He smiles. “Great.” He taps his forehead. “I’m locking all that information away in here.”

“Okay. Well, I guess I should get my things and go home.”

“Right. Yeah. Sure. I can walk you to your car?”

I find it interesting that he makes it more of a statement than a question. “Sure, I’ll grab my purse and coat.”

“’Kay. I’ll wait here.” He pushes up on his toes a couple of times.

I can feel his eyes on me as I head back to my room to get my things. I’ve agreed to go out with Lance. On a date. Two actually. I don’t even know what to think. I grab my purse and slip into my jacket. As fall settles in and the temperature drops, layers are becoming necessary.

When I return, Lance is standing at the desk, checking his phone. He’s smiling.

“Ready to go,” I say.

He hits a couple of buttons, pockets his phone, and turns that grin on me. “Cool.”

I lock up the clinic, and Lance walks me across the lot. This time he doesn’t leave the usual space between us, and the back of his hand grazes my hip.

I’m nervous when we reach my car. His Hummer is parked right behind my Mini this time. I adjust the strap of my purse and look up at him. Strangely, he looks as nervous as me.

He scans my face and takes a small step closer. I can see his hand lifting in my peripheral vision. My hair is in a ponytail, which is sitting on my shoulder. He fingers the end of it.

“Why do I always want to pull this?”

It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him he used to do it when we were kids. But I don’t have the opportunity, because he drops his head and his lips skim my cheek.

“I want to kiss you, pretty Poppy.”

“You just did,” I whisper.

“I want do it again, but here.” His thumb touches my bottom lip.

“Oh.”

He’s so close. His lips almost touching mine as he asks, “Can I do that?”

“Yes, please.”

His lids grow heavy, and he kisses the corner of my mouth. I’m transported back in time, to a dark closet at a party I never should’ve been at. Lance strokes my cheek and rests his palm on the side of my neck. The other hand skims the length of my arm until he reaches my fingertips.

He leans back a little, and for a second I think it’s over before it’s even begun, but he takes my hand in his. Uncurling my fingers, he lifts it and presses my palm against his cheek. A full-body tremor runs through him, and his eyes drift closed. He turns his head toward my palm, and I smooth my thumb along the contour of his bottom lip. A deep sound comes from the back of his throat, making my skin prickle and heat blossom in my belly.

When he opens his eyes again, the fire in them matches the heat flooding my entire body. “Can you keep yer hand right here?”

“If you want me to, yes.”

“I definitely do.”

He leans in and brushes his lips over mine again. It’s soft and warm. The next time he takes my bottom lip between his, he releases it slowly, and then does the same with the top one. When his tongue flicks out, I might whimper. Light fingers cup my head, and I tilt it back farther.

I part my lips, and his tongue sweeps my mouth. His groan is low, sending a shiver down my spine. He drops the hand that’s keeping mine pressed against his cheek. His arm winds around my waist, and he pulls me in tight against him.

I expect the kiss to grow in intensity. It doesn’t, though I can feel the heat building inside me. That feeling I’ve been searching for all these years is finally back.

My other hand abandons the strap of my purse, because there are far better places for it to go. I follow the contour of muscle in his arm to his shoulder. As soon as my cold fingertips connect with the warm skin on his neck, Lance makes another needy sound and tightens his hold around my waist.

The flash of headlights reminds us we’re in the middle of a parking lot. Lance disconnects his mouth from mine, and we turn to see a police cruiser moving through the lot.

“Fucking cops, ruining my goddamn moment.”

I laugh. It’s all breathy and shaky, like the rest of me.

The cruiser stops in front of my car, and the window whirs down. “Everything all right here?”

“Just saying good night, sir.” Lance has his arm thrown casually over my shoulder, but his fingertips are pressing in.

“He was making sure I got to my car safely.” I gesture to the mostly empty lot and state the obvious. “Because it’s dark.”

The policeman regards us for a few long seconds, as if discerning whether we’re likely to be thieves. He must decide we’re harmless. “Careful out here at night. There’ve been some car break-ins lately.”

“Thanks for the warning, officer.” Lance raises a hand.

The police officer taps the side of his car and rolls away, the window whirring up.

Once he’s moved on, Lance returns his focus to me. “Maybe you want to go out for drinks now or something?”

“I’m not much of a drinker.”

“Right. Okay. What about tea? Or maybe a bite to eat?”

“You want to have dinner tonight instead of Friday?”

“It won’t count as dinner. It’s too late.”

“So this is our coffee date, then?” I’m egging him on.

“Well, no. Not unless we have coffee, which probably isn’t the best idea since it’s late. Unless you want to pull an all-nighter with me.” His expression is impish.