Chapter 32

Keira practically flew down the stairs to get to her cell phone, which was still in the tote bag from the beach. She groaned when she looked at the screen and saw that she'd missed 5 calls and 2 text messages. One of the texts was from Molly, but all the rest were from Rob.

She pressed his speed dial number and waited anxiously for him to answer. When he did, she said, "Hi Rob, I'm so sorry I'm not there right now. Annie called, and she wanted to go over a few last minute revisions that I have to make on the book. You don't have to wait up -- it looks like this is going to take a while, and I know you must be tired from traveling."

There was a long pause on Rob's end of the line. Keira squeezed her eyes shut and pinched the bridge of her nose, waiting for him to unload his frustration on her. Instead he just sighed.

"I think we need to talk," he said.

Keira's heart felt like it skipped a beat. That she had not been expecting. "What do you mean...talk?" she said, trying not to sound nervous.

"I mean, talk about us. About what the hell is going on." His voice was cold.

"Ohhh-kay...we can do that tomorrow when I see you."

There was another long silence, and then she realized that he'd hung up on her. She held the phone out in front of her and stared at it in disbelief. Suddenly she heard Jon clear his throat from the bottom of the staircase.

"So...how'd that go?" he asked, as though he hadn't been listening in the entire time.

Keira chuckled contritely. "Yeah, not so well."

Jon pushed his hands into the front pockets of his jeans, unsure of whether to approach her or to give her a few minutes alone. He waited for her to give him some kind of a sign, but she just kept staring at her cell phone. Finally, he said hesitantly, "Anything I can do...?"

She shook her head slowly. "No. I just...don't like myself very much right now."

"Well, I like you," he said.

She smiled. "Thanks. That's very sweet of you." She pressed a button on her phone to read the message that Molly had left her, then burst out laughing.

"What?" he asked.

"Molly wants to know if we got it on last night."

"Oh. Well, there's still time, if you want to."

She looked up at him, and her breath caught short in her throat. He was leaning against the bannister, with his hands still in his pockets. His shirt hugged his shoulders and chest, and he filled out the jeans in all the right places. And, God, his mouth.

He gave her his sexy half-smile and said, "What did you say?"

Her eyes widened. Was I thinking out loud? She laughed nervously. "Nothing...I just..." she sighed. "Okay, fine. It's your mouth, Jon. Your fucking mouth makes me want to do crazy things."

For a minute he didn't say anything, just took his hands out of his pockets and folded them behind his head. Then he said, "Okay. And...is that supposed to be a bad thing?"

She threw him a look of disbelief. "Yes, it's a bad thing! First of all, I haven't broken up with Rob--"

"Yet." Jon interrupted.

"--yet, but still. And second of all, you're you, and you're famous, and that kinda complicates things. I'm all for having a one-night stand, but I can tell you right now that once isn't going to be enough, so I think it's best that we don't start something that we're eventually going to have to finish."

"I actually think the finish is the best part."

"I'm being serious right now, Jon!"

Exasperated, he ran his hands through his hair. "I know you're being serious, Kathryn. You're being way too serious. Why can't we just have a good time and play it by ear? You're really overthinking things here."

"I have to overthink things! Someone has to be the voice of reason in this situation."

He took a deep breath and tried to keep his frustration in check. "Fine. I can be the voice of reason too. Do you want me to take you home?"

"Fuck no!" Keira nearly shouted. "And that's the problem! My mind wants one thing but my body wants something else entirely. And stop looking at me like that, Jonny, because my mind is already losing the battle. You don't have to help things along with the sexy eyes and the sexy mouth and the sexy...everything."

He couldn't help it -- he started to laugh. "I'm just standing here."

Keira laughed too. The man made her crazy. "That's the problem too. All you have to do is stand there and I want you. You're dangerous."

"I don't know what you're talking about. Dangerous? I'm a pussycat."

She stood up and crossed the room to him, leaving rational thought behind. "Come here."