reassurance.
The maître d’ arrived and saved them from further awkward conversation by leading the Taylors to their table while the hostess guided Whit and Megan to theirs—thankfully on the other side of the room.
Megan settled into her seat, the silver, crystal and candlelight a long way from chicken nuggets and fast food on the run. Music from the quartet filled the silence between them until their waiter took their order. They both settled on the special: rack of lamb, white grits and Texas kale.
As she stabbed at her salad, she realized just how quiet Whit had gone and knew with certainty that the mention of his friend Craig had hit him hard.
“Are you okay?” She rested a hand over Whit’s. “We don’t have to do this tonight.”
“I want to be here with you.” He flipped his hand over to squeeze hers. “I’m good.”
“You don’t have to be Mr. Charming all the time.” In fact, she sometimes wanted a sign to know what was real about him, what she could trust, because lately he seemed too good to be true. “We can call it a night and reschedule.”
His thumb caressed along the sensitive inside of her wrist. “No. I need a distraction and you’re a damn fine one.”
“Thank you, I think.” She tipped her head to the side. “I’m just so sorry for your loss.”
“Me too. It was just so....” The tendons in his neck stood out, and even in the dim candlelight, she could see his pulse throbbing along his temple. “Losing him in that tornado was just so unexpected.”
She agreed on many levels. The whole town of Royal, Texas, had been tipped upside down by that storm. “Do you think we’re both just reacting to all that life-and-death adrenaline?”
His gaze snapped up to meet hers. “What I feel for you has nothing to do with a natural disaster.”
“But I kissed you that day and that changed things between us.”
“Lady,” a smile finally tugged at his handsome face, “I was attracted to you long before that kiss.”
She’d suspected, but hearing that gave her a rush far headier than it should have. “I thought I was just a great big pain in the butt since I moved to town.”
He glanced down again. “Craig used to tell me I should just sweep you off your feet.”
“You told him how you felt?”
Whit shook his head. “I didn’t have to. Craig guessed. He said it was obvious every time I looked at you.” And his eyes held hers again now, full of heat and intensity. “But you shut me down cold right from the start. And I can’t blame you. We had our disagreements. I thwarted your business plans. And you were quite vocal in your disapproval of my company buying wetlands. I thought I was saving us both a lot of grief by steering clear. Then you kissed me, and all bets were off. I would have acted sooner but when we got the news about Craig....”
The confirmation that he’d been wanting a relationship with her for so long rattled her more than a little. “You’ve been grieving.”
“I have...still am.” He glanced down for a couple of heartbeats before swallowing hard and looking back up at her. “But that doesn’t stop life from happening. And it doesn’t stop me from thinking about what happened between us that day. We can’t ignore it.”
Her face flamed. “I’m embarrassed that I kissed you.”
“But you liked it.” He leaned back in his chair, watching her over the candlelight. “So did I.”
She couldn’t deny it to him or to herself any longer. She wanted Whit, and she wanted him for more than just one night. “Obviously I liked it.”
He leaned closer, took her hand across the table, the heat in his eyes smokier than the candle between them. “Then let’s do it again.”
Seven
A fter Whit’s suggestive comment, dinner had passed in a blur of anticipation as she waited for this moment. To be in Whit’s sports car heading to his house. To be alone. Together.
A part of her knew she’d done a grave disservice to the fine cuisine, but she
The maître d’ arrived and saved them from further awkward conversation by leading the Taylors to their table while the hostess guided Whit and Megan to theirs—thankfully on the other side of the room.
Megan settled into her seat, the silver, crystal and candlelight a long way from chicken nuggets and fast food on the run. Music from the quartet filled the silence between them until their waiter took their order. They both settled on the special: rack of lamb, white grits and Texas kale.
As she stabbed at her salad, she realized just how quiet Whit had gone and knew with certainty that the mention of his friend Craig had hit him hard.
“Are you okay?” She rested a hand over Whit’s. “We don’t have to do this tonight.”
“I want to be here with you.” He flipped his hand over to squeeze hers. “I’m good.”
“You don’t have to be Mr. Charming all the time.” In fact, she sometimes wanted a sign to know what was real about him, what she could trust, because lately he seemed too good to be true. “We can call it a night and reschedule.”
His thumb caressed along the sensitive inside of her wrist. “No. I need a distraction and you’re a damn fine one.”
“Thank you, I think.” She tipped her head to the side. “I’m just so sorry for your loss.”
“Me too. It was just so....” The tendons in his neck stood out, and even in the dim candlelight, she could see his pulse throbbing along his temple. “Losing him in that tornado was just so unexpected.”
She agreed on many levels. The whole town of Royal, Texas, had been tipped upside down by that storm. “Do you think we’re both just reacting to all that life-and-death adrenaline?”
His gaze snapped up to meet hers. “What I feel for you has nothing to do with a natural disaster.”
“But I kissed you that day and that changed things between us.”
“Lady,” a smile finally tugged at his handsome face, “I was attracted to you long before that kiss.”
She’d suspected, but hearing that gave her a rush far headier than it should have. “I thought I was just a great big pain in the butt since I moved to town.”
He glanced down again. “Craig used to tell me I should just sweep you off your feet.”
“You told him how you felt?”
Whit shook his head. “I didn’t have to. Craig guessed. He said it was obvious every time I looked at you.” And his eyes held hers again now, full of heat and intensity. “But you shut me down cold right from the start. And I can’t blame you. We had our disagreements. I thwarted your business plans. And you were quite vocal in your disapproval of my company buying wetlands. I thought I was saving us both a lot of grief by steering clear. Then you kissed me, and all bets were off. I would have acted sooner but when we got the news about Craig....”
The confirmation that he’d been wanting a relationship with her for so long rattled her more than a little. “You’ve been grieving.”
“I have...still am.” He glanced down for a couple of heartbeats before swallowing hard and looking back up at her. “But that doesn’t stop life from happening. And it doesn’t stop me from thinking about what happened between us that day. We can’t ignore it.”
Her face flamed. “I’m embarrassed that I kissed you.”
“But you liked it.” He leaned back in his chair, watching her over the candlelight. “So did I.”
She couldn’t deny it to him or to herself any longer. She wanted Whit, and she wanted him for more than just one night. “Obviously I liked it.”
He leaned closer, took her hand across the table, the heat in his eyes smokier than the candle between them. “Then let’s do it again.”
Seven
A fter Whit’s suggestive comment, dinner had passed in a blur of anticipation as she waited for this moment. To be in Whit’s sports car heading to his house. To be alone. Together.
A part of her knew she’d done a grave disservice to the fine cuisine, but she
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