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When she finally finished, he simply had to applaud. She heard, obviously, and looked down toward the seats like a kid who’d been caught shoplifting bubblegum. “Who’s out there?”
Jack rose to his feet, still bringing his hands together in a slow and lazy clap. “We meet again,” he said as he walked down the aisle to greet her.
“Oh, no, did you hear me?” She looked thoroughly disgruntled as she narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms in front of her chest.
He climbed the steps leading up onto the stage. “Yep.”
She cringed. “For your information, I know I can’t sing. So don’t even try to pretend you don’t think I sounded like a howling female cat in heat.”
Hmm. Interesting image—a female in heat. Particularly with the flush of color in her face, the sheen of sweat on her brow and the clinginess of her damp clothes against her amazing body.
She looked aroused. Sultry. Alive. He’d love to hear her purr. “You didn’t sound like a cat.”
“Well, then, a mutt braying at the moon,” she continued with a surly frown. “Don’t humor me.”
“Not humoring you. Honey, you really can’t sing. But, boy, you obviously know how to dance.”
The compliment didn’t ease her frown. Instead she practically glared. “So, are you following me? Should I worry I’m being stalked by the kissing bandit?”
“I wasn’t stalking. I saw your SUV outside and came to investigate. Besides, I’m wounded. Here I thought you liked our kiss.” Her cheeks flushed and she averted her eyes. Gotcha! He stepped closer until their bodies nearly touched. “I certainly did, and I’ve been thinking all afternoon about how much I wanted to see you again.”
“You don’t even know me.”
“We could change that. Come have dinner with me, Kate.”
“I’m really not hungry, thank you.”
“Just coffee, then. Let’s go sit somewhere and talk for hours while we pretend we’re not both thinking about what happened this afternoon.”
She raised a brow. “Oh, you’ve been thinking about that? I’d nearly forgotten all about it.”
“Liar.”
“If it helps your male ego to think so, go right ahead.”
He laughed out loud. “I’m not an egotistical man, Kate. But I know when I’m being kissed back.” He stepped closer, into her space, but she wouldn’t back down. “Admit it. You definitely kissed me back.”
“Only to give the old biddies something to chew on with their tea and crumpets,” she said with a determined frown.
“Ah, ah, you’re breaking my heart here.” He held his hands out at his sides, palms up in supplication.
“I somehow doubt that. You’re a complete stranger. One who accosted me in public this afternoon.”
A definite overstatement. “Not accosted. Surprised.”
“You surprised me all right. Don’t guys like you usually wind up kissing a celebrity or streaking through the Academy Awards, then get committed to the funny farm sooner or later?”
He rolled his eyes. “Do you always keep your guard up? Except when you’re singing your heart out in an old abandoned theater, that is?”
“Do you always go around kissing women you see on the street?” she countered.
He shook his head, becoming very serious. “Never. Not until today. Not until you.”
She broke their eye contact first, suddenly looking nervous. “Look, this is probably not a great idea, us being here. I don’t even know you.”
“Would it help if I give my word I’m not a psycho serial killing…or serial kissing…nutcase?”
She shrugged. “If I’d thought that I woulda pushed you into the orchestra pit and run like crazy out of here.”
“I’m glad to know you trust me. Now, about the coffee…”
“Don’t you ever give up?”
“Not when I’m faced with something this important.”
He didn’t elaborate, and she didn’t ask him to. They both knew what they meant. There was something happening here, something living and warm and vibrant flowing beneath them. She just wouldn’t admit it.
