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Her eyes glistened with desire as if she wanted the same thing. Then she tore her gaze away, making him curse inside for losing his chance.
He helped her stand, then picked up the blanket, rolling it into a mess, not bothering to fold it. She giggled, a beautiful sound to his ears, then took the blanket from him, folding it properly.
He decided to test the waters between them. He always kept his distance, his hands away from her. Touching wouldn’t lead to anything innocent. But having her in his arms, holding her so close, his body craved more. His heart needed more.
He scooped her hand into his, waiting for her to pull away. His heart skipped a beat when her fingers slid between his, interlocking their grip even further.
They headed for his vehicle, holding hands.
She hopped into the passenger seat, the blanket resting on her lap. When he came to the road, he saw her car parked.
“I can drive home, Grif. I’m opening the cafe tomorrow. I need it.”
“I’ll drive you to the cafe and I’ll make sure you get your car before your shift ends.”
Her brows puckered, and he waited for her to argue. When she said nothing, he turned right, heading home.
The drive wasn’t long. She handed over her keys, so he could take a look around her house. She remained in his vehicle while he did so. He saw the popcorn scattered around the couch and on the floor. Obviously, she fell off with the bowl in her lap. Something had definitely frightened her. The house was empty, and besides the popcorn mess, it looked the way it should. Nobody was in the backyard, and the lock was secure on the sliding glass door. The planter she said had been turned over was sitting upright. No dirt lingered around the area indicating it had been toppled. Someone fixed it.
Hmm. That was odd.
As soon as he stepped outside, she hopped out of the vehicle.
“Well?”
He smiled, hoping to ease the fear in her eyes. “I didn’t see anything odd. Just the mess in the living room. The planter isn’t on its side.”
“What?” She shook her head, walking past him inside the house. “I saw it. It was knocked over.”
She did the same thing he had. Inspected around the ground, looking for evidence it had tipped over. When she stepped back into the kitchen, she slammed the sliding door closed.
“I swear it was on its side. I heard noises. I saw a shadow figure coming from the side of the house when I backed out of the driveway.”
Finally! She confessed she saw someone. Well, the shadow of someone. Why not tell him right away? Well, it didn’t matter. Someone was here and that person frightened her.
He walked to the sliding door and flipped the lock so neither of them forgot to do so. Then he stopped in front of her, aching to touch her again. Anything. Even a brush of her cheek.
“I believe you.”
Her wounded eyes looked up at him. “You do?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
The hesitation in her gaze told him she’d been doubted by someone in her past.
“Thank you, Grif.”
He nodded, fisting his hands to stop himself from reaching out to her. He sensed he’d already pressed his luck. She’d allowed more touching than he normally did. “I’ll clean up the popcorn mess. Where’s your broom?”
A sweet smile hit her lips. “In the front seat of my car. I kind of ran out of the house with it.”
“I’ll go grab mine.”
Then he walked away before he did something stupid—like kiss her breathless.
6
Juliet walkedinto the back area, her lips spreading wide. “This smell is divine.”
