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Now, as he watched Cat walk back to their table after a trip to the ladies’ room, he found himself noticing, for the second time that night, things he’d never noticed before. She might not have on skintight jeans like Cora at the pub, but her outfit highlighted all her curves. Tony didn’t know what her day-to-day routine was like, but he suspected she didn’t sit in a chair all day eating cookies. No one got a body like that from sitting in a chair.
“Our waitress stopped by. She asked if we wanted dessert.” Tony watched as Cat brushed her long hair over her shoulder again, and he wondered if it was as soft as it looked.
“I’m not interested in dessert, but go ahead if you want something.”
He wanted something, but it wasn’t dessert. Unless by dessert she meant some whipped cream and her naked body. Since he doubted that was on the menu, he pulled his wallet out. “All set.”
His body definitely had the desire for something it shouldn’t want, considering who sat across from him. Cat was Striker’s kid sister. While he didn’t consider the guy his closest friend or anything, they were friends. They hung out from time to time and coached football together. That alone made Cat off limits.
He also coached with her father. Starting late in the summer and continuing until at least Thanksgiving, he saw her father five or six days a week on the football field. He liked and respected Edward Striker, which meant he shouldn’t be thinking about how the guy’s daughter would look naked with nothing but her long hair covering her breasts.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t get the thought out of his stupid head.
Tony placed enough cash to cover the bill and a tip inside the folder containing the guest receipt. “Lets go.”
“Wait. What’s my half of the bill?” Cat pulled a wallet from her shoulder bag.
Pushing back his chair, Tony had no intentions of answering. Dinner had been his idea, and in hindsight, it had been a bad one. “Don’t worry about it.”
“Tony, c
ome on.” She reached for the folder, but he pulled it away.
“Next spring you can buy me a burger or something at a block party.”
Cat grabbed the folder from his hands. “I don’t think so.” Without looking at the total, she pulled out one of the twenties he put inside and slipped in two tens.
“Now we can go.” She shoved the twenty she’d removed into his front pocket.
Of course, the head residing south of his belt took notice and decided now was the time for a full and proper hello. Tony mentally cursed.
“You’re bossy, aren’t you?”
Cat smiled and nodded, her hair brushing against his arm.
Yeah, just as soft as it looks.
Tony followed her outside without further argument. It seemed the wisest decision.
“I’ll walk with you back to O’Leary’s.” Since they’d met inside the pub, he assumed her car remained in O’Leary’s parking lot, and it was getting dark.
“No need. I walked there tonight. My car died on my way home and got towed to R&M Garage, but I only live on Curtis Street. I can walk.”
He didn’t know where Curtis Street was, but he wasn’t going to let her walk home alone. Maybe if they were in North Salem he would. The worst thing that happened there was a yard got covered in toilet paper during homecoming week. The city of Salem was a different story.
“Then I’ll drive you home.” He anticipated an argument, but unlike a few minutes ago, he wouldn’t give in this time.
Not a single comment against his idea materialized. Instead, Cat turned the corner and walked toward O’Leary’s.
Tony followed Cat’s directions to Curtis Street, and in a few minutes, he pulled over in front of an old Victorian mansion.
“Thanks for the ride and the company tonight.”
The hair she’d pushed over her shoulder half a dozen times that night fell forward when she turned to look at him. Without thinking, he reached out to push it back.
“Anytime.”
He leaned forward, his lips intent on making contact with hers. Whatever arguments his brain voiced during dinner got drowned out by the more primal arguments the rest of his body was making now.
