Debra Webb - In His Touch Box Set (Here To Stay, Up Close, Tempting Trace, Basic Instincts) by Debra Webb

said eagerly, more interested in the car than what Nathan did for a living.
    Nathan finally drew his gaze from Paige to Calvin. “I suppose that can be arranged.”
    “All right!” Calvin threw up his hand for a high five.
    “On one condition,” Nathan added.
    Calvin’s expression fell.
    “My name is not Tonto or Chief, it’s Nathan, I’d appreciate it if you called me that,” he said evenly.
    Calvin nodded. “Okay man—Nathan. I can do that.”
    “Good.” Nathan breathed a sigh of relief.
    Calvin ran with the conversation. He talked incessantly about cars and motorcycles. Nathan seemed to enjoy talking about guy things with him. Paige liked watching the two of them. So different, yet so intrinsically the same. Full of enthusiasm and totally animated, Calvin’s whole body seemed to be a part of his language. Nathan sat very still, speaking only with his mouth and eyes. Yet the two thought a great deal alike, inherently male.
    After dinner, with the kitchen cleaned and the dishes put away, Calvin excused himself to watch some television.
    “Thanks for dinner,” Nathan told her. “I had a nice time.”
    “I knew you’d like Calvin—once you got to know him.”
    Paige followed Nathan onto the porch. A full moon lit the yard and a surprisingly warm breeze stirred the air.
    “It’s nice out tonight,” he noted as he slipped on his Stetson.
    “Yes, it is.” Paige hugged her arms around herself and fought the shiver that being alone with Nathan generated.
    Nathan stared at the plank porch floor for a long moment. Please go home, Nathan . She couldn’t bear this much longer.
    “Good night,” he finally said. His gaze rested on hers, but he made no move to leave.
    “Good night.” Paige smiled a nervous little smile. If he looked at her like that much longer, she’d simply die on the spot.
    Nathan touched the brim of his hat with two fingers and turned away. She closed her eyes and breathed a tiny sigh of relief—or perhaps regret.
    “Oh, by the way,” Nathan turned around on the first tread of the steps. “Send Calvin around tomorrow and I’ll take him for a ride in the Vette.”
    “That’d be great, Nathan.” She hurried across the porch. With Nathan down a step, she stood almost at eye level with him. “I didn’t want to ask you in front of Calvin, but I have court in the morning. I’d really appreciate it if you would let him hang out with you until I return. I don’t want him to be alone.”
    A frown creased Nathan’s brow. “What’s his story?”
    “I don’t know all the details yet, but we’re going to talk tonight. I would just feel better if I knew you were with him.”
    Nathan nodded. “No problem.”
    “Thanks.”
    “I have one question.”
    “Yes?”
    “On rule number two, when you said friends don’t kiss friends like that, did you mean there was some other way of kissing that would be acceptable?”
    If he only knew how much she wanted him to kiss her again. Right now. But that would be a mistake. She sighed and tried to read the emotion behind the intensity in his gaze. What did he really want from her? He probably didn’t know what he wanted anymore than she knew what she wanted.
    “I didn’t mean to complicate the issue,” he said softly.
    Paige leaned forward the few inches necessary and kissed him on the cheek. “Good night, Nathan.”
    He smiled and brought his fingers to the spot she had kissed. “Good night.”
    Paige turned and walked into the house without looking back. She closed the door and sagged against it. She would have to tell him about Jesse soon. No way could she tolerate this kind of tension. He wanted more than friendship and he wasn’t doing a very good job of hiding it.
    Pushing away from the door, Paige headed for the parlor. She had one more issue to deal with tonight. She crossed the newly carpeted room and shut the television off. She had awakened at seven this morning to find the carpet installers in the parlor. Of course, they