and Sean reached for her coat. Patting her stomach, she said, “I think you’re going to have to roll me out of here!”
“As slender as you are, you’d have to eat a whole lot more than this for me to roll you out.” He helped her with her coat, his hands settling on her shoulders, staring down at her. “You’re absolutely perfect.”
She smiled up at him, her fingers resting on his arms, her gaze not wavering. Her moist lips parted slightly, and he battled the desire to bend and take them in a kiss. Not wanting their first kiss to be in the middle of a crowded restaurant was the only reason he grabbed his jacket and tucked her against his side. “Let’s get outta here.”
They walked back to the sidewalk around the Inner Harbor, but instead of heading to the far side, he led her to one of the boat docks. He grinned as her head snapped around and her eyes grew wide.
“Are we going to take a boat taxi to the other side?”
“Is that all right?”
“Oh, my goodness, yes! I haven’t done this in so long!”
Paying for the boat ride, he held her hand carefully as they stepped over the gangplank onto the small ferry. The night air had grown chilly, and he knew it would be even colder on the water as the boat moved along. Nonetheless, she moved toward the front so that she would have an unobstructed view.
They settled into seats, and once again he wrapped her tightly in his arms, holding her close to his warmth as the boat began moving to one of the other stops. The ride was short, but by the time they stepped off on the other side of the harbor, her cheeks and nose were rosy.
Unable to stop himself, he bent and placed a kiss on the tip of her nose. “Let’s get you warmed up.”
Once they were in his SUV, he blasted the heat and turned on the seat warmers. Within a few minutes, they were toasty, and a sigh of pleasure escaped her lips. The sound hit his cock and it strained against his zipper.
Twisting to stare at her beautiful face, he admitted, “I really don’t want our date to end.”
She held his gaze and shook her head back and forth. “I don’t either. I’ve got some wine at my apartment. Would you like to come in for a drink?”
“Absolutely.” That one word said it all… he could not think of anything he would rather do more than go back to her place with her.
14
Harper had loved every minute of their date. Sean was so easy to talk with that she never felt the need to impress him. He gets me… he really seems to get me. What she was already feeling for Sean was something she had hoped for but had never found.
She remembered when she was younger asking her mother about meeting her father. Her mother had laughed and said, “Your father was so patient. It was as though he waited for me to finally come to him and say you’re the one.”
She had been shocked, asking her mother, “But what if he had not waited for you?”
“Love always recognizes love, sweetheart. He knew we were right for each other, and so he was patient, waiting for me to realize the same thing.”
Her parents had been married for almost thirty-five years, and she had watched how their differences only complemented each other, but mostly it was their similarities and abiding love that she remembered the most.
Unlike Sandy, who gave the appearance of flirting her way toward finding a mate, Harper had dated carefully. And now, even after only spending a short time with Sean, her attraction toward him was growing. He parked near her building, and they walked hand-in-hand to the front door. She tapped in the security code and they entered, making their way to the elevator. Once inside, he twisted her around so that her back was against the wall, and he lowered his head, nuzzling her nose. She tilted her head backward, sure that he was going to kiss her, but instead, he simply pressed his lips against her cheek.
As soon as the elevator doors opened, they walked down the hall to her door. Her fingers fumbled with the key at the feel of his hand on her lower back, but she managed to get the door unlocked. She had left a light on in the living room and it illuminated the