Free Kit And Kisses by Karen Rose Smith

something to drink? It's already hot enough to make me wish I had central air. If you weren't tied up this afternoon, we could go swimming."
    He knew she was leaving him an opening. But he had questions he needed to have answered. "Why did you set up the Pets for People program?"
    "I guess you heard what Sally said."
    He nodded.
    She laid the leash on the step stool. "You remember Bruce and Greta? Well, they have a daughter. She had her appendix removed. She hated being inactive and she was giving them a hard time. So I took Keats over one day to keep her company. You wouldn't believe what a difference it made in her attitude. Enough so that Bruce got her a kitten of her own. So...I looked at the idea in a broader context."
    "You're a busy woman, Kit. Why take the time to set up a program like this? And after it was set up, why do you still volunteer? So you have something to do one Sunday afternoon a month?"
    For a moment, she didn't answer him. Her gaze searched his face, then her smile faded and the brightness of her blue eyes changed to a cold crystal blue. "Why the inquisition, Grey?"
    "Aren't we trying to get to know each other?"
    "Maybe. But I think you have a particular question in mind that you're not asking. What do you really want to know?"
    "Your motivation."
    She shrugged. "That's simple. I like pets. I like people."
    "And it has nothing to do with business?"
    "What could it possibly have to do with business?"
    "Promoting yourself, getting publicity for your company."
    "And if I did it for that reason, what difference would it make?"
    She was on-guard and wary and that wasn't what he wanted. "Let's just drop it."
    She gave him a probing look that told him she didn't understand what had gotten into him. He didn't understand it himself. Maybe he was looking for some sign that Kit was generous and kind rather than calculating, some sign that she could take Deedee into her heart.
    He checked his watch. "I have to go."
    Kit brushed her bangs from her forehead. "Yes, I know. Thanks for going along this morning. Another pair of hands always helps."
    "It was my pleasure." He took a few steps closer to her. He hadn't touched her all morning, though he'd wanted to many times over. "When can I see you again?"
    Searching his face, she bit her lower lip. It was an indecisive gesture, one he wouldn't associate with her — she always seemed so sure of herself.
    He ran his thumb over her cheekbone and added, "It can be business or pleasure." She trembled and he wanted to pull her tight against him to show her what she did to him. Instead, he waited.
    "Tomorrow afternoon, I'm going to drive over to Marietta to see a man who sculptures logs with a chain saw. I thought he'd be a great draw for your promotional day. Would you like to come along?"
    "Yes. I can drive if you'd like."
    "That's fine," she said in a breathless tone that made his pulse race even faster.
    Kissing Kit could turn into an all-afternoon commitment. So instead of setting his mouth on hers, he gently tugged her into his arms and kissed her forehead. A strand of her bangs tickled his lips. The scent of her perfume mixing with the heat could drug him. He held her a little closer...a few moments longer.
    Then he released her. "I'll call you tomorrow to set up a time." Her flushed cheeks, the rosiness of her lips, the bemusement in her eyes urged him to pull her into his arms again. But he didn't. He walked to her door.
    Behind the wheel of his car, he knew he'd made the right decision. One kiss with Kit would never be enough.
    ***
     
    Kit climbed from Grey's car and slammed the door. Okay, so he hadn't told her what he did on Sundays. It shouldn't matter. She shouldn't care. It was really none of her business. They weren't even dating, were they?
    And if he was keeping something from her, what was she doing seeing him? Hadn't she had enough of that with Trent? What did it take for her to learn her lesson?
    "The company truck would have taken the stony lane better.