke both amused and aroused him.

“That’s right,” she said firmly. Defiantly.

“Really?” he drawled. “Then prove it.”

“W-what?” Her eyes widened and he saw her pulse tick at her throat.

“Prove it. Kiss me and tell me you don’t feel anything.”

“That is a ridiculous idea.” She lowered her finger. “We’ve already kissed. And nothing happened.”

“Hardly,” he said with a smile. Before she could bolt, he wrapped an arm around her, pulling her to his chest so she was forced to look up—way up—at him. “But you’re not giving it a chance.”

“I don’t go for players. Or for guys who hide what they do,” she weakly protested.

“I’m not a player, and I didn’t hide what I do.” At least, not deliberately. “Anyway, it’s not like you should talk. You’ve been hiding from me all week.”

“I had things to deal with,” she said, setting her mouth into a straight line.

“Let me help you with your stuff.”

She shook her head. “I have to do it alone.”

“Then let me help you with this.” He ran a thumb over her soft lips.

“I d-don’t want you,” she said, but her lower lip trembled.

His eyes warmed. “Oh, you do.” He bent his head until his mouth was nearly touching hers, but he didn’t span that small distance. It took all his considerable willpower not to seal his mouth to hers, to show her exactly how hot she made him. But this time she needed to be the one to come to him. “Tell me to go away. Tell me you don’t want me again,” he whispered. “Just say it and I’ll leave you alone for good.”

Her gaze wavered and she closed her eyes. “I can’t,” she whispered back.

“Then kiss me like you know you want to.”

The words hung between them, like a thick cloud of steam hovering over a grate. Then, tentatively, fractionally, she tipped her head up. When their lips met, fireworks exploded in his head. Her mouth was a hot contrast to the cool air, warming him from the inside out as he plundered her soft depths. There was so much unbridled passion in her, he could taste it.

As much as he wanted to push her up against the brick wall of the closest building and let her feel exactly how aroused he was, now was neither the time nor the place. A sidewalk in Back Bay could in no way compare to the comfortable bed back at the Inn. So he settled for deepening the kiss, sliding his hand up her back and spearing his fingers through her silky hair. Sliding her free hand up his chest, she wrapped it around his neck and kissed him ravenously, as if she wanted to consume him, body and soul.

The siren from a fire truck sounded in the distance, growing louder as the truck came closer. As it passed them, he lifted his head from hers and watched it speed down Columbus Street. Then he turned back to her. Her blue eyes were bright, her beautiful face was flushed, and her lips were reddened.

“We will finish this later,” he promised. “You can count on it.”

Then he released her and walked back down the street to the T stop, leaving her standing there open-mouthed by her little car. They’d finish it later all right, back in Star Harbor just as soon as he could manage. Given the way she’d finally kissed him back—full throttle, no holds barred—she wanted him as badly as he wanted her.

CHAPTER 13

“The soup is delicious,” Avery said to Jimmy Bishop, who was sitting across from her at the old farmhouse table. “I love the spicing in it. What is that? Cumin?”

“Ah, yes,” he said, looking uncomfortable as he glanced between her and Emma. “It is cumin.”

She took a big spoonful, ignoring Emma. “Mmmm, delicious. And this bread. Did you get it at Martins’ Market?”

“Yes,” he said tersely, nodding.

“Well, it’s really good.”

Jimmy cleared his throat. “Um, thank you.” He drank a few spoonfuls of his own bowl, slurping softly in the quiet kitchen.

“By the way,” Avery said, continuing to address only Jimmy, “thank you for inviting me over.”

Emma put her soup spoon down with a clatter. “Are we really doing this?” she asked incredulously.

“Doing what?” Avery responded innocently before taking another big spoonful of soup and sipping it loudly.

Emma narrowed her eyes. “You know what. You haven’t said two words to me since you got here. If you’re angry, just say so. Don’t do this whole passive-aggressive thing in front of poor James. He doesn’t know how to handle it.”

Avery glanced at Jimmy. His brow was furrowed and his eyes were wide. The giant man did look more than a bit confused. Clearly he hadn’t grown up with a sister, or he’d be better equipped to handle the verbal warfare at which she and Emma were so adept.

“Fine. He’s a rat, too, though I’m sure you put him up to it. You want to talk?” Avery said, waving her spoon in Emma’s face. “Let’s talk about how you told Theodore Grayson, or shall we say T. R. Grayson, exactly where to find me in Boston. And now that I think about it, I’m beginning to realize that this whole thing was probably a setup from the beginning. I bet you told him to take a room at the Inn, didn’t you, Emma?” At Emma’s ashen look, she knew she’d guessed correctly. “I’m right, aren’t I?” she said triumphantly.

“Yes, but—”

“I knew it! You sold me out.” Quietly, Jimmy put down his spoon, his eyes continuing to move back and forth between the two women.

“Let me finish, Avery. First of all, I didn’t sell you out. I may have mentioned the Inn, but only because Theo told me he was miserable on Val’s boat. And he seemed so tired.” For a moment, Emma looked like their mother. Still, it didn’t sway Avery.

“Well, what about the lecture?” she demanded.

“Didn’t you enjoy it?” Emma stared at her defiantly.

“Yes …” Avery reluctantly admitted.

“See? I only asked you to come because I care about you.” The color had returned to Emma’s face, but Avery gave a delicate snort. “It’s true! I can see the way you look at him.” At Avery’s glare, Emma held up her hand. “Don’t deny it. It’s like Brian Feeney all over again.”

Her jaw dropped. “Brian Feeney? Are you kidding me?”

Jimmy picked himself up and slunk out of the kitchen. Both women ignored him.

“The summer before ninth grade, you mooned after him like crazy. Followed him around for weeks!” Emma exclaimed. “He lifeguarded, so you spent every daylight hour in the pool. He went down to the courts at night, so you had to go, too. Everyone knew you had the hugest crush on him but you refused to acknowledge it.”

Avery was outraged. “How could you bring up Brian Feeney? This situation is nothing like that one.” Avery crossed her hands under her breasts and leaned back in her chair.

“Oh, really?” Emma crossed her arms in an identical gesture. “How so?”

“Because I worshipped Brian, but he ignored me.”

“And this situation is different because …”

“Do you really need me to spell it out? Obviously Theo isn’t ignoring me.”

“But you like him.”

“I’m
attracted
to him,” Avery corrected. “Big difference.”

For just a moment, something like relief flashed across Emma’s face. “Thank God. I thought I was misreading you.”

“You
are
misreading me. I don’t have time for Theo Grayson right now.”

“But you just said you were attracted to him,” Emma said with exasperation.

Avery rubbed her eyes. “Look, I’m still trying to figure my own life out. I can’t get wrapped up with some guy just because he has amazing eyes and a killer smile.”

“Not to mention a steel-trap mind and a rock-hard body.”

“Emma!”

“What?” she shrugged. “I may look like a librarian, but I have eyes.”

“You
are
a librarian!” Avery waved a hand at Emma. “A married librarian!”

Emma ignored her. “I don’t understand why you’re so resistant. This is the perfect time for you to explore a side of yourself that you’ve kept hidden.” She uncrossed her arms and leaned forward. “I came to Star Harbor so tightly wound I was going to explode. I didn’t know whether to chalk it up to dealing with Mom’s illness or something else. But being with James opened my eyes to things I’d never considered before. And now I feel more like myself than I have since Mom died. James is the reason for that.” Emma reached across the table and grasped her hand. “I want you to be happy, too.”

All of Avery’s anger evaporated. “Emma, look, I’m sorry I jumped down your throat, but I’m not ready for this and I don’t know what to do about Theo. I certainly don’t like being manipulated into spending time with him.”

“You’re not being manipulated. You don’t have to do anything except be open to possibilities.”

“There’s so much I’m trying to figure out right now, and a guy like Theo is only going to complicate things. Now that I know he’s a famous author, it just makes it worse.”

“Nothing is wrong with a little complication.”

“Theo is a
lot
of complication. For one thing, we’re both just visiting town. What happens when he decides to head back to San Francisco or goes off on his next book tour? I’ll be left here alone. In the best-case scenario, I return to Boston to take my old job back.”

“You don’t know what will happen.”

“I know he’s going to leave.” Avery shook her head. “And for another thing, we have nothing in common. He’s a worldly, well-read intellectual and I’m, I’m …”

“Avie, you’re just as smart as he is, not to mention compassionate and loving. Besides, even if you were totally different, sometimes opposites attract. Look at me and James.”