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“I asked her once why she gave them all the same name,’ Stuart added. “She told me it was because they all have Nigel personalities.”
“If that’s true, remind me to avoid guys named Nigel.”
Their chuckles faded to silence. Patience toed the pattern on the entryway carpet. What now? There was an awkward expectancy in the air, as if both of them knew they should do or say something. The problem was, neither knew what.
At least Nigel had stopped his meowing.
“Thank you for dinner,’ she said finally.
“You’re welcome.” He smiled. “Maybe we’ve got this being civil thing down.”
“Maybe. I have to admit, you’re not bad company when you aren’t accusing me of things.”
“Never fear, tomorrow’s another day,” he replied. Patience would have laughed, but there was too much truth to his comment. This temporary truce of theirs could break at any time.
“By the way,” he added, you’re not such bad company yourself. When you aren’t dodging questions.”
“Like you said, tomorrow’s another day.” She turned to leave only to have her left foot tangle with something warm and furry. Nigel. She maneuvered herself awkwardly, trying to avoid stepping on the darn cat. Her ankle twisted, and she pitched sideways, toward the stairway. That caused her right knee to buckle, and before she knew it, she was falling in a heap.
Stuart caught her before her bottom touched the floor. “Stupid cat,” she muttered.
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. Nigel on the other hand might have used up another one of his nine lives.” She looked around, but the creature was nowhere to be found.
“He ran upstairs,” Stuart replied, helping her to her feet.
“With his tail between his legs, I hope. If you didn’t believe me before about Nigel causing Ana’s fall, you have to believe me now.”
“The evidence is definitely in your favor. Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Positive. My butt didn’t even hit the ground.”
“Good. Hate to see you bruise something you might need,” he said with a smile.
That’s when she realized he still held her. His arm remained wrapped around her waist, pulling her close, so that their hips were flush. The odd angle gave Patience little choice but to rest her hand on his upper arm,
They might as well have been embracing.
He smelled of soap and laundry detergent. No aftershave—a testimony to his innate maleness that he didn’t need anything more. Awareness—no, something stronger than awareness—washed over her, settling deep in the pit of her stomach.
Fingers brushed her bangs away from her temple. Barely a whisper of a touch, it shot straight to her toes. Slowly, she lifted her gaze. “I’ve been wanting to do that all night,” he said in a voice softer than his touch.
“I—I’m growing out my bangs. That’s why they keep falling in my face.” Why did she think he wasn’t talking about her bangs?
Maybe because his attention had shifted to her mouth. Staring, studying. Patience caught her lip between her teeth to stop it from trembling. All either of them needed to do was to move their head the tiniest bit and they would be close enough to kiss.
“I should check on Nigel...” She twisted from his grasp, combing her fingers through her hair in a lousy attempt to mask her abruptness. She needed to...she didn’t know what she needed to do. The blood pounding in her ears made it hard to think.
She needed space. That’s what. Turning on her heel, she headed upstairs, forcing herself to take one step at a time. She lasted until the second flight, when Stuart was out of sight, before doubling the pace.
Smooth going, Patience, she thought when she finally closed her bedroom door. Why don’t you break out in a cold sweat while you’re at it?
What on earth was wrong with her anyway? She’d dealt with literally dozens of unwanted advances over the years. Losers, pushy drunks, punks who couldn’t keep their hands to themselves And she freaks out because Stuart touched her hair? The guy didn’t even try anything.
Oh, but you wanted him to, didn’t you? That’s why she’d bolted. In spite of everything that had gone on between them in the past twenty-four hours, she actually wanted Stuart Duchenko to kiss her.
Heaven help her, but she still did.
CHAPTER FOUR
THE NEXT MORNING, Patience woke up with a far clearer head. Tossing and turning for half the night did that for a person.
When she thought things through, Patience wasn’t really surprised that she was attracted to Stuart. Along with being handsome, he was the polar opposite of every man who had ever crossed her path. Sadly, that difference was exactly why she had no business kissing or doing anything else with him.
