McIver's Mission (9 page)

He smiled,
unoffended
.
"I like you," he told her. "And I respect you. And because I
like and respect you, I figure I should be honest with you."

"Then just say whatever it is you're trying to
say," she told him.

"I want to have sex with you."

Chapter
5

«
^
»

T
he
scoop slipped in Arden's hand, and a half-formed ball of ice cream flew out of
the tub and smacked against the front of the cupboard. It slid down slowly,
leaving a sticky wet trail on the wooden door before dropping onto the
countertop.

Arden could feel Shaun's presence behind her. He was
obviously waiting for some kind of response, but she was too stunned to know
what to say to him. Okay, maybe she should have been prepared. His physical
response when he'd kissed her indicated that there was some interest, but she
didn't know how to deal with his sudden pronouncement.

She stared at the trail of ice cream on the cabinet.
That, at least, was something she could deal with. She turned to the sink and
rinsed out the dishcloth, wiped the cupboard door and the melting scoop on the
counter, then resumed serving up ice cream onto the cake plates.

"This is a little … abrupt," she said,
without even a glance at Shaun.

"Is it?"

His voice was low and husky, his breath warm on her ear.
He was close, too close—his masculine scent clouding her senses. She couldn't
even breathe when he was standing so near, how the hell was she supposed to
think? She stepped to the side and slowly turned to face him.

"Not more than a week ago you didn't seem to be
aware that I was female, and now you expect me to jump into bed with you?"

"I was always aware that you were female,"
he said, and grinned. "But you always seemed unapproachable."

"I haven't changed in the past week," she
told him.

"No," he agreed. "But my perceptions
have. That day in the park, when I held you in my arms, I realized how soft and
warm, how completely feminine, you are."

She glared at him, not appreciating this reminder of
her moment of weakness. "Is that what turns you on, McIver? A woman crying
on your shoulder?"

He grinned again. "Are you really interested in
what turns me on?"

"No."

"And I don't
expect
anything from
you," he continued. "Although I wouldn't object if you wanted to jump
into bed with me."

"I don't," she snapped.

"Don't be so quick to dismiss the
possibility."

"This whole conversation is ridiculous."

"Can you honestly tell me that you haven't
thought about that kiss? That you haven't wondered what might have happened
that night if I hadn't pulled back?"

"Nothing would have happened." She believed
that. She had to believe it. She wasn't the type of woman who let passion
overrule common sense—and having sex with Shaun McIver would definitely violate
all common sense. She turned away from him and resumed scooping ice cream.

Shaun shrugged. "Maybe not. Still, that kiss
changed things."

"I'm not going to sleep with you."

"Never say never," he chided.

"I'm sure I should be flattered that you've
suddenly taken an interest in me, but I don't have time for games and I don't
want things to be awkward between us on family holidays. Like now," she
said pointedly.

"We're both adults," Shaun reminded her.
"I'm sure we could handle whatever might happen."

"Nothing's going to happen," she said again.

Shaun loaded up an armful of plates and disappeared
into the dining room.

"Maybe we should just agree to disagree on that
matter," he said when he returned.

Arden sighed. "I'm not playing hard to get,
Shaun. I'm just not interested in any kind of relationship right now."

"There's only one problem."

"What's that?" Arden asked warily.

"I can't be in the same room with you without
thinking about that kiss. Without wanting to kiss you again."

She swallowed around her suddenly dry throat. She'd
thought they should talk about that kiss, had even considered bringing it up
herself. But she'd decided that it would be too awkward, that talking about
something he'd probably forgotten would make it seem too important. Apparently
he hadn't forgotten it, either.

"Look, McIver, I'm sure…" Her words trailed
off as Shaun stepped closer. She moistened her lips with the tip of her tongue,
took an instinctive step back, needing to reestablish the physical distance
between them. Suddenly she wasn't sure of anything, except that his statement
echoed her own thoughts and desires.

"It surprises me," he said, continuing to
move forward, "that a woman so cool and poised is unnerved by a simple
sexual attraction."

"I'm not unnerved," she denied. "I just
don't want to be having this conversation."

"At all?" he asked. "Or with me?"

"Both," she admitted.

"Why?"

"Because I want us to be friends. I don't have
time for anything more complicated than that right now."

He shrugged. "Okay, then. We'll be friends."

She started to exhale a slow sigh of relief.

"For now," he added, then grinned.

*
* *

Shaun
was mildly disappointed when Arden turned down Nikki's invitation to stay for
dinner. She claimed to have some work to do at the office; it was more likely
that she wanted some time away from him. His revelation had surprised her, and
maybe that had been his intention.

It had surprised him, too. Not the fact that he wanted
to have sex with her—he'd come to that conclusion about three seconds into that
sizzling kiss they'd shared in her apartment—but the bold statement of his
desire. He usually exhibited a little more finesse with women, and a lot more
patience. But there was something about Arden that undermined his resolve, that
made him want her even though he didn't want to want her.

His only consolation was that he knew Arden was
affected by him, too. When he'd told her he wanted her, she'd been shaken. And
interested. It wasn't ego that made him think so, it was the awareness that had
flared in her eyes, the fluttering of her pulse, the quickening of her breath.

He didn't mind too much that she'd taken off—he knew
she'd be thinking about him. As he'd be thinking about her.

They had lasagna for dinner—one of Nikki's specialties
and a favorite of
Carly's
. After the dishes had been
cleared away, Nikki had shooed her husband and brother-in-law out to the porch
while she got the birthday girl ready for bed.

Shaun was still puzzling about Arden when Colin went
back into the house to get them a couple of beers. He'd meant what he said when
he told Arden he didn't date lawyers. As a rule he didn't. And yet, he'd
concocted an elaborate ploy to get her to agree to be his date for the Law
Ball. It wasn't as if he couldn't get a date if he wanted to. But since Jenna,
he'd been careful to date women who wanted the same thing he did from a
relationship: no strings, no complications.

Arden Doherty had complication written all over her.
They were too many facets to her character, too many layers. And yet, she was
the only woman he wanted.

The screen door creaked, announcing Colin's return.
Shaun accepted the beer his brother offered, looking forward to some
conversation to get his mind off of the situation with Arden. So he didn't know
what compelled him to ask, "Do you think it's possible to be just friends
with a woman?"

"No way." Colin's response was immediate,
adamant.

"Why not?"

His brother rolled his eyes. "Because sex
complicates things."

Shaun frowned. "What if they're not having
sex?" He did believe it was possible for a man and a woman to be friends,
but he couldn't see it for him and Arden. Not after that kiss.

"Even if they're not doing it, they want to. Or
one of them does, anyway." Colin twisted the cap off his bottle of beer,
took a long swallow. "Who are you not having sex with?"

"The list is endless," Shaun replied dryly.

"Come on," Colin prompted. "Who is it
you're not haying sex with because of delusions of friendship?"

"No one."

"Someone I know?"

"No one," Shaun said again.

"Whose idea was this friendship thing—yours or hers?"

Shaun gave up trying to convince his brother it was no
one. "Mine."

"What was her response?"

"She was skeptical."

"Do you want to have sex with her?"

Shaun sighed. "Yeah."

Colin grinned.

"But it would be a monumental mistake."

"Why?"

Because she's Nikki's cousin. It was the response that
sprang to mind, but it wasn't something Shaun could tell his brother.

Maybe the emotions that had suddenly surfaced were the
result of some kind of empathy or compassion. That was the most logical explanation.
After all, these feelings had only begun to stir when he'd comforted her
through an emotional trauma.

Like hell, he thought. He was a man, pure and simple,
and seeing how nicely Arden filled out those tidy little suits she habitually
wore, watching her sexy lips curve into a soft smile, seeing the lingering hint
of sadness in her eyes, the sparkle of quick joy when she laughed, reminded him
of that fact. And that he'd been sleeping alone for far too long now.

An attraction to any other woman he might have pushed
away. But Arden was practically family, and that made him wary. If he decided
to pursue this, and he wanted to, he'd have to watch his step. Either one of
them ending up hurt wasn't an option, not when they were destined to cross
paths in the future.

"Why would it be a mistake to have sex with
her?" Colin repeated the question.

"She's … complicated," Shaun responded at
last.

"Complicated." Colin grinned again.
"Unlike the two-dimensional women you've dated since Jenna?"

"They weren't all two-dimensional," he felt
compelled to protest.

"All except my wife," Colin said dryly.

"Nikki is one of a kind."

"So is Arden."

Shaun nearly dropped his beer. "Arden?"

"It
is
Arden, isn't it?" Colin
pressed.

"What's Arden?" Shaun asked cautiously.

"The woman you're not having sex with."

"No," Shaun said quickly. Too quickly.

Colin took a long swallow from his own bottle.
"You
are
having sex with Arden?"

"Of course not."

"Then what's going on?"

"Nothing." It wasn't really a lie; it just
wasn't the whole truth.

"It didn't look like nothing when the two of you
were
cozied
up in the kitchen."

"I was helping her with the cake."

"Yeah, that's what it looked like." Colin's
voice dripped with sarcasm. "I'm surprised the ice cream didn't melt with
all the heat you two were generating."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Fine. We can play it that way," Colin said.
"But if you break her heart, I'll have to hurt you."

"You're
my
brother," Shaun said,
unaccountably irked.

Colin nodded. "And Arden is the closest thing
Nikki has to a sister. They grew up together. And maybe I feel I owe Arden for
the years she was there for Nikki and
Carly
when I
wasn't."

"I was there, too," Shaun reminded him.

"But Arden is Nikki's best friend as well as her
cousin, which means there's a lot more at stake here than your getting
laid."

"It's not just about sex," Shaun said.
Although he hadn't given up hope that sex might be a fringe benefit of his
developing relationship with Arden, he was genuinely concerned about her and
whatever had put that haunted look in her eyes the night they'd had dinner
together. He knew that it hadn't just been about Denise and Brian, and he was
determined to get to the root of her fear. And to find out if there was any
connection between her wariness and her windows being shot out. "Besides,
there's nothing going on between me and Arden."

Colin's cocky grin faded. "I know it's none of my
business—"

"Then back off."

"She's been through a lot, Shaun. More even than
I know."

Shaun had suspected as much. He sensed there were
scars that ran deep. He wanted to know why. He wanted her to open up to him.
And he wanted her.

"I can't give you any assurances about what might
or might not happen," Shaun said. "But I care about her." More
than he was ready to admit, even to himself.