drove, remembering all the times she’d had those hands on her. She shivered under a hot rush of memories. They’d talked about food, but really all she wanted at this point was him, the two of them wrapped up in tangled sheets, naked and hungry for one another.
Twenty-four hours before, she’d been nervous about getting dressed with him in the room because he seemed like a stranger.
The realization brought her up short. Sure, she loved him and she wanted him, but was jumping back into the physically intimate part of their relationship smart when they were trying to find emotional intimacy?
“How about I throw us a couple of steaks on the grill when we get home?” He slowed for a red light and rubbed his thumb over his upper lip. Maybe remembering that kiss, her licking him. Her mind replayed his husky groan, and nervousness warred with desire. She needed to think, needed to be smart about this, needed a plan .
“Rob, that part about getting back in bed together, I don’t think that’s a good idea yet.” The words tumbled out of her.
The look he focused on her held equal parts hurt and confusion. “I wasn’t trying to seduce you with a steak, Amy.”
“I know. The steak part is fine.” She struggled for the right words and breathed a momentary sigh of relief when the light turned green and driving demanded his attention once more. “I’m just…the kissing is great. I mean, the kissing is really, really good. But the sex part? I don’t think we’re ready for that. Do you? I’m not sure I even remember the last time we made love—”
“You’re right.” He’d dropped his hand from his mouth, the skin there taut and white. He almost looked ill. “We can wait.”
Relief surged in her, and she melted against the seat, the nerves in her stomach giving way to giddy relaxation. “Thank you. I know it sounds stupid because we’re married and I think we’re headed for good things, but waiting seems best.”
The only answer was the whir of tires on the highway and muted music from the radio turned down low. She shifted her attention from watching the slow evening activity of Coney to his face, jaw tight and eyes straight ahead. He’d looked like that the day his father had died, tensed and hurting and like he would throw up…which he’d ended up doing before the night was over as the shock of his dad’s sudden death had started to wear off.
Any relief she felt disappeared like dew burning off under a hot Georgia sun. “Rob?”
“Hmm?” He braked to take the turn into the GBI office parking lot.
“What’s wrong?” She pored over the conversation. What had she said to put that look on his face?
“Nothing.” He parked next to her car, but left the engine idling. “I was thinking.”
She fiddled with her seat belt. “If you have a reason why we shouldn’t wait—”
“What? No. That’s fine.” He cleared his throat. “Listen, I’m going to run back by the office, see if those cell records came in.”
“Okay.” Still eyeing him, she released the belt. He’d been stressed over starting this job, Troy Lee showing him up, all that junk with Jake yesterday, and today had been a long, hot mess. That would be enough to make anyone tense and sick. “Do you want me to fix us something?”
“Only for you. I’ll go through a drive-through for a burger or something.” He shifted into reverse, and she pushed the door open. “I’ll see you later.”
Like he’d done ever since they were dating, he waited until she was in her car and turning on the road before pulling out of the parking lot himself. In her rearview, Amy watched his truck getting smaller and smaller, finally disappearing in the opposite direction. There’d been no touch or hug or goodbye kiss.
Somehow, they were right back where they’d started.
* * * * *
As he’d expected, the cell records hadn’t shown up. Providers were notorious for taking their sweet time with requests. Like it really mattered, since the
Twenty-four hours before, she’d been nervous about getting dressed with him in the room because he seemed like a stranger.
The realization brought her up short. Sure, she loved him and she wanted him, but was jumping back into the physically intimate part of their relationship smart when they were trying to find emotional intimacy?
“How about I throw us a couple of steaks on the grill when we get home?” He slowed for a red light and rubbed his thumb over his upper lip. Maybe remembering that kiss, her licking him. Her mind replayed his husky groan, and nervousness warred with desire. She needed to think, needed to be smart about this, needed a plan .
“Rob, that part about getting back in bed together, I don’t think that’s a good idea yet.” The words tumbled out of her.
The look he focused on her held equal parts hurt and confusion. “I wasn’t trying to seduce you with a steak, Amy.”
“I know. The steak part is fine.” She struggled for the right words and breathed a momentary sigh of relief when the light turned green and driving demanded his attention once more. “I’m just…the kissing is great. I mean, the kissing is really, really good. But the sex part? I don’t think we’re ready for that. Do you? I’m not sure I even remember the last time we made love—”
“You’re right.” He’d dropped his hand from his mouth, the skin there taut and white. He almost looked ill. “We can wait.”
Relief surged in her, and she melted against the seat, the nerves in her stomach giving way to giddy relaxation. “Thank you. I know it sounds stupid because we’re married and I think we’re headed for good things, but waiting seems best.”
The only answer was the whir of tires on the highway and muted music from the radio turned down low. She shifted her attention from watching the slow evening activity of Coney to his face, jaw tight and eyes straight ahead. He’d looked like that the day his father had died, tensed and hurting and like he would throw up…which he’d ended up doing before the night was over as the shock of his dad’s sudden death had started to wear off.
Any relief she felt disappeared like dew burning off under a hot Georgia sun. “Rob?”
“Hmm?” He braked to take the turn into the GBI office parking lot.
“What’s wrong?” She pored over the conversation. What had she said to put that look on his face?
“Nothing.” He parked next to her car, but left the engine idling. “I was thinking.”
She fiddled with her seat belt. “If you have a reason why we shouldn’t wait—”
“What? No. That’s fine.” He cleared his throat. “Listen, I’m going to run back by the office, see if those cell records came in.”
“Okay.” Still eyeing him, she released the belt. He’d been stressed over starting this job, Troy Lee showing him up, all that junk with Jake yesterday, and today had been a long, hot mess. That would be enough to make anyone tense and sick. “Do you want me to fix us something?”
“Only for you. I’ll go through a drive-through for a burger or something.” He shifted into reverse, and she pushed the door open. “I’ll see you later.”
Like he’d done ever since they were dating, he waited until she was in her car and turning on the road before pulling out of the parking lot himself. In her rearview, Amy watched his truck getting smaller and smaller, finally disappearing in the opposite direction. There’d been no touch or hug or goodbye kiss.
Somehow, they were right back where they’d started.
* * * * *
As he’d expected, the cell records hadn’t shown up. Providers were notorious for taking their sweet time with requests. Like it really mattered, since the
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