“Whosays I’m willing?”
“You’rehere, aren’t you?”
Shesmirked, then turned her head toward the sunset and let out a long sigh. “It’sso beautiful.”
He followedher gaze and echoed her sigh. A gaudy display of sherbet pinks and orangesbrushstroked over a canvas of deep robin’s egg blue lit the sky, silhouettingthe massive, serrated purple peaks of the Rocky Mountains. No matter how manytimes he’d seen a Colorado sunset, Beckett never tired of it. And he loved thistime of year, when warm days and cool nights heralded fall. Hockey weather.
Theygawked at the show until the chill air forced them inside. Andie slid off herblack jacket and pulled out onions and a cutting board.
“Pickout a bottle of red, would you, Beck? The wine rack’s over there,” she saidwithout looking up.
Heglanced her way and froze. His eyes traveled over the light blue sweater thatclung to her, emphasizing her full breasts, tapered waist, and soft, roundhips. A classic hourglass figure, her curves were generously, perfectlyproportioned in all the right places on her compact body. She was concentratingon chopping, her dark auburn hair waving in front of her face. The strands capturedthe overhead light, reflecting it in burnished amber. He couldn’t tear his eyesaway.
Shelooked up at him and smiled. Like a kid caught with a fistful of Halloweencandy before Halloween, he blinked and fumbled, trying to mask what he’d beendoing.
Shejerked her head toward the wine rack. “Over there.”
Heexecuted an awkward goose step in that direction and pretended to study thelabels.
“Whatare you thinking of having?” she asked.
You popped into his head, but hemanaged to keep his mouth shut. “Uh, a zin maybe.” He uncorked a bottle andpoured two glasses. “What are you making?”
“Chickenpiccata with tomato-and-basil spaghetti on the side. Maybe you can give me somepointers, Chef.”
“Put meto work if you want, but it looks like you got this, Little Chef.” He took astool at the counter and slugged down a gulp of wine, trying not to look ather.
“Inever pegged you for goofy, Beck.” She shot him a sidelong peek.
Hebelted out a laugh. “Goofy?”
“Yes.You’re playful, silly. Goofy.”
“Youmust bring it out in me.”
Herphone vibrated on the counter, and she wiped her hands on a towel beforepicking it up. Her face fell.
“Youokay?” he asked.
“Yeah.”She tossed the phone in a drawer and beamed at Beckett, the smile forced.“Adrian. I’m not dealing with him right now. I’m having a good time.”
Beckettcleared his throat. “So. Speaking of the motherfu—what’s up with Adrian?” Hegave her an equally fake smile.
Shepicked up her wineglass and sipped.
Somethinginexplicable, primal, and foreign flared in him. “Let me guess. He wants youback, forgive and forget?” he growled. The contentment that had begun to settleover him was dissolving like sugar in boiling water.
Hereyes sad, she set the glass down. “We agreed to visit a marriage counselor, butI’m not hopeful.”
In thetime it took her to utter those words, Beckett’s emotions zipped fromdisappointment to cheer to guilt. He steadied himself. “Why not?”
Shefilled a pot of water, set it on the stove, and lit the gas burner. “Because Idon’t trust him. How do you repair that? He claims he broke it off withEnglish, but I’m skeptical.”
Likethe burner, Beckett’s inner flame blazed blue. “You’re smart to be skeptical.Don’t believe a damn word he says. He’s working you.”
Shepounded the cutlets. “We had five years together. I think I owe him a chance.Besides, people can change if they want to.”
“Thatfive years of history makes what he did even worse!” Somewhere in a rear cornerof Beckett’s brain, a dim message winked at him like a failing neon sign,telling him he was in no position to pass judgment.
Shescooped flour onto a plate and shrugged. “If I give up, admit defeat, then I’mjust like my mom.”
“Howso?”
“She’sthe queen of failed relationships. Whether it was her family or some guy, whenthings got hard, she was out the door and on to the next whatever. I don’t wantto be like that.”
“You’renot. What you are is too forgiving. Believe me, Adrian’s not spending hisnights alone.”
Herhead snapped up, pain flitting across her face. Fresh guilt stabbed him.
“Takesone to know one,” he added petulantly. Balls of paper napkin littered thecounter, and he realized he’d been making them. He swept them over the edgeinto his cupped palm, muttering, “I’m sorry, Andie. I shouldn’t have said that.Kinda funny coming from a guy like me, huh?”
Helooked into her cat eyes. So light, so clear. What a pretty color.
Shesurprised him when she said, “You know, he hates you calling me Andie. Maybehe’s jealous.”
“Servesthe prick right.” Beckett paused, and her words sank in. “Did you say somethingthat made him think he should be jealous?”
“No! Imeant jealous that he didn’t come up with a nickname I like.”
Hiseyebrows bounced. “You like it? And you told him that?”
“Younever stop, do you?”
“Stopwhat?”
“Fishing,pushing, prodding.” She smirked. “Poking the bear.”
Hebrightened with a wicked smile. “That sounds like fun, assuming you’re thebear.” He topped off their wineglasses. “Am I sensing that maybe …?”
“No!”Her eyes went wide with horror.
He puthis hands up in surrender. “Okay. Okay. Christ, I didn’t realize the idea wasso repulsive.” Damn.
Shestruggled with a jar of capers. He held out his hand, and she passed it to him.“It’s not … I’m not built the same way as other women you know, Beck,” she saidsoftly.
He gaveher a stunned look and passed back the open jar. “From my perspective, you’rebuilt every bit like other women I know. Only better. Something you want toshare before this goes too far?”
Shebegan to laugh, and the sound warmed him. His shoulders eased.
“That’snot what I meant. And this is not going ‘too far’ because it’s not goinganywhere. I’m not looking for anything with anyone—not a fling, and not along-term relationship either.”
“Reboundsex? I hear that can be fun.”
“Areyou serious right now?” She gaped at him with amused exasperation, a ghost of adimple beside her mouth and a crease between her dark velvet brows.
“I takeit that’s a ‘no.’ Fair enough.” He held up a three-fingered scout salute.“Friends without benefits. I’ll behave, scout’s honor.” I think Ican, I think I can.
Herexpression lit with a full-on smile, and it melted something inside him.Leaning
