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She followed him to the door, not attempting to prolong his stay he noticed. “Is that your way of asking me to dinner?”
“Nope. Telling in case you’ve changed your mind already.” He kissed her, hard and fast. The sex would wait until this weekend so as not to distract from either of their schedules. He still had to confront Evan Saturday morning when he was next scheduled to work, and preferred giving her his full concentration after he settled that disturbing matter. “Thanks for dinner.”
Slade brought Chace with him Wednesday afternoon when he returned to Nicole’s, taking the forest trail. Enough daylight remained to guide them back to his place with both dogs where they’d leave them while at dinner. He wanted Nicole and Sam to become familiar with the shortcut. As he and Chace emerged from the woods, they caught the tail end of Jim’s work crew leaving and, from the looks of things, they would finish the kennels on schedule, by the weekend.
She opened the back door before he reached it, still shrugging on a single-breasted knee-length coat the color of oatmeal. Her short, dark hair swung around her chin as she closed it behind her and then gazed up at him with her bright-blue eyes clear for a nice change. “Ready?” It took work to tamp down his readiness for more than a simple dinner with family, like hauling her back inside and bending her over the kitchen table.
“I’m hungry, if that counts.” She smiled, her eyes sliding to the dogs tussling with exuberant playfulness. “They sure like each other.”
He clasped her hand and started across the yard. “Chace hasn’t been around other dogs much, only my mother’s. I keep him busy working with me, which he loves. The trail is easy to follow, but not so much at night.”
“Oh, wow, it’s so different in here,” she said, walking through the trees alongside him. Do I hear water?”
“A creek, right around this curve.” Even in the waning light, he could see the pleasure suffusing her face when they reached the bridge.
“This is so nice, and close enough to enjoy more at a warmer time. Sam! Damn it,” she swore when the dogs chose to splash through the water instead of crossing the bridge with them. “Now I’ll have to get a towel from you and dry him before we go.”
“Relax. They’ll shake most of it off and run the rest of the way. See? Sam’s right on Chace’s heels, and they’ll beat us back.”
“I’m used to protecting him. He was a malnourished stray, and it took Tony and I months to get him healthy and comfortable with us.”
That was the first time Nicole had brought up her ex without remorse coloring her tone. Another positive indication in favor of this working. Now, if he could get past the shock of finding himself in this position and weather his brothers’ ribbing without clocking them, he could sit back and enjoy the ride.
“You’ve done an admirable job.” They reached the end of the trail with deepening dusk and drop in temperature. “And here we are.”
***
NICOLE GUESSED BRETTconvinced Allie to refrain from saying anything about her and Slade arriving at Ina’s together. That helped make dinner more enjoyable yet left her wondering what he’d told his family, if anything. She was still hesitant to believe this thing between them was anything more than mutual sexual interest. After mistaking the friendly attraction she’d felt toward Tony for the onset of something deeper developing, she remained cautious. However, continuing with the sex she could do with no problem.
“How nice to see this table filled with the Kincaids,” Ina said, carrying over half of their orders with the waitress balancing the other half. “I was in the back when you got here.” Her gaze went from Slade to Nicole, and she smiled with approval.
“It was this herb cheese soup that brought me in,” she quipped lightly, taking in the large bowl of creamy soup thick with cod and broccoli and the generous slice of homemade bread.
“New recipe.” Ina set a plate in front of Slade and one for Lily. “Save room for pie.”
“Don’t I always?” Brett replied, taking his stack of ribs from the server.
“You and Allie, yes.” She laughed. “Reed and Slade aren’t as devoted as you two.”
“We are,” Reed protested. “It’s not my fault I can’t resist seconds.”
Lily nudged him with a teasing grin. “At home, he doesn’t stop at seconds. Put me down for a slice of cherry, Ina.”
That’s a hunger pain, not a pang of longing for inclusion,Nicole insisted when her abdomen cramped listening to the banter. Since moving here, she’d missed her parents and friends on occasion, but overall was happy with her decision. More so now seeing the progress and envisioning Tony’s approval of how she was spending his money. They had talked often about fostering, their busy schedules forcing them to put it off until she established herself as a graphic artist. She’d reached that goal when she’d snagged the contracts she had been in the process of fulfilling before leaving Chicago.
The work was fun, as she’d hoped, and between the new friendships and end to her long celibacy, her life here would have fulfilled a wish list if she’d had one. Other than her work, she owed the rest to Slade. She glanced at him as they ate, her heart executing that funny flip that started shortly after the night they’d gone upstairs at Casey’s. It meant nothing, of course, just a reactive response to the sexuality he oozed in spades, so she put it out of her mind.
“Lily and I have an appointment with the caterer Friday afternoon, so we’ll see you at Casey’s,” Reed stated as they all finished and prepared to leave.
“We’ll get there early. I’m working with Jordon.” Slade stood, picking up the check then taking Nicole’s hand.
It took getting used to again, this couple thing. Nicole hadn’t planned on going to Casey’s both Friday and Saturday and clamped shut on pointing out his assumption since she’d agreed to give it a try. Instead, she tried to disregard the tingles from the slight abrasion of his calloused, rough skin and failed. Even his slightest touch was too potent to ignore.
“I’m so glad Paul is with you and the job is going well,” Lily told Nicole when they stepped to the side so the guys could pay at the counter.
“We’re getting along good, and he seems to enjoy physical labor. Jim, my contractor, is also happy to have his help.”
Allie and Brett turned to leave. “See you this weekend,” she said with a wave.
