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Oh, but she did

She leaned closer, but before she could press her lips to his, his entle and sweeter than any she’d shared in recent ainst h her system, it was much, much more than one sine and she wanted to reach up to thread her fingers through his dark hair and pull hiet an even better taste

Stunned by her strong feelings for a o, Mary instinctively pulled back In the span of one short kiss, she’d forgotten not only that his partners were sitting at the table with them but that they were in the o learned to be aware of her behavior in public, especially as her faer Over the years she would often find her naht out

More than a little worried that she was going to do so to embarrass herself soon, she scooted off her seat "Thank you for the cha was fine, but her lips were still tingling froainst hers "I’m sorry to have to leave already, but I’ll be in touch with the photographer’s inforht at the very latest"

Larry and Hoere loose enough frooodbye Layla also hugged her and whispered, "Thank you again for saving the boys I don’t knohat they would have done without you"

Jack had gotten up frooodbye, he said, "I’ll take you ho herself around hiine how little self-control she’d be able to muster up if they went to a more private location Besides, at this point she desperately needed a cool and breezy walk back to her place to help clear her h for her to syste involved with Jack nohen their proun--was a bad idea

"You should stay to celebrate, Jack"

But he was already slipping her jacket on over her shoulders "I’ll call you both to to coordinate our schedules for next week," he told Larry and Howie as he reached for his coat After kissing Layla on the cheek, he put his hand on the small of Mary’s back and walked to the entrance with her

Despite his presence behind her, she felt unsteady in her heels for the first tier on her first catwalk Not because of the chane, which she’d barely sipped, but because Jack’s nearness affected her so powerfully

Out on the curb he started to hail a cab, but Mary put her hand on his arm "I’d much rather walk, if you don’t mind"

He covered her hand with his to keep them connected "Which way?"

She nodded in the direction of the Bay "Nob Hill"

"That’s a half-dozen blocks" He looked down at the heels on her boots "You can walk that far in those?"