“What can I do for you, Finn?
“Elise and I are going to dinner at Cutali’s. I saw you were still here and thought you might want to join us.”
“That’s sweet. Maybe next time. Joe and I…” she looked over at him “have some unfinished business.”
“Uh-huh.” Finn tried to bite back a smile, but Scarlet caught the makings of it. “See you tomorrow.”
Joe frowned when Finn left. “What unfinished business?”
She cleared her throat and realized she was nervous. “Would you like to come to my house for dinner tonight? We can make something on the grill.”
“Scarlet, that doesn’t make sense. I just told you—”
“That we can’t endanger Seth. But he’s not coming back until the end of the week.”
His brown brows furrowed. “So you want to…socializewith me until then?”
“That’s one way of putting it.” She took his hand in hers. It was big and masculine. “I’ve missed you these two weeks. I don’t see why we can’t have a few days together. Do you?”
His chestnut brown eyes glimmered with interest. And his soft beard made her want to touch his face. “No, ma’am. I don’t see why we can’t do that.”
* * *
“What?”
Joe batted back a smile as he glanced down at the steak she’d taken out of the freezer. “I don’t eat meat.”
“Because you’re a vet?”
“I was a vet. And, yes, that’s why. Saving an animal’s life then eating one seemed crazy.”
“I guess it would.”
He cocked his head. “Since you’re so different, hypnotherapy and all, I thought you might be vegetarian.”
The early evening sun came in through the big window in the kitchen and highlighted her hair. Some gold and brown strands threaded through it. “Well, I don’t eat red meat, but fish and chicken are my favorites.”
“So why the steak?”
“I thought you might want it.”
He angled his head to the sub-zero refrigerator. “What else do you have in there?”
“Salmon.” She opened the door to the freezer, put the steak back in and took out the fish. “It has to thaw.”
“Hmm. That works.”
Her green eyes filled with mischief. “What do you mean byit works?”
He slid off the stool and walked around the large island. “Because there’s time for this.”
He hadn’t thought of her as slender, or fragile or…little, but he towered over her. Slowly, he raised his hand and lifted her chin. She went up on tiptoes as if she wanted this as badly as he did. Her desire encouraged his. He slid his arms around her waist and lifted her up.
Hmm. She smelled like lilacs. Their mouths met. The contact started gently but then…she grasped his neck and pulled him closer. The kiss got deep, oh so deep, and his tongue went on to explore her. When hers did the same, he felt himself go hard.
She pressed her lower body against his. “Me, too, Joe,” Then she backed away and whispered in his ear, “I’m getting wet.”
“Holy hell!” He scooped her up in a carry. “Where’s the bedroom?”
