Tender Kisses by Sheryl Lister Read Free Book Online Page A

back to work.”
    â€œHave a nice afternoon, Siobhan. I can’t wait to see you.”
    â€œGoodbye, Justin. And, yes, I thought about you,” Siobhan added, so softly that he almost missed it.
    Justin smiled. Maybe he’d get that date after all.
    * * *
    Justin stared at Siobhan over the rim of his glass. His gaze dropped down to her near-empty salad plate and then back up to her face. It had taken a lot of convincing on his part to get her to order more than tea. And, just like last time, she kept the conversation on general topics and deflected any personal questions he asked. But he wanted to know more about her . He took a sip of his Coke then set the glass down. “What do you like to do for fun, Siobhan?”
    Siobhan lowered her eyes to her plate. “I don’t have much time for fun. My job keeps me extremely busy.”
    â€œI get that, but on those rare times that you’re not busy, what do you do—dance, bowl, stand on tabletops and sing...?”
    She burst out laughing, and the warm, throaty sound hit him like a ton of bricks. Her eyes sparkled, and the tense lines around her face relaxed. “Stand on tabletops and sing?”
    Justin shrugged. “Just asking.”
    â€œNo, I do not sing on tabletops.”
    â€œWell, you didn’t say anything, so I was left to my own imagination.”
    She rolled her eyes, but was still smiling. “For your information, I like going to the movies and the beach.”
    â€œWhat kind of movies? Chick flicks?”
    â€œYes, but I’m not opposed to a good action film.”
    â€œWhat was the last movie you saw?”
    Siobhan’s brows knit. “Honestly, I don’t remember. It’s been a while.”
    â€œThen it’s a good thing we met. Sounds like you need to get out more.” He gestured to her now-empty plate. “Do you want anything else? Dessert?”
    â€œNo, thank you. I really should get going. There are a couple of things I need to wrap up tonight, and I have an early morning tomorrow.”
    Justin downed the remainder of his drink and signaled for the waiter. He paid the bill and walked Siobhan to her car. “Is your office open on the weekends?”
    â€œNo. Why?”
    â€œI was hoping we could go to dinner at a restaurant . It’s been a while since I’ve gone to the movies, and I thought we could do that, too.”
    â€œJustin, I—”
    â€œYou just said you’re not working on the weekend, and I enjoy being with you.”
    â€œI’ve enjoyed these times with you, but right now my job is my priority.”
    â€œSiobhan, I don’t plan to interfere with your job because mine is a priority, as well. One dinner and a movie—then we’ll see how it goes from there. What do you say?”
    â€œAll right.”
    He smiled. “And this time I’m picking you up and bringing you home.”
    Justin thought she would argue, but she nodded instead. “Thank you.”
    He pulled out his cell and handed it to her so she could input her address. “I should probably follow you home. It’s getting late.”
    Siobhan lifted an eyebrow. “You’re taking this gentleman thing a little far, aren’t you?”
    â€œNope.” He slanted his mouth over hers, inhaling her reply. His arm slid around her waist and pulled her closer to the fit of his body. Justin could have kept right on kissing her, but didn’t want to press his luck. He stepped back, held the car door open and waited for her to get in. “I’ll be right behind you,” he said, closing the door.
    He slid into his car and gripped the steering wheel. Each kiss he gave Siobhan challenged his resolve to keep their relationship casual.

Chapter 5
    â€œD amn!” That was the second mistake Justin had made today. He’d got a late start due to an overnight power outage, and he had to wait for all his electronic devices to charge. Now he