AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“And the blush makes you even more attractive.”
“You’re out of your mind, mister.”
He dropped her hands and brought his right hand up to cup her face. His touch set the butterflies to dancing in her stomach, and when he released her and brushed his knuckles against her neck her knees went weak. “You smell great, too. What is that, apples?”
“It’s my perfume. I think there is a hint of some kind of fruit in the fragrance, but I’m no expert.”
“I’m going with pear and maybe grapefruit. Whatever it is it’s working for you.”
“I’m glad you like it.” She didn’t often wear fragrance since she spent most of her time in the woods and didn’t want the wildlife to smell her coming, but this morning she’d dabbed a little on her wrists and the hollow of her throat at the last minute. A good decision, clearly.
“This is the first time I’ve seen you without the braids. You’re cute with them, but you’re stunning with your hair down.” His thumb brushed along her jawline, touching the sensitive skin under her ear. When his eyes moved to her lips, she held her breath, but abruptly he stepped back without the expected kiss. “You ready to go?”
She nodded.
He picked up her bag and turned to go. Why hadn’t he kissed her? Tears stung the backs of her eyes, but she blinked them away. It wasn’t a rejection. Maybe he was afraid of where it would lead if he kissed her again while they were alone in her apartment. They were both Christians, and he seemed to take his faith seriously. He shouldn’t have worried about it though, she wouldn’t have let anything happen. Yes. That had to be it. If it was anything more than that, he wouldn’t have driven all the way out to State College to pick her up, right?
Malachi merged onto the highway and turned the radio down a few notches to allow it to provide background noise without interrupting their conversation. “You’re quiet.”
“So are you.”
As he drove, he made small talk about the weather, his favorite hiking trails, and other inconsequential things.
As much as he preferred to keep his investigation to himself, he was willing to tell Cate about it. But he’d been vulnerable with her more than once. And listening to her and Grayson talk had made one thing clear. There was a reason her brothers were the way they were, and he wanted to know what it was. He didn’t know much about her beyond her love for animals and her incredible personality. If they were going to explore a relationship, he needed to know more about her. He didn’t want to push her too far and scare her away, but when she remained quiet two hours into the drive, he sighed. “We made a deal, Cate. It’s time to tell me something about yourself.”
“What do you want to know about me?”
“For starters, you could tell me about your mother. I get the feeling she isn’t in the picture.”
“My mom died.”
Getting her to share shouldn’t be this hard. He’d given her so many openings not only on this drive, but when they’d been out on their date last Thursday. “How did she die?”
“Breast cancer.”
Man, that was a tough break. No wonder she didn’t want to talk about it. “How old were you?”
“Thirteen.”
“I’ve never been a young girl, but I’ve heard that’s a rough age without the trauma of losing your mother. I can’t imagine what that must’ve been like.”
“It wasn’t ideal.” She rested her head against the seat and stared up at the ceiling of the car. “Are you sure you want to hear this?”
“There isn’t much in this life that I’m sure about, but I do want to get to know you better, and in the time we’ve spent together, you haven’t been forthcoming.”
“That’s likely because when guys learn more about me, it isn’t me that piques their interest.”
“Now that’s a statement that needs an explanation.”
“My father is a wealthy businessman.” She sighed. “When a guy I’m dating figures out who my dad is, his interest in me increases, but so do the questions about my father and how much of his money is in trust for me, and how much will I inherit if he dies. You know the drill.”
“Can’t say that I do, but I can assure you that I’m not interested in you for your father’s money.”
“How can you know that? You don’t even know who he is.”
“After that interrogation from Grayson, you don’t think I looked him up? Found out that he’s a billionaire mogul’s son? Putting two and two together wasn’t that hard.”
“So, you knew?”
