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With each mile that passed, her anxiety lessened. She allowed herself to return to the comfortable state she’d been in when he carried her to the truck. By the time they arrived at her home, a different kind of flutter was driving her mad.
Her stomach churned and crashed. Her heart thumped steadily. Every nerve in her body had awakened and was anticipating what would happen when he walked her to her door. Thoughts of the recent kiss they’d shared only made the reactions in her body that much worse, however pleasant they could be.
Wade shut off his truck and faced her. He lifted her hand to his lips once more and kissed it, his eyes full of certainty and meaning. Then he released her without a word.
Her eyes tracked his movements as he walked around the truck and opened her door. Wade held out his hand and then helped her down. His touch still set off an electrical reaction through her arm and into her chest.
They walked up the steps toward the front door, hand-in-hand. When they came to a stop in front of her door, they stared at each other. She could sense an expectation, a question hovering in the air between them demanding to be answered.
She should kiss him.
No, shewantedto kiss him—to feel that connection they’d had in his truck. She wanted to finish closing the rift that had been torn open between them when he’d looked at his phone. Her eyes closed, lashes fluttering, and she exhaled.
“Bri…” he whispered.
Her eyes flew open and she stared at him, uncertainty flooding her soul.
Wade shook his head. “When we talked about trust earlier…”
“Yeah?”
“I need you to trust me.”
“I do—” Frustration battled with the desire that coiled like a snake in her midsection.
“No, not that kind of trust. I want you to trust me when I tell you that I want you more than I’ve wanted anything in my life.” He looked away and rubbed the back of his neck. “I want more than just what you can offer physically. I want you to be willing to confide in me. To laugh with me. I want you to get to a point where falling asleep by my side just feels… right.” He let out a strained chuckle. “I know that all might sound a little strange, but that’s the best way I can think of to put it.”
She frowned, her head and her heart trying to make sense of what he was saying. It all sounded so romantic, but at the same time, she couldn’t deny that she felt snubbed. The disappointment that came with him not wanting to kiss her again set her on edge. But what was she supposed to say? She couldn’t throw herself at him, not after those sweet words. It wouldn’t feel right.
So she swallowed the lump of frustration and nodded. “I get it.” Her words came out a little harsher than she’d intended. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Wade.” Brielle brushed past him, but his hand shot out and grabbed hers.
“Bri—” he whispered.
Meeting his gaze was harder than she thought it would be, but she did it. “What?”
“I…” He snapped his mouth shut and released her. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
She nodded. “Yeah.” With trembling hands, she reached for the door handle and pushed the door open so she could disappear before she second-guessed every decision she’d made that evening.
14
Wade
Wade watched Brielle disappear into her home, fully aware that he’d royally messed everything up. They’d made so much progress. Brielle had finally opened up to him and offered herself rather than him pushing her. Then he had to go and show his hand.
No, it wasn’t him that had messed up. It was Shane.
The guy couldn’t have waited to send that message when their date was over? Whatever he was texting nine-one-one for certainly could have waited.
Wade turned on his heel and hurried down the steps. He pulled out his phone as he climbed inside and quickly dialed Shane’s number.
“We have a problem,” Shane’s agitated voice came through the speaker loud and clear. “Where were you tonight? I called you twice.”
Wade’s initial gut instinct had him on high alert. Shane’s tone raked against his nerves like fingernails on a chalkboard. But if he had learned anything after being incarcerated, it was that he needed to remain calm and take everything in before making a rash judgment call. “It’s none of your business where I was. And I’m sure that there’s a reasonable explanation for whatever has your boxers in a twist.”
“Funny,” Shane replied dryly.
Wade ducked down to take a look at the second story of the Callahan residence when a light flicked on upstairs. That had to be Brielle’s room. The blinds were shut and there was no other movement. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on, or do I have your permission to hang up and we can discuss this at a more reasonable hour?”
