Evening Stars by Susan Mallery Page A

wrapped his arms around her—something of a trick considering how small the space was in the two-seater. His hands were large and strong as he traced the length of her spine. He kissed her again, this time brushing his tongue against her bottom lip.
    She parted for him, welcoming him as he deepened the kiss. Nina put her hands on his shoulders and leaned in. She half expected him to start to feel her up. After all, her breasts were right there, practically begging to be touched. But he didn’t. Talk about disappointing.
    He drew back and sighed. “I’ll call as soon as I’m back in town.”
    He opened the door and got out of the car.
    Nina wasn’t about to spoil the moment by struggling to her feet. She kicked off her heels, then stepped out in stocking feet. They walked to the front door. From the other side, she heard a faint whining.
    “The mystery dog,” he said.
    “She probably needs to go out.”
    “Four days,” Kyle told her. “Then I’ll be back.” He kissed her one last time before turning and jogging back to his car.
    Nina let herself inside. She petted Penny, then led her to the back door. The dog trotted out into the yard and took care of business. When she returned, Nina gave her another small meal before heading to her bedroom.
    She leaned against the door frame and smiled as she thought about the handsome fighter pilot who very much wanted to sleep with her. It had been, she thought happily, a very good night. Kyle had impressed her—something that didn’t happen very often. He’d made his goal extremely clear. After tonight, she was ready to admit that as far as making his dreams come true—she was all in.

Chapter Eight
    THREE DAYS AFTER arriving back home, Averil opened her eyes and knew she was ready to face the world. She’d done little but sleep for the past three days. She’d grabbed a couple of snacks, made sure Penny was fed. They’d taken daily walks. Then Averil had returned to bed. She now found herself completely rested and totally starving.
    She sat up and glanced at the clock. It was a little after seven in the morning. At the foot of the bed, Penny raised her head and looked inquiringly.
    Averil laughed. “Yes, to answer your question. I am getting up. How are you? Good?”
    Penny’s tail wagged. She jumped off the bed and walked to the door. Averil stood and stretched, then walked with her to the kitchen. She opened the back door and let out the dog.
    A few feet away, a coffeepot sat on the counter. A cup was missing from the carafe. No doubt Nina had taken it for herself before stepping into the shower. Averil was sure her sister would pour in grounds and water the night before, then set the timer. Nina was nothing if not organized.
    After filling a mug, Averil added a little milk, then let Penny back into the house. She paused to study the backyard. There was a patch of grass beyond the deck and a tidy bed of plants that had to be Bertie’s doing. None of the Wentworth women had a green thumb.
    “Breakfast,” she said firmly, closing the door.
    She fed Penny, then opened the refrigerator to figure out what she wanted for herself. There were eggs and a few leftovers. She pulled out a plastic container with what looked like mac and cheese and dumped the contents into a bowl. After sticking it in the microwave and setting the timer, she grabbed a pad of paper from by the phone. She had articles due in a couple of days and needed to be thinking about them.
    She scribbled out a few sentences. Maybe she could write something about relatives visiting and the stress that caused teenagers.
    “So you’re up,” her sister said as she walked into the kitchen.
    Averil ignored the accusing tone. She was happy, and she wasn’t going to start her day with a fight.
    “Good morning,” she said brightly. “It’s not raining. That’s nice.”
    Nina didn’t bother glancing out the window. “It’s been three days. You’ve been in bed for three days.”
    “I was