Tender Kisses. Sheryl Lister

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СКАЧАТЬ “What can I get you?” she asked Siobhan.

      “A cup of chamomile tea with honey, please.”

      “And you, sir?”

      “Coffee and wheat toast, please.” He glanced over at Siobhan when the young lady walked away. “You sure you don’t want anything to eat, Siobhan?”

      “No. The tea is fine. We’re having Sunday dinner at my parents’ house this afternoon, and my mom always cooks a feast.”

      “Do you eat at your parents’ house every week?”

      “No, but we usually get together about once every month or so. My mom is big on family.”

      “So is mine, but since my parents live outside of Las Vegas, they’re not as easy to visit.”

      She propped her head on her hands and smiled. “Vegas, huh? I haven’t been there in a long while. Need to go again sometime soon.”

      Her eyes sparkled, and those beautiful gloss-slicked lips curved into a sexy smile. His first thought was booking a flight for two to Las Vegas as soon as he got home.

      He was in trouble. Big trouble.

Chapter 3

      Despite her calm demeanor, Siobhan’s stomach was in knots. True, her mother would prepare a feast, but she had ordered the tea because she didn’t think anything else would stay down. She had no problems standing in front of the media giving a press conference and had stared down her fiercest competitors. But sitting here with Justin, she felt out of her element. It had taken her until an hour ago to make up her mind to meet him today. Partly because she was curious about his background, and partly because she just wanted to see him again.

      The server set a cup of tea and a plate with honey and lemon in front of her, then coffee and toast in front of Justin.

      “Usually, men eat more than toast and coffee,” Siobhan said after the server departed.

      “You’re right, but I went for a run earlier and my appetite hasn’t quite returned yet.”

      When they had danced the night before, she’d felt his hard body against hers. The cut of his expensive suit had done nothing to disguise his muscular build. Today he wore a black T-shirt that fit nicely against his well-defined chest, and she was having a hard time keeping her eyes off his bulging biceps that flexed with every movement as he spread jelly on his toast.

      Justin chuckled. “Believe me, in a couple of hours, I’ll be hungry enough to eat a horse.”

      She laughed. “You remind me of my brothers.”

      “Speaking of brothers, you mentioned being the oldest of five.”

      “Yes. I have three brothers and one sister.”

      “Do they all live in the city?”

      Siobhan added honey and lemon to her tea then took a sip. She nodded. “Yes. My brother Brandon is one year younger than me, but sometimes acts like he’s the oldest. My brother Khalil is three years younger, and the twins, Malcolm and Morgan, six years.”

      “Wow, you have a big family.”

      “What about your family? You mentioned having two sisters.”

      He finished chewing before speaking. “There’s a nine-year age difference between me and my sister Yvonne, and thirteen between me and Jocelyn. Yvonne is a forensic scientist, and Jocelyn is a junior in college majoring in electrical engineering.”

      “Wow. That’s a huge age gap.”

      “Tell me about it,” he said, shaking his head. “I wasn’t too happy about having to share my parents after such a long time, but I love my sisters more than anything now...though they drove me absolutely crazy when they were little.”

      Siobhan laughed. “I can imagine. My brothers used to torment me every time my parents’ backs were turned. From cutting my dolls’ hair to mixing my makeup, I wanted to kill them all day, every day.”

      Justin laughed. “Ha! I had it just as bad. Yvonne used to change the time on the microwave whenever I heated up something. If I put it on two minutes, she’d change it to ten minutes. I’m surprised I still have any taste buds left after having burned them off so many times. And Jocelyn would always tamper with whatever electronic device I was building. Once, she rerouted the wires on a remote-controlled car I was working on. I almost burned my room down when I turned the damned thing on,” he muttered.

      Siobhan laughed so hard she sputtered and choked on her tea. She grabbed a napkin, wiped away the tears and fanned herself. “Your sisters are a mess.”

      Justin shook his head. “And don’t get me started on dating.”

      “Oh, my goodness! Yes. They used to scare my dates so bad, those boys wouldn’t give me a second look.”

      “How about inviting three girls over at the same time?”

      Her mouth fell open. “I sure would’ve loved to see how you got out of that one.”

      “It wasn’t easy. I couldn’t get a date for six months after that little stunt.”

      They continued to laugh and swap stories over second and third cups of coffee and tea. Siobhan enjoyed every moment. When she finally glanced at her watch, three hours had passed. “I didn’t realize how late it is. I’m supposed to be at my parents’ house right now.”

      “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you late.” He leaned forward and flashed that sexy smile. “But I have to tell you, this is the best non-date I’ve ever had.”

      The timbre of his voice and the intensity of his gaze made her pulse race. “I...I had a good time, too.” She opened her purse and pulled out a few bills.

      “What do you think you’re doing?” Justin asked, staring at her as if she had lost her mind. “Siobhan, please put your money away. My invite, my dime.”

      She didn’t want to owe any man or find strings attached to an invitation, so she always made it a practice to pay her own way, even for a three-dollar cup of tea. But Justin stared her down until she put the money back in her purse. “Thanks. I’d better go.”

      He was up and around to her side of the booth with his hand extended before she took her next breath. Recalling the warm feelings his touch stirred in her last night, she hesitated briefly before placing her hand in his. He gently helped Siobhan to her feet and tugged her close to him. For a moment she thought he might kiss her... She wanted him to kiss her.

      Finally he backed away and murmured, “Let me pay for this and I’ll walk you to your car.” Justin gestured for her to lead the way to the counter.

      She walked ahead of him on shaky legs, feeling the heat of his gaze on her. After paying, Justin reached for her hand again and pushed through the doors. They stopped next to her car.

      “Nice ride,” he said.

      “Thanks. СКАЧАТЬ