Page 293 of Under Her Skin

“No. I have a driver. If you want to get a drink with me, you have to do it thisway.”

I find myself a little taken aback. Honestly, I thought he’d jump through hoops to have a drink with me. So I test the waters a bit. “No, I want to drive, or I’m notgoing.”

“Suit yourself.” He lets my hand go and walks away. “I’ll be in my car if you change your mind in the next twominutes.”

I’m stunned and a little shocked. Then I’m really shocked to find my feet taking me as fast as they can up behind the man. “Wait!”

He stops, but doesn’t turn around. “Yes?”

“What’s the big deal?” I ask as I get in front ofhim.

“The big deal is that I don’t let my friends drink and drive. After what we shared today, I consider you afriend.”

“You do?” I ask and start walking backward as he begins to moveforward.

“Yes. So, are we on for drinks or not?” he asks, and I find myself in the wrongposition.

I thought I was calling the shotshere!

His driver pulls up and jumps out, opening the door as I stand there looking at Blaine and not completely understanding where I stand with him. I thought he wanted me and would do anything to have me. I might have been verywrong.

He gestures to the back seat, and I find myself getting into his car. Without a word, I move over, put my seatbelt on, and find him sliding in. “Thank you,” he says as he puts his seatbelt on too. “I really could use your company after this trying day. I can’t think of a better person to wind down with after all I’ve seen and heardtoday.”

“Glad to be of help to you,” Isay.

He’s holding himself in a tense posture and his eyes look tired. I recall that look. We all had it when we started the training to become nurses. My first stint in the terminal ward nearly killedme.

“It gets easier. I know it’s hard to believe, but it does. You aren’t thinking of bailing out now, are you?” I ask him as he looks vacantly out the window at the streetlights that flash as we go underneaththem.

“I will not be bailing. I made a commitment and I intend to keep it. I always fulfill my commitments. I think I need to learn how to reign in these emotions. I can do it in business. I just have to figure out how to do it with poor, little, sick kidstoo.”

“I think it’s important to feel things. And, with time, it gets easier. You still feel empathy, but you gain an understanding and can control the crying, or in your case the complete sadness. I know men don’t cry,” I say andgiggle.

“Men cry,” he says. “I should probably just break down and do that,huh?”

My heart stops as he admits this to me. I’ve never known a man who would let me see that deeply into them. I’m not sure if I can handle it. It might be too much totake.

I watch as he takes off his seatbelt, then gets off the seat and onto his knees in front of me. His hands move up the sides of my thighs as he looks up at me. I run my hands through his dark-blond waves and look back into hiseyes.

“Or I could kiss you,” I say withoutthinking.

“That might help too,” he says, then moves up until our lips are so close I can feel the warmth of his breath onmine.

He waits with them that close, then I realize I said I could kiss him. He’s waiting for me to come tohim!

I can’t believe I am going to dothis!

My hands come around to cup his face in them without me thinking about what I’m doing, and I pull him the rest of the very short distance to press my lips to his. His lips are soft and supple, and I want to feelmore.

I feel his hands moving back and forth along my outer thighs, stirring heat inside of me. I’ve gone this far. I might as well go a littlefurther.

My tongue moves over his lower lip, and he parts them. Slowly, I move mine past his lips and find his. His hands move up my sides until he’s gripping my waist as his mouth goes soft and yielding tomine.

I cannot believe I initiated this. But, damn, I’m glad Idid!

When he pulls back, slowly ending the kiss, I find myself breathing a bit on the hard side. “Thank you,” he whispers with a throatyvoice.

“Thank you,” I say as my head is so light it feels as if I’m drunk. Who needs alcohol when one kiss from the man on his knees in front of you can intoxicate you.And there’s no fear of ahangover!