More Than I Wanted Read online

  As girlfriends do, we discussed whether my hair should be up or down, and every possible detail we could. She was as excited as I was, and it made for a fun way to fill the day with gossip.

  It was weird to plan this out, when it was obvious he barely reacted to me at the picnic. What shot did I have anyway? I figured I’d give it one last try since I was attracted to the guy. If he’s not interested, I’ll lick my wounds and move on, but at least I made the effort. It was a rare treat to find a guy that actually held my attention for more than a second or two.

  When the weekend rolled around, I was nervous waiting for him to show up. Austin was picking up Scott and a few others to help his sister move into her college dorm. As my phone buzzed, I looked down and glanced the number. Nick, really?

  “It’s Nick,” I whispered to Heather.

  “Why are you whispering?” She laughed, “And don’t call him back.”

  I shrugged, “Scott’s in the next room.”

  “He knows you have an ex-boyfriend,” she said. “We all have exes. Even Austin…”

  “Oh, right.” I wondered what Austin’s exes were like, and who would ever split up with a guy like that. Maybe he broke up with his last girlfriend, or if she did the splitting up, why? Was there something I should know?

  “I all ready told Scott I wanted to set you and Austin up, and he wasn’t totally against it, believe it or not.”

  “Really?”

  “Really, so don’t you dare text Nick back. All he ever wants is a booty call anyway, and he’s not good to you.”

  I nodded, “I know, I know. Sometimes I just get lonely, and he is good in bed.”

  She finished for me, “And then you regret it, he gets clingy, you hate it, and then you break his heart again. No more Nick for you. Focus Kate, Austin is your future.”

  “Ha, I wish!”

  “Have a little faith,” she winked, “I’ve got Scott on our side, and that’s a rarity. Normally, he tells me to stop interfering, but for some reason he thought you guys might hit it off.”

  “Nice, I’m impressed.”

  As Austin’s car pulled up outside, he sat on the horn. Shit, we expected he’d come in, not just honk.

  “Scott,” Heather prodded, “tell him you’ll be a minute, and have him come in.”

  He rolled his eyes, “You’re so subtle.”

  “What?” She shrugged and waited.

  Scott and Austin found their way back into the house. Making up an excuse, Scott went off to the other room to act like he had something to finish for a few minutes, leaving the hot and sexy Austin in our presence.

  “Hey Austin, you remember my friend Kate, right?”

  “I do,” he said, shaking my hand. “It’s nice to see you again.”

  “You too,” I was blushing madly, unable to control it. I forgot how handsome he was. I mean, I knew, but wow!

  “Did you know our Kate here is a runner?”

  I wanted to crawl under the carpet and die of embarrassment. I felt like a show dog she was parading in front of him.

  “Is that right?” He was polite, making small talk, but obviously just being polite. I don’t think he felt the spark that I did.

  I nodded and looked down. “Do you run?”

  “I do sometimes, but not seriously. I do it to stay in shape, but I’m not big on long distances.”

  “I love endurance,” I said, trying to keep the conversation going, but I could feel it fizzle before me.

  Heather jumped in, “You should join us for dinner tomorrow night, when you guys get back.”

  “Thanks that would be nice. I’d love to catch up,” he said. I sized him up, but he was happy to see his friends, not the desperate girl who was drooling over him at the moment. Oh well, it was worth a shot.

  Scott rejoined us, “I’m ready,” he called out, walking back into the room.

  “Sounds good,” Austin said, and together they walked out.

  I looked at Heather, “Thanks for the offer, but I think I’m going to skip your dinner tomorrow night. I don’t think he’s interested.”

  “Shame, he’s such a great guy. It does seem like his mind is elsewhere. I hope it’s not another girl, which would suck.”

  “You tried. I appreciate it. I’m done. I should just call Nick back.”

  “No Nick! He is not an option,” she groaned.

  Chapter 4

  “So, guess who was asking about you over dinner?” She said with a sing-song voice, pleased with herself.

  “Yeah? Really? What did he say?” I should have gone.

  “Just that he thought you seemed nice. I mentioned maybe he should call you sometime, and he said he might. Scott was talking you up as well.”

  “He’s being polite. He didn’t ask for my number, and only said he might.”

  “Okay, Miss Smarty Pants, before you get all negative on me here, he did ask me for your number, so have a little faith!”

  “He did?” I squealed into the phone.

  “He did,” Heather gloated. “I can’t promise he’ll use it, but it’s something!”

  It took exactly two days for him to finally contact me after that. Tuesday evening, I was lounging in my pajamas, eating a bowl of ice cream, and crashed out on the sofa watching reruns.

  When I first saw the text, I didn’t recognize the number, so I wrote back with a simple question mark. I was pretty sure it was him when I saw “Heather gave me your number,” but then Heather has given my number to a couple of guys over time.

  “Austin, from the barbecue,” he responded.

  A smile lit my face and I texted back. At least if I texted, he couldn’t hear my giddiness I wouldn’t be able to hide on the phone.

  “Mind if I call you sometime?”

  “Call anytime,” I texted back.

  “Now?”

  Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap. I tried to compose myself, but before I had time, the phone was ringing. I took a deep breath and answered, “Hello?”

  “Hey, it’s Austin,” he said, his voice thick with deep, smoky, undertones. I’m in trouble.

  “Hi,” I sighed. It really was him.

  “What are you up to?”

  “Me? Now? I’m just watching old reruns. What about you?” Smooth. Great, I could barely think straight, I was smitten and amazed he was even on the phone.

  “I’m a little antsy and was thinking about going for a walk. Would you care to join me?”

  “A walk, now?”

  “I could meet you somewhere,” he said. “Maybe we could get a bite to eat, hit a diner after the walk.”

  “Umm, it’s kind of late, but I guess I could.” I quickly put my bowl of ice cream down on the table.

  “Is now not a good time?”

  “Can you give me fifteen minutes to get ready to go out?”

  “Sure, take as long as you need,” he said. “I could meet you at the park entrance.”

  “It’s kind of dark there,” I said. “They don’t have street lights.”

  “Does the dark bother you?”

  “No, no, the park is fine, or you could just come here.” I said it before I could take it back.

  “That works, where do you live?” I was stunned; he was actually going to come over. Ah, he was coming over! I look a mess, and my place is a mess.

  I gave him my address, and he headed over. I scanned the room, tossed some things into closets and drawers to straighten up, and ran like a crazed woman into the bathroom to touch up my make-up. A quick change out of my pajamas into casual lounge wear (read sweats), and I was ready when he got here, but just by a couple of minutes. Phew, that was close!

  “Hey,” I said as calmly as possible, opening the door. Dear goodness, he’s cute. How do I possibly keep forgetting just how cute?

  “Hey, are you sure you don’t mind me coming by? I get a little antsy at night and company is nice.”

  “Not at all, come in. Can I get you something to drink?”

  We settled into the living room wit
h fresh drinks and slowly started the awkward dance of getting to know one another. I loved watching him talk, his facial expression, his voice resonating through me, and I knew I was going to fall hard if he stuck around long enough.

  I hoped I didn’t bore him, but I kept up my end of the conversation, and before we knew it, a couple of hours had passed. I was afraid I wouldn’t know what to say, but everything seemed to fall into place. One conversation led to the next, and the more we talked, the more we shared.

  “I should be going; I’m probably keeping you awake. I have trouble sleeping these days, and I forget other people need to sleep on a schedule.” He stood, and I hated to see him go. He explained how his sleep schedule got messed up when he’d do a tour, and coming home it always took him awhile to get back into a normal routine.

  “Please stay, just a little while longer,” I was afraid that once he walked out the door he wouldn’t be back.

  He didn’t try to kiss me, and oh how I wanted him to, but he didn’t. He was a perfect gentleman, talking, and really seeming to need a friend. He told me stories of his tour, pranks they’d play on each other, and his desire to retire from the military. He was good and ready to get out. He thought this would be his last tour, was pretty sure of it, and that suited him fine.

  While he talked about his time overseas a little bit, he didn’t go into detail. The most he’d tell me was that his sleep patterns were off, and he had nightmares time to time, but other than that, he didn’t fill in the details. I knew it was wrong of me to ask, since we were only getting to know one another. I just let him talk, which he obviously needed to do.

  As the night wore on, more and more time passed, and soon it was close to two o’clock. I could barely keep my eyes open, but didn’t want him to leave. At some point, I’d changed my position, and we went from sitting on two sides of the sofa to me leaning into him. It felt so natural, and yet he still didn’t make a move. He simply lifted his arm to the back of the sofa and let me rest my head, as I was getting sleepy.

  I woke in his arms on the sofa about five in the morning. He was sleeping, his head tipped back, and with a small smile I tucked my head back into his chest and closed my eyes. I knew at that moment I wasn’t going to work in the morning. I wanted to spend it here with Austin.

  Oh my gosh, my breath. I don’t want him to wake to my morning breath! I snuck off and brushed my teeth, before coming back and snuggling in. He sighed and shifted in his sleep, wrapping his arms around me like a stuffed toy. It was heavenly, whether he was aware it was me he was holding or not.

  I woke around seven, as we both started shifting. I knew I’d be tired later, but it was so worth it. I got up and make a quick call to work, begging off with a stomach ache, and said I’d be back in tomorrow. Turning around, Austin was behind me, stretching and smiling. He was so damn cute.

  “Sorry, I guess I made myself at home,” he said after a wide yawn.

  “It’s fine, I enjoyed your company.”

  “Do you mind if I grab a drink?”

  “Be my guest,” I said pointing to the fridge.

  He perused it and picked up a bottle of water, downing in almost a single guzzle.

  I watched him, waiting. “You’re welcome to stay for breakfast,” I started.

  “I’ve imposed enough,” he said stretching again.

  “I’d like it if you stayed.”

  “Yeah?”

  I nodded, hoping he’d take me up on the offer.

  “Okay, thanks.”

  “Austin?” I said, feeling my face flush hot.

  “Hmm?”

  “Will you kiss me?” The words were out before I could take them back. Did I just say that out loud? Oh crap. I really did! I hoped I didn’t freak him out.

  A smile spread across his face and he moved in close, not waiting for a second to pass. Walking me back to the wall behind me, he pressed me gently to it and pulled my hands up over my head. Leaning down into me, his chest against mine, his lips brushed my own. My knees went weak; his lips were tender and soft. Austin gently licked my lips and then parted his own. Standing there in my kitchen, he gave me the most amazing kiss. I didn’t want it to stop – ever.

  I melted feeling his body pressed to mine, and his warm, wet mouth against me. The steamy kiss lasted all of a minute, and then just like that he stepped back. “Like that?” He asked with a smile on his face.

  I nodded, barely able to speak. “Do it again,” I whispered.

  As he leaned back in, I picked up the slightest hint of cologne that still clung to his body. His hand drew up to my face, tilting it up more, cupping my chin. Looking into my eyes, Austin stood before me and made me feel like I was the only person in the world. Nothing else mattered.

  A long smoldering look was between us, and ever so gently he lowered his mouth to mine once again and kissed me. His lips were soft, and his tongue was hungry. No one else existed in that moment, and dreamily I got lost in our kiss.

  I could almost hear my heart beating, and the second hand ticking on the clock. We were silent, but lost in a magical moment. Everything slowed down, and as Austin kissed me passionately, I knew something was happening between us. After another delicious kiss, we broke for air.

  Wow, just wow.

  “What’s for breakfast?” he finally asked, breaking the silence. I was stunned, still standing there, lost in the dream that was his kiss.

  “Huh?” I wore a goofy smile.

  “Breakfast?”

  I laughed, “Oh yeah, that. I hope eggs and toast work; I don’t have much more, other than cereal.”

  “Sounds great,” he said, “how can I help?”

  “Sit down.” I said pulling out a chair, “I’ll take care of it.” I was deliriously happy.

  I was standing at the stove, watching the eggs when the phone rang. “Just let it go to the machine,” I said, letting him know he didn’t have to answer it. I had no interest in talking to anyone. If it was important, they’d leave a message. I monitor my calls half the time anyway. Most of my friends call my cell, so when my house phone rings, it’s usually not important.

  As the voice came over the voicemail, I lunged for it, but it was too late. “It’s Nick, I miss you. Call me back when you get home from work.” Shit, shit, shit. He usually called my cell, figures he’d call my house phone, now.

  “Nick, huh?”

  I grimaced, “Old boyfriend. He doesn’t get that we’re over.”

  “Ahh, I have one of those. Well, an ex…” he said, stumbling over his words. “Should I be concerned?”

  “That depends. Were you interested in coming back sometime?” I said playfully, praying it wasn’t a mistake to ask.

  “As long as Nick isn’t still in the picture, I’m interested,” he answered.

  “He’s not.”

  “All right then, let me call Nick.”

  “What?” My eyes went wide.

  “Is this his number here?” He was looking at the caller ID.

  I gulped, “What? I’ll take care of that.” I felt a sudden panic rush through me.

  “Let me,” he smiled, picking up the phone dialing. I about died on the spot. Who does that?

  “Hey, Nick? Yeah, Austin here, I just wanted to let you know that Kate is no longer available. There’s no need for you to call back, bro. Yep, no worries, take care.”

  He hung up the phone; just stared. Did that just happen?

  “Problem solved.”

  I didn’t know what to say. I just looked at him.

  “I’m not interested in you sharing those kisses with him any longer,” he smiled. “I’ll take a few more if they’re available.”

  I was stunned. Happy and confused, but stunned.

  Chapter 5

  “So he calls Nick right then, like it’s no big deal!”

  “Get out, really?”

  “Yes!”

  “What did Nick say?”

  “I don’t know, I only heard one side, but Austin goes, “She’s not av
ailable any longer”, and told him there was no need to call back. I couldn’t believe he was doing that. I didn’t know how to react; I just stood there completely and utterly shocked.”

  “Score one for Austin,” Heather said.

  “I about died,” I whispered. “I have to go; he’s almost out of the shower.”

  “Okay, call me after he leaves.”

  I heard him whistling when the water stopped. Coming around the corner, “Thanks again for the use of your shower. I feel like a new person.”

  “No problem.”

  “Maybe we could do dinner tonight? A nap may be in order, since I kept you up half of the night,” he said, his hands running through his short, cropped hair.

  “Dinner sounds nice,” I said, unable to wipe the grin off of my face. He still hadn’t put his shirt back on. It was thrown over his shoulder like a hand towel. He stood barefoot, and in jeans zipped up, but not yet buttoned. I tried not to stare. Hell, who am I kidding, I couldn’t not stare. He was gorgeous.

  I watched him finish dressing, and made small talk as he headed for the door. Following him to it, I stood against the door frame. Leaning in, Austin cupped my face gently and gave me a sweet, gentle kiss.

  As he walked to his car, I closed the door and leaned in behind it, my heart beating fast. I waited for him to pull away before calling Heather back on her cell. I was careful not to call her work line, since I’d called out earlier.

  “He just left,” I said, “and he wants to go out to dinner tonight.”

  “That’s great, Kate. I can’t talk right now, but I’ll call you back later,” she said, before letting me go.

  I was floating, and I’m pretty sure this smile was now permanently pasted to my face. I hadn’t felt this way in awhile, and knew I had it pretty bad for him. I was smitten!

  Curling up on the sofa, I smiled thinking about that first kiss and Austin pressing me to the wall, his lips brushing against my own. Mmm, and then the second kiss, he was deliciously sexy. I wasn’t sure what I thought about the Nick incident, but the final result is that Austin and I are going out for dinner tonight. I took it as a win, and then after a leisurely nap on the sofa, I found my way to the shower.