Page 18 of Of Heather and Thistle
“Thinking?” he repeated, his grin tilting into something mischievous. “About how charming I am, or how much you regret letting me order the wine?”
A laugh escaped her, light and breathy. “You’re dangerously confident, you know that?”
“Confidence isn’t dangerous unless you’re resisting it,” he teased, stepping closer.
Heather rolled her eyes but couldn’t stop her lips from curling into a smile. “You didn’t have to pay for dinner,” she said, her tone teasing but soft.
“Consider it an investment,” he replied smoothly, his hands slipping casually into his pockets.
Investment?
The word barely registered before he continued. His gaze was steady, unwavering, as if she were the only person on the street.
“Besides, it gives me a reason to see you again.”
She huffed a quiet laugh. “An investment, huh? Sounds like a business transaction.”
Sam smirked. “And what exactly am I investing in?”
Heather tilted her head. “Depends. Is this business or pleasure?”
His brow flicked, his gaze dark and unreadable. “Why can’tit be both?”
The warmth in his voice curled around her, sinking under her skin like whiskey on a cold night. She should have said something clever, something to keep the upper hand. But right now, she didn’t want to win.
She just wanted to stay.
His voice dropped slightly, rich and warm as molten honey. “Unless this was a one-time deal?”
Heather looked up at him as they stopped beside the car door, her shining emerald eyes meeting his. How he held her gaze — like he was reading all her unspoken thoughts — sent a shiver down her spine.
“I don’t think it is,” she whispered, the words leaving her lips before she could second-guess them.
“Good,” Sam breathed, stepping closer, his body just a single breath away from hers. He dipped his head slightly, his gaze flickering to her lips before returning to her eyes. “Because I’ve already decided I like seeing you.”
The heat in his voice, the deliberate way he leaned closer, made Heather’s pulse race. Her heart thudded against her ribs, her stomach coiling with nerves and excitement.
“I think I like that too,” she said softly, her words barely audible over her heartbeat.
Sam’s smile was slow, wicked, and impossibly charming.
“Careful, Heather…” His voice was low and smooth, his breath brushing against her skin. “You’re making me think I’ve met my match.”
The air between them thickened, his proximity intoxicating. But then he stepped back, his hand brushing hers briefly before retreating. Sam opened the passenger door of his sleek black sedan for her, his fingers barely grazing the smallof her back as he guided her in.
Heather’s heart pounded. She had expected to head back to Ivy’s apartment, recounting every detail over a pint of Ben & Jerry’s, when he’d casually asked,“Do you want to come over for a nightcap?”
She hadn’t even hesitated. Something about him—something magnetic—made her want to throw caution to the wind. As he slid into the driver’s seat, the glow of the dashboard lights cast sharp angles across his profile. He glanced at her, that easy, confident smile tugging at his lips.
“…‘sure about this?”
Heather exhaled with a mix of nerves and excitement buzzing under her skin.
“Yeah. I am.”
* * *
The drive to his house was quiet but comfortable, the tension between them simmering just below the surface. Heather’s fingers played absently with the hem of her dress, her mind racing with a mix of excitement and uncertainty. Sam seemed so effortless, so sure of himself. She couldn’t believe she was sitting beside him, heading to his house.
