Tender Kisses. Sheryl Lister

you say, Gordon.” Rather than stoop to his level, she just shook her head and walked out. She had more pressing things to deal with, like finding a way to decline that date with Justin. With Gordon gunning for her job, she had to stay on her toes. And that meant not being distracted by the mahogany Adonis.

      * * *

      Justin poured a second cup of coffee, hoping it would give him the jolt he needed, and took it outside to sip while sitting on the back deck. He’d lain awake for most of the night thinking about Siobhan and how much he wanted to kiss her again. Even his morning run had done nothing to clear his mind. He had sent her a text, but she hadn’t replied. Not that he thought she would.

      Even though she had seemed to enjoy their time together, she kept the ironclad control wrapped around her like a protective armor. Did she ever let her guard down enough to have some fun? And what would she be like if she let go? Downing the last of the liquid, he stood and went back inside to call Gray Home Safety. With any luck, he’d be able to get on the schedule by the end of the week. Justin retrieved the card from his office desk and punched in the number. Minutes later, he hung up, disappointed. The earliest appointment wasn’t for three weeks. In a way, it was a good thing since he still had a few things that he needed to work on. Now that the fog surrounding his brain had lifted, he went to work.

      Justin’s focus held for the first hour, but thoughts of Siobhan slowly crept into the forefront of his mind. She had probably started her workday, and if her job was as hectic as she said, he didn’t expect to hear from her anytime soon. Pushing the speculations aside, he shifted back into work mode, alternating between typing codes and testing the sensors. By the time he looked up again, more than three hours had passed. He leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes. He had been staring at the computer screen for so long the letters and numbers started to blur. Justin rubbed a hand across his forehead and rose to his feet. His cell rang in midstretch. A smile creased his face when he saw Siobhan’s name on the screen.

      “Good afternoon, Ms. Hunter.”

      There was a slight pause before she said, “Good afternoon, Justin.”

      “Did you get my text?”

      “Yes, but it’s been a busy day, so I’m just able to return your call.”

      “So?”

      “So what?”

      “Were you thinking of me this morning, too?”

      “I thought you wanted to discuss going on a date.”

      Justin chuckled. She didn’t let up for a second. “I do, but—”

      “Okay. I propose we go back to the same coffee shop.”

      “I was thinking of some place a little more upscale, like a real restaurant,” he said wryly.

      “The coffee shop is fine. I can meet you there Wednesday or Thursday.”

      “And I can pick you up.”

      “That won’t be necessary. I’ll most likely be leaving from work, so it just makes more sense for me to meet you there rather than driving home first.”

      When he dated a woman, he made it a practice to pick her up and take her back home, but Siobhan wouldn’t budge in her position, so Justin reluctantly agreed. “Okay. How about Wednesday at seven?”

      “Let’s make it seven thirty to be safe. I hate being late.”

      “That works.”

      “I have to get back to work.”

      “Have a nice afternoon, Siobhan. I can’t wait to see you.”

      “Goodbye, Justin. And, yes, I thought about you,” Siobhan added, so softly that he almost missed it.

      Justin smiled. Maybe he’d get that date after all.

      * * *

      Justin stared at Siobhan over the rim of his glass. His gaze dropped down to her near-empty salad plate and then back up to her face. It had taken a lot of convincing on his part to get her to order more than tea. And, just like last time, she kept the conversation on general topics and deflected any personal questions he asked. But he wanted to know more about her. He took a sip of his Coke then set the glass down. “What do you like to do for fun, Siobhan?”

      Siobhan lowered her eyes to her plate. “I don’t have much time for fun. My job keeps me extremely busy.”

      “I get that, but on those rare times that you’re not busy, what do you do—dance, bowl, stand on tabletops and sing...?”

      She burst out laughing, and the warm, throaty sound hit him like a ton of bricks. Her eyes sparkled, and the tense lines around her face relaxed. “Stand on tabletops and sing?”

      Justin shrugged. “Just asking.”

      “No, I do not sing on tabletops.”

      “Well, you didn’t say anything, so I was left to my own imagination.”

      She rolled her eyes, but was still smiling. “For your information, I like going to the movies and the beach.”

      “What kind of movies? Chick flicks?”

      “Yes, but I’m not opposed to a good action film.”

      “What was the last movie you saw?”

      Siobhan’s brows knit. “Honestly, I don’t remember. It’s been a while.”

      “Then it’s a good thing we met. Sounds like you need to get out more.” He gestured to her now-empty plate. “Do you want anything else? Dessert?”

      “No, thank you. I really should get going. There are a couple of things I need to wrap up tonight, and I have an early morning tomorrow.”

      Justin downed the remainder of his drink and signaled for the waiter. He paid the bill and walked Siobhan to her car. “Is your office open on the weekends?”

      “No. Why?”

      “I was hoping we could go to dinner at a restaurant. It’s been a while since I’ve gone to the movies, and I thought we could do that, too.”

      “Justin, I—”

      “You just said you’re not working on the weekend, and I enjoy being with you.”

      “I’ve enjoyed these times with you, but right now my job is my priority.”

      “Siobhan, I don’t plan to interfere with your job because mine is a priority, as well. One dinner and a movie—then we’ll see how it goes from there. What do you say?”

      “All right.”

      He smiled. “And this time I’m picking you up and bringing you home.”

      Justin thought she would argue, but she nodded instead. “Thank you.”

      He pulled out his cell and handed it to her so she could input her address. “I should probably follow you home. It’s getting late.”

      Siobhan lifted an eyebrow. “You’re taking this gentleman thing a little far, aren’t you?”

      “Nope.” He slanted his mouth over hers, inhaling her reply. His arm slid around her waist and pulled her closer to the fit of his body. Justin could have kept right on kissing her, but didn’t want to press his luck. He stepped back, held the car door open and waited for her to get in. “I’ll be right behind you,” he said, closing the door.

      He slid into his car and gripped the steering wheel. Each kiss he gave Siobhan challenged his resolve to keep their relationship casual.