Sweet Surprise (20 page)

An overwhelming rush of pleasure took him by surprise. He took her by the hand and drew her against him. “You’re a very fine woman, Fiona.”

“I’m glad you think so. And I think you’re a
very
fine man.” She tapped a finger against his collarbone. “That must mean we make a good match.”

“That we do.” He leaned in for a kiss.

Laughing, she ducked away. “Uh-uh. No more smooching until after we fulfill this little girl’s dream.”

“When we’re done, will you introduce me to Naughty Fiona?”

“She’s a little unpredictable.” Those beautiful bare shoulders lifted in a shrug. “You just never know when she’ll appear.”

“Well, you let her know I’ll be eagerly waiting.” Despite her evasion tactic, he stole a quick kiss anyway. “For whenever she decides to show up.”

For the next hour, they unloaded and installed the table and chairs, a small cabinet, a rocking chair, a polka-dotted tea set, a chalkboard easel, brightly colored pillows, Hello Kitty pictures, and a giant teddy bear with a floppy hat. Fiona had even found a mini crystal chandelier for which Mike would have to come back later to hook up for electricity if that’s what Deserae’s parents wanted.

By the time the playhouse was complete, they were both smiling. Amid laughter and stolen kisses, they’d worked together well. When all was said and done, they stood back—arm in arm—to observe and enjoy their efforts.

“Thank you,” he said. “Deserae is going to love it.”

A little sigh whispered through Fiona’s lips, and he was tempted to kiss her yet again.

She looked up at him, eyes as big and blue as a summer sky, and said, “You know how sometimes there are those moments in life that feel just perfect because it puts a smile on your face and in your heart?”

“Yeah. I do.”

“This . . .” She laid her head on his shoulder. “Is one of those moments.”

He’d never agreed with anything more in his life.

Chapter 13

O
n Wednesday, Fiona closed the shop early so she could take her insurance money and go car shopping. Her policy had only covered a portion of the car rental, and it became more expensive by the day. The time had come to find a replacement.

There were no car lots in Sweet, so she either had to drive to Austin, New Braunfels, or San Antonio. Since the latter was home to one sexy firefighter, she decided to give him a call and see if he wanted to come out and play. Or at least help her look for a car. Not that she couldn’t decide or negotiate on her own, but when you were buying a used car, it always helped to bring a little muscle.

Mike had plenty to spare, and she certainly didn’t mind looking at it.

She pulled up to the address he’d given her and parked. When she got out of the car, she pushed her sunglasses to the top of her head and squinted against the bright sunshine as she read the sign near the large building.

HOPE HAVEN.

Her attention jarred when she heard the squeal of a metal door and saw Mike walking toward her. Sabrina’s words rang in her head.

For all you know he could be the perfect choirboy who takes care of the elderly and serves meals to the homeless.

“Seriously?” she murmured. If he started singing a hymn a cappella, she was in bigger trouble than she had even imagined. She got out of the car and watched him walk toward her.

“What?” He lifted his hands. “I can tell by the look on your face you have questions.”

“Is this where you live?”

He stopped beside her and grinned. “Would you like me any less if it were?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Good to know.” He grinned. “In that case, this is where I volunteer whenever time and commitment allow.”

“You serve meals?”

“I do. I also help the residents fill out job applications, do building repairs, stuff like that. I just delivered several bunk beds I built for the family rooms.”

She couldn’t stop staring. And then she laughed. “It’s probably way too early to be madly in love with you, right?”

“I’ll take what I can get.” He wrapped an arm around her and led her toward his truck.

“So when did you start volunteering?”

“When I joined the fire service. We had a call here the first week I was on duty. There was a kitchen fire. Pretty small, but it did a lot of damage. I overheard the administrator fretting about how they were going to afford the repairs.”

“So you jumped in to help.”

His broad shoulders came up in a shrug. “Figured it was my time to give back.”

“You don’t think serving in the military and rescuing people on a daily basis is enough?”

“When you see the faces inside that building, there’s no such thing as enough. Sure, there are some people happy to be living on the streets. Others have made a string of bad decisions or have just had bad luck. In the end, there are kids who didn’t ask to be in their situation.”

“So you do it for them.”

“Yeah. And the moms who want a better life for their kids.”

Fiona’s admiration for the man just kept growing and growing. As a believer in helping others, she made a mental note to find out how many residents there were so she could deliver cupcakes at a future date. “Just so you know, I just put another X in your good-guy column.”

“I wouldn’t be too quick about that.” He opened the truck door and held her hand while she climbed in.”

“Why’s that?”

He propped his arm on the seat behind her and leaned in close. “Because while you’re sitting there all pretty in your little flowered dress thinking I might be some kind of Prince Charming, I’m thinking of ways to get that pretty little dress off you.”

She chuckled. “Are you now?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Desire shot a hot streak right through her middle and set fire to the tips of her breasts. Her gaze dropped to his wicked smile. Before she could stop herself, she turned and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I hope you have a really creative imagination. Because I’m intrigued.”

“Oh, I do.” His eyes darkened.

Lucky for her, he didn’t wait for an invitation. In a rush he pulled her against his chest, dropped his mouth to hers, and coaxed her lips open with a sweep of his slick tongue. She clung to him while he delved deep, provocatively stroking her tongue in a way that made her want to save him the effort of removing her dress. Plenty could be accomplished while wearing clothes.

For a moment, she forgot it was broad daylight, and they were in the middle of a parking lot. The kiss grew harder, hotter, and more eager before he ended it by playfully nipping her bottom lip.

“Looks like we’ve both forgotten to flip on the
SLOW
button,” he said.

Missing the pleasure of his lips on hers, she sighed. “Completely.”

“Yeah.” He fed her three quick kisses. “So how about we prevent ourselves from getting arrested and go find you a car.”

“If you insist.”

“I do.” Light as a feather, he trailed his strong fingers across her bare shoulder and down her arm. An ensuing tingle danced down her spine. “Besides, these arms are too pretty for handcuffs.”

“Oh really?”

He kissed the inside of her wrist, then raised his head revealing a mischievous smirk. “Unless you’re into that kind of thing.”

“You might want to talk to my alter ego about that.”

“I can hardly wait.”

“O
ooh, that’s a pretty one.” Fiona pointed across the lot to a sporty red Kia.

Mike looked at her from behind his sunglasses. She couldn’t see his eyes, but she could feel their tsk-tsk glare all the way through the smoky lenses. “You want pretty or functional?”

“I want cheap and reliable.”

He cupped her elbow and led her away from the cute and sporty to the dark and dependable. “Then let’s look over here.”

“Those are SUVs. I can’t afford one.”

“Sure you can.” His sexy lips curved into a smile. “I wouldn’t steer you in the wrong direction. You want economical, functional, and reliable all wrapped up in one vehicle. Right?”

She nodded.

“You want to expand your business and still make a statement while you’re growing. Right?”

Again she nodded.

“You might be able to have the economics in a compact car, but you’d have no space to transport your cupcakes. And one of these days soon, your little girl will most likely ask you to haul her and her entire soccer team to practice. You need to look past pretty and shiny.”

“A girl always looks at pretty and shiny first. Otherwise, jewelers would go out of business. Oooh. I like that one.” She spun on the heel of her Adidas and headed toward a dark gray Honda Accord sedan.

He moved in front of her and dropped his big hands to the hips of his cargo shorts. “A midsized sedan isn’t what you need either.”

She laughed at his tough-guy stance. “Okay, Mr. Bossypants, I know you alpha-male firefighter types have a reputation with the ladies.” She grinned up at him. “But I’m not sure your knowledge extends to my personal needs.”

“Maybe not yet.” The solid chest beneath his black-and-white-plaid shirt expanded on a long exhale of air, and a smirk lifted his lips. “But I’m definitely willing to learn.”

She patted that scrumptiously lickable chest. “Hard to fault a man with an appetite for education.”

“If we’re talking about you putting on a short, sexy skirt, glasses, and sticking a pencil behind your ear, count me in.”

She laughed. “Maybe we should get back to the car search before we end up in the backseat of one and have to find out about those handcuffs.”

“Party pooper.” Smile still in place, he slipped his hand around to the small of her back and led her in the opposite direction of where she’d initially been headed.

“What you need is something like a midsized SUV. Most car makers have a model or two that fit your design and economical needs,” he said, as they headed toward a plain white mini SUV.

Within a few feet of their destination a salesman wearing a wrinkled tie and a
cha-ching
smile, appeared and pointed out the special features and low miles. They moved on to several others with the same basic advantages, then the salesman tossed them the keys for a test drive.

Behind the wheel, Fiona embraced the changes that had recently come into her life. From the move to Sweet, to opening her own business, to deciding to give
dating
a go. She’d intended to take baby steps into a new life, but true to form, she’d taken a giant leap.

Next to her in the passenger seat sat a man who intrigued her, gave her the beginnings of a sense of what she was looking for, made her laugh, and filled her with the wonder of possibilities. Once they’d both decided to take a chance, they sprang onto a platform of playfulness and temptation. But that didn’t discount the serious conversations they’d already shared. And she was pleased to know, at least, Mike tried to be open-minded. He had many facets she was excited to explore. And that didn’t even count her utter fascination with his perfectly developed physique.

She turned at the corner of the main road and onto a smaller, tree-lined street with less traffic.

“How’s it handle?” he asked.

“Smooth. It feels sturdy.”

“That’s important.”

“I agree. Whatever I decide to buy needs to be really reliable. I can’t afford to get stuck. And I really hate to have to call Jackson when I have car issues.”

“Why would you call Jackson?”

“Old habits die hard?” She shrugged. “I don’t know. He’s always been there for me. And it’s not like I . . .” She turned and caught the expression on his face. “What? And don’t you dare say nothing. That look says it’s something. Did I say something wrong?”

“Can you pull over?” he asked. “I think it’s time we had a little talk.”

M
ike’s chest tightened as she pulled the car to the curb and put it in
PARK
.

“What’s wrong?” Her blue eyes went wide, and tiny little furrows crumpled her smooth forehead.

The Kia idled quietly beneath them as he realized just a few weeks ago he’d never dreamed of having this conversation. But here he was, jumping into the pool wearing lead shoes.

“Things are going pretty well here,” he said. “Between us. Right?”

She nodded.

“Then I think it’s time.”

Her pretty arched brows collided. “For?”

“Not keeping us a secret. It’s not that I don’t respect your wish to keep things quiet, so as not to confuse Izzy. But–and I don’t mean to sound harsh–Jackson has moved on. So why can’t you?”

Surprised, she leaned away from him. “I am moving on.” The defensiveness in her tone was clear.

“Are you sure about that?”

“Yes.”

“Then what difference does it make if the world discovers we’re seeing each other today or a month from now?”

“What’s prompting this?” she asked without responding to his question.

“I think you’re an amazing woman, and I’m proud to be the man you want to be with. I told you I try to be open and honest, so sneaking around really isn’t my thing. Especially when I’m working side by side with my best friend, who also happens to be your ex-husband, and I feel like a total jerk for deceiving him.”

“I never thought about that.”

“
Bela,
it’s killing me.” He curled his hand around the back of her deliciously warm neck and drew her face close. “If I have to choose between my friendship with him or you, you win. Hands down. But I really don’t want to be in that situation.”

“I’m sorry.” She lowered her eyes from his face, and her dark lashes swept her cheeks. “I didn’t think . . . I know how close you and Jackson are. I’d never want to put a strain on your friendship. I’m not that kind of person.”

“I know you’re not.”

“I know I used Izzy as an excuse, but I guess I was really only thinking of myself at the time. I was afraid of the way you made me feel. And I didn’t want to face another embarrassment if this didn’t work out.”

“I want this, Fiona.” He tucked his fingers beneath her chin and made her look at him. “I want
you.
”

“Are you sure?”

“Very.”

“Then . . .” She exhaled a breath. “Do you want to tell him? Or should I?”

“I will,” he said. “But we tell Izzy together, okay?”

“Okay.”

There weren’t many occasions where Mike felt a sense of absolute relief and joy at the same time. But that’s exactly what happened when he wrapped Fiona in his arms and held her as close as the bucket seats would allow.

“I
never pictured you as a sushi kind of guy.” Fiona’s heart fluttered as Mike smiled, then reached across the table at the Jingu House Café in the Japanese Tea Gardens and held her hand. She’d signed the papers on her new-used Kia, and they’d come to celebrate. Not only the purchase of the car, but the huge step they’d just taken in their relationship.

“And I never figured you for the kind of girl who’d give up Riverwalk shopping and dining for wandering around and looking at a bunch of stone and plants.”

“Are you kidding? It’s gorgeous here. I especially loved the waterfall.” She squeezed his hand. “I’m glad I got to share my first time here with you. Besides, I’m really not much of a shopper.”

“I thought that was standard in a woman’s DNA.”

“Nope.” She leaned back in her chair, picked up her chopsticks, and dabbed wasabi on top of her California roll. “Unless you’re talking about yard sales and secondhand stores. Then you’re talking my language.”

A bite of sushi disappeared in his mouth. “I have to admit, I’ve never been to a yard sale in my life.”

“Well, you don’t know what you’re missing. Everything in my house is secondhand in one way or another.”

“I’d have never known. But I like the way it looks. It’s very comfortable. It feels like a home should feel. Like someplace you want to plop down, relax, and never leave.”

“Thank you.” She let the compliment float over her before her curiosity leaped into action. “Since I’ve never been to your house, what’s it like?”

“Nothing special.” He sipped his green tea. “Pretty much it’s a subdivision house decorated in the finest man-cave style available.”