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right back into the ring.
    The second the waiter walked away, she raised her chin,
twisted the napkin in her lap and plunged into the difficult conversation
ahead. “Lukas, it’s okay. Please don’t feel obligated.”
    His attention snapped to hers, his dark eyes narrowed. “What?”
    She put on a bright, cheerful smile. “It’s totally fine, I
get it. Let’s forget this whole thing ever happened. I promise I’ll never speak
of this again.”
    “What are you talking about?” His brows drew into a vee in
the center of his forehead.
    Hand fluttering to her neck, she toyed with the delicate
silver chain at her throat. Geez, couldn’t he just take the out she was
offering? She cleared her throat. “I totally appreciate your willingness to
help me out. It’s really great of you. But I understand you’re not attracted
enough to me to…um…consummate our friendship.”
    This had to be one of the top five most embarrassing moments
of her life. If only the housing market hadn’t crashed and she could move. Now
she’d be stuck with him as a neighbor for god knew how long. She took a deep
breath. She’d get through this. When she recovered from her mortification and
bruised ego in about a hundred years, she’d try again.
    “Not want you?” His lips firmed into a hard line. “How in
the hell could you think I don’t want you?”
    “Well…um…you’ve been kind of sullen since you kissed me.”
    His face smoothed over. “Ah, I see.”
    “Yes, well, I’m letting you off the hook.” She tried for a
smile but feared it failed miserably.
    He moved to the center of the booth and crooked a finger. “Come over here.”
    “What?” She stared at him, totally confused.
    “Come here. Now.” His voice was a hard I-mean-business
command.
    She blinked as butterflies took flight in her stomach. What
was it about that tone that got to her? She’d figure it out later. Right now
she had to get through this torture. “Don’t worry about me, I’m fine. I’ll
survive, I promise.”
    One dark brow rose. “Are you going to make me come get you? Because, I warn you, in my current state it’s not a good idea.”
    She searched his expression for any clue to his thoughts. All she saw was hard-eyed determination. She bit her bottom lip—okay, he
probably wanted to comfort her—she’d let him and get it over with. He obviously
had a hero complex.
    Carefully, she scooted next to him. His strong thigh,
pressed against her bare leg, the fabric of his black dress pants rubbing
against her oversensitive skin.
    Arm sliding along the back of the booth, he leaned in close
enough for Abby to smell his aftershave. A mixture of man and spices that would
have been intoxicating if it weren’t for the circumstances. Warm breath fell
over the shell of her ear and she shivered. A pang of loss made her chest hurt. She closed her eyes, hoping to push it away. Maybe someday she’d find another
guy who made her melt. Maybe someday—
    “That was about the hottest kiss I’ve ever had.”
    Her lids snapped open. What did he say? She had to have
heard wrong.
    “Despite what you think,” he continued in a low rumble
filled with unmistakable heat, “I don’t normally have a hard time not fucking
my dates before I’ve even taken them to dinner.”
    A hot flush fanned out over her chest and up her neck to
splash over her cheeks.
    “But damn if I didn’t have a hell of a time resisting you.” He picked up a lock of her hair, letting the strands fall between his fingers,
creating a rush of tingles down her back.
    She stared at the white tablecloth, unsure of what to do.
    “Look at me, Abby.” His voice a soft whisper over her skin.
    She complied because she felt powerless not to.
    He pressed his forehead into hers. “I’m sorry about the car. I didn’t stop to think of how you’d perceive it. The truth is I spent the ride
trying to muster all my self-control so I didn’t jump you between the house and
the restaurant.”
    She