life.
CHAPTER EIGHT
T OM put Caitlin gently on her feet beside the car. He almost kept hold of her, but after nearly twenty minutes of walking with her against his chest, he had to give her up. Any longer and he’d have to start explaining himself.
He didn’t remember the last time he’d held a woman like that. Wondered if he ever had. It was like learning to touch again, to feel, to connect with another human being. He’d been close to the men he worked alongside, but he hadn’t had contact . Holding Caitlin against him was like reigniting someone he used to be, stirring the flailing embers of a fire and slowly coaxing them to flame again.
“How you feeling?” he asked.
Caitlin turned her face up toward him and smiled. “Okay. I think maybe it’s not as bad as I thought.”
He resisted the urge to bend down and touch the delicate skin at her ankle again. She’d flinched earlier, had looked almost panicked, as if she’d thought he was going to hurt her.
Tom pulled his thoughts away from earlier. It was stupid, he must have been mistaken. There was no way Caitlin could have actually been scared of him. Maybe she was jumpy, but she couldn’t be scared. Could she?
Tom tried to change his focus, dragging his eyes from her mouth and trying to forget all about what had happened back there. Or at least he wished he could. Because that kiss had his mind spinning.
“Do you think I should get it checked out?” Caitlin asked.
Tom opened the door for her and guided her down to the seat so she didn’t have to hop on one leg. “I’m sure it’s fine. I had a pretty good look at it. But I bet you’ll need some crutches for the next few days.”
Caitlin pulled her hair tie out and ran her fingers through her long hair, before tying it back up into a more orderly tail again.
His throat ran dry.
She had no idea what she was doing to him. No idea how her every action was affecting him.
“Tom?”
And he had no idea what she’d just said. “Sorry?”
Caitlin gave him a curious look. “I was asking if I should just ice it when I get home.”
“No,” he blurted.
“No? Should I put heat on it? I thought I’d need to ice it, but then you’d know.”
“I don’t want you going home alone. How about you come over for dinner so I can keep an eye on it for you?”
Caitlin’s eyebrows raised. “You cook?”
“Well, no. I mean yes, I do cook, but I’m not cooking tonight,” he corrected.
Now she looked even more confused. “Take-out’s fine. I mean, if you’re sure you want me to come over. I kind of ruined your fun last night and now I’ve ruined your hike, so I don’t mind if you want to run and never see me again!”
Tom’s mouth went dry. She had no idea. Seriously no idea how beautiful she was or how cute she was being all chatty and innocent. She’d made him wild last night, sure, but ruined his night? Been on his mind all night, more like. And today couldn’t have been more enjoyable if he’d planned it, aside from her being in pain over her fall. Today had been exactly what he’d needed.
“We’re actually all having dinner tonight, my whole family, so it’ll be my mom’s cooking and I can definitely vouch for it being great.”
Caitlin visibly relaxed. “So you’re asking me to your family’s get-together…” Her sentence trailed off. “Are you sure they won’t mind?”
Tom chuckled as he leaned in toward her, arms folded over the door as he looked at her. “Mind? I’ve never taken a woman to my mom’s house for dinner in my life, so I’d say their reaction would be the complete opposite of mind .”
Caitlin stared at him, didn’t say anything. But a gentle smile did make her lips curve.
“I didn’t mean to freak you out,” he apologized. “It doesn’t have to be a big deal at all. We can go out to a restaurant instead if you’d like?”
Her smile widened. “I don’t mind either way. I’d love to come.”
Tom was relieved. “Well, alrighty
CHAPTER EIGHT
T OM put Caitlin gently on her feet beside the car. He almost kept hold of her, but after nearly twenty minutes of walking with her against his chest, he had to give her up. Any longer and he’d have to start explaining himself.
He didn’t remember the last time he’d held a woman like that. Wondered if he ever had. It was like learning to touch again, to feel, to connect with another human being. He’d been close to the men he worked alongside, but he hadn’t had contact . Holding Caitlin against him was like reigniting someone he used to be, stirring the flailing embers of a fire and slowly coaxing them to flame again.
“How you feeling?” he asked.
Caitlin turned her face up toward him and smiled. “Okay. I think maybe it’s not as bad as I thought.”
He resisted the urge to bend down and touch the delicate skin at her ankle again. She’d flinched earlier, had looked almost panicked, as if she’d thought he was going to hurt her.
Tom pulled his thoughts away from earlier. It was stupid, he must have been mistaken. There was no way Caitlin could have actually been scared of him. Maybe she was jumpy, but she couldn’t be scared. Could she?
Tom tried to change his focus, dragging his eyes from her mouth and trying to forget all about what had happened back there. Or at least he wished he could. Because that kiss had his mind spinning.
“Do you think I should get it checked out?” Caitlin asked.
Tom opened the door for her and guided her down to the seat so she didn’t have to hop on one leg. “I’m sure it’s fine. I had a pretty good look at it. But I bet you’ll need some crutches for the next few days.”
Caitlin pulled her hair tie out and ran her fingers through her long hair, before tying it back up into a more orderly tail again.
His throat ran dry.
She had no idea what she was doing to him. No idea how her every action was affecting him.
“Tom?”
And he had no idea what she’d just said. “Sorry?”
Caitlin gave him a curious look. “I was asking if I should just ice it when I get home.”
“No,” he blurted.
“No? Should I put heat on it? I thought I’d need to ice it, but then you’d know.”
“I don’t want you going home alone. How about you come over for dinner so I can keep an eye on it for you?”
Caitlin’s eyebrows raised. “You cook?”
“Well, no. I mean yes, I do cook, but I’m not cooking tonight,” he corrected.
Now she looked even more confused. “Take-out’s fine. I mean, if you’re sure you want me to come over. I kind of ruined your fun last night and now I’ve ruined your hike, so I don’t mind if you want to run and never see me again!”
Tom’s mouth went dry. She had no idea. Seriously no idea how beautiful she was or how cute she was being all chatty and innocent. She’d made him wild last night, sure, but ruined his night? Been on his mind all night, more like. And today couldn’t have been more enjoyable if he’d planned it, aside from her being in pain over her fall. Today had been exactly what he’d needed.
“We’re actually all having dinner tonight, my whole family, so it’ll be my mom’s cooking and I can definitely vouch for it being great.”
Caitlin visibly relaxed. “So you’re asking me to your family’s get-together…” Her sentence trailed off. “Are you sure they won’t mind?”
Tom chuckled as he leaned in toward her, arms folded over the door as he looked at her. “Mind? I’ve never taken a woman to my mom’s house for dinner in my life, so I’d say their reaction would be the complete opposite of mind .”
Caitlin stared at him, didn’t say anything. But a gentle smile did make her lips curve.
“I didn’t mean to freak you out,” he apologized. “It doesn’t have to be a big deal at all. We can go out to a restaurant instead if you’d like?”
Her smile widened. “I don’t mind either way. I’d love to come.”
Tom was relieved. “Well, alrighty
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