said, turning her head over her shoulder and giving him a coy look.
He chuckled. “That works.” Then he reached over to the bowl she had placed the truffles in and grabbed one at random, opened it and popped it in his mouth. “So, why nursing?”
She stopped and looked at him, startled. “Where did that come from?”
“Just conversation. We’ve talked about quite a few things tonight, mainly work and other interests. Thought I would try for something more personal. After all, you know why I went into the Navy.”
He was right. She did ask him that. It was just that no one ever asked her why she went into nursing before. It wasn’t something she really talked about much. She calmly replied, “Just seemed like a good fit for me.” Thankfully he accepted that answer.
She placed his coffee in front of him. “Sugar or cream?”
“No, black is good. Easier that way.”
“How’s that?” she asked, adding a teaspoon of sugar to her own cup.
“I didn’t always have sugar or cream available in the past, so I learned to drink it black. Flavored coffee is a treat in itself, and I can’t stand to have it sweetened now.”
She never thought of that, but it made sense. And made things simple, too.
“So,” he said after he took a sip of coffee and she was seated next to him at the island, her chair shifted so she could face him. “It’s kind of like riding a bike, isn’t it?”
She frowned. What was he talking about now? “I don’t understand.”
“Dating? You don’t seem to have forgotten how to go about it,” he said amused, then took another sip of the hot liquid, his eyes sparkling over the rim of the cup while he looked at her.
She scowled. “Lucy,” she said, snarling a bit more, then paused and took a sip of her own coffee, trying to stop the mortification from showing on her face.
“Sorry. I meant it as a compliment. You seemed pretty comfortable tonight for someone who hasn’t dated in a while,” he said, adding another grin, obviously finding the situation funnier than she did.
She took a deep breath. “I’m going to strangle her.”
“Well, if it helps you any, there have been plenty of times I’ve gone a year or more without dating, too. And I’ve never forgotten how either,” he said, his smile widening and his eyes crinkling up, the dark brown looking richer than normal.
The room started to heat up again. Forcing those thoughts back, she decided to stir the pot more. “Yeah well, like I said, I’m a sucker for the dangerous confident type. Unfortunately they tend to be jerks, too. So far, you haven’t proven yourself to be a jerk. Yet.” She flashed him a smile and patted his leg in a friendly manner.
“You’re one of a kind, aren’t you?” he said amiably.
“Aren’t you?” she said, challenging him.
“I’d like to think so.” He reached out, grabbed her chair and pulled it closer to him.
“Same here,” she replied, leaning toward him, meeting him halfway, his lips covering hers. Soft, gentle, so unlike what she thought he was actually feeling from the vibes he had been sending out. Everything about him exuded “danger, stand back,” yet he did it with a smile. Such a paradox, but she was starting to enjoy that, too.
The kiss didn’t stay gentle long, though. His hand threaded through her hair, yanking her closer, almost on his lap. Then seconds later, she was on his lap, his hand around her waist, his mouth devouring hers. She was going up in flames and could only hold on for the ride. And what a ride it was. Oh my, he could kiss.
Somehow both her hands ended up on his shoulders, gripping him tight. He seemed to take that as encouragement. The hand at her waist traveled up further and caressed the outside of her shirt. In case he got any ideas, she moved her hand and laid it over his. Just a warning—he wasn’t getting any further. Instead he threaded his fingers through hers with his lips moving from her mouth to her ear. “Relax. No pressure.
He chuckled. “That works.” Then he reached over to the bowl she had placed the truffles in and grabbed one at random, opened it and popped it in his mouth. “So, why nursing?”
She stopped and looked at him, startled. “Where did that come from?”
“Just conversation. We’ve talked about quite a few things tonight, mainly work and other interests. Thought I would try for something more personal. After all, you know why I went into the Navy.”
He was right. She did ask him that. It was just that no one ever asked her why she went into nursing before. It wasn’t something she really talked about much. She calmly replied, “Just seemed like a good fit for me.” Thankfully he accepted that answer.
She placed his coffee in front of him. “Sugar or cream?”
“No, black is good. Easier that way.”
“How’s that?” she asked, adding a teaspoon of sugar to her own cup.
“I didn’t always have sugar or cream available in the past, so I learned to drink it black. Flavored coffee is a treat in itself, and I can’t stand to have it sweetened now.”
She never thought of that, but it made sense. And made things simple, too.
“So,” he said after he took a sip of coffee and she was seated next to him at the island, her chair shifted so she could face him. “It’s kind of like riding a bike, isn’t it?”
She frowned. What was he talking about now? “I don’t understand.”
“Dating? You don’t seem to have forgotten how to go about it,” he said amused, then took another sip of the hot liquid, his eyes sparkling over the rim of the cup while he looked at her.
She scowled. “Lucy,” she said, snarling a bit more, then paused and took a sip of her own coffee, trying to stop the mortification from showing on her face.
“Sorry. I meant it as a compliment. You seemed pretty comfortable tonight for someone who hasn’t dated in a while,” he said, adding another grin, obviously finding the situation funnier than she did.
She took a deep breath. “I’m going to strangle her.”
“Well, if it helps you any, there have been plenty of times I’ve gone a year or more without dating, too. And I’ve never forgotten how either,” he said, his smile widening and his eyes crinkling up, the dark brown looking richer than normal.
The room started to heat up again. Forcing those thoughts back, she decided to stir the pot more. “Yeah well, like I said, I’m a sucker for the dangerous confident type. Unfortunately they tend to be jerks, too. So far, you haven’t proven yourself to be a jerk. Yet.” She flashed him a smile and patted his leg in a friendly manner.
“You’re one of a kind, aren’t you?” he said amiably.
“Aren’t you?” she said, challenging him.
“I’d like to think so.” He reached out, grabbed her chair and pulled it closer to him.
“Same here,” she replied, leaning toward him, meeting him halfway, his lips covering hers. Soft, gentle, so unlike what she thought he was actually feeling from the vibes he had been sending out. Everything about him exuded “danger, stand back,” yet he did it with a smile. Such a paradox, but she was starting to enjoy that, too.
The kiss didn’t stay gentle long, though. His hand threaded through her hair, yanking her closer, almost on his lap. Then seconds later, she was on his lap, his hand around her waist, his mouth devouring hers. She was going up in flames and could only hold on for the ride. And what a ride it was. Oh my, he could kiss.
Somehow both her hands ended up on his shoulders, gripping him tight. He seemed to take that as encouragement. The hand at her waist traveled up further and caressed the outside of her shirt. In case he got any ideas, she moved her hand and laid it over his. Just a warning—he wasn’t getting any further. Instead he threaded his fingers through hers with his lips moving from her mouth to her ear. “Relax. No pressure.
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