Gray shook Justin’s hand. “Good evening, young man. Have we met?”
“No, sir. My name is Justin Cartwright, and I was hoping to talk to you about an in-home alert system I’m working on.”
“Well, I’m always looking for something new and exciting, but aren’t there a couple on the market already?”
“Yes, but neither of those systems are able to sense body temperature, and mine can.” Well, it would when he could figure out how to make it work properly. He was still having some trouble with it distinguishing from the room temperature.
Mr. Gray’s eyebrow lifted a fraction. “Is that right?” He reached into his breast pocket, pulled out a card and handed it to Justin. “Why don’t you call my secretary next week and she’ll put you on my calendar. I’m looking forward to hearing about this system.”
Justin accepted the card. “Thank you, sir. I’m looking forward to it, as well. I won’t take up any more of your time. Have a good evening.” He waited until Mr. Gray walked away before going in the other direction. On the outside, Justin maintained a cool facade, but inside he was cheering.
Since there was no one else he wanted to talk to, Justin kept going until he reached the exit. He thought about Siobhan. With any luck, she would be at the coffee shop in the morning.
* * *
Lying in bed later, Justin’s mind drifted back to Siobhan—her eyes, incredible lips and generous curves. He was especially captivated by her directness. It probably warned most men off, but had the exact opposite effect on him. A woman hadn’t caught his attention in a while, but the no-nonsense businesswoman had made a deep impression upon him.
The last long-term relationship he had been in ended a year ago. He had been content with the date nights, good sex and casual conversation, but his ex wanted more than he was prepared to give—marriage and a family—so they parted ways. His focus had been solely on making his product the best on the market, especially after his grandfather died in a home accident that could have been prevented had someone found him sooner.
Justin felt partially responsible because he hadn’t been as focused on his work and put the alert system he was designing on the back burner. He had dated multiple women since then, but none lasted beyond a few dates. He was careful not to give any woman the notion he wanted anything permanent. Maybe he would be ready to settle down in a few years. For now, he had one goal: partnering with Gray Home Safety and making sure no one else suffered the same loss.
By morning, he lay awake in bed still thinking about Siobhan and wondering whether she would show up at the coffee shop later. Justin tossed the covers back, dressed and went out for his morning run. He tried to get in at least three miles four times a week. The run helped clear his thoughts and gave him the opportunity to sort out, in his mind, any kinks in whatever program he was working on. This morning, however, Siobhan Gray crowded the space in his brain. He started with a slow jog until he reached the nearby park trail then increased his pace.
One of the things he liked about living in LA was the weather. The cloudless, early-spring morning was warm enough that he didn’t need to wear a jacket. His feet pounded the paved trail in a steady rhythm as he mentally went over the changes he wanted to make in his program to track movement in the home. He was having trouble with one of the sensors and couldn’t figure out why it stopped working after a certain amount of time. Since he renewed his focus on the project nine months ago, Justin had seen similar products hit the market, but he’d worked to make sure his had an added feature not available on the current models.
Clearing the shaded area, he slowed to a jog and cut across the park back toward his house. Once there, he grabbed a bottle of water from the refrigerator, downed the contents and went upstairs to shower. He wanted to get to the shop a few minutes before eleven.
His cell rang as he was leaving.
“What’s up, Justin?” Bobby said when Justin answered.
“Hey.”
“I wanted to find out if you had a chance to talk to Mr. Gray about your project.”
“No. We didn’t get a chance to discuss it.”
“Oh. I thought for sure you’d have it locked up by now. What happened?”
“I only had a chance to introduce myself.” He decided not to tell his friend that he had got sidetracked.
“I know I have his number somewhere. I can call and set up a meeting if you want.”
“No, that’s okay,” Justin said hastily. “Mr. Gray gave me his card, and I plan to call first thing tomorrow morning.” The last thing he needed was Bobby’s interference. His friend meant well, but Justin wanted to do this on his own. “I’m on my way out, so I gotta go.”
“All right. I have to fly up to the Bay Area to check on the winery and my grandfather. I’ll probably be gone for about six weeks. Let me know if you change your mind.”
“Don’t worry about me. You know I have no problems going after what I want. Just save me a bottle of your best wine for the celebration.”
“Will do. Later.”
He disconnected and pocketed the phone. Hopefully, he would have something to celebrate by the time Bobby returned.
Justin arrived ten minutes before the hour and snagged a table that gave him a good view of the door. He told the server he was waiting for someone and trained his eyes on the entrance. Five after eleven and no sign of Siobhan.
Had he overplayed his hand? He thought for sure, with the chemistry brewing between them, she would show up. He drummed his fingers on the table and took another glance at his watch. The server came back to the table and told him he couldn’t hold up a table without ordering. “Ten minutes,” he told her.
Disappointment filled him when she hadn’t arrived by eleven fifteen. He hadn’t realized how much he wanted to see her again. Dropping his head in his hands, he contemplated his next move. Whatever the case, he had to vacate the booth. When he arrived he had been starving, but his appetite had waned considerably. Justin slid out of the booth and came to his feet. He took one step and froze. Siobhan came through the door and searched until their gazes locked. His heart rate accelerated, and he smiled. Somehow his excitement went well beyond a casual encounter. His gaze lingered on her face then slowly drifted down. Unlike the loose-fitting gown she wore the previous night, today she had on a short-sleeved fitted T and jeans that hugged her curves. A rush of desire hit him hard and fast.
Siobhan hurried over. “I’m so sorry I’m late. I was talking to my sister and lost track of time.”
He bent slightly to kiss her cheek. “No, no. It’s all right. I’m just glad you came.” He gestured for her to sit and slid back in across from her. “I didn’t think you would.”
Looking him directly in the eye, she said, “I hadn’t planned to. I decided at the last minute.”
He had never met a woman so straightforward and who had no problems expressing her opinions. “What made you change your mind?”
She angled her head. “Truthfully, I don’t know,” she said.
The hesitancy he heard in her voice was a stark contrast to the confidence
