date, she told herself. Maybe they'd both just been awed by the events that led to it, the fire, the rescue, the crazy elevator meeting. She'd been putting the pieces back together.
And there he was again.
You knew . A delivery truck came between them as they waited for a break in the cars to dash across the street. You knew when you decided to volunteer that you might –
Maybe. She never had asked him what he was doing in the building that day. Too soon, too personal to ask about anything medical and he hadn't asked her anything, either. They had enough to discuss, enough conversational sparks and personal histories and Monster and storms and her rescue and his job. So it was entirely possible he'd been there for a one time thing or even taken a friend, like the Michael person with his cane and leg brace.
A hole in the traffic opened up and she saw Tanner again, instantly jogging across the wide curving road to her, black hair nearly blue in the sun, it was getting longer, she noticed, and his eyes were fixed on her.
Crazy or not, nothing else mattered. Whatever this was, she had to give it another chance. Maybe she was stupid. Or trusting or gullible or naïve. But she'd been miserable until he'd appeared in the elevator like a flashback that turned out to be real.
Now it felt like the sun had come out again after a long, gray winter.
She met him partway. Their arms went instinctively around each other like they were longtime lovers, not new. They fit together, like the answer to a question. Except? There was still all the newness, the magical beginning of something She still had butterflies in her stomach just at the sight of him, still felt delight at the way her heart leapt. There was hope, and sunlight, and the feel of his arms, brawny, muscled, wrapping tight around her and pulling her hard against his chest.
Her hands went there of their own accord, snaked up from beautiful pecs to shoulders and neck and then her hands were wrapping around his neck, she was up on her tiptoes, he was pulling her closer, their mouths were pressing together and the kiss was deep, hot, full of promise.
Jessie would tell her she couldn't just ignore the last week. Jessie would be right.
But Jessie's intuited advice could wait.
S everal long minutes later they both realized they were standing on a busy street, kissing, passing vehicles getting an eyeful.
"Maybe we should go somewhere and talk?" he asked.
She nodded, dreamy, willing to go anywhere he wanted –
--or to work.
Damn! She could miss it, couldn't she? But the answer to that was no. She was on the tail end of a project. Her entire team was meeting in – she grabbed her phone – just over half an hour. Which was how long it would take her to drive there.
"I want to," she said, looking straight into his eyes. So much light there, the pale blue with flecks of gold and green. "But I've got a meeting at work in thirty minutes and that's how long it will take to get there." She bit her lip and thought Please tell me you're not doing anything tonight. Please ask me if I am .
"Tonight?" he asked. "Do you have plans?"
None I can't cancel. Jessie was going to kill her. "No. I was going to grab a pizza and watch scary movies."
"Alone?" His voice was teasing.
"It'd be better with company." But she was falling into the trap. She might not want to consider Jessie's probable advice yet but she couldn't just let the last week go. "But I think we need to clear the air before eating." She searched his eyes. If he didn't think he'd done anything that needed clearing up – if it was normal for him to say I'll text or call and mean the next day and then not do it at all and just run into her in a medical building, totally random – it was best to know that now.
"Probably." He didn't sound anxious to do so. What guy would? "I'll bring wine. Or beer. And the pizza. And the movie?"
She allowed herself a small smile but now the nerves were taking over and competing with the
And there he was again.
You knew . A delivery truck came between them as they waited for a break in the cars to dash across the street. You knew when you decided to volunteer that you might –
Maybe. She never had asked him what he was doing in the building that day. Too soon, too personal to ask about anything medical and he hadn't asked her anything, either. They had enough to discuss, enough conversational sparks and personal histories and Monster and storms and her rescue and his job. So it was entirely possible he'd been there for a one time thing or even taken a friend, like the Michael person with his cane and leg brace.
A hole in the traffic opened up and she saw Tanner again, instantly jogging across the wide curving road to her, black hair nearly blue in the sun, it was getting longer, she noticed, and his eyes were fixed on her.
Crazy or not, nothing else mattered. Whatever this was, she had to give it another chance. Maybe she was stupid. Or trusting or gullible or naïve. But she'd been miserable until he'd appeared in the elevator like a flashback that turned out to be real.
Now it felt like the sun had come out again after a long, gray winter.
She met him partway. Their arms went instinctively around each other like they were longtime lovers, not new. They fit together, like the answer to a question. Except? There was still all the newness, the magical beginning of something She still had butterflies in her stomach just at the sight of him, still felt delight at the way her heart leapt. There was hope, and sunlight, and the feel of his arms, brawny, muscled, wrapping tight around her and pulling her hard against his chest.
Her hands went there of their own accord, snaked up from beautiful pecs to shoulders and neck and then her hands were wrapping around his neck, she was up on her tiptoes, he was pulling her closer, their mouths were pressing together and the kiss was deep, hot, full of promise.
Jessie would tell her she couldn't just ignore the last week. Jessie would be right.
But Jessie's intuited advice could wait.
S everal long minutes later they both realized they were standing on a busy street, kissing, passing vehicles getting an eyeful.
"Maybe we should go somewhere and talk?" he asked.
She nodded, dreamy, willing to go anywhere he wanted –
--or to work.
Damn! She could miss it, couldn't she? But the answer to that was no. She was on the tail end of a project. Her entire team was meeting in – she grabbed her phone – just over half an hour. Which was how long it would take her to drive there.
"I want to," she said, looking straight into his eyes. So much light there, the pale blue with flecks of gold and green. "But I've got a meeting at work in thirty minutes and that's how long it will take to get there." She bit her lip and thought Please tell me you're not doing anything tonight. Please ask me if I am .
"Tonight?" he asked. "Do you have plans?"
None I can't cancel. Jessie was going to kill her. "No. I was going to grab a pizza and watch scary movies."
"Alone?" His voice was teasing.
"It'd be better with company." But she was falling into the trap. She might not want to consider Jessie's probable advice yet but she couldn't just let the last week go. "But I think we need to clear the air before eating." She searched his eyes. If he didn't think he'd done anything that needed clearing up – if it was normal for him to say I'll text or call and mean the next day and then not do it at all and just run into her in a medical building, totally random – it was best to know that now.
"Probably." He didn't sound anxious to do so. What guy would? "I'll bring wine. Or beer. And the pizza. And the movie?"
She allowed herself a small smile but now the nerves were taking over and competing with the
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