Page 4 of Man of the Month Club: January
I can’t keep the scoff from erupting out of my throat. “You sound like the counselors at the burn ward spouting off the unending ‘our imperfections make us interesting’ mumbo-jumbo.”
“If I promise to lay off the positive pep talks, will you give me a chance and go out with me?”
I’m already shaking my head. There’s nothing I’d like more than to have a gorgeous, sensitive, and caring man like Jett by my side, but I can’t imagine a world in which things work out in the long run between us. I’d rather save myself from the heartache of losing him later by stopping things before I fall head-over-heels in love with him. My heart is too fragile for that. I’m certain that spending too much time with this devilishly handsome, surprisingly broken man will lead me straight down that path.
He looks deeply into my eyes for so long that I shuffle awkwardly from foot to foot, but I refuse to break his gaze. Finally, he whispers so quietly, I’m not sure I really hear it. “Please.”
I open my mouth to say no, so I can scurry out of here and get as far as possible from this impossibly sexy temptation in shiny black boots. He looks as surprised as I feel when the word that falls from my lips is, “Okay.”
4
Jett
Ialmost can’t believe my ears. Maggie looks just as startled that she has agreed to go out with me. Not wanting to give her a chance to change her mind, I take ahold of her hand and hurry her out of the bar.
The women at Phoebe’s table whoop and catcall as we leave, but we ignore them. This is my chance to make a good impression on the magnificent woman by my side, and I don’t want anything to get in the way of that. She’s skittish, and I sense that the slightest slip-up at this point will send her running from me.
As soon as we step outside the noisy bar, I turn to ask her, “Do you feel safe riding with me in my truck, or do you prefer to bring your car, too?”
She ponders me for a long moment before answering. “There are nearly a dozen people in that bar who saw me leave with you. They’ll all testify against you if anything happens to me, so I suppose it’s safe for me to ride with you.”
It’s definitely not blind trust, but I’ll take it. I’m glad she isn’t flippant about her safety. I’m a stranger to her, so it’s smart of her to be cautious.
I take her elbow as I lead her to my pickup truck. It’s an old-fashioned gesture, but it sends a thrill racing down my spine when she doesn’t pull away from my light touch.
The electricity zings between us just from that minor connection. I hope she feels it, too. The wary look she angles in my direction makes me think that she might be having at least a fraction of the reaction I’m experiencing from her nearness.
As we walk, I notice that Maggie has a slight limp, but I sense that she wouldn’t want me to ask about it. My mind scrambles for ideas of what to do tonight. I had thought I would show up at the bar, agree to take a bimbo on a meaningless date in a week or two, hurry out of there, then make an excuse to cancel the scheduled date or at least leave early. I hadn’t anticipated that my cousin would actually manage to match me with the woman of my dreams.
I barely know Maggie, but something about her feels right. I’ve never been a believer in love at first sight, but this must be what it feels like. A secret, hidden part of my soul connects with this woman on a deep level. I want nothing more than to take care of her. It’s the strangest thing that’s ever happened to me, but there’s no denying the strength of my protective instinct when it comes to Maggie. I would do anything for her, and I intend to make her see that––even if it takes me a lifetime to convince her.
Once we reach my truck, I open the passenger side door for her. After she’s settled inside, I close her door and jog around to my side. Even this much of a separation from her is too much. I need to be as close to her as she’ll allow. The intensity of my desire for her is both thrilling and a little frightening.
My stone-cold heart is already on the line with her. If she so much as cracks the door open to me for a real relationship, I’ll fall head over heels for her. It doesn’t make sense, but Iknowshe’s the one for me. I just hope I’m the right one for her.
Gut instinct tells me that taking her to a crowded restaurant is not the right play. Besides, I really don’t want to share her attention with anyone else.
“Are you hungry?” I ask as soon as I’m seated at the truck’s steering wheel.
“No.” She shakes her head to back up the answer.
I’m too nervous and keyed-up to eat, anyway, so her response is a relief. I can’t help but hope that perhaps she isn’t hungry for the same reason. I’m practical enough to realize that this particular wish is probably a bit of a stretch, though.
I’d love to relax in the bed of my truck with Maggie, gaze up at the stars, and discover everything there is to know about her, but we’d need an air mattress and several blankets to make it comfortable enough to spend more than fifteen minutes doing that. Once I had her relaxed and talking, I’d want to spend the entire night snuggling with her.
After starting the truck, I pull out and head toward my new house. I just bought a place on Geist Reservoir, which is lovely, but the movers haven’t yet delivered my furniture. On a whim, I ask her, “Do you like boats?”
Her eyes light up at the question before she answers, “Oh, yes! My father used to take me and my older brother, Aidan, out fishing on a small lake by our house. We’d bring our catch home and Mom would coat it in her secret batter recipe and fry it for dinner. Those were some of the best moments of my childhood.”
This glimpse into her past has me grinning at her. The mere idea of a happy childhood is such a foreign concept to me that I can’t even truly imagine it, but I’m glad that Maggie has fond memories to look back on.
Suddenly, I’m very happy the previous owners of the home I just purchased included the boat and dock in the sale. “I’m the proud, new owner of a boat. Would you like to see it?”
“Sure,” she answers, suddenly sounding more wary.
We drive in silence for a long while as I search my brain for something interesting or witty to say, but come up dry. When we finally drive into my new neighborhood, Maggie’s eyes widen as she takes it all in. I hope the luxurious homes don’t seem too showy. The last thing I want is to make her uncomfortable.
I pull into the driveway of my large, waterfront home. I can’t quite believe the impressive estate is truly mine. It still takes my breath away every time I see it, and Maggie seems to be having the same type of reaction.
