Tender Kisses by Sheryl Lister Read Free Book Online Page B

couldn’t stop thinking about Siobhan and their date last night. After following her home, he’d had a hard time not jumping out of his car and seeing if he could persuade her to let him come inside for a while. But he knew if he had, they would have ended up in her bed, and that was the last thing either of them needed. If he didn’t get back on track, the alert system wouldn’t be ready to present to Mr. Gray. And he refused to blow an opportunity he’d been waiting for.
    Less than an hour later, his doorbell rang, interrupting his flow. Justin groaned. “What now?” he muttered and stomped to the front door. He snatched it open.
    â€œSurprise!”
    Yvonne and Jocelyn stood on the porch with wide grins. His frown immediately disappeared, and a smile took its place. “What are you two doing here?” he asked, opening the door wider and engulfing them in a big hug. “Come on in.” They followed him to the family room, and he sat in his favorite recliner.
    Yvonne kicked off her shoes and dropped down on the sofa. “I took the day off. Joce and I had lunch and she told me about your new girlfriend, so...” She let the sentence hang, as if that were explanation enough.
    Justin threw a look at Jocelyn, who entered the room from the kitchen, carrying a glass of water. “I thought I told you it wasn’t like that.”
    Jocelyn sat next to her sister on the sofa and shrugged. “Well, you are known for lying about your relationships. So who is she, and what does she look like? You have any pictures?”
    â€œOoh, yeah. What does she do? She does have a job, right?” Yvonne asked with a raised eyebrow.
    He groaned. “You two do realize that you’re not nine and thirteen anymore. And what makes you think I’d tell you anything about my relationships after all the trouble you caused me?”
    â€œI forgot all about that,” Yvonne said with a laugh. “It was pretty comical watching you try to explain to three girls that you didn’t invite them over.”
    Jocelyn joined in the laughter. “The look on your face was priceless.” She tried to do an imitation of the shocked expression Justin knew he must have had when he had walked into their parents’ living room and seen the three girls there, but failed because she was laughing too hard.
    Justin scowled at his sisters as they continued to laugh. “If you came over here just to laugh at me all over again, you both can leave.”
    â€œI’m sorry,” Jocelyn said, trying to catch her breath. “Seriously though, we wouldn’t do something like that now. We just want to know if she makes you happy.”
    Yvonne nodded.
    He divided his gaze between them. “I don’t know if she makes me happy or not. We just met and have only gone out twice to a little coffee shop.”
    Yvonne’s eyes lit up. “So you do have a new girlfriend.”
    â€œNo, I do not. It’s completely laid-back. She’s really busy with her job, and I’m trying to get my alert system ready to present to a home-safety company. That doesn’t leave either of us much time for a long-term relationship. I have plenty of time to settle down.”
    She waved him off. “Oh, please. It’s called balance, Justin. Chris and I have been dating for six months, and we’re both busy with our jobs, too. But we make time for each other. It doesn’t have to be one or the other.”
    Justin’s scowl deepened. “Chris? Who the hell is Chris? And why haven’t I met him, Yvonne Marie Cartwright?”
    Yvonne shared a look with Jocelyn, and they both rolled their eyes. “Here we go again,” Yvonne said. “As you pointed out, Justin Antonio Cartwright , we are not nine and thirteen anymore. We are grown women and have active dating lives.”
    â€œYou should try it,” Jocelyn added with a smirk. “It might improve your