Page 51 of Love Is Brewing

She wasn’t used to a man defending her that wasn’t family.

Her hand reached over and touched his, her finger on his pulse just for the heck of it. It was moving fast.

“You’re pretty protective of the women in your life, aren’t you?”

“I am,” he said, staring at her. “But I’m respectful too. It was uncalled for. You were doing your job as you pointed out. Not that I know what it was about nor could I know, but I’m thinking since everything was dropped and he’d made that statement about people doing their job, that you were in the right. Or your client was.”

“We were,” she said. “I’m not making a big deal about it. But I got my point across.”

“That’s where he’s fair.”

“And now that I’m linked to you, is he going to give me special treatment? I mean, will people think he is?”

Which she didn’t want.

Not in the least.

She wanted to get to know more people in the community, but not this way.

“I doubt it,” he said. “Do you want him to?”

“Absolutely not,” she said firmly.

“Good,” he said. “We can put it from our minds now.”

Their dinner was brought out and placed in front of them.

“Back to your sister. Is she working this whole week?”

“She’ll be back on Monday. She has a doctor’s appointment tomorrow and plans with my mother and then she’s going to work on her proposal for me.”

“Good,” she said. “So no reason for you to rush home then?”

He lifted an eyebrow at her. “No,” he said. “She isn’t staying with me either.”

“I know,” she said. “I didn’t mean it that way.”

“What way did you mean?” he asked.

“I thought maybe we could have a drink at my place after if you’re not in a hurry. Coffee or wine. I don’t have beer, but I’m positive you can get it whenever you want.”

He laughed. “Coffee sounds wonderful. Maybe I’d like to see this fancy machine you’ve got.”

“Sure,” she said. “It’s the machine I wanted to show you.”

It was the dry tone she used that had him laughing.

But maybe it was for the best.

She’d be nuts to want to do much more than get her mouth on him.

Which she’d been thinking about and what her goal was originally.

His defense of her to the chief of police pushed the lever up from a kiss to much more.

Or at least that was what her body was telling her.

Maybe a tiny bit of her heart too.

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