instant unity. Their eyes met and he was sure they both felt it. A split second of that unmistakable couple feeling he’d once known well. Something expanded inside his chest before he squashed it down.
He glanced at his watch as much to check the time as to push that long ago feeling aside. “Perfect timing. What do you think?”
“Sure. Let’s do it.”
Chapter 12
An hour and a half later they exited the theater to an afternoon sun slipping low behind the buildings, leaving the sidewalk in cool shadow. Stephen stepped away to drop their empty popcorn containers in a waste can and she took the opportunity to check her phone.
Three missed calls, all from Nick. Her finger hovered over the button to call him back, but she texted him instead. She didn’t want to waste her time with Stephen explaining where she was.
When he returned to her side, he took her hand and linked their fingers as he had in the movie. Warm and solid, and her heart tripped. They didn’t talk about what to do next, just a silent mutual agreement to keep walking.
There was a lot more to him than rich businessman. He’d been like a little kid in the aquarium. And smart.
Really
smart. Spouting off facts before even reading the placards in front of each glass case. And he made her laugh with his silly made-up nonsense; even better, he’d made Lola laugh. It seemed nothing rattled him, and as much as just being near him made her nervous, it also felt good. He made her smile.
It would have been easier if he’d turned out to be a jerk. Easier to say no, easier to protect herself. The more she liked him, the more she struggled against that niggling fear reminding her she had little ability to tell the good guys from the bad.
They watched street performers and stood in line to pet a white tiger cub from a local zoo. She didn’t even want to know how much money he’d passed the guy to get her an extra five minutes. After that, they decided on dinner, a hibachi-style place. The food was good, the table lively. She learned Stephen had a talent for catching food in his mouth. And that she had none.
They came out of the restaurant to a very different boardwalk. Twinkling lights hung like lace in ornamental trees against the dark sky. As they’d learned from their waiter, tonight was couples night, the last night of Spring Fling Week.
The sound of a band drew them in a certain direction, and Stephen took her hand again. It was becoming a natural thing, his touching her, her liking it. She felt safe and secure with Stephen’s big body shielding her from the crowd. For someone who never felt completely safe, it was amazing. Liberating. Even with her brothers it wasn’t the same, maybe because their tension radiated like a warning blast, constantly on the lookout for danger. Had they always been that way or only after? She couldn’t remember.
People flowed toward the stage. Couples closer to the front danced, some with practiced moves, others content to sway in each other’s arms. She and Stephen stood together for a while overlooking the water, listening and people-watching.
“How about some ice cream?” Stephen suggested.
“Sure.” She waited for him by the rail, tapping her fingers to the beat, wondering what it would be like in Stephen’s arms. To be held against his hard body. How would she fit against him? Would she still feel safe or would she feel trapped?
“Here you go.”
Stephen returned, looking like a proud little boy with his offering. The one bowl he held was huge, piled with mounds of ice cream and topped with chocolate sauce and whipped cream. She certainly didn’t need her own, and there were two spoons, but—
“I thought we could share,” he said with a smile.
Her stomach tumbled again. At the smile. The man. And the intimate act of sharing. Stephen held the bowl for both of them and they took turns until her tiny plastic spoon broke in the hard ice cream. “Well, crap. I’ll get another one.”
Stephen caught
He glanced at his watch as much to check the time as to push that long ago feeling aside. “Perfect timing. What do you think?”
“Sure. Let’s do it.”
Chapter 12
An hour and a half later they exited the theater to an afternoon sun slipping low behind the buildings, leaving the sidewalk in cool shadow. Stephen stepped away to drop their empty popcorn containers in a waste can and she took the opportunity to check her phone.
Three missed calls, all from Nick. Her finger hovered over the button to call him back, but she texted him instead. She didn’t want to waste her time with Stephen explaining where she was.
When he returned to her side, he took her hand and linked their fingers as he had in the movie. Warm and solid, and her heart tripped. They didn’t talk about what to do next, just a silent mutual agreement to keep walking.
There was a lot more to him than rich businessman. He’d been like a little kid in the aquarium. And smart.
Really
smart. Spouting off facts before even reading the placards in front of each glass case. And he made her laugh with his silly made-up nonsense; even better, he’d made Lola laugh. It seemed nothing rattled him, and as much as just being near him made her nervous, it also felt good. He made her smile.
It would have been easier if he’d turned out to be a jerk. Easier to say no, easier to protect herself. The more she liked him, the more she struggled against that niggling fear reminding her she had little ability to tell the good guys from the bad.
They watched street performers and stood in line to pet a white tiger cub from a local zoo. She didn’t even want to know how much money he’d passed the guy to get her an extra five minutes. After that, they decided on dinner, a hibachi-style place. The food was good, the table lively. She learned Stephen had a talent for catching food in his mouth. And that she had none.
They came out of the restaurant to a very different boardwalk. Twinkling lights hung like lace in ornamental trees against the dark sky. As they’d learned from their waiter, tonight was couples night, the last night of Spring Fling Week.
The sound of a band drew them in a certain direction, and Stephen took her hand again. It was becoming a natural thing, his touching her, her liking it. She felt safe and secure with Stephen’s big body shielding her from the crowd. For someone who never felt completely safe, it was amazing. Liberating. Even with her brothers it wasn’t the same, maybe because their tension radiated like a warning blast, constantly on the lookout for danger. Had they always been that way or only after? She couldn’t remember.
People flowed toward the stage. Couples closer to the front danced, some with practiced moves, others content to sway in each other’s arms. She and Stephen stood together for a while overlooking the water, listening and people-watching.
“How about some ice cream?” Stephen suggested.
“Sure.” She waited for him by the rail, tapping her fingers to the beat, wondering what it would be like in Stephen’s arms. To be held against his hard body. How would she fit against him? Would she still feel safe or would she feel trapped?
“Here you go.”
Stephen returned, looking like a proud little boy with his offering. The one bowl he held was huge, piled with mounds of ice cream and topped with chocolate sauce and whipped cream. She certainly didn’t need her own, and there were two spoons, but—
“I thought we could share,” he said with a smile.
Her stomach tumbled again. At the smile. The man. And the intimate act of sharing. Stephen held the bowl for both of them and they took turns until her tiny plastic spoon broke in the hard ice cream. “Well, crap. I’ll get another one.”
Stephen caught
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