person for three counties.” He was sure she was trying to lighten what had become an atmosphere heavy with the chemistry between the two of them.
“The rumor came from ...?”
“Your aunt, of course.”
“Ah, I should have guessed.” He ran his thumb over her lower lip and took a step closer to her, still holding her hand.
• • •
He was going to kiss her. She was absolutely sure he was going to kiss her. She’d spent the whole ride home from the restaurant wondering if he would try. And how she would react. Now she knew. He was going to try, and she was going to let him.
With one hand, she could feel his heartbeat, how it had kicked up a notch when he touched her face, pounded even harder when he rubbed her mouth. Her heartbeat wasn’t far behind.
When he moved closer to her, she swore she could feel waves of heat shimmering between them, warming her body, melting her insides. It didn’t matter anymore whether this was a good idea or not. It was going to happen. She wanted it to happen.
He released her hand and took her face in both of his hands. His dark brown eyes were pools of desire, drawing her in. Without thinking, she moved closer to him, so their bodies were only inches apart.
“Jack ...” she began, sure she moaned his name rather than spoke it.
However it came out, it seemed to break the spell between them. He dropped his hands and took a step back. “I ... I guess I better go. We both have to work in the morning.”
“Right. Work.” She took a breath to settle her nerves. “Thanks again. It was lovely.”
He smiled, that huge grin she loved, and was gone.
She closed the door and stood motionless for a few seconds. What had happened? He’d been about to kiss her; she was sure. But he didn’t. Why? Was it the whole employer/employee thing? Was he still worried about her age? Had she had too much garlic with her dinner?
She’d probably never know.
Chapter 10
After his hasty exit from the kiss at her front door, Jack sat in his truck wanting to pound his head on the steering wheel for being so lame. When the impulse passed, he started the engine but couldn’t make himself drive off. He didn’t want to go home. Not yet. Why had he screwed up his attempt to kiss her good night when it was obvious she was willing? What was he afraid of?
He turned the engine off, jumped out of his truck, and headed for the building. As he took the steps two at a time, he realized that if he were smart, he should probably haul ass back to his truck. But there was little evidence that anything related to what he was doing with this woman showed how smart he was.
After he knocked, the door opened wide enough for him to see she was surprised. “Jack? Did you forget something?” She looked back over her shoulder as if to see what he’d left behind.
“Yeah, I guess you can say I forgot something.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “Can I come in?”
“Oh. Right. Sure.” She opened the door all the way to let him in.
“I didn’t leave anything. That’s not why I came back.” He took two steps toward her, got close enough to smell her spicy, vanilla scent, see her brown eyes widen, and hear the sharp intake of breath as she registered how near he’d come to her. “I’m here because there’re a couple things I meant to do before I left.”
Before she could ask any more questions, he put his hands on her shoulders and drew her to him. “The first thing I meant to do was this.” He lowered his head and touched his mouth to hers. It took all the discipline he could muster to keep from crushing her against him and kissing her with everything he’d been trying to hide, to control, for the past months. He was sure his hands were shaking with the effort.
But he needed her to want the kiss as much as he did. He wanted to persuade her, not pounce on her. When she relaxed against him, he knew he’d done the right thing.
The soft, almost weightless kisses he trailed from her mouth to
“The rumor came from ...?”
“Your aunt, of course.”
“Ah, I should have guessed.” He ran his thumb over her lower lip and took a step closer to her, still holding her hand.
• • •
He was going to kiss her. She was absolutely sure he was going to kiss her. She’d spent the whole ride home from the restaurant wondering if he would try. And how she would react. Now she knew. He was going to try, and she was going to let him.
With one hand, she could feel his heartbeat, how it had kicked up a notch when he touched her face, pounded even harder when he rubbed her mouth. Her heartbeat wasn’t far behind.
When he moved closer to her, she swore she could feel waves of heat shimmering between them, warming her body, melting her insides. It didn’t matter anymore whether this was a good idea or not. It was going to happen. She wanted it to happen.
He released her hand and took her face in both of his hands. His dark brown eyes were pools of desire, drawing her in. Without thinking, she moved closer to him, so their bodies were only inches apart.
“Jack ...” she began, sure she moaned his name rather than spoke it.
However it came out, it seemed to break the spell between them. He dropped his hands and took a step back. “I ... I guess I better go. We both have to work in the morning.”
“Right. Work.” She took a breath to settle her nerves. “Thanks again. It was lovely.”
He smiled, that huge grin she loved, and was gone.
She closed the door and stood motionless for a few seconds. What had happened? He’d been about to kiss her; she was sure. But he didn’t. Why? Was it the whole employer/employee thing? Was he still worried about her age? Had she had too much garlic with her dinner?
She’d probably never know.
Chapter 10
After his hasty exit from the kiss at her front door, Jack sat in his truck wanting to pound his head on the steering wheel for being so lame. When the impulse passed, he started the engine but couldn’t make himself drive off. He didn’t want to go home. Not yet. Why had he screwed up his attempt to kiss her good night when it was obvious she was willing? What was he afraid of?
He turned the engine off, jumped out of his truck, and headed for the building. As he took the steps two at a time, he realized that if he were smart, he should probably haul ass back to his truck. But there was little evidence that anything related to what he was doing with this woman showed how smart he was.
After he knocked, the door opened wide enough for him to see she was surprised. “Jack? Did you forget something?” She looked back over her shoulder as if to see what he’d left behind.
“Yeah, I guess you can say I forgot something.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “Can I come in?”
“Oh. Right. Sure.” She opened the door all the way to let him in.
“I didn’t leave anything. That’s not why I came back.” He took two steps toward her, got close enough to smell her spicy, vanilla scent, see her brown eyes widen, and hear the sharp intake of breath as she registered how near he’d come to her. “I’m here because there’re a couple things I meant to do before I left.”
Before she could ask any more questions, he put his hands on her shoulders and drew her to him. “The first thing I meant to do was this.” He lowered his head and touched his mouth to hers. It took all the discipline he could muster to keep from crushing her against him and kissing her with everything he’d been trying to hide, to control, for the past months. He was sure his hands were shaking with the effort.
But he needed her to want the kiss as much as he did. He wanted to persuade her, not pounce on her. When she relaxed against him, he knew he’d done the right thing.
The soft, almost weightless kisses he trailed from her mouth to
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