The Patriot Girl by Toni Lynn Cloutier Page A

card—and no receipt. The restaurant’s owner, Wesley Miller, couldn’t be far behind. The old man zigzagged between tables with his head down. His hair had largely disappeared since Dustin’s last visit. He wore his usual uniform along with a white apron.
    Dustin replaced his credit card with a hundred dollar bill in Shelly’s hand as he stood.
    “You know your money’s no good here.” Wesley hugged him. He rested one hand on Dustin’s shoulder and turned toward MaKayla. “You hold on to this fellow. He’s a good man. Saved my son’s life.”
    She smiled at Dustin. “I hope to.”
    Wesley slapped Dustin’s back, making him break eye contact with MaKayla. “You come back any time, you hear?”
    “We will. Wesley, this is MaKayla. She’s starting her own business to help other businesses bring in more customers. You need to hire her, once she gets started.”
    He tapped Dustin’s cheek. “Anything for you.” He turned to MaKayla. “You come back when you get things going, okay?”
    She nodded. “I will. Thank you.”
    “We have to go.” Dustin hugged his friend. “Thanks for dinner. Magnificent as usual.”
    “My pleasure.” Wesley walked away.
    “So?” MaKayla stood beside him now. “How did you save his son’s life?”
    Dustin placed his hand on her lower back and walked her outside. The wind had picked up, the sun had disappeared behind gray clouds, and the ground was wet. She led him to her car where they stood face to face. “When I was practicing law, I got his son off burglary charges.”
    “Oh? I guess I’d be dedicated to you too.”
    He nodded as he caressed her cheek. No way was he going to leave on that note. If he were going to have sleepless nights from now until Friday, he wanted something more than her scent and smile to remember her by. At least he’d try.
    He took a step forward and rubbed her shoulders. “Since the contract isn’t signed we don’t have to be all business yet. May I kiss you?”
    “I don’t—”
    ****
    Before MaKayla could tell Dustin they shouldn’t mix business with pleasure, his lips pressed gently against hers. If he’d allowed her to speak, she would have missed the caress of his tender lips gliding across hers, and the gentle sway of his tongue swiping her lips apart to enter her mouth.
    His hand slid beneath her hair and clung to the back of her neck, pulling her in, making her wish they were somewhere private. By the feel of what now pressed against her, he mirrored her thoughts.
    Feeling her body melt in his arms, she could no longer blame the amount of alcohol she’d consumed on Sunday evening for her attraction to him. With her eyes still closed, she broke the kiss and placed her forehead on his. “This was supposed to be dinner only. You never mentioned anything about dessert.”
    “I’m sorry.” He pushed back and smiled. “Let me take that back.” And he did.
    This time his hand moved from her neck, down her back, and ended on her rear end. His body couldn’t press against hers any harder without her shattering the window behind her, and both ending up in the backseat of her car.
    “Dustin.” She had never kissed a man before who made her head fuzzy and her eyelids a dead weight. For a few seconds, she’d forgotten her name. The rush of arousal sent her knees on a quake and her heart pounding. A woman could really enjoy this moment, if she weren’t standing in the parking lot of Dalton’s most popular restaurant.
    She eased him back and met his dilated pupils. “A parking lot isn’t the place to be doing this.”
    Leaning forward, he stole another kiss from her lips. “After the contract is signed, it’s going to be the longest three months of my life.”
    Could she work with him and not want more than a business deal? Not after that kiss. But she needed this business opportunity more than she needed a relationship, so she had to make this work.
    She lifted a finger. “I have something for you.”
    He smiled and kissed