lips, felt the warmth of them as their tongues did a mating dance. He sat straight up in bed when he heard a strange noise. It sounded like footsteps across the front porch so he looked out the window and saw someone curled up in one of the rocking chairs. Figuring it was a drunk from the Boar’s Nest beer joint not even a block away, he didn’t even bother with shoes. Sending a staggering fool on his way wouldn’t take long enough to get his feet dirty.
He went out the front door and touched the person on the shoulder, only to have Sharlene come up from the chair ready to fight.
“What? Don’t say a word. They’ll… oh, my, I woke you up. Was I screaming?” she stammered.
“No, you were rocking and I heard a strange noise. I still haven’t gotten used to the house so I hear every strange noise. What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?”
“Thinking. I have nightmares and can’t sleep… sometimes.”
“Well, hell, Sharlene. Come on in the house. I’ll make you some hot chocolate. Mother always said that would put a person to sleep.”
“I can’t bother you like that,” she said. “I’ll just go on home.”
“I insist. I’m awake now. I’ll make us both a cup and put in an old movie. I don’t have to get up tomorrow morning and the kids will sleep late from being out so long tonight.” He offered her his hand.
“Are you sure?” she whispered.
“Very.” He led her around the corner and into the back door. He turned on a table lamp and pointed to the sofa.
She sunk down into it and pulled a lightweight throw over her legs. She listened for the ding of the microwave bell but it never sounded. In a few minutes he returned with two cups of steaming hot chocolate complete with marshmallows and whipped cream.
She reached for one. “I didn’t hear the microwave.”
“That fake stuff wouldn’t put anyone to sleep. This is the real stuff, made with cocoa, sugar, and vanilla.” He poked a button and the DVD tray slid out. “How about Lucky Seven ?”
“You’re willing to watch a chick flick?” she asked.
“Sure.” He settled in on the sofa beside her.
She took a sip. “God, this is wonderful.”
Almost as good as the kiss, she thought and blushed.
She’d seen the movie so many times that she knew the dialogue. Who would be her lucky number seven? Had there been six already and was Holt the seventh? She didn’t think so. She damn sure couldn’t remember six and there had been none that had turned her insides upside down with a single kiss.
She finished the chocolate and set the cup on the end table beside the lamp. Her eyes grew heavier and heavier until it was an absolute chore to keep them open. Finally, she figured she’d only close them for a minute.
Holt smiled when she slumped against him. He slung an arm around her and let her sleep. She awoke with a start when the noise of the movie ended.
“Have a good nap?” he asked.
“You will never know how good it was but I’ve got to go now. It’s almost daylight,” she said.
“Want some breakfast?”
“No, I want you to get some rest before the kids wake up,” she told him.
I’d rather take you to bed, he thought.
“Thank you, Holt,” she said as she stood up and headed for the door.
“For what?” He followed her.
“For the chocolate and the sleep.”
“Thank you, Sharlene,” he said.
She frowned. “For what?”
“This.” He leaned forward and kissed her, long, hard, and lingering through several kisses that would probably send him straight to a cold shower when she left.
“Wow!” she said when he broke away.
“Yeah,” he said hoarsely.
“See you Monday,” she mumbled as she stumbled out the door. If his kisses could make her need to change her underpants, she couldn’t imagine what a night in bed would do. She shivered as she got into the car and slapped the steering wheel. Determination to not be attracted to him just ended in pure frustration.
Chapter 5
Only an idiot
He went out the front door and touched the person on the shoulder, only to have Sharlene come up from the chair ready to fight.
“What? Don’t say a word. They’ll… oh, my, I woke you up. Was I screaming?” she stammered.
“No, you were rocking and I heard a strange noise. I still haven’t gotten used to the house so I hear every strange noise. What are you doing out here in the middle of the night?”
“Thinking. I have nightmares and can’t sleep… sometimes.”
“Well, hell, Sharlene. Come on in the house. I’ll make you some hot chocolate. Mother always said that would put a person to sleep.”
“I can’t bother you like that,” she said. “I’ll just go on home.”
“I insist. I’m awake now. I’ll make us both a cup and put in an old movie. I don’t have to get up tomorrow morning and the kids will sleep late from being out so long tonight.” He offered her his hand.
“Are you sure?” she whispered.
“Very.” He led her around the corner and into the back door. He turned on a table lamp and pointed to the sofa.
She sunk down into it and pulled a lightweight throw over her legs. She listened for the ding of the microwave bell but it never sounded. In a few minutes he returned with two cups of steaming hot chocolate complete with marshmallows and whipped cream.
She reached for one. “I didn’t hear the microwave.”
“That fake stuff wouldn’t put anyone to sleep. This is the real stuff, made with cocoa, sugar, and vanilla.” He poked a button and the DVD tray slid out. “How about Lucky Seven ?”
“You’re willing to watch a chick flick?” she asked.
“Sure.” He settled in on the sofa beside her.
She took a sip. “God, this is wonderful.”
Almost as good as the kiss, she thought and blushed.
She’d seen the movie so many times that she knew the dialogue. Who would be her lucky number seven? Had there been six already and was Holt the seventh? She didn’t think so. She damn sure couldn’t remember six and there had been none that had turned her insides upside down with a single kiss.
She finished the chocolate and set the cup on the end table beside the lamp. Her eyes grew heavier and heavier until it was an absolute chore to keep them open. Finally, she figured she’d only close them for a minute.
Holt smiled when she slumped against him. He slung an arm around her and let her sleep. She awoke with a start when the noise of the movie ended.
“Have a good nap?” he asked.
“You will never know how good it was but I’ve got to go now. It’s almost daylight,” she said.
“Want some breakfast?”
“No, I want you to get some rest before the kids wake up,” she told him.
I’d rather take you to bed, he thought.
“Thank you, Holt,” she said as she stood up and headed for the door.
“For what?” He followed her.
“For the chocolate and the sleep.”
“Thank you, Sharlene,” he said.
She frowned. “For what?”
“This.” He leaned forward and kissed her, long, hard, and lingering through several kisses that would probably send him straight to a cold shower when she left.
“Wow!” she said when he broke away.
“Yeah,” he said hoarsely.
“See you Monday,” she mumbled as she stumbled out the door. If his kisses could make her need to change her underpants, she couldn’t imagine what a night in bed would do. She shivered as she got into the car and slapped the steering wheel. Determination to not be attracted to him just ended in pure frustration.
Chapter 5
Only an idiot
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