out.”
He caressed her cheek with a gentle touch before drawing back. Her senses were swimming in the sensation of his touch, no matter how swift.
“I’ll be right back.” She escaped to the bathroom down the hall and dabbed her eyes with tissue.
She stared into the mirror and drew in a couple of deep breaths. God, he had to think she was a basket case. She’d dumped a lot on him in a short period of time. Her eyes were red and her face a little blotchy. She left the bathroom with a new tissue in hand. He was standing there with his mug in hand.
She gave him a lopsided smile. “More coffee?”
I put his mug back on the coffee table. “I’m good.”
She didn’t wait long before saying, “I’m sorry I dumped all of that on you.”
“It’s all right. I asked.”
“Still, you barely know me.”
“I know you’re one hell of a brave woman.”
She swallowed around the thick lump rising in her throat. “I’m more terrified than I am brave.”
“I don’t believe that.”
She laughed, but it was sarcasm rather than humor that fueled it. “I’m just surviving like everyone else.”
“With what’s going on in our town, in our country right now, that’s pretty damned extraordinary.”
“I had some hard knocks in my life, but I’ve moved forward,” she said.
“Do you know how amazing that is?” He stuffed his hands in his jean pockets. “Most people never move forward. They bitch. They complain. But it’s easier to be unhappy than to be happy, so they stay miserable.”
She smiled. “You’re absolutely right. You’re something else, Mark O’Day. You’re determined, aren’t you?”
“Most people I know would call it stubborn as hell.”
“I suppose that can be a good quality to have in your line of work.”
“Yep.”
He shifted closer to her. Lean and strong, his body looked ripped. Hard as granite and dangerous. Even though she’d just expressed a tragedy in her life, the sight of his big, strong physique set her libido on fire. His nearness disturbed her on a primal level. Not that he’d hurt her. No. That he’d disarm her with his charismatic presence and personality. As he looked down on her, her body reacted with undeniable need. She inhaled his masculine scent, so clean and with a hint of musk. Her blood ran hot and thick with desire. Juliet couldn’t deny the intense heat and interest in his dark eyes.
Impulsively she placed her hands on his chest and patted him. “Thanks so much for listening to me today. It meant a lot, but I’ll bet you have a lot better things to do than listen to me babble.”
“Nah, I came here to see you, remember?” He cupped his hands over hers and held her against hot, hard muscles. Her fingers tingled. “I’ll make you a deal. There’s this little Italian place in town that’s still operating full speed. Go to dinner with me tonight.”
His request took her off guard, but not as much as feeling his body under her touch, and the warmth of his hands. What would it hurt? “I haven’t been on a date in…I don’t know, two years maybe?”
He chuckled, and that gorgeous smile almost melted her into her shoes. “Is that a yes?”
“All right. Yes.”
His grin grew wider. “Good. I can pick you up at, say, six o’clock?”
“It’ll be nice to feel like our world is…normal in some respects.”
“We have to hold on to those parts of our world with both hands. Hold tight.”
He cupped the back of her neck and drew her closer. Oh wow. Slow, so slow he dipped his head, and she knew without a doubt what he intended. When his lips met hers in a soft exploration, the tingle low in her belly grew on a warm wave. He caressed her, a sweet asking that left her on the edge. Amazed by the delight his kiss brought her, she responded. He took the kiss a bit deeper, his mouth opening hers slightly, and his tongue flirted with one gentle flick. She couldn’t hold back a soft moan as her body responded, nipples tightening and tingling, and
He caressed her cheek with a gentle touch before drawing back. Her senses were swimming in the sensation of his touch, no matter how swift.
“I’ll be right back.” She escaped to the bathroom down the hall and dabbed her eyes with tissue.
She stared into the mirror and drew in a couple of deep breaths. God, he had to think she was a basket case. She’d dumped a lot on him in a short period of time. Her eyes were red and her face a little blotchy. She left the bathroom with a new tissue in hand. He was standing there with his mug in hand.
She gave him a lopsided smile. “More coffee?”
I put his mug back on the coffee table. “I’m good.”
She didn’t wait long before saying, “I’m sorry I dumped all of that on you.”
“It’s all right. I asked.”
“Still, you barely know me.”
“I know you’re one hell of a brave woman.”
She swallowed around the thick lump rising in her throat. “I’m more terrified than I am brave.”
“I don’t believe that.”
She laughed, but it was sarcasm rather than humor that fueled it. “I’m just surviving like everyone else.”
“With what’s going on in our town, in our country right now, that’s pretty damned extraordinary.”
“I had some hard knocks in my life, but I’ve moved forward,” she said.
“Do you know how amazing that is?” He stuffed his hands in his jean pockets. “Most people never move forward. They bitch. They complain. But it’s easier to be unhappy than to be happy, so they stay miserable.”
She smiled. “You’re absolutely right. You’re something else, Mark O’Day. You’re determined, aren’t you?”
“Most people I know would call it stubborn as hell.”
“I suppose that can be a good quality to have in your line of work.”
“Yep.”
He shifted closer to her. Lean and strong, his body looked ripped. Hard as granite and dangerous. Even though she’d just expressed a tragedy in her life, the sight of his big, strong physique set her libido on fire. His nearness disturbed her on a primal level. Not that he’d hurt her. No. That he’d disarm her with his charismatic presence and personality. As he looked down on her, her body reacted with undeniable need. She inhaled his masculine scent, so clean and with a hint of musk. Her blood ran hot and thick with desire. Juliet couldn’t deny the intense heat and interest in his dark eyes.
Impulsively she placed her hands on his chest and patted him. “Thanks so much for listening to me today. It meant a lot, but I’ll bet you have a lot better things to do than listen to me babble.”
“Nah, I came here to see you, remember?” He cupped his hands over hers and held her against hot, hard muscles. Her fingers tingled. “I’ll make you a deal. There’s this little Italian place in town that’s still operating full speed. Go to dinner with me tonight.”
His request took her off guard, but not as much as feeling his body under her touch, and the warmth of his hands. What would it hurt? “I haven’t been on a date in…I don’t know, two years maybe?”
He chuckled, and that gorgeous smile almost melted her into her shoes. “Is that a yes?”
“All right. Yes.”
His grin grew wider. “Good. I can pick you up at, say, six o’clock?”
“It’ll be nice to feel like our world is…normal in some respects.”
“We have to hold on to those parts of our world with both hands. Hold tight.”
He cupped the back of her neck and drew her closer. Oh wow. Slow, so slow he dipped his head, and she knew without a doubt what he intended. When his lips met hers in a soft exploration, the tingle low in her belly grew on a warm wave. He caressed her, a sweet asking that left her on the edge. Amazed by the delight his kiss brought her, she responded. He took the kiss a bit deeper, his mouth opening hers slightly, and his tongue flirted with one gentle flick. She couldn’t hold back a soft moan as her body responded, nipples tightening and tingling, and
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