"Don't go," Celia said. "When they get up here I'll order pizzas or something, and the four of us can have dinner."

"With Mitch ignoring me and me drooling over him? Thanks, but no thanks."

"You don't drool, and he doesn't ignore you."

"I appreciate the offer, but I am about ready to call this plan quits, anyway. Mitch has made it clear he's not interested, and I'm not about to ambush him. Besides, my producer, Brian, is stopping by later. I need to get home and make some notes about show ideas before he arrives."

Kelsey opened the apartment door to leave and found Fred, carrying a large carton, reaching for the k.n.o.b. She held the door for him, and said h.e.l.lo and goodbye. Hoping Mitch wouldn't be too quick, she dashed to the stairs and was halfway down when he started coming up. He hadn't seen her yet; the large box he carried blocked his view. Kelsey decided to press against the wall and let him move right past her on the wide stairway. With any luck he'd never even notice she was there. It almost worked.

Mitch peered around the side of the carton he was carrying to see if he was nearing the top step, and came face-to-face with Kelsey. Startled, he dropped the box, watching helplessly as plastic beakers and papers spilled onto the wooden stairs. The cardboard container tipped on its side and slid like a toboggan straight down to the landing.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"I'm sorry, I was just trying to get out of your way." Kelsey shrugged slightly, but grimaced at the loud thump of the box hitting the floor at the bottom of the steps.

"Dammit, Kelsey," Mitch snapped as he faced her and moved closer. "This is going to stop. Understand?" Kelsey leaned back farther as he crowded her. His hands braced the wall on either side of her head, and he trapped her, inches from his chest, as he continued his tirade. "I hope Fred didn't have anything breakable in that box. What a dumb stunt!"

Mitch stared hard at her, looking for the gleam of mischief he felt sure he'd find, but it wasn't there. She looked contrite, embarra.s.sed even. And a mess.

A smudge of flour rode the high plane of her cheek, and her hair hung in disarray from a clip. He watched her part her full lips and take in a deep breath, and noticed the strong pulse beating in her throat. She was nervous-he could see it. A slow flush spread from her neck up through her face, and her breathing became more labored. Mitch glanced down to the slight s.p.a.ce between their bodies. Not much more than a whisper separated them.

He dropped his voice to a growl. "All right, Kelsey. You win."

Kelsey raised her eyes in confusion, but didn't have time to absorb his words when his mouth suddenly captured hers in a searing kiss. She didn't move, didn't have the strength to lift her arms to encircle his neck, but reveled in the hard press of his body, crushing hers from shoulder to thigh. His hot mouth urged hers to open and she welcomed him, loving the intimacy, the taste of him as the kiss continued endlessly.

She whimpered when Mitch moved his hands to her shoulders, then slowly slid them down her arms until he reached her fingertips. He laced his fingers through hers briefly, then moved his hands to her hips, pulling her tighter against him. Her whimper turned into a moan at the feel of his hard excitement. Mitch lifted his mouth from hers, trailing hot kisses down her chin, across her neck, to the hollow of her throat. His fingertips reached her waist and slid under her sweatshirt, caressing her sensitive, bare flesh.

Kelsey shifted a little, silently urging him to continue exploring her body, as she longed to do with his. Finally regaining the ability to move, she allowed her palms to travel up the flat expanse of his stomach to his hard chest. She stroked the side of his neck, then curled her fingers in his hair.

Mitch inhaled Kelsey's scent as he trailed kisses along her throat. He lightly grazed his teeth against the soft curve of her neck as he caressed her bare midriff, then moved his hands higher to rest just underneath her b.r.e.a.s.t.s.

"Oh, Mitch, yes, please," she whispered brokenly in that deep, throaty voice he knew so well.

Mitch closed his eyes tightly as her words intruded on the seductive spell he'd allowed to envelop him. Pulling his fingers away from her skin, he leaned his forehead on the wall behind her and struggled mightily to slow his rapid, shallow breathing.

After a few seconds he pulled back from her, looking at her dazed expression. Her head was thrown back, eyes closed, and deep breaths came from between her swollen lips. Desire for her rose again, almost as swiftly as his anger at his lack of control. He didn't know whether he was more angry at himself for forgetting his resolutions regarding Kelsey, or at her for being so d.a.m.ned tempting.

"Are you satisfied now?" he asked raggedly.

Kelsey slowly shook her head and replied without even opening her eyes, "I'm a long way from satisfied."

So was he. Mitch knew the only way he'd be satisfied right now was if he buried himself inside her body and felt her sleek legs wrapped around his waist.

"This is insane," he muttered as he angrily thrust his hands through his hair. "What are we doing?"

She smiled slowly without bothering to open her eyes. "Exactly what we've both been wanting to do, I believe."

Mitch shook his head in disbelief. She was so matter-of-fact, as if this moment of wild, unexpected pa.s.sion was the most natural thing in the world. As if the two of them could forget the past, and her family, and their longstanding connection, and just drift into a reckless affair.

He stared steadily at her. "What do you want from me?"

Oh, if he only knew what she wanted! She wanted Fred and Celia to disappear. She wanted Mitch to yank her clothes off and lift her up so she could wrap her legs around him. She wanted him pressing her against the wall as he filled her body and they let the pa.s.sion consume them.

And more than anything, she wanted to wake up tomorrow morning, and many mornings thereafter, and find him next to her.

"I think that if I answer that question honestly you're going to go back down to your apartment, lock your door and never come near me again," she said softly.

Mitch backed away and studied Kelsey's face. She was not flirting, she was not trying to seduce or cajole. Her honest desire was plain to see, and her bright green eyes held absolutely nothing back. All she wanted was him.

G.o.d help him, all he wanted was her, too. His blood coursed through his veins and excitement threatened to overwhelm him. For the first time in years, he felt totally in tune with his senses, remembering every soft inch of her flesh, the sweet scent of her aroused body. He wanted to take her, right there on the stairs, to h.e.l.l with Fred and Celia and anybody else. But he couldn't. He couldn't say to h.e.l.l with her family.

Finally, when he trusted himself to speak without telling her how much his body was screaming for her, he muttered, "Then maybe we'd better forget I asked."

6.

THE ICE CUBES CLINKED against his gla.s.s as Mitch swirled his drink. He stared pensively out his front window at the night sky, wondering what kind of fool he'd been to walk away from Kelsey. against his gla.s.s as Mitch swirled his drink. He stared pensively out his front window at the night sky, wondering what kind of fool he'd been to walk away from Kelsey.

Mitch had never wanted a woman as much as he'd wanted her at that moment. He'd never been as aroused, or as totally unaware of where he was and who was present. He'd felt like a kid again, conscious of nothing but feeling, not caring about anything but physical pleasure.

He didn't know how he managed to turn his back on her and begin gathering Fred's spilled belongings. Kelsey had moved past him with quiet dignity and entered her apartment. After dumping the box unceremoniously in Fred's apartment, Mitch had gone back downstairs, resisting the strong temptation to stop at Kelsey's door, knock, and see what happened when she answered.

He did the right thing. Things had gotten a little carried away again again, but there was no sense in making a difficult situation worse. Maybe he'd been a little crazy to think he and Kelsey could be nothing but neighbors; too many years of history made a mockery of that idea. But they could not become lovers. For about the hundredth time that evening, he found himself wishing she'd never moved in. And for about the hundredth time that evening, he called himself a liar as he remembered the feel of her pressed against him.

Mitch heard the doorbell ring. Glancing at the clock, he saw it was after nine, and knew exactly who was showing up. Kelsey's date. Celia had mentioned earlier that she'd invited Kelsey to stay for dinner but that she had other plans, with a man, for that evening.

Good. That was exactly what she should be doing. Getting out, meeting people, forgetting all about him.

"You're such a liar," Mitch said aloud, knowing he'd rather have both his legs broken than have her forget all about him. He started pouring himself another drink as he heard Kelsey come down the stairs and greet her guest. When he heard them go back upstairs to her apartment, he made it a double.

"I REALLY APPRECIATE REALLY APPRECIATE you coming by and going over these show ideas with me, Brian. And thanks for dinner." you coming by and going over these show ideas with me, Brian. And thanks for dinner."

Kelsey sat on the floor of her apartment, leaning on her coffee table to write on a yellow legal tablet. She absently picked up her cold-cuts sub and took a bite.

"No problem," he replied. "I wasn't doing anything tonight, anyway. Chuck's working a double so I would have been sitting around at home."

"So, what's my excuse for having nothing to do and nowhere to go on a Sat.u.r.day night?"

"Oh, make me laugh. Half the guys at the station would ask you out in a second if you gave the slightest indication you were interested," Brian argued as he glanced at his notebook.

"But would it be me they were asking out, or Lady Love?"

"If Lady Love were interested, you'd have half the guys in Baltimore at your door. But from that moony look you get on your face whenever you start talking about this guy who lives downstairs, I guess Lady Love's not available."

Kelsey grimaced and wiped her sticky fingers on a napkin.

"I'm not moony," she said. She hadn't realized her feelings for Mitch had been so obvious. Of course, Brian was very perceptive.

"No, of course you're not, sweetie," Brian said with a grin, as if humoring her mood.

Her mood stank. After Mitch's rejection earlier that afternoon, she hadn't known whether to laugh or cry. She'd done a little of both, then sat quietly and calmly and thought about her relationship with Mitch.

It was done. Whatever fantasies she had about him were finished, and good riddance to them. Well, she had to admit, maybe her fantasies themselves weren't done. After that kiss, that embrace, that flash of absolute electricity they'd shared, she imagined her fantasies were going to get a lot more intense! But her slight belief that maybe something would come of those fantasies...that was gone. Mitch had rejected her for the last time. Right now, he was probably feeling so embarra.s.sed he wouldn't come near her again. And that suited her just fine.

MITCH WASN'T THINKING totally clearly, but he knocked on her door anyway, muttering, "I owe you one, Kelsey Logan. You've got this coming." totally clearly, but he knocked on her door anyway, muttering, "I owe you one, Kelsey Logan. You've got this coming."

He shivered slightly as a draft swept up from downstairs, blowing under the towel he wore around his hips. Curling his toes on the cool wood floor, he wished she'd hurry up and answer. Every second she delayed made him think about heading back downstairs. But his reflexes were perhaps the tiniest bit slower because of his mood...and, possibly, the scotch. Before he had time to forget the whole stupid idea, Kelsey's apartment door opened.

Kelsey had really expected Celia to be standing in her doorway with a plateful of cookies. Instead, a six-foot-tall, nearly naked, rock-hard, golden, lean man stood there.

"h.e.l.lo, Kelsey," Mitch said with a slow smile as he sauntered into her apartment. "Gee, seems I'm all out of soap. Got some I could borrow?"

Kelsey stared as Mitch moved past her. He was naked. Well, not entirely, she supposed. He wore a white towel around his waist, but otherwise, nothing. His dark hair was mussed, damp, as if he had just jumped in the shower, then jumped back out. A drop of water fell from one lock of hair and landed on his sculpted bronzed shoulder, slowly gliding a glistening path down the crisp, dark hair on his chest. She followed the droplet's descent, and then allowed her eyes to travel farther down his body. A quivering sigh was the only sound she could manage.

Kelsey had a pretty good idea what men were supposed to look like. She'd been raised with two brothers, after all, and had enjoyed her fair share of male attention. But Mitch, well, she'd never seen a man who made her forget to breathe.

He was beautiful. His body was hard but not bulky. Lean, toned, with sinewy muscles that rippled along his chest and upper arms. His flesh was smooth, unmarred, a delicious light tan color. Her mouth suddenly felt very dry. The dark hair on his chest was spa.r.s.e and tapered to a thin line down his flat stomach. The white towel interrupted her gaze, but she skimmed it and studied his firm legs. Even his feet were s.e.xy.

Kelsey felt like one of those gaping, foolish men so often seen in comedy movies, ogling a gorgeous woman in a bikini. She quickly glanced up to see if Mitch had noticed.

He smirked.

"Ah-hem," a voice intruded. Mitch glanced nonchalantly over his shoulder to the dark-haired man standing near the sofa. "Oh, I'm sorry, do you have company?" he drawled.

"I was just leaving," the other man said. He eyed Mitch from head to toe, then glanced at Kelsey and gave her a huge grin and a wink. Mitch couldn't understand why Kelsey's date would be so amused at another man, nearly naked, bursting in on them, and why he would cut and run at the sight of the compet.i.tion. But he really didn't care. The guy was leaving. More important, he and Kelsey had both been fully clothed, sitting in the living room, when Mitch arrived!

Kelsey found her vocal cords and managed to say, "Uh, yeah, thanks, Brian."

Brian surrept.i.tiously gave her a thumbs-up as Kelsey returned his quick kiss on the cheek. Her producer looked highly amused, and she imagined she'd have a lot of explaining to do Monday night.

"Gee, don't run off on my account. I really didn't mean to interrupt your date," Mitch said with an absolute lack of sincerity.

"No problem," Brian responded as he stood by the open door. "Kelsey's not my type, anyway."

Mitch shrugged as the other man gave him another long glance, then sighed and slipped out the door. Suddenly he noticed Kelsey beginning to chuckle. He turned to face her as her chuckles turned to uproarious, gut-clenching laughter, and she fell to the couch.

"What's so funny?" he asked indignantly.

Kelsey couldn't answer him. Oh, it was too much! Mitch was paying her back for the trick she'd played on him with that blond witch. He thought Brian was her date, and he'd come up here to give her a little taste of her own medicine.

Finally, she calmed down and looked over to where Mitch stood, looking at her as if she were insane.

"I'm sorry," she said between giggles. "It's just...well, if Brian were to come to the brownstone for a date, I imagine he'd be knocking on your door...or Fred's."

Mitch didn't understand for a moment. Then it sank in. Kelsey's "date" was gay. Mitch tried for self-righteous indignation. He tried to be offended. He tried to feel stupid that his plan had blown up in his slightly drunk face. But he couldn't. He started laughing and fell to the couch to sit beside Kelsey, who once again erupted in chuckles.

When they'd both calmed down, Kelsey said, "Oh, Mitch, what were you thinking? What would possess you to come up here like this?"

"Like this?" Mitch asked as he playfully stood and posed in the towel.

She grinned at his impersonation of a muscle-man, not that he couldn't pull it off, but because she knew him so well. Mitch had never flaunted his looks. His personality and brains had taken him anywhere he ever wanted to go. But, oh, if ever a man was born who could have coasted a little on an absolutely mouthwatering physique, this was he.

"Well," he continued, "I suppose I could have come like...this."

Mitch grabbed the knot at his hip and loosened it, giving her an evil leer. Kelsey gasped and threw her hands over her eyes, but peeked through her fingers as the towel dropped to the floor.

"You cheater," she exclaimed when she saw the running shorts he was wearing.

He grinned wickedly. "Did you think I'd be crazy enough to come up here totally naked under that towel?"

"I don't know," she replied. "When you were a kid you might have. But the Mitch Wymore I've been sharing this house with for the past few weeks...he's so uptight, I'm surprised he didn't show up in a three-piece suit."

"Uptight?" he exclaimed with mock offense. "I am the least uptight person on the planet. Unless, of course, you happen to be Lady Love, the s.e.x queen of Baltimore."

Kelsey searched his face for any bitterness but saw only his teasing laughter. "I miss you, Mitch. I miss this. I miss my friend."

"Kels, we've never really been friends. You were a royal pain in the b.u.t.t."

"Speak for yourself," she said as she swatted at him with a pillow. "Seriously, do you think we could manage friendship? I mean, acquaintances, that's absolutely out. And you've made it perfectly clear you don't want anything more...intimate. Can we just be friends?"

Kelsey sounded uncertain, her voice quivered. Could it be she didn't know how much he desired her? Could she really not tell that this whole fiasco tonight had been prompted by pure jealousy?

Mitch didn't question her. Kelsey was giving him exactly what he wanted, what was right. Friendship with no strings. Perfect. He would forget about desire. He hoped.

"Being friends sounds great, Kelsey."

AT TEN O'CLOCK THE NEXT MORNING, Kelsey stood outside the door to Mitch's apartment and knocked sharply. He'd asked her to come down and help him sort some paperwork in the spirit of their new friendship.

"Reporting for duty, sir," she said as Mitch answered his door.

"Come on in," he replied.