Sheryl Lister - Giving My All To You

He unleashed that mesmerizing smile and held up a white bag. “Thought you’d might have some trouble cooking.”

Faith sighed in relief. “Bless you. Come in.”

Brandon chuckled. “Sounds like you’re happy to see me.”

“You have no idea. Please tell me that what you have in that bag doesn’t require me to use a spoon and I’ll name my firstborn after you.”

His laughter filled the room. “Brandon is a nice name.” He carried the bag over to the table, took out a disposable container and opened it. “I didn’t know what you liked, so I took a chance on a club sandwich and French fries. Hope that’s okay.”

She wanted to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him. “More than okay. Thank you.”

He sniffed and surveyed the room. “Were you trying to cook?”

“Yeah. I thought it would be easy to scramble an egg. It was. But by the time I could get it out of the pan with my left hand, it no longer resembled something edible.”

His eyebrows shot up. “You haven’t eaten anything since I left you?”

“I had a slice of cheese, five crackers, a handful of almonds and some grapes.” She shrugged. “It was the best I could do.”

“Then I’m glad I stopped by.”

“Me, too.” They fell silent.

“Well, I only came to drop off the food, so...and I really wanted to see you again.”

His soft confession made her pulse skip. And, truthfully, she had wanted to see him, too. Before she could talk herself out of all the reasons it would be a bad idea to spend more with him, she said, “Then why don’t you stay and keep me company.”

Brandon smiled. “I’d love to.” He seated her and took the adjacent chair.

Faith recited a quick blessing and started in on the sandwich. She was so hungry she devoured the first half in a matter of a few bites. She lifted her head and saw Brandon staring at her with faint amusement. “Oh, I’m sorry. Do you want some?”

“No, thank you. I’ve already eaten. I’m just glad you’re enjoying my selections.” He leaned forward and braced his arm on the table. “What else do you enjoy?”

She paused with a fry halfway to her mouth. “I like reading, shopping and designing websites.”

“Quite an eclectic mix,” he said with a laugh.

“Hey, what can I say?” She ate another fry. Belatedly, she remembered she hadn’t gotten anything to drink. When she made a move to stand, Brandon jumped to his feet to help her.

“Do you need something?”

“I was just going to get some water or juice.”

“Sit down. I’ll get it.”

Her brow lifted and she lowered herself back down. “Kind of bossy, aren’t you?”

“One of my more stellar traits, I’m afraid.” Brandon retrieved a glass from the cabinet. “Which one, water or juice?”

“I’ll take the juice, please.” Faith continued to eat and thanked him when he placed the glass in front of her. Silence rose between them and he seemed content to just sit and watch her. Any other time, she would have felt uncomfortable with someone staring at her while she ate, but not today. Today, she was too hungry to care. As soon as she finished, he rose from the table, cleaned up and discarded the empty container. Faith had never been around a man like him and couldn’t believe some woman hadn’t snatched him up. At the hospital, he’d said he didn’t have a commitment to anyone. There had to be something wrong with the women in this city. Or maybe it was him. “So, any big plans tonight?”

“Just catching up on some work.”

Faith was instantly contrite. He’d taken off half his workday for her. She got up and walked over to where he still stood in the utility kitchen. “I’m sorry. You took off work for me and now you have to spend your Friday evening working. By the way, what do you do?”

He hesitated briefly. ”I work for a home safety company. And, believe me, whether I’d worked half a day or a full one, my evening would have been spent doing the same thing. Actually, you’ve helped me out by allowing me to hang out with you tonight.”

She leaned against the counter. His abrupt answer made her wonder if he was having problems at his job. “Why are you helping me? Not that I don’t appreciate it, but, I mean, you’ve gone far above the ‘good Samaritan’ role.”

Brandon folded his arms across his wide chest and angled his head thoughtfully. “You’re a beautiful woman, no getting around that. But you have a great personality and a way about you that intrigues me. I like you, Faith. It’s as simple as that.”

“Um...wow. Okay. You’re very direct.”

His voice dipped an octave and his gaze trapped her. “Always.”

The heat swirled around them. To cover her nervousness, she took a step back and cleared her throat. “Well, I don’t want to be responsible for you being up all night, so...”

“Yeah. I’d better go.” Yet neither of them moved. After several charged moments, Brandon moved around her and walked toward the door.

Faith followed. “Good night, Brandon. And thank you again...for everything.”

“You’re welcome.” He turned the knob and paused.

Before she could blink, he bent and covered her mouth in a kiss so sweet it made her eyes close and her heart flip.

“Good night, Faith.” And he was gone.

Faith leaned against the door. She had come to LA for one reason and one reason only, and she would do well to keep that in the forefront of her mind. But thinking of that kiss, she guessed it might be harder than she’d expected.

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