Page 67 of Tuxedos and Tinsel

“Good to know,” he said, nodding.

So much for an answer. On the other hand, did she really need one? The warning was clear. There was a warning hidden in his question—don’t get too attached or think long-term.

Fine. Then she would take what she could for as long as she could get it.

They moved on to other topics. Thanks to Noel’s arrival, they never finished their Christmas shopping and now Susan had to buy a baby gift in addition to the other items on her list.

“Why don’t we go tomorrow?” Lewis said, for the driver’s benefit, Susan suspected. “I know a great restaurant in Soho. We can grab brunch and then hit Regent Street again. What do you think?”

“Sure.” She noticed he was pulling out his wallet to pay. Did that mean he intended to stay? Her heart skipped a beat.

“So, what’s the plan?” she asked once they’d stepped outside. The car’s taillights disappeared into the traffic.

“Tonight? We grab some takeout, watch a movie and I sleep on your sofa.”

A right proper sleepover. All aboveboard and completely phony. But she was tired of phony. She was a woman, dammit. She wanted to be held and kissed like a woman.

The moonless night left his face bathed in shadows, making it impossible to read his expression. His eyes appeared dark and hooded. The warmth from his body floated around her, enveloping her with his scent. One she couldn’t label and that was uniquely him.

Take what you can, a voice whispered in her ear.

“You…you don’t have to sleep on the sofa.”

Lewis stepped back. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

“Oh.” Rejection cut through her. Hugging her midsection, she struggled to keep the disappointment from her voice.

“It’s not that I wouldn’t want to sleep with you,” he said. “In fact…”

“Don’t,” Susan said. She so didn’t want to have this conversation. “The last thing I need to hear is a lot of phony flattery and excuses. You made it very clear that you weren’t interested in me in that way. It was stupid of me to think you might change your mind.”

Beyond stupid. She wanted to go inside, pull the covers over her head and pretend the last five minutes had never happened.

“Susan…”

“It’s been a really long day, Lewis,” she said, cutting him off again. “Why don’t we say good-night. We can wake up superearly and pretend we spent the night together, okay?”

“Susan…”

“Good night, Lewis. I’m sorry you have to…”

He kissed her.

He closed the distance between them and he kissed her. Like an animal springing on its prey, his mouth covered Susan’s before she could make a sound. Her eyes fluttered shut as she melted into him. Wow, could this man kiss. This wasn’t gentle or sweet like the other kisses though. This kiss was primal. The kind of kiss that claimed a person. Clutching his shoulders, Susan met him need for need until neither of them could breathe. They broke apart, their breaths loud and ragged in the night air.

“Still think I don’t want to sleep with you?” Lewis asked between gasps.

If he didn’t, he was a damn good liar. Her body, from head to toe, believed him. “Then why?” Why did she feel like he was still about to reject her?

Lewis’s hands were tangled in her curls, combing them away from her face over and over. “A woman like you is made for serious relationships,” he said. “The kind a man dates when he’s thinking about things like homes and kids. If I…” He smiled. “If I were the kind of guy who thought of such things, I’d tether you to my side for eternity.”

“But…?” Susan asked. There was definitely a but coming whether she wanted to hear it or not.

Lewis’s hand slid from her hair to cup her cheek momentarily. “But I’m not that kind of guy.”

“I know.” He’d made his views on commitment quite clear in the taxi.

Take what you can, the voice reminded.