Page 10 of Grey
Her hands weren’t trembling now, but she sure as heck wanted to touch him.
And more.
Shaking the wild thoughts from her head before she said something crazy about the bedroom or how clothes weren’t necessary, she said, “Hi, Grey.”
“You look lovely, Tatum, did you rest well?” He brought a small bouquet of brown-eyed susans from behind his back. They were tied with a black gingham and burlap bow, looking rustic and charming.
“Oh, thank you,” she said. “I love these.”
“There’s a big patch of them near the farmhouse. Daisy kept trying to get them from me.”
She invited him in and took the flowers to the kitchen, setting them in a tall drinking glass because she didn’t have a vase.
He told her he’d made a reservation for dinner at a homestyle restaurant outside of Little River, and in moments they were on their way. The cozy restaurant served the best chicken and dumplings she’d ever had, ending with a piece of strawberry cheesecake that she and Grey shared. Their conversation over dinner had been easy and light, and by the time he was driving her back to her cabin, she couldn’t deny the connection she felt to him.
It wasn’t just that she was attracted to him, because she was. He had the most beautiful gray eyes—which he’d been named for—and a sexy smile. But it was more than that. He seemed to really care about her and want to know all about her.
But despite the attraction and the connection between them, she couldn’t help but feel like he was holding something back from her. It was odd to feel that way since they’d just met, but he’d continually steered the conversation to her and her past, while keeping things current for himself. He did share that he was estranged from his brother and father and had said it was related to a bad boss, but there seemed to be more to it than that.
Not that she had any right to his history so soon, of course, but it did make her wonder as he would start to tell her something but then seem to choose his words carefully. What was he afraid to tell her?
And also? What if she was just being paranoid because of her own past?
Grey wasn’t Ryan and he wasn’t her father either.
But despite that truth, she wasn’t going to let herself get swept away in anything. Trust had to be earned, even for sexyguys like Grey. His steady gaze and genuine interest in her made it hard to doubt him, but the little voice in her head wouldn’t stay quiet.
Grey walked her to the door of her cabin. She felt a magnetic pull to him, like they were somehow already tied together even though they’d just met.
He leaned down and kissed her.
The kiss was…everything. Intense but tender, and utterly consuming. She melted into the kiss, momentarily forgetting all her doubts.
She nearly swooned against the door when the kiss ended, like some kind of romance-book heroine.
“I know you have work tomorrow,” he said, “but I’d like to see you again. I could come to the library when your day is done and we could grab dinner?”
“Sure. The library is open until five. I have to clean up after we close, so just knock on the door when you get there.”
“Perfect. I’ll see you then. Goodnight, Tatum.” He kissed her cheek and walked off the porch.
“Night, Grey. I had a really nice time tonight.”
“I did too,” he said, putting his hand on the truck door. “You’re wonderful company, and I’ve enjoyed getting to know you.”
With a smile, he got into the truck and shut the door. She walked into the house and closed the door, listening to his engine roar to life and then fade away as he drove off.
She touched her lips, still tingling from the kiss.
How could she be so affected by a kiss?
And why did she still feel like he might be keeping something from her?
Was she paranoid or was she just making good choices by not falling headfirst into anything with a guy she hardly knew?
“You know what?” she said out loud. “I’m going to give him a chance.”
Because she wanted to see him again and she wanted to get to know him better. Maybe he was just holding back some of himself until he knewherbetter. And maybe as time passed, they’d both share everything.
