Stolen Kisses by Sally Falcon Read Free Book Online Page A

been a suitable apology for our earlier mishaps. Now I must return to the office.” Jessie had her hands primly folded over her discarded napkin, which she had neatly creased back into its original shape.
    He wondered if she knew she started talking like Queen Victoria when she was upset. Did she stay that prim and proper when she was making love? A truly interesting concept, he decided, rising to his feet to follow her out of the restaurant and out onto the sidewalk.
    “You don’t have to walk me back to the office. It’s only a few blocks from here.” Jessie looked as if she was prepared to run the entire way if necessary.
    “Nonsense, Jessie.” He cupped her elbow with the proper degree of pressure, not too impersonal but enough to keep her at his side as he guided her down the busy thoroughfare. “I would be drummed out of the Southern gentlemen’s club if I didn’t escort a lady to her door. This may be the age of the independent woman, but that doesn’t mean courtesy has to be thrown out the window. Don’t you agree?”
    He couldn’t clearly interpret the message from her grinding teeth, but he was sure if she managed a verbal answer it would be negative. Unfortunately, for her, the same good manners he used in his defense were working against her. She had to let him walk her back to her office, but apparently she didn’t have to talk to him. That didn’t bother Trevor. He kept up a steady commentary about the current weather, forecasting the next rainfall.
    “Thank you again, Trevor.” She ground out the words from behind a plastic smile, her right foot poised on the first step into the building.
    Trevor slid his hand down from her elbow to capture her hand. She was caught, unless she wanted to play an undignified tug-of-war in front of the other pedestrians returning from lunch. He placed his index finger against her lips before she had a chance to speak.
    “I think it’s only fair to tell you that I usually get what I want, Jessie. I also love a challenge.” He accentuated his meaning by gently tugging on her hand. That was all it took to tumble her into his arms.
    Her lips tasted sweeter than he remembered, but he didn’t allow himself to linger. If he did, he’d have her down on the pavement in a matter of minutes. He wanted to entice Jessie, not get her arrested for indecent exposure.
    Placing his hands on her shoulders, he turned her around and gave her a mild nudge up the steps toward the door of the building. He knew he had to make a clean getaway before his delightful Jessie could retaliate. He’d started the day planning to apologize for one kiss, now he had stolen his second. But this time he wasn’t a damn bit sorry. Not after he’d seen the slumberous look in Jessie’s beautiful eyes before he’d turned away.
    All he had to do now was figure out his next step.
     
    Jessie stared moodily at the silk-screened print of San Francisco row houses behind her desk. Usually, dreaming about owning and decorating her own Victorian house soothed her, but not today. The image of Trevor’s smiling face just before he left her an hour ago kept superimposing itself over the buildings.
    Life just wasn’t fair, she decided. Why did all the good-looking rogues have to be irresponsible and capricious? Was it genetic?
    Muted chimes announced that someone had walked through the front door, and she swung her chair around to face her desk.
    “Mmm, it doesn’t look like lunch went very well.”
    Jessie returned her partner’s frown with one of her own. “It depends on your point of view.”
    “Ohh, judging from your scowl, Trevor must have had a fantastic time,” Gina exclaimed, breaking into a smile. Then she seemed to remember that she was supposed to be sympathetic to her friend’s plight. “Want to tell me all about it? Cry on Gina’s shoulder?”
    “I liked your natural reaction better. You need to work on the compassionate care-giver persona for another year or so to be convincing.”