“Sure, what?”And should he be nervous at how anxious she seemed to be?
“Remember on the Cape, when you saved those boys from that malfunctioning bucket truck?”
Okay, this wasn’t what he’d been expecting.“It was a front-end loader.And, yes, I remember.You had to go and tell everyone at the party what happened.” He hated being the center of attention.
She made a face.“Front-end loader.Right.Well … we kind of kissed.”
She’d been thinking about the kiss for three weeks?He had, but he kind of thought she’d thrown it in the rearview mirror.He glanced at his feet, which were still bare, looking for how to respond.Why hadn’t he put any shoes and socks on?Oh, because he was home and didn’t have plans to go anywhere today.What did he say?
“Yeah, I moved at the wrong time.”That kind of made it sound like it hadn’t been on purpose, because it hadn’t.
A sly grin slowly blossomed on her face.“I kind of thought it was the right time.”
Another thing he hadn’t been expecting.“You did?”
Her head bobbed up and down.“I enjoyed it.Did you?”
What the heck did he say, and what kind of answer did she want?He couldn’t say he hated it, that’s for sure.But did he tell her exactly how much he’d liked it?
With an upturn on the side of his mouth, he said, “I always enjoy a kiss from a beautiful woman.” He waited for her to give him a hard time about being a playboy, something he was nowhere near being.
Instead, her cheeks colored.“You think I’m beautiful.Or are you teasing me as usual?”
“I’ve always thought you were gorgeous,” he said quickly.It was the honest truth.
“You never told me.”
She seriously didn’t know.“Have you looked in a mirror lately?You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met.I never said anything, because I figured you’d never look twice at a guy like me.”
Her grateful smile dimmed.“What do you mean, a guy like you?One who’s a pain in the behind?”
Time to get real.“A Deaf guy with no college education, who can barely read.”
Her eyebrows inched closer to each other.“Is that how you think I see you?We’ve been working on your reading lately, and I know how smart you are in so many ways.”
“You’re a college librarian.You’re all about reading and being smart.That’s not my thing.”
Her face stiffened.“Do you honestly think I’m such a snob regarding someone with a hearing loss?Your sister has been my best friend for years.Not to mention, I know some very highly educated people who are the stupidest people I know.Book smarts are not always better.”
He’d always felt that way, especially after meeting some of her work friends, but he didn’t realize she’d also thought it.“Thanks.For not being a snob and for helping me get through the Level Two book."
“Happy to do it.You deserve to get ahead at work.”
“My boss wants me to mentor not only the new Deaf guy but the pain in the neck who caused my injuries yesterday.I think it’s more of a punishment for him, but somehow I get penalized as well.But I get more pay for mentoring, plus the increase when I pass the level two test.”
He mentioned what his increase would be, and her mouth fell open.“That’s more than I make, and I have two degrees.See?Book learning doesn’t always equate to a better job.”
“Maybe you need to find a job where you don’t sit around and only read all day.”When she moved to playfully swat him, he caught her wrist.“I’m teasing.I’m teasing.Don’t hurt the injured man.”
Her fingers curled around his, and suddenly the air between them felt charged.Without thinking, he tugged her even closer.“So about that kiss.Should we see if you still like it?”At her smile, he tipped his head forward and kissed her.
At first, her lips were soft, tentative, but the longer their mouths touched, the stronger the bond became.
He eased back, then surged forward again.Before he could make contact, she pulled away.“Wait.Who’s Keisha?”
He startled with the question.“Keisha?Why?”
A sheepish smile crossed her face.“I peeked at the text she sent you like a month ago while you were in the shower.How she needed your special skills.I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes by kissing you.”
