Almost Perfect

Suggesting? Friends didn’t kiss like that, and even though she knew better, that slow, sensuous contact had nearly convinced her that they’d always been more than friends. Which, of course, they hadn’t. So why had his kiss nearly sent her to the moon? She tried to regain her footing. “That was some kiss.”

“You have a mouth made for kissing. All kinds of kisses, short and sweet, long and deep.”

At the thought of kissing Jake thoroughly, her knees nearly buckled, and heat pooled low in her belly. She quickly struggled to recover.

Jake had been a bachelor for years, and from what his sister had said, women clamored around him. He had kissing down to a science and was, undoubtedly, a master at the fine art of seduction. So he’d been able to pack something powerful into that whisper of a kiss, all for the sake of the roles they were playing.

“Come on, let’s get this over with,” she said, leading him toward the middle of the room where Tom and Rhonda conversed with a waiter bearing a tray of champagne.

She assessed her ex-husband in a way she never had before and found him lacking in more ways than one. He stood several inches shorter than Jake and appeared pale and wan next to the Texan’s sun-bronzed complexion. Funny, but she’d never noticed what the indoor lighting had done to his skin. “Hello, Tom. Rhonda. It’s good to see you.”

Tom smiled, and for the very first time, she noticed his thin lips. Like a turkey’s beak. No wonder his kisses had never sent her heart spinning. He’d been shortchanged in the lip-and-mouth department, so it seemed. “How have you been, Maggie?”

“Great.” She tried to muster a sense of pride, then turned to Jake, whose full lips curled in that James Dean grin. “I’d like you to meet a friend of mine, Jake Meredith.”

The men greeted each other, and when Tom introduced Rhonda, Jake flashed her a charming smile, working his magic, it seemed, on the pregnant pediatrician. “Pleased to meet you, ma’am.”

“Thank you.” Rhonda smiled and cast an admiring gaze on the sexy cowboy.

“Rhonda isn’t feeling well,” Tom said, slipping an arm around his wife. “So we’ll probably only stay for dinner.”

“That’s too bad.” Maggie couldn’t conjure the least bit of sympathy. She actually hoped the woman’s feet swelled to the size of a full-grown elephant’s, and that her back ached like crazy. “The ninth month can be unpleasant.”

“Yes, but it’s also exciting,” Rhonda said. “We have the nursery all ready. You’ll have to come by and see it.”

Oh gosh, not again. Did Rhonda’s whole world revolve around Tom and the baby? Or was she purposely waving a victory flag in Maggie’s face?

Well, she could have Turkey-lips. And his baby. A man who cheated on his wife wasn’t a prize, as far as Maggie was concerned.

“Better you, Rhonda, than me,” Maggie said, referring to Rhonda’s husband, not her pregnancy.

“Some women aren’t meant to be mothers,” Rhonda said.

Maggie wished the pediatrician was wearing a stethoscope so Maggie could wrap it tight around the woman’s throat and choke her until she turned blue. The pregnant glow was hard enough to tolerate; the pregnant gloat was pushing Maggie’s professional resolve to the limit.

“Hey,” Jake said, taking Maggie’s hand and tilting his head toward the waiters bringing in trays laden with dinner plates. “I think they want us to take our seats.”

Maggie quickly nodded, ready to escape the upcoming discussion of cribs and wallpaper.

“You’re a lifesaver,” she whispered to Jake. “And quite the charmer. I think Rhonda found you attractive.”

“Maybe so,” he said, sliding her a slow smile. “There’s something women love about cowboys.”

Yes, Maggie supposed there was. Particularly, a cowboy like Jake.

“But I’ve got a hell of a lot better cull shoot than Tom Bradley,” he said, pulling her close to his side. “I know which fillies to keep and which to let go. Come on, Magpie. Let’s find us a quiet place to sit.”

They stayed only for dinner and a dance, long enough to make a gracious showing, then Maggie and Jake left and drove home.

As they strode across her parking garage toward the elevator, Maggie winced. She should have opted for the expensive black heels, rather than the fashionable strappy sandals she’d purchased to go with her evening dress. While they waited for the door to open, she curled her toes, trying to eliminate the pain her new shoes had caused.

“What’s the matter?” Jake asked.

The fact that he’d picked up on her discomfort surprised her, but in the past, he’d always been in tune with her feelings. Apparently, he was just as discerning now. How was that possible?

Tom had always been too wrapped up in himself to give much notice to Maggie. In the evenings, he’d always asked for a head-and-neck rub, stating how stressful his day had been. Maggie’d had plenty of stressful days, but she’d never asked for any special attention.

“Just an uncomfortable pair of shoes,” she said, not wanting to complain. “It’s no big deal.”

They rode the elevator up to the fifth floor, and she led the way to the little apartment she called a temporary home.

Jake took the key from her hand and unlocked the door. “Go inside and make yourself comfortable.”

She’d intended to, but his suggestion took her aback. It had a slight, seductive sound to it. Or maybe he was just being nice, and her imagination had read seduction into his words.

This was Jake, her old friend, she again reminded herself. But the ex-rodeo star had, according to his sister, acquired more than his share of gold buckles along with a host of female fans eager to join his fan club.

Loyal childhood friend or sexy ladies’ man? She tried to reconcile the two images, but found it difficult.

“Take off your shoes,” he said, his voice intoxicatingly smooth, like a velvety shot of whiskey.

“I beg your pardon?”

“I’m going to give you a foot massage.” He bolted the door, which gave her an odd, anticipatory sensation, one that was sexually charged, at least on her part. Surely, he didn’t mean to seduce her, because she wasn’t sure how much of a struggle she’d put up. And a one-night stand with an old friend would certainly complicate her life.

“You don’t have to do that. I’ll be all right, once I get out of these shoes.” She dropped her purse onto one of the barstools that faced the mirrored bar in the living room, then removed the sandals that had blistered her feet and placed them in the seat, next to her evening bag. “I’ll be fine as soon as I can run around barefoot.”

Jake slipped off his suede jacket and draped it over the sofa. Then he removed his bolo tie and undid the top buttons on his shirt, revealing a dark patch of chest hair. She really shouldn’t stand there and stare at him, but she couldn’t remember when she’d last watched a man undress and found it so interesting, so arousing. So tempting.

He strode toward the living-room window and gazed out at the brightly lit Boston skyline. Her interest followed his. Stars glittered in the sky, offering a magical ambiance that she’d never known the plain apartment had.

“It’s a pretty view,” he said, “if you like big city sights.”

“You’re right.” Maggie studied the evening panorama, amazed that she hadn’t noticed it before.

He turned slowly, then his gaze swept over her, lingering, it seemed, upon her face. She brushed a strand of hair from her cheek. What did he see? What was so interesting?

She cleared her throat. “Would you like to have something to drink? Coffee? An after-dinner liqueur?”

He studied her as though the offer had surprised him. She wasn’t sure why. It seemed a friendly thing to suggest, even though she’d already drank more this evening than she had the past year.

“I guess you finally acquired a taste for alcohol,” he said.

“Not really. I enjoy an occasional glass of wine.”

“And champagne,” he said with a lazy smile.

“Only when someone fills my glass.” She nodded toward the mirrored bar that graced the sunken living room. “The liquor belonged to Tom, but he left it behind when he moved out. He and Rhonda are on a health kick, so he says. I’ll probably pour it all out rather than pack it all up and move it again.”