Kate walked over to the bed and looked down at him. “Ian, would you like to join me in the shower?”
He pulled her down onto the bed and tickled her.
Kate squealed with laughter. “Stop that! Very ticklish!” She tried to get away and almost made it before he grabbed her ankle and pulled her back.
He was laughing as hard as she was, but then the laughing turned into kissing, and the kissing turned into touching.
“If we don’t get in there, we’re going to run out of hot water and then we’ll both be sorry,” she said. “Come with me. I promise to wash every inch of you.”
Ian followed her into the bathroom, stripped off his underwear, and pulled her into the shower with him. “I’m an incredibly filthy man, Katie.”
“Tell me something I don’t know,” she said, laughing. “Like your last name.”
They walked to Wilde Roast Café. Ian had pulled off her glove and shoved it in his pocket so he could hold her hand. Despite the single-digit temperature, Kate was toasty warm in her parka and jeans and the white cable-knit sweater he’d bought her.
“Here we are again,” Ian said after they’d been seated and ordered coffee. “What was it I said to you the day I tracked you here by your credit card activity?”
“You should be trying to make me forget you ever did that.”
“Water under the bridge. I believe what I said was that I’d win you over eventually. Considering I’ve now been inside you, my prediction was quite accurate.” His smile got even bigger, as if he couldn’t be more delighted about the way things had turned out.
Ian was always happy. Forget moody. Forget brooding. An air of amusement surrounded him at all times, as if the world he lived in was just so infinitely entertaining and—in his case—there for the taking.
“You’re quite pleased with yourself, aren’t you?” she said, smiling back at him.
“Incredibly so.” He opened his menu. “How was your visit home?”
“It was good. I could have done without all the ‘poor Kate’ comments from my assorted relatives. You know, because I’m no longer making the big bucks and Stuart and I broke up. The worst part was they all acted like I got dumped.”
“But you broke up with Stuart.”
“Exactly!” Kate said, pointing at herself. “I broke up with him. Ugh, I sound like I’m in middle school.”
“You should have told them about your new boyfriend.”
She smiled. “Boyfriend?”
He groaned. “Now we’re both in middle school. I need to say something very manly right now.”
“Trust me,” she whispered. “You are the man. A six-foot-four-inch, gorgeous, strapping man with muscles everywhere and a big you-know-what.”
He winked. “Don’t you forget it, sweetness.”
The waitress brought their coffee. “Are you ready to order?”
“Kate?” Ian said.
“Crème br?lée french toast please.”
“And for you?” she asked, looking at Ian.
“Classic Benedict.”
She gathered their menus. “Coming right up.”
“So the rest of the visit was okay?” Ian said, taking a drink of his coffee.
“Yes. Things seem to be back on track with my dad.”
“Had they been off track?”
“He had a hard time when I stopped practicing law. He began his law career as an attorney. My brother is an attorney. I’m no longer an attorney.”
“What does your dad do now?”
“He’s a justice on Indiana’s Supreme Court. Have I not mentioned that?”
“You have not.”
“Worried?”
“Not at all. Parents always find me especially charming.”
“They’ll be in Minneapolis for Christmas. Knock yourself out. Anyway, for the first time ever, my dad asked how the food pantry was doing. We’d never really talked about it before, so I guess we’re making progress. I felt conflicted when I answered him though. If it wasn’t for you and your donations, the report I gave him would have been dismal.”
“Speaking of that,” Ian said.
“No,” Kate said firmly.