“Need a hand?” he called out, stepping nearer.

  She looked up and made a face. “No, thanks, you might drip on something.”

  He waved and carried on up to his place.

  She raised her voice behind him. “Hey, I’m making a chicken stir-fry for dinner so I can try out my new hot peppers. Want to come down and eat with me?”

  “Love to,” he called back before he could stop himself. “I’ll bring the wine.”

  The pleasure of an evening in with a beautiful sexy woman was one he hadn’t enjoyed in a while. And this particular sexy, beautiful woman was someone he needed to keep his distance from if he wanted the Match of the Year’s whereabouts to remain a mystery. He really shouldn’t tempt himself—or fate.

  He also knew he’d spend the rest of the day counting the minutes until he could see her again.

  6

  KATE WAS JUST putting the second earring in her ear when the knock came. They were flea-market earrings of brass and iridescent beads that livened up her short denim skirt and white sleeveless blouse.

  She opened the door to her upstairs neighbor and was vaguely disappointed to see him in the thick glasses. Twice now she’d seen him without them and she liked his eyes. They were honest, direct eyes. It was harder to see them through the thick lenses.

  He’d obviously dressed for the occasion in one of the more flamboyant of his shirts. And that was saying something. It was green and had some sort of junglevine motif and she thought those splashes of color might be representative of tropical birds. Or the designer’s drug-induced hallucination. Hard to tell, really.

  Kate flashed Dean a friendly smile as she took the proffered bottle inside its brown bag and put it on the kitchen counter.

  “Thanks. Come on in.” She led him through the living room and out to the back patio.

  “This is nice,” he said, glancing around at the potted geraniums and the plastic Adirondack chairs and patio table she’d picked up on sale at the end of summer last year.

  “Thanks. Your place is a lot bigger than mine, but I really like the patio. Look around. I’ll finish dinner.”

  She walked back into the kitchen and found Dean had followed her. “What can I do to help?” he asked.

  The rice was done, the chicken was perfect, the colorful array of vegetables just about crisp tender. Pulling out her all-purpose pasta bowl ready to receive the meal, she noticed the wine still on the counter.

  “You can open the wine.”

  “No problem.” He pulled the bottle out of the bag, and her eyes widened at the elegant label.

  “Oh—oh,” she said. “On my budget I only drink screw-top wines. I don’t even own a corkscrew.” She bit her lip. “Do you have one upstairs?”

  “Even better.” With a flourish he produced from his pocket the biggest Swiss Army knife she’d ever seen. He pulled out a pair of scissors, tweezers, and a knife that looked sharp enough for brain surgery before he found the corkscrew. He must have interpreted her look correctly for he nodded. “I was a model Boy Scout.”

  “Why am I not surprised?”

  She took everything outside and he followed with the wine and a couple of glasses, then waited until she was seated before sitting down himself. Such manners…

  She had wondered if he would be a difficult guest, but he had picked up some social graces somewhere, and conversation was surprisingly easy.

  “Mmm,” he said, munching happily. “You would not believe how happy I am to be eating real food. I’ve lived off takeout and fast food for the last three weeks.”

  “I’m glad you like it,” Kate answered. “To be honest with you, I love to cook, and I don’t have much opportunity living alone.”

  “No boyfriend?” he asked in surprise, then shook his head sharply. “Sorry. None of my business.”

  She wrinkled her nose. There was something about Dean that made it easy for her to confide in him. For one thing, he didn’t know any of her friends. Well, he didn’t know a soul in Seattle, so even if he blabbed all her secrets, they wouldn’t get around. And he didn’t seem like the type to blab, anyway. Plus, he was—she didn’t know exactly. Comfortable, somehow.

  “We’re sort of taking a break,” she said.

  Her companion just nodded, leaving it up to her whether she wanted to continue the conversation.

  “I’m…” She sighed and twisted the stem of her glass around in her fingers.

  “What?”

  “Have you ever felt you were getting pushed in a certain direction and you weren’t sure you wanted to go there?”

  “Oh, have I ever,” he said with such feeling she blinked. “But this is about you. Go on.”

  “It’s hard to explain. He works for a bank, has a good steady job with a great future. He’s nice, good-looking, fun to be with.” When she listed Brian’s good qualities, she wondered why they were taking a break. Then she remembered. “But I think he wants to get serious, and I’m not sure.”

  “Serious. You mean move-in-together serious?”

  She laughed. “I’m Irish Catholic, Dean. My mother would kill me before she’d see me live in sin. No. I mean marriage serious.”

  “Wow.”

  “Yes. I feel like it’s all moving too fast. I think he wants kids right away.”

  Dean blinked at her. “Kids right away? Is he in some kind of a race?”

  She laughed. “No. He’s just…ambitious, I suppose.” But hearing a stranger’s take on this made her wonder. Brian did seem to be in a big hurry to get to a place most people took years to reach. Her instincts were telling her to take things easy. And the longer she and Brian were apart, the less likely it seemed they’d ever end up together. Soon, she was going to have to make a decision.

  “And you don’t want kids?”

  “I do.” She glanced up, surprised she was telling him all this, and yet feeling instinctively she could trust him. “I do. But not right away.” She bit her lip, then decided to tell him the whole truth. “I help my family out. It’s the only way my mom can manage. Brian doesn’t know. Well, it’s none of his business at the moment, of course, but my finances would be if we got married.”

  Dean was nodding across from her, his gray eyes serious behind the thick lenses. “And he wouldn’t like you helping your mom?”

  “I haven’t asked him, but I don’t think so.” Brian was in such a hurry to build a nest egg and get established—as though he could fast-track his way to wealth and social position. Of course, he’d been delighted to help her with her own nest egg, and took almost as much pride as she did in watching it grow.

  In fact, she realized she was overdue for a bank statement. She’d have to call and check on it. She sighed. “He’s probably not going to be very supportive of the idea of helping my family.” She smiled. “I can’t believe I’m telling you this stuff, things I haven’t shared with Brian. You’re a good listener.”

  “Your family is your family,” Dean said. “Any man who loves you ought to see that you’re a better person for helping them out.”

  “Oh, I—”

  “No. I mean it. I’d think a lot less of someone who didn’t help out their loved ones.” He chuckled suddenly and she was startled at the change.

  He really did have beautiful eyes, especially when they were smiling.

  “What’s so funny?” she asked, feeling herself smile back at him.

  “Just that here I am spouting family values and I had a huge fight with my father. That’s why I’m out here.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?” she asked, realizing the least she could do was lend him a sympathetic ear when he’d just done the same for her.

  Dean shook his head as though he had something stuck in his ear. “No. I can’t believe I said that. It’s a stupid thing. My father and I…” He leaned back and appeared to be thinking deeply. “We want different things, I guess, but we are so much alike we butt heads. I needed to get out and do something all on my own.”

  She nodded enthusiastically. “I completely understand. I love my family, but I’d go crazy if I had to move back there.”

  “You’d rather put up with a rude neighbor?” he teased.

  “You’re not so bad once you stop slamming doors in my face.”

  “Ouch. Can’t believe I ever did that. Thanks for giving me another chance.”

  The wine bottle was empty and the night advanced when Kate realized they had talked for hours over the dinner table. And oddly, they had talked mostly about her life, not his. What a difference from a date with Brian. Not that this was a date, of course, but still it was nice to know there were men who occasionally thought of something besides themselves.

  The ringing phone jarred the cozy atmosphere, and Kate jumped up.

  “Oh, hi, Brian,” Kate said, wondering if he had telepathically read her mind. “How was the game tonight?” She didn’t get a chance to say anything more than “Uh-huh” and “Good for you” for several minutes. She could hear the background noises of a busy bar.

  Brian’s voice was slightly thick, presumably from post game celebrating. He said, “Look, I’ve been thinking…well, I want to talk to you. I thought I’d come over.”

  Kate glanced at the clock on the stove. “But, Brian, it’s after eleven. I’ve got the early shift tomorrow.”

  “Need to talk to you,” he said. At least she thought that’s what he said. The words were difficult to make out.

  So much for taking a break from each other, she thought in irritation. So much for giving her some space and time to think things through.

  There was no point explaining that to him in his current state. She tapped the counter, then said, “Why don’t you call me tomorrow? We can talk then.”

  When she finished the call, Dean was stacking dishes in the kitchen.

  Kate felt another jolt of shock. Brian would have walked away from the table and put the TV on to the stock market update until she’d finished clearing up.

  Dean glanced up as she came into the kitchen rolling up her sleeves. “Everything okay?” he asked casually.

  Kate shrugged as she slipped her rubber gloves on. “Sure. I think so.”

  They stood companionably side by side while Kate washed the dishes and Dean dried them. Mostly they were silent. The steamy water was causing her hair to frizz around her face. Irritably, she pushed at it with a rubber wrist.

  Dean watched this gesture attentively, as though trying to see to her roots. Did he think she dyed it? She turned to face him. “It’s natural, you know.”

  “What?” He appeared shocked.

  “The color—nobody ever asks for red hair.”

  “It’s not red, Ms. Beauty Consultant. Even I know that. It’s auburn, or maybe chestnut. It reminds me of an antique mahogany table of my mom’s that has this incredible rich color when candlelight hits it.” He reached out and twirled a corkscrew around his finger, holding it under the light so it glowed. “That’s what your hair looks like.”

  “Oh.” Talkative Kate found herself at a loss for words. The dishes done, she stripped off the rubber gloves and began putting the dried dishes away.

  Dean leaned against the counter fooling with the dish towel.

  “Would you like coffee?” she asked politely.

  He smiled at her. “I happen to know you’ve got the early shift. I’ll take a rain check.”

  Still he didn’t leave. Finally he said, “I know it’s none of my business, but don’t get pushed into anything by Brian, okay?”

  Quick anger flared within Kate. “What do you take me for?” she snapped, turning toward him, hands firmly planted on her hips. “A complete idiot?”

  He was smiling down at her, a warm light in his gray eyes. “No,” he said softly. “I take you for a beautiful woman with a kind heart.” He kissed her speechless lips quickly and left.

  Kate stared at the closed door for long moments, her fingers touching her tingling lips.

  7

  THE CHAMPAGNE CORK popped and a ragged cheer went up.

  “We did it, gentlemen, with hours to spare.” Harvey Shield was smiling, the champagne bottle wobbling in his bony hand as he splashed foaming liquid into eight hastily wiped coffee mugs.

  Darren took his mug with a nod of thanks. The effervescent fizz was loud in his ears as he idly watched the little bubbles race to the surface of the liquid popping and spurting to freedom.

  He glanced around at the other programmers, God, what a pathetic bunch they were, all suffering from too much work and fast food and not enough sleep or fresh air. But they had beaten their deadline.

  Darren, the newest member of the team, took as much pride in that fact as any of them. More in fact. He had already proved a few things to himself about making it on his own.

  Now he had two weeks to devote entirely to his own project. Every one on the team had been offered an overtime bonus or time off. Darren hadn’t hesitated. He was badly behind on his self-imposed work schedule for his educational software and he intended to spend the next two weeks catching up.

  “If any of you would care to accompany me to Vincenzo’s, the pizza’s on me,” Harvey announced, well into his third mug of champagne. There was stunned silence for a moment. Harvey’s tightfistedness was a standing joke among the team.

  “Great, I’ll come!”

  “Count me in!” called Gord and Steve in unison.

  “It’s all right for you single fellows, but I’m afraid the little woman will be expecting me,” said Joseph Goode with his usual superior smirk. “In fact, I’d better be on my way. I thought I’d stop and pick up a little bottle of something on my way home.”

  “Scope or Listerine?” muttered Steve.

  “Dean, you coming?” asked Gord.

  “No, thanks. I’m heading straight home to bed.”

  “Got some hot babe warming it up for you?” Steve asked with a wink.

  “Don’t I wish,” Darren replied. Unbidden, his imagination conjured a vision of Kate in his bed, her full curves accentuated by the silk camisole. He wished he’d never bought the damned thing. It was playing way too many tricks on his mind.

  It was two weeks since he’d had dinner at her place. Two weeks of long working days and zombie sleep. Too many nights of Kate intruding on his thoughts and dreams. She was like the proverbial oasis in the middle of the desert.

  And Darren was one thirsty guy.

  It was odd, because he’d hardly seen her since that night, but he would hear snatches of sound from downstairs and wonder what she was doing; then lay restless in his bed thinking X-rated thoughts.

  The awful truth was he wanted her. At first he’d assumed it was the combination of being away from his usual lifestyle and sharing the premises with a sexy redhead. Now that he’d come to know her better, he knew it was Kate he wanted—not a willing body at the same address, but Kate Monahan with her big green eyes, crazy hair, colorful wardrobe and sweet disposition.

  Unfortunately, he had made himself as undesirable as possible, to keep women away.

  What an arrogant ass.

  How was he now supposed to get Kate interested in him without giving himself away? Could such a beautiful, sexy woman ever be interested in a geek?

  Driving home along the darkening rain-slick streets, he pondered the problem. It was only in appearance that he’d changed. If Kate was so shallow she couldn’t look deeper than appearances and appreciate the man he was inside, did he really want her, anyway?

  His body answered that question for him. Yes. God, yes.

  His beige clunkmobile screeched when he braked at a red light, then sat there rattling like an old steam engine. Not for the first time, Darren wished he was back in his BMW with a top-of-the-line CD player.

  He wondered when it had rained, then thought it might have been raining on and off for a couple of days. Since he worked all the time, he tended to lose track of the weather. Though he had managed to notice that it rained a lot more out here in the Pacific Northwest than it did at home, even in the summer.

  He supposed the rain was needed to water the honking great cedars and firs that grew out here. Rain forest was an apt description, he thought as the wipers made another desultory swipe across his windshield.

  Fingers tapping on the plastic steering wheel, he surveyed the cars idling on either side of him. There was a silver Taurus station wagon on the left. Inside its respectable interior, a pair of grunge teens snuggled. The guy must have borrowed his parents’ car, Darren thought with a smile, watching the black-clad, rainbow-haired teens necking with such enthusiasm they’d steamed up the windows.

  Giving the kids some privacy, he shifted his attention to his right and saw a middle-aged couple chatting in a Lexus. They were less passionate than the teens, but still gave off the definite aura of two people who belonged together. They were dressed for an evening out, theater, maybe, or dinner.

  With a sour pang, Darren realized it was Friday night. Date night, it seemed, for everyone but him. He glanced at the empty beige vinyl seat beside him, and knew who he wished was sitting in it, her hair a wild cloud, her green eyes sparkling. If Kate were here he’d try to act sophisticated like the Lexus couple, all the time wishing he was wrapped around her like the teen in the Taurus.

  The light changed and he sputtered along behind the other cars. Up ahead he glimpsed a row of neon signs advertising every fast food known to man. On impulse, he decided to stop at a Chinese place and order takeout for two. After all, he was hungry, alone, and it was Friday night. He’d invite Kate up for dinner and start getting to know her better.

  He had to admit his plan to hide in Seattle from all womankind was working far too well. Instead of being mobbed by women who wanted to marry him, he was a lonely guy without a date on a Friday night.

  He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Kate since she’d cooked him dinner. He must have wanted a woman more in his life, but he simply couldn’t remember when. Probably he was close to fixated on this one because of the odd circumstances of him being forced into voluntary exile and her living at the same address.

  Whatever the reason, he wanted her, and badly.