by Grey's large hand covering hers. His index finger slid into the hollow of her thumb, stroking the sensitive area gently. As he moved in closer, his jeans grazed the back of her bare legs. She'd figured shorts would be practical for this trip. She hadn't counted on standing this close to Grey, hadn't counted on him making her wish he would hold her in his arms.
His voice brushed her cheek. "I wanted to kiss you yesterday."
"You did." She could hardly make out her own words.
"That wasn't a kiss."
His lips against her forehead had made her knees wobble. "Why didn't you?"
He knew what she meant. "Because we were alone. In your apartment."
Trying to keep it light, she murmured, "I've heard privacy is good for kissing. A crowd can be inhibiting."
He smiled and turned her to face him. "A crowd can be good protection. Keep things from getting out of hand. Let's face it, when I touch you..." He stroked her cheek and she trembled. "The earth rocks. And when I kiss you..."
He bent his head and his lips were hot on hers. She felt his hands settle on her waist and draw her into him. As she parted her lips, his tongue stroked hers and explored. They fit together so perfectly. Grey rocked his hips against hers and she lost all sense of time and place.
Abruptly, he pulled away, his breathing ragged. "See what I mean?"
Closing her eyes for a moment, she let the world stop spinning. "So you're saying we shouldn't be alone."
"Not if we don't want to end up in bed."
His bluntness made her step back and prop against the totem pole for support. "No, we don't want that to happen," she said evenly, though her heart raced at the thought. She knew she didn't want a relationship with sex as its basis. Apparently Grey didn't, either. Did he even want a relationship?
"I have an idea," he said, digging his hands into his pockets.
"What? We only meet in crowds?"
"That's sort of what I have in mind. Do you think Eric and Maggie will come to dinner if I invite them?"
"Sure, they will."
"I'll give Eric a call and maybe we can set it up for Saturday night."
"Should I bring a karaoke set-up?" she teased.
He grinned. "No, thank you. But you can come early and help me with dinner."
At last she'd get to see where he lived and maybe learn more about him. "What are we having?"
"What do you suggest?"
"I'm partial to chicken. Do you have a grill?"
"I not only have a grill, I have an enclosed patio and a picnic table."
She wondered if he invited people over often — if he invited women over often. "Then we're all set."
He removed his hand from his pocket. She watched as he reached toward her and her breathing became shallow. But all he did was nudge her hair behind her ear. "We're set as long as we keep our minds on making dinner, and Eric and Maggie arrive on time."
She took a deep breath and swallowed. "Maggie doesn't need to be reminded to be on time. She's always five minutes early."
The sound of someone chopping wood echoed as far as the clearing, distracting Kit for a moment. She grabbed onto it to avoid d ealing with the glimmer of de sire in Grey's eyes. "We'd better get back. I'd really like to see inside Whittaker's house, but I don't think he's that hospitable."
Grey glanced once again at the sculptures. "But he does have talent."
***
On the drive home after dropping Kit off at Sunrise, Grey remembered how he'd taken her hand as they'd walked back to the car. It had felt so right, so natural.
He was pulling into his driveway, thinking about Saturday night, when his cell phone rang.
Deedee sounded out of breath. "Where were you? I called your cell phone. You didn't answer. I called the store and Gus didn't know where to find you."
Obviously, he'd been so distracted by Kit he hadn't noticed the missed message on his phone. "I'm sorry, honey. I didn't mean to scare you. I went for a drive with...with a friend. I left the phone in the car when we...took a walk."
"What friend?"
"A new friend."
"Like Susan?"
Lord, he
His voice brushed her cheek. "I wanted to kiss you yesterday."
"You did." She could hardly make out her own words.
"That wasn't a kiss."
His lips against her forehead had made her knees wobble. "Why didn't you?"
He knew what she meant. "Because we were alone. In your apartment."
Trying to keep it light, she murmured, "I've heard privacy is good for kissing. A crowd can be inhibiting."
He smiled and turned her to face him. "A crowd can be good protection. Keep things from getting out of hand. Let's face it, when I touch you..." He stroked her cheek and she trembled. "The earth rocks. And when I kiss you..."
He bent his head and his lips were hot on hers. She felt his hands settle on her waist and draw her into him. As she parted her lips, his tongue stroked hers and explored. They fit together so perfectly. Grey rocked his hips against hers and she lost all sense of time and place.
Abruptly, he pulled away, his breathing ragged. "See what I mean?"
Closing her eyes for a moment, she let the world stop spinning. "So you're saying we shouldn't be alone."
"Not if we don't want to end up in bed."
His bluntness made her step back and prop against the totem pole for support. "No, we don't want that to happen," she said evenly, though her heart raced at the thought. She knew she didn't want a relationship with sex as its basis. Apparently Grey didn't, either. Did he even want a relationship?
"I have an idea," he said, digging his hands into his pockets.
"What? We only meet in crowds?"
"That's sort of what I have in mind. Do you think Eric and Maggie will come to dinner if I invite them?"
"Sure, they will."
"I'll give Eric a call and maybe we can set it up for Saturday night."
"Should I bring a karaoke set-up?" she teased.
He grinned. "No, thank you. But you can come early and help me with dinner."
At last she'd get to see where he lived and maybe learn more about him. "What are we having?"
"What do you suggest?"
"I'm partial to chicken. Do you have a grill?"
"I not only have a grill, I have an enclosed patio and a picnic table."
She wondered if he invited people over often — if he invited women over often. "Then we're all set."
He removed his hand from his pocket. She watched as he reached toward her and her breathing became shallow. But all he did was nudge her hair behind her ear. "We're set as long as we keep our minds on making dinner, and Eric and Maggie arrive on time."
She took a deep breath and swallowed. "Maggie doesn't need to be reminded to be on time. She's always five minutes early."
The sound of someone chopping wood echoed as far as the clearing, distracting Kit for a moment. She grabbed onto it to avoid d ealing with the glimmer of de sire in Grey's eyes. "We'd better get back. I'd really like to see inside Whittaker's house, but I don't think he's that hospitable."
Grey glanced once again at the sculptures. "But he does have talent."
***
On the drive home after dropping Kit off at Sunrise, Grey remembered how he'd taken her hand as they'd walked back to the car. It had felt so right, so natural.
He was pulling into his driveway, thinking about Saturday night, when his cell phone rang.
Deedee sounded out of breath. "Where were you? I called your cell phone. You didn't answer. I called the store and Gus didn't know where to find you."
Obviously, he'd been so distracted by Kit he hadn't noticed the missed message on his phone. "I'm sorry, honey. I didn't mean to scare you. I went for a drive with...with a friend. I left the phone in the car when we...took a walk."
"What friend?"
"A new friend."
"Like Susan?"
Lord, he
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