Christmas Kisses Collection. Louise Allen

him defensively. She was sure she wasn’t anything like the yes-women he usually spent time with. “I appreciate your concern, but I didn’t ask you to drive me to the hospital or to stay with me while I had my blood drawn or to threaten me with mouth-to-mouth.”

      He let out an exaggerated sigh. “I’m aware you’d rather have faced George again than for me to have driven you home.”

      That one had her backtracking a little. “That might be taking things too far.”

      “Riding home with me is preferable to needles? Good to know.”

      He was teasing her again, but the thought she was alone with him, sitting in his car parked in her driveway, truly did make her nervous.

      He made her nervous.

      Memories of his lips on her hand made her nervous.

      Because she’d liked the warm pressure of his mouth.

      Had registered the tingly pleasure despite the way her blood had pounded from terror over what George had been up to.

      At the time, she’d known Lance had kissed her as a distraction from George more than from real desire. She might have been prickly, might still be prickly, but tonight’s blood draw had been one of the best she could recall, other than the whole passing-out thing. “Thank you for what you did at the emergency room.”

      “My pleasure.”

      “I didn’t mean that.”

      “That?”

      “You know.”

      “Do I?” He looked innocent, but they both knew he was far, far from it.

      “Quit teasing me.”

      “But you’re so much fun to tease, McKenzie.” Neither of them made a move to get out of the car. “For the record, I was telling the truth.”

      That kissing her hand had been his pleasure?

      Her face heated.

      His kissing her hand had been her pleasure. She hadn’t been so lost in Terrorville that she’d missed the fact that Lance had kissed her hand and it had felt good.

      “I’m sorry tonight didn’t go as planned for your Christmas show.”

      “A friend texted to let me know that they finished the show and although several left following the mayor’s incident, tonight’s our biggest fund-raiser yet.”

      “That’s great.”

      “It is. Keeping kids off the roads on graduation night is important.”

      “Celebrate Graduation is a really good cause.” The program was something Lance had helped get started locally after he’d moved to Coopersville four years ago. McKenzie had been away doing her residency, but she’d heard many sing his praises. “Did your school have a similar program? Is that why you’re so involved?”

      He shook his head. “No. My school didn’t. I wish they had.”

      Something in his voice was off and had McKenzie turning to fully face him. Rather than give her time to ask anything further, he opened his car door and got out.

      Which meant it was time for her to get out too.

      Which meant she’d be going into her house.

      Alone.

      It wasn’t a good idea to invite Lance inside her place.

      She dug her keys out of her purse and unlocked her front door, then turned to him to issue words that caused an internal tug-of-war of common courtesy and survival instincts.

      “Do you want to come inside?”

      His gaze searched hers then, to her surprise, he shook his head. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m going to head back to the community theater to help clean up.”

      “Oh.”

      “If I didn’t know better I’d think you were disappointed by my answer.”

      Was she?

      That wasn’t disappointment moving through her chest. Probably just indigestion from the stress of having to get blood drawn. Or something like that.

      She lifted her chin and looked him square in the eyes. “I’m sorry I kept you from things you needed to be doing.”

      “I’m sure the crew has things under control, but I usually help straighten things up. Afterward, we celebrate another successful show, which I’m calling tonight despite everything that happened, because you were there and I got to spend time with you.”

      She glanced at her watch. “You’re going out?”

      “To an after-show party at Lanette and Roger Anderson’s place. Lanette is one of the female singers and who I asked to take over emceeing for me.” He mentioned a couple of the songs she’d done that night and a pretty brunette with an amazing set of pipes came to mind.

      “She will have their place all decked out with Christmas decorations and will have made lots of food,” he continued. “You want to come with me?”

      She immediately shook her head. “No, thanks. I ate at the dinner show.”

      He laughed. “I thought you’d say no.”

      “You should have said you had somewhere you needed to be.”

      “And keep you from sweating over whether or not you were going to invite me in? Why would I do that?”

      “Because you’re a decent human being?”

      “I am a decent human being. I have references, remember?”

      “Mothers don’t count.”

      “Mothers count the most,” he corrected.

      When had he moved so close? Why wasn’t she backing away from him? Any moment now she expected him to close the distance between their mouths. He was that close. So close that if she stretched up on her tippy-toes her lips would collide with his.

      She didn’t stretch.

      Neither did he close the distance between their mouths. Instead, he cupped her jaw and traced over her chin with his thumb. “You could easily convince me to change my plans.”

      His breath was warm against her face.

      “Why would I want to do that?” But her gaze was on his mouth, so maybe her question was a rhetorical one.

      He laughed and again she felt the pull of his body.

      “You should give me a chance to make this up to you by taking you to the hospital Christmas party next weekend.”

      “I can take myself.”

      “You can, but you shouldn’t have to.”

      “To think I need a man to do things for me would be a mistake. I started wearing my big-girl panties a long time ago.”

      His eyes twinkled. “Prove it.”

      “You wish.”

      “Without a doubt.”

      Yet he hadn’t attempted to kiss her, hadn’t taken up her offer to come inside her place where he could have attempted to persuade her into something physical. Instead, he’d said she could convince him to change his plans. He’d given her control, left the power in her hands about what happened next.

      “I’ll see you bright and early Monday morning, McKenzie.”

      “Have fun at your party.”

      “You could go with me and have fun, too.”

      She shook her head. “I wouldn’t want to cramp your style.”

      His brows made a V. “My style?”

      “What if