The Perfect Holiday, page 19
“So are you,” she joked. The musky scent of his aftershave drifted pleasantly toward her, and an unwilling sigh broke from between her slightly parted lips.
Someone on the busy sidewalk bumped into Claudia, throwing her off balance. Immediately Seth reached out protectively and pulled her close. The iron band of his arm continued to hold her against him far longer than necessary. His touch warmed her through the thin jacket. No man had ever been able to awaken this kind of feeling in her. This was uncanny, unreal.
“Are you ready to call it quits?” Claudia asked. Seth had placed a guiding hand on her shoulder, and she wondered how long his touch would continue to produce the warm, glowing sensation spreading down her spine.
“More than ready,” he confirmed.
The Pike Place Market in the heart of downtown Seattle had always been a hub of activity as tourists and everyday shoppers vied for the attention of the vendors displaying their wares. The two of them had strolled through the market, their hands entwined. Vegetables that had been hand-picked that morning were displayed on long tables, while the farmers shouted their virtues, enticing customers to their booths. The odd but pleasant smell of tangy spices and fresh fish had drifted agreeably around them.
“I did warn you,” she said with a small laugh. “What’s the life expectancy of someone from Nome, Alaska, in a crowd like this?”
Seth glanced at his watch. “About two hours,” he said. “And we’ve been at it nearly that. Let’s take a break.”
“I agree.”
“Lunch?”
Claudia nodded. She hadn’t eaten after her last class, hurrying instead to meet Seth. Now she realized she was hungry. “Sounds good.”
“Chinese okay?”
For once it was a pleasure to have someone take her out and not try to impress her with the best restaurant in town, or how much money he could spend. “Yes, that’s fine.”
He paused. “You sure?”
She squeezed his hand. “Very sure. And I know just the place.”
They rode the city bus to Seattle’s International District and stepped off into another world. Seth looked around in surprise. “I didn’t know Seattle had a Chinatown.”
“Chinatown, Little Italy, Mexico, all within a few blocks. Interesting, isn’t it?”
“Very.”
* * *
—
They lingered over their tea, delaying as long as possible their return to the hectic pace of the world outside.
“Why do you have a beard?” Claudia asked curiously. She didn’t mean to be abrupt, but his beard fascinated her—it looked so soft—and the question slipped out before she could stop herself.
Seth looked surprised by the question, rubbing the dark hair in question with one hand as he spoke. “Does it bother you? I can always shave it off.”
“Oh, no,” she protested instantly. “I like it. Very much. But I’ve always been curious why some men choose to grow their beards.”
“I can’t speak for anyone else, but my beard offers some protection to my face during the long winter months,” he explained.
His quick offer to shave it off had shocked Claudia with the implication that he would do it for her. She couldn’t understand his eagerness.
“I’ve about finished my shopping. What about you?” She hated to torture him further.
The tiny teacup was dwarfed by his massive hands. “I was finished a long time ago.”
“Want to take a walk along the waterfront and ride the trolley?” she suggested, looking for reasons to prolong their time together.
“I’d like that.”
While Seth paid for their meal she excused herself to reapply her lipstick and comb her hair. Then, hand in hand, they walked the short distance back to the heart of downtown Seattle. They paused in front of a department store to study a window display in autumn colors.
Her eyes were laughing into his when he placed a possessive hand around her waist, drawing her close to his side. Then they stepped away from the window and started down the street toward the waterfront.
It was then that Claudia spotted Cooper walking on the opposite side of the street. Even from this distance she could see his disapproving scowl, and she felt the blood drain from her face. The differences between these two men were so striking that to make a comparison struck her as ludicrous.
“I’ll get us a taxi,” Seth suggested, his eyes showing concern. “I’ve been walking your legs off.” Apparently he thought her pale face was the result of the brisk pace he’d set.
“No, I’d rather walk,” she insisted, and reached for his hand. “If we hurry, we can make this light.”
Their hands were still linked when she began to run toward the corner. There had never been any chance of their reaching the crosswalk before the light changed, but even so, she hurried between the busy shoppers.
“Claudia.” Seth stopped, placing his arm over her shoulders, his wide brow creased with concern. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing,” she said hesitantly, looking around. She was certain Cooper had seen them, and she didn’t want him to ruin things. “Really, let’s go.” Her voice was raised and anxious.
“Claudia.”
Cooper’s voice coming from behind her stopped her heart.
“Introduce me to your friend,” he said in a crisp, businesslike tone.
Frustration washed over her. Cooper would take one look at Seth and condemn him as one of the fortune hunters he was always warning her about.
“Cooper Masters, this is Seth Lessinger.” She made the introduction grudgingly.
The two men eyed each other shrewdly while exchanging handshakes.
“Masters,” Seth repeated. “Are you related to Claudia?”
Cooper ignored the question, instead turning toward Claudia. “I’ll pick you up for dinner Sunday at about two. If that’s convenient?”
“It was fine last week and the week before, so why should it be any different this week?”
Her uncle flashed her an impatient glance.
“Who is this man?” Seth asked, the look in his eyes almost frightening. Anger darkened his face. He dropped his hand to his side, and she noted how his fist was clenched until his knuckles turned white.
Claudia watched, stunned. He thinks I’m Cooper’s wife. Placing a hand on his forearm, she implored, “Seth, let me explain.”
He shook his arm free. “You don’t need to say anything more. I understand. Do you do this kind of thing often? Is this how you get your thrills?”
For a moment she was speechless, the muscles of her throat paralyzed with anger. “You don’t understand. Cooper’s my uncle.”
“And I believe in Santa Claus,” Seth returned sarcastically.
“I’ve warned you about men like this,” Cooper said at the same time.
“Will you please be quiet!” she shouted at him.
“There’s no excuse for you to talk to me in such a tone,” Cooper countered in a huff.
People were beginning to stare, but she didn’t care. “He really is my uncle.” Desperately her eyes pleaded with Seth, asking for understanding and the chance to explain. His eyes were dark, clouded and unreasonable.
“You don’t want to hear, do you?” she asked him.
“We definitely need to have a discussion, Claudia,” Cooper interrupted again.
“You’re right, I don’t.” Seth took a step away from her.
Claudia breathed in sharply, the rush of oxygen making her lungs hurt. She bit her lip as Seth turned and walked away. His stride was filled with purpose, as if he couldn’t get away from her fast enough.
“You’ve really done it this time,” she flared at her uncle.
“Really, Claudia,” he said with a relieved look. “That type of man is most undesirable.”
“That man”—she pointed at Seth’s retreating figure —“is one of the most desirable men I’ve ever known.” Without waiting for his response, she turned and stalked away.
* * *
—
An hour later, Claudia was banging pans around in the kitchen. Ashley came through the front door and paused, watching her for a moment. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Claudia responded tersely.
“Oh, come on. I always know when you’re upset, because you bake something.”
“That’s so I can eat it.”
Ashley scanned the ingredients that lined the counter. “Chocolate chip cookies,” she murmured. “This must really be bad. I’m guessing you had another run-in with Cooper?”
“Right again,” Claudia snapped.
“You don’t want to talk about it?”
“That’s a brilliant deduction.” With unnecessary force, she cracked two eggs against the mixing bowl.
“You want me to quit interrogating you, huh?”
Claudia paused, closing her eyes as the waves of impatience rippled over her. “Yes, please.”
“All right, all right. I’m leaving.”
Soon the aroma of freshly baked cookies filled the apartment, though Claudia didn’t notice. Almost automatically she lifted the cookies from the baking sheet and placed them on a wire rack to cool.
“I can’t stand it anymore.” Ashley stumbled into the kitchen dramatically. “If you don’t want to talk, fine, but at least let me have a cookie.”
Claudia sighed, placed four on a plate and set it on the kitchen table.
Ashley poured herself a tall glass of milk and sat down, her eyes following Claudia’s movements. “Feel like talking now?” she asked several minutes later. There was a sympathetic tone in her voice that came from many years of friendship.
Ashley had been Claudia’s only friend as a child. Ashley’s mother had been Claude Masters’s cook and housekeeper, and she had brought her daughter with her to keep the lonely Claudia company. The two of them had been best friends ever since.
“It’s Seth,” Claudia admitted and sighed, taking a chair opposite Ashley.
“Seth? Oh, the guy you met at the motel. What happened?”
“We ran into Cooper, and he had a fit of righteous indignation over seeing me with someone who wasn’t wearing a business suit and a silk tie. To complicate matters, Seth apparently thought Cooper and I were married, or at least used to be. He didn’t wait for an explanation.”
Ashley’s look was thoughtful. “You really like him, don’t you?”
Claudia worried the soft flesh of her bottom lip. “Yes,” she said simply. “I like him very much.”
“If he’s so arrogant that he wouldn’t wait for you to explain, then I’d say it was his loss,” Ashley said, attempting to comfort her.
“No.” Claudia shook her head and lowered her gaze to the tabletop. “In this case, I think I’m the one who lost.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you talk this way about a man. What makes him so special?”
Claudia’s brow furrowed in concentration. “I’m not really sure. He’s more attractive than any man I can remember, but it’s not his looks. Or not only his looks, anyway.” She smiled. “He’s a rare man.” She paused to formulate her thoughts. “Strong and intelligent.”
“You know all this and you’ve only seen him twice?” Ashley sounded shocked.
“No.” Claudia hung her head, and her long auburn curls fell forward to hide her expression. “I sensed more than I saw, and even then, I’m only skimming the surface. This man is deep.”
“If he’s so willing to jump to conclusions, I’d say it’s his own fault—”
“Ashley, please,” Claudia interrupted. “Don’t. I know you’re trying to make me feel better, but I’d appreciate it if you didn’t.”
“All right.” Ashley was quiet for a long time. After a while she took a chocolate chip cookie and handed it to Claudia.
With a weak smile, Claudia accepted the cookie. “Now, that’s what I need.”
They talked for a while, but it wasn’t until they headed into the living room that Claudia noticed Ashley’s suitcase in front of the door.
“You’re going away?”
“Oh, I almost forgot. I talked to Mom this morning, and she wants me home for a few days. Jeff and John have the flu, and she needs someone there so she can go to work. I shouldn’t be any more than a couple of days, and luckily I’m not on the schedule to work until the weekend. You don’t mind, do you?”
“Not at all,” Claudia said with a smile. Although Ashley’s family lived in the nearby suburb of Kent, Ashley shared the apartment with Claudia because it was easier for her to commute to school. But she occasionally moved back home for a few days when her family needed her.
“You’re sure you’ll be all right?”
“Are you kidding?” Claudia joked. “The kitchen’s full of cookies!”
Ashley laughed, but her large blue eyes contained a knowing look. “Don’t be too hard on Cooper,” she said, and gave Claudia a small hug before she left.
What good would it do to be angry with her uncle? Claudia thought. He had reacted the only way he knew how. Anger wouldn’t help the situation.
The apartment felt large and lonely with Ashley gone. Claudia turned on the television and flipped through the channels, hoping to find something interesting, feeling guilty because she was ignoring her schoolwork. Nothing interesting on. Good, she decided, and forced herself to hit the books. This quarter wasn’t going to be easy, and the sooner she sharpened her study habits, the better.
Two hours later she took a leisurely bath, dressed in a long purple velour robe, curled up on the sofa and lost herself in a good book. Long ago she’d recognized that reading was her escape. When things were really bothering her, she would plow through one mystery after another, not really caring about the characters or the plot so long as the book was complicated enough to distract her from her troubles.
* * *
—
The alarm rang at six, and she stumbled out of bed, then stepped into the shower. As she stood under the hot spray, her thoughts drifted to Seth Lessinger. She felt definitely regretful at the way things had ended. She would have liked to get to know him better. On Sunday she would definitely have a talk with Cooper. She was old enough to choose who she wanted to date without his interference. It was bad enough being forced to endure a stilted dinner with him every Sunday afternoon.
She dressed in jeans, a long-sleeved blouse, and a red sweater vest. As she poured herself a cup of coffee, she wondered how long she would have to force thoughts of Seth from her mind. The mystery novel had diverted her attention last night, but she couldn’t live her life with her nose in a book. Today and tomorrow she would be busy with school, but this was Thursday, and she wasn’t looking forward to spending the evenings and weekend alone. She decided to ask a friend in her psych class if she wanted to go to a movie tonight.
She sat sipping from her mug at the kitchen table, her feet propped on the opposite chair, and read the morning paper. A quick look at her watch and she placed the cup in the sink and hurried out the door for school.
* * *
—
Claudia pulled into the apartment parking lot early that afternoon. It seemed everyone had already made plans for this evening, so she was on her own. Several of her friends were attending the Seahawks game. She loved football, and decided to microwave popcorn and watch the game on television. She had no sooner let herself into the apartment and hung up her jacket when the doorbell rang.
The peephole in the door showed an empty hall. Odd, but it could be her neighbor’s son collecting for the jogathon. Claudia had sponsored the ten-year-old, who was trying to earn enough money for a soccer uniform. Todd had probably seen her pull into the parking lot. She opened the door and looked out into the hallway.
“Claudia?” There was surprise in his tone as he stepped away from the wall he’d been leaning on.
“Seth.” Her heart tripped over itself.
“What are you doing here?” they both asked at the same time.
Claudia smiled. It was so good to see him, it didn’t matter what had brought him here.
“I was looking for Ashley Robbins, the motel maid,” he told her.
“Ashley?” Her curiosity was evident in her voice. “Come in,” she said, then closed the door after him. “Ashley’s gone home for a few days to help out her parents. Do you know her?”
“No.” He stroked the side of his beard. “But I was hoping she could tell me how to find you.”
“We’re roommates,” she explained, no doubt unnecessarily. “So…you were looking for me? Why?”
He looked slightly ill at ease. “I wanted to apologize for yesterday. I could at least have stayed and listened to your explanation.”
“Cooper really is my uncle.”
“I should have known you wouldn’t lie. It wasn’t until later that I realized I’d behaved like an idiot,” he said, his face tight and drawn. “If I hadn’t reacted like a jealous fool, I would have realized you would never lead anyone on like that.”
“I know what you thought.” She paused and glanced away. “And I know how it looked—how Cooper wanted it to look.”
Seth ran a hand over his face. “Your uncle.” He chuckled. Wrapping his arms around her, he lifted her off the ground and swung her around. Hands resting on the hard muscles of his shoulders, she threw back her head and laughed.
Soon the amusement died as their gazes met and held. Slowly he released her until her feet had securely settled on the carpet. With infinite gentleness, his hand brushed her face, caressing her smooth skin. It was so beautiful, so sweet, that she closed her eyes to the sensuous assault. Her fingers clung to his arms as he drew her into his embrace, and her lips trembled, anticipating his kiss.
Seth didn’t disappoint either of them as his mouth settled firmly over hers. His hand slid down her back, molding her against him, arching her upward to meet the demand of his kiss.
Someone on the busy sidewalk bumped into Claudia, throwing her off balance. Immediately Seth reached out protectively and pulled her close. The iron band of his arm continued to hold her against him far longer than necessary. His touch warmed her through the thin jacket. No man had ever been able to awaken this kind of feeling in her. This was uncanny, unreal.
“Are you ready to call it quits?” Claudia asked. Seth had placed a guiding hand on her shoulder, and she wondered how long his touch would continue to produce the warm, glowing sensation spreading down her spine.
“More than ready,” he confirmed.
The Pike Place Market in the heart of downtown Seattle had always been a hub of activity as tourists and everyday shoppers vied for the attention of the vendors displaying their wares. The two of them had strolled through the market, their hands entwined. Vegetables that had been hand-picked that morning were displayed on long tables, while the farmers shouted their virtues, enticing customers to their booths. The odd but pleasant smell of tangy spices and fresh fish had drifted agreeably around them.
“I did warn you,” she said with a small laugh. “What’s the life expectancy of someone from Nome, Alaska, in a crowd like this?”
Seth glanced at his watch. “About two hours,” he said. “And we’ve been at it nearly that. Let’s take a break.”
“I agree.”
“Lunch?”
Claudia nodded. She hadn’t eaten after her last class, hurrying instead to meet Seth. Now she realized she was hungry. “Sounds good.”
“Chinese okay?”
For once it was a pleasure to have someone take her out and not try to impress her with the best restaurant in town, or how much money he could spend. “Yes, that’s fine.”
He paused. “You sure?”
She squeezed his hand. “Very sure. And I know just the place.”
They rode the city bus to Seattle’s International District and stepped off into another world. Seth looked around in surprise. “I didn’t know Seattle had a Chinatown.”
“Chinatown, Little Italy, Mexico, all within a few blocks. Interesting, isn’t it?”
“Very.”
* * *
—
They lingered over their tea, delaying as long as possible their return to the hectic pace of the world outside.
“Why do you have a beard?” Claudia asked curiously. She didn’t mean to be abrupt, but his beard fascinated her—it looked so soft—and the question slipped out before she could stop herself.
Seth looked surprised by the question, rubbing the dark hair in question with one hand as he spoke. “Does it bother you? I can always shave it off.”
“Oh, no,” she protested instantly. “I like it. Very much. But I’ve always been curious why some men choose to grow their beards.”
“I can’t speak for anyone else, but my beard offers some protection to my face during the long winter months,” he explained.
His quick offer to shave it off had shocked Claudia with the implication that he would do it for her. She couldn’t understand his eagerness.
“I’ve about finished my shopping. What about you?” She hated to torture him further.
The tiny teacup was dwarfed by his massive hands. “I was finished a long time ago.”
“Want to take a walk along the waterfront and ride the trolley?” she suggested, looking for reasons to prolong their time together.
“I’d like that.”
While Seth paid for their meal she excused herself to reapply her lipstick and comb her hair. Then, hand in hand, they walked the short distance back to the heart of downtown Seattle. They paused in front of a department store to study a window display in autumn colors.
Her eyes were laughing into his when he placed a possessive hand around her waist, drawing her close to his side. Then they stepped away from the window and started down the street toward the waterfront.
It was then that Claudia spotted Cooper walking on the opposite side of the street. Even from this distance she could see his disapproving scowl, and she felt the blood drain from her face. The differences between these two men were so striking that to make a comparison struck her as ludicrous.
“I’ll get us a taxi,” Seth suggested, his eyes showing concern. “I’ve been walking your legs off.” Apparently he thought her pale face was the result of the brisk pace he’d set.
“No, I’d rather walk,” she insisted, and reached for his hand. “If we hurry, we can make this light.”
Their hands were still linked when she began to run toward the corner. There had never been any chance of their reaching the crosswalk before the light changed, but even so, she hurried between the busy shoppers.
“Claudia.” Seth stopped, placing his arm over her shoulders, his wide brow creased with concern. “What’s the matter?”
“Nothing,” she said hesitantly, looking around. She was certain Cooper had seen them, and she didn’t want him to ruin things. “Really, let’s go.” Her voice was raised and anxious.
“Claudia.”
Cooper’s voice coming from behind her stopped her heart.
“Introduce me to your friend,” he said in a crisp, businesslike tone.
Frustration washed over her. Cooper would take one look at Seth and condemn him as one of the fortune hunters he was always warning her about.
“Cooper Masters, this is Seth Lessinger.” She made the introduction grudgingly.
The two men eyed each other shrewdly while exchanging handshakes.
“Masters,” Seth repeated. “Are you related to Claudia?”
Cooper ignored the question, instead turning toward Claudia. “I’ll pick you up for dinner Sunday at about two. If that’s convenient?”
“It was fine last week and the week before, so why should it be any different this week?”
Her uncle flashed her an impatient glance.
“Who is this man?” Seth asked, the look in his eyes almost frightening. Anger darkened his face. He dropped his hand to his side, and she noted how his fist was clenched until his knuckles turned white.
Claudia watched, stunned. He thinks I’m Cooper’s wife. Placing a hand on his forearm, she implored, “Seth, let me explain.”
He shook his arm free. “You don’t need to say anything more. I understand. Do you do this kind of thing often? Is this how you get your thrills?”
For a moment she was speechless, the muscles of her throat paralyzed with anger. “You don’t understand. Cooper’s my uncle.”
“And I believe in Santa Claus,” Seth returned sarcastically.
“I’ve warned you about men like this,” Cooper said at the same time.
“Will you please be quiet!” she shouted at him.
“There’s no excuse for you to talk to me in such a tone,” Cooper countered in a huff.
People were beginning to stare, but she didn’t care. “He really is my uncle.” Desperately her eyes pleaded with Seth, asking for understanding and the chance to explain. His eyes were dark, clouded and unreasonable.
“You don’t want to hear, do you?” she asked him.
“We definitely need to have a discussion, Claudia,” Cooper interrupted again.
“You’re right, I don’t.” Seth took a step away from her.
Claudia breathed in sharply, the rush of oxygen making her lungs hurt. She bit her lip as Seth turned and walked away. His stride was filled with purpose, as if he couldn’t get away from her fast enough.
“You’ve really done it this time,” she flared at her uncle.
“Really, Claudia,” he said with a relieved look. “That type of man is most undesirable.”
“That man”—she pointed at Seth’s retreating figure —“is one of the most desirable men I’ve ever known.” Without waiting for his response, she turned and stalked away.
* * *
—
An hour later, Claudia was banging pans around in the kitchen. Ashley came through the front door and paused, watching her for a moment. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” Claudia responded tersely.
“Oh, come on. I always know when you’re upset, because you bake something.”
“That’s so I can eat it.”
Ashley scanned the ingredients that lined the counter. “Chocolate chip cookies,” she murmured. “This must really be bad. I’m guessing you had another run-in with Cooper?”
“Right again,” Claudia snapped.
“You don’t want to talk about it?”
“That’s a brilliant deduction.” With unnecessary force, she cracked two eggs against the mixing bowl.
“You want me to quit interrogating you, huh?”
Claudia paused, closing her eyes as the waves of impatience rippled over her. “Yes, please.”
“All right, all right. I’m leaving.”
Soon the aroma of freshly baked cookies filled the apartment, though Claudia didn’t notice. Almost automatically she lifted the cookies from the baking sheet and placed them on a wire rack to cool.
“I can’t stand it anymore.” Ashley stumbled into the kitchen dramatically. “If you don’t want to talk, fine, but at least let me have a cookie.”
Claudia sighed, placed four on a plate and set it on the kitchen table.
Ashley poured herself a tall glass of milk and sat down, her eyes following Claudia’s movements. “Feel like talking now?” she asked several minutes later. There was a sympathetic tone in her voice that came from many years of friendship.
Ashley had been Claudia’s only friend as a child. Ashley’s mother had been Claude Masters’s cook and housekeeper, and she had brought her daughter with her to keep the lonely Claudia company. The two of them had been best friends ever since.
“It’s Seth,” Claudia admitted and sighed, taking a chair opposite Ashley.
“Seth? Oh, the guy you met at the motel. What happened?”
“We ran into Cooper, and he had a fit of righteous indignation over seeing me with someone who wasn’t wearing a business suit and a silk tie. To complicate matters, Seth apparently thought Cooper and I were married, or at least used to be. He didn’t wait for an explanation.”
Ashley’s look was thoughtful. “You really like him, don’t you?”
Claudia worried the soft flesh of her bottom lip. “Yes,” she said simply. “I like him very much.”
“If he’s so arrogant that he wouldn’t wait for you to explain, then I’d say it was his loss,” Ashley said, attempting to comfort her.
“No.” Claudia shook her head and lowered her gaze to the tabletop. “In this case, I think I’m the one who lost.”
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you talk this way about a man. What makes him so special?”
Claudia’s brow furrowed in concentration. “I’m not really sure. He’s more attractive than any man I can remember, but it’s not his looks. Or not only his looks, anyway.” She smiled. “He’s a rare man.” She paused to formulate her thoughts. “Strong and intelligent.”
“You know all this and you’ve only seen him twice?” Ashley sounded shocked.
“No.” Claudia hung her head, and her long auburn curls fell forward to hide her expression. “I sensed more than I saw, and even then, I’m only skimming the surface. This man is deep.”
“If he’s so willing to jump to conclusions, I’d say it’s his own fault—”
“Ashley, please,” Claudia interrupted. “Don’t. I know you’re trying to make me feel better, but I’d appreciate it if you didn’t.”
“All right.” Ashley was quiet for a long time. After a while she took a chocolate chip cookie and handed it to Claudia.
With a weak smile, Claudia accepted the cookie. “Now, that’s what I need.”
They talked for a while, but it wasn’t until they headed into the living room that Claudia noticed Ashley’s suitcase in front of the door.
“You’re going away?”
“Oh, I almost forgot. I talked to Mom this morning, and she wants me home for a few days. Jeff and John have the flu, and she needs someone there so she can go to work. I shouldn’t be any more than a couple of days, and luckily I’m not on the schedule to work until the weekend. You don’t mind, do you?”
“Not at all,” Claudia said with a smile. Although Ashley’s family lived in the nearby suburb of Kent, Ashley shared the apartment with Claudia because it was easier for her to commute to school. But she occasionally moved back home for a few days when her family needed her.
“You’re sure you’ll be all right?”
“Are you kidding?” Claudia joked. “The kitchen’s full of cookies!”
Ashley laughed, but her large blue eyes contained a knowing look. “Don’t be too hard on Cooper,” she said, and gave Claudia a small hug before she left.
What good would it do to be angry with her uncle? Claudia thought. He had reacted the only way he knew how. Anger wouldn’t help the situation.
The apartment felt large and lonely with Ashley gone. Claudia turned on the television and flipped through the channels, hoping to find something interesting, feeling guilty because she was ignoring her schoolwork. Nothing interesting on. Good, she decided, and forced herself to hit the books. This quarter wasn’t going to be easy, and the sooner she sharpened her study habits, the better.
Two hours later she took a leisurely bath, dressed in a long purple velour robe, curled up on the sofa and lost herself in a good book. Long ago she’d recognized that reading was her escape. When things were really bothering her, she would plow through one mystery after another, not really caring about the characters or the plot so long as the book was complicated enough to distract her from her troubles.
* * *
—
The alarm rang at six, and she stumbled out of bed, then stepped into the shower. As she stood under the hot spray, her thoughts drifted to Seth Lessinger. She felt definitely regretful at the way things had ended. She would have liked to get to know him better. On Sunday she would definitely have a talk with Cooper. She was old enough to choose who she wanted to date without his interference. It was bad enough being forced to endure a stilted dinner with him every Sunday afternoon.
She dressed in jeans, a long-sleeved blouse, and a red sweater vest. As she poured herself a cup of coffee, she wondered how long she would have to force thoughts of Seth from her mind. The mystery novel had diverted her attention last night, but she couldn’t live her life with her nose in a book. Today and tomorrow she would be busy with school, but this was Thursday, and she wasn’t looking forward to spending the evenings and weekend alone. She decided to ask a friend in her psych class if she wanted to go to a movie tonight.
She sat sipping from her mug at the kitchen table, her feet propped on the opposite chair, and read the morning paper. A quick look at her watch and she placed the cup in the sink and hurried out the door for school.
* * *
—
Claudia pulled into the apartment parking lot early that afternoon. It seemed everyone had already made plans for this evening, so she was on her own. Several of her friends were attending the Seahawks game. She loved football, and decided to microwave popcorn and watch the game on television. She had no sooner let herself into the apartment and hung up her jacket when the doorbell rang.
The peephole in the door showed an empty hall. Odd, but it could be her neighbor’s son collecting for the jogathon. Claudia had sponsored the ten-year-old, who was trying to earn enough money for a soccer uniform. Todd had probably seen her pull into the parking lot. She opened the door and looked out into the hallway.
“Claudia?” There was surprise in his tone as he stepped away from the wall he’d been leaning on.
“Seth.” Her heart tripped over itself.
“What are you doing here?” they both asked at the same time.
Claudia smiled. It was so good to see him, it didn’t matter what had brought him here.
“I was looking for Ashley Robbins, the motel maid,” he told her.
“Ashley?” Her curiosity was evident in her voice. “Come in,” she said, then closed the door after him. “Ashley’s gone home for a few days to help out her parents. Do you know her?”
“No.” He stroked the side of his beard. “But I was hoping she could tell me how to find you.”
“We’re roommates,” she explained, no doubt unnecessarily. “So…you were looking for me? Why?”
He looked slightly ill at ease. “I wanted to apologize for yesterday. I could at least have stayed and listened to your explanation.”
“Cooper really is my uncle.”
“I should have known you wouldn’t lie. It wasn’t until later that I realized I’d behaved like an idiot,” he said, his face tight and drawn. “If I hadn’t reacted like a jealous fool, I would have realized you would never lead anyone on like that.”
“I know what you thought.” She paused and glanced away. “And I know how it looked—how Cooper wanted it to look.”
Seth ran a hand over his face. “Your uncle.” He chuckled. Wrapping his arms around her, he lifted her off the ground and swung her around. Hands resting on the hard muscles of his shoulders, she threw back her head and laughed.
Soon the amusement died as their gazes met and held. Slowly he released her until her feet had securely settled on the carpet. With infinite gentleness, his hand brushed her face, caressing her smooth skin. It was so beautiful, so sweet, that she closed her eyes to the sensuous assault. Her fingers clung to his arms as he drew her into his embrace, and her lips trembled, anticipating his kiss.
Seth didn’t disappoint either of them as his mouth settled firmly over hers. His hand slid down her back, molding her against him, arching her upward to meet the demand of his kiss.
