Joe cleared his throat. “Sarah…” he warned in a low voice.
Thoroughly discomfited by the situation, Nina pushed to her feet and grabbed the empty plates. “I’d better get these to the kitchen,” she said, and beat a hasty retreat.
As the evening wore on and the place got busier, Nina concentrated on her work and pushed all thoughts of Joe to the back of her mind. She hoped the incident with the spatchcock would be forgotten but knew it was a vain hope when, later that night as she stepped out the backyard with two bags of garbage, Sarah’s tall figure loomed up beside her like a prison guard.
Still, Nina tried to keep the atmosphere neutral. “Lovely night tonight.” She walked toward the Dumpster, tilting her head up to the sky. “Look at all those stars.”
Sarah kept pace with her, ignoring the stars. “What’s going on with you and Joe?” she asked bluntly.
“Nothing’s going on,” Nina insisted. Technically, that was true. Joe hadn’t made any promises. And she didn’t want any. She opened the Dumpster and heaved the first bag in.
“Bullshit. Are you and Joe having an affair?”
Nina stood her ground. “That’s none of your business.”
“It is my business. Joe’s my friend. I won’t stand by and let an oversexed tramp mess him around.”
Nina gasped. “Oversexed tramp! You’ve got one helluva nerve calling me names.”
Sarah stepped closer, tall and menacing. “You talked Joe into hiring you when you’re obviously unqualified. You’ve been here two weeks and already he’s drooling over you. You’ve schemed and seduced your way in here, and you’re up to no good. Of course you’re an oversexed tramp.”
Nina let out a furious laugh. “Ha! If I’m such an oversexed tramp, then why am I the one taking out the garbage?”
“It’s all a stunt, a cover. You’re not really here because of the job. Anyone can see that. There’s something else going on.”
Indignation boiled in Nina. “I might not be as quick as everyone else, but I pull my weight around here, and even you can’t deny that. As for Joe, he’s a big boy. He can take care of himself. He doesn’t need a mother hen like you flapping around him.”
Sarah gasped and faltered back as if Nina had pushed her. For a few seconds she appeared to struggle for breath.
“Joe takes care of everyone else, but he needs someone watching out for him.” Sarah sniffed and fisted her hands. “And I am not his mother hen.”
Nina bit her lower lip as the truth sunk in. Oh, shit. Sarah had a crush on Joe, and he probably had no clue. No wonder Sarah was so ready to bite her head off. Nina and Joe had shamelessly flirted over the spatchcock right in front of Sarah, and that must have hurt. If she found out that Nina had been spending nights with Joe… Nina’s animosity against Sarah subsided.
“Look, I appreciate your concern for Joe, but he’s in no danger from me.”
Sarah shook her head morosely. “You don’t convince me. I knew you were trouble the moment I saw you.”
Nina sighed, her patience slipping. “Well, maybe you should speak to Joe instead of me.” She tossed the second garbage bag into the Dumpster and slammed the lid shut. “I’m going back inside.”
The other woman glowered at her. “I know you’re hiding something, Nina, and sooner or later I’ll find out what it is.”
Nina shrugged and left the yard. If Sarah only knew how her secret was weighing on her… How much longer could she continue deceiving Joe?
Joe had been nothing but open and honest with her. He didn’t deserve to be lied to. But if she told him the truth, Joe would surely despise her, and that prospect was too much to bear.
…
Nina retreated to her bedroom as soon as her hectic evening shift was over. After her confrontation with Sarah, she didn’t think it would be appropriate to hang around in the bar waiting for Joe, especially since she found it impossible to hide her attraction to him. She should try to curb her libido. It was crazy sleeping with a man who didn’t know her true identity. Crazier still to have these strange, warm feelings whenever she thought about him. All things considered, it was better to be alone tonight.
But all her sensible ideas scattered when, an hour later, she heard someone walk up to her room. The footsteps paused outside her door, and she knew instinctively that it was Joe standing on the other side. Her breathing hitched as she waited for him to knock. Please, please, please knock. Her desperation for Joe shocked her. Before she could help herself, she moved to the door and opened it.
Joe blinked at her, making her conscious of her scrubbed face and the fact she wore only a T-shirt. His dark eyes warmed, and the glow in them chased away her reservations. Yes, she felt increasingly guilty over her deception, but she wasn’t lying about how she felt about him.
And what exactly are those feelings? a critical voice queried at the back of her mind. This is supposed to be just some harmless fun, isn’t it?
The nagging voice faded as she took in Joe’s presence, delighted at his visit.
“Are you just going to stand there,” she said, “or are you coming in?”
His gaze swept over her T-shirt, making her nipples perk up in anticipation. “I shouldn’t be here,” he said.
She smiled. “No, you shouldn’t be.” But he was. She took him by the hand and tugged him toward the bed.
“Tired?” she asked and sat next to him.
“A little. It’s been a busy day.”
She recalled his bank meeting earlier that hadn’t gone well, and bit her lip. To help ease her conscience, she shifted behind him and squeezed his shoulders. “Want a massage?”
“That’d be great.” He sounded surprised.
She began working on his muscles, kneading the tight knots in his back and shoulders. Joe groaned in relief, lowering his head. The sight of his bowed head made her heart twinge in a novel way. She was only giving him a massage, and yet it felt more than that. It felt as if he was letting down his barriers, allowing her into his citadel. She slid her palms over him, relishing the flex of his muscles, the scent of his skin. She wanted to do this every night. Wanted to be the one he turned to for comfort at the end of a tiring day.
Her heart panged with deep longing.
But how could she ever have that without telling him the truth? Maybe—her mind quavered—it was time to fess up. Not now when he was at ease and relaxed, but maybe later…sometime soon.
Joe sighed. “I should go home.”
No, she almost cried out. She wanted every drop of him while she could, because who knew how long this would last? “Why?”
“I have spreadsheets to go over.”
Her body took over, reckless with yearning. Rising to her feet, she spread her legs over his knees. “I have a spreadsheet for you to go over, too. Figures that need massaging…”
He ran a hand along the length of her thigh, the glint in his eye mirroring the fire in her veins. “I’m good at massaging figures.” She quivered as he slid his hand higher under her T-shirt and pulled her down to sit astride his knees.
“W-wonderful.” She clutched at his shoulders. “What about bottom lines? Any good at those?”
Laughing, he leaned in to nibble her earlobe. “Sweet pea, I’m all over your bottom line. It’s one of your prime assets.” Shifting his hand up, he cupped her bare breast, causing them both to breathe faster. “Along with these…”
She hissed with pleasure. “That’s some dirty bookkeeping you have in mind.”
He lifted her and pushed her onto the bed, pressing the full weight of his body onto her as he covered her mouth with his.
“Just wait until we get to double-entry accounting, sweet pea.”
Chapter Ten
“You haven’t looked at the spreadsheets?” Patty Williams blinked in complete bafflement. “But Joe, the festival’s next week, and you promised.”
Guilt and embarrassment crawled over Joe as he faced his colleague. Those budgets and costing were vital for the festival. He’d let Patty and the committee down, all because he couldn’t keep his priorities straight recently.
“Sorry, Patty. I’ll go over them as soon as I can.”
The older woman glanced around the lobby of the Comet Inn, where several people stood about, some waiting to check in, others browsing the tourist brochure stand. The inn was booked with guests invited to a weekend wedding, and the restaurant would be hosting a prewedding dinner that night.
“Doesn’t look like you’ll get a chance today,” Patty said through a sigh.
Joe grimaced. He hated reneging on his word. This was all his fault. He shouldn’t have gone to Nina’s room last night.
“I’ll get on it today, I guarantee.”
Patty nodded, though doubt lingered in her expression. She took her leave, and he went back to seeing to his paying guests.
Later, Joe retreated to his office to study the spreadsheets. He couldn’t let Patty down a second time. After a couple of hours of intense concentration, he’d finished his analysis, made several corrections and emailed the revised spreadsheets to the committee. Relieved, he told himself there’d be no more slipups from his end. This festival was too important to mess up. Tourists brought in revenue, and he needed every extra cent for his B&B.