course. That’s why we came up here.” She gave him that direct, honest look he was beginning to recognize. “What happens after the kiss?”
“That should be up to you. A man moves in to kiss a woman, but then, if he knows anything at all about a relationship with a female, he gives her space and lets her decide what is going to happen next.”
“You seem to know a great deal about this, Michael.”
“It comes from many years of watching musical shows.”
“You attended a theater in Dublin?”
“I was involved in a community theater some distance away from Dublin.” The truth, if stretched a little. He needed to guide Leslie away from inquiries into his background. “Do you wish to continue or do you have enough to keep your editing going?”
She gazed at him for a minute, as if trying to see into his mind. “I probably have enough to keep it going.”
“Good.” He did what he knew he had to do. He slid off the table and held out his hand courteously to help her down. “Then we are done here.”
“We are? Are you sure?” she asked plaintively.
“I am sure.” He was firm.
Two hours later, lying in my bed and staring up at the ceiling like the idiot I was, I went over that scene on the rooftop in my mind. Michael always seemed so careful with me, as if I were his sister. When he kissed me, it didn’t feel like a brotherly kiss. That kiss had been the twenty-four carat gold kind. But when he helped me off the table, Michael acted as if nothing unusual had happened, so I had to do the same.
I was too close to Adam’s rejection to think about another man. Let’s face it, I was in no condition to get involved with anybody. Michael was sweet…and naïve. He’d never believe that I’d let myself become pregnant with a man who didn’t want me or his child. Michael saw me as a nice girl who’d helped him find a suit off a second-hand rack, and an apartment. In return, he’d taken over my job at Moniker’s. The man had a beautiful heart, but he seemed to lack the natural barriers that city people erected around themselves. He could get hurt very easily. I didn’t want to be the one to hurt him. The only way to keep him safe was to stay away from him. Because I’d liked that wonderful kiss far too much. So much I’d returned it in spades.
Michael stood at his bedroom window, looking out over the city. The night buzzed with lights and the sound of automobiles and the laughter of people exiting clubs. He’d just received a tongue lashing from Gabriel and his ears still rang. You cannot do this. You are not a human. You cannot fall in love.
Michael wanted to tell Gabriel he didn’t need to worry. He would not fall in love with Leslie. She just fascinated him. He supposed it must have happened the first day he met her, but discretion, in this case, was certainly the better part of valor. He had an ache, which was becoming way too familiar to him. It began in his lower extremities and extended upward until it was like a burning in his brain. He didn’t like it. If this was a normal condition for men, he could understand why they fought bloody battles over women. Didn’t male elephants establish the alpha male in the herd? Didn’t pronghorn rams butt each other until one conceded defeat and limped away? Didn’t male lions have their pecking order? Why should it be any different with men? He wanted to seek Adam out and punch him soundly in the nose. But he couldn’t. He was not even supposed to know that Leslie was expecting a child.
It was his job to protect Leslie. He was too late to save her from feeling heartbreak. Maybe he could save her from feeling shame.
Chapter Five
Althea Hudson entered Moniker’s with fire in her eye. Her gray hair was done in old-fashioned finger waves, the hair style of her day, and she’d donned a brand new hat, a saucy beige cloche with a blue feather. Around
“That should be up to you. A man moves in to kiss a woman, but then, if he knows anything at all about a relationship with a female, he gives her space and lets her decide what is going to happen next.”
“You seem to know a great deal about this, Michael.”
“It comes from many years of watching musical shows.”
“You attended a theater in Dublin?”
“I was involved in a community theater some distance away from Dublin.” The truth, if stretched a little. He needed to guide Leslie away from inquiries into his background. “Do you wish to continue or do you have enough to keep your editing going?”
She gazed at him for a minute, as if trying to see into his mind. “I probably have enough to keep it going.”
“Good.” He did what he knew he had to do. He slid off the table and held out his hand courteously to help her down. “Then we are done here.”
“We are? Are you sure?” she asked plaintively.
“I am sure.” He was firm.
Two hours later, lying in my bed and staring up at the ceiling like the idiot I was, I went over that scene on the rooftop in my mind. Michael always seemed so careful with me, as if I were his sister. When he kissed me, it didn’t feel like a brotherly kiss. That kiss had been the twenty-four carat gold kind. But when he helped me off the table, Michael acted as if nothing unusual had happened, so I had to do the same.
I was too close to Adam’s rejection to think about another man. Let’s face it, I was in no condition to get involved with anybody. Michael was sweet…and naïve. He’d never believe that I’d let myself become pregnant with a man who didn’t want me or his child. Michael saw me as a nice girl who’d helped him find a suit off a second-hand rack, and an apartment. In return, he’d taken over my job at Moniker’s. The man had a beautiful heart, but he seemed to lack the natural barriers that city people erected around themselves. He could get hurt very easily. I didn’t want to be the one to hurt him. The only way to keep him safe was to stay away from him. Because I’d liked that wonderful kiss far too much. So much I’d returned it in spades.
Michael stood at his bedroom window, looking out over the city. The night buzzed with lights and the sound of automobiles and the laughter of people exiting clubs. He’d just received a tongue lashing from Gabriel and his ears still rang. You cannot do this. You are not a human. You cannot fall in love.
Michael wanted to tell Gabriel he didn’t need to worry. He would not fall in love with Leslie. She just fascinated him. He supposed it must have happened the first day he met her, but discretion, in this case, was certainly the better part of valor. He had an ache, which was becoming way too familiar to him. It began in his lower extremities and extended upward until it was like a burning in his brain. He didn’t like it. If this was a normal condition for men, he could understand why they fought bloody battles over women. Didn’t male elephants establish the alpha male in the herd? Didn’t pronghorn rams butt each other until one conceded defeat and limped away? Didn’t male lions have their pecking order? Why should it be any different with men? He wanted to seek Adam out and punch him soundly in the nose. But he couldn’t. He was not even supposed to know that Leslie was expecting a child.
It was his job to protect Leslie. He was too late to save her from feeling heartbreak. Maybe he could save her from feeling shame.
Chapter Five
Althea Hudson entered Moniker’s with fire in her eye. Her gray hair was done in old-fashioned finger waves, the hair style of her day, and she’d donned a brand new hat, a saucy beige cloche with a blue feather. Around
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