New and…Improved? & Andrew in Excess Read online

  “Cool.”

  “I ate too much sushi and threw up on him.”

  “Oh.” Summer popped another bubble. “Not exactly romantic.”

  “This whole makeover/adventure thing, it’s not really working out for me. I’m thinking of forgetting the whole thing.”

  “But you can’t!”

  Becca sighed. “I know. All that trouble you went to for your contest.”

  Guilt flashed over Summer’s face so quickly Becca decided she must have imagined it. “It has nothing to do with the contest,” she said. “You just looked so great.”

  “It was easier being boring. I didn’t get wet or cold or sick. And if I was still that person, I’d know Kent was following me around because he liked me. Me. The old me, not the new me.”

  “Are you speaking English at all?”

  “Maybe it’s just about my new looks. Maybe I’m dazzling him, you know? I can’t stop wondering about that. If I go back to the old look, I could find out for sure.”

  Summer’s hands stilled in her hair. “Okay, say that one more time, I’m starting to follow you, scary as that is to admit.”

  Becca sighed, closed her eyes and admitted the truth she hadn’t yet faced herself. “I like him. Too much.”

  “Then don’t give up.” Summer squeezed her shoulders gently. “Remember your new lease on life. Go for it. Just stay away from raw fish for God’s sake.”

  “You’re right. A few roadblocks and I’m ready to give up. What kind of determination is that? I can do better.”

  “Absolutely. There’s all kinds of things you haven’t tried.”

  “Are we talking about fun and adventure, or catching a man?”

  Summer grinned at her in the mirror. “Both.”

  A FEW MINUTES LATER, dressed in borrowed clothes, Becca ran down the stairs of the building, into the glorious, clear day and directly into a hard block wall of a chest.

  Kent’s chest.

  With a low murmur of concern, he grabbed her, and before she could say a word, gently brought her down the last step, past the cement bench, to the trash can there.

  Hanging over it, with Kent’s strong arm around her waist, his other hand holding her head, she could do nothing but stare into the bottom of the can, which had three oozing, rotting bananas in the bottom.

  “Why are you out of bed?” he demanded. “Damn, I knew I should have gone home with you last night and stayed. You should have let me.” He stroked her forehead, holding back her hair, and she had to laugh.

  “I’m not sick, Kent.”

  “You were running, of course you’re sick. Don’t worry, I’ve got you.”

  Man, did he ever. She was held against his warm, strong body and she could have stayed there all day if it hadn’t been for the stomach turning stench of the can. “I’m okay.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “Unless I have to keep breathing this air down here.”

  He pulled back a little, peering into her face with understandable wariness. “You’re not still nauseous?”

  She shook her head. “And I was really hoping last night was just a bad dream.”

  “So were my shoes.”

  Wincing, she said, “I’m so sorry. I’ve never done that before.”

  “If it makes you feel any better, sushi doesn’t agree with me, either.”

  She smiled and his gaze followed the movements of her lips for one long moment before he let her go. Then he picked up a brown bag he must have dropped on the bench.

  She recognized the slogan and her mouth watered in response. “Donuts,” she whispered reverently.

  “Got an extra jelly roll in here.” He watched as she opened the bag and dug right in. “So what’s the next…?” When he trailed off, she glanced up, mouth full, hands covered in powered sugar. Embarrassed, she licked her lips and Kent’s eyes glazed over.

  She nearly choked when she realized he was getting turned on by watching her eat. The power of it, the sheer delight in being able to render him speechless was amazing. Feeling a bit wicked now, she licked her lips again.

  A strangled sort of sound escaped from deep in his throat.

  She bit back her grin as renewed hope surged. “What’s the next what?”

  He shook his head as if to clear it and looked purposely away from her mouth. “What’s the next adventure?”

  You, she almost said. “Something warm with no food.”

  “Good. Something safe.”

  “Didn’t say that.” She swallowed her last bite and dusted off the sugar. “I was thinking rock climbing.”

  “Rock climbing,” he repeated. “You ever been?”

  “Nope.”

  He groaned. “How did I know you were going to say that? Look Becca, you really have to know what you’re doing for that particular sport.”

  “Don’t worry, I’m a quick learner.”

  “I thought heights disagreed with you. Remember parasailing?”

  “It was the cold water that disagreed with me.”

  He stared at her, then sighed. “All right, fine. Be stubborn, that’s nothing new. Rock climbing. I’ll pick you up at six. We’ll go to The Wall at Squaw Valley.”

  “You know how to rock climb?”

  He looked grumpy. “Just said so, didn’t I?”

  “Actually, no you didn’t.”

  “Yeah, I know what I’m doing. Good thing too, because someone has to follow you around and make sure you don’t kill yourself.”

  Is that all he was doing? “I’ll be fine,” she said stiffly. “I don’t need a keeper.”

  “It’s not for you, it’s for me.” He looked mightily unhappy. “I won’t be able to sleep unless I know you didn’t hurt yourself.”

  “Well gee, when you put it that way. Oh, please come.”

  “Six o’clock,” he repeated. “Dinner afterward.”

  Her heart stopped. “Dinner. As in…a date?”

  “You wanted adventure.” His dark eyes were clear, full of an intriguing mix of annoyance and temper. “Unless you got it all out of your system?”

  The way he was looking at her made her legs quiver. “Oh no, not yet.”

  “No Dennis this time, and definitely I pick the restaurant.”

  A date with Kent. It was her greatest fantasy. Okay, not quite her greatest-her greatest involved him and her, silk sheets and a moonlit bedroom, but this was close enough.

  Suddenly he reached out and cupped her face. The touch startled her, warmed her. Aroused her. His thumb slid over her lower lip, arousing her all the more. “Powdered sugar,” he whispered. “You still have a speck…right here.”

  Long after it must have been gone, his thumb played over the most sensitive part of her mouth. Back and forth until she parted her lips and his eyes darkened even more. “You’re touching me. Thought that was a no-no.”

  “It was. Is.” But he still did it.

  Before she could stop herself, her tongue darted out and touched his finger, drawing it into her mouth.

  A half growl, half moan came from deep within his throat. Her knees threatened to give at the erotically shattering sound.

  “Tonight, then.” His voice was deep and sexy.

  “Yes.” And as he walked away, she had the feeling her next adventure had already begun.

  6

  W ORK WAS B ECCA’S SALVATION that day, it kept her mind busy. She sat talking with Dennis, going over some of their latest samples, correlating some of their findings.

  Or at least she was correlating, Dennis was teasing.

  He slid a finger up her arm, bared by another one of her new shirt dresses. “Come on, one more night,” he coaxed. “Give me just one more night and I swear, I’ll ruin you for all other men.”

  Because she knew he was just kidding, she shot him a sultry smile. “But then I’ll ruin you for all other women, too, and then what would you do?”

  He laughed and they bent over their work once again. “I had a great time with you the other night,” he