Sweet Hearts Read online

  Five minutes later when Lucy made her way to the bar for another drink, Kristin waited a few moments before following. “I really like your friends,” she said, leaning her forearms on the bar alongside Lucy. “They’re a lot of fun.”

  “Thanks,” Lucy said, smiling at her. “I like them too. Barrett is a sweetheart.”

  “She seems to be.”

  “How do you guys know each other?”

  “We just met tonight actually. She bought me a drink when I arrived.”

  “Aha. Apparently you’re not as unapproachable as you thought.” Lucy turned her attention casually to the cocktail menu. “And you’re interested?”

  “In a cocktail?”

  “In Barrett,” Lucy said, eyes still on the menu. “You guys would be cute together.”

  Kristin wasn’t sure how she felt about that comment. “Thanks. But it’s not Barrett who’s invaded my thoughts of late.” At her words, Lucy set the menu down and looked up at her. Her eyes were wide, luminous as they searched Kristin’s face. But there was a sparkle in them too and a tugging smile that had Kristin forgetting to breathe. God, this woman was gorgeous, even more so than she remembered.

  “How about we get out of here and see some of the city?” Lucy asked.

  The change in conversation had Kristin struggling to keep up. “The city?”

  “Yeah. I have a feeling there’s one part you’ve yet to see.”

  “And you’re the tour guide?”

  Lucy nodded. “Reporting for duty.”

  Done. Decided. “I should say good night to Barrett and thank her for the drink.”

  “Okay. How about I meet you at my car in ten so as not to be obvious. I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.”

  “I think that’s for the best.” And then she lowered her voice. “This is all super covert.”

  “All the more exciting,” Lucy said, one eyebrow arched.

  *

  They left the windows down as they drove up the steep hills with Bruno Mars singing his fast-paced single from the car radio and their hair blowing in the breeze. Lucy stole a look at Kristin, who hadn’t said a whole lot since they’d left the Lavender Room, but she’d placed her open palm out the window and there was a smile on her face that said she was enjoying herself. “Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” she asked.

  “You’ll see soon enough,” Lucy said. She wasn’t at all sure what to do with the flutters around her heart that seemed to be multiplying in Kristin’s presence. “Tell the investigative journalist in you to relax and enjoy the scenery.”

  “But I am,” Kristin said quietly, her gaze never moving from Lucy. So not helping the heart flutters.

  Five tension-filled minutes later, and Lucy pulled her car to a stop at the spot she knew to be the most breathtaking of any other spot. From where they sat in the front seat, they could see all of San Diego beneath, the lights of the city twinkling almost as brightly as the stars overhead.

  “Oh my,” Kristin breathed. “You can see everything at once.”

  “Exactly. I thought you might like it.” But Kristin was on the move and headed out of the car. She walked to the edge of the cliff, which had Lucy’s heart hammering away for a whole separate reason as she exited the car herself.

  “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Back away from the edge before I’m forced to perform heroic acts to save your life.”

  Kristin turned back to her in calm amusement. “I’m perfectly safe. I just wanted to see it all. Just look,” she said, staring down at the city.

  “I am,” Lucy said. She retrieved a blanket from the car, laid it across the hood, and slid up and onto it. “It’s gorgeous up here, which is why I wanted you to see it. Believe it or not, I come out here by myself sometimes just to clear my head. It’s so removed from everything, yet it’s all right here at the same time. This is what perspective looks like,” she said, gesturing out.

  Kristin joined her on the hood of the car. Music still played softly from inside. “You have a lot of layers, Lucy Danaher. Not one who’s easy to predict.”

  “Good.” Lucy stole a glance at Kristin and then looked away, intimidated by the pull she felt to her. “I’m glad you haven’t got me figured out. Maybe you’re wrong about me in that story you’re writing.”

  Kristin smiled. “That story has nothing to do with you and who you are as a human. It’s about best practices from a business standpoint.”

  Lucy sighed. “You realize if we go down this path, we’re probably going to argue.”

  “So let’s not,” Kristin proposed, sitting up a little straighter. “Let’s enjoy this night and this beautiful view for what it is. Because I, for one, am happy to be here with you.”

  Kristin was close, Lucy realized. Very close.

  The outsides of their thighs touched and she was vaguely aware of the faint scent of strawberries. The song on the radio switched and Adele covered an old Garth Brooks favorite, slow and smooth. As they listened in silence, staring out at the city below, Lucy realized it was definitely one of the more romantic settings she’d experienced, and quite simply, it made her notice Kristin all the more.

  Kristin’s mouth was somewhat heart shaped and full in the most wonderful way. And then there was the dimple on her left cheek. God, that dimple did things to Lucy when it showed up. Ridiculously attractive, she decided, that was Kristin. She was utterly seduced.

  “What’s going on over there?” Kristin asked quietly.

  Lucy shook her head. “You.”

  “What about me?”

  “I’m not supposed to like you.”

  “I remember. I’m not supposed to like you either.”

  “Yet the only thing I can concentrate on right now is doing this.” She touched Kristin’s cheek, slowly leaned in, and kissed her. It was a soft kiss, a tentative brushing of her lips across Kristin’s, but that was only the beginning. The warmth she encountered was intoxicating, and being this close to Kristin had her head spinning in the most awesome sense. Lucy’s instinct took over and she deepened the kiss, as there was no choice not to. Kristin’s mouth began to move against hers, sending a jolt of heat straight through Lucy. She moved her other hand to fully cradle Kristin’s face, and then into her thick hair.

  Kristin knew what she was doing. That much was clear. She kissed Lucy with skilled precision, like it was the most important thing in the world that she do this properly. And damn it, she totally did, Lucy thought distantly as her limbs went weak.

  “What is this thing?” she breathed, pulling her mouth from Kristin’s, searching for air. “Because it feels a little crazy.”

  Kristin’s eyes were heavy, unfocused. “Crazy good or crazy bad?” Not waiting for an answer, Kristin leaned in and kissed her some more, which had Lucy grasping the fabric of Kristin’s shirt for stability.

  “Crazy like I’m a little off the rails.”

  “Good. Me too,” Kristin said.

  More kissing. The best kind of kissing. Olympic medal kissing. As their lips clung, Lucy closed her eyes in order to hold it to her for one more moment, it was that good.

  Once they broke apart, she stared at Kristin, still holding on to her shirt and reintroducing herself to the concept of air. Once she had some, she blew out a breath. “I feel so much better now.”

  “Than what?” Kristin asked, curiosity across her face.

  “Than every other human who doesn’t get to kiss you on top of a car overlooking the city.”

  Kristin broke into a smile. “That was a very good answer. I really like that answer.”

  Lucy leaned her back against the windshield and pulled Kristin gently down next to her. The night was chilly and Lucy had left her sweater inside the car. However, there was no way she was moving from this spot. Uh-uh. The fact that Kristin wrapped her arms around Lucy’s waist and settled her head against Lucy’s shoulder helped the cause immensely, however.

  They lay there on top of the car, under the stars, listening to the music with the quiet sounds
of nature around them. It felt like uncharted water to Lucy. Kristin wasn’t like anyone she’d ever been drawn to before. She didn’t fit the profile in the slightest, and maybe that’s why it all felt so different.

  So intriguing.

  So complex.

  But then again, Lucy loved a challenge.

  Chapter Four

  The next day, Lucy set the stack of forms from legal on her coffee table and adjusted Bernadette Peters, who was curled into a ball in her lap. She’d been at it for well over three hours and there was still a second stack staring her down. Yes, sir, it was a thrilling Saturday afternoon in the Danaher household. Who didn’t enjoy poring over wordy legal jargon on the weekend with a side of jazz music and a cookie-scented candle? The truth was she’d been putting off approval of the contract language for their international accounts for too long and it was best she just knock it the hell out so she could focus on marketing strategies and leadership development. The jazz and the candle were just incentive to keep her going.

  She placed a kiss on BP’s tiny head and with a deep sigh went back to work. It was only a few moments before the buzz from her phone invaded the silence. She glanced at the readout, a text from Kristin, and smiled. “It’s the girl I kissed last night,” she whispered to BP. “She’s very pretty, but maddening at the same time. Like you.” She turned her focus to her phone and read the text.

  Feel like going for a run this afternoon?

  She paused and typed back her answer because it was one of the crazier questions she’d been asked. Um…Have you met me?

  It took a minute for Kristin to reply.

  I have. Infuriating. Opinionated. Adorable.

  Okay, now that was pretty good, the adorable thing. It had Lucy a little tingly and a tad bit smiley. She stood with her phone and walked the course of her living room as she typed. I’m a horrible runner. I told you. Tragic.

  The response was quicker this time.

  Good thing I’ll be there to help you.

  Lucy sighed. Running? Really? Was she seriously going to do this? She supposed it would make for a nice break in her day. Her eyes were beginning to cross from staring at documents for hours on end. Plus, she’d get to look at Kristin in athletic attire, so there was that upside. She started to type. Fine. But I have a feeling I’m going to regret this. She stared at BP, incredulous. “I’m about to go running,” she told the dog, who cocked her head in mystification. “I know. It’s crazy.” Her phone vibrated at an incoming text.

  I thought we could run on the beach. Where should we meet?

  Lucy glanced out her back window at the sand and surf, smiled, and returned to her phone. I know the perfect spot.

  *

  Kristin knocked on the big brown door with the wrought-iron design in the window at exactly three p.m., the time she and Lucy had agreed upon. It was several long moments before Lucy appeared, seemingly surprised to see her.

  “You’re early,” she said, opening the door for Kristin to come inside.

  “Am not,” she said. “I’m right on time.”

  Lucy thought on this. “I think I often assume that everyone is on Lucy time, you know, late.”

  She laughed. “Well, welcome to Kristin.”

  “That sounds like an invitation,” Lucy said with a raised eyebrow. “Kidding. I can be bad sometimes. Come inside and see my digs.”

  Kristin followed Lucy through the small entryway of brown travertine tile. Right off, she caught that the beach bungalow was full of impressive little touches. Crown molding, interesting pieces of art on the wall, and the cool flooring, which morphed to engineered hardwood as they advanced into the living room. “How many bedrooms?” Kristin asked, as she took in the place.

  “Two. Not a huge place, but it’s mine.”

  And it was, in fact, very Lucy. Feminine, classy, and attractive. Kristin then shifted her attention as an adorable Yorkshire terrier quickly padded its way in her direction.

  “Oh my goodness,” she said, kneeling. “You’re the cutest thing on the planet.” The tiny dog seemed to enjoy the compliment and licked her nose in thanks.

  “This is Bernadette Peters. BP for short. Spoiled rotten, but extra snuggly.”

  “Can’t argue with that combo.” She looked up at Lucy. “Wouldn’t have pegged you for a dog person though.”

  She lifted a shoulder. “It’s my goal to keep you guessing.”

  “So far, so good,” Kristin said, shaking her head and narrowing her gaze.

  “Excellent.” And then, “I should probably change out of jeans for this running thing we’re going to do.”

  “This running thing? Oh, that descriptor doesn’t bode well.”

  “No, it doesn’t. But I’m extra excited to put on my athletic wear that sits lonely in my closet for most of its life. Your outfit is pretty awesome.” The comment and the appreciative way she’d said it sent a tiny shiver up Kristin’s back. She’d chosen her black midcalf running pants and bright blue tank top, which she thought seemed beach appropriate. “I also love the ponytail. I think I’ll follow suit with the expert today,” Lucy said as she disappeared around the corner.

  Kristin took a seat on the couch and scratched BP’s head, prompting her to roll onto her back for more. “Oh, you like that, do you?” BP blinked back from her upside-down position. She missed having a dog.

  In a few short moments, Lucy reappeared in a matching black and white workout outfit, a look which included her dark hair pulled into a ponytail, sans the swirl this time.

  “Okay. I’m ready. Let’s do this before I change my mind.” Lucy was already sporting a semi-pout, which forecast an uphill battle ahead of them.

  They headed out to the beach, the short jaunt to the water’s edge shocking to Kristin. She couldn’t imagine how awesome it must be to live this close to the water, to be able to run on the beach each morning or just sip coffee and watch the surf. “God, it’s gorgeous out here.” And it was. The temperature was warm, but not the uncomfortable kind of warm. The sun had already begun its daily descent, and in a couple of hours they would have a pretty picturesque sunset on their hands, if she had to guess. She turned to Lucy. “So why don’t we take it easy and stick with a basic jog.” Kristin demonstrated and Lucy fell in beside her.

  “Okay, a jog seems harmless.” They ran in companionable silence for a few long moments before Lucy turned to her. “How long are we doing this for exactly?”

  Kristin passed her a look. “I thought we’d do a mile or two. Nothing major.”

  “A mile or two?” Lucy practically squeaked.

  “Or less,” Kristin amended. “We can adjust as needed.” They ran for a bit and Kristin felt her muscles begin to lengthen and engage.

  “You’re one of those people who likes exercise, aren’t you? It’s not that you do it out of necessity or to stay in shape, you do it because you like it. Am I close?”

  Kristin smiled as she ran. “I do happen to enjoy it, yes.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lucy shake her head in dramatic disdain. Lucy, she was finding, was often dramatic.

  “People like you do this to us.”

  “People like me do what to you?” Kristin tried to keep the smile off of her face.

  “You guys invent things like CrossFit and spinning and Pilates and yoga and make them trendy just to torture the rest of us.”

  “We do do that. We have meetings about it, even. Who told you?”

  “Evil meetings. I knew it.” Lucy lifted a hand. “Exercise is important, yes, but it should be considered work. We should hate it automatically. And you guys don’t. You’re also the people who invent things like fat-free sour cream and guilt the world into eating it instead of the fantastic real stuff. I miss the real stuff.”

  “You’re such a victim. I’m sorry.”

  “I am.”

  “A cute one though,” Kristin said, before sprinting ahead. “Come on, victim. Catch me.”

  “Hey!” Lucy called out from behind her. But it was only a f
ew playful moments of Kristin jogging backward until Lucy closed the distance. “You’re trying to kill me. I thought so before, but now I’m sure of it.” She gulped in some air. “Time to turn back?”

  Kristin smiled, as they’d barely run half a mile. “Not quite. But I’ll make a deal with you. See the boardwalk ahead?”

  “I do. It calls to me.”

  “Great. Well, if you make it to that boardwalk without stopping, I’ll buy you an ice-cream cone as a reward.”

  Lucy’s eyebrows shot up. “Really? That’s allowed? Mid-exercise dessert? Because I could get behind that little rule shift.”

  “Definitely. What’s the point of running if there’s not a little payoff?”

  The smile on Lucy’s face brightened. “I like the way you think, Little Miss Reporter.” And with an extra spring in their step, they covered the half mile to the boardwalk. It turned out Lucy Danaher operated quite nicely on incentive. She filed that away.

  With a mint-chocolate-chip cone for Lucy and salted caramel for Kristin, they strolled the Mission Beach Boardwalk. The lively walkway had two lanes, which left plenty of room for the Rollerbladers gliding past, folks lining up for the Ferris wheel, and food vendors galore. The place had a laid back feel to it, very much reminiscent of what Kristin had come to know as the Southern California vibe. It was a great destination to run to. Halfway down the walk, Lucy steered them to a bench that looked perfect for people watching.

  “So how’d I do? Are we talking runner hall of fame?” Lucy asked, taking a lick from her cone. It was an awesome visual that sent a shot of something powerful to Kristin’s center and downward. Whoa.

  “Well, you made it here and that’s major.”

  “Right? Now, how are we getting home? Cab?”

  Kristin had to laugh at that one. “Very funny.”

  Lucy shrugged. “I had to try.” And then she brushed a stray piece of hair from Kristin’s forehead in a move that seemed so natural it was startling.

  Kristin thought back to the night before at the overlook. The view of the city. The quiet. The kissing. God, the kissing. It might have been the best make-out session of her life, and that was even counting Nadine Duarte, who was two years older than her in high school and blew her mind with an impromptu make-out fest in the locker room while the rest of the class played in a volleyball scrimmage. It was hard to beat an impromptu high school make-out fest, but she and Lucy had done that to a surprising degree.