which had revved her up.
“Thanks for the save,” Ted said as they drove off a minute later. “And for realizing I needed saving.”
“You were looking a little desperate.” She smiled. “I’m kidding. What is your home like?”
“It’s the top floor of a converted warehouse with a rooftop garden. That I never use.”
She sighed. “If I had a garden, I’d rarely be indoors.”
“There’s no garden in the backyard of your house?”
“There is, but I’m just the renter. It’s owned by a horticulture researcher at Harvard. I’m not allowed to touch his garden. Everything’s an experiment.”
“How long have you lived there?”
“Three years.”
“I was envying your sofa earlier. Reminded me I should order one myself.”
“So your loft does looks like a college student’s?”
“It’s…minimalist.”
She smiled at that.
“I don’t even know what’s kept me from getting it decorated. I could order furniture online, so it’s not like I’d have to spend time going from store to store. I just haven’t done it. Chance gets after me, too.”
She hesitated a long time before she said, “I take it you don’t entertain much.” How personal was she allowed to get?
“I never entertain. I should be reciprocating invitations. My mother drilled that particular etiquette into my head. Until I furnish the place, I can’t.”
“What’s your style?”
“It would still be minimalist, but also comfortable. I have art—paintings and other pieces that I’ve collected or been given. They’re piled in a corner. I suppose it makes sense to decorate around them.” He pulled up in front of her house. “Do you see parking anywhere?”
“You don’t need to bother.” She gathered her coat around her and opened the door. “I’ll be fine.”
He looked at her directly. “You’ve met my mother.”
She laughed. “Well, she’s not here to see your breach of etiquette. Really, Ted, you could end up driving around for fifteen minutes. I don’t need to be walked to the door.” This wasn’t a real date, anyway, she reminded herself.
“Thank you for going with me tonight. You saved my hide.” He reached over and pressed her shoulder, his fingertips grazing her neck.
Her breath caught. The air around her crackled. Neither of them moved. She wanted to kiss him, saw his gaze drop to her mouth and linger, his fingers twitching at the same time, then digging in a little. Move , she ordered herself. Get out. Don’t look back .
She didn’t budge. “So. I’ll see you bright and early tomorrow,” she said.
He pulled away his hand slowly, cold replacing the heat fast—too fast. She shivered.
“Until tomorrow, then,” he said, smiling.
She climbed out of the car, leaning back in for just a moment. “Good night.”
“I’ll wait until you’re inside.”
She nodded, was aware of his gaze on her as she crossed between two parked cars, walked up the sidewalk, then climbed the front stairs. Should she turn around and wave? Of course. He was being a gentleman. She waved, although she couldn’t see if he waved back.
When she got inside she leaned against the door, her legs wobbly. What had just happened? Was she caught up in Penny and Brant’s story of love at first touch? She wanted the same fairy tale. The same happy ending. She’d wanted that for a long time.
But with Ted? A man who turned her on just looking at him? A man she worked with? A doctor?
She climbed the stairs, went into her dark, quiet apartment, then didn’t bother turning on the lights, moonlight casting just enough illumination. She slipped off her shoes, hung up her coat and sat on her sofa, curling her legs under her. Her body felt alive. Needy. Aroused.
How could she work with someone whose smallest touch left her breathless?
Her phone rang. She picked it up from the coffee table, her hello sounding shaky, even to herself.
“It’s Ted.”
She gripped the receiver with both hands. Her heart began to pound,
Rebecca Hamilton, Conner Kressley