The Summer House

Chapter Three

“H ow long have you lived here?” Mandy asked.

“About a year. It’s a great house, but it’s old and the previous owners didn’t do much to keep it updated, or even in good repair. I’ve been having some work done, and doing some myself.”

She glanced at him and smiled. “Ooh, a handyman. My personal fantasy.”

He knew she was teasing, and that her words didn’t mean anything, but her saying “fantasy” made his blood pressure spike. What was it about being with Mandy? Why did his body react so strongly to her?

On a purely intellectual basis he could appreciate that she was attractive. She was a nice person, funny, passionate. These were generic qualities that always appealed to him. He had also already been physically intimate with Mandy. He knew what she looked like naked, and how she responded. Perhaps that knowledge fueled his already active imagination.

All good information, he told himself wryly, but for once his brain couldn’t explain exactly why he was acting the way he was. There was just some…chemistry between them. He should enjoy it and stop trying to analyze it.

The sand was warm under his bare feet. The light breeze teased at his clothes. Blue, blue ocean stretched out for as far as the eye could see. While he knew all the reasons the water was the color it was, and why that color changed so many times during a day, right now he didn’t want to think about light, refraction, current, or even electrons. He just wanted to be.

“I don’t do this enough,” he said, gazing at the view and enjoying the feel of Mandy’s hand pressed against his own. “I promised myself, when I bought the place, that I would spend time down here by the water. Somehow that got lost.”

She sighed. “Isn’t that always the way? I live on a little hill with a minor view. When I was first in the house, I would sit on the balcony and watch the sunset, followed by the lights in town coming on. It was pretty and very relaxing. But in a matter of weeks, it became commonplace. Why does that always happen?”

He glanced at her, momentarily caught up in her green eyes. “Do you really want the psychological explanation or are you just making conversation?”

She laughed. “What do you think?”

“That you are more lovely than I remember. I’m trying to figure out if I have a faulty memory, or if you’ve become more beautiful.”

Her breath caught in her throat. “Wow. That was really good. You used to fumble over telling me my dress looked nice. You’ve been practicing your compliments.”

“I’ve learned to say what I think,” he corrected, angling himself so he stood in front of her.

Slowly, so she could pull away if she wanted to, he brought up his free hand and lightly traced the curve of her cheek. Soft skin, he thought. Soft, warm and very appealing. He tucked her hair behind her ear and stared into her eyes.

This close he could see the different shades of green that made up her irises. Her pupils dilated slightly.

His overdeveloped intellect instantly began pumping out information about the possible causes of that dilation. As the sun continued to shine brightly in the sky, the most likely cause was sexual arousal. Scientifically—

Shut up, Rick told his brain, turning his attention to Mandy’s full mouth. Her breathing had increased, but then so had his. Doing what he was thinking of doing was several different kinds of crazy. It was also irresistible.

He lowered his head until he could press his mouth against hers. The soft kiss should have been pleasant. He didn’t remember much about what had happened before when he’d kissed her, so he had only minor expectations. He was unprepared to be swept away.

The instant skin contacted skin, his body heat flared. Need roared through him with the subtlety of a laser beam cutting through metal. Blood bubbled, boiled, then pooled in points south, and all this with the lightest of pressure.

He angled his head slightly and pressed a little more firmly. She responded by leaning into him. Somehow they weren’t holding hands anymore. His were on her waist and hers rested on his shoulders. He took a step closer, or maybe she did, he wasn’t sure. There was too much data for him to…

The hell with it, he thought, consciously turning off his brain and feeling the moment. They pressed together, straining slightly, both greedy for more. He was intimately aware of her soft breasts pressing into his chest. His fingers twitched slightly as he thought of sliding higher and touching her there. Cupping her, teasing her nipples until they were as hard and ridged as he was.

Instead he concentrated on her mouth. He licked her lower lip. The sweet taste of her stunned him into licking it again, then gently drawing her lip into his mouth and sucking. Pulsing need grew with each nanosecond of contact. When she parted, he didn’t need a second invitation to sweep inside.

At the first brush of her tongue, a thrill shot through him. His arousal throbbed as more and more blood rushed into already engorged flesh. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer still, wanting them to meld into one symbiotic being.

He felt her hands on his back. They moved up and down, making him wish she touched bare skin. The kiss deepened and became more frantic. The impulse to lower her to the ground and take her right there nearly overwhelmed him. He was as sexually out of control as he’d ever been.

The realization stunned him, then brought with it a measure of control. He eased away from her and broke the kiss. Slowly he opened his eyes.

The flush of arousal on her face nearly did him in. Her eyes were wide and unfocused, her lips damp, parted and swollen. He could see the fluttering pulse at the base of her neck and didn’t doubt that he displayed all the same symptoms. Plus one more that was damn painful.

The rush of the ocean drowned out the sound of their rapid breathing, but he could see the rise and fall of her chest, along with the hint of tight nipples under her dress and bra.

She blinked a couple of times, then asked, “Who are you?”

He chuckled. She didn’t.

“I’m serious, Rick. That was incredible. I don’t remember passion like that before, do you?”

“No.”

“I wonder what’s different.”

His brain kicked back in, offering several logical, scientific explanations. He ignored them. “ We’re different.”

She drew in a deep breath. “I guess so. At least you are. You’re polished and charming, a great kisser.”

She lowered her arms to her side and stepped back, forcing him to release her waist.

Her gaze narrowed. “You’re also smart, rich and successful. Why are you still single?”

He’d heard the compliments before. But somehow they meant more coming from Mandy. He shrugged.

A boat moved through the ocean, the loud engine causing them both to turn and watch the craft’s progress. They were close and somehow it seemed right to slip his arm around Mandy’s waist. She leaned against him.

Need still filled him, but he had a little more control now. However, a distraction would be nice. He eyed the ocean. A cold distraction would be best.

“What about putting your toes in the water? There it is.” He swept out his arm to include the whole beach.

“No splashing,” she insisted as they walked toward the shore.

“You’re such a girl.”

She smiled up at him. “It’s one of my best qualities.”

He thought about holding her in his arms and kissing her. “I’d have to agree.”

Talk about a pretty darned perfect moment, Mandy thought as they joined hands and walked down to the edge of the water. Every single cell in her body was still on full alert after Rick’s amazing kiss. Just recalling the feel of his hard body against her was enough to get her heart thumping at about a hundred miles an hour. No one had ever made her feel so alive and aware with just a simple kiss.

They stepped into the surf. The cold water raced over her feet and up to her ankles. The contrast from the warm air and sand made her shriek, but it did nothing to quell the lingering heat inside her. It was as if her body temperature had been cranked up a few degrees. Her skin felt tight, her thighs ached, as did other more… private areas.

“Mandy?”

“Yes?”

“Does Cassie’s beach house have a view?”

She blinked at him. From the tone of his voice, he’d asked the question before, but she hadn’t heard him. It actually took her a second to put it all together. Her first instinct was to say “Cassie who?”

Then she remembered. Cassie Brightwell—her best friend for over fifteen years.

Rick pulled her out of the water. “Come on. We need to go sit down.”

“You think?”

They walked up to the patio at the rear of the house. The weathered redwood deck held a white wrought-iron table-and-chair set, with a freestanding umbrella. There was a built-in brick BBQ in the corner, along with a gas grill. Tile countertops connected the two, and on the far end was a space to drop in a cooler. Talk about a nice setup.

“I thought Cassie’s family’s summer house was nice, but it’s nothing compared to this.”

Rick shrugged but didn’t say anything. Mandy wasn’t surprised. He might be content to enjoy his success, but he would never brag about it. Add that to his list of good qualities, which brought her back to her earlier question. Why wasn’t he married?

She didn’t have an answer and he hadn’t been prepared to offer one. To be honest, she found herself not really minding that he wasn’t married.

That realization made her uncomfortable so she plopped down on one of the chairs and shifted to a more neutral topic.

“Cassie needs a vacation as much as I do,” she said.

Rick sat next to her. She gazed at him. The man was sure easy on the eyes.

“Why? Is she all right?”

Mandy waved a hand. “She was engaged. One day she came home from work early and found Mr. Right in bed with her roommate. It was pretty horrible.”

Rick frowned. “How’s she handling it?”

“Better than I would. She’s been in Arizona for a while. She quit her job and is moving back to L.A. She’s joining me my last two weeks at the house and we’re committed to some serious recreation. You know, reading trashy novels, eating plenty of chocolate, going to the latest chick flicks.”

“Sounds like fun.” He practically winced as he spoke.

“You’re not much of a liar, are you?”

“No. I’ve never been good at that.”

It was, she considered, yet another quality to put in the plus column.

“I haven’t seen Cassie since the wedding,” he said. “I remember you and I would double-date with her when we visited here.”

Mandy nodded. Back when they’d all been a lot younger. “She went to college here while I went up north.”

Stanford, she thought. Where her father had gone. Where she’d met Rick. “I remember thinking it was so cool how we got together. That it would make a good story when we were old.”

“I ran into you. Literally.”

“I know. I thought it was cute.”

He frowned. “I was a klutz.”

“You were charming and very into your work. I liked that.”

“At first.”

She sighed. “Yeah. At first.” She didn’t want to think about that. Instead she turned her attention to the house rising up behind them. “This place is huge. Does it echo when you walk around?”

His frown faded. “Sometimes. I’m thinking of hiring some people to stay here with me. To make the place more lived in.”

“If I worked closer, I’d volunteer. It’s beautiful.”

“Come on. I’ll give you the nickel tour.”

He started to stand up, then fell back into his seat with an exasperated shake of his head. “Excuse me,” he said, and pulled a small pager out of his pocket. He read the screen. The frown returned. “I have to make a quick call to the office. Give me a second.”

After pulling a tiny cell phone from his pocket, he hit a single button and leaned back in his chair. “Benson,” he said curtly.

He listened for a minute, then glanced at his watch. “I’m not making the meeting, Clara. You’ll have to reschedule it.” He looked at Mandy and winked. “No. I’m not coming back to the office today. Please reschedule everything for me.”

He held the phone away from his ear. Mandy could hear someone talking very fast. Rick waited it out.

“You’re right. I should have called. Uh-huh. Yes. You can punish me when next you see me. Talk to you later.”

With that he pushed another button and tucked the small cell phone back into his shirt pocket.

Mandy sprang to her feet. “I’ve been keeping you.”

“And I’ve enjoyed being kept.” He rose and moved close. “Don’t go there,” he told her. “I’m a big boy and I made the decision to stay with you because I wanted to. I work about a sixty-hour week. I’ve more than earned an afternoon off.”

“But your meeting.”

“They’ll survive without me.”

She wasn’t completely convinced, but his work schedule wasn’t her problem. “If you work such long hours, when do you find time to practice your scuba diving?”

“I work hard, then I play hard. I’ve learned to focus on whatever the task is at hand and not worry about anything else.”

Intensity radiated from him. She thought about his focus when he’d kissed her. Yet another trait for the plus column.

“Do you need to get back for anything?” he asked.

“No.”

Somehow nothing else seemed very important just now.

“Then let’s take that tour,” he said, holding out his hand.

* * *

The house was amazing. High ceilings and large windows added a feeling of light and space to every room. Old, worn pavers covered the main floor. Rick rubbed at a tile with his bare foot.

“I should probably replace these,” he said. “But I like how the color has faded with time. You can see where people have walked before.”

They crossed into a formal dining room. “This table was originally built for the house. I bought it from the previous owners.”

The table in question was huge, made of thick planks of worn oak. It could easily seat fourteen. Two of the walls held arched glass doors that opened out into a walled garden. Mandy walked to the closest one and pushed it open. Instantly she was enchanted by the strong scent of honeysuckle. Vines trailed over the walls and down to the garden. Small benches offered seating area, and the same reddish pavers covered the whole garden.

“It’s wonderful,” she said, not daring to think how much this house must have cost. Not that Rick couldn’t afford it, but still he’d come a long way from their small one-bedroom apartment in Boston.

“If I ever decide to entertain, I thought it would be fun to set up a buffet inside, on the table, then have everyone eat out here.”

She nodded, already able to visualize how it would be. Twinkling lights in the trees, lit torches in the corners, the call of the night creatures, and the honeysuckle perfuming the air while the sound of the surf provided background music.

She turned back to him. “The house is worth it just for this alone.”

“I agree, but there’s more.”

He led the way into the remodeled kitchen. Stainless steel appliances gleamed against the granite countertop. There was an extradeep double sink, along with a separate vegetable sink at one end of the center island. A small table for four sat by the bay window opposite the entrance to the dining room.

“I eat in here,” he said, “when I bother to eat at home.”

She laughed. “Let me guess. Frozen dinners and cereal.”

He shrugged sheepishly. “Okay. I’ve learned how to install cabinets and refinish a wood floor, but I’m not big on cooking.”

They circled around to a large living room, then back to the entryway that was about the size of the first floor of her house. A fully stocked wine cellar had been tucked under the stairs.

“A new hobby,” Rick admitted. “I’m currently collecting a whole lot more than I’m drinking. That could become a problem.”

“Don’t wines keep?”

“Some.”

He started up the stairs.

Mandy followed, taking in the soaring ceilings, the elegant artwork, the hand-carved stair rail. The second-floor landing led to a large open family room, complete with enough television technology to stock an electronics store. Four remotes were lined up on the coffee table in front of a navy leather sofa.

“I don’t want to know,” she said.

Rick grinned. “If you think this is bad…”

He walked down the hall and opened the door on his left. She stepped into some kind of lab with equipment that beeped and flashed. There were shelves filled with partially assembled projects, or maybe they were completely assembled. She couldn’t tell. Computers hummed. Somewhere under a stack of papers a phone rang.

“If you ever can’t sleep,” Rick said, closing the door, “ask me to explain what’s in there. That should put you out in about five seconds.”

She laughed. “It’s a date.”

Poor choice of words, she thought as they looked at each other, then looked away. Or maybe not, because it reminded her.

“Speaking of dates,” she said, after she cleared her throat. “I’m not stepping on anyone’s toes by being here, am I?”

“No. I’m between lady friends. What about you? Is there some burly Neanderthal lurking nearby who’s going to want to use my head as a bowling ball?”

“I don’t date Neanderthals.”

The next room was a guest room, complete with an en suite bathroom and a view of the ocean that left her breathless. Two more bedrooms were empty. Rick’s office was at the end of the hall. It was much tidier than his lab, with only one computer on a desk. Several bookshelves lined two walls and a wooden file cabinet stood against another.

He closed that door and paused in front of another staircase.

Mandy started to ask what was upstairs. At the same moment she realized they hadn’t seen his bedroom. Then the pieces clicked into place. Of course.

“The master is on the third floor?” she asked.

He nodded. “I took out a couple of walls, did some remodeling. There’s a wraparound balcony and the view is terrific.”

“I’ll bet.”

“Want to see?”

He hadn’t asked her if she wanted to see any other rooms, and she had a feeling she knew why. None of the other rooms were…dangerous. But a bedroom. That was different.

Mandy moved to the stairs and started climbing slowly. Her heart began to pick up the pace a little. The added rhythm had nothing to do with the physical exertion and everything to do with her attraction to Rick. That kiss back at the beach had showed her the possibilities. If they went into his bedroom…

Nothing would happen, she told herself, thinking it was crazy. She didn’t have sex with strangers. She’d done that once and it had left her feeling sick with herself for weeks. Not that Rick was a stranger. He wasn’t. He was her ex-husband, which made contemplating any physical relationship completely crazy.

“I can hear you thinking from here,” he said, moving behind her. “I’m showing you the house, Mandy, not kidnapping you for the sex trade.”

She reached the third floor and moved away from the stairs. “Am I that easy to read?”

He stepped onto the landing and stared at her. “Maybe I remember what you were like.”

“We’ve both admitted we’re different.”

“Not that different. Come on. You’ll be perfectly safe.”

Which was good news, right?

The master suite was just as fabulous as the rest of the house. Rick had set up a home gym in a small room at the back of the house. There were his-and-her-closets big enough to camp in, a tub built for eight or nine and a double-headed shower.

The bedroom itself faced the ocean, with the bed on a platform. The sleek, modern furniture fit surprisingly well in the old Spanish-style house. Sliding glass doors led out to the wraparound patio.

Mandy crossed to the glass and stepped outside. Warm sea air brushed against her skin. She could see to the ends of the world, or so it seemed. The grounds of the estate stretched out below, with the sea beyond.

“You’ve found a piece of paradise,” she said.

He came up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder.

“So why aren’t you dating a Neanderthal?” he asked.

The change of subject caught her off guard. “What?”

Rick shrugged. “Why aren’t you dating someone? I’ll ask you the same question you asked me. Why aren’t you happily married with a bunch of kids?”

That wasn’t exactly her question, but it was close enough. “I’ve learned it’s better to be alone than to be with the wrong one.”

His dark eyes flicked. “Ouch.”

“I don’t mean anything against you. We were young and impulsive.” She waved her hand, not wanting to go into that right now. “There have been guys, but I’ve never felt that I was really in love. I could never see the relationship lasting more than a few months. When I do marry again, I want to get it right. I want it to be forever.”

She could feel the weight of his hand on her shoulder. His fingers were warm and strong. An image of them sliding over her body made her shiver slightly.

“For what it’s worth,” she said through a suddenly tight throat, “I’m sorry it didn’t work out for us.”

“Me, too.”

Was it her imagination, or was he moving closer? Or was she? Mandy could feel herself swaying slightly. The edges of the world seemed to blur a little bit until the only clear image she had was of Rick’s face.

His hand moved down her arm to her waist. She felt a slight tug. Stepping toward him seemed the right thing to do.

They stared at each other.

“This is crazy,” he murmured, his mouth blissfully close to hers. “I’m generally very cautious when it comes to a sexual relationship.”

“Me, too. I really like to take things slow, get to know the person.”

“Right. I’m sort of a two-months-later kind of guy.” His mouth brushed against hers.

She caught her breath. “At least two months. Sometimes longer.” She kissed him lightly, then drew her tongue along his bottom lip.

“Much longer,” he whispered. “I have no idea what’s going on between us, Mandy. It doesn’t make any sense.”

“Tell me about it.”

“We should stop,” he said, then kissed her jaw and nibbled her earlobe. “I’ll stop. Any second now.”

She ran her fingers through his thick hair and arched against him. He was already hard. Her most feminine place throbbed in response, swelling and readying.

“I’ll stop, too,” she told him as he moved back to her mouth. “Or maybe not.”