Finally she takes a breath, and I briefly close my eyes and try to absorb and rationalize all that she told me. I fail miserably. But that doesn’t mean I don’t want to hear it.
“I bet you’re thinking the same thing I am,” she says.
“What’s that?”
“We just found a new humane—or not so humane—way to lull a lobster to sleep.”
I smile at that. “Nope. I was thinking that you’re beautiful and brilliant.”
She blushes and curls a long honey-blonde strand of hair around her finger. Her innocent sexuality gives me an instant boner. I stand, step around the table, and pull her from her chair.
“I…sometimes men can be intimated.” Her eyes search mine likes she’s trying to figure out if I’m that guy.
“I’m impressed, Kira. I really am.”
“Really?” she says quietly. “I usually only impress men in my academic world. For men like you it’s a yawn fest to listen, and then intimidation usually kicks in.”
“Like me?” I say.
“Fishing for a compliment, Nate?” She winks. “See how I did that?”
“Clever,” I tease. “About what I do…” I begin, and she shakes her head.
“Nate, as long as you’re passionate about your job and enjoy what you do, it doesn’t matter to me.”
“I could be an axe murderer, and you’d be okay with it as long as I was passionate about it?” I say playfully.
“Are you an axe murderer?” she asks.
“No. But I could be a stalker.”
“Are you a stalker?”
“Not since the restraining order,” I tease.
“Then kiss me.”
I lower my head, press my lips to hers, and as I kiss her deeply, lose myself in her silky softness, she slides her hands around me, palms my muscles.
“Mmm,” she moans, but that sexy sound mingles with a bang at the back door and a loud moo.
I break the kiss and shake my head. “Cock blocked by a blind cow,” I murmur, and Kira laughs. “Now how often does a guy get to say that in his life?”
Chapter Eleven
Kira
I pull my coat on and run my hand along Gram’s wall. So much work needs to be done to spruce the old place up, it’s a bit overwhelming. I’ve been here almost two weeks, and while I’ve gone over the list the realtor gave me, between my theorem, letters to the Heritage Society, and well, hanging out with Nate and the others, most of the work still needs to be done.
Knuckles rap on the back door, and I walk through the dining room, happy to see the pickle jar has been removed.
It’s Faith. “Hey, come on in,” I say.
She frowns and says, “Just saw the For Sale sign on the front lawn, but no eggshells.”
“It’s not happening as frequently.”
“Did you ever figure out who it was?”
“Not yet.”
She glances at my coat. “Am I catching you on your way out?”
“Just headed to the Anchor to meet Ralph and Mindy for lunch.” I still haven’t thanked Gram’s best friends for helping out around the place since her passing. I should be so lucky to have people like them in my life. Then again, I actually do. For the time being, anyway.
“I won’t keep you. I was just out for a walk and thought I’d check in to see if you were coming to the party tonight. Lots of people want to meet Gram’s granddaughter.”
“You bet. Nate and I will be there.”
“I also wanted to see if you were interested in joining our book club.”
“Oh,” I say, touched that they thought of me. “I don’t have a lot of time to read right now.”
“No worries. We basically drink wine and plan events for the Pathfinders.”
“I’m good at drinking wine,” I say, and we laugh. “But I have no idea how to plan events.”
“It’s fun. We’ll be heading outside for a survival camping trip before the snow. You’re welcome to join us.”
“Sure, I’ll join you.”
Her eyes widen in disbelief. “Really?”
“Yeah, right after the next resurrection.”
She laughs hard. “That’s what Gram always used to say when she didn’t want to do something.”
“It’s not that I don’t want to. It’s just that death by hypothermia or bear attack…not high on my list.”
She laughs. “We’re used to this weather. You will be soon, too.”
I’m about to tell her I won’t be here long enough for that, but she goes on.
“And bears…they’re more afraid of you. Anyway, if you change your mind, we’d love to have you. Amber really likes you. Apparently, you’re way cooler than her mom.”
I laugh at that, and when Faith steps out, I follow her. I zip my coat to the neck, but the damp chill seeps into my bones. Yeah, I’d last all of three seconds on a survival trip.
“You’re out for a walk…in this cold?”
She waves her hand. “It’s a balmy five degrees, Kira. If it jumps any more, we’ll have to dig out the bathing suits,” she teases with a wink.
I shake my head. “East coasters are one of a kind.”
“The best kind. You’ll see.”
She disappears around the house, and I jump into the land yacht and head to the local pub. Judging by the nearly full parking lot, all the Hooked employees must come here for lunch. Inside, I search for Ralph and Mindy. It’s been so long, I’m not so sure I’ll recognize them. In the short distance, a hand raises to gesture me over.
“Ralph,” I say as he tugs me in for a hug. Mindy is next, and neither one of them has changed a bit. Once we exchange pleasantries, I take a seat in the chair across the table from them.
“I’m sorry it took so long to reach out to you both,” I say. “I’ve been slowly working on the house. Gram has a lot of knickknacks in the basement, and I’ve been boxing them and donating to the church for their summer flea market.” It’s the bigger things on the list that I haven’t gotten around to.
“No worries,” Mindy says, and the lines around her cloudy blue eyes crinkle as she smiles at me.
“Ralph, I want to thank you for keeping an eye on the place, and helping the crew continue to run it as a B&B.”