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  “I think it’s time we ended your dry spell,” he moaned and reached for the foil packet he’d placed on the nightstand earlier, hoping he might get lucky.

  “’Bout time, Tamale man,” she purred.

  Caleb glanced at the time on the clock on the nightstand. Erin nodded off a few minutes ago and her head was nestled in the curve of his shoulder. The rest of her soft body was wrapped around him in a full body hug and all her luxurious damp hair was fanned out on his pillow. She had been everything he’d dreamed but he wanted more…he wanted a lifetime with Erin MacKenna.

  He tugged lightly on the length of hair he’d wrapped around his finger. “Hey, sleepy-head. Cat nap time is over.”

  “Hmm, too soon.”

  Erin rolled on top of him and folded her hands under her chin. “What was in that stuff I drank earlier?”

  “Do you really want to know?” he replied with a light chuckle and brushed a length of hair out of her eyes.

  “Yes.”

  “It was white sangria laced with tequila.”

  “Ugh, no wonder I have a headache. I woke up a little while ago and you weren’t here.”

  “I needed to check on the tamales. I also picked up your wet clothes and threw them in the dryer. I don’t think our neighbors would appreciate you walking across the street in a towel.”

  She lowered her head and rested it on his chest. “Just tell me, did I make a fool out of myself?”

  “No, you were cute.” Caleb kissed her on the nose and then on each cheek. “We wouldn’t have wound up in bed if I thought you were the least bit inebriated.”

  “I took advantage of you when I asked you to make love to me.”

  “Absolutely not,” he said, and smoothed his hands over her naked butt. “I hate to end this beautiful interlude, but there are two pots of tamales in the kitchen that need our attention.”

  “Guess you’re right,” she replied with a reluctant sigh.

  She rolled off him, but he couldn’t move. She explored the lingering hardness between his legs with her whole hand and grinned. “Not all the hot tamales are in the pot. Actually, there is still a small amount of my dry spell that you failed to obliterate. Any chance you can do something about that?”

  “I’ll be happy to clear it up completely, but it won’t be slow and easy,” he grinned, rolling on top of her.

  “Do your best, tamale man,” she encouraged, and wrapped her legs around his hips.

  Chapter 10

  Caleb draped the dishtowel over his shoulder. He was supposed to be using it to dry the last of the dishes Erin had just finished washing. “I can’t seem to stop touching you,” Caleb murmured as his lips walked up the wide of her neck and stopped to linger at the soft spot under her ear.

  “You’re falling down on the job,” she admonished half-heartedly. “Keep it up and we’ll never get this mess cleaned up.”

  Stop fighting and just enjoy a little bit more, she silently added and tipped her head to the side, making it easier for him to nibble on a very sensitive spot below her ear. Before her fantastic lovemaking with Daniel, she’d been unaware that the sensitive area was an erogenous zone that sent out sensuous signals to the rest of her body. If her hands weren’t in soapy water she’d turn around and take hold of his cheeks so they could enjoy one more devastating kiss. Her PR man had kissing down to a sexy science.

  A few minutes later, she drained the water from the sink and turned to face the man who reminded her of what being a woman was all about. The time they spent in bed had been mind-blowing. It hadn’t been a wham, bam, thank you, ma’am. He was a generous lover and made sure she came first. The second time they came together; her climax had been so intense, she remembered sinking her teeth into his shoulder.

  She lifted the dishtowel from his shoulder and dried her hands. The kitchen was now spotless and the tamales were in aluminum pans covered with foil, marked with the words pork and chicken. She patted him on the chest and was relieved he stepped back to give her a little more breathing room. Her body still churned with longing. “Daniel, you are buttered popcorn and Cheetos all in one and I don’t mean extra calories.”

  “I’ll take the popcorn remark as a compliment, but where do the Cheetos come in?”

  “It’s a private joke,” she said, watching him take the pitcher of sangria out of the refrigerator. “If you’re pouring that for me, I’ll pass. I really made a fool out of myself. I cannot handle my liquor.”

  “I won’t argue with you there, but you were very cute. Open,” he said, and popped a cherry into her mouth.

  “That’s delicious and lethal,” she moaned when the flavor exploded on her tongue. Potent juice escaped the corner of her mouth. Before she could capture the droplet, he leaned in and caught it with the tip of his tongue and spread the intense flavor across her bottom lip.

  Erin fought the revving in her body and sealed her lips to capture his taste before the feeling was lost.

  “Enough!” she said before her eyes darted to the microwave.

  “Danielle will be home in a little while. I can’t thank you enough for making all the tamales. It didn’t help your sous chef was inebriated. One last favor: will you help me carry these across the street? Danielle will want to thank you for all your hard work.”

  “It was my pleasure, all of it.” He lowered his forehead to meet hers, sending the slightest pressure into his arms to draw her close. “When can I see you again?”

  He was so irresistible she couldn’t resist lifting her arms and wrapping them around his neck. Despite them being fully dressed, she recalled what he was covering with his shirt and jeans.

  “This afternoon was wonderful, but I don’t want you to think I’m going to make a habit of jumping into your bed. Daniel,” she said with a heavy sigh, “you are a fantastic guy and you make me do things that are so out of character. I don’t sleep around.”

  Caleb lowered his arms and stepped away from the soft, curvy body that set his insides on fire. “You made that perfectly clear when you mentioned your dry spell, so I don’t know whether to take that as a compliment or be insulted. I didn’t force you or even make the first move. You walked into the kitchen wearing nothing but a towel, and I specifically recall you asking me to make love to you. I would have never initiated taking you to bed because I was afraid you would accuse me of taking advantage of you because you drank the sangria.”

  He picked up his glass from the table and finished the last of the fruit-laced wine and set the empty glass in the sink. “Come on, I’ll help you take the trays across the street.”

  Once again she’d run off at the mouth and could have kicked herself. She’d insulted the man who had gone out of his way to help her and had enough morals and self-control not to take advantage of her tipsy condition. “That came out wrong.”

  She needed to make him listen and slid her arms around his waist, trying to make him stop so she could apologize. “That’s another thing that happens to me when I try to be honest with you: I trip over my tongue. It’s not an excuse, but the truth.”

  When he lifted his hands and threaded his fingers through her hair on either side of her face, she almost moaned from the soft inspecting fingers that moved gently across her scalp. She stood on tippy toes and kissed him softly.

  “You are very special to me and that happened very quickly. That’s why I wanted to make love with you, not use you to end my so-called dry spell.”

  “From what I enjoyed earlier, there is nothing wrong with your tongue when it’s used properly, specifically on a certain part of my anatomy.” His hands tightened on her face when she felt hotness blossom on her cheeks. “I’ve seen you beautifully naked and there isn’t any need to be embarrassed. I enjoyed our time together. You’re special to me, too, as is Danielle. It happened very quickly. Too bad I’m not a cowboy.”

  Erin didn’t want to think about the significance in that part of his statement, and made light of his implication. “I really wouldn’t worry about her ch
ildhood fantasy. It’s not as if we were going to announce our engagement. Now, are we good?”

  “We’re good,” he said.

  “Before we go back to our platonic relationship, I think we should squeeze in another kiss.”

  “A woman after my own heart,” he said with a very agreeable grin.

  Twenty minutes later they were almost out the door, when she hurried back to the kitchen and put his dirty glass in the dishwasher.

  They’d just gotten home when her daughter came in the back door. Erin plastered on a tense smile, hoping Danielle wouldn’t be able to detect a difference in her and their neighbor’s demeanor. It was going to be very hard pretending this afternoon never happened, but it had, and her PR man had secured a permanent place in her heart. She could no longer deny she was falling in love with Daniel Thompson.

  “How was it?” she asked, setting two mugs of coffee on the table. Erin cringed at the dust that had settled on Danielle’s jeans and she was wearing some kind of red sauce on the front of her shirt. Her pigtails were drooping, but she was wearing the biggest smile.

  “We had a great time! Jace and his mom and dad were there.” Danielle settled in the chair next to Caleb. “After we finished riding, we went to the junior calf and bull riding competition sponsored by the 4H club. The girls did better than the boys!”

  “Stop right there. You are not riding a bull!”

  “I don’t want to do that because one kid got stomped on the head. He was wearing a helmet and there was only a little blood. I’d like to try calf roping when I grow up. This ten-year-old boy rode on his horse and tackled a little goat. He didn’t hurt him or anything. It was really neat,” she added and turned to Caleb.

  “Did you ever ride a bull? If you did, that would almost make you a cowboy.”

  Caleb gave Erin a look that said “I told you so” before answering the hopeful eight-year-old. “No, I don’t know how to ride a horse or a bull.”

  “That’s kinda okay, because you could get hurt.”

  It was definitely time to change the subject. “You have your tamales. Mr. Thompson worked all afternoon. He deserves your thanks.”

  “He did!” She threw her arms around his neck and gave him a hug. “Thanks so much!

  “You should come with us tomorrow night so everyone can thank you.” Danielle looked to her mom for help. “Tell him he should come and then he can see my favorite things picture.”

  “Ah, I don’t know. I don’t usually share my enjoyment of cooking with people.”

  It took everything in her not to reach out and give his hand a supportive squeeze. She poured her understanding thoughts into her eyes and soft smile. “I think it’s time you took off the mask and let others know how skilled you are in the kitchen.”

  “Please, Mr. Thompson,” Danielle pleaded.

  “Okay, but I’ll be at the store all day, helping set up the room for Santa Traditions. I’m also meeting with the store manager about our Helping Hands project. The display boxes and signs should arrive tomorrow. What time is it at the school?”

  “Six-thirty, in the cafeteria,” Erin said. “You didn’t mention that everything had been arranged for our project. You literally performed a miracle.”

  “I worked directly with the vice president of the company. Brad Sinclair was very supportive of the idea and helped push through all the red tape. The boxes will be on display Friday in all the Hughes stores. The PR department has set up an online promotion and in local newspapers. We’re anticipating a huge response.”

  “The next time you speak to him, please extend my thanks.”

  “I will.” Caleb had a hard time telling the lie straight to her face. He stood up and tugged on one of Danielle’s drooping pigtails before looking at Erin. “It’s getting late and I have some work to do this evening.”

  Erin stood up, too. “I apologize for taking up so much of your Sunday.”

  “I can’t remember when I’ve had a more pleasurable afternoon.”

  The truth was in his eyes, and the flirty inflection in his voice was almost her undoing. Oh, how she wished he’d lean down and kiss her, but… “See you tomorrow evening.”

  “Where’s Mr. Thompson?” Danielle asked her mother Monday evening.

  “He said he’d be here and I’m sure he won’t disappoint you.” Erin was also concerned. The tables were almost filled with students and their families. Mr. Walters would be opening their event in ten minutes.

  They’d gotten to the school cafeteria at five-thirty and helped set up for the event. The turnout had been better than they anticipated. When Meredith first suggested the international food night, hosted by the three third-grade classes, Erin thought it was too close to the holidays, but when she gave it more thought she liked the idea because it showed the children that cultures around the world enjoyed different foods and not everyone celebrated Thanksgiving. One class had been assigned international desserts.

  Erin stood in front of one of the tables placed along the side of the room, and admired the row of perfectly aligned flags from different countries that resembled the flags that flew in front of the United Nations building in New York. A tented white card had been placed in front of each entry with the name of the dish. The second line listed the person who had made the food, as well as the name of the teacher. After Danielle had gone to bed last evening, Erin went into her computer and revised her card. It now read “Made by Daniel Thompson, assisted by Erin MacKenna.” He would be annoyed with her for displaying his name, but he needed a good kick in his excellent ass.

  She smiled when Elaine Madison hurried over and set down two trays of pierogis covered with clear plastic wrap. The young widow was a ball of fire and didn’t need visits to a gym to keep her body fit. She wore a lavender shirtwaist, and her blond curls complemented her pretty face. Erin admired the woman who worked two jobs to support her children. “Your pierogis look great.”

  “When Louis told me he chose Poland, I was at a total loss as to what to make. Thank goodness my mother is a wiz in the kitchen. She makes her own noodles and decided to try making the potato-filled pierogis from scratch. They’re delicious. I insisted she join us this evening. She’s keeping an eye on Amelia. Louis ran over to be with your daughter and the rest of their class.” Elaine’s eyes widened when she read the names on the tent card in front of the Erin’s contribution. “You and the PR man from Hughes made tamales!”

  “Yes, but it’s a long story. He’ll be joining us this evening.”

  “He must really be talented in the kitchen. They’re a lot of work.”

  “Cooking is his hobby. When I presented my dilemma, he offered his help.” Just the mention of his name made the butterflies in her stomach go crazy.

  His best work isn’t limited to the kitchen, she silently added then reminded herself yesterday was a fantasy. Stop thinking about that! It’s over and done. You’re surrounded by your fellow teachers, students, and their parents. Another of her father’s rules was that proper decorum must be maintained at all times.

  “I worked the ten-to-four shift in the toy department and he was still there when I left. Monday nights I work the dinner crowd at the Roadhouse, but I took the night off to be here.”

  “He mentioned he’d be at the store today. I’m really anxious to see inside the room. Were you able to take a peek?”

  “No. He wants to have a kind of special opening when everything is set up. I went to the new storage area down the hall from the Santa Traditions room to get more Shopkins, and he was standing by the freight elevator talking on his cell phone. He was pissed at someone and I wouldn’t have wanted to be the person on the other end of the phone. Supposedly they sent the wrong color refrigerator and stove because it’s supposed to resemble Mrs. Claus’s kitchen. He didn’t care if they had to send to the North Pole to get red ones. From the way he was issuing orders, you’d think he owned the company.”

  “Red appliances! When I wrote up our proposal, I only suggested the area should
resemble the kitchen in the North Pole. He literally took it a step further.”

  Erin looked toward the double door entrance, hoping he would get here soon.

  “What the hell am I doing here?” Caleb opened the rear door of his car that he’d parked in the school parking lot and retrieved the brown leather blazer he planned to wear over his rust-colored shirt, minus a tie. He settled on black jeans because they would go with his boots.

  This was a big step, sharing his love of cooking, but he preferred to quietly blend with the other attendees and not draw attention to himself. He was doing this for Erin and Danielle, and maybe a little for himself, stepping out of his comfort zone. He hoped Danielle didn’t make a big deal that he’d made the tamales.

  He walked up the concrete-lined path leading to the school entrance and pulled open one of the double doors. His boot heels clicked on the hard tile floor of the wide entrance area and echoed down the quite halls. A young boy and a girl, along with Mr. Walters, were sitting behind a table. They each had a white piece of paper filled with names and a marker. A poster in the back of them read, “Welcome to our International Night.” He was relieved to see a friendly face.

  “Hi, Mr. Thompson,” Jayden greeted. “It’s really cool that you could be here.”

  “Thank you, Jayden.”

  Before he could ask directions to the cafeteria, the principal, wearing a red white and blue striped bowtie, came around from the table and approached him with a smile and a friendly handshake.

  “Ah, just who we’ve been waiting for.”

  “Excuse me?” Uncomfortable vibes churned in his stomach.

  “We added your name to the list when Danielle MacKenna told her teacher you would be coming this evening. The students and faculty are very excited. You are kind of a celebrity around here. They’re talking about the tablets you’re going to donate to the school. We received word the boxes for the Helping Hands project would be delivered tomorrow. You’re quite the humanitarian.”