Get Bunny Love (14 page)

If the bastard touched her, he’d...he’d...what? Nate had no right to do anything. He shoved a hand through his hair. Hell. He didn’t even have the right to care.

He glanced toward the hall. The sound of running water filled the house. Right now his fiancée-to-be was washing cold cream off her face, dressed only in a robe. He should sneak up behind her, caress his hands over her naked flesh, and make love to her. He dropped his face to his palms and moaned. Melanie had never inspired those urges in him. Not once.

Bunny’s smile flashed through his mind. His eye twitched. Damn it. Did the mop-headed woman have any idea what havoc she’d wreaked on his libido? He should be putting the moves on Melanie, but here he sat thinking how bright and alive Bunny’s eyes were. He wondered what they’d look like after making love. Would she trace one finger down his cheek, along his jaw, down his neck to his bare stomach and...

“Nate? Are you listening to me at all?”

He jerked to attention, hoping his arousal was well hidden beneath his trousers. “Sorry. What?”

“I said I don’t have any scotch. What else can I get you?”

He scrutinized Melanie’s face for several long seconds. Her pale skin had been scrubbed clean of all traces of cold cream—smooth and beautiful. He should be proud she’d have him for a husband.

“Nate?” Concern wrinkled her forehead. “What’s wrong?”

“Do you love me?” he blurted out. He’d intended to broach the subject more delicately. So much for good intentions.

Her pale eyes grew huge and she took a step backward. “What kind of question is that?”

He stood, meeting her shocked expression head-on. “It’s a fair question.”

Melanie clutched the neck of her robe tightly at her throat and turned away. “I’m not comfortable talking about these things.”

“Why?” Nate closed the distance between them and touched her elbow, coaxing her gently toward him.

She searched his face. “I don’t know,” she whispered. Tears glistened in her eyes. “Don’t you want to marry me?”

His heart lurched.
Did
he want to marry Melanie? He didn’t know. All he knew was that he’d been expected to marry her for so long he’d never questioned their future together. Now he found himself longing for something more. And he wasn’t quite sure what that something was.

“Don’t you, Nate?” she repeated. A tear slipped over her lower lid and trailed down her cheek.

He brushed the moisture from her cheek then leaned to kiss her nose. He straightened, looking intently into her sad face. No fireworks. No stomach tightening. No earth tremors.

“I’m sorry.” He shook his head. “I had a bad day and I shouldn’t have stopped by unannounced.”

She hugged herself. “It’s okay. You just frightened me.”

“I didn’t mean to.” He brushed his thumb across her cheek, giving her a reassuring smile as he stepped onto the front step. “We’ll have a great time at the dinner dance this weekend.”

She nodded, closing the door behind him.

Nate followed the brick walkway to the drive, breathing deeply of the night air. The moon winked out from behind a cloud and he wondered what Bunny was doing right now. He wondered if Miller had touched her or kissed her.

He leaned against the car and blew out a long sigh. Glancing back toward Melanie’s front door, he chastised himself. He had promised himself to Melanie, and he wasn’t going to let her down.

A soft breeze brushed his face—sweet, subtle. Like the soft, vanilla scent of Bunny Love.

o0o

Bert stepped off the elevator into the lobby of Tilly’s apartment building just as Bunny rushed in from outside. Her pinched features warmed the instant she recognized him.

“What are you doing here?” Her tone was light with surprise, and Bert wondered again just what scared Nate about falling for this woman. There was the issue of Melanie. But, everyone knew that relationship had been forced on them both.

“Just seeing Tilly home.” He fought to keep his features expressionless.

A bright smile spread across her face. “Really?”

Bert nodded. “We ran into each other on the street. She wanted to read my aura again.”

Bunny’s smile morphed into uninhibited laughter. She pointed to his neck. “Looks like she left a little of her aura on your collar.”

He twisted, trying in vain to see what she was talking about. Bunny stepped close, giving his shoulder a quick pat.

“That makeup she wears for her street performances is murder. She got some on my sofa one time and I had to redo my entire color scheme.” She winked.

Bert decided the only way to avoid this conversation was to change it. “How was the date with Miller?”

Her bright features fell slack. “Ugh. I’d rather talk about your aura.”

He shook his head. “No plans for a repeat?” He hoped the question wasn’t as obvious as it felt. If she fell for Miller, the plan Tilly and he had hatched wouldn’t stand a chance.

Bunny wrinkled her nose as if the suggestion horrified her. “One word: No.”

Relief washed through him. “That bad?”

“Worse.” She squinted. “I’ve never met someone so self-absorbed.”

Bert chuckled, unable to hold back his pleasure. “Truer words were never spoken. Can you imagine working for the guy?”

Bunny rolled her eyes. “Trust me. I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure Martha doesn’t sell to him. Or anybody,” she added. “I know how important this is to Nate.”

Soft color flushed her cheeks and Bert warmed optimistically. Maybe he and Tilly wouldn’t have as much work to do as they thought.

“You didn’t happen to hear any loud noises coming from my apartment, did you?”

Bunny’s words jolted him from his thoughts, and he narrowed his eyes. “Is that a frequent problem?”

“My mother showed up unexpectedly. Bit of a distraction.”

Tilly’s pixie face flashed through his mind. Distraction seemed to be the flavor of the week. He shook his head. “None that I heard.” He stepped toward the door. “Better get going. Boss is a stickler for punctuality.”

“Good night, Bert.” Bunny pressed the elevator button. “I’ll see you after our meeting with Kitty.”

Bert stepped out onto the sidewalk, hoisting his arm to hail a cab.

Step one. Force proximity for Bunny and Nate.

Planning The Worthington Cup ensured that much. Their out of the office meeting tomorrow was an excellent first step.

He chuckled as he pulled open the taxi door. Nate McNulty might think he had things completely under control, but Bert suspected he was in for a rude cosmic awakening.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

The next morning, Nate stood at the door to Bunny’s apartment and knocked. He willed his body to have nothing more than a professional reaction to her smile.

She snapped open the door with a grin. The sight of her rumpled hair sent warmth seeping through him. He had thought twinkling eyes cliché until he met Bunny. Hers sparkled.

“Morning,” she chirped. “I’m almost ready, come on in.”

Nate’s gaze raked down her body. Skintight leggings hugged the curves of her calves and a short robe wrapped her upper body. Sky blue polish winked from her toenails.

“You aren’t...dressed.” Nate’s voice thickened and his pulse picked up a notch.

“I know.” Bunny gestured to a large, overstuffed tapestry chair. “I lost track of time during my morning meditation.” She winked. “Which is the whole point actually.”

Nate sank into the chair, wondering if the creation actually possessed a seat. The soft fabric enveloped him, forcing his knees dangerously close to his chin. The mixed scent of spices and vanilla toyed with his nose.

Bunny tugged her robe close around her throat. “Can I get you something?”

“I don’t suppose you’d have a cup of coffee?”

Her nose wrinkled as if he’d said something gruesome. She propped one fist on her hip. “How about some Echinacea tea?” Her gaze scanned him head to toe. His body tingled under the heat of her turquoise eyes. “You look a bit stressed.”

“No, thank you.”

She tipped her head, arching one brow. “You don’t know what you’re missing.”

Yes, I do
, he thought, letting his mind imagine exactly what feminine features Bunny’s robe hid. He tamped down the desire to loosen his collar. “Is it warm in here?”

Bunny gave a knowing nod. “Your suit’s stifling you.”

He narrowed his eyes. “This suit is professional, which is more than I can say for that getup.”

The terry cloth robe hugged her hips as she sashayed away. “Don’t worry. I’ll look professional.” She slipped through an orange doorway, calling out over her shoulder. “But first, I’m making you some tea.”

“I don’t need tea,” he hollered. “And we need to get going.”

“We’re early. There’s plenty of time.”

“Early is good,” Nate said, trying to pry himself from the chair. “It’s also professional.”

“No.” Bunny peeked out from the kitchen, a devilish gleam in her eye. “It’s annoying.”

Heat flared in Nate’s cheeks. He unfurled his body from the seat, catapulting himself across the small room. He landed face-to-face with a grouping of photos atop a small mantel. A variety of stained glass and cloisonné frames haphazardly cluttered the limited space.

Nate shook his head. He straightened each one, arranging them symmetrically, evenly spacing one from the next.

“Here you go.” Bunny’s voice sounded brightly from behind him. “This will help your immune system.”

Nate spun around, his gaze following the line of the robe’s collar to where Bunny’s creamy neck lay exposed. He took the offered cup, forcing his eyes to meet hers. Her focus, however, had shifted to the mantel behind him.

She blinked. “Someone’s been rearranging my photos.” It took mere seconds for her to return the frames to total disarray. “Much better.”

She smiled and pointed to the man-eating tapestry chair. “Sit. Wait.” She rolled her eyes. “And for gosh sakes, don’t touch anything else. There’s so much positive energy in this space you’re bound to explode.”

“I can handle positive energy,” Nate protested.

Bunny let out a rather unladylike snort. “Yeah, right.” She headed down the hall, her laughter building as she increased the distance between them. “That’s a good one.”

o0o

Bunny snickered as she slipped into the emerald green suit. It was rather fun to have Nate on her turf. Just think of the chakras she could unblock if he’d give her a chance. The tea alone should get his juices flowing.

Thank goodness Alexandra was away at her seminar. She and Nate together would have been all Bunny needed. The two of them could start their own chapter of control freaks anonymous.

Bunny spun to admire her reflection in an antique mirror. The flared skirt skimmed the top of her knees, while the fitted jacket nipped in at her waist. The outfit perfectly combined her personality and the corporate look Nate preferred.

She gave her hair one last toss and pulled open the bedroom door. Nate sat in her favorite chair, knees to chin.

“Comfortable?”

He pulled himself from the depths of the seat. “Your chair is smothering my chakras.” His gaze widened as he scrutinized her outfit. “Good color for you.”

“Thanks.” She reached for his mug. “Can I freshen your tea?”

He shot her a sheepish look. “I didn’t drink it.”

“I’ll grab a to-go cup. A little herbal tea never hurt anyone.”

“Just great,” he mumbled.

“Pardon?”

“I said, we’re late.”

Bunny frowned and poured the tea into a stainless steel cup. The man was a mumbler, but the habit was rather endearing.

They rode in silence much of the way to Kitty Worthington’s. As controlled as Nate was in the office, he was more so in the car. Bunny glanced at the speedometer. Fifty-five on the nose. Not a mile over or under the speed limit.

She chuckled softly.

“Does my speed meet with your approval?” Nate’s tone teased.

His words sent white-hot electric scorching through Bunny’s nerve endings. “I’m not surprised to see you sticking to the posted limit, but it wouldn’t kill you to walk on the wild side. Go a mile or two over. I dare you.”

He grinned, never taking his eyes from the road. “Well-measured control is a sign of fine breeding.”

Bunny admired the clean-shaven line of his jaw. “You don’t say.”

“Speaking of fine breeding, how was your date with Miller?”

Bunny cut her eyes at him. “It wasn’t a date, and it was horrid.”

A smile played with the corner of his mouth. “What happened?”

“It’s none of your business.” Bunny glanced out the passenger window. “Let’s just say Armand Miller is an egocentric, self-centered, self-adoring jerk.”

Rich, male laughter filled the car. “That good?”

“Hmph.” Bunny crossed her arms over her chest then turned back toward Nate. “He did give me a tip for The Worthington Cup, though.”

“I’m listening.”

“He’s got a source for purple dog leashes.” She watched as Nate’s brow furrowed. “What’s the matter?”

“Nothing.” He spoke slowly. “He told Kitty purple was gauche. That’s why she dumped him as her planner.”

Bunny shrugged. “Maybe he hopes to redeem himself.”

“Not his style.”

Nate took the next expressway exit, slowing carefully at the yield sign. Large, Tudor-style houses appeared between expansive stretches of stone walls. “Welcome to the Main Line.”

Bunny let out a long, low whistle.

Nate flicked on the turn indicator, slowing the car into a gated drive. “Here we are. Annoying poodle central.” He shot her a quick wink.

Bunny’s stomach caught and tightened. She hadn’t been prepared for the comment or the wink. Who would have thought Nate capable? See that? A few minutes inside her apartment, and his energy had become freer already.

Nate turned off the ignition and climbed out.

“You forgot your tea,” Bunny nagged, rushing to grab the cup and exit the car.

One dark brow arched with amusement. “You really want me to drink this stuff.”

“Yes.” Bunny nodded emphatically. She tapped the steel cup with a fingernail. “This is seriously good for you. Your chakras won’t know what hit them.”