Free When Lightning Strikes by Brooke St. James

away."
    He smiled. "I wouldn't say that," he said. "Don't sell yourself short. If you want to know the truth, you've made more sense to me than any of the others I've asked about it." He laughed a little. "I'm still not interested or anything, but you've made a good impression for your kind."
    I laughed. "My kind?"
    "Hey, you just called me a rat bound for certain doom."
    We both laughed. "I'm sorry for preaching so much," I said.
    He gave me an easy smile with a shrug. "I still want to kiss you."
    "You do?" I asked.
    "Are you gonna let me?"
    "I think I might," I said, a little breathlessly.
    "You don't seem too sure about it."
    I smiled "I'm sure," I said timidly. I didn't mean to say it timidly, that's just how it came out.
    He adjusted in his seat so he could face me, and then he touched a finger to my cheek. "Come here," he said. I leaned a little closer to him, feeling like my heart might pound out of my chest. My lungs could not get a decent breath of air. He smelled good, and I instinctually turned away because of the extreme level of temptation. A year ago, I would have easily and readily engaged in no strings attached sex with this guy, and there was an internal battle happening as I contemplated giving in to my desires.
    "Why are you looking away," he asked.
    "Because you smell good," I said.
    He laughed. I glanced up and he licked his lips as he leaned in to kiss me. It happened so quickly that I didn't have the chance to think about it. One second I looked up at him, and the next, his lips were on mine. They were soft and firm at the same time, and it was all I could do to refrain from wrapping my hands around his head, pulling him in, and deepening the kiss.
    Instead, I followed his lead and let him kiss me lightly. He placed one, two, three gentle kisses on my mouth. I tilted up, letting my lips linger on his for a long time on that last one, and by the time he pulled back, he seemed ruffled. He massaged his forehead as if I tempted him, and I smiled at the sight. He sighed before looking at me. "I'm so intrigued by you, Mia."
    I smiled. "You're just intrigued because I've already said I won't sleep with you and you're probably not used to hearing that."
    "I'd like to believe you were right about that, but unfortunately, I think I just like you."
    I cracked up laughing at that. "You’re funny," I said.
    "What's so funny? I'm serious. I think I like you."
    I stared at him for a second, smiling. "Well, that's too bad, because it would never work out."
    "Why not?" he asked. He seemed serious, which made me laugh.
    "Because you travel too much and we, you know—the whole God thing."
    "I thought you said it didn't bother you that I didn't believe the same thing as you."
    "It doesn't bother me with you as my friend." I hesitated, and almost said something about future children we could theoretically have together, but decided against it. "Besides, you feel the same way," I said instead. "You told me yourself that you couldn't get into anything more than friends, remember?" I smiled at him. "You're just charmed by my kid-saving skills." I winked and flexed my bicep a little, which made him laugh.

 
    Chapter 10
     
     
    Patrick had just said that he liked me . I figured he was going into that mode where guys just say what they think the girl wants to hear in order to get in her pants. If anyone could tempt me into it, it was Patrick, but I couldn't let myself sleep with him, especially when it couldn’t amount to anything.
    "So, if I wanted to date you, would you say no?"
    I giggled. "You don't want to date me ," I said. "Remember? You're out of town most of your life. It'd be a mess. I'd want to go with you everywhere. I'd cramp your style." I was smiling the whole time I spoke and he just stared at me with a disbelieving expression.
    "Well, maybe now I'm reconsidering my no dating policy."
    I laughed a little and he gave me an offended smirk.
    "What's so funny?" he asked.
    "I don't know, I guess I'm just laughing