Page 44 of What I'm Looking For

I close my eyes and resist the urge to cover my face with my hands. He said it was okay if we didn’t go further, but do guys ever mean that? I did kind of lead him on.

The bed creaks and the mattress dips next to me. Warmth skips along my skin, trailed by the bare whisper of his lips over my forehead, my cheek, my nose, my lips. In between kisses he murmurs something about saints and lips and prayer and sin. His mouth is making it really hard to avoid making an impulsive decision.

When I groan, he says, “You know, I’m aware that my studliness can be overwhelming.”

The spark of laughter in his rumbly voice is just as sexy as the rest of him, dammit. I bat my eyes ridiculously and turn up the accent to eleven. “Oh, fer sure. The minute ah saw you ah had to stop mahself from gettin’ horizontal right there on yer bar.”

He laughs and flops onto his side. “Listen. You probably have to work tomorrow. So, let’s say goodnight and hopefully we’ll see each other again soon and we’ll just see what happens.” He strokes a finger along my jawline. “How’s that?”

I kiss his palm. “I like that plan,” I say softly. “But I need another real kiss before I go.”

He grins. “I can probably manage that.”

If I could manage a portfolio like he manages a kiss, I’d be a millionaire.

* * *

After watchingthrough my living room blinds as Will’s motorcycle disappears down the block, I sweep my cat into my arms and dance into the kitchen. “Oh Frankie, I’m in trouble.”

A shiver zips through me. “He issodelicious. And he made dinner that was delicious too.” Dropping keys and purse on the counter, I head for the bedroom. “It was really hard to say goodnight.”

“Mrroww.”

“Sorry, Frank, didn’t mean to squeeze you to death.” I set him on the bed and skip into the bathroom. “It’s so late but I’m so wound up. How am I going to get to sleep?”

Will insisted on giving me a ride home. My chest pressed to his back and the vibration of the engine between my legs—boy howdy. The final kiss we shared on my front porch is spreading warmth like a bulb burning through film on a jammed projector.

So my body regrets bailing. But my brain, my heart? Jonathan’s intrusion into our makeout session was troubling. I seriously cannot afford another total meltdown over a guy who declares his love, then turns around and sleeps with someone else. No, I do not need to go through that again.

I can’t picture Will doing something that weaselly, though. The guys at work? That’s a different story.

In the kitchen to get water, I notice the blinking light of my answering machine. I should really just go to bed, but my curiosity gets the better of me. I hit the play button.

BEEP. Monday, 7:45 p.m.

Hey, Kate, it’s Brad Jamison. Can we talk before the sales meeting? I need to know what that guy from Nike told you. Thanks, babe.

“Maybe. If you stop calling mebabe.” I’m grumbling, but I’ll fill him in on the extensive conversation I had with the Nike guy about signing Bo Jackson to sell their shoes.

BEEP. Monday, 9:56 p.m.

Kate! How was your date? Call me! Well, call me tomorrow because I hope you’re still out having fun!

Alice. Is it too late to call her back? I’m staring at the machine trying to decide, when the phone rings. I pick up, thinking it must be her. “Hello?”

“Hey, Kate.” The deep, resonant tone does not belong to Alice. “Just wanted to let you know I got home okay.”

“Oh, good.” Myvoice is both breathy and ridiculously high-pitched. I clear my throat. “Thanks again for the ride. You didn’t have to do that on top of making me dinner.”

“My mother would kill me if she heard I let a girl go home on the T on her own this late. As would Deb, for that matter.” His quiet voice sneaks through the phone lines to stir up my hormones all over again. “Anyway, I had fun tonight.”

I cross my legs to shut off the complaints from my nether regions. “Me too.”

He chuckles. “Yeah. I just can’t believe I was such a gentleman and let you leave. What an idiot.”

“Thank goodness I have a vibrator to take the edge off.”

“God,” he groans. “Now I’m thinking about you and a vibrator.”

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