Page 13 of Come Home to Me

The longer we talk, the deeper I go.

The deeper I go, the more I never want it to stop.

I’ll just stare at him and fall, fall, fall, for the rest of forever.

“Did you ever contact McDougan & Kent about that admin position?” Frank breaks into my train of thought as he takes the final sip of his drink. The bartender offers him another and he declines.

I sling my hair over my shoulder and slide my glass her way. I’m always up for one more drink. “Honestly?” I say to Frank. “I chickened out. It feels too much like a real job, you know? I just need something to tide me over while I’m here, not an actual career or anything.”

Frank looks crestfallen. “Well, shit. Here I was, getting my hopes up that I’d have an excuse to see you every day.”

I grin because I can’t help it. “Do we really have to work at the same place for that to be the case?”

“I guess not, though, being serious for a second, I’d like to point out that a paycheck from McDougan & Kent is nothing to sniff at. So, you know, time with me every day. Benefits. A cushy job with a decent paycheck. If you’re gonna get stranded in a strange city and have to find work, it really couldn’t get much better than the one I’m offering, can it?”

“Since we’re being serious, aren’t you worried that me taking the position, knowing I’ll only be there for a short time, will reflect badly on you?”

“Why? Because I talked about a job opening to a woman I met when she crashed her car in front of me?” Frank shrugs. “Nothing to worry about there.”

I promise to think about it and the conversation moves on. When I finish off my second Jack and Coke, Frank sneaks a peek at his watch. “Wow,” I say. “And here I thought we were having a wonderful time…”

He laughs. “Believe me, I am not at all ready for tonight to end. You are so much more than I bargained for. I just have that meeting in the morning and I’m already out way past my bedtime.”

I glance at my phone. “Wow! It’s twelve thirty? When did that happen?”

“That it is. And I think it must have happened somewhere between the awesome company and the fascinating conversation.”

I grin and slide off the stool. “Well, let’s get you home before your coach turns into a pumpkin, Cinderella.” I genuinely feel bad about keeping him out so late, especially knowing he has an important meeting in the morning, but the evening truly flew by.

Frank pays the bill and leads me out of the bar, his hand strong and warm on my lower back. I pause as the door swings shut behind us, a silky breeze moving through my hair. He pushes a strand out of my face and then traces a finger down my arm, his touch leaving a trail of sparks to detonate in its wake.

I tilt my head, my gaze glued to his mouth.

Frank leans in.

I close my eyes and breathe him in.

All he needs to do is kiss me. Run his hands up my body and into my hair. We’ll share a cab back to his place and I’ll show him what it means to live by my own rules.

I lean in to him, press my hips against his, the heat from his body searing my own.

I grip his arms.

And then with the strength of a thousand saints and martyrs, I pull away. “I’ve already kept you out too late,” I say, unable to drag my eyes from his mouth.

Frank swallows hard and then nods. “Good night, Sarah.” His voice is thick and gruff. It rasps through his throat as his eyes hunt mine, heavy with desire. He drags a thumb across my lips and every nerve in my body screams in pleasure. “Let’s do this again sometime.”

And with that, he hails a cab, opens the door, and helps me inside. I give the driver the name of my hotel and spin in my seat to watch Frank watch me drive away, his hands shoved in his pockets, his eyes locked on mine.

I wasn’t going to apply for the job at his firm, but that almost-kiss changed my mind. If we have that much chemistry flickering through the air between us, I’d be a fool to walk away from a chance to spend as much time with him as I can. If Frank isn’t worried about me and my temporary status affecting his job, then I won’t worry either.

I mean, really. What’s the worst that can happen?

---