That First Special Kiss

“I figured you’d already left,” Kelly explained with a slight shrug that drew Shane’s attention again to the soft expanse of shoulder revealed by her frivolous little dress.

He cleared his throat. “When’s the last time you had your car checked out? What if something like this had happened on a deserted road?”

“Don’t fuss at her now, Shane. You sound like an annoying older brother,” Brynn chided him. “You haven’t even told her how pretty she looks tonight.”

“Oh. Yeah, you look great,” he said lamely, motioning awkwardly toward Kelly’s dress.

Brynn rolled her eyes. “Try to control your flattery, you’ll embarrass her. Trust me, Kelly, any guy here who isn’t family is going to think you look drop-dead gorgeous.”

Shane scowled. He thought Kelly looked drop-dead gorgeous. She just wouldn’t allow him to say so. And he didn’t like the thought of any other guy thinking of her that way. He and Kelly weren’t family, damn it. If only he could convince her to let him remind others of that significant fact

“Speaking of guys,” Brynn continued with an arch smile, “there’s someone here I want you to meet, Kelly. His name is Steve Carter and he’s a single surgeon who just moved to Dallas. He doesn’t know many people here yet. He works at the hospital with Joe and he’s here tonight with the hospital administrator and his wife. Steve is probably eight or nine years older than you, but he’s really nice. I think you’ll like him.”

“Brynn,” Kelly interrupted, just as Shane was prepared to do so. “I’m really not in the mood for a fix-up right now. I just got here, for Pete’s sake. Let me take at least a few minutes to have some refreshments and greet my friends.”

“I’ll take you over to the gang,” Shane volunteered. “Cameron will probably want to introduce you to his date.”

She made a face.

“Do I want to meet her?”

He shrugged. “From what I’ve heard, she’s okay. A bit predatory, but she is a television reporter.”

“I just can’t help thinking about poor Amber.”

Shane hoped she wasn’t starting to compare their budding relationship with the disaster between Cameron and Amber again. “Come say hi to everyone,” he said. “They’ve all been asking about you.”

“Oh, look, Joe, there are the Lamberts. We should go speak to them,” Brynn said, touching her husband’s arm. “Kelly, we’ll see you later. Let us know if you need a ride home.”

“I have to pass her apartment on my way home,” Shane said casually. “I’ll drop her off.”

Neither Brynn nor Joe seemed to find anything remarkable about his offer. And why should they? he asked himself. He was getting as paranoid as Kelly.

He placed a hand on her arm to guide her through the crush of people mingling at the charity dance. He didn’t know that many people in attendance, outside his own cozy circle of friends, so they weren’t interrupted as they made their way slowly across the room.

“Why didn’t you call me when your car died?” he asked. “You know my cell phone number.”

“I decided it would be quicker to just call a cab—even though it was a bit expensive,” she added ruefully.

“I would have come after you. No one would have found it unusual if you called me for help.”

“By the time you picked me up and drove back here, the dance would have been half over. Stop fussing, Shane, I took care of it.”

“I was worried,” he said simply.

“I didn’t mean to worry you.”

“I know.” They were only ten feet away from their friends when he lowered his voice and said, “By the way, you look stunning. You’re the most beautiful woman in the room.”

He heard her choke just as the others noticed them.

“Kelly, there you are!” Heather hurried toward them. “I was beginning to think you weren’t coming. You look great! Love the dress.”

“Thank y—”

“Can you believe Scott brought Paula to this dance? I swear he only did it to annoy me, since she obviously hates this sort of thing. He...”

Still talking, Heather drew Kelly away from Shane’s side. Mentally repeating his promise to her, he let her go, but he was unable to stop looking at her. It really was a great dress. But Kelly didn’t need glamour and glitter to turn him on; he found her every bit as appealing in jeans and T-shirts.