Heart-Shaped Hack(15)
“I like those,” she said. “Put them back on.”
“They’ll only be in the way when I kiss you.”
“Who said we were going to kiss?”
“I did. Katie, you must pay closer attention. Besides, this is the end of our first official date. Why wouldn’t we kiss? Sharing a kiss is quite common at this stage.”
“I know how dating works.” Although truthfully, she was a bit rusty and hadn’t kissed anyone since Stuart.
“This hallway is awfully bright. I would prefer more romantic lighting, like the kind inside your apartment.”
“You don’t get to come in again until the second date.”
“The only thing I took away from that statement is that we’re going to have a second date.”
Kate smiled.
It really was incredibly bright in the hallway. Kate almost wished Ian hadn’t told her he was going to kiss her and that it was a bit darker, because she was suddenly hit with a bout of first-date-kiss nerves that made her fidget.
“I’ll just wait until you stop moving.”
She made herself stand still. He slid his hands underneath her jaw, and his fingers came to rest behind her ears while his thumbs grazed her cheek. His first kiss was soft and gentle and only lasted a few seconds. He pulled back a few inches and came in again, giving her another soft kiss. The third was firmer, more aggressive, and he dipped his tongue lightly into her mouth. The fourth was soft again, leaving Kate in a heady and intoxicating state of anticipation about what the next kiss would be like. Number five was almost her undoing because Ian pressed his body closer to hers and gave her a deep, openmouthed kiss while circling her tongue with his. When he finally pulled back, it took her a moment to regulate her breathing. She was holding on to his neck rather tightly because her legs felt like Jell-O.
“You seem a bit wobbly, Katie.”
“I’ve got to hand it to you. Your kissing skills almost make up for your shortcomings.”
“I have shortcomings? Really?”
“A couple, yes.”
“I’d promise to work on them, but we both know I’m not going to.”
He waited until she unlocked her door, and then he bent down and picked up the package from Victoria’s Secret. “Bet you’ll have this open before I get to my car.”
That showed how little he knew. She had it open before he reached the elevator.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Kate had arranged to meet the girls for brunch at Aster Café at eleven. Their last group e-mail had been circulating for over a month as the three of them tried to come up with a mutually agreeable time to get together. While Kate’s schedule was fairly flexible, theirs was not. Brunch had already been moved three times.
Kate arrived at eleven, Paige was ten minutes late, and Audrey didn’t join them until ten minutes after that.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” Audrey said as she rushed up to the table, leaned down to hug them both, and plopped into her chair.
Kate and Paige assured her it was okay. That was the way brunch usually began.
Their waiter, who had been hovering in the background, approached. “Can I interest anyone in a mimosa?”
Paige groaned. “I would love several, but I’ve got to head into work to go over depositions as soon as we’re done.”
“Same here,” Audrey said.
This was hardly a surprise because when Kate was still practicing law, she used to work the same long hours they did. If she was going to enjoy the benefits of working less, she needed to find some girlfriends who didn’t work seventy hours a week.
“How about you?” the waiter asked Kate.
Even though a mimosa sounded wonderful, it would hardly be any fun drinking one by herself, so Kate said, “I’ll just have orange juice.”
“You look fantastic, Kate,” Paige said. “I love your outfit.”
“Thanks.” Kate was wearing a pair of black leggings tucked into high-heeled black boots that came up over the knee and laced up the sides with black ribbons. She’d paired them with one of the sweaters Ian had bought her. Made of the softest cashmere, it was tunic length and a beautiful dark plum color. The back had a low scoop neck, so Kate had worn her hair in a messy French twist she’d learned how to do when she’d watched the hair tutorials on YouTube.
When she’d opened the Victoria’s Secret package right there on the floor just inside her door, she’d been delighted. Ian didn’t know how much Kate had wanted those sweaters and that the reason there were items left in her shopping cart was because she’d given all her disposable income to the food pantry and could no longer afford them, at least not that month. In addition to the cashmere sweater and the two others that were already in the cart, Ian had added another sweater, a gorgeous white cable pullover. He’d also bought her a pair of pink flannel pajamas with white snowflakes. They were soft and warm, and she loved them. Of course, Ian being Ian, he’d also bought her a black satin and Chantilly lace babydoll nightie that tied in front and came with a matching thong. It was actually very pretty, and when Kate tried it on, she felt incredibly sexy.
Kate turned her attention to her friends’ outfits and offered her own compliments. Paige had dressed in a manner similar to Kate, but Audrey had gone one better and was wearing a ribbed sweater dress that left nothing to the imagination. Dressing for brunch was almost a competitive sport, and one they engaged in willingly. For Paige and Audrey—both attorneys at large, downtown firms—it was an opportunity to dress less formally, a bit funkier than they could during the week. For Kate, who wore jeans on a daily basis, it was the chance to dress up and add some glamour to her otherwise very casual wardrobe.