Part 9 (2/2)
Willing her racing heart to still, she called for Tara to come finish supervising the kids' bedtime snack, then approached the door. Unlocking it, she stepped out into the summer evening, wondering if the warmth she felt was simply because her body was adjusting to leaving the air-conditioned room. Or because, as always, she just found Sean Murphy so incredibly hot. hot.
”Hi.”
”Sorry. I didn't mean to intrude. You weren't answering your cell phone and I got a little worried.”
He was worried about her. When her family acted that way, it infuriated her. But Sean? Well, Annie couldn't prevent a pleased s.h.i.+ver at the realization that he'd been thinking so much about her. As she had him.
”I was running late this morning and I forgot my phone. It's still on the charger at my place.”
”Ahh.” He looked past her, into the room, where the kids were cleaning up their snack tables, licking tiny crumbs off the tips of their fingers. They'd already exhausted their curiosity about the stranger at the door, who they obviously figured was not not a bad guy since Miss Annie was standing outside talking to him. Graham cracker crumbs were much more interesting. a bad guy since Miss Annie was standing outside talking to him. Graham cracker crumbs were much more interesting.
”I'd better go. I didn't mean to intrude.”
”Why were you trying to reach me?”
”I thought maybe we should work on our story before we got to your parents' place tomorrow.”
”Our story?”
”You know...how we-you and Blake Blake-met. That type of thing. We never really covered that last night.”
Annie felt the blood rush out of her face, and she leaned back against the door. How they met. How they met. G.o.d, she did G.o.d, she did not not want to think about how she'd met Blake. Especially want to think about how she'd met Blake. Especially here, here, where her guilt and humiliation were at their highest level. where her guilt and humiliation were at their highest level.
”I'm sure we can work it out on the drive tomorrow,” she muttered, already regretting having to wait until then to spend more time with him.
Hearing a shout behind them, Annie spun around and peered through the window. Dylan McFee had just tackled Jessie Sims, trying to steal a toy he wanted. Tara leapt into the fray, as did Ellen, the other worker who'd volunteered for tonight's s.h.i.+ft.
”I should go, you're busy.”
”Yeah,” she whispered. Then, looking back at him and seeing the amus.e.m.e.nt dancing in those s.e.xy eyes, she found herself saying, ”There's a restaurant up the street. Maybe you could go have a drink or something and wait for me to finish up? Then we can...talk?”
Holding her breath, she couldn't help smiling in pure relief when he nodded his agreement. ”What time?”
”Pick-up is no later than nine. Someone will be late and apologetic. But I should be able to get out of here by nine-thirty, nine-forty-five at the latest.”
”Perfect. I'll see you then.” He cast one more glance at the melee going on inside, wearing a childless-single man grimace so pained it made her chuckle. Then he strode down the block, his thick, black, unbound hair flowing loosely over his shoulders. Lord, why was the sight of one man's hair enough to send all the strength from her legs and set all her feminine parts tingling?
She shook off the reaction, needing to get through the rest of the work night.
Once back inside, she immediately saw the excitement on Tara's face. It was echoed by the curiosity on Ellen's. But they were all too busy getting the children ready for their parents' arrival to talk about it. By the time the last ones did did arrive, at nine-twenty-eight, Annie had already sent Ellen home and was just waiting for an explosion of questions from Tara. arrive, at nine-twenty-eight, Annie had already sent Ellen home and was just waiting for an explosion of questions from Tara.
She got it as soon as the door swung shut behind the last child and his stammering, apologetic parents.
”That was him, right? d.a.m.n, I didn't get a good look.”
Rus.h.i.+ng around to pick up the few remaining toys scattered in the room, Annie nodded. ”It was him.”
”What did he want?” Looking fierce, her friend snapped, ”He'd better not be bailing out on you, not the night before you're supposed to go away together!”
Fierce, fiery and flamboyant. That described Tara.
”No, he's not. He just wants to get together and make sure we have our stories straight.”
”Smart move.” Tara grinned. ”You might want to do do him, too, just to make sure you're totally comfortable with each other. Or at least kiss him, because, you know, if he's a sucky kisser, you don't want to be surprised into gagging or something.” him, too, just to make sure you're totally comfortable with each other. Or at least kiss him, because, you know, if he's a sucky kisser, you don't want to be surprised into gagging or something.”
She hadn't told Tara about her two dates with Sean. Though she usually told her friend everything, this whole thing was just too new-too private-to be girl-talked about.
”Doing him is out of the question,” she said. him is out of the question,” she said. At least until Sunday At least until Sunday. ”And he's definitely not not a sucky kisser.” a sucky kisser.”
It was only when she heard a smothered male cough behind her that she realized they were no longer alone. Casting Tara a glare that promised extreme retribution, she slowly turned around and saw Sean standing inside the door. He'd probably heard every word she'd said.
Unfortunately, the tables in Baby Daze were much smaller than the ones at the hotel had been. So there was no ducking beneath one of them to escape the humiliation of the moment.
”Door was unlocked,” Sean explained, his eyes twinkling. Yeah, he'd definitely overheard.
”That's fine, we were just finis.h.i.+ng up,” Tara said as she strode toward him, extending her hand. ”I'm Tara. I was at the auction, too. So I know who you are, meaning, uh, if you try any nasty stuff, I'll turn the cops on you like a hunter loosing his dogs.”
”Go away, Tara,” Annie mumbled, not even sparing her friend a glance.
”Well, then, now that you've been warned, it was nice to meet you.” Tara gave Sean a big smile, as if she hadn't just threatened him with bodily harm. Before she left, however, she turned back to Annie. ”You're right. The earring is way s.e.xy.” Then she walked out the door.
Annie followed her out, avoiding the moment when she'd have to face Sean and see the laughter on his face. Locking the door, she flipped off the main lights, which killed the sign outside, as well as the overhead fluorescents in the building. Finally, when she had no more reason to delay, she turned around to face the music.
The large playroom in which they stood was plunged nearly into darkness, remaining dimly lit by the spillover from her office and the kitchen. No longer bright and welcoming, the room became a shapeless cave of shadows, interrupted here and there by the sunny yellow of the doll house or the colorful plastic b.a.l.l.s piled in the enormous ball pit the kids loved to play in.
”So I'm not a sucky kisser, eh?” He'd moved close-close enough that she could feel his warmth, though she hadn't spotted him as her eyes adjusted to the change in lighting. ”I'm relieved to know I don't make you gag.”
Dropping her head, Annie sighed and closed her eyes.
He touched her chin, brus.h.i.+ng his fingertips across her skin as if savoring its softness, then tugged her head up and murmured, ”But why, may I ask, is 'doing me' out of the question?”
”You weren't supposed to hear that.”
”The question remains.”
”Third date, remember? We're practically strangers.”
That was true, but she had to be honest with herself. She already felt sure she knew his character very well...and she wanted him with a desperation that made her burn down to her core.
”I'm holding you to the third date promise,” he said. ”And I'm here to remedy the strangers issue. Even you won't be able to argue that for much longer...”
Argue? Was she arguing? No, she was just putting up a few minor defenses, knowing that if she didn't, she'd be throwing her arms around his shoulders, begging him to get to know her in the most elemental way possible.
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