Page 81 of A Kiss at Midnight

“I’m sorry about that. Maybe a bar isn’t the best place to go hunting for a nice girl.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right about that,” he says with a chuckle. “But, on the other hand, I found you, and you’re certainly nice.” This makes me laugh.

“I’m ready to go home,” I tell him.

Frank stands and holds out a hand. “Let me walk you out.”

I give him my hand and stand, allowing him to escort me back to the table where my co-workers — other than poor Jenna — are feeling a buzz from all of the alcohol they’ve been consuming. It barely registers when I tell them I’m calling a cab and heading home.

“Good friends?” Frank asks.

I laugh. “Co-workers.”

The valet calls a cab and Frank waits with me in the chilly evening air. When the cab arrives, I turn to thank him, and he pulls me in for a hug. “Thank you for a wonderful evening. I hope to run into you again,” he says, and I can see he’s hoping to get my number.

“I don’t think that will happen, but it was nice talking with you tonight.”

“I can always hope,” he says as he holds open the cab door. I don’t bother replying this time. This is my last ladies’ night out. I tried and it failed.

The cab ride doesn’t take long. When I pull up to the house, the lights are off in the living room, and my hopes of a movie and popcorn are dashed. It isn’t all that late in the evening, but a lot has happened these past two weeks for Justin: a new school, a new home, and moving in with a man he doesn’t know, although he’s quickly come to like and respect Blake.

My brother’s a real trouper to have such a positive attitude after so many changes were thrown at him. I pay the cab driver, make my way up the path to the front door, and fumble in my purse for what has to be a full minute before I find my keys and let myself inside.

All of a sudden, loneliness like I haven’t experienced recently weighs me down, and I fight the urge to run to Blake’s room and demand he give me some TLC. But this will only ease the loneliness for a short time. I need a long-term solution.

If I wasn’t so afraid of rocking the boat, I might open up and tell him how I feel. But what if he’s somehow disgusted and gets rid of me? Justin’s life will once again be thrown into upheaval. No. It’s better to go with the flow, even if I’m constantly fighting the current.

I set down my purse, and smile when I hear a squeak. The kitten we got the day after Justin came home is winding its tiny orange body around my feet.

“At least someone missed me,” I whisper. I lift up the little girl and nuzzle her soft fur, delighting in the purrs she releases amid her high-pitched mews of satisfaction at being held. When I step into the living room and find Blake sitting back with only a dim lamp lit and an unreadable expression on his face, I stop.

“Why are you sitting in the dark?” I ask.

When Blake’s home, he’s almost always working, either in his office or in his favorite chair in the living room, and one thing I know about him is that he likes a lot of lights on. I’m always turning them off in the rooms he exits. I move closer and see a bottle of bourbon on the table beside him, and an empty crystal glass next to it. This doesn’t look good.

As I draw nearer, I notice his muscles are tense, and the look in his eyes isn’t as casual as I first thought. No, his eyes seem cold... or hot... or something in between. I’ve seen this look before, and I don’t like it.

“Is everything okay, Blake? Is Justin okay?” I ask, getting ready to bolt up the stairs to assure myself that Justin’s still here, and he’s fine.

“Justin went to sleep an hour ago. It’s been a busy week for him,” Blake says, and my heartbeat slows the tiniest bit until he stands and moves toward me.

I don’t know why, but I take a step backward. There’s something dangerous in his eyes, and every muscle in my body is screaming at me to run. This is foolish, but at the same time, my instincts are often right. Is he going to box me in? Up against the wall? Damn! This excites me.

“Put down the kitten, Jewel,” he tells me as he draws closer.

I’ve almost forgotten about the kitten. “Oh,” I say as I free the little fur ball and watch as she runs off, probably to destroy something.

“You’re worrying me, Blake. What’s the matter?” I take another involuntary step backward.

“I gave you time to adjust, waited for you to tell me you’re ready, moved us in together, reunited you and your brother, andstillI’ve waited, but I haven’t gotten the green light from you,” he says. “Not once.”

I step back again. “What in the world are you talking about, Blake?”

“It’s been over a month since the last time we were together —over a month, Jewel. And then tonight you go out with another man,” he says, his muscles flexing, his eyes sparking.

“What? I didn’t go out with a man,” I heatedly tell him.

“Max was at the bar,” he tells me.

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