I rap at the door and wait. Thirty seconds pass before it flies open. I’m hit with her beauty like a gust of wind. I stare for a full minute before I find my voice.
“Hi.”
She smiles and scrambles my brain.Again. “Hi.”
“Hi.”
Her laughter is pure honey running down my spine. “Hi?”
I clear my throat, look away for a second to get myself together. When I look back, her eyes are brown pools taking me in, trailing every length of my skin.
I dressed down for dinner in a form-fitting shirt and black jeans with boots. But she looks at me like I have no clothes on at all.
I want her with no clothes on. The temptation to rid her of the blue sundress she has on, and muss up her wavy styled hair is strong.
But that can’t happen.
“You ready?”
“Yes. I’ll grab my purse.”
She turns around and I’m served with her shapely hips running down to slender calves.
I look away and count backward from hundred. Anything to keep me distracted.
The lock clicks and she announces, “I’m ready.”
I offer her my arm and she takes it with a big smile. I’m loath to leave her side and only realize I have to when we’re standing at the passenger door.
Kicking myself into action, I pull the door open and she slips in.
I get into the car next to her and head off. Her gaze is fixed outside the window, giving me the opportunity to really look at her.
I can’t believe I’m bringing her home to my family.
Excitement threads through me and I have to force myself to slow down. She’s smart, funny and beautiful. Everyone will be thrilled to meet her.
You’ll tell them we’re not really dating.
The promise she asked of me circles my thoughts. I have to tell them.
Baxter’s smug satisfaction flashes in my head and I grit my teeth. He’s going to mock and say he knew it all along. He’s going to want Maddie when he learns the truth.
I turn to look at her once more and she’s watching me.
“Is something wrong?” she asks.
I shake my head.
Whatever she sees on my face makes her look into the rearview mirror, then her side mirror.
Anger surges like a live wire inside me. She’s worried about being followed.
It didn’t cross my mind because I trust the men I employed to watch her.
They reported that they indeed spotted a suspicious black car. They’ve been following it to ferret out who they are and what they want. So far, they have nothing on those two key details because they always miss the men.
But none of them have come close to hurting Maddie like that night and that is the most important thing to me.
