“Right on time,” she said.
He leaned in and drew her close because he couldn’t help it. She didn’t resist, so he kissed her lips and then kissed her exposed shoulder. Okay, so he couldn’t wait until later.
“Are you ready to go?” she asked, touching his face.
He thought about saying no, that he’d rather stay in and undress her. From the longing in her eyes, she wouldn’t have minded. But he’d promised to take her to a movie and that’s what he intended to do, if for no other reason than to prove there was more than just sex between them.
“Sure,” he said. She grabbed her purse, and as she shut the door, he asked, “Have you gotten that door fixed?”
“Not yet. I’ll get someone to look at it soon.”
“Here, let me look at it.” Ryan pushed it back open and turned on the light in the foyer. He crouched down in front of the lock and examined the deadbolt, twisting it left and right. “Hmm . . .”
“What is it?” She stood over him.
“Looks like the latch is lining up fine with the plate, but it may need a little lubrication. I have some WD-40 in the truck. It’ll only take a few minutes, and then we can leave.”
He retrieved the can. When he came back, he swung the door inward and crouched down in front of it again, intending to spray into the holes.
“Hey there, neighbor.”
Ryan looked up to see a black male coming up the steps. He had a low-cut Afro with flecks of gray at the temples and wore an expensive jogging suit with brand new tennis shoes.
“Hi, Jerome.”
“You look lovely.” His gaze traveled over Shawna in a more-than-neighborly fashion. The muscles in Ryan’s shoulders tensed. “I see you finally hired some help,” the man continued. “I guess you don’t need me anymore.”
“Ryan’s not maintenance. He’s . . . a friend.”
Still in the crouched position, Ryan glanced at Shawna. Okay, fair enough, they hadn’t defined their relationship yet, but they were more than friends. And what a facetious comment from this guy, because he had to know it was highly unlikely hired help would be working on Shawna’s door this time of night.
“I’ve known Shawna for a while,” Jerome said. “I’ve never seen you before.”
Ryan rose from his position and stood to face the man, with Shawna on his right between them. “Well, you can expect to see me much more often.”
Jerome raised his eyebrows. “I see. Well, if you’re not a handyman, what is it that you do?” He looked him over with a certain insolence that suggested whatever Ryan did would never be up to par. It didn’t faze Ryan. He’d had his share of people looking down their noses at him because he tended to wear jeans and had a nontraditional job. Men like Jerome annoyed more than upset him, but Jerome’s relationship with Shawna disquieted him.
“I make custom furniture. And you?”
“I’m an attorney,” Jerome said, a certain authoritative tone to his voice. He even seemed to stand up straighter. “It was nice to meet you, Ryan, and if you’re a friend of Shawna’s, you’re a friend of mine.”
“Actually, Shawna and I are a little more than friends.” Ryan slipped his arm around her shoulders. She stiffened and looked up at him, but he watched Jerome’s reaction and wasn’t surprised when he saw jealousy surface in the other man’s eyes as he honed in on Ryan’s arm.
“I didn’t mean to step on any toes,” Jerome said smoothly. “Shawna and I have been friends about two years now, and we help each other out every now and again.”
“Mostly you help me, and I appreciate everything you do,” Shawna said.
“Help with what?” Ryan asked.
“Nothing much,” Jerome replied. “I do little things for her, like help her move furniture or even something as simple as replacing the light bulb on her porch.” He looked pointedly at Shawna.