Page 35 of A Little Harmless Pleasure

“Chris. I was just—”

“Telling me what a wonderful place this is to work,” Cynthia said as she popped out of her chair and walked around the opposite side of the desk. She smiled up at him and winked. Chris tried not to laugh, but it was too funny.

“I think you had a long enough break, Dennis.”

Dennis nodded and walked out the door.

“It was nice to meet you, Dennis,” Cynthia called after his retreating form. “That wasn’t very nice of you,” she chided Chris.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her closer, sliding his arm around her waist. “It was that or let you tear him a new one.”

She gasped and looked up at him. Then she burst out laughing. She slipped her arms up his chest and behind his neck. “It was really hard to put up with his condescending tone.”

“So, he’s not your type?”

She wrinkled her nose. He dropped a kiss on the tip of it.

“I don’t want a boy. What is he—twenty?”

“Twenty-one.”

She sighed. “Well, my tastes are a bit different from little boys with red hair and more hormones than sense.”

“Is that a fact?” He bent down and nipped at her lips.

“Hmm.”

She leaned into his kiss, her mouth opening immediately. When he pulled back, he was happy to see the bemused look in her eyes. She licked her lips, and he groaned.

When she spoke, her Southern accent deepened. “I have to say, you are definitely catering to my tastes.”

Hunger rose and every drop of moisture in his mouth evaporated. From the moment she’d stepped into his kitchen, he’d barely held onto his control by concentrating on the tasks at hand. Now that the time had finally arrived, one he’d dreamed of since she’d left that morning in Georgia, he couldn’t be gracious. It was beyond him.

“I heard you had something to eat. Are you ready to leave?”

“Here’s your hat, what’s your hurry?” He opened his mouth, and she laughed. “I’m teasing. It has been a long day. It started early. My flight left about ten-thirty eastern time.”

“What hotel are you staying at?”

“I’m not. That is what I wanted to talk about. I’m staying at my grandmother’s old house.”

“Why didn’t you—?”

“I didn’t tell you because I wasn’t sure I’d have the nerve to stop by. Also, you’ve been so busy. I didn’t want you to feel obligated.”

“Well, it isn’t an obligation, it’s a need. Your grandmother lived in the North Shore area, right?”

She nodded.

“I’m closer. I live over in Hawaii Kai. Did you drive?”

“Yes, I rented a car until I can buy one. I’ll follow you.”

As he led her through the restaurant, Chris noticed Evan was now talking to Lee, and Maylea was sitting in her spot. The dinner crowd was dwindling, only a few hangers-on left at the bar. He stopped to talk to May. She didn’t look like she was feeling well. Her shoulders were slumped, the circles under her eyes were pretty dark and she was frowning. She’d been in a wreck two days earlier, and she needed her rest. He knew she used work to escape her overbearing family.

“Why don’t you go home, sista?”

She smiled, albeit weakly. “I will as soon as we lock up. I’m leaving all the cleaning up to everyone else.” Turning her attention to Cynthia, she said, “It was really nice meeting you, Cynthia.”

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