December 17<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, spill it. What time did he leave?\u201d<\/p>\n
Molly grinned at Sue, who was perched on one of the stools in the kitchen. \u201cAre you going to be disappointed if I tell you he left around midnight, after helping me frost brownies?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOnly if you tell me that he didn\u2019t kiss you or anything like that,\u201d Sue said, picking a ripe raspberry from the bowl and popping it in her mouth. \u201cActually, I won\u2019t be disappointed in you \u2013 I\u2019ll be disappointed in him.\u201d She cocked her head at Molly. \u201cSo, did he?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell\u2026\u201d Molly said, pretending to concentrate on the frosting she was mixing up. Then she laughed. \u201cFeel free to be disappointed in both of us, because he didn\u2019t. Not a real kiss, that is. I got a very nice kiss on the forehead when he left.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat? The forehead?\u201d Sue grabbed another berry and crunched viciously into it. \u201cBastard.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause he didn\u2019t kiss me?\u201d Molly\u2019s laughter rang out again over the carols playing on the kitchen\u2019s CD player. \u201cReally, Sue, you should be happy he\u2019s a gentleman.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sue muttered something that Molly didn\u2019t catch, then sighed. \u201cI suppose you\u2019re right, but dammit, I heard about your performance at the pond. You can\u2019t get more romantic than that. Why didn\u2019t he capitalize on that?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cProbably because he\u2019s smart enough to know that if he pushes me too far too fast, I\u2019ll shove him off the boat,\u201d Molly said. \u201cYou know that. I hate to be pushed like that. Drew\u2019s a gentleman.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you think he\u2019s your secret admirer?\u201d <\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s a very good possibility,\u201d Molly admitted.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo what if he\u2019s not?\u201d Sue said. \u201cWould you still choose him?\u201d<\/p>\n
The question hung in the air between them; Molly didn\u2019t answer, because she wasn\u2019t honestly certain of what she would do if Drew wasn\u2019t SA. What if it was Luke? Or Tom? Or someone else she hadn\u2019t considered? The problem was, every time she started to think like that, her stomach gave an odd little flip. \u201cI don\u2019t know,\u201d she said finally. \u201cMaybe I\u2019m not in love with any of them. Maybe I\u2019m just in love with the idea of a secret admirer. Gods, that would suck, wouldn\u2019t it?\u201d<\/p>\n
And then she heard a cough, and both she and Sue looked up to see Luke standing in the doorway. She looked into his eyes and her stomach gave that little flip again, although this time, she wasn\u2019t sure if it was pleasure at seeing him or embarrassment that he\u2019d obviously overheard her. \u201cHey,\u201d she said, blushing a bit.<\/p>\n
Luke chuckled. \u201cAm I welcome here, or intruding?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot intruding.\u201d Molly surrendered to her embarrassment. \u201cCome on in before I stick my foot any further in my mouth.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou didn\u2019t, you were being honest,\u201d Luke said, coming in and snagging the other stool. He winked at Sue. \u201cBesides, you didn\u2019t say you weren\u2019t interested. Just that you weren\u2019t sure. Still gives us hope.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you admitting to something?\u201d Sue demanded.<\/p>\n
\u201cSure. Thinking Molly\u2019s a gorgeous sexy lady.\u201d Luke grinned. \u201cThat\u2019s no secret.\u201d When Sue pouted, he laughed. \u201cYou aren\u2019t getting me to admit to anything else yet. This little play isn\u2019t done yet, and if I reveal anything too early, I\u2019ll blow the entire story.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you here to visit or to tease?\u201d Molly asked him, bringing a tray of cooled cupcakes over to the island. She then filled the icing bag and began to pipe little red stars on top of the first cupcake.<\/p>\n
\u201cA little of both,\u201d Luke admitted. \u201cI wanted to stop in and see you, and I brought you a present.\u201d He reached down into the bag at his feet and brought out a smallish box. It was about the size of a box one might give a mug or a tea cup in, and Molly\u2019s eyes widened. Her fondness for mugs and cups was well-known. His next words, however, confused her. \u201cI know you have a wreath, and a tree, but I really think you needed this as well. To round out your Christmas decorations.\u201d<\/p>\n
Molly and Sue exchanged dubious glances, but Molly put down her icing bag and picked up the box. It was lighter than she\u2019d expected. Curiouser and curiouser. She opened the flap and lifted out\u2026<\/p>\n
\u201cA kissing ball!\u201d Sue said, clapping her hands. \u201cOh, Molly, you have to hang it up!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHere?\u201d Molly shot Sue an amused look. \u201cAunt Marge might not like me letting folks kiss in the kitchen. Never mind what the health department would say.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cConsidering the Health Inspector knows you personally and knows how clean you keep this kitchen, I doubt it\u2019s a problem,\u201d Sue said. \u201cBesides, it\u2019s not like kissing is a dirty habit.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, kissing is definitely not a dirty habit.\u201d Luke took the kissing ball from Molly\u2019s fingers, got up from the stool, walked around the island to stand next to her and held it over her head. \u201cIs it?\u201d<\/p>\n
Molly forgot about the cupcakes waiting to be frosted, forgot about Sue sitting on the other side of the island, forgot about everything except the taste of Luke\u2019s mouth on hers as he leaned down and kissed her. Aunt Marge could have marched Carter High\u2019s jazz quartet through the kitchen and she wouldn\u2019t have noticed. Time slowed and then stop as Luke showed her exactly what a gentle, thorough kiss could do to her.<\/p>\n
Then he stepped back, handed her the kissing ball and, tipping his cap to both girls, grabbed his bag and left. He nodded to Aunt Marge as he passed her in the doorway.<\/p>\n
\u201cMolly?\u201d Aunt Marge looked at her niece closely. \u201cAre you okay?\u201d<\/p>\n
Her knees were buckling. Nodding dumbly, Molly sank down onto the stool she\u2019d pushed aside earlier.<\/p>\n
Sue laughed. \u201cShe\u2019s just been well and truly kissed, Aunt Marge. Give her some time to recover.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAh, he\u2019s a good kisser, then?\u201d Aunt Marge nodded in satisfaction. \u201cGood. That\u2019s important.\u201d She laid down the red envelope she\u2019d carried in and nodded again. \u201cVery important.\u201d<\/p>\n