Читать книгу Working Romance - Susan Kohler - Страница 6
ОглавлениеKate shifted uncomfortably on her beach blanket, very conscious of the tiny grains of sand clinging to her hot skin. To say that she was enjoying her first visit to a local nude beach would be debatable. Her feelings were decidedly mixed. She was a mature, sensuous woman with one exception: she was very shy about her body. Who said a modern woman couldn’t be modest?
She did manage to shed all her clothes and lie down on a blanket, but she had not really shed all her inhibitions and relaxed. In spite of the embarrassment, maybe even because of it, Kate was acutely aware of several things that felt different to her about this particular day at the beach.
For one thing, the sun seemed hotter, more intense on her bare skin than it ever had before, and for another, she was more keenly aware of the gritty grains of sand that were scattered on her large, faded blue beach blanket than she had ever been before. Her breasts and buttocks that normally would have been covered with a fairly modest one-piece swimsuit seemed to have developed extremely sensitive nerve endings. Her skin tingled. She was aware of feeling both embarrassed and sensual at the same time, and totally, vibrantly alive. It was a feeling that she had not felt in a very long time.
She was there because her best friend, Laura Kelsey, had talked her into coming. Laura had an outlook on life that was loving, joyous and more than a little reckless. She embraced life fully, with a hint of abandon, whereas Kate held herself back, just a little bit more reserved and quite a bit more wary. That is, Kate was usually fairly cautious except when she was around Laura. Maybe, Kate thought with a silent laugh, this time Laura was right.
Laura would have the nerve to walk into a lion’s den naked. She would also probably try to talk Kate into going in with her and usually she was persuasive enough to succeed.
“You’ll love it! It feels wonderful, so free and natural. It’s hard to explain but I always feel less self-conscious at the nude beach than I do at the regular beach!” Laura had said. Her brown eyes were gleaming as she wiggled her eyebrows, grinned, and added, “Besides the scenery’s much better. Come on! It’s your last day of freedom before starting the new job and you really need an adventure. Trust me.”
“Sure. Yeah. Really.” Kate deadpanned, teasing her friend, “Trust me. Now, let me think, where have I heard that before? Hmm, oh I remember, you’ve conned me with that line ever since we met. ‘Trust me’ should be your own personal motto. It should be tattooed on your behind.”
“Who says it isn’t? And you’ve always loved being conned.” Laura reminded her, with a grin, “Especially into some of our more outrageous adventures. It makes it easier to blame me when we both get in trouble.”
“Which we always seem to do.” Kate smiled at her reckless friend and thought about their friendship.
Laura had been leading Kate into adventures since they met in high school. Their friendship, adventures and pranks both continued unabated right through college and up until they were both married. Their pranks were funny rather than destructive, never causing any damage. When they were caught in a prank, they usually managed to charm their way out of any consequences since the victim was usually laughing.
Now, Laura was the assistant controller at a large electronics corporation in the area. She’d had the job for about six months. In the short time she’d worked there, she had become the right hand and good friend to her new boss. In fact, the more she got to know him, the more she thought he would be perfect for Kate.
Kate had become subdued and withdrawn since she’d been widowed. It was only natural, Laura knew, but she couldn’t help thinking that her new boss would be a perfect man to wake Kate up and bring the life back into her eyes. How could he miss? He was single, gorgeous, and had a great personality. Laura had just begun to look for a way to set him up with Kate when an accounting position opened up at the firm.
Luckily, the position became available just as Kate was planning to return to work for the first time since losing her husband. Laura called Kate and told her that Mr. Simmons had left hiring the new clerk in Accounts Payable up to her. The position would be offered on a temp-to-perm basis.
Although there would be a short interview with Mr. Simmons before Kate started to work, she was told to be prepared to stay and begin work after the interview. Laura also hinted about something more, other than Accounts Payable involved in the new job.
Kate realized she was drifting and pulled herself back to the present.
“Tell me again how I’ll be less embarrassed with a bare, um, ass than in a bathing suit?” Kate had asked, a bit skeptical about that.
“Because at the regular beach, everybody’s looking at you and most of the men are trying to picture how you look naked, right? Well, here there’s no pretense. Most of them take a look and leave you alone. There are ways to let them know you want to hang out with them. Of course,” she added, with exaggerated self-righteousness, “as a married woman I keep to myself, except for my eyes.” The self-righteous tone was ruined by the mischief in her eyes.
Kate laughed as she surrendered to Laura, and quipped, “Okay, I’ll go! The idea of naked men to, um, hang out with is too good to pass up!”
A part of her really meant it at the time. She conveniently forgot that whenever she let Laura talk her into an adventure they always got into sticky situations. Besides, how much of an adventure was it to keep your face buried in a book, even if it was the latest thriller by Dean Koontz? So here she was, relaxed, sort of, enjoying the feel of the sun on her back, her buttocks, and her legs, sort of, and trying not to stare at the men too much, well, she admitted to herself with a grin, sort of.
Laura had a book to read, too. She had a new J.D. Robb novel that she read for a while, before she got up and headed for the water. She took a quick dip in the ocean then walked along the beach. Finally she returned to lie on her blanket. After a short nap, she went back for a real swim once again, leaving Kate alone with her nose still in her book.
Kate looked around the small cove, with the high cliffs that kept it private and then looked at the other sunbathers. To her surprise, most of them looked very normal, like any other group of people on any other beach. The ages ranged from young adult to about seventy. They ran the gamut of sizes from quite thin to very large. Among the group were several very good-looking men. Thank goodness.
Although she wasn’t man hunting, Kate had to admit to herself ruefully, she appreciated male beauty as much as the next girl. Now that’s entertainment, she thought to herself, as she surreptitiously glanced up to watch some well-built young men playing volleyball. The only difference between the others and herself was they all seemed to be totally relaxed and enjoying themselves.
She had to admit to herself that aside from a few lingering glances, no one was paying any special attention to her. In truth, Kate realized, the problem was entirely her own. She began to gradually relax and for Kate, that was a real feat.
Kate was not an old-fashioned woman. She was as self-assured, confident and certainly as passionate as any other woman, and she had a devious sense of humor. She had always been modest except with her husband. With Joe, she had been an aggressive and highly sexual woman, totally confident and comfortable in her own body and fully capable of taking delight in his.
Part of the reason she came with Laura was to see if she could shed her modesty. Eventually, she would have to face the world and begin dating again, although the idea of spending time with any man but Joe left her cold. She couldn’t even imagine kissing, let alone having sex with any other man, but deep inside she knew she would. Someday. In the future. If she could ever let a man close to her again. If she ever hoped to have a love life.
She was also curious to see if she could still feel anything sexually. She wanted to find out if any man could even begin to arouse her interest other than a basic admiration of the male body. She was enjoying looking at the men, but so far no one had caused her heart to flutter or pulse to race. Not a bit. Maybe she was just too wound up to enjoy looking, or maybe she hadn’t seen the right man yet, she thought, after all looks weren’t everything. There was still hope.
She hadn’t relaxed enough to turn over and expose her breasts but she would have to soon. If she didn’t, she would be too sunburned to sit down when she started her new job. One thing she had forgotten was Laura’s passion for lying out in the sun for too long. Too long for Kate at least, because while Laura tanned beautifully, and the sun lightened and streaked her curly, caramel colored hair, Kate turned into a lobster, no matter how much sunscreen she used. Of course, the sun also turned her hair into a dull, brittle mess. Nature, Kate thought wryly, was a very unfair witch.
Just when Kate was working up her nerve to turn over, Laura exclaimed, “Well! I’ll be damned! I’ve never seen him here before.”
There was a hint of alarm in her voice.
“Who?” Kate was only mildly interested; she didn’t even look up.
“Bob Simmons.” Laura hesitated, then started talking too fast, sounding alarmed. “Ah . . . Kate, I’m sorry. This is the first time I ever saw anyone I knew here, and it had to be Bob, of all people.”
“So who the heck is Bob?” By now Kate was concerned, she had noticed the consternation in Laura’s voice. She knew it took something major to upset Laura.
“Kate, I’m truly sorry about this,” Laura couldn’t meet Kate’s eyes, “As of tomorrow, he’s your new boss.”
“He’s my what?” Kate gave a shriek, only partly muffled by her beach blanket. She thought she was embarrassed before but now she knew what the word really meant.
“Your new boss. The man you’re going to work for, starting tomorrow.” Laura said, eyes laughing, “Please, please don’t kill me!”
Laura was really worried about her best friend’s reaction to this latest sticky situation. She watched as Kate buried her face in the towel. How was she going to set these two up if Kate died of terminal embarrassment, she wondered, but then again, the little voice in her mind added, even Kate could hardly ignore Bob now. Heaven’s above, she looked up at Bob as he walked over and thought to herself, no woman breathing could ignore him, even a very happily married woman like herself.
“No! Laura, I can’t let him see me here. No way I’m going to meet my new boss stark, staring naked! How could I ever face him at work? Is he really headed this way? How do I hide?” There was genuine panic in Kate’s voice.
“Too late,” Laura whispered, then she looked up and smiled.
“Hi Bob! I didn’t know you came to this beach.”
“I’ve never been here before. I just moved in up on the bluffs,” Bob answered. “Who’s your sunburned friend?”
“I’m not sure that’s a sunburn, I think she’s blushing, and if it’s your first time here, why aren’t you? Blushing, I mean.” Laura asked, with a hint of challenge in her voice.
“I didn’t say I had never been to any nude beach,” Bob looked down at the woman trying desperately to disappear into the beach towel, “Just not this one.”
He couldn’t help but notice three things: She had beautiful, long, red hair, a great ass, and she was so red that she seemed like she was about to die of either sunburn or total embarrassment.
“I noticed you skipped the introduction.” He took pity on her. “Hey, don’t be shy. Everybody’s nervous the first time they’re here. Look at it this way, you’ll probably never see any of these people again.”
He didn’t mention that he had every intention of seeing her again, with Laura’s help. This brought a muffled choking sound from the blanket and caused Laura to look away.
Bob looked from one woman to the other and had a sudden sinking feeling that was confirmed by Kate’s words. “Oh, I’ll see you again all right. I’m your new accounting clerk, Kate Winslow, that is, if I still have a chance at the job.”
“Kate, come on now, did Laura tell you that I’m such a jerk that I wouldn’t hire someone because I saw her at a nude beach? I promise that tomorrow, I’ll act like I’ve never seen you before.” He had a soft, yet husky voice that was very intriguing. At any other time, it would have made Kate think of silk sheets.
“Come on Bob. You know I didn’t tell her you were a jerk.” Laura added, “I did mention a few things like your sexist attitude, your rotten temper and your special rules: No coffee breaks ever. Bow and kiss the floor whenever you walk into the room. Oh, and we have to wash your car on our lunch hour.”
“Yeah, but I don’t make you wax it,” Bob grinned, “not everyday, and if I really were such a sexist pig, her chances for success on the job have just improved a whole lot.”
By now Kate had gotten up her nerve to take a quick peek up, just to see if the owner of that intriguing voice looked as good as he sounded. She had, however, failed to realize exactly what part of a naked man kneeling in front of her would be in her immediate field of vision. Her eyes landed on the part of him that would have been covered up at any regular beach.
Oh my, she thought as she gasped, it’s been a long time, but if I remember right, that’s pretty darn spectacular! Kate knew instantly that her libido was not dead, it was gloriously alive and well. All her dormant hormones began to rage as she also noticed wavy brown hair, bright blue eyes, and a surprisingly muscular build for an accountant. I wonder what he does to get that body into shape, she thought, he didn’t build those muscles behind a desk. Her muffled gasp did not go unnoticed by Laura.
“Kate,” Bob said, quietly sitting down and discretely laying his light brown towel in his lap, “I can’t help noticing that you’re embarrassed. Please tell me you’re not going to let it stop you from coming in to work tomorrow, are you? You aren’t going to chicken out, are you?”
“She certainly will,” Laura commented. “She’s not only shy but she’s also a world champ at second thoughts. If it were an Olympic event, she’d make the team.”
Bob considered this for a moment.
“We’ll fix it so that she doesn’t have time to think. Why don’t you two get dressed and come up to the house? I’ll fix lunch for you both and we can talk before Kate has a chance to get those second thoughts in gear.” Bob offered, “Besides, we have things we can go over before she starts work. You know that I wanted to have a private conference with the two of you outside the office so no one else could overhear. Would barbecued burgers be enough inducement to talk shop for half an hour on your day off? I’ll even do all the cooking.”
“Can I bring Jack?” Laura asked.
“Sure, why not?” Bob and Jack, Laura’s husband, had become good friends.
“So boss man, tell me how to get to your new house and I’ll drag Kate along, kicking and screaming.” She listened as Bob gave her the directions. “We’ll be there in about an hour, okay?”
“Laura, I can’t,” Kate finally found her voice. “I’ve got to get the kids from my mom.”
“Kate, that’s an excuse, she was going to keep them for a couple of hours longer anyway,” Laura said firmly. “You might as well give in, because you know I can talk you into anything.”
“Why don’t you bring them along?” Bob suggested. “Do they like hamburgers?”
“Are you serious? They’re kids; they practically live on hamburgers.” Meeting his eyes for the first time, Kate continued, “But won’t your wife get mad if you invite us over without warning her? And about my kids, I hate to admit it, they can sometimes be little monsters.”
“No problem.” He gazed into her brilliant green eyes, only peripherally looking at the full swell of her breasts she unconsciously revealed as she raised herself up on her elbows. “I don’t have a wife and I firmly believe that all kids are supposed to be little monsters on occasion. At least my mom says I was, and I know I’m practically perfect.” He winked, full of humor. “Do you have any other objections?”
At her silence he went on, “Please bring your swimsuits, I’ve got a pool. Unless you would prefer to go skinny-dipping?” He couldn’t resist teasing. “I’ll see you in an hour or so.”
As he walked away both women were watching, they had to, he had great buns.
Kate and Laura pulled on their clothes. Then they started to gather their things, stuffing their towels, books and sunscreen into Laura’s large straw beach bag, and pouring the melted ice out of the small cooler. They opened the last two sodas.
They headed for Laura’s car and put all their things in the backseat. Kate was still arguing that she didn’t want to go to Bob’s house.
“Shut up already! It’s for your own good. I know you better than you know yourself, and I know that if you wait until tomorrow you’ll worry about it all night. You’ll make it into such a major problem in your mind that by morning you’ll be a basket case. I don’t know why it bothers you so much that Bob saw you naked but I know you well enough to know that it does,” Laura explained, feeling like a kidnapper as she pushed a reluctant Kate into her car.
Once she had Kate in the car, Laura quickly flipped through her CD’s, choosing Clay Aiken for the drive home.
Kate continued to protest. “I’m just a prude, I guess, the old cliché of a lonely widow who’s forgotten all about sex.”
“With all those kids, how the heck can you have forgotten about sex? And, you don’t really have to be a celibate widow, you know. Even with all the dangers out there, like rotten men and worse diseases, I could still set you up. Jack has a lot of nice friends.”
“Sure, Jack has lots of friends that want a widow with three kids, all under six. Besides, if I didn’t know better, I’d say that you have already set me up.” Kate was suddenly suspicious. “I wonder why you never mentioned that my new boss was such a hunk.”
“Bob, a hunk? I never noticed!” Laura exclaimed. “After all, I’m a married woman.”
She eyed Kate speculatively. She really hadn’t planned for it to happen, but she was glad it had. They would make a great couple and she was an inveterate matchmaker.
“You’re not blind, just married and not too married to notice a face like that, and the body? The muscles? Even Jack wouldn’t buy that one,” Kate threatened. “I’m going to tell Jack to spank you for lying!”
“Jack would love it but I’d rather pass until my butt wasn’t sunburned, if you don’t mind,” Laura said giggling. “Bob is very good looking, isn’t he? He’s also very nice, thoughtful and considerate, well-built, well-off, not at all a sexist pig, amazing as that is these days, and he can be funny as heck. Hell no, I would never set you up with a man like that.”
“Of course you would, brat. For once, however, I don’t mind half as much as you think I do. Did you notice, uh, his uh, how do I put it?” Kate searched for a tactful word.
“Who wouldn’t?” Laura exclaimed, needing no further explanation. “It was rather hard to ignore, wasn’t it?” She pulled the car into her driveway and parked. “He had a great backside, too. Hi Honey!”
Her husband looked up from working on his car, a classic red Ford Mustang. A big smile crossed his handsome face, his brown eyes filled with warm humor.
“It’s the perverted women! See anyone better than me?” He took one look at Kate’s face and added, “Oh, oh! If Kate’s face is anything to go by, it looks like maybe you did. I think I’m jealous.” He grinned, absently rubbing one hand on what might once have been a white T-shirt.
“Dear, you know you’re the only man on earth for me. I can’t imagine who Kate saw. I didn’t see anybody special, because I wasn’t looking. I couldn’t care less about other men,” Laura replied, but her cheeks were a little flushed. She kissed him. “After all, I’ve already got the best.”
“Stand in the garden while you talk like that, Dearie, it needs the fertilizer,” Jack replied, turning her towards the garden with his hands on her shoulders and patting her behind. “I know you look at other men, just like I know that you’ll always come home to me. So, who was he?”
She turned back to face him and gave up all pretense. “We ran into Bob Simmons. He invited us to lunch and if you’re nice you can come along.” She turned to Kate, “Go, call your mom, and then take a shower. I’ll go over and get the kids and something for you to wear, while you’re getting ready. Jack, don’t let her leave. I just know she’s going to turn chicken!”
“Why can’t I go get my kids and meet you there?” Kate was looking for a way out. “And why can’t I wear these?”
“Because I know you, you’ll try to escape,” Laura said, “and because I can think of about a dozen things you have that look better on you, so stop arguing and get going. Go!”
“Okay, you wicked witch, I’ll be good.” But there was a hint of the devil in Kate’s eyes.
“Why would Kate be so upset just because you ran into Bob at the beach?” Jack asked, then realized the answer. “Oh, forget I asked, Miss Modesty. Man, I wish I’d been there. I can see it all now. Wow Kate! What a place for you to get the first glimpse of your new boss.” He said with a laugh, “My wife strikes again. Okay. Laura, you go get the kids. I’ll keep Kate from escaping. Kate, call your mom, then start getting ready. I’ll finish this car and put my tools away. Don’t use up all the hot water.” Jack ducked back under the hood.
“Masterful, ain’t he?” Laura remarked, rolling her eyes as the two women went into the house.
“Laura, I should go get the kids myself, then I can shower and change at home,” Kate pleaded, giving it one more try.
“No way!” Laura protested, “I’m not letting you out of my sight without Jack guarding you. No joke, you really would chicken out.”
The two women stopped in Laura’s kitchen while Kate called her mother. She told her mom that Laura was driving over to pick up the kids. Before she had a chance to hang up, Laura grabbed the phone away from her.
“Hold on a second, Betty.” She covered the receiver and turned to Laura. “Hit the shower.”
“Okay, I give up.” Kate grinned. “You’ll pester me to death if I don’t.”
She went upstairs to Laura’s bedroom, wondering what mischief Laura and her mom would get into over the phone.
Kate wound up taking an extra long shower because her mind kept wandering. As she soaped her body, she kept picturing Bob. His body and his smile were replayed in her mind. At one point in the shower, she could almost feel his hands running over her body, sensually soaping her. She pulled herself back to reality. Kate was surprised at how erotic her thoughts had been while she washed herself. Maybe Laura was right; maybe she had been alone too long. Maybe it was time for her to begin looking forward.
When Kate got out of the shower, she sat on the edge of Laura’s king-sized bed wrapped in a towel and dried her hair. With one corner of her mind, she noticed that the usually neat Laura had left her bed unmade. By the time her hair was dry, she heard the familiar voices outside; Laura had already returned with the kids and a sundress for Kate to wear.
Laura came into the bedroom with a dress on a hanger and a small bag in her hands. She pulled Kate into the bathroom and handed her the bag, which contained her cosmetics, and a pair of lacy panties. No bra, Kate noted, and wondered what dress her mom had sent. Laura sat on the edge of the bathtub while Kate put on her make-up and fixed her hair.
She told Kate, “The little darlings are outside with Jack. We were lucky, your mom had just cleaned them up and they actually look almost angelic.”
“False advertising.” There was pride in her voice in spite of the words as Kate pulled the dress off the hanger. “Hey, brat. Since when did you get too lazy to make your bed?”
Laura grinned. “I did make up my bed this morning, but somehow it got unmade again.”
“Ah, the infamous five-year-long honeymoon. May it never end.” Kate smiled back, then leaned closer to the mirror to finish her face.
She couldn’t help noticing that Laura had picked out her sexiest sundress. It was a low cut halter-top that left her back bare, it had big, bright yellow and orange flowers. Thanks to Kate’s skill with needle and thread, there was a lace insert for the neckline that served to cover most of her cleavage. Before bringing the dress over, Laura had thoughtfully removed the insert.
“I see you managed to sabotage my dress.” She looked at Laura with mild accusation. “Where’s the rest of the neckline?”
“Don’t thank me now, wait until later.” Laura grinned unabashed. “Besides I didn’t know that the lace would come off, you’ll have to thank your mother for telling me that. I’m going to take a shower.”
“I’d better go rescue Jack from my little angels.” Kate went in search of her kids. When she found them, they were outside helping Jack put away his tools.
“Hey Jack, do you need to be rescued from these rug rats?” Kate gave all three of her kids a big warm group hug. “You look like you have all the help you can use.”
His newfound help consisted of twin three-year-old girls, and a boy of five.
“Don’t tell Laura I told you, but I could use help like this all the time.” He good-naturedly retrieved a screwdriver from little fingers, and smiled down at the tiny hand tugging on the leg of his faded jeans.
He looked up and grinned at Kate with pride and excitement in his eyes. “And it looks like I’m going to get it fairly soon.”
“Why hasn’t Laura told me?” She grabbed Jack and kissed him. “That’s wonderful!”
He grinned. “It sure is. I think Laura meant to tell you about it today but you two seem to have been distracted. I wonder why.” He gently wiped little fingers. “It couldn’t have anything to do with meeting Bob, could it? While you both were N A K E D?” Jack spelled, teasing her gently. “Here, you can have the terrible trio back while I go get cleaned up.”
