As if she didn’t trust his about-face, she continued to eye him. “I don’t know ifcreepis the right word, but he makes me uneasy. He’s just... I don’t know. He kept trying to move at Mach speed.”
Kam waited, and when she didn’t say more, he asked, “Care to expound on that?” Mentally, he was already cracking his knuckles. “Like, did the asshole pressure you?”
“Not the way you mean. See, that first time we were all at a party. I’d driven there, and when he asked about leaving together, I declined. He kissed me goodbye and that was it.” She held the mug in both hands, her gaze averted. “I didn’t particularly feel anything with the kiss, but I liked him okay. He’d been easy and fun, so when he called to ask me out on a second date, I agreed to meet him at a restaurant.”
Kam struggled to block the image of Mike kissing her. Of her liking him enough to see him again. He had zero rights to jealousy, but he felt it just the same. Made no sense at all, but there you had it. Most of his time spent with Glory made no sense.
Too much time slipped by while she silently gathered her thoughts. Kam had a bad feeling about things, but then, he’d met Mike—and instantly disliked him. “Did the second date go okay?”
She gave an indolent lift of one shoulder.
No enthusiasm. Great. That relieved him.
“The restaurant was nice. Our booth was private. Candlelight and champagne.” Her teeth nibbled at her bottom lip. “I’m not much of a drinker, but he had a few glasses, and he poured on the compliments.”
Yeah, Kam hated him, and yet, he had to be fair. “That doesn’t sound too bad.”
“I know, but it felt off. I mean, no one compliments me like that. It was... weird.”
Good thing he kept most of his thoughts to himself and chose to tease her instead of telling her how sexy her big blue eyes were, how badly he wanted to tangle his fingers inher hair, how even a hint of her cleavage got his imagination steaming.
What it was about Glory, he didn’t know, but from the start, she’d intrigued him, annoyed him, and turned him on.
“What kind of compliments?”
Suddenly animated, she turned to face him, closer, more intense. “He went on and on about my eyes at first, until I was afraid to blink. He kept saying that he could tell how I really saw him, that I had truth in my eyes.”
Odd, but... “You do have beautiful eyes, Glory.”
“Thank you,” she said dismissively. “But truth? My eyes don’t hold truth.” She snorted at the idea. “Then he started in on my lips. I don’t remember exactly, but he said stuff like my smile was pure sunshine, and when I smiled at him, he felt like a warrior or something.”
Okaaay.“Your lips are nice.”
“They’re lips. Not sunshine, for crying out loud. I got self-conscious and didn’t even want to smile, because he acted like every smile was a gift to him or something.”
Rubbing the back of his neck, Kam said, “I can see where that’d be uncomfortable.” Especially since he’d rather her special smiles were for him—no, wait. He wanted to sleep with her, not cherish her damned smiles. “Go on.”
“It gets worse,” she warned.
“You lived it, so I think I can take hearing about it.” When she stayed quiet, he nudged her. “Seriously, Glory. I’m here. I’m curious. And I want to help.”
“How can you help?”
“I can keep him away like I did last night.” Although really, Kam wasn’t sure he’d convinced the guy of anything. The dude sounded rabid, like he was obsessed with her or something, and that worried him.
Glory fortified herself with the rest of her coffee. “All Iwanted to do was leave, but then he was so wounded about it. He apologized.” She stared into her empty cup and her voice lowered. “He said he knew he’d come on too strong, and he wanted me to forgive him.”
Getting up to refill her coffee gave Kam something to do so Glory wouldn’t see his building anger.
Anger at Mike, not at her, but he didn’t want her to misconstrue his mood. “Did you?”
“I felt like a jerk,” she said miserably. “I’m sure you’ve noticed that I’m... awkward.”
He wanted to deny it, but she was opening up to him. They were having their first serious conversation, relating without the usual sniping or defensive humor. So he gave her the truth. “Maybe a little, but not in a bad way.” At least, he didn’t think so now. Getting to know Glory was as difficult as pulling hen’s teeth—maybe more so—but he was getting there. “Seems to me that sometimes you’re unsure what you’re supposed to do, when you could just do what you feel like doing.”
A smile teased over her lips, and she tipped her head. “What?”
Yeah, that had sounded confusing even to him. If he told her she was full of artifice, that’d sound too insulting. “I think, occasionally, you try too hard.” Likely because her aunt found fault in everything she did. “You could just be yourself.”
