My throat burned.
“And it scares the shit out of me,” he continued.
The honesty in his voice did something worse than attraction. It made me want to step into him and stay there.
“I’m not like your ex,” I said softly.
His eyes flickered. “I know.”
“I’m not going to use you,” I continued. “If anything, I know what it feels like to be used.”
“I know,” he said softly.
“And I’m not some random woman who wants the hockey-player version of you because I don’t care about that,” I said.
“I know that too,” he said again, rougher this time. “That’s what’s scaring the shit out of me, Catherine. That you aren’t like any other woman I’ve met before.”
For a second, we just looked at each other. My pulse kicked up. He cleared his throat and stepped back, like he needed physical space to keep from doing something reckless.
“Come to dinner.” His voice had changed to a plea.
I gave him a look. “That was a very intense transition.”
“Yeah, I’m aware,” he said with a crooked grin that made my heart thump differently.
“I’m still in a bikini,” I reminded him.
“I noticed.” He swallowed.
My stomach flipped.
His jaw tightened. “Go shower. Change. Come over.”
“That sounds like a bad decision after everything we just confessed,” I brought to his attention.
“I have self-control, and I want to make it up to you after acting like a caveman a second ago. My goal isn’t to take you to bed and forget about it,” he said, then tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.
“No? What is it then?” I asked.
“I want to feed you. Take care of you. Get to know the woman you are today,” he said, and damn, he was saying all the right things.
“That’s more dangerous than anything else,” I whispered. This pull between us was undeniable.
“We aren’t apes. We can have a cordial dinner. I can make it up to you for acting like a crazed caveman,” he joked.
“What are you making?” I asked.
His mouth curved slightly, and some of the tension eased. “Chicken. Vegetables. Pasta if you’re nice.”
“I’m always nice.” I grinned.
“You called me out in front of Dr. Patel,” he reminded me.
“That was for your own good,” I replied.
He laughed, and the sound settled something in my chest.
“I know, and the fact you cared enough matters to me,” he said, and our eyes locked. I took in the gold and green swirling in their depths, feeling mesmerized.
