“Just wondering out loud what the scientist could possibly see in the maintenance man?” It made her indignant all over again just thinking about it. “As if it’s so hard to believe I could be attracted to your mind and your personality and…”
She never even realized what he was about to do until she found herself suddenly in his arms. “You were really starting to worry me,” he said, and covered her mouth with his.
Surprise kept her immobile for a few moments. She wasn’t sure what, exactly, she had said to initiate this—but she wasn’t exactly complaining, either, she decided as her hands rose to his shoulders.
When he spoke again, it was against her lips, as if he were reluctant to break the contact between them even long enough to say, “I thought you were about to tell me you didn’t want to see me again.”
As he pressed his mouth against hers again, she thought dazedly that she actually had been trying to say something like that. Not that she didn’t want to see him again, but that she wasn’t sure it was a good idea to let this go any further.
There were probably half a dozen reasons why they shouldn’t get involved. As for what they did have in their favor—well, she wasn’t sure intense physical attraction was enough to sustain a relationship for very long, but it was certainly a heady experience for now.
His hands slid down her back, and she shivered. So maybe the two dates they’d had so far hadn’t been unqualified successes. Maybe next time would be better.
Next time. As Mike slowly raised his head to give them both a chance to breathe, she realized that sometime during that kiss she had decided there would be a next time.
These things really shouldn’t be determined on a physical basis, she chided herself. But with his arms still around her, his breath still warm on her face, his reactions to the embrace as obvious to her as her own, she thought maybe it was a good enough reason for now.
Mike settled his hands at her hips and pulled her a little more snugly against him—just in case she hadn’t been aware of his condition, perhaps. “I could stay awhile longer,” he suggested, seemingly trying to be tactful, though hardly subtle.
She was tempted. Very tempted. And she made no effort to hide it from him, any more than he was trying to conceal his desire for her. He gave her time to consider her response without pressure from him. After several long moments, she let out a slow, deep breath and said, not without regret, “I think you’d better go.”
His expression resigned, he lifted a hand to run a fingertip down her jawline. “Too soon, huh?”
She swallowed and wondered if she would ever get used to the feel of his touch against her skin. “I think so.”
Things were already getting complicated between them. She didn’t think it would be at all wise to add new layers of complexity just yet. Maybe if she had been the type to enjoy a night of pleasure without letting her emotions get too deeply involved—but she wasn’t. Her mind, body and heart were all intricately connected, and she wasn’t ready to commit any one of those sides of herself to Mike after only two tentative dates.
Maybe he already knew her well enough to understand her thinking—or maybe he simply took her at her word without trying to understand her logic. After giving himself just another moment to hold her, he dropped his arms and stepped slowly backward. “I won’t say I’m not disappointed, but I understand. So about that dinner and movie Saturday night…”
She started to accept, and then she remembered, “Oh, wait. I can’t Saturday. My friend Karen is having a dinner party that evening.”
“Oh. Well, maybe we can…”
“You could go with me to Karen’s party,” she blurted without giving herself time to think about it.
He hesitated. “Your friend wouldn’t mind if you brought me along?”
“No. She told me I could bring a guest.” Actually, Karen had strongly hinted that Catherine should bring Bill James, but that wasn’t exactly relevant at the moment. “I’ve met some of your friends. Maybe you would like to meet some of mine.”
“Yeah. Okay.” She wouldn’t exactly call his tone
wildly enthusiastic, but he seemed agreeable enough to the plan. “What time?”
“She lives in Benton, so we should leave by six-fifteen at the latest. That should allow us time to avoid the worst of rush hour traffic. I’ll drive this time since I know how to get there.”
He nodded, letting her set the agenda without comment. “Okay. Um, is this a casual thing?”
She smiled then. “Well, you could wear your cape and pointed teeth, but you might look a little out of place. It’s casual,” she added when he gave her a look. “Definitely no jackets or ties.”
Mike nodded again. “Okay.”
“Then it’s a date.”
“It’s a date.” He brushed his mouth across hers one more time, then turned for the door and let himself out.
Catherine locked the door behind him, then wandered into her bedroom. She looked for a moment at the empty bed, aware of a wistfulness somewhere deep inside her—and then she turned firmly away. The image she saw in the full-length mirror startled her for a moment, even though she had been seeing herself like this all evening.
It was definitely time for her to scrub off her makeup and get out of this costume, she told herself. She wasn’t thinking at all like herself tonight.