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“Honestly?” She brushed her fingertips across his dark stubble. “This has been one of the best dates I’ve had in a long time.”
“Those artist types must be a dull bunch, but just to amp up the romance—I paid the check while you were sleuthing in the bar.”
“Positively makes my heart flutter.”
“Imagine what I could do if I really tried.”
As she met his smoldering gaze, her heart really did flutter.
She grabbed her purse. “I’m ready to get out of here.”
“Me, too.”
As Scarlett rose from her chair and squeezed past a table on her way to the exit, Darcy Kiesling, an old friend from high school, stopped her. “I heard someone attacked you today. Are you all right?”
“I’m okay. It was a threat, not exactly an attack.”
“I don’t care what you call it. Someone held a knife to your throat.” Darcy pressed a hand to her own throat. “Did the guy really warn you about looking into the Timberline Trio case?”
“Maybe.” Scarlett shrugged. “I don’t know why he’s warning me. I’m not looking into anything.”
“Hmm, I wish that whole thing would go away.” Darcy’s gaze tracked to Jim and she gave him a head-to-toe.
“Darcy, do you remember Jim Kennedy?”
“I do, and do you remember Renée Meyers?”
After they said hello to Renée, Darcy introduced them to the other two women at the table. Only Renée was a local. The other two were recent transplants, but from the way all of them were eyeing Jim, it was clear the man was just as sexy as the boy had been—more so.
Darcy flipped her hair over her shoulder. “What happened to your leg, Jim?”
“It’s a long story, Darcy, and I don’t want to ruin your dinner. Enjoy your evening.”
He limped away from the table and Scarlett smiled sweetly. “Good night.”
She caught Jim by the arm as they stepped onto the sidewalk. “I think you just did ruin their dinner.”
“Was I too harsh?”
“Just a little.” She held her thumb and forefinger about a half an inch apart. “Does it bother you when people ask about your leg?”
“I can understand the curiosity, especially from people who knew me before. It’s just not a subject for polite discussion. Do you really think Darcy and her tipsy friends want to hear what happened to me in that hole?”
Scarlett stopped walking and tugged on Jim’s back pocket to slow him down. “They probably don’t want to hear, but I’m all ears if you ever want to unburden yourself.”
Stepping toward her, he put his hands on either side of her waist. “I’d never do that to you, Scarlett. It’s bad enough that you experience snatches of it whenever I touch you.”
He dropped his hands as if he was in danger of having his mind read right then and there.
“It’s not whenever you touch me.” She laced her fingers through his and put his hand back on her hip. “I can assure you, when you touch me I’m not thinking about prisoner of war camps and torture.”
“What are you thinking of?” He drew her into the circle of his arm, so close that strands of her hair caught on the stubble of his beard.
She whispered, “Sometimes I can’t think at all.”
When he kissed her, she melted against him, her knees weakening and her bones turning to jelly. She curled her hands around the leather of his jacket to keep from sliding to the ground while returning his kiss.
He murmured against her mouth, “Let’s go back to your place.”
She nodded once, and they practically ran to her car.
He stopped her at the driver’s side and held out his hand. “I’ll drive.”
“It was just one beer.”
He snapped his fingers and she dropped the keys into his palm. He followed her to the other side of the car and opened the door for her.
She’d never been with such a take-charge guy before. When Jim had landed on her porch a few days ago, she’d actually had the thought that he’d be just another man for her to prop up and nurture.
He couldn’t have proved her more wrong.
Yeah, he still had those demons, but he seemed completely capable of battling them without any help from her.
