"She knew she was rambling but couldn't seem to stop. His continued silence had stretched her nerves nearly to the snapping point. "Miss Greyson?" His deep voice cut through her babble, sparing her from further maligning her own intelligence. "Yes?" She forced her chin up. The lines that had grooved his face mere moments ago were now barely visible. It was as if ten years of hard living had just fallen away. Her own heart lightened in response. A grin broke out across Darius Thornton's face. "I think I might just have to kiss you." Chapter 11 And then, unbelievably, he did. His warning gave Nicole no time to react, for as soon as the words left his mouth, Darius Thornton gripped her upper arms and planted a fast yet fierce kiss on her lips. Oh, it was perfectly chaste--a celebratory kiss, not anything with romantic intent--but it rattled her just the same. He laughed, called her a genius, and immediately snatched his logbook from her fingers and began jotting notes in the margin as he returned his attention to the boilers."