Nerd Gone Wild (Nerds, #3)(27)
Author: Vicki Lewis Thompson

Although Mitch didn’t know much about publishing, he could imagine how someone like Kurt could embezzle thousands while he handled the details of the project Ally wasn’t into spreadsheets and cost estimates, and her grandmother had never insisted that she become informed.

In that respect, Mitch disagreed with Madeline’s approach. He’d like to see Ally more involved in the financial picture. But when he’d tried to coax her into taking a look at some balance sheets back at the mansion, she’d found excuses not to. Now he understood why—she’d planned to leave it all for him to do while she pursued this photography career.

But that left her open to being swindled by the likes of Kurt Jarrett if she wasn’t in the habit of checking the bottom line. Now that Mitch could see that was a real danger, he’d try to convince her to take a greater interest in the business side of things. He could always ask to look over Kurt’s records himself, but she might not go for that. In any case, she needed to become better informed.

He wasn’t sure how and when he’d broach the subject. Once they were alone, chemistry could take over and financial information would be the farthest thing from his mind. He didn’t know how a person moved from lust to ledgers.

And speaking of lust, Tanya’s agenda was becoming increasingly obvious. Twice he’d had to grab her wrist as she’d started walking her fingers along his thigh.

The second time, as the meal was nearly over, she stuck out her lower lip in a pout. “You’re no fun,” she murmured under cover of Kurt and Ally’s conversation about career strategies.

“You’ve got that right.” He guided her hand back to her lap.

She grasped his wrist with her free hand. “Stay and play a while. I like lap games.”

“No, thanks.” He was surprised at the strength of her grip. He had to yank his hand free, and in the process he bumped the table, which made the plates and glasses jump.

Kurt looked irritated as he glanced at Tanya. “Have we got an earthquake going on or what?”

Tanya smiled at Mitch. “Not yet. Tune in tomorrow.”

Kurt drained the last of his Scotch. “Well, it’s been a long day and that zither music is giving me a headache.”

Mitch wouldn’t be sorry to see the meal end. “Then you’d better get out of here before Clyde starts tap-dancing on the bar.”

“Good Lord.” Kurt pushed back his chair. “Think I’ll mosey on down to my fifth wheel and turn in. Thanks for the dinner, Ally.”

“You’re welcome.” She stood and gave him a hug goodbye.

Mitch got to his feet, too, and damned if Tanya didn’t pop up right along with him. He was hoping she’d decided to stay for the tap dancing and maybe find another victim.

“Think about that book project some more,” Kurt said to Ally. “It could really start you off with a bang.”

Tanya leaned over toward Mitch. “How about starting me off with a bang?”

“Sorry.”

“You will be sorry,” she murmured. “You have no idea what you’re missing. I know just what to do with stuffy nerd-boys like you. You’ve never had it like I can give it to you.”

Sick of listening to this drivel, Mitch turned and pinned her with a glare. “Look, Tanya, I respect your work and I’m glad you’re willing to help Ally. But I’m not interested.”

Her blue eyes gleamed. “Oo. Manly indignation. I like that.” She winked at him. “I’ll bet you’re a tiger when you’re aroused.”

“I think I’ll go find our coats.” He stepped away from the table.

Tanya clutched his arm. “I’ll let you get away this time, but you’ll come around. Goody Two-Shoes over there isn’t woman enough for you. And don’t forget, I’m the one with the mirror over my bed.”

Mitch said nothing. Maybe he couldn’t keep his private time with Ally a secret in a town like Porcupine, but he didn’t have to confirm or deny when it came to this creepy woman. He hoped she’d teach Ally a lot of good photography stuff in a short time and leave.

Maybe he was beginning to understand her connection with Kurt, after all. One might be a loser and the other a world-famous figure, but they both had a corner on the sleaze market. Ally saw that, too, and he was sorry that her uncle and her idol couldn’t be everything she’d hoped.

Unfortunately, she didn’t know the half of it where Kurt was concerned. Mitch wished Madeline had filled Ally in before she died, but instead she’d left him to deal with this mess. In every other way Madeline had tied up her affairs neatly, but Kurt Jarrett was the huge, glaring exception and there was no easy fix.

For the moment, Mitch had to trust Ally not to let her strong need for a warm family connection screw with her judgment. At least she hadn’t turned away from him. But if he maligned her dear uncle Kurt, she just might. He’d have to be careful.

* * *

Chapter Nineteen

Ally wasn’t sure what Mitchell had said to Tanya, but the woman had switched her attentions to Dave. Serena didn’t look happy about that, but Ally decided Serena would have to figure out her own answer to the problem. For the time being, Ally’s problem was solved and she and Mitchell were heading out the door of the Top Hat, bound for the Loose Moose.

She realized she was walking right into temptation by going over to the Loose Moose with Mitchell, but she couldn’t take any more of Tanya right now. If she expected to be able to work with her tomorrow, she had to get away from her tonight.

When Mitchell had suggested a game of cards, she’d accepted the invitation gratefully. She knew the dangers, and she was flying in the face of them. At the moment, she just—Omigod. Coming to an abrupt halt, she gazed up at the night sky.

Next to her, Mitchell caught his breath. “What’s that?”

“Nature’s laser show,” Ally murmured. “The northern lights.” She was dazzled by the irregular plumes of iridescent green and blue fanning out across the starry sky. For years she’d dreamed about seeing this, and now she was here.

“The northern lights. Amazing. For a second I thought it might be an alien invasion. That green is the color of those little Martian guys with the antennae and ray guns.”

“Oh, it is not.” She had to smile, though. What a typical nerd comment. “I’d go for my camera, but I don’t think I have the right equipment to do that justice.”

“You’d want to take pictures of this?” He stood staring up at the sky, his hands in his pockets.

“Of course. It’s spectacular.” She noticed he was being the perfect gentleman, not trying to touch her at all. That’s what she wanted. Sure she did. “Why are you so surprised?”

He waved a gloved hand at the glowing sky. “No fangs, no claws. No real risk involved.”

She laughed, sending a cloud of vapor into the air. “I won’t always be taking pictures of carnivores, Mitchell. I’ll take pictures of other wildlife that’s not scary at all. Tanya might have me start off with ptarmigans tomorrow. I saw a flock of them when we went out snowmobiling today.”

He glanced at her. “Tar-whatzit?”

“Ptarmigan. With a p. It’s mostly a ground bird. I guess you didn’t hear Clyde say that’s what you were eating tonight.”

“Nope. Once he said it hadn’t been run over, I ordered it. Tasted strong, though, whenever I dared take a bite. I had to stay alert.”

“I know. It’s embarrassing that she acts that way.” Ally watched his mouth, watched the little puffs of condensed moisture that punctuated his words, remembered how that mouth had felt. Her heart beat faster, thinking of his kiss. “I thought she was gay.”

“Gay?” Mitchell laughed. “If she’s gay, I’ll eat road-kill for the rest of my life. That woman may be a lot of things, but g*y isn’t one of them.”

Ally tipped her head back, letting her hood fall away as she drank in the incredible light show dancing above them. At least the northern lights hadn’t disappointed her. “You know, Mitchell, life’s such a crap-shoot. I finally get the mentor of my dreams, and she’s a nympho.”

“Stalking wild animals could have brought out her inner wild animal. Maybe after a while you’ll get like that, making suggestive remarks, grabbing guys by the cojones.”

She turned her head to look at him. “I think not.” He smiled. “Those lights… torn your face kind of green.”

“Like a Martian?”

“Yeah.” He moved closer, still smiling. “Except you don’t have the antennae. Otherwise, the resemblance is uncanny.”

“How romantic.” Kidding around like this helped take the sting out of her disappointment. He probably knew that. Besides being sexy, he was also sweet.

“Actually, it is romantic. I loved those movies.” He reached up, took off his glasses and pressed them into her gloved hand. “Hold these for me.”

“Why?” She thought she knew why. He was about to plant one on her. And she was about to let him.

He cupped her face in both hands and leaned closer. “I’m not putting any pressure on you. This doesn’t mean I expect you to go to bed with me. But I really want to kiss you in the glow from the northern lights.”

She was way too eager for this and felt sort of vulnerable as a result. She tried to make light of his offer. “So it turns out you have an alien fetish. Who knew?”

“There are lots of things you don’t know about me.” And his lips touched hers.

She hadn’t thought he could improve on that first kiss, but she’d been wrong. This time his mouth was warmer… well, no, hot would be the operative word. She tasted the nutty flavor of the beer he’d been drinking, but the overriding flavor was lust, and she couldn’t get enough of it.

Oh, how she loved the way this man kissed, without hesitation, as if he knew exactly what he intended and would let nothing stand in his way. She didn’t know how he communicated so much with the simple movement of his lips and tongue, but he left no doubt as to what he wanted from her.

And she wanted to give him everything he was asking for… and then give some more. Vaguely she remembered that this was supposed to be a no-pressure kiss. Fat chance. Seconds into the kiss, she could think of nothing better than getting nak*d and attending to unfinished business. She and Mitchell might have little in common, but they had one particular matter they completely agreed on, and he was reminding her of it.

He lifted his mouth a fraction and his breath warmed her cheeks. “I like this.”

She had to be honest. “Me, too.” And she pulled him back for more. Their mouths fit together as if made exclusively for this. The rest of their parts might go together just as well. Probably would. And thanks to this kissing business, she wanted to find out. She was sure that had been his intention all along.

* * *

Kurt had parked his truck and fifth wheel beside David Beedleman’s small house on the edge of town, but in a burg the size of Porcupine, one edge of town was only a block from the other edge. He’d angled the fifth wheel so that he had a view out the side window that included the entire street. He’d done that to try and keep an eye on Vivian. The woman was out of control.

She might have her gun, but he had something she didn’t know about, a pair of night-vision binoculars. He’d thought they might come in handy, and sure enough, he was already doing some useful surveillance. He’d caught Mitchell and Ally playing kissy-face.

Vivian had said something might be going on between those two. Kurt didn’t like the idea of Vivian getting it on with Mitchell, but he didn’t want Mitchell involved with Ally, either. Maybe Viv was on to something with her plan to get into Mitchell’s pants. And it wasn’t like he’d ever expected her to be faithful to him, anyway.

Yeah, he needed to promote that plan of Viv’s. He’d thought she was off on another tangent, but maybe she knew exactly what she was doing. She’d said that Mitchell didn’t like Kurt, and the feeling was mutual. That geek had wormed his way into Madeline’s good graces and was probably siphoning money like a gas thief at a car dealership.

If anybody was going to siphon from Madeline’s accounts it would be Kurt, not that pencil-pusher. So whatever Viv needed to engineer her seduction of Mitchell J. Carruthers, Jr., Kurt would provide. Mitchell was definitely in the way.

* * *

Kissing Ally made Mitch forget about everything, even the temperature, which had probably dipped close to zero by this time of night. He should probably cease and desist before their lips froze together, but she tasted so damned good. Ally’s kiss was premium-grade, blue-ribbon gourmet fare. He didn’t think that had anything to do with her net worth in dollars, but it had a lot to do with her net worth as a person.

Ally had principles, and now he wanted to get past at least one of them, the one that kept her from going to bed with him. He’d lied when he’d said he had no ulterior motives for kissing her. His kiss was loaded with ulterior motives.

She backed off a smidgen, and he came after her, not willing to let up when he could tell she was losing ground to her lust.

“Wait.” She slid her fingers over his mouth as she gasped for breath. “I thought… you weren’t putting pressure… on me.”

“That’s what guys always say.” He ran his tongue along the groove between her fingers. “They’re always putting pressure on you. That’s what guys do.”

“Mitch, I don’t feel right about this.”

“I do.” He tried to get a good hold on her, but between her parka and his, they were chastely separated by a good four inches of down and weatherproof nylon. She kept slip-sliding away. “I have an idea,” he said. “I’ll bet we could unzip these things and then zip them together, like a double sleeping bag.”