Suddenly Sexy(39)

"Yeah, but it won’t be right. Not...comfortable enough." And what better way to keep her near him than to go shopping with her. Women loved shopping.

She didn't give him an answer but turned her back and opened a cupboard door. He couldn't help smiling. Her mugs were sorted into colors, darkest to lightest then sub-sorted by size. Not only cute but organized. He needed someone like that to sweep into his life, remove the clutter and put everything where it was supposed to be. Someone to keep him in the same place and on the right track.

A chill crept across his skin but a rush of heat chased it away. His heart pumped wildly in his rib cage and he sat up straight. This was one of those moments people talked about. The sort of moment that changes a person's life.

He'd found his soul mate.





CHAPTER 13




Maddie frowned. "Something funny?"

Sam gulped. "No! No, not at all." Oh hell. Was it too early in their relationship to mention the soul mate thing? Probably, considering they currently didn't have a relationship. "I was just thinking you and Mum have a few things in common." He frowned down at the table. "Scary."

"You can say that again." She retrieved two matching blue mugs and placed them on the bench. "That's not something you want to hear from a man. Especially from one whose mother used to call my mother and complain that Linda was leading her son astray."

He winced, glad for the distraction. Nothing like discussing his mother to dampen fiercely intense emotions. "She did that? She was more out of control than I thought."

"I'm sure she's mellowed in recent years. She hasn't had anyone to worry about since you left town."

"Now I'm back," he said on a sigh. He gave her half a smile and she returned it.

Just like that, the awkwardness was gone and he was having coffee with Maddie Clarke, Linda's little sister. Linda's sexy little sister who was his soul mate.

"I'm insane aren't I?" he said, not entirely focusing on his conversation with Maddie.

She laughed. "How is the old ba—, ah, dear, anyway? Still ruling the tennis club with an iron fist and frightening the teachers down at the high school?"

"She was a menace, wasn't she? Remember that time I failed art and she told Mr. Gower he was a decrepit old hippie who wouldn't know creativity if it jumped up and bit his very large nose. I thought he was going to have a heart attack right there in the Principal's office."

She grinned again and her body seemed to relax. She didn’t stand so straight or hold her head so high as if in a battle-stance. He hadn't noticed how tightly strung she was until now.

Maybe he could massage any remaining kinks out...

"How could you fail art?" she said. "I thought old Flower Power Gower passed everyone."

He shrugged. "Instead of drawing a fruit bowl I drew Mrs. McClary, the English teacher, without clothes on. At Pete's encouragement of course."

She grinned. "You two were impossible in those days." The kettle whistled and she turned round to pour boiling water into the mugs.

"Pete seems to have turned out all right," he said.

"And you?"

"Me? Only the love of a good woman can save me."

She stopped pouring and half-turned to glance at him over her shoulder, her face in profile. Her lips parted as if she was about to say something but closed again and she returned to her task.

The thudding of Sam's heart echoed in his ears as he waited for her response. None came. He stood and moved towards her. It was now or never. He had to get this over with, tell her he wanted to see more of her. Tell her he'd never felt like this before. Tell her...hell, tell her he was quite possibly, maybe, almost certainly in love. With her.

If he didn't do it, he'd lose his nerve. And Sam had never lost his nerve around a woman before and he was damned if he was going to start now when it actually mattered.

He came up behind her, just as she turned, mug in hand. "Maddie," he murmured.

Startled, she let out a small squeal and jumped. Hot coffee splashed out of the mug and onto him. Down his shirt, onto his jeans. At the crotch.

"Yeow!" He plucked at his T-shirt where the boiling liquid seeped through onto bare skin. He swore loudly as ripped the shirt over his head, then brushed the coffee off the front of his jeans. Thank God for denim. If he'd been wearing any other fabric... Ugh. He would have nightmares thinking about that.

Maddie pressed a damp dish cloth to his chest. "Oh my God! Are you all right? Sam, are you hurt? I'm so sorry." She rubbed the cloth across his chest, pressing her other hand into his shoulder to steady herself or maybe him.

The cool towel felt good and he closed his eyes and breathed. The scent of Maddie and coffee filled his nostrils as the light pressure of her fingers on his shoulder sent a shudder through him. He wanted to feel those fingers on his back, in his hair, on his thighs and in the place where not even hot coffee could keep him down.