“How’s the coconut bacon?” Drew’s lips gave a wry twist. “I have to admire the ingenuity of vegans to use food in new ways.”
I stabbed a piece with my fork. “It’s really good. Do you want to try a bite?” I held the fork out between us.
Instead of taking the utensil from my hand, he half stood and leaned over the table, his fingers encasing my wrist to bring the fork to his mouth.
My gaze became captured by the movement, following the path until the bite disappeared past his teeth. I swallowed and worked my tongue over my lips, forcing out a, “Well?”
He chewed, considering. “It’s salty, sweet, and crisp. I’m really surprised by how much it tastes like the real thing.”
When he released my wrist, I could breathe again. “And how’s your magic fruit?”
“The magic is how a fruit can have the same texture as pulled pork. It’s some kind of voodoo.” He wiped his mouth with his napkin. “I’ve been meaning to say how much I like your dress. Is that something you made yourself with the girls?”
I touched the halter straps at my collarbone. “You’re looking at the reincarnation of a vintage bedsheet.”
Ginger in food spiced things up. Eyes the same color trained on a person packed a punch as well. I felt the heat of his gaze all the way to my toes.
“You’re incredible, you know that?”
I studied my now near-empty plate, out of my element. I’d never had the problem of not knowing what to say. No, my difficulty had always been in holding my tongue when others ran theirs. But this had to have been at least the fourth instance over the course of our dinner that I’d blushed—Me! Blushed!—and come up blank instead of having a witty retort.
I didn’t know what to do with his undivided attention or with his compliments. I almost wished he’d say something stupid, like the dangers of oil pipelines were a hoax, so I could rant and dig into him about something I knew about. Something that didn’t leave me feeling quite so shaken.
Our server placed a black check holder on our table. Drew pulled out his wallet and slipped a credit card in the little plastic flap at the top.
“Does Sierra have you on a strict curfew, or can I steal you away for a little while longer?”
I glanced at my watch. Dinner had taken less than an hour. While I didn’t know exactly what to do with myself when Drew gave me his singular regard, I also didn’t want to cut the night short. “I think she’d allow me a bit more time out.”
“Good.” He chuckled and replaced his credit card when the server returned it then stood.
“Where are we going?” I gathered my purse.
“If I told you that, I’d ruin the surprise.”
“I’m not sure how many surprises I can take in one night.”
He peered at me out of the corner of his eye as he held open the door for me to walk through. “Good thing I know mouth-to-mouth resuscitation then.”
A mental picture of his mouth on mine, lips soft but firm, came into 3D focus. My chest tightened, imagining Drew’s kiss. He seemed to do everything with deft precision. No reason to believe kissing would be any different. Would he touch my face? Cradle my cheek? Would the brush of his lips leave me wanting more or satisfy my every longing?
I snuck a glance at Drew. He smirked at me as if he knew what his words had conjured up in my mind. The cad! This time I refused to look away. By sheer will I pushed down the rising heat climbing my neck and met his gaze head on.
Drew laughed and placed a hand on my lower back. “Come on.” He led me back to his monstrosity of a gas guzzler and opened the door for me.
As he maneuvered along the roads, I looked out the passenger window. How had I found myself here? With Drew, no less. But maybe that was the wrong question to ask. Maybe the better question was, where did I see this thing going?
I had to be careful. Sierra had already grown attached to Drew, and if things didn’t work out, her heart could be broken. We also shared friends. A break up could divide our little group. Look how things had turned out for Ross and Rachel. I didn’t want to be the cause of conflict between Ben and Molly when they were so close to newly-wed bliss.
My palm tingled as fingers slipped across my skin and intertwined with my own. Drew’s thumb caressed the back of my hand. “I’m not going to tell you to stop worrying, but do you want to share what’s made you go quiet all of a sudden?”
I should’ve pulled my hand from his. Kept some sort of space between us while I still had a clear enough mind to do so. But instead I held on. If even for just this moment, I’d stop pretending I was stronger than I actually was. “I don’t know if I can do this.”
He waited a beat. “My driving isn’t that bad. How hard can being a passenger be?”
His teasing loosened the band around my chest. “You know that’s not what I meant.”
He managed to turn the steering wheel without letting go of my hand. “What exactly are you worried about?”
