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Frowning, I followed him. In all my time working at the bank, I’d received a visitor exactly once—Jay. He wouldn’t just stop by without texting me first.
An hour ago, the bank had been busy with customers, but the space was almost empty now. I couldn’t miss the large man lounging next to an advertisement stand about our mortgage loans.
Griff was here?
“There he is,” the security guard said and walked away. I was too busy staring at Griff to even thank him properly.
Sucking in a deep breath to calm my racing heart, I approached him. He looked Carolina Reaper hot, dressed casually in blue jeans with the knees ripped, a hunter-green T-shirt, and a black leather jacket. He carried his motorcycle helmet in his hand. In my tailored pants and blazer, I felt out of place, even though I was at work. Nobody had a right to look that sinful.
Oh gosh, I would trade him for my turkey sandwich in a heartbeat.
And I wasn’t the only one who’d noticed him. A couple of college-age girls whispered behind their hands while staring shamelessly at him. The mother at the ATM seemed not to realize her child in the stroller was reaching for the money the machine had pushed out of its slot.
“Griff, what are you doing here?” I asked softly. Him showing up at my place of work felt surreal, especially after not seeing him in the last few days.
“I came to take you out to lunch. I didn’t get the time wrong, did I?”
“You didn’t but…”
But what? I had no excuse not to go to lunch with him. Hadn’t I just wished I could swap my turkey sandwich for him?
“You don’t want to?”
“Sure. That sounds good.”
“Are you ready, or do you need to do something first?”
I checked my pockets. I had my phone and wallet on me. “All ready.”
“Good.” Griff placed a hand on the small of my back as we walked toward the exit. He held the door for me like a gentleman, and as soon as he fell into step behind me, his hand was at my back again. His touch burned a hole through my shirt. We might as well have been skin to skin.
“Oh, we can’t go too far,” I said. “I only get an hour.”
“And let me guess. You’re never late.” Griff chuckled.
“What’s wrong with never being late?” I sucked my bottom lip between my teeth.
“Not one damn thing. You’re just different.”
Was different good? In my experience, it always meant the opposite.
“I like it,” Griff said as though he could see the uncertain wheels turning around in my brain.
“You do?”
“Yes, I like it a lot.”
“But you haven’t seen me in four days.” I could have bitten my tongue at how whiny I sounded.
“I had some stuff to do for work, but that’s why I’m here. To make it up to you. Where do you want to eat?”
“Murray’s is just five minutes away.” No, the others went to Murray’s. If they saw me with Griff after turning them down, that would be bad. “Or Ultimate Dining. Definitely that one.”
“Whatever you want.”
But could I really have whatever I wanted? Because I wanted to stop him in the middle of the sidewalk and kiss him, but people bustled around us, and my stomach buzzed too much for me to dare to make the first move.
Ultimate Dining was a small restaurant that operated more like a café, but at night, they transformed the room into a haven for lovers to hang out. Only five tables with four chairs each took up the space, while the bar could seat another seven. The replay of a football game was on. I expected Griff to choose the bar, since it was closer to the television. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
