Chapter 15

“Nightcap?” Russell asked as Kathleen put her spoon down on her empty dessert plate and swallowed the last of her bittersweet chocolate mousse.

“You sure you trust me?” she asked, arching one eyebrow.

“Am I ever going to live that down?” His eyes crinkled and that delectable dimple creased his cheek.

She leaned back in her chair. “The question is, am I? But yes. I’d love a glass of champagne.”

“I like that you’re feeling celebratory.” While he ordered two glasses from the waitress who paused by their table, Kathleen looked over at the Laffertys, who were just rising from their seats. Professor Lafferty pulled out his wife’s chair and tucked her hand into the crook of his arm as they made their way slowly across the restaurant. The nervous tension Kathleen had felt before began to rise in her again and Russell’s warm hand covered hers.

“Stop worrying.”

He was right. She was a grown woman, for crying out loud. But the mere thought of her father’s disapproval always had the ability to send her into an emotional tailspin.

The Laffertys paused by Kathleen and Mrs. Lafferty smiled down at them. “I hope you both had a delicious dinner. Kathleen, it was very good to see you and it was lovely to meet you, Professor King.”

Kathleen murmured her thanks and Professor Lafferty shook hands with Russell, who had risen to his feet. Mrs. Lafferty bent over to kiss Kathleen’s cheek and murmured, “Don’t worry. I’ll make sure Joseph doesn’t tell your father.”

Kathleen went still, her eyes wide. Mrs. Lafferty smiled again, patting her cheek. “You always were the most sensitive child. And your father has some very”—she wrinkled her nose— “old-fashioned notions. Not all of us old fossils saved ourselves for marriage, dear.”

Fighting the almost irresistible urge to laugh out loud, Kathleen managed to make her goodbyes without embarrassing herself. But when the Laffertys were out of the dining room, her shoulders crumpled in a laughing fit so overwhelming, tears began to stream down her cheeks.

“Are you okay?” Russell looked torn between joining her in laughter or calling 911.

Kathleen waved a hand. “Fine. Just…Mrs. Lafferty has my number.”

He looked baffled. “And…that’s a good thing? Or at least a funny one?”

“She said she was going to make sure Professor L. didn’t say anything to my dad about seeing us here. I don’t know how she’s going to manage it, but I believe her.”

“I do too. They’ve been married for fifty years. There’s no way she doesn’t have her methods.” Russell brushed her tears away with his fingertips, chuckling along with her as she breathed deeply and fanned herself with both hands.

“Oh, my. Thank you,” she said, accepting her glass of champagne from the waitress.

Russell clinked his glass against hers. “To you.”

She paused in the act of bringing the glass to her lips. “Why me?”

“Because I can’t think of when I’ve had this much fun ever in my life and you’re the reason why.”

She could feel herself blushing yet again and didn’t care this time. Tapping her glass against his, she said, “Then to you also, for the same reason. Also, because I can’t drink to myself.” She sipped the wine, the bubbles effervescing on her tongue.

“Sassy as always,” he said, taking a drink.

“Part of the package.” She placed her glass down on the table, suppressing a smirk.

His finger traced the line of her jaw and she looked up into his face. His expression was appreciative, his eyes creasing.

“What are you thinking?”

His lips pressed together. Not a smile. Not a not-smile either. “Ask me later.”

Russell was seconds away from doing something impulsive.

Russell never did anything impulsive.

Only habit or long practice kept him seated in his chair, sipping his champagne and enjoying the sight of Kathleen doing the same. He hadn’t thought a whole lot beyond each moment as it came this entire weekend, but now he considered what would—what could—happen after they left this little bubble.

It was silly to think that a single weekend could make him start to think about the rest of his life, but there it was.

Russell spun his champagne flute between his fingers and looked at Kathleen. She was regarding him with a quizzical expression.

“What’s on your mind, Miss Fitzgerald?”

Kathleen’s eyes narrowed and she wagged a finger at him. “Oh, no. You don’t get to ask me that right after saying that I have to ask you later about what you’re thinking. So, either you give a little, or…” Her fingers mimed locking her mouth and throwing away the key.

Russell nodded. “Okay. Fine.” He took a healthy swallow of his wine and pursed his lips, gathering his courage. “I was wondering how far this could go.”

“By this…you mean…” Kathleen wafted her glass in the space between them.

“Yes.” Russell’s throat constricted.

Kathleen placed her glass down and her eyes lifted to his as if they were attached to weights.

This is what I get for putting myself out there. He steeled himself to be shot down.

“How far do you want it to go?”

It took him a couple of seconds to realize he had not, in fact been shot down. His pulse picked up, his heartbeat thudding in his ears. “I’d…I’d like to see you again. I’d like to take you out. Do things with you. Continue to get to know you.”

Kathleen’s expression brightened. “I’d like that too,” she said.

“I’m glad.” His words were an inadequate reflection of his actual feelings. His mood was rocketing skyward, like a playground ball released after being held under water.

“I have to warn you it’s not always that easy to date an actress. We’re often only available at weird times. I’m going into rehearsals for my next gig imminently.” Her eyes gleamed with humor, but there also seemed to be a touch of worry in her face.

Russell extended his glass, one sip left in it, touching the rim to hers. “We’ll figure it out. To us.”

“To us.”

Back in the bedroom, an absurd nervous flutter welled up in Kathleen. It was as if by mutually stating their intention to extend their weekend into an actual fledgling relationship, they had somehow landed on square one again. An all-new understanding between them.

Now things were serious. It was frightening. But thrilling too.

Standing at the windows, she looked out at the lawn stretching to the bay, the early evening light mellow and inviting. So much had happened out there over the last couple of days: the croquet, the wedding, the kayaking. Even their brief walk on the first evening. Kathleen pressed her fingertips to her lips. It had only been forty-eight hours since they had met. The thought made a hysterical giggle well up in her and she fought for her composure.

Russell padded out of the bathroom in his stocking feet, his sleeves rolled up, looking utterly at home and casual and she glanced at him, knowing her expression must be beyond bizarre.

“You okay?” One eyebrow was cocked and one hand half-extended as if he wasn’t sure if he should touch her.

Kathleen nodded, not trusting her voice. She cleared her throat. “I was just going over the weekend in my mind. It seems…almost baffling to me that we’ve only known each other for two days.”

“Are you still okay with everything?” His hand dropped to his side, his shoulders rigid.

“Yes. It just seems—”

“Wrong?”

The nervous tension in Kathleen’s body flooded out of her in an incredulous laugh and she blurted what she was thinking in a rush. “No. Not at all. So right. Like a miracle.”

“Ah.” He stepped forward at last, wrapping his arms around her waist and drawing her against his solid, comforting body. “I like that. Do you usually believe in miracles?”

She chuckled. “Lousy lapsed Catholic that I am? Not really.”

He sighed and nuzzled her nose. “Then I guess this is really special.”

One part of her wanted to deflect, to minimize. Because it was special—so special it threatened to overwhelm her and she felt like she needed to protect herself. But her innate honesty wouldn’t let her do that. Instead, she slid her hands behind his neck to stroke his warm skin. “Yeah.”

“Scared?”

“A little. Am I that transparent?” She bit her lip.

He soothed her lip with his thumb, releasing it from her teeth. “I’d like to think I’m getting to know you. But it’s probably a little of both.”

“I should just hand in my union card now, huh? Never act again.”

His eyes were almost unbearably sincere, boring into her. “Well, you don’t need to act around me. If you’re scared, tell me. We’ll face it together.”

“What if that’s what scares me?”

His hands slid to the back of her head and his eyes met hers. “We’ll face that together too.”

Bending to kiss Kathleen, Russell let the wonder of the whole situation crash over him, as if it could drown him like a wave.

Let it.

Kathleen tasted like champagne and chocolate and her kiss was hungry, devouring. Pulling back and holding her head between his hands he teased her lips gently with his. She whimpered softly and slid her hands down his back to his ass, rising up on her toes to grind her pelvis against his. His breath caught and he felt her chuckle ghost across his mouth. His eyes scanned her face, alight with mischief.

“I thought you liked it when I took control,” he said.

“A girl has needs.”

“Oh?”

The gleam in her eyes increased. “And sometimes she needs to be fickle.”

He suppressed a laugh. “Good to know. Too much predictability would get stale.”

Her hand skimmed over his close-cropped hair. “I love how you’re almost unflappable.”

He chuckled ruefully. “But not quite.”

“No. It’s the almost that makes it perfect.”

“Imperfections make something perfect? How is that?”

She shrugged one shoulder, her head cocking to the side. “A pleasingly asymmetrical feature. Like your dimple.” Her finger traced his cheek, then she pressed her lips to the spot where his cheek dented any time he smiled.

His eyelids slid closed. “I hated that thing as a kid,” he confessed.

“Why?” Her eyebrows drew together in what looked like genuine distress. “I love it.”

He sighed. “So did every old lady and every other kid’s mom at school events. I got teased mercilessly about it by the other kids.”

She scowled, a mock-fierce expression that made him want to laugh out loud. “Let me at those kids. I’ll make mincemeat out of 'em.”

He ran his hands under the loose, silky fabric of her top, her warm skin like satin under his fingers. “Down, killer. It was a long time ago. I’ve gotten over it.”

Her smile was almost feral. “They were just jealous because they knew it meant you were going to be such a sexy adult.”

“If I had to go through the bullying in order to get to this moment, it was all worth it.” He nuzzled the side of her neck, feeling her inhalation of pleasure arc through him, his dick throbbing in response. “God, I love how you respond to me.”

“I love that you make me respond. And that you respond to me.” She pulled his face to hers and kissed him until he couldn’t think straight, her lips pliant and her tongue sliding against his, drawing a shuddering sigh from him.

“What did you say last night? Naked in twenty seconds?” he asked.

“We might be down to ten now. I’m feeling very needy.”

“Your wish is my command.”