Rosalie wouldn’t let up until she got all the details, but Natalie would make her work for it. “Not exactly.”
“And what is that supposed to mean? Did he text you, email you, or what?”
“Or what.” Natalie hid a smile as she bent down to cut open another one of the computer boxes they were unpacking. As she lifted the all-in-one computer up onto the counter, she counted the seconds to see how long it would take Rosalie to figure things out for herself. It didn’t take long.
Rosalie crossed her arms over her chest and stared down at her from her superior height. “Natalie Kennigan, you went out with him, didn’t you?”
“Yes, ma’am, I did indeed.”
She went back to opening boxes. Rosalie huffed in disgust. “You’ve been holding out on me. Considering this is the first good news I’ve heard from you on the dating front, you will tell me more than that.”
Natalie pulled out the next computer and put it with the others. “He asked me out to dinner while we were here last Saturday. The funny thing was that he took me to the same restaurant my folks always go to for special occasions. I figured him to be more of a steakhouse kind of guy.”
Rosalie looked pleased by that information. “Obviously, he was trying to impress you.”
That was Natalie’s biggest fear. Too many men had tried that in the past and the relationships had gone nowhere. “I don’t need to be impressed. Regardless, we had a great time.”
Rosalie shoved the next box over to Natalie. “Going to see him again?”
“If he asks.” She cut through the packing tape before continuing. “Or if I do. I don’t see why I should have to wait to see if he makes another move.”
“Good for you, girl.”
She gave her friend a sly look. “If you think it’s such a great idea, why haven’t you ever asked Clarence out? We both know you want to.”
The older woman jerked upright and looked around to make sure that the man in question was not within hearing range. “Natalie, I’ve told you before I have no interest in him.”
Natalie started to tease Rosalie a bit more, but then she got a look at her friend’s face. Obviously, this wasn’t a joking matter. “I’m sorry if I’ve upset you. I’ll shut up now.”
Rosalie patted her on the shoulder. “No apologies necessary. Even if I were interested in Clarence, he’s never gotten over the death of his wife. Can’t get close to a man who loved so hard that he can’t let it go.”
“I bet he’ll come around eventually. He’s a smart man.”
“Enough about that. Your fella is headed this way. It’s time I start getting the food organized for lunch, and you’re going to need someone else to help unpack the rest of these computers before your tech crew arrives. I’ll grab Tino and send him your way.”
Rosalie disappeared out the door before Natalie could stop her. Not that she made much of an effort. After all, she did need help. Really, she did.
Tino appeared in the doorway a few seconds later. “Hi, there.”
Natalie brushed her hair back from her face as she stood up. “Hi, there yourself. Thanks for coming again today.”
“I said I would, didn’t I?” Tino glanced around at the chaos in the room. “Rosalie said you needed help unpacking computers.”
“I do.” She gestured toward the few she’d already set on the counter. “Some local IT people are coming this afternoon to get them all up and running. I want to have everything unpacked and set in place before they get here.”
He glanced at the boxes she’d been tossing in the corner. “How about I flatten the empties to give you more room?”
Without waiting for her to respond, Tino pulled a box cutter out of his toolbox and set to work. She needed to get busy herself, but she couldn’t resist stealing a few seconds to admire the play of well-defined muscles under the thin cotton of his T-shirt. Then there was the way that denim drew the eye and showed off his other, um, really fine assets. Tino had looked handsome the other night in his sports coat and dress slacks, but she actually preferred him like this.
And once again she’d gotten caught staring. He’d had his back toward her, but now he faced her with a big grin on his face.
“See something you like?”
Denial was not an option. That didn’t mean she had to admit that he’d caught her drooling over the fit of his jeans. “Yes, actually, I do. Well, at least I did.”
He frowned. “What changed?”
She offered him an impudent grin. “I was admiring a volunteer who clearly doesn’t mind hard work, but now you’re just standing there.”
“So are you.” He prowled toward her. “In fact, you stopped working long before I did. I have to wonder why.”
A wiser woman might have gone right back to opening boxes or else into full retreat. Instead, Natalie stood her ground and let Tino come to her, held in place by the heat in his dark-chocolate eyes and that sexy smile. She’d been right about him being temptation personified.
He slowly enfolded her in his arms. “Tell me to stop if you don’t want this.”
She wanted it—wanted him—all right. There was only one reason to hesitate. “You might have noticed that this room is nothing but windows. People might see.”
He looked around them, scoping out both the front view of the parking lot as well as the windows that faced the hallway on the other side. “Good news. There’s no one in sight, at least not right now.”
With the warmth of Tino’s arms brushing against her skin and her own pulse pounding in her ears, she didn’t really care if there was an entire gallery of spectators staring at them.
When his mouth came down on hers, hard and demanding, she immediately parted her lips in invitation. Always a man of action, Tino didn’t hesitate to stake his claim on her. God, had anyone ever packed so much into a simple kiss? Not that she could remember.
She was dimly aware of him lifting her up and carrying her over to the nearest corner, the one spot in the room that wasn’t visible from the outside. She should’ve protested but couldn’t figure out why. Had his kiss somehow short-circuited her thought processes? If that wasn’t the reason, maybe it was the way his hands felt as they skimmed across her skin, leaving a trail of heat in their wake.
As least Tino’s brain functioned better than hers. He abruptly broke off the kiss as he planted his hands on the wall on each side of her. Looking a bit rueful and breathing hard, he smiled down at her. “I’d apologize, but I can honestly say I’m not all that sorry.”
She also had no regrets, but this was neither the time nor the place. Her lungs struggled to draw in some much-needed oxygen, but she managed to speak. “No apologies necessary, but we should get back to work.”
“Yes, we should.” He took a half step back. “But one of these days we’ll be somewhere a lot more private, and we’ll have to see where the moment takes us.”
Then he leaned in close enough to brush his lips across hers again. “I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait.”
Her, either, but they really did need to get back with the program. Thank goodness he went into full retreat until he reached the other side of the room. Within seconds, he was back to flattening the boxes. It took her longer to gather her scattered wits, but the clock was ticking. She tugged on the hem of her shirt to make sure it was straight and made a half-hearted attempt to tame her hair.
Where had she left her own box cutter? She patted her pockets. No luck. Had she dropped it? Nope. Sighing, she was about to do a slow three-sixty when Tino pointed toward the box she’d been opening before they’d gotten, um, distracted.
“Is that what you’re looking for?”
There it was, lying right out in plain sight. At least she’d had the presence of mind to close the blade before setting it down. “Yes, thanks.”
She positioned herself with her back toward Tino to avoid getting distracted again. It didn’t work, not completely anyway. Apparently she couldn’t be in the same room with the man without bein
g aware of him on some visceral level. The sensation was equal parts scary and exciting.
It was one more sign that she’d done the right thing by walking away from her engagement. Looking back, she realized that Benton had never stirred her emotions the way Tino did despite having met only a week ago. But were they rushing things?
For now, she needed to concentrate on the job at hand. Tonight, tomorrow at the latest, she’d sit down and think things out.
She’d opened only two computers when Tino rejoined her. “Do you want me to start setting one of these at each of the individual workstations?”
“Yes, that would be a big help.”
When she’d unpacked the last box, she flattened the rest of the empties and added them to the pile that Tino had started. All that was left was organizing the paperwork that had come with each computer and recording the serial numbers.
“These are really nice computers.” Tino started down one row while she did the other one. “Were they donated or did you have to buy them?”
“A little bit of both. I wanted to make sure that we were starting off with state-of-the-art machines. There’s no use in teaching classes on outdated equipment with equally outdated software. Having decent computer skills can make a huge difference in the kind of jobs people can get these days.”
“Who will be teaching the classes?”
“A retired software engineer will teach the morning classes, and I’ll be teaching the evening sessions two nights a week.”
Tino stopped to look at her. “Don’t you already have enough to do?”
Before she could respond, he frowned. “Sorry, that came out wrong. What I meant to say is that I would think running the foundation would be a full-time job.”
“I have a good staff that handles a lot of the day-to-day details for me. I really love the hands-on part of the job. Eventually, I will need to find someone to take over the classes, but I see teaching as the payoff for all the hard work I’ve put in on getting this computer lab up and running.”
“That makes sense. I’m guessing working side by side with the people you’re hoping to help makes it easier to get the job done right.” He went back to writing down the numbers. “Too many people throw money at a problem from a distance without ever bothering to find out how it’s spent or what really works.”
“That sounds like the voice of experience.”
He shrugged. “You can’t serve in hot spots around the world and not learn a little about the subject.”
She didn’t press for details. The grim set to his mouth made it clear that the memories associated with the subject weren’t happy ones. “The good news is that lunch should be about ready.”
“Do you want me to haul the boxes out to the recycling bin?”
“Not yet. There’s always a chance one of the computers is faulty and will need to go back. Until the IT group has a chance to test them, we’ll need to keep the boxes handy.”
She checked the last number she’d recorded to make sure it was right. Tino had one more machine to go, so she leaned against the counter and waited for him to finish. When he handed her his clipboard, she set it aside with hers.
“Let’s lock up and then head into the cafeteria for lunch.”
While he waited for her, Tino cleared his throat and then asked, “Should I save you a seat?”
Did he doubt that she’d want to have lunch with him? She fell into step beside him as they started down the hall. “Actually, no, you won’t have to. I told Rosalie I couldn’t serve today, because I have to be available to help in here if they need me. So unless you have other plans, we can go through the line together and then stake out a corner of our own to eat.”
“Sounds good. What do you want me to do this afternoon?”
All kinds of ideas flooded into her mind, none of which were appropriate under the circumstances. “There’s a chart of what needs to be done today posted in the gym with the names of the team captains listed at the top. I’m sure any of them would be glad to have your help.”
“I’ll check it out.” He sniffed the air. “Something smells good.”
“I think an Italian restaurant did lunch today, and an organic bakery provided the desserts. Rosalie has a real talent for getting local businesses involved with the project. They often either donate the food or provide it at cost. In return, they get free advertising on the foundation’s website and in any publications we produce.”
“You guys do an impressive job.”
His comment pleased her. “We try. It’s important to stretch the foundation’s budget as far as it can go. We do get grants that really help, but my grandfather funds most of our projects.”
“He sounds like a nice man.”
She laughed. “Hardly. He’s a grouchy old coot, something he takes great pride in.”
Tino glanced down at her. “You adore him.”
“That I do. My parents both love me, but he’s the one member of the family who really understands me.”
They’d reached the cafeteria. Tino handed her a tray and took one for himself. “Do you get to see him very often?”
“I try to go over to his house every Tuesday morning. Updating him on the current projects and any we’re thinking about taking on is supposed to be the real purpose of the visits. He likes to keep his hand in as much as his health allows, and I value his advice. Mostly, I just like spending time with him.”
As they moved along in the line, she wondered if Tino and Cyrus would hit it off. Somehow she thought they would, but it was too early in their relationship for the whole meet-the-family thing to start. After all, they’d only gone on one date and spent two days working here at the center. Well, and then there were those amazing kisses.
Soon, though, if things between her and Tino continued to heat up. For now, they’d share lunch and then go their separate ways for the afternoon. After that, maybe she’d get up her courage and invite him over for dinner. The fact that the two of them enjoying a meal together behind locked doors would also provide that bit of privacy Tino mentioned earlier had nothing to do with the idea.
Nope, not at all. That was her story, and she was sticking to it.
—
What was Natalie thinking about so hard? He didn’t have such a big ego that he assumed every thought she had was about him. Regardless, right now Tino would bet his last dollar it was true this time. They’d piled their plates high with lasagna, salad, and garlic bread before finding a table for two in the back corner.
Since she was on a tight schedule, they concentrated on eating. While they ate, he considered his next move. He wanted to ask her out again, but his budget wouldn’t support many evenings like their first date. Maybe a long drive up to the state park at Deception Pass or a picnic lunch would work. It would feel good to get away for a few hours, and he knew that Natalie didn’t get much downtime.
She checked her watch for the third time in the past ten minutes. “Look, I’ve got to go in a minute, but I wanted to ask you something.”
He set down his fork to give her his full attention. As soon as he did, she suddenly found the circle of moisture on the table where her glass had been sitting absolutely riveting. Using her fingertip to make patterns in the water, she finally lifted her eyes to meet his. Something in her expression had his own tension level ramping up.
“I was wondering if you’d like to have dinner at my place sometime soon. My schedule next week is pretty full, but the week after would be good. Please don’t feel like you have to say yes.”
That tight spot in his chest eased up. “I would love to have dinner with you.”
He reached across the table to entwine his fingers with hers. “And for the record, I was sitting here trying to get up the nerve to ask if you’d like to go on a picnic.”
Her dimples appeared, a sign his confession pleased her. “Why don’t we do the picnic a week from tomorrow?”
“Great idea. And if it rains, we can always ride the state ferry out to Friday
Harbor and back. If the weather breaks, we could eat outside there. If not, we can always eat while we’re on board and still enjoy the view.”
“That sounds wonderful. I can’t remember the last time I went on a picnic.” She checked the time again and frowned. “Gotta go. Let’s also plan on dinner a week from Wednesday. If you need to change the day, give me a call. I can be flexible.”
To his surprise, she leaned in and gave him a quick kiss before she was off and running, moving at full speed. Tino leaned back in his chair and watched her go. Damn, he couldn’t wait to see if she brought that much energy to other pursuits. And her comment about being flexible had him thinking things his conscience said he shouldn’t be, not that it stopped a few intriguing images from taking up residence in his head. Man, he couldn’t wait to find out if any of them came close to the reality of taking Natalie to bed. Holding up his fingers, he counted off the days until he’d finally have that woman all to himself on their picnic, not to mention for an entire evening at her place.
He carried his tray over to the counter and tossed his trash. Whistling, he waved at Rosalie and headed down the hall to see where he could lend a helping hand. Time to get back to work. He liked feeling useful, but mainly the long wait until their outings would pass faster if he kept busy. True, he wasn’t stupid enough to assume that she had anything in mind other than the two of them sharing a meal at her place, but there was no mistaking the heat in her eyes when she’d issued the invitation.
Regardless, he’d be considering all the potential possibilities when the two of them would finally be alone behind closed doors. Oh, yeah, he couldn’t wait.
Chapter 7
Three hours later, Tino stashed all of his stuff back in his toolbox and shut the lid. After waving at Clarence, he headed down the hall that would take him past the computer lab one last time. Maybe Natalie was ready to call it a day, too.
No such luck. It was clear that she and the group of IT volunteers were still at it. From the number of frowns on their faces, they’d run into a snag along the way that might not be unraveled anytime soon. Natalie happened to glance up just as he passed by the window. When she waved but made no move toward the door, he waved back and moved on. Considering the hard day she’d put in, he hoped for her sake they finished up soon.
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