Her eyes widened and darkened, exactly what he thought they would. It was probably nothing more than the thrill that had him feeling alive for the first time in days. However, with little or no effort, this woman had done what an entire bottle of Jack Daniels had failed to do the night before; she'd silenced the questions that had been disturbing him.

     'Is this ok?' she said looking at the informal meal before them. She put two glasses of water and paper plates.

He spoke before thinking. 'I don't think I've ever eaten on the floor.'

She turned away and started to gather the boxes of food. 'I thought sso. A man like you would want to eat at the dining room table. I can move...'

     He grabbed her to stop. 'I didn't say I wouldn't like it. I just said I hadn't done it before.'  Touching her so good. He released her arm.

     'Sit.' he ordered.

     Her eyebrows raised. 'Do people do what you tell them to do?' she asked without sitting.

     'Usually.' he answered.

     'I'm not sure I like you.' Kim's eyes start to glare.

     Excitement shot through him, 'I'm not sure you have to.'

     Their eyes met and there is no hiding the attraction they fel for each other. She looked away first, sitting on the cushion and carefully opening a apir of chopstcks. He knelt on his cushion without taking of his eyes off her. He just thought he doesn't know anything about her. Hell, he doesn't even know her name! He'd avoided asking for the same reasom he hadn't offered his own. Just tonight he didn't want the outside world to intrude.

     'Thank you.' he sadi.

     Her hand jerked almost dropping the sweet and sour chicken she was spooning on her plate. 'For what?'

     He waited until she look back at him. 'For staying.'

     'You looked like you needed somebody to talk to.' Kim said quietly.

     'Talk?' he scoffed. That wasn't women normally offer him and certainly not what he is looking for this evening. He gave her the best suggestive smile. 'Is that really what you think I need?'

     Completely unexpectedly, she mocked instead of melted. 'Wait. Don't tell me you don't do that either.'

     He couldn't help it. He laughed.She had a dry wit and tickled his sense of humor. How long had it been since he'd found a woman anything more than so emotional and clingy?  'You're nothing like the women I'm used to,' he said spontaneouly.. '...but in a good way.' he added before Kim can say something.

     She groaned and looked away. 'Let's not go there again.'

     He leaned over the coffe table to cup her chin lightly with a finger, raising it until she looked at him again. 'Obviously, my charm is rusty.' He ran his thumb lightly over her lips, watched them part instinctively and fought the deisre to haul her up on the small table between them. 'I'm trying to tell you that I find you attractive.'

     Swallowing nervously, she pulled her chin out of his grasp, picked her chopstick again. 'If you want anything more than companionship over a meal, you've asked the wrong woman,' she said and quickly filled with rice.

     He sat back on his heels. 'So prim and proper. do you start all your dates with such declaration?'

     Between casual bites of food, Kim said, 'This isn't a date.'

     'It could be.'

     She choked on her food and reached for her glass of water. After a few gulps she stood and said. 'This is a mistake.'

     He quickly stood and blocekd her exit. He felt her breath quicken. 'Tell me I'm not crazy. Tell me you're just as tempted.' He puled her slowly toward him, until her body is against his.

     'I don't think this is a good idea.'

    Gerald brushed his lips softly over hers, successfully silencing her protests. For a moment she remained unresponsive. Then with a shudder, her lips began to move against his. As he deepend the kiss she wrapped her arms around his neck.With a moan she moved against him, exciting him more.

     'Stay tonight,' he whispered into her neck. 'If I had known that my maid was y, I would have come back here a long time ago.'

     She pulled back so abruptly that he dropped his arms.

     'Crap.' she continues to back away from him.