Night Whispers Part 6

"You mean kissing me?"

"Yeah. Kissing you. It was out of line."

"Right," she said in a steely tone. "Kissing me was a crime against the nation. Are you finished?"

Mitch could tell Kelsey was getting upset as she leaned forward and started tapping her fingers on her knee. She wore her little green robe and looked all rumpled, with her hair puffy and wild, and no makeup. Mitch knew if he closed his eyes he would imagine her lying in her bed, without the robe, beckoning to him.

He forced himself to stop his wandering thoughts. Taking a big bite out of the messy doughnut, he glanced around for a napkin to stall for time.

He was going about this all wrong. His plan was to come up and smooth things over, to start their conversation again, and to try to talk some sense into her. Instead he found himself hip deep in the topic he most wanted to avoid: their kiss. Thinking of that kiss, and of her all sleepy and seductive, had already caused him enough trouble. After he had gotten over his anger at their argument, he'd been able to think of nothing else the previous night.

Mitch had never imagined that one kiss, a first kiss, could start such a flame. He'd burned. Long after she went upstairs, he'd sat in his apartment and done a slow, agonizing burn for her. But he'd mentally doused that fire and decided on a course of action. He would go right back to treating Kelsey like a kid sister, and would never let on that the kiss meant a thing. He'd ignore the fact that he got hard just remembering it.

"Look, let's chalk it up to the heat of the moment and forget about it, okay?" He tried very hard to keep his voice steady and noncommittal. "It was a kiss. Big deal."

To Kelsey, it had had been a big deal. But Mitch obviously didn't view it the same way. Kelsey wished she was still in bed and this was all a dream. The day was going from bad to worse, and she'd only been awake for five minutes. Having Mitch angry at himself for kissing her had been bad enough. But having him blow off the whole event as no big deal just plain hurt. been a big deal. But Mitch obviously didn't view it the same way. Kelsey wished she was still in bed and this was all a dream. The day was going from bad to worse, and she'd only been awake for five minutes. Having Mitch angry at himself for kissing her had been bad enough. But having him blow off the whole event as no big deal just plain hurt.

"Fine. Right," she replied, determined not to let him see how his words affected her. "As the song goes...'a kiss is just a kiss.' And, hey, look who you're talking to...Lady Love. I should know."

Mitch's jaw stiffened. "You wanna explain that?"

"No, Mitch. As I told you last night, I don't have to explain a thing to you," Kelsey said. "I am an adult. You are an adult. We happen to live in the same building. What I do for a living has nothing to do with you."

Mitch nodded slowly. "I know."

Kelsey ran a weary hand over her eyes, trying to follow his logic. "You know? Then why are you here?"

"Just because I know you're right that it's none of my business doesn't mean I like it, or that I won't try to talk you out of it, Kelsey. It simply means I acknowledge the fact that my opinion really doesn't matter to you."

Mitch wouldn't meet her eye, and Kelsey felt a moment's remorse for some of the things she'd said to him the night before. Mitch did matter...she was beginning to suspect he mattered too much!

"That's not true. Mitch, I respect you. I think you're a very intelligent man and I value your opinion. But, in this case, I don't know that you've formed your thoughts rationally. You heard one show. Give me a chance, please. Listen in a few more times. The show is not what you think it is."

"And if I listen, and my views don't change?" he asked, arching an eyebrow at her as he waited for her reply.

"I don't know, Mitch," she said, eyes flas.h.i.+ng as she stood and walked toward him. "I guess if your views don't change, you have the right to turn the radio off and pretend I'm the weather girl. I'm not going to tell you I'll quit my job because you don't like it."

Her robe swished around her body as she walked. He couldn't stop staring at the peach flesh of her upper leg, exposed as her robe gapped with each step. She reached the table and stopped right next to him.

"So what you're telling me," he replied slowly as he let his gaze burn a path up her thigh, across her body and up to her face, "is that I should give you another chance, listen more, and maybe I'll like what I hear, but if I don't, then I should go take a flying leap. Do I have this right?"

Kelsey grabbed a glazed doughnut, held it speculatively in front of her face, then looked down to stare at him.

"Yeah, I guess you do."

Mitch stood very slowly. She had come to stand close to him, nearly between his legs, and he did a slow slide up her body, feeling a crackle of electricity flash in the scant inch that separated them. She had to tilt her head back to maintain their eye contact, and Mitch suddenly had the advantage.

"Kelsey?" he said softly, a dangerous gleam in his eyes.

She backed up a tiny step. He followed until again they were nearly touching.

"What?"

"To h.e.l.l with that," he retorted.

Kelsey watched Mitch drop the half-eaten doughnut on the table, turn and stride out the door.

"Well," she muttered after he'd gone, "so much for seduction!"

LATER THAT DAY, after Kelsey had managed another hour of fitful sleep, she went downstairs, carrying a paperback and a tall gla.s.s of iced tea. It was still relatively warm for mid-October, and she meant to enjoy the weather while it lasted. Not wanting to risk another confrontation with Mitch, she was quiet as she slipped through the kitchen to the back door.

Slight hints of yellow tinged leaves on the trees. A smoky smell hung in the air, and Kelsey knew someone was antic.i.p.ating the cold weather with an early season fire. Dragging a lawn chair from the garage, she placed it under a tall shady maple in the backyard. Her long-sleeved cotton s.h.i.+rt and khaki pants were perfectly adequate for warmth. Kelsey breathed deeply, invigorated by the clean, crisp breeze. She would lie here and read her romance novel and not think at all about Mitch.

But she couldn't even open the book. She kept staring at the picture on the cover. The hero was gorgeous, larger than life, but he still wasn't as handsome as her frustrating landlord. As for the heroine...well, Kelsey figured she'd have a really tough time buying blouses that fit.

"Shall we try this again?" came a familiar drawl.

Kelsey jerked her head and dropped the book at the sound of Mitch's voice. He stood right beside her. She hadn't even detected his approach.

"You're quiet as a cat," she said. "That's the second time you've done that to me."

Kelsey watched as Mitch leaned back against the maple tree and stared down at her. Taking a few deep breaths, she tried to slow her rapid pulse. She would play this cool if it killed her. What had Celia said? Flirt, seduce, all without his knowledge. She could do that. After all, she was Lady Love. Kelsey felt like a soap opera diva at the thought.

"Look, we live under the same roof, whether I like it or not," he finally said. "And we have to find a way to get along."

"We already do get along, Mitch. I really don't see the problem."

"Right. Yeah, well, that's what I came out to say. There's really no problem. As you said, I'm merely your landlord, of absolutely no importance in your life. That fact has finally sunk in. You do your thing, Kelsey, and I'll mind my own business. And as you also said last night, I'm really nothing to you. We'll be acquaintances who nod at each other on the stairs, all right?"

No. No, that was not all right. Acquaintances? How could he say that? Even if Kelsey had never laid eyes on Mitch until she moved to the city, if their childhood lives had never collided, she still felt they were a heck of a long way from mere "acquaintances." However, since she'd said much the same thing during their dispute, she couldn't very well disagree with him now. She wished she'd refrained from arguing with him and just continued up the stairs when she'd gotten home last night. But then, if she'd done that, they would never have shared that kiss. And she knew down to her very soul that she would never regret finally being in Mitch's arms.

"Please, don't get the wrong idea," she said, "I really didn't mean to offend you earlier. I care what you think, I really do."

Mitch shrugged. "It doesn't matter. As far as I'm concerned, it's finished."

Kelsey watched him turn to leave. Mitch was in such a strange mood, so somber and unemotional. In all the years she'd known him, she had never seen him so...remote.

"I've gotta go," he said as he walked away.

Mitch managed to reach the house without turning back to look at Kelsey one more time. He refused to let her see that their conversation bothered him in the least. She'd looked so lovely, with a few loose tendrils of hair blowing free, and her angelic face turned toward the sun. But he had to stop thinking of her in that way. There were plenty of beautiful women in Baltimore. As far as he was concerned, Kelsey barely even existed anymore.

Mitch had spent a good bit of the morning racking his brain over their fight and hadn't been any closer to a solution when he'd received a call an hour ago. Kelsey's mother wanted to welcome Mitch home, and to sincerely thank him for "taking care" of Kelsey. She a.s.sured him again that she and Ralph were so happy Kelsey had a "member of the family" to look after her in Baltimore.

Fifteen minutes later, Nathan called and he heard the entire speech over again. Mitch was tempted to tell her brother that while Kelsey might seem a fairly inexperienced young woman, her alternate persona, Lady Love, seemed an expert. Instead, he'd kept Kelsey's secret and a.s.sured Nathan that she would be as safe in his house as she'd been at home. That meant safe from everyone. Including himself. So it was time to draw the line and stay well behind it.

Mitch still believed this solution was for the best. He'd already allowed Kelsey to creep into his life and it was time to put a stop to it. If she wanted to go on the radio and t.i.tillate the entire city, she was welcome to do it. He didn't have to think about it, absolutely was not going to listen, and they certainly didn't have to socialize. There should be no reason why they should have more than minimal contact. And that was fine with him.

"NOT ON YOUR LIFE, Mitch Wymore," Kelsey whispered as she watched Mitch enter the house. "You are not going to shut me out."

Mitch wanted to pretend they meant nothing to each other. Well, he could pretend all he wanted to. But he wouldn't get away with it. They lived in the same house, parked their cars two feet away from one another, b.u.mped into each other at the mailbox, or while getting the newspaper. No way was he going to be able to avoid her.

She would make sure of that.

"LET'S TALK ABOUT DESIRE."

Kelsey sat in her studio, opening her show even before the last notes of her introduction were finished. She was more than prepared for tonight's topic.

"Now I don't mean the natural urge we have to be close to someone we love, to further our deep emotions for that person through physical expression. That's wonderful, too, of course. But tonight, I want to talk about the kind of desire that's almost painful in its intensity. You know what I mean...the sweaty palms, the pounding heart, the tense, coiled feeling in the pit of your stomach when you think of someone you want so badly but haven't been with. Think about it. You know what I'm talking about. Stick around. It should be an interesting night."

Kelsey sat back during her first set of commercials, winking at Brian while she sipped a gla.s.s of water. Usually she kept her personal feelings out of her show. She considered Lady Love to be a character she portrayed. But after days of doing her best to make Mitch want her, she was very much acquainted with wanting someone and was quite ready to talk about unfulfilled desire.

When Brian cued her, she leaned forward and said, "Welcome back to Night Whispers Night Whispers on WAJO. I'm Lady Love and tonight we're going to explore that intoxicating feeling of just on WAJO. I'm Lady Love and tonight we're going to explore that intoxicating feeling of just wanting wanting someone. Let's not muddy the waters, we're not talking about lifelong love. When you find your one and only, the desire changes, it becomes more meaningful, more fulfilling. That's another topic for another show. Instead, let's focus on that spine-tingling sensation you get when you're around someone who you just someone. Let's not muddy the waters, we're not talking about lifelong love. When you find your one and only, the desire changes, it becomes more meaningful, more fulfilling. That's another topic for another show. Instead, let's focus on that spine-tingling sensation you get when you're around someone who you just know know could give you immense physical pleasure." could give you immense physical pleasure."

Sultry images flooded her mind, but Kelsey forced herself to keep focused on what she was doing.

"Have you felt it? Do you feel it now?" she asked, her voice challenging her listeners. "Can you close your eyes and picture every inch of the person you want?"

She had. She did. She could.

"Sometimes the person we want isn't right for us, or doesn't feel the same way. But that doesn't stop the need. Pure, undiluted desire. We've all experienced it. Now let's talk about it."

"HOLY h.e.l.l!" MITCH MUTTERED. He kicked a pile of papers out of his way as he stalked across the living room and punched the off b.u.t.ton on his stereo. Still not satisfied, he reached behind it and yanked the cord out of the wall. He didn't know what demon had made him tune in to begin with.

"Shut up, Kelsey. Just leave me alone," he muttered aloud in the empty room.

But she wouldn't. Kelsey would not leave him alone.

He glanced at the notes he'd been writing before her show came on. It wouldn't do any good to try to get back to work. Every time he tried to concentrate, thoughts of Kelsey intruded.

For the past week, while he'd struggled to avoid her, she'd turned up everywhere. When he went outside to change the oil in his car, she came out in a pair of very tight, torn jeans and a T-s.h.i.+rt to wash hers. The water had splashed her, making the s.h.i.+rt stick to her skin. He'd been paying so much attention to her that he'd forgotten what he was doing and neglected to tighten the filter. When oil came spilling out on the driveway he'd had to dive back under the car, getting his clothes black and sticky. She'd rushed over to help him clean up, dabbing at the stains while he sucked in gulps of air and tried to look everywhere but at her totally wet, nearly transparent s.h.i.+rt.

When he pulled a load of clothes from the dryer, he b.u.mped into her coming up the bas.e.m.e.nt stairs, and had to lift the laundry basket high over his head while she scooted past. As she slid by, he'd swear she purposely brushed her entire body against his, saying, "We're just supposed to nod, right?" He stared down at her, watching her descend, as her light, flowery scent hung in the air. She hadn't even looked back at him standing mute on the stairs.

When he went out to cut the gra.s.s, he found her pulling weeds in the garden. Yesterday, when he got home, he found her baking sweet-smelling cinnamon rolls in his kitchen. For several minutes, while he put away his groceries, he had to watch her slowly licking sticky, sweet icing from her fingers.

And all the while she smiled and batted her lashes and played the role of temptress as though she'd invented it.

"You're not going to get away with this, Kelsey," Mitch said aloud as he walked to his office and flipped on his computer.

He knew he was being played like an instrument. Kelsey was trying to make him admit they could never be mere acquaintances, or housemates. She didn't like him criticizing her job, but then, when he'd come up with an ideal solution, she didn't like that, either.

Tonight she must have suspected he'd listen to her show. She seemed to be speaking directly to him. Telling him she wanted him. He didn't know whether to be flattered or just plain frustrated.

At this particular moment, he was opting for frustrated.

LATE THE NEXT AFTERNOON, Kelsey sat with Celia in Fred's apartment, waiting for a batch of cookies to finish baking.

"How is it going with Mitch?" Celia asked.

"It's not going at all," Kelsey replied with a sigh. "He's not responding in the least. He doesn't appear to even be aware of me."

Celia grinned. "You must be joking. I was watching out the window the other day when you washed your car. He definitely knew you were there. Fred thought I was crazy for laughing when Mitch got himself covered with oil."

"Well," Kelsey conceded, "he knows I'm around, he's just not ready to admit he cares cares I'm around. I think it was better when we were just friends. This acquaintance business is getting tiresome." I'm around. I think it was better when we were just friends. This acquaintance business is getting tiresome."

"So, you just want to be friends again? Yeah, right," Celia said with a knowing smile.

"Well, maybe friends friends isn't quite the right word." isn't quite the right word."

Celia crossed her arms across her chest and raised one eyebrow. "I think lovers lovers is the word you're looking for." is the word you're looking for."

Kelsey laughed at Celia's droll tone. "The thought has crossed my mind."

"A woman would have to be made of stone for that thought not to cross her mind when Mitch Wymore walked into a room."

Kelsey pretended she was shocked. "Why, Celia, for a nearly engaged woman to say such a thing...I'm appalled!"

"Hey, I love Fred, okay?" Celia explained with a laugh. "But that doesn't mean I can't appreciate a male body that looks like it should be a centerfold...or a face that looks like it should be on the cover of GQ GQ."

"Don't forget those dark blue eyes that seem to see everything," Kelsey contributed.

"I think I prefer green eyes." Celia's sweet smile told Kelsey she had switched her thoughts to Fred.

When they heard a car pull up outside, Celia glanced out the window. "Fred's home. Looks like he's unloading some boxes. Uh-oh, Mitch is going out to help him."

"I think I'll slide on outta here, then," Kelsey said. "I'm not exactly dressed for another seduction attempt."

Kelsey glanced ruefully at her purple sweat suit and sneakers as she carried her teacup into the kitchen. She had a little flour on her chest from the cookie baking, and a brown smear on her wristband where she'd accidentally leaned into a bowl of chocolate chips.