“Hello, Professor Taylor.” I maneuver around the counter and stretch my arm out, taking his hand in mine.
“Hello, Daisy. Thank you for agreeing to give me a tour of the shelter.” His fingertips brush along my skin.
“You’re very welcome.” I beam at him like any other community member and tug my arm backward. He grips harder as his gaze meets mine. Damn him. No matter where we are, he’s determined to prove I’m putty in his hands.
“I can’t wait to hear all about it.”
I tug again, and this time, he relents but not before he bites his bottom lip and sweeps his gaze over me. Son of a bitch. It’s hot in here. I fight the urge to fan myself.
“It’s great to have someone new be interested in the shelter.” Melissa steps forward as they introduce themselves to each other. Their handshake is fast, professional, and efficient.
“Software design is my passion project, but when Daisy spoke about the shelter in class, I was intrigued.” He shoves his hands into his jeans. He’s paired them with a button-down white dress shirt with rolled-up sleeves, exposing his tattoo-covered forearms.
What is it about those veins in a man’s forearms that makes a girl want to drop her panties and ride a bull?
“Daisy has a passion for this work.” Melissa glances at me. “If only we could convince her to take on the program director’s role, everything would be perfect.” She returns her attention to Alexander. “I should enlist your help in convincing her to stay here.”
“Oh….” He draws his hands out of his pockets and raises them in defense. “I’m not willing to get involved in that. Daisy needs to make her own decisions regarding her future. She’s a brilliant woman. I’m sure she’ll choose what’s best for her future.”
“Lord….” Melissa shakes her head. “You’re good-looking and smart. We should clone you.” She tilts her head sideways. “Do you have an older brother?”
“No.” He chuckles. “I’m an only child.”
“Too bad. Enjoy your tour and try to keep your hands to yourself.” She steps toward the office.
“Melissa!”
She glances over her shoulder, “You might be able to fool those kids at the university, but I’ve been around the block a few times. And I know smoldering chemistry when I see it.”
The blood in my ears whooshes. What if we’re not fooling anyone? Are we teetering on the brink of destruction? Shit. Everything is going to blow up in our faces.
“Daisy.” She glares at me. “Stop fretting. I’m a romantic at heart, and I’ve worked at the shelter for years. I’m paid to watch for subtle cues to keep clients safe. Your eyes light up when you see each other. Your handshake was held too long. Fingers brushing. The too-sexy lip bite.” She shrugs. “It’s a habit I can’t stop.”
“I’m sorry. I’ll go.” Alexander rakes his hand through his hair.
“No. It’s okay. No one else will notice, and no one would say anything if they did.” She grins. “Just don’t play footsie in front of the police. Or a doctor. Or an attorney. They’re keen at noticing details.”
“Thank you, Melissa. We will be on our best behavior. I promise.” I relax my shoulders. “And it’s good information to have. We need to be more careful how we interact around certain people.”
Once we’re alone, Alexander touches my shoulder. “If you want me to go, I will. I don’t want to cause you any problems.”
“You won’t. I want you here. And it’s nice to have a place where I don’t have to pretend. Or at least I don’t have to stress that every move is being watched. Melissa is the only one in the office tonight. The other staff are newer and won’t be as good at reading subtle tells. And the clients?” I shrug. “They’re too worried about their lives to care about ours.”
“It is nice.” He squeezes my shoulder. “Lead the way. I want to see what the shelter has to offer.”
Twenty minutes later, I’ve shown him everything from the therapist rooms to the education center to the housing areas where the on-site women and children stay.
“These are nice. I wasn’t expecting such comfortable accommodations for an emergency shelter. Where does someone go when the situation is stable?”
“We have several homes throughout the city for clients to live with varying degrees of independence. Some of the homes are multi-family dwellings, and a few are single-family houses. Those are for clients who have employment and transportation secured.”
“Tell me more about the services you have to offer.”
We walk side by side to the small cafeteria space. It’s reminiscent of a school cafeteria but less formal, with intimate seating arrangements for families to eat together. If they want, they can pull the tables together and eat as a larger group. The tables are oak with solid cushioned chairs.
“Here at the on-site shelter, we have cooks, a maintenance crew, lawn care, a doctor’s office, therapists, a daycare, employment specialists, salon services, and a pharmacy. Granted, the specialized services are only a few days a week, but it’s helpful to have everything located in one area so that there are no barriers between the clients and the services they need.”
He leans against a table and crosses his arms over his chest. “That is amazing. I can’t believe there’s something this advanced here in town, and I’ve never heard of it.”