He closed the door, and she watched him round the front of the car. The easy strength in his stride drew her gaze—his long legs, lean hips, and the confident way he moved.
Warmth curled low in her stomach.
She looked away before he could catch her staring, a small smile tugging at her lips.
Tonight suddenly held a little more promise than she’d expected.
Chapter Twelve
When Maura steppedout of the bedroom, KC was waiting in the living room, dressed in khakis and a white button-down shirt. He stilled, his gaze locking on her before slowly moving, taking in every detail—the way the dress fit her, the soft fall of her hair around her shoulders, the subtle touch of makeup that made her eyes impossible to ignore. She looked different tonight. Not just beautiful. Enough to make him forget what he’d been about to say.
It didn’t escape him when she shifted under his silence, a faint shiver running through her, and he forced himself to ease up before he made her uncomfortable. A small smile tugged at his mouthas he swallowed and cleared his throat, trying to get a handle on himself.
“You look very nice.”
Nice?He nearly shook his head at the lame word. His gaze dropped briefly before lifting again, more focused this time. “I mean… You look beautiful. Exquisite.”
“T-thank you. So do you.” Maura’s cheeks turned pink. “I mean, very handsome, not beautiful… um…”
His smile deepened, something warm settling low in his chest at her flustered response. He liked that he could do that to her—probably more than he should. His eyes lingered a second longer than they should have before he finally dragged them away, reining himself in.
This is going to be a long evening.
On the drive into town, KC had to keep dragging his gaze back to the road. It kept slipping down, to the smooth line of Maura’s legs where her dress rode up enough to pull him off track. He tightened his grip on the wheel and forced himself to concentrate on the road ahead.
He hoped his uncle wouldn’t linger too long over dinner, stretching things out with coffee and his usual slice of apple pie. KC had something else inmind for later, and none of it involved sitting around a restaurant.
Pulling into Sassy’s right at seven, he came around to her side, helped her exit the vehicle, and guided her inside, his hand settling at the small of her back. The contact grounded him—barely—but he kept it there as they crossed to the hostess stand.
After introducing Maura to Rebecca, they followed her through the restaurant. KC nodded to a few familiar faces along the way, offering quick greetings, but his gaze kept returning to Maura. He couldn’t seem to focus anywhere else for more than a second or two.
She was stunning. That dress should’ve come with a warning.
When she’d stepped out earlier, he’d seriously considered calling off dinner altogether. Staying in had crossed his mind more than once. But his uncle was already expecting them, so here they were.
Which meant he needed to get himself under control—and fast.
A subtle shift in his stance helped, but it didn’t solve the problem. If anything, it reminded him just how aware he was of her.
When they reached the table, Dan was already seated. KC pulled out a chair for Maura as his unclestood to greet her, the movement automatic, ingrained. Their parents—and Dan—had drilled those habits into the three brothers all their lives. Open doors. Pull out chairs. Stand when a woman approaches. Respect wasn’t optional.
He waited until she was seated before taking his own chair.
Dan studied Maura with clear approval. “You look absolutely beautiful tonight. Whisper seems to agree with you.”
She returned the compliment with a soft smile, a hint of shyness still there. “Thank you, Mr. Malone. And I think you’re right—Whisper definitely agrees with me.”
His uncle gave a small shake of his head, amusement in his eyes. “You’re old enough to call me Dan or Uncle Dan. Mr. Malone was my father, and he’s long since passed away.”
“Okay. Dan, it is then.”
Their waitress arrived to take their orders, and they all went with the “Famous Friday Fish Fry”—fried catfish with hush puppies and coleslaw. KC hadn’t been exaggerating earlier; it was his go-to every time he came here. The platters came loaded, finished with lemon slices, tartarsauce, and malt vinegar, and he had yet to find anywhere that matched Sassy’s recipe.
Before the waitress stepped away, he ordered a round of dark ale from a local brewery after making sure Maura was okay with it.
Even with the place packed, their food came out quickly. KC watched her take that first bite, waiting for her reaction, and eased back when she let out a soft sound of approval. “This is really good.” The conversation stayed easy after that. She relaxed more with each passing minute, the tension he’d seen earlier fading as she settled into the evening.
He and Dan steered clear of anything that might drag her back to darker ground. Instead, his uncle filled the time with stories—most of them at KC’s expense. A few were bad enough that he should’ve objected, but he didn’t. Not when it had her smiling like that. Not when her laughter came easier with each tale.
