The Right Bed?: Your Bed or Mine?

“How were they?” she asked.

“Good, as far as I could see through the window. I think they might be asleep. I left Sam’s cell phone on the porch. If they need it, they’ll find it.”

Caley nodded, then reached over and furrowed her fingers through the hair at Jake’s nape. “Sometimes it feels like we’ve lived years in these few days. Back when we were kids, everything moved so slowly. And now, I can barely keep up.”

“It’s because we have a clock ticking,” Jake said. He glanced over at her. “You know, we could just shut the clock off. The wedding is scheduled for Thursday night. If it happens, then we’re done with our duties. We could grab a couple plane tickets to some warm spot and spend the weekend together. Or the next week, if you can take off work.”

The idea was intriguing. Caley had plans to fly back to New York early Friday morning, hoping to have the weekend to catch up on the work she’d missed. But she was the boss now. If she couldn’t let a little work slide, then what was the point of being in charge?

“We could do that,” Caley said, surprised at how her attitude had changed.

“Mexico?” Jake suggested.

“Or the Caribbean. Someplace warm with pretty beaches and lots of fruity drinks. And luxurious rooms with big bathtubs. And a soft bed covered by one of those mosquito nets.”

He grabbed her hand and pressed his lips against her wrist. “That sounds nice,” he said. “Hey, if Sam and Emma don’t get married, we could go on their honeymoon.”

Caley gave him a disapproving look. “Don’t even say that. I want to believe that they’ll work things out, don’t you?”

Jake nodded. “I know. Me, too. I’ll make the plans. We can leave right after the reception.”

When they got back to the inn, Jake steered the car into a parking spot behind the building. Then he helped Caley out, grabbing her waist and setting her down in front of him. He kissed her deeply, his hands skimming over her body, searching through the layers of clothes she wore.

“Leave it to fate to put us together in the middle of winter,” he muttered as he pulled up her sweater and rubbed his cold hands on her belly. “Too many clothes.”

Caley giggled, pushing him away. “I’m sure we’ll figure out a way to remedy that.” She reached down and threw a handful of snow at his face. “Maybe we should find a vacation spot where they don’t require clothes at all.”

Jake gasped. “Are you serious?”

She nodded. “Why not? I’d like that, spending my entire day naked instead of bundled up like this.”

Jake shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

“What? Are you a prude? You shouldn’t be embarrassed. You’re very well represented down there.”

Jake chuckled. “Am I?”

Caley nodded. “Yes. Though I haven’t a big sample to compare you to, I’d say that most women would find you more than adequate.”

“Oh, lovely,” he murmured. “More than adequate. That makes me feel good.”

“Look at me!” She pointed to her breasts. “I should be the one feeling inferior.”

“You have the most beautiful breasts in the world,” he said. “I can’t imagine how they could be more perfect.”

Caley grinned. “So what’s the problem then?”

“Oh, there are several I can think of. First of all, if you’re running around naked, then I’m going to be running around sporting major wood. That’s just a fact. And I don’t think the public needs to be seeing that. And I also don’t think strange men should be looking at your body the way that I do. I like being the only one to enjoy that pleasure.”

“I like your body,” Caley said. “And I’d like showing it off to other women.”

“How about if I promise to flash an old lady at the airport? Would that satisfy you?”

Caley held out her hand to him. “I suppose it will have to do. And you were the one questioning my daring. You’re all talk and no action, Jake.”

Jake picked her up and tossed her over his shoulder. “You want action. I’ll show you action.” He carried her through the lobby, much to the interest of the front-desk clerk. Caley giggled as they stepped onto the elevator and she made Jake turn around so she could push the button for the third floor.

If she wasn’t already in love with Jake, then she was falling awfully fast. And right now, Caley had no intentions of doing anything about it.

7

JAKE SKATED IN A SLOW CIRCLE, moving the hockey puck along the ice with his stick. Then, sprinting across the ice, he took a shot at the plastic crate he was using for a goal. The puck popped up and then disappeared into glittering snow just beyond the rink.

He skated to the edge and searched for the puck. When he finally found it, Jake tossed it back onto the ice and plodded through the snow in his skates. Glancing up, he saw Caley standing on the stairs leading down to the lake’s shore. He stopped and watched her for a long moment, drawing in a deep breath and letting it go.

He’d barely seen Caley all day and when he’d tried to talk to her at the inn early that afternoon, she’d been preoccupied and irritated. They’d made plans for an early dinner and she promised to meet him at the boathouse. But she was three hours late and Jake ended up eating with his parents and siblings.

Everything had been going so well. Maybe this was bound to happen. If it was going to come to an end, then better with a bang than a whimper, he thought. Yet, he wasn’t willing to concede defeat just yet. He still had two more days, the rehearsal tomorrow and the wedding the next day. He turned away from her and returned to skating, moving around the perimeter of the homemade hockey rink.

“I’m sorry I’m late,” Caley shouted.

“No problem.”

She watched him skate for a while. “I’d like to explain.”

“You want to talk, get a pair of skates and a stick,” he said. “I’m playing hockey right now.”

“Come on, Jake. Don’t be mad. I had to work. There was a big crisis and they needed me on a conference call. Then I had to write up a strategy report and send that in. And I haven’t been answering my messages, so my boss had a few choice words to say about the responsibilities of a partner at John Walters.”

“Do you even like your job?” Jake asked. He faced her, skating backward, until he reached the edge of the cleared ice. He skidded to a stop and rested his hands on his hockey stick.

“Of course I do.”

“Do you?”

“It’s a job. I get paid a lot of money. I like the money.”

“So, that’s what it’s all about then?”

“No. I suppose there’s some satisfaction in it. Although I spend most of my time making my clients look good when they do bad things. It’s not the most noble job on the planet. But I’m good at it. It’s what I do.”

“Maybe you should try something new,” he suggested. He skated toward the goal again and took another shot. This time, the puck hit the inside of the crate and knocked it backward. When he turned back around, Caley was trudging back up to the house.

He skated to the other end of the pond, watching her retreat. He felt an empty ache tighten in his gut and Jake cursed softly. Maybe it had been a little too perfect to last. He’d managed to convince himself that he and Caley had something special, that they were meant for each other. But the more he pushed, the more she drew away. He’d begun to think that maybe there were other reasons why she was so anxious to get back to New York.

“At least I didn’t love her,” he murmured to himself. “Not the way I could have.”

But even as he said the words, Jake knew that they weren’t entirely true. What he felt for Caley was more than he’d ever felt for any other woman, more than he could imagine feeling for another. He didn’t want to think of the two of them in finite terms, a relationship with a beginning and an end. Caley was the kind of woman who could keep him fascinated for a lifetime, the kind of woman he wanted to love.