Page 9 of Baited

“What can I say? You inspire me.” Her tone was dry as she stepped in front of him and hefted herself into the seat.

He chuckled, shut the door, and then climbed in the driver’s side. Heat crept from her belly to her cheeks. Her hand on her thigh trembled. He was staring at her. Slowly, she met his gaze. Her breath hitched at the intensity in his eyes. “What is it you want to talk about?”

His hand fell to the console between them as he shifted to face her. His fingers lay only inches from her arm. Her skin tingled as if he’d touched her.

“I want to apologize for the other night.” His tone was even and as warm as the air outside of the truck.

She raised her eyebrows. He’d brought her out here just to say sorry? She lifted her shoulder. “Fine. Apology accepted.”

Her fingers closed on the door handle, but before she could open the door and hop out, he grabbed her wrist. His fingers were hot and firm. A tingle shot down to her toes.

“Wait.” He didn’t let go until she turned to face him. “I’ve been pretty concerned about you the last few days. Where are you staying?”

She didn’t owe him a thing, but something in his face made her answer. “I’ve been staying with Jenny, tonight will be my first night back. The landlord had the locks changed yesterday.”

He nodded. “Because there was no sign of a break-in? Someone had a key.”

She held her hand in the air. “I really don’t want to talk about it, okay?

He could have picked the lock you know.”

His lips dipped at the corner. “Could have.” She inched closer to the door. “Is that all?”

“No,” he said softly.

She blew out an exasperated breath. “What now?”

“Don’t you have anything you want to say to me?”

The words take a hike burned on her tongue. Some of the intensity had left his eyes, and his face had softened. She couldn’t outright insult him, at least not after he’d apologized.

“You want me to say sorry?”

Humor sparked a glow in his eyes. The skin around them crinkled with the hint of a smile. “You were pretty snarky.”

She sucked the inside of her cheek between her teeth. “I don’t get what you’re trying to do, Ethan.” Her tongue slid over the letters of his name.

“I’m trying to do what I’ve been doing all along—be nice to you. Wouldn’t it be great if I could come in and ask how your day was? You could smile without hurting your face and respond with something other than a sneer?”

A smile tugged at her lips—the first one in a month. Although she didn’t give in to the grin that nagged her, he beamed as if she had. He had a nice smile. Her nerve endings vibrated under the heat of his gaze.

“Look at that, you almost smiled.” The tip of his finger tapped the corner of her mouth. She clenched her jaw to fight the urge, but lost. “See? We can be friends.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and squinted skeptically at him. “I thought you said if I came out here, you wouldn’t come into the restaurant anymore while I was working?”

“I might have told a small white lie.” He pinched his thumb and forefinger together. “Besides, I never got that apology.”

Her shoulders sagged as if the weight she’d been carrying had been lifted a few pounds. “All right, I’m sorry for snapping at you. You seem like a decent guy, but to be honest, I don’t need any friends.”

His eyes darkened a shade and his fingers fell from her arm. Regret burned a hole in her stomach. She was pushing him away…but she had to. If only things could be different. If only she could have met him before all this. But right now she couldn’t explore the interest in him that burned inside her.

“I appreciate that.”

“Can I go now?”

“Yes.” His lips thinned. “But I have one more question.”

She rolled her eyes to stare at the ceiling of his truck, then brought them back to his face. “Of course you do.”

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