“Heather, babe, there you are.”
And there Justin is, all gorgeous male swagger in cargo pants and a white T-shirt, his jaw set and a glint in his eyes. A flutter builds in my belly. He looks so tough and handsome that Glen fades into insignificance.
Brushing past Glen, Justin backs me up against my car and frames my face with his hands. His eyes meet mine for the briefest instant. I glimpse desire and apology in those hazel depths, before he dips his head and claims my mouth in a kiss. Taking full advantage of my surprise, he moves his mouth skillfully against mine, coaxing my lips open.
An exhilarating rush of heat lights up my nerve endings. My knees give out and the only thing holding me upright is his hard body pinning me against my car.
There’s nothing unsure or hesitant about the way Justin kisses. The man kisses like he’s been fantasizing about it for days. It’s too much and not enough, and I don’t want this intoxicating moment to ever end.
My hands reach up of their own accord and my fingers thread through his soft hair. He angles his head and deepens the kiss. The intensity of it hums all the way to my toes, and I’m lost. Lost in the taste of him, the intimacy of his tongue tangling with mine.
I have no idea how much time passes before Justin finally lifts his head. His eyes are dark as they connect with mine. His lips curve into a smile.
I stand in the circle of his arms and struggle for composure, feeling such a surge of conflicting emotions I’m unable to say a word.
There’s a shuffling of feet next to us. “Heather,” Glen says stiffly. “Who is this?”
Wrapping a strong arm around my waist, keeping me close to him, Justin shifts his body and his gaze to Glen. “She’s not having a drink with you, Beanpole, because she’s with me.”
“Hey, I didn’t know,” Glen protests.
Justin’s face is hard, anger radiating from him. “Now you know.”
“Heather didn’t say anything.”
“She said a lot. You weren’t listening.”
“I’ll just be off then.” A slightly accusing look creeps into Glen’s eyes when he looks my way. “See you tomorrow, Heather.”
“See you tomorrow,” I echo to his back as he strides away.
Tomorrow at work will be interesting, but I can’t think about that right now, not when Justin’s kiss is still resonating through my body. Tonight, I know, it will play itself out over and over in my mind.
Justin turns me to face him. We’re both breathing hard.
“What was that?” he demands.
I blink. “What was what?”
“That was the worst saying no I’ve ever witnessed.”
“I was saying no!”
“Spare me,” he says derisively.
“I was trying to do it tactfully. I didn’t want to hurt his feelings.”
Astonishment shoots his eyebrows upward. “So when his stupid gene kicks in and he slips something into your drink, at least afterward you can console yourself his feelings are still intact.”
My cheeks flush. “I doubt that would have happened. You’re too suspicious.”
“And you’re too trusting.” His eyes soften a little as he stares at me, his gaze drifting to my lips for a pulse-skittering second. “It looks like it’s up to me to teach you.”
I swallow. “Teach me what?”
“How to avoid the ambiguous no.”
Tension thickens between us as we stare at one another for a breathless minute, neither of us breaking eye contact.
