be going out with you," she said, then was gone.
Out in the other room, she heard Cassie tell Joel goodbye, then the front door closing as she left.
After one last check in the mirror, Lora gathered up her purse and jacket and went to greet Joel. She found him standing in the middle of the living room, wearing his classic black jeans, boots, and a T-shirt beneath a black leather jacket that was unzipped. His roguishly long hair was a rumpled mess around his head, which accentuated his disarming blue eyes and added to those too-appealing bad boy looks of his.
But instead of gracing her with one of those irresistible, breath-catching smiles that turned her inside out with wanting, his hands were braced on his hips and a deep frown creased his brows instead.
"Hey there," she said, unable to guess at what might have set him off. "Is everything okay?"
"Hi," he said gruffly, then hooked a thumb toward the front door, where Cassie had just exited. "Who was that?"
Good God, had Cassie said or done something to annoy Joel? "That was Sydney's daughter, Cassie. Since we live in the same apartment building, she's here quite often."
If possible, his displeasure increased. "Does she always open the door without asking who's on the other side?"
Lora stared at Joel, surprised at his question. "I knew it was you."
He cocked his head to the side and regarded her with a good measure of male arrogance. "What if it weren't me?"
"Who else would it have been?" she countered as she set her purse on the couch so she could slip into her jacket. "You said you'd pick me up at six, and it was a few minutes past six when you knocked on the door."
Still, he didn't let up. "Do you know how many defenseless women get attacked by opening their door to a stranger?"
"Ummm, no." She would have thought that he was yanking her chain if he didn't look so serious about the subject matter. "But judging by how upset you are, I'm guessing it's a pretty high percentage?"
"Higher than you might think." He dropped his hands back to his sides, but his entire body remained tense. "Just do me a favor. Always ask who it is before opening your door, and don't open it for anyone you don't know or aren't expecting."
She did her best to keep her amused grin from reaching her lips. "Okay."
As Lora straightened the collar of her jacket, she realized the source of his annoyance. The man obviously possessed a protective instinct when it came to women, whether due to having a sister or his time in the military, she wasn't certain. But she'd been on her own for a very long time, and as much as she appreciated his concern, she didn't need someone being her guardian.
As if he sensed her willful thoughts, he narrowed his gaze and added, "Promise?"
She refrained, just barely, from rolling her eyes at his insistence and gave him the reassurance that would hopefully put an end to the conversation. "Sure, I promise."
"Good." He released a breath and finally relaxed.
He looked relieved, but now Lora was slightly miffed by the fact that his interrogation, and that frown of his, had put a damper on the start of their evening together, instead of them leaving her place on a high of excitement and anticipation of the night's events. "Now that you've gotten that off your chest, do you think we might be able to start this date of ours over?"
He blinked at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"
When it came to romancing a woman, he was obviously a typical, obtuse man who didn't realize the importance of setting the tone for a date. Well, she'd just have to show him what she meant.
Closing the distance between them, she placed a hand on his chest, tilted her head, and brushed her mouth against his in a slow, sweet caress. His lips were soft and warm and slightly damp, and she caught the faintest hint of peppermint on his breath.
After a moment, she pulled back. The chaste kiss wasn't nearly
Out in the other room, she heard Cassie tell Joel goodbye, then the front door closing as she left.
After one last check in the mirror, Lora gathered up her purse and jacket and went to greet Joel. She found him standing in the middle of the living room, wearing his classic black jeans, boots, and a T-shirt beneath a black leather jacket that was unzipped. His roguishly long hair was a rumpled mess around his head, which accentuated his disarming blue eyes and added to those too-appealing bad boy looks of his.
But instead of gracing her with one of those irresistible, breath-catching smiles that turned her inside out with wanting, his hands were braced on his hips and a deep frown creased his brows instead.
"Hey there," she said, unable to guess at what might have set him off. "Is everything okay?"
"Hi," he said gruffly, then hooked a thumb toward the front door, where Cassie had just exited. "Who was that?"
Good God, had Cassie said or done something to annoy Joel? "That was Sydney's daughter, Cassie. Since we live in the same apartment building, she's here quite often."
If possible, his displeasure increased. "Does she always open the door without asking who's on the other side?"
Lora stared at Joel, surprised at his question. "I knew it was you."
He cocked his head to the side and regarded her with a good measure of male arrogance. "What if it weren't me?"
"Who else would it have been?" she countered as she set her purse on the couch so she could slip into her jacket. "You said you'd pick me up at six, and it was a few minutes past six when you knocked on the door."
Still, he didn't let up. "Do you know how many defenseless women get attacked by opening their door to a stranger?"
"Ummm, no." She would have thought that he was yanking her chain if he didn't look so serious about the subject matter. "But judging by how upset you are, I'm guessing it's a pretty high percentage?"
"Higher than you might think." He dropped his hands back to his sides, but his entire body remained tense. "Just do me a favor. Always ask who it is before opening your door, and don't open it for anyone you don't know or aren't expecting."
She did her best to keep her amused grin from reaching her lips. "Okay."
As Lora straightened the collar of her jacket, she realized the source of his annoyance. The man obviously possessed a protective instinct when it came to women, whether due to having a sister or his time in the military, she wasn't certain. But she'd been on her own for a very long time, and as much as she appreciated his concern, she didn't need someone being her guardian.
As if he sensed her willful thoughts, he narrowed his gaze and added, "Promise?"
She refrained, just barely, from rolling her eyes at his insistence and gave him the reassurance that would hopefully put an end to the conversation. "Sure, I promise."
"Good." He released a breath and finally relaxed.
He looked relieved, but now Lora was slightly miffed by the fact that his interrogation, and that frown of his, had put a damper on the start of their evening together, instead of them leaving her place on a high of excitement and anticipation of the night's events. "Now that you've gotten that off your chest, do you think we might be able to start this date of ours over?"
He blinked at her in confusion. "What do you mean?"
When it came to romancing a woman, he was obviously a typical, obtuse man who didn't realize the importance of setting the tone for a date. Well, she'd just have to show him what she meant.
Closing the distance between them, she placed a hand on his chest, tilted her head, and brushed her mouth against his in a slow, sweet caress. His lips were soft and warm and slightly damp, and she caught the faintest hint of peppermint on his breath.
After a moment, she pulled back. The chaste kiss wasn't nearly
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