Free Four Kisses by Bonnie Dee

from rain, his sleek dark hair and the single droplet rolling down from his temple. Her attention turned to his mouth. He had a deep bow in his upper lip that was utterly intriguing.
    Her gaze flicked up to his eyes and he was studying her mouth, too. An invisible kiss sizzled on the air between them. But then the line moved forward and they were carried along with it, leaving the electric moment behind.
    They got their coffee and found a free table in the corner. The only two-top left, it hadn’t been wiped down after the last customers. A sprinkling of sugar and a spilled circle of coffee marked the surface. The café was too packed and busy to expect clean.
    They were lucky to get a seat at all.
    Jen sat on a chair that wobbled. Every time someone passed by on their way to the restroom, they bumped her. She rested her elbows on the table and leaned in, inhaling the aromatic steam from the coffee. “Ah, there’s nothing better than a fresh brewed cup of coffee with loads of sugar.”
    Drake sipped then set down the cup. “A perfect afternoon—jellyfish and coffee.” She adored that he appreciated the little details of life just like she did, and she really adored the trace of foam that decorated his lip. She’d like to lick it off.
    “Tell me more about your life. What insurance company do you work for?” He named one she hadn’t heard of then said, “But I promised you no pitches and I’d rather not talk about work. I’m taking classes, working toward a degree in occupational therapy. I’d like to help people.”
    Jen had never thought of Drake as much of a people person, but on the other hand, he was a good listener, a calm and steady presence when someone was hurting. She’d experienced that first hand. “I could see you as a caregiver.” She hoped his record wouldn’t hinder him in the job market someday, but she wasn’t about to bring that up.
    “You’re happy in the prosecutor’s office?”
    She nodded. “There are days when I’m at the end of my rope, but that’s true of any job. I think overall it’s a good fit for me.”

    Rain pattered against the window pane beside them harder now, rolling down in wet streaks that made the lights of cars and neon signs outside smear in pretty colors. It had darkened so much that the streetlights came on.
    “We’re going to get wet, walking back to our cars,” Jen said.
    “Unless we stay here a while. There’s no place I have to get to.”
    “Me either,” she admitted, “except to let my dog out.”
    “What kind of dog?”
    “A mutt from the pound. I couldn’t tell you what all’s in his mix. He’s brown and white and looks vaguely beagle-ish. His name’s Max.”
    “Like the Grinch’s dog. Used to love that cartoon when I was little.” Jen pictured Drake as a kid, thin and wiry, sitting in front of a TV in a crappy apartment or pay-by-the-week motel room, listening to grown-ups fight while he tried to feel some Christmas spirit. Maybe her vision of what his life had been like was inaccurate, but from the hints he’d dropped, she was pretty sure she was on target.
    Her gaze moved to his hand wrapped around the colorful mug on the table in front of him. Long fingers. Large hand. She could feel what his hands would be like pressed against her back or touching her face. Immediately, she pulled her mind away from the thought. They’d only just met again. It was way too soon to be letting her mind drift in those directions. Or to his mouth and the way his lips curved around the rim of the cup when he drank.
    “I was a fan of the Charlie Brown Christmas,” she said to fill the silence. “Linus’s reminder of what Christmas is all about and that pitiful tree going from three branches to fully decked out in seconds flat.” She sighed. “Christmas. It’s coming fast. I need to start shopping.”
    His brows shot up. “It’s almost three months away. Isn’t this a little early?”
    “Not for me. I don’t like to rush around or fight