The Trouble With Valentine's Day

Sixteen

"What kind of bread you selling-today?"

"Focaccia."

Ada Dover scrunched up her nose and leaned in for a closer look. Her hair was perfectly sculpted, and the scent of Emeraude engulfed her like a toxic cloud. "It's weird."

"It's very good."

"Still looks weird."

"It has fresh thyme and scallions, Niзoise olives and Parmesan cheese. Would you like to try a sample?"

"I think I better."

Kate bit the inside of her lip to keep from laughing as she cut a piece of bread and handed it to Ada. Ada's brows lowered as she chewed. "Yep, I better have a loaf of that," she said.

"Would you like some jalapefio jelly to go with your bread?"

"No. Same as yesterday when you asked."

Kate moved from the bread aisle and walked be hind the counter. "I'm going to keep asking until you say yes."

"Well, don't get your heart too set on it. I've liked your bread and some of that fancy cheese, but I just don't see myself warming up to jelly made with jalapenos." Ada set her purse on the counter and pulled out her wallet. "How's your granddad?"

You've wasted your Emeraude, Kate thought as she rang up the bread. He's off the market. "He's at home today taking it easy."

"Is somethin' wrong with him? His joints acting up? He should get some glucosamine. That'll heal him huckety-buck."

"No. He's just taking the morning off." To recover from his wild night. "He said he'd be in around noon."

Ada handed Kate a five, and Kate handed her back her change. "Are you coming to the poetry reading tomorrow night?"

"Oh, I don't know." Kate's mind raced to think up an excuse. "I think I'll be too busy getting bread ready for the next day," was the best she could do.

"Too bad. You'll miss my new and revised poem about Snickers."

Kate smiled. "Yeah, that is too bad."

Ada put her change away and picked up her bread. "Well, I'll tell ya what. I'll bring over a copy tomorrow afternoon, special for you, so you can read and enjoy it."

"Really?" Kate forced her smile to stay in place. "That would be great."

After Ada left, Kate restocked the "ethnic food" aisle, which consisted of refried beans, salsa, and canned chilies. At noon, Stanley arrived, as he'd said he would. His smile curved up the corners of his mustache, and he hummed what sounded like the William Tell Overture all day. Not "What's New Pussy Cat" or "Delilah," but classical music like Grace listened to.

He had it bad.

At three, Rob called with a delivery for across the parking lot. Kate didn't balk at his laziness this time since she figured he probably wanted to talk over the latest news with her.

As Kate left the grocery store, dull gray clouds hung over the wilderness area, threatening rain. A strong breeze played with the ties that closed her cuffs and secured the front of her cream-colored blouse. She wore a peach flared skirt and cream pumps with ankle straps. Wind whipped her hair as she glanced in the bag and smiled. Four granola bars and a bottle of passion fruit juice. Some people were so predictable.

Inside Sutter Sports, a man and his son looked at a row of mountain bikes while a woman leaned her elbows on the checkout counter. She'd squeezed herself into a tight pair of Wranglers, and her behind was pointed at Kate. Rob stood on the other side of the counter, chatting and tapping a pen on the cash register. He wore a dark green polo with the store's fish logo on the breast pocket, and when he looked up, a smile curved his lips.

"Babe," he said, "I'm so glad you finally got here."

Babe? Either he was really, really hungry, or he was talking to someone else. Kate glanced over her shoulder as she walked toward him. There was no one behind her, and she turned back as Rob came out from behind the counter and moved to her. She was about to ask him if he'd been eating paint chips when he stunned her even more. He wrapped her in a big hug that lifted the heels of her shoes off the floor. The scent of his sandalwood soap filled her lungs and her stomach got a little light, like she'd swallowed some air.

"Pretend to be my girlfriend," he said next to her ear.

Kate glanced behind him as Dixie Howe straightened and turned around. She'd somehow managed to squeeze her breasts into a little midriff top that was more suited for the beach than an overcast day in April. More suited for someone half her age, too.

"What's it worth?"

"I'll give you ten bucks."

"Forget it."

"I'll tell everyone I know that your jalapeno jelly is great and to scoot on over to the M &S and pick up a jar before it's all gone."

She smiled and leaned back far enough to look into those eyes of his surrounded by thick, dark lashes. She placed her free hand on the side of his smooth face and planted a loud kiss on his mouth. His soul patch scratched her chin, and she pulled back and smiled. "Is it me you're glad to see or my granola bars?"

He laughed and set her back on her heels. "Both." One of his hands slid down her spine and rested on the curve of her behind. She gave him a hard look, and he gave her a heart-stopping grin in return. "I'm sure you've met Dixie," he said and turned to face the other woman. He did not, however, remove his hand.

"Yes," Kate answered. "Dixie comes into the M &S. How are you?"

"I'm good." Dixie looked Kate over and shrugged, as if she didn't see the attraction. "Well, I'm going to head out, Rob. If you change your mind, you let me know."

"See ya."

"Change your mind about what?" Kate asked in a hushed voice as soon as the front doors shut behind Dixie.

He glanced at the man and his son looking at bikes, then slid his hand from her behind to her waist. Once again he pulled her close. His Fu Manchu tickled her temple when he spoke close to her ear. "Her version of the sexual pretzel."

"And you're not interested?"

"No. She's… too available to everyone in town."

"And she has those scary fake boobs."

There was a long, silent pause before he said, "Yeah, that, too." He dropped his hand and took the grocery bag from her. "Passion fruit. I thought I told Stanley kiwi." He shrugged. "Want some?"

"No. It's too sweet. I have to be in the right mood for passion fruit."

"That's the difference between men and women. Women have to be in the right mood. Men are always in the mood for a little passion fruit."

"Women need a reason. Men just need a place?"

He popped the top. "You know it, babe."

"Dixie's gone. You can stop calling me babe." He just gave her another grin and turned toward the man and his son. "That Heckler is a nice bike," he said and moved toward them. He took a drink of his passion fruit. "Lightweight and can take a lot of punishment."

"A thousand dollars is a little steep," the father said with a shake of his head.

"How much do you want to spend?"

" I can't afford anything more than three hundred."

"I just got in a Mongoose for two-fifty-nine." Rob pointed toward the back with his bottle. "I'll show it to you." The three of them moved past the helmets, and he looked at Kate across his shoulder. "Can you stick around? I need to talk to you."

Since she was curious and wanted to know what he thought of his mother's impending wedding, she decided she could "stick around" for a few minutes. "Sure." While she waited, she cruised the store, looking at everything from one-man tents to fly-tying equipment. In one aisle, she pulled on some fingerless gloves and looked at Road Dog headbands and bandanas. She took off the gloves and moved to the checkout counter, where she tried on Oakley sunglasses.

As she tried on her third pair, Rob walked from the back room beside the little boy and his dad. "I can have that ready for you tomorrow," he said. By the front door, the two men shook hands, and Kate turned her attention to a small mirror on the sunglasses case. She turned her head from one side to the other and couldn't determine if she looked good or like a bug.

"Do you want to learn to fly-fish?" Rob asked as he moved across the wooden floor toward her.

She glanced over at him through a pair of blue-and-red iridium lenses, and the hundred-and-fifty-dollar price tag hung from the bridge of the sunglasses and jabbed her nose. His mother was marrying her grandfather, and that's what he wanted to talk about? "Today?" She took off the Oakleys and put them back in the case. Surely he'd heard the news by now. If he hadn't, it wasn't her place to tell him. It was his mother's.

"Sunday." He set his empty bottle next to her. "Both stores will be closed on Sunday. I'll bet you look hot in hip waders."

She lifted a brow. "Hot?"

He chose a pair of tortoise-framed Brinkos from the case, and the tips of his fingers brushed the sides of her face as he slowly placed them on the bridge of her nose. "Sexy."

Kate looked at him through gold lenses, and her voice took on that embarrassing breathy quality that his nearness sometimes brought on. "I'd look ridiculous."

"Will you go with me?"

She shook her head. "If I want fish, I'll just walk to the meat cooler at the M &S."

"It's catch and release." He took the glasses from her face and looked away long enough to place them back in the case. "I'll pick you up at six."

"In the evening?"

"In the morning."

"That's my only day to sleep in."

"I'll make it worth your while." He slid another pair of glasses on her face and brushed the backs of his fingers across her cheek and down the side of her neck. His touch was like magic, sending his incredible sexual energy dancing across her skin.

She looked at him through the dark lenses, and her breath got stuck in her chest somewhere around her heart. "How?"

"I'll let you use my second favorite rod."

"Why can't I use your favorite rod?"

He laughed and set the sunglasses on top of the cash register. His dark head dipped, blotting out everything but him. "Anytime, babe," he whispered just above her lips.

Her hands grasped the front of his shirt. "Rob, I think-"

"Don't think." He pressed one of her hands over his heart, and she felt the strong beat against her palm. "Just feel. Feel what you do to me. Feel what happens when I'm around you." His mouth covered hers and blotted out everything but the warm male scent of his body filling her lungs, the slick tangle and slide of their tongues, and the taste of him. He tasted good, like passion fruit and lust.

He tilted his head to one side and turned up the heat. The kiss turned hotter, wetter, and he peeled her fingers from his shirt and slid her hands up and around his neck.

He gently sucked her tongue into his mouth, and she swayed against him. He pressed a hand to the small of her back and brought her breasts in contact with his solid chest. Her nipples tightened as desire pulled like a knot in her stomach, a visceral reaction to the taste of his mouth, the touch of his hands, and the heavy bulge brushing against her lower belly. Her body remembered his and wanted more of the pleasure he could give.

His kiss was like the hot buttered rum she'd drunk the first night they'd met. It tasted very good in her mouth and spread fire throughout her body, heating up the pit of her stomach and making her light-headed. The kiss turned urgent, needy, like he wanted to suck the air from her lungs. He was so good at making her body react to his, and making her forget exactly why she should avoid any sort of relationship. She tore her mouth from his. "I can't do this," she said as she took deep breaths. "I came here to talk about Stanley and your mother. We shouldn't do this again."

"Sure we should."

No they shouldn't. He was bad for her. He'd crush her heart and she didn't think she could take another heartbreak. She turned her face away. "I think we should just be friends."

"I can't be just your friend now." He touched her chin and brought her gaze back to his. "The other night when I came to the M &S, I didn't plan on making love to you. I didn't even know why I was knocking on the door until you answered. Then I saw you standing there and I knew." He pressed his forehead to hers. "I'm drawn to you, Kate. I used to think it was just sex. That I just wanted to get you naked, but it's more than that now. I like talking to you and being with you. I look for you in a crowd or the second I walk into the grocery store, and most of the time I don't even know I'm doing it." He brushed his nose back and forth against hers. "After I made love to you the first time, I should have taken you home and made love to you in my bed. All night long." He paused and his voice got lower, rougher when he spoke again. "That's what I wanted to do then. And what I want to do now." He pulled his head back. "I think about you when you're not around, and the really pathetic part is, I'm not sure you even like me very much."

"I like you," she whispered and ran her fingers through the back of his fine hair. He seemed to know just what to say to wear down her resistance. "Even when I try really hard not to like you."

He grasped her waist, picked her up, and sat her back down on the counter. "Just think of all the fun we could have if you didn't try so hard." He stepped between her legs and pushed his hands beneath her skirt. He slid his palms up the tops of her thighs. The warmth of his touch spread to her crotch.

She grabbed his wrists, and with her last shred of sanity said, "We can't do this here. I have to go back to work."

He kissed the side of her neck. "What are you wearing?"

She tilted her head to one side. Okay, one more minute. "A skirt."

"No." His fingers brushed the edge of her panties. "Here. It feels like lace."

"It is."

"What color?"

What color? At the moment she couldn't recall. "White." Maybe?

He groaned deep in his throat and pulled back far enough to look into her face. "Show me."

"Right now?"

"Yes."

"Someone might come in."

"No one's coming in."

"The last time I was here, two little boys walked in."

He moved his hands up the outsides of her thighs and pressed his thumbs into the lace covering her crotch. "Your panties are wet."

"I have to go help Stanley," she said on an intake of breath. "The store gets busy around five."

He smiled. "We have over an hour then."

"Someone could walk in here," she protested once again, but she didn't remove his hand.

He slid a thumb beneath her underwear and touched her there. "Do you care?"

Did she? He stroked her slick flesh and she couldn't remember the question. Oh yeah. "Someone could walk in."

"Pull up your skirt so I can chew off your panties."

Could she let a man she'd only had sex with once in a dark store chew off her underwear? Right now? She looked into his heavy eyes, filled with lust and the promise of great sex. She slid her hands down his shoulder and arms and pulled her skirt above her waist.

He smiled and lowered his gaze down the front of her shirt to her thighs. "I've wanted to do this for a long time now." He kissed her mouth and the side of her neck, then he knelt in front of her. He raised his gaze to hers, and his smile was filled with the promise of dark, delicious sin. "Put your feet on my shoulders," he said as he pulled her bottom to the edge of the counter.

Kate planted her hands behind her as he kissed the inside of her knee and worked his way down. He didn't waste time on foreplay. He just got busy. He pulled her panties aside, then he drew her to his mouth. The immediate, hot suction of his warm mouth stole her breath, and her head fell back.

He kissed between her thighs the way he kissed her mouth, with overwhelming passion, drawing mindless sounds of pleasure from her throat and from his. She closed her eyes as desire pulsed and beat just below her skin, out of control and curling her toes inside her shoes.

He caressed her with his tongue, pressing into her slick flesh and drawing her into his mouth for a luscious kiss that nearly sent her over the edge. Repeatedly, he coaxed her to the point of orgasm only to back off and nibble on the inside of her thigh and touch her with his fingers. Each time he took her higher, farther, until a deep, shattering orgasm took her apart. It started in the pit of her abdomen and worked its way outward, rushing across her skin like liquid fire. Her fingers and the backs of her knees tingled, and she heard herself call out his name. It seemed to go on forever and then he was above her, kissing her and touching her breasts through her clothes.

Like always, desire surrounded him, hot and vital. Kate felt the relentless force of it as she wrapped her arms around his neck. She kissed his throat and he reached for his wallet. He removed a condom from inside and she took it from him. He unbuttoned his pants and pushed them and his white briefs down his thighs.

Kate took his thick penis in her hand and rolled the thin latex over the head and down the long shaft to the base. Rob looked at her, fire and need and greed burning in his eyes as she positioned him. His mouth lowered to hers and his tongue thrust into her mouth as he entered her body, plunging so fully, so deep, that if she hadn't been so ready, he would have hurt her.

She wrapped her legs around his waist as he drove into her, again and again, hard and deep. She clung to him, welcoming each thrust of his pumping hips and feeling each stroke push her toward orgasm once more.

Rob tore his mouth from hers and crushed her against his chest. His fingers tangled in her hair as he plunged into her one last time. He held her that way, tight against his chest, until their breathing returned to normal. "That was…" He spoke into the top of her head. "… I'm not quite sure, but I believe that was the best… I don't think I've ever come like that." He lowered his hands and rubbed the tops of her bare thighs. "Thank you, Kate."

She pulled back and looked into his face. "You're welcome, but you did all the work."

"Yeah." A crooked smile twisted his lips. "But it's the kind of work I don't mind doing." He pulled out of her and reached for his briefs. He zipped up his pants, then helped her off the counter. Her underwear was twisted to one side, and she moved quickly to the bathroom at the rear of the store and slipped inside.

She took care of business, then turned on the water to wash her hands. She looked into the mirror above the sink and at the reflection staring back at her. Her hair was messed up, her cheeks were flushed, and her bottom lips looked chapped from Rob's soul patch. She looked like a woman who'd just had sex.

The water ran over her hands as she stared at herself. She'd just had sex on the front counter and anyone in town could have walked in. "Oh my God," she whispered. Her face got hot and her ears started to buzz. She couldn't believe she'd just done that.

"Kate." Rob rapped on the door. "If you're finished, I need to get in there."

She turned off the water and dried her hands. She opened the door but couldn't quite look into his face. She slid past him, and he grabbed her arm.

"Stay right here." He let go of her and unzipped his pants. He pushed down his briefs, and she turned her back to him.

"Geez, close the door. Isn't that kind of personal?"

"Honey, we just moved beyond personal." He dropped the condom in the toilet and flushed. She heard him zip his pants, then turn on the faucets. "It doesn't get much more personal than me going down on you on my checkout counter," he said as he dried his hands with paper towels.

"I can't believe I just did that." She put her palms on her cheeks. "Someone could have walked in the door and seen… you… your face…"

He turned her around and threw the paper towel away. "The door was locked."

"What?"

He grasped her wrists and looked into her face.

"No one could get in. I locked the door when I let out the guy looking at mountain bikes." He gave her a quick kiss, then took her hand in his and led her from the back room. "Two fantasies down. Nine hundred and ninety-eight to go."

"You locked the door?"

"Yep. Couldn't have anyone walking in on us."

Her feet slowed. "You were that sure I'd have sex with you?"

"Hell no." He turned and looked at her. "Where you're concerned, I never know what to expect. I just like to be prepared. I'm like a Boy Scout."

She laughed, and they continued toward the door.

"Come home with me."

"I have to work until six."

"I'll pick you up afterward. We can have some dinner and then you can show me your tattoo." He raised her hand and kissed the back of her knuckles. "I'll just drive across the parking lot at six."

"No, I'll drive out to your house." She wanted her car, just in case there was a problem. Not that she was going to look for one. She was going to be optimistic if it killed her.

He slid his lips to the inside of her wrist, then dropped her hand. "If you're not at my house by six-thirty," he said as he unlocked the big double doors, "I'm going to come looking for you."

"Are you afraid I won't show?"

"I told you I never know what to expect out of you."

"I'll be there," she said as she walked away. She moved to the curb and glanced back to see if he was watching her.

He was.

He stood with his arms folded across his chest, his weight resting on one leg, and his head tilted to one side.

Rob Sutter was a heartbreak just waiting to happen, but not unless a girl was foolish enough to fall in love with him. His past proved he was bad at relationships, but if a girl didn't want that from him, it wasn't an issue.

Kate moved between two parked cars next to a light pole. If all a girl wanted or expected was a real good time, remorseless lust, then Rob Sutter was definitely her guy.

Two fantasies down. Nine hundred and ninety-eight to go, he'd said. If all a girl wanted was a fantasy man, Rob Sutter would be perfect in that capacity.