Flustered, she took the coffee he offered, then burned her mouth when she tried to gulp a drink. “Damn it,” she muttered. “See! I shouldn’t curse, but when I’m not being careful, I say and do the wrong thing.”
“I’m gravely wounded because you saiddamn. I may never be the same.” He put a hand to his chest. “Look, I’m getting a bald spot.” He circled a finger around his left peck. “Right here.”
The quick averting of her gaze didn’t hide her amusement. “You just want me to look at your awesome chest.”
“It is awesome, isn’t it?”
She sputtered a laugh.
“Better,” he said, as her lightened mood sank into his heart. “I like it when you relax, Glory.” A profound thought struck him. “Actually, I like it when you give me hell, too.”
“I like it when you’re shirtless.” She put a hand over her mouth. “Now you see what you made me say?”
When was the last time he’d had this much fun with a woman? That is, without sex involved? Never that he could remember. “I won’t tell if you don’t.”
Her pleasure lingered as she took a more cautious sip.
“So... Mike talked you into another date?”
Along with her nod, she sighed. “It was a massive mistake. At least I hadn’t let him pick me up.” She shot him a look. “I’m not big on that. I prefer to have my car so I can escape whenever I want.”
“Good planning.” Yet, the idea of her needing to escape got him riled all over again. Her effect was an assault on his senses—one second wringing a laugh from him, then stirring up unfamiliar tenderness, and always mixed with the other emotions was the edgy lust.
“You’re staring at me,” she said.
With a mental shake, he asked, “Where did the two of you go?”
“An outdoor market, which seemed harmless enough. It was near the river. Lots of vendors and small restaurants. We did some shopping for kitschy stuff, ate samples for a lot of different foods, walked along the river with a steady stream of other people.”
“Where did it go off the rails?”
“During the walk. He took my hand and told me how perfectwe were together. We liked the same food, the same flowers, we both enjoyed the live music.” As if shamed, she looked away and her voice dropped. “Everyone likes live music, the food was different, and I didn’t even remember flowers.”
“Glory.” Cupping a hand to her shoulder, he offered comfort. “He had no right to pressure you. Or to make you uncomfortable.”
“I tried to pull my hand away, but he held on.”
Son of a bitch.When Kam felt her slight trembling, protectiveness surged, stronger than ever. Hell, it leveled him. “You should have nutted him.”
Choking on a laugh, she swatted his arm—and then allowed her hand to linger a few heavy heartbeats before she withdrew. “There were people all around us. I didn’t want to cause a scene.”
“Fuck that. If he didn’t turn you loose, it’d be him causing the scene, not you.”
Guilt flashed over her face. Her smile disappeared as she looked down at her hands. “Maybe you’re right, but at the time, I didn’t know what to do.”
Damn it, now he was the one making her feel bad. He scooted closer. Knowing her as he did now, he should have kept his big mouth shut. She second-guessed herself enough as it was. “Hey, I get it. It’s tough to know what to do when someone takes you by surprise like that.”
“When he started detailing how perfect our lives were going to be as a couple, it more than surprised me; it blindsided me. I had just started thinking that he wasn’t that bad, and boom! He detailed our lifetime commitment.On a third date.”
Being this close to her played havoc with his system. Kam wanted to tug her into his lap, wrap his arms around her, and tell her that she didn’t have to worry about Mike.
Instead, he said, “You’re right to stay away from him. I’m sorry I didn’t immediately back you up at the reception.” Gently, he touched her chin until she faced him. “It won’t happen again.”
“That’s a big promise to give.”
Yeah, it was. Maybe misguided, too. Glory had a great job, social connections, a well-to-do family looking out for her—even if her aunt was often a pain in the ass—and she had a great education and a plan for her future.
What did she need from him? Nothing really.
