Free Take Me Home Tonight by Erika Kelly

her upstairs, so he’d just head outside. Walk down to the beach, while the guys ate breakfast.
    The moment he turned, he saw her.
    On the covered porch, the early morning sun tipped its light onto her, turning her russet hair a fiery mix of golds, reds, and light browns. She usually wore her hair straight and sleek. This morning it tumbled around her in a bounty of curls.
    Huddled over the table, she focused on her project. Wearing a long-sleeve T-shirt and pajama pants, face free ofmakeup, she looked like an ethereal creature, and it made him want things he couldn’t have.
    The sound of his boots on the hardwood floor should’ve snagged her attention, but her intense concentration never broke.
    Leaning against the doorway, he watched her use tweezers to carefully place a tiny yellow petal in a pulpy mess of crap covering a screen. The frame of the screen was set over a pan of more of the pulpy stuff immersed in water. Around the room drying racks held sheets of paper the size of notecards. He leaned farther in to get a better look and discovered she’d made scenes out of the delicate and colorful petals.
    â€œThis is beautiful.” His voice cracked the silence, and she jolted.
    Looking up, the palest pink blush spread across her cheeks. “Oh. Hey.” And then she smiled before going back to work. “Thanks.”
    On the face of the card a bride and groom, arms linked, heads tilted toward each other, smiled broadly. The woman held a stunning spray of wildflowers in her hands. It was . . . well, hell. It was remarkable.
    â€œWedding invitations,” she said quietly.
    He’d come for a reason, but she was so fucking beautiful he couldn’t pull his thoughts together. “I thought you’d be jumping all over that cooking show stuff.”
    â€œI’ve been up since four watching episodes of
Chopped
on YouTube. I needed a break, and I have to finish the invitations anyhow.”
    â€œViolet’s?”
    She nodded. Her loyalty impressed him. A lot about her impressed him. “You left last night.”
    â€œYeah. I called a cab.”
    â€œWe didn’t know. Lee was worried.”
    â€œLee was, huh?” Mischief glittered in her eyes as she perched her wrist on the edge of the table.
    â€œYeah.” Maybe it was the soft morning light or maybe it was her hair all wild like that, but arousal kicked in, strumming his nerves.
    â€œThat’s a sweet cottage you’ve got.”
    â€œYeah, it was the original home on the property. My parents didn’t want to live so close to the water. They wanted more privacy.” Her soft, feminine scent filled the small room, and he needed to get the hell out. “You still coming over at two?”
    â€œI’ll be there. But if Dak needs you, just let me know.”
    He gave her a tight nod, set his mug down, and then darted for the door like a pit bull was at his heels.
    â€œYou’re leaving?”
    â€œTaking a walk.”
    â€œBut you just got here.”
    As he moved behind her, he got a whiff of her shampoo and a glimpse of the pale skin of her slender wrists. His pulse quickened.
    â€œCalix?” Emmie called from the kitchen.
    â€œYeah?” Hand on the screen door, he waited for more from the disembodied voice.
    â€œYou want something to eat before you head into the studio?”
    â€œNah. I’m good.”
    â€œOkay, well, they’ll be heading over in about ten minutes.”
    â€œGot it.” He gave a curt nod to Mimi, his hand twisting the knob.
    â€œYou don’t like my food?” Mimi asked.
    â€œYour food’s fine.”
    â€œThen how come you never stay to eat it?” She set the tweezers down, giving him a look that said,
After all we shared last night? You’re going to be distant again?
    Well, yeah, last night he’d said too much. He shrugged, gazing out the screen door.
    â€œYou know, it’s pretty fun around here. How come