Kiss Me If You Can by Carly Phillips

history, I’ll work up your Web site. If you like what I do, we can apply some of my charge toward the cost of the ring. So what do you say?”
    â€œAnd if the ring’s stolen and has to be returned?” he asked.
    Lexie didn’t want to think about that. “I’m an optimist. But if you insist on being more pragmatic and covering all bases, in that case, my work would be on the house.”
    â€œWhy would you work for free?” he asked, skeptical.
    â€œTruth? Because part of my designing any Web site involves me getting to know my clients. And I want to get to know you.”
    A ruddy flush darkened his cheekbones.
    â€œI take it you’re interested?” she asked, and before he could reply she added her standard client pitch. “You must realize that Internet presence is key today. In the case of an author like yourself, if I get to know not just you but also your product, I can convey the real you to your readers. Then there are the basic reasons for having a Web site. You need to connect with your readers through other social Web sites to bring traffic back to your site. And you need goodS.E.O. I’m a pro at doing it all.” She waved her hands animatedly as she described her reasons, hoping he’d see and understand them as clearly as she did. “Well?”
    He shook his head. “I’m sorry, but you lost me at S.E.O.”
    She hadn’t expected him to say no. Disappointment tasted bitter in her throat and her heart pounded hard in her chest.
    â€œBut you had me at, I want to get to know you, ” he said in a deep voice.
    Lexie exhaled in relief, picked up a paper napkin, rolled it into a ball and tossed it at him. “Not nice, setting me up that way.”
    He grinned. “Payback for setting me up with that little sexual innuendo first.”
    â€œJust so you know, I’m very good at follow-through,” she said, gathering her purse. She pulled out a business card and handed it to him. “This has my e-mail and cell phone, so you can reach me any time. I’m guessing your work hours depend on what’s going on in the city, so…you call me, okay?”
    He accepted the card, his fingers deliberately brushing hers. “Okay.”
    â€œBut just in case you’re thinking of avoiding me and doing the research alone, give me a way to contact you, too.”
    â€œSmart girl.” His lips curved upward in appreciation. “Don’t call me at work. I want to keep this separate.” He grabbed a paper napkin and wrote his address and cell phone number on it, handing it to her.
    She tried to pay, but he waved away the gesture. “It’s on me. If not, my father will think he did a poor job raising me to be a gentleman.”
    â€œHow can I argue with that? Thank you. I enjoyed myself, Sam.” She rose to her feet.
    He did the same. “One more thing. My friends call me Coop.”
    She nodded. “Friends. Is that what we are?”
    He placed his hand on the small of her back. Weaving their way through tables and then the bar crowd, he walked her to the exit. As she reached the door, he leaned over and whispered in her ear. “I hope to be much more.”
    She turned back. Face-to-face, their breath almost commingling, she replied, “Count on it,” before disappearing into the hot, summer night.

CHAPTER FOUR
    C OOP HEADED BACK to his apartment, whistling as he walked.
    Whistling?
    All from a first date with Lexie, if he could even call it a date, considering how much business they’d conducted. But he’d enjoyed her company and now he had himself a Web designer, a partner in his ring investigation and a romantic interest. There was no doubt about that.
    He took the stairs to his walk-up two at a time. The dimly lit hall was quiet, letting him know his neighbors, a married couple on one side and a good friend of his who lived on the other, were probably still out.
    He went to insert