Tender Kisses (8 page)

“Are you sure? How old is she?”

His brows knit together. “I have no idea. I'm guessing somewhere around thirty.”

“Man, women who've passed that thirty mark
are
looking for marriage—I don't care what they say. If you're not planning to stick around for the long haul, I suggest you make that crystal clear, otherwise you're going to find yourself in the same situation you were in before.”

That was true for Justin's ex, but Siobhan gave him the impression that she meant precisely what she'd said—no relationships. “I don't think so. She was pretty adamant.” He peeked at his watch. “I have to go. I'll try to send you the work-surface information tonight or tomorrow.”

“Thanks, and enjoy your lunch.”

“I plan to.” He disconnected, changed clothes and left for his date.

Justin kept telling himself that he and Siobhan were on the same page—no long-term commitments and no emotional entanglements. However, he hadn't bargained for the rapid pace of his heartbeat and the excitement flowing through him, not to mention the overwhelming need to kiss her, when he saw her walk through the restaurant door. And when she smiled at him, a crazy sensation started in the middle of his chest.

“Hey.” Siobhan leaned up and kissed him. “You okay? You looked like you were deep in thought.”

He pushed the feelings aside and smiled. “I'm fine.”

“Did you have any problems finding the place?”

“Not at all. I already got our table.” They followed the hostess to a booth, and she handed them menus. “How did your project go?” he asked.

Her eyes sparkled, and she gave him a brilliant smile. “Great. It was my first big one, and my boss is pleased.”

“Congratulations.” He studied her over his menu. He'd never seen her so animated and relaxed, and he liked it. The passion in her voice and the warmth in her smile enthralled him even more. “Do you have to go back to work this afternoon?”

She lifted her eyes from the menu. “Yes. Why?”

Justin shrugged. “I figured we could play hooky and really celebrate.”

“It sounds like fun, but I can't.”

The wistful note in her tone gave him pause. “That's okay. We can save it for another time.” After they placed their orders, he asked, “What exactly do you do at your job?”

“Public relations, marketing, that kind of stuff. What about you? You never mentioned where you work.”

“Actually, I did. The night we met, I told you I like working for myself,” he added when she gave him a questioning look. “I design programs from the comfort of my home.”

“Oh, yes. I remember. Your programs must have done well if you're able to afford to work from home.”

He recognized her ploy to gain more information about him and hesitated over how much information to share. Though he didn't think she fell into the same category as the women who assumed he had millions stashed away, Justin decided to play it safe. “They do well enough to keep the lights on.”

She nodded, and the conversation turned to growing up. Over their food, they shared stories about favorite classes and teachers in school. Eventually he saw Siobhan look at her watch. “Time for you to head back?”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

He held up the dessert menus left by the waitress. “You want to get dessert to go?”

“No, thank you. Um, I know it's short notice, but my friend is having an anniversary party tomorrow night. Would you like to go with me?”

“Of course.” Attending the party would give him more time to spend with her. “How long have they been married?”

“Only two years, but they never had a reception, so they're doing it big this year.” She gave him the particulars and agreed upon a time for him to pick her up.

After paying the bill, he walked her to her car. “I'm glad your project turned out well.” He lowered his head and kissed her, then remembered that they were standing on a public street and grudgingly released her.

“I...I'd better go,” Siobhan said breathlessly.

He nodded and waited for her to drive off, and then went back to his car. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He liked kissing her too damn much, and there were other emotions trying to creep into the mix, ones he didn't want to accept.

So much for
casual fun
.

* * *

“Thank you for coming with me tonight, Justin,” Siobhan said as he escorted her into the elegantly decorated hotel ballroom where the party was being held.

“Thank you for asking. I'm glad I can spend more time with you.”

So was she, but she didn't say so.

“You made it,” Kendra said, approaching them and reaching out to hug Siobhan.

She handed Kendra a gift bag. “Happy anniversary. Where's Doug?”

“He's somewhere mingling.” Kendra turned to Justin. “It's good to see you again, Justin.”

“Same here. Happy anniversary.” Justin handed her an envelope.

“Wow. Thank you. I think Cynthia saved a couple of seats for you guys at her table. Dinner will be served in a few. Then we can get to the real fun. Oh, there's Doug. Let me go see what he wants.” She waved back and hurried off.

“That was very nice of you,” Siobhan said to Justin.

He shrugged. “I was raised not to go anywhere empty-handed.”

She'd never met a more thoughtful man. “Let's get our seats.” They joined Cynthia, her husband, Garrett, and two other couples at the table, and kept up a steady stream of conversation throughout dinner.

Afterward, Kendra and Doug cut the cake and shared a dance, then invited everyone to join them.

Justin extended his hand and led Siobhan out to the dance floor. “I've been waiting for an opportunity to dance with you again.”

“Is that right?”

“Yes. I enjoyed it the last time.”

“So did I.”

He smiled, tightened his arms around her and placed a kiss behind her ear. Feeling his lips on her skin and his body grinding lightly against hers sent shock waves through her system. He rested his cheek against her temple and hummed along with the slow ballad. She melted into him, and a feeling of contentment washed over her. When the song ended, he released her and she stepped back.

“Can I get you something to drink?”

“Yes, please. A glass of white wine would be nice.”

He led her back to their table and went over to the open bar set up across the room.

Cynthia smiled. “Well, well.”

“Not one word, Cyn,” Siobhan said, turning her head to hide her own smile.

“What?” Cynthia asked innocently.

Facing her friend again, she said, “This is really nice. Kendra's parents did a fabulous job.”

“Uh-huh, it's nice. And so is seeing you and Justin together.”

Before she could comment, Justin returned with two glasses of wine.

“Here you go, sweetheart.”

“Thank you.”

Their eyes held as they sipped, and she felt something pass between them. He lifted her hand and placed a kiss on the back. Out of her periphery, Siobhan saw Cynthia grinning and fanning herself.

“Now, that's what I'm talking about,” Cynthia said sotto voce, lifting her own glass.

Siobhan didn't comment.

“Dance with me,” Justin said when another ballad came on.

Siobhan followed him back out to the dance floor and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“I'm glad they're playing a lot of slow songs because I like holding you in my arms.”

“I like it, too.”

A slow grin curved Justin's lips. “Then we'll need to do it more often.” He touched his mouth to hers. “Every chance we get,” he whispered.

They danced through every slow song that played, and by the time he took her home, her body and mind were in a jumble.

“Thank you, again, for coming to the party with me,” she said as they stood in her entryway.

“I enjoyed myself.”

She leaned up, intending to give him a quick kiss, but as soon as their lips touched and he swept his hot tongue into her mouth, all rational thoughts went out the window. Justin deepened the kiss, thoroughly exploring every inch of her mouth.

He broke off the kiss and rested his forehead against hers. “I'd better leave while I still can.”

Siobhan nodded, though she wasn't sure she really wanted him to leave. He kissed her once more and slipped out the door.

She closed her eyes and leaned against it, her breathing still ragged. She hadn't planned on meeting a man like him and didn't know how long she would be able to keep her guard up.

Chapter 8

J
ustin increased his pace on the park's running trail and found a steady rhythm. Two days. It had been two days since he'd seen Siobhan and shared a kiss that he hadn't been able to shake from his mind. He'd kissed her several times before, but he hadn't been prepared for the sensations that engulfed him during that last one. He had avoided calling her since the party on Friday evening because he needed to think about what it meant. Common sense told him now would be a good time to cut his losses, but the degree to which he wanted her almost guaranteed that he'd ignore that little piece of wisdom.

He slowed to a jog and eventually a walk, then started in the direction of his car. When Justin got home, he showered and, against his better judgment, called Siobhan and asked if he could stop by her house for a few minutes. She replied with a simple “Yes.”

Forty-five minutes later, he pulled up to her house, hopped out of the car and strode up to her door.

Siobhan opened the door, concern creasing her brow. “Justin, is everything okay?”

“It is now,” he answered, backing her into the house, kicking the door shut and hauling her into his arms. He brought his mouth crashing down on hers. She matched him stroke for stroke as he intensified the connection and indulged in a craving he felt might never be satisfied.

When they finally came up for air, they were both breathing heavily. One look in her beautiful brown eyes, and Justin couldn't resist one more taste of her luscious lips, taking his time and twining his tongue lazily with hers as if he had all the time in the world. “I could hold you and kiss you all night,” he murmured between kisses. She ran her hands over his abs and chest then around his neck, and stroked his nape lightly. He shuddered. Justin's hands made a slow path down her back, and lower still to cup her buttocks, bringing her flush against his arousal. He wanted her to feel what she was doing to him.

Siobhan gasped, broke off the kiss and slumped against him. She trembled, and he tightened his arms around her. They stood this way for who knew how long before she backed out of his hold.

“Do you want something to eat or drink?” she asked.

“Nah, I'm good. But thanks. I should probably get going. I have some work to do.” And he needed to get away from her, or else they'd be naked and in her bed within the blink of an eye.

“You came all the way over here just to...?”

“Kiss you?”

She nodded.

“Yeah. Those lips have been calling me since I left you on Friday. And if I stand here one more minute, I'll be doing more than just kissing you.”

She laughed nervously. “Then I guess you should get going.”

Justin kissed her softly. “I'll see you later, sweetheart.” With great effort, he placed one foot in front of the other until he was in his car. Seeing Siobhan standing in the doorway tempted him to go back inside and finish what he'd started. He stayed parked there until she closed the door.

All the way home, he questioned his impulsivity. Never had he felt so out of control with a woman. And what the hell had got into him, driving across town for the sole purpose of kissing one? He was no closer to an answer by the time he reached his house. He went straight to his office to work on his program. The meeting with Mr. Gray was a week away, and he wasn't close to being ready. Once again, he had allowed his focus to shift. Justin shook his head and tried to concentrate, but gave up after an hour and decided to find and send Bobby the information he had promised.

As soon as he got back into his work, the phone rang. He groaned and snatched up the receiver.

“Hey, big brother,” Jocelyn said in her usually bubbly voice when he answered.

“What's up, Short Stack? If you're calling to continue last week's conversation, I have to go.”

She laughed. “No, I'm not calling to mess with you. We got our grades back from the engineering project. We got an A.”

“Congratulations! I'm so proud of you. Did you call Mom and Dad?”

“Not yet. I wanted to tell you first since you helped us. I'm so glad you're my brother.”

“And I'm glad you're my sister, even though you can be a pain in the neck sometimes.”

“I don't know what you mean,” Jocelyn said, feigning innocence.

“Right. So I guess you've forgotten all about that double-team last week.”

“I wasn't going to say anything, but since you brought it up, are you any closer to me getting a sister-in-law?”

“It's definitely time to hang up now. Don't you need to make another call or something?”

“Ha-ha. I can take a hint. Keep me posted. Love you, Justin.”

“Love you, too, Joce,” Justin said, hanging up.
Sister-in-law.
He shook his head. Granted, he liked Siobhan and enjoyed being with her, but he wasn't thinking about or ready for anything so serious as marriage. But the thought of settling down didn't make him break out in hives, either.

Justin made some headway on his system, but Siobhan was never far from his mind. Since meeting her, he'd got back the spark he used to have before his grandfather died—the spontaneity and enjoyment of living, instead of the monotony of working day in and day out. She was intelligent, driven, beautiful, and despite her reserved appearance, his gut told him that underneath she possessed the same adventurous spirit as him.

And he wanted nothing more than to unleash all that passion she kept locked inside.

* * *

“Good morning, beautiful. I hope your Monday is off to a good start.”

Siobhan's eyes slid closed briefly upon hearing Justin's smooth-as-silk greeting. She had contemplated not answering, but the temptation to hear his voice was too hard to resist. “Good morning, yourself. I hit the ground running. What about you?”

Justin laughed. “I hit the ground running,
literally
. I just got back from my daily jog. Maybe you'll join me one day.”

She snorted. “Please. I hate running, so that is one activity you'll be doing on your own.”

“Hmm. Then maybe I can tempt you into trying some other activities.”

“Oh?” She was already beyond tempted to engage in some
other
activities, activities that included them naked in her bed or his.

“I can think of a few off the top of my head, like dancing, a walk on the beach—or finishing what we started on Sunday,” he added huskily. “What do you say? We can do any one or all three of them.”

Yes, yes, yes!
the spontaneous, fun-loving woman inside her shouted. But her practical self reminded her what had happened the last time. “This week is going to be a long one for me, and I just had another project dropped in my lap.”

“No problem. Whenever you have some time.”

She heard the disappointment in his voice and added, “I'm sure we can figure something out, but I'd better get back to work.”

“All right. I'll be thinking about you, and try not to work too hard, Siobhan.”

“I'll try. And, Justin?”

“Yeah, baby.”

“Thanks for calling.” She disconnected, turned her cell off and dropped it in her purse.

She placed a calming hand on her belly and drew in a deep breath. Her feelings for Justin intensified each time they spoke, and she finally realized what made him such a risk. He made her do the one thing she feared most—lose control.

In an effort to stop her growing attraction, she shut down and immersed herself in work, like she always did when she became overwhelmed. She didn't bother to stop for lunch and stayed way past normal business hours. By the time she trudged to her car, the cleaning crew had come and gone, and hers was one of four vehicles left in the underground parking garage. She waved to the security guard and slid behind the wheel.

“At least there's no traffic this time of night,” she mumbled. Without the usual crowded freeway, Siobhan made it home in less than half an hour.

After consuming shrimp stir-fry for dinner, she showered and climbed into bed. As soon as she closed her eyes, Justin's handsome face appeared in her mind, and memories of their heated kisses in her entryway awakened her desires once more. She wanted to call him, ask him to come over and put out the flame he'd started. But doing that would be akin to opening Pandora's box again, and she had worked diligently over the past two years to keep it closed. No way would she survive another fiasco like Arthur.

They'd met at a restaurant near her office three years ago. Both had been waiting for lunch partners and struck up a conversation. After seeing each other at the same spot two more times, he'd said it was fate and asked her to lunch. Though it had taken weeks, Arthur finally won Siobhan over with his infectious smile and charming personality. It didn't hurt that he was easy on the eyes.

Now there was Justin. And everything she'd felt for Arthur paled in comparison to the emotions Justin aroused in her.

Groaning, she flipped over onto her stomach and put the pillow over her head to drown out her thoughts. It didn't help. She tossed and turned for a good hour before giving up all hope of going to sleep, and decided to get up and do some work.

Siobhan repeated this cycle for the next two nights. During the day, her mask stayed firmly in place. She smiled and conducted business as usual, and no one suspected her inner turmoil.

Thursday evening she sat at her desk massaging the muscles in her neck. She'd kept up with her workouts, and after a couple of days the soreness typically subsided. But this time her muscles still ached. She leaned back in the chair, closed her eyes and rubbed her temples. The headache that had started earlier was intensifying, and a wave of nausea washed over her. Siobhan knew she probably should have eaten something, but the thought of food held no appeal. Her cell rang, and she prayed it wasn't Brandon or, worse, one of her parents. She felt a measure of relief when she saw Justin's name on the display.

“Hi, Justin,” she said.

“Hey, Siobhan. I'm just checking on you. Hope your week hasn't been too bad.”

Why was he always so thoughtful? It was one more reason she had such a hard time remaining firm in her decision to stop seeing him. “Wish I could say it's been a piece of cake, but I'd be lying. I'm still at the office.”

There was a pause. Then he said, “Siobhan, it's ten o'clock. That's kind of late. Is anyone else there with you?”

“No, but—”

“You're there alone this time of night?” he asked, his voice rising. “I understand you have a lot to do, but can't you take it home? I don't like the idea of you being in your office alone. Do you want me to come keep you company? I promise not to distract you in any way, but I just want to be sure you're safe.”

“I appreciate your offer, Justin, but I'm leaving soon. I'll be gone before you get here.” And she didn't want him to know where she worked, especially since she'd never told him her real last name.

“Have you stayed this late all week?”

“Yes,” she answered guiltily. The word tumbled out before she had a chance to lie.

She heard his frustrated sigh. “Sweetheart, you're going to burn out if you keep this up. I bet you haven't eaten, either.”

Siobhan didn't answer.

“Just as I thought. And there's no way you can concentrate on an empty stomach. Go home, baby,” Justin said softly. “You need some rest.”

His soft plea melted her heart. “I'm going.”

“Thank you. Please call me to let me know you arrived safely.”

“Okay.” She hung up and held the phone against her chest. “What is he doing to me?” she whispered.

“Why are you still sitting behind that desk?”

She jumped and whirled around in her chair upon hearing the angry voice of her brother. “You scared the hell out of me, Brandon!”

“Better me than someone else,” he said with a heavy scowl lining his face.

“What are you doing here?” He'd obviously come from home because, instead of the suit he'd had on during the day, he wore a pair of sweats and a T-shirt.

“That's what I came to find out about you. Mr. Daily called because he was concerned about you being here by yourself so late.” Mr. Daily was the night guard in the garage.

“There's a lot to do and—”

Brandon held up a hand. “Vonnie, don't start. There's no reason for you to be here this late, and for four days straight. Yeah, he mentioned that part, too.” He came around to her side of the desk, propped a hip on the end and folded his arms. “What's going on, sis? I know something's bothering you.”

Siobhan smiled and waved him off. “I just want to keep on top of things, and I'm getting the second round of press releases ready.”

“I've known you just about all of your life, so I'm pretty good at figuring out when you're lying. And you are lying. You don't think I've noticed you withdrawing into yourself? You're wound so tight, I'm surprised you haven't snapped.”

She came to her feet swiftly and started packing up her belongings, not wanting him to see how close he was to the truth. “You worry too much. I'm fine, really. And didn't you say I needed to go home? I can't leave if you stand here talking to me all night.”

He gave her a penetrating stare and then straightened from the desk. He waited until she was done and followed her out and down to her car. “I'll be by your desk tomorrow at four forty-five, and you're leaving.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but one look from her brother and she closed it.

Brandon leaned down and kissed her temple. “I'll be right behind you,” he said as he shut the car door.

At this point, Siobhan didn't have the strength to argue and pulled off, fussing about overprotective brothers the entire drive. At her house, Brandon got out of his car and she started to protest, but stopped when she saw the bag in his hand.