Sheryl Lister - Tender Kisses

One of the things he liked about living in LA was the weather. The cloudless, early-spring morning was warm enough that he didn’t need to wear a jacket. His feet pounded the paved trail in a steady rhythm as he mentally went over the changes he wanted to make in his program to track movement in the home. He was having trouble with one of the sensors and couldn’t figure out why it stopped working after a certain amount of time. Since he renewed his focus on the project nine months ago, Justin had seen similar products hit the market, but he’d worked to make sure his had an added feature not available on the current models.

Clearing the shaded area, he slowed to a jog and cut across the park back toward his house. Once there, he grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator, downed the contents and went upstairs to shower. He wanted to get to the shop a few minutes before eleven.

His cell rang as he was leaving.

“What’s up, Justin?” Bobby said when Justin answered.

“Hey.”

“I wanted to find out if you had a chance to talk to Mr. Gray about your project.”

“No. We didn’t get a chance to discuss it.”

“Oh. I thought for sure you’d have it locked up by now. What happened?”

“I only had a chance to introduce myself.” He decided not to tell his friend that he had got sidetracked.

“I know I have his number somewhere. I can call and set up a meeting if you want.”

“No, that’s okay,” Justin said hastily. “Mr. Gray gave me his card, and I plan to call first thing tomorrow morning.” The last thing he needed was Bobby’s interference. His friend meant well, but Justin wanted to do this on his own. “I’m on my way out, so I gotta go.”

“All right. I have to fly up to the Bay Area to check on the winery and my grandfather. I’ll probably be gone for about six weeks. Let me know if you change your mind.”

“Don’t worry about me. You know I have no problems going after what I want. Just save me a bottle of your best wine for the celebration.”

“Will do. Later.”

He disconnected and pocketed the phone. Hopefully, he would have something to celebrate by the time Bobby returned.

Justin arrived ten minutes before the hour and snagged a table that gave him a good view of the door. He told the server he was waiting for someone and trained his eyes on the entrance. Five after eleven and no sign of Siobhan.

Had he overplayed his hand? He thought for sure, with the chemistry brewing between them, she would show up. He drummed his fingers on the table and took another glance at his watch. The server came back to the table and told him he couldn’t hold up a table without ordering. “Ten minutes,” he told her.

Disappointment filled him when she hadn’t arrived by eleven fifteen. He hadn’t realized how much he wanted to see her again. Dropping his head in his hands, he contemplated his next move. Whatever the case, he had to vacate the booth. When he arrived he had been starving, but his appetite had waned considerably. Justin slid out of the booth and came to his feet. He took one step and froze. Siobhan came through the door and searched until their gazes locked. His heart rate accelerated, and he smiled. Somehow his excitement went well beyond a casual encounter. His gaze lingered on her face then slowly drifted down. Unlike the loose-fitting gown she wore the previous night, today she had on a short-sleeved fitted T and jeans that hugged her curves. A rush of desire hit him hard and fast.

Siobhan hurried over. “I’m so sorry I’m late. I was talking to my sister and lost track of time.”

He bent slightly to kiss her cheek. “No, no. It’s all right. I’m just glad you came.” He gestured for her to sit and slid back in across from her. “I didn’t think you would.”

Looking him directly in the eye, she said, “I hadn’t planned to. I decided at the last minute.”

He had never met a woman so straightforward and who had no problems expressing her opinions. “What made you change your mind?”

She angled her head. “Truthfully, I don’t know,” she said.

The hesitancy he heard in her voice was a stark contrast to the confidence in her earlier statement. He reached for her hand. “Like I said, I’m glad you came.”

The server approached. “I guess you were waiting for someone after all,” she mumbled. “What can I get you?” she asked Siobhan.

“A cup of chamomile tea with honey, please.”

“And you, sir?”

“Coffee and wheat toast, please.” He glanced over at Siobhan when the young lady walked away. “You sure you don’t want anything to eat, Siobhan?”

“No. The tea is fine. We’re having Sunday dinner at my parents’ house this afternoon, and my mom always cooks a feast.”

“Do you eat at your parents’ house every week?”

“No, but we usually get together about once every month or so. My mom is big on family.”

“So is mine, but since my parents live outside of Las Vegas, they’re not as easy to visit.”

She propped her head on her hands and smiled. “Vegas, huh? I haven’t been there in a long while. Need to go again sometime soon.”

Her eyes sparkled, and those beautiful gloss-slicked lips curved into a sexy smile. His first thought was booking a flight for two to Las Vegas as soon as he got home.

He was in trouble. Big trouble.

Chapter 3

Despite her calm demeanor, Siobhan’s stomach was in knots. True, her mother would prepare a feast, but she had ordered the tea because she didn’t think anything else would stay down. She had no problems standing in front of the media giving a press conference and had stared down her fiercest competitors. But sitting here with Justin, she felt out of her element. It had taken her until an hour ago to make up her mind to meet him today. Partly because she was curious about his background, and partly because she just wanted to see him again.

The server set a cup of tea and a plate with honey and lemon in front of her, then coffee and toast in front of Justin.

“Usually, men eat more than toast and coffee,” Siobhan said after the server departed.

“You’re right, but I went for a run earlier and my appetite hasn’t quite returned yet.”

When they had danced the night before, she’d felt his hard body against hers. The cut of his expensive suit had done nothing to disguise his muscular build. Today he wore a black T-shirt that fit nicely against his well-defined chest, and she was having a hard time keeping her eyes off his bulging biceps that flexed with every movement as he spread jelly on his toast.

Justin chuckled. “Believe me, in a couple of hours, I’ll be hungry enough to eat a horse.”

She laughed. “You remind me of my brothers.”

“Speaking of brothers, you mentioned being the oldest of five.”

“Yes. I have three brothers and one sister.”

“Do they all live in the city?”

Siobhan added honey and lemon to her tea then took a sip. She nodded. “Yes. My brother Brandon is one year younger than me, but sometimes acts like he’s the oldest. My brother Khalil is three years younger, and the twins, Malcolm and Morgan, six years.”

“Wow, you have a big family.”

“What about your family? You mentioned having two sisters.”

He finished chewing before speaking. “There’s a nine-year age difference between me and my sister Yvonne, and thirteen between me and Jocelyn. Yvonne is a forensic scientist, and Jocelyn is a junior in college majoring in electrical engineering.”

“Wow. That’s a huge age gap.”

“Tell me about it,” he said, shaking his head. “I wasn’t too happy about having to share my parents after such a long time, but I love my sisters more than anything now...though they drove me absolutely crazy when they were little.”