“You’re pretty amazing yourself, you know.” She leaned against him and looked up into his face. “But I think that’s a good idea. We’ll date, but then pull back once I start working for you.”
He smiled wide. “So you’ll accept the position?”
“How can I turn it down? It’ll be perfect for me.”
“And the penthouse suite? Will you take that?”
“Well…it’s probably more expensive than my one-bedroom apartment, so maybe I should just stay there. After all, once I get a job, I’ll be able to make rent every month.”
He stroked her cheek. “You are certainly a hard woman to figure out. Most women I know would have jumped at the chance to live in the penthouse suite.”
She shrugged. “It’s like you said—I’m not like most women.”
His heart melted. It had been doing that a lot since meeting her. He dropped his gaze to her mouth. It really wasn’t the time to kiss her, and yet, he just couldn’t resist. Not now. Not after realizing that she really wasn’t after his money. He would have known if she would have accepted the suite with the job.
“No,” he said in a deep voice, “you’re not like the others, which is why I can’t stop thinking about you.” He swept his lips over hers, and she sighed, relaxing into his embrace. When he finally covered his mouth over hers, she didn’t pull away. Instead, she met his soft kisses, and even when he gradually deepened the kiss, she still responded the way he’d hoped for.
Her arms were around his waist, and she moved her hands over his back in small circles. His body burned wherever she touched. Although he’d been with many women, none of them excited him the way Brittany was doing now. None of them kissed this good, either. And especially, none of them made his heart melt. The strong burning in his chest was not heartburn, but for sure, his heart was involved with this particular emotion.
Did he believe in love at first sight? No, however, Brittany was certainly making him think differently.
Suddenly, he felt her jerk in his arms. Then he heard the slapping of shoes on the pavement as someone started running. Brittany swung around toward the man running away from them. In the stranger’s hand, he carried her purse!
She cursed and darted after him. Finally, Austin’s hazy mind cleared, and he realized someone was stealing her purse. He muttered a curse and ran after them. Brittany yelled at the man, but of course, he didn’t stop.
It surprised Austin how fast she was. Of course, the first time he met her, he thought she worked out a lot, but seeing her in action, proved that she was definitely fit. In fact, she was gaining on the purse-snatcher.
Just inches away from the man, Brittany lunged and landed on him. They fell to the ground, and she maneuvered herself on top of the thief. The man beneath her struggled and belligerent, but Brittany wouldn’t relent so she punched him in the face.
Once Austin reached them, he stopped. His breaths were coming fast and heavy, reminding him that he needed to start exercising regularly. To have this slip of a woman outrun him was quite humiliating.
She held down the man’s arms. “Austin, call 911.”
He fumbled with his phone, still amazed of what he’d just witnessed. As he gave the emergency operator their location, he watched as Brittany expertly handled the thief.
Austin quickly pocketed his cell, and moved closer to her. “Brittany? Let me take over. I’ll keep him still.”
“No, I’m good,” she told him over her shoulder.
Surprisingly enough, she did appear to be handling it well. Her hands were holding the man’s arms, and the way she placed her knees on him, made Austin realize this woman knew what she was doing.
“Austin?”
“Yes.” He stepped closer, still feeling out of place.
“Will you take my purse from him?”
“Sure.” Austin bent and pulled her purse out of the man’s hand.
The thief’s nose was bleeding, and his eye was beginning to swell. He shot daggers at Brittany and muttered cuss words—the kind that only prisoners say. Well, he’d fit right in, wouldn’t he?
Time seemed to go quickly once the police arrived. They took down Brittany’s and Austin’s information on what happened as they cuffed the guy and threw him into the back seat of the squad car.
When the police drove off, Brittany bent and wiped off the dirt from her knees. Austin was still at a loss for words, and yet, he wanted to know more. As she rose, he circled his arms around her and gazed deeply into her eyes.
“Are you all right?”
She hiccupped a laugh. “Of course I am.” She caressed his trimmed goatee. “Are you?”
