Page 37 of Taming Grumpy Dr. Beast
Angela hummed by my side. “I’m going to grab a bottle of wine for dinner. Anything you’re partial to?”
“No, whatever you pick will be fine.” I knew nothing about wine.
“Excellent. I’ll only be a moment.” Angela took off to the kitchen as I strode the last few steps toward the dining room.
Jaxon and I were to eat alone tonight. Angela had already finished her dinner by the time we got back from the pet store and Paul had grabbed something to eat while we were at the Vet’s office.
A deep, commanding voice filtered out into the hallway, sending a shiver tickling down my spine. His body might be the stuff dreams were made of, but the sound of his voice had me wondering if a person could orgasm from words alone. I stopped to listen to his conversation with Paul about upcoming travel arrangements back to Rhode Island in July for a friend’s wedding reception.
I sighed. I had to stop being a creeper in the hall. If Angela found me out here, she would know something was up. And there was no way I would admit my attraction to Jaxon. I was here to do a job, not have a fling. Instinctively, I knew that’s all it would ever be.
With my shoulders thrown back and a smile on my face, I entered the dining room, determined not to moon over Jaxon. I could be totally normal.
“Hi guys.” I waved. So much for normal. Why did I wave?
“Lily, it’s nice to see you again so soon,” Paul responded, his wrinkles deepening as he smiled.
Jaxon stood, surprising me. I’d never had a man stand when I entered a room. Was I supposed to curtsey? It’s not like he had a title, but I was in uncharted territory. A startling thought occurred to me. What if rich people did things differently?
I chewed my bottom lip, not sure what to do. There were twenty seats at this table and only two place settings, which decreased my options on where to sit.
Jaxon’s eyes seemed to narrow on me, only making me bite my lip harder. Did I do something wrong? I froze, not sure if I’d made him mad with my indecision.
He moved behind the seat to the right of the head of the table. Oh, dear, God. It was awfully close to him.
“I guess that seat’s for me then,” I said, in a slightly higher than normal pitch.
Once I settled, he gave me a tight smile and pushed my chair in closer to the table. I jostled forward, and my hand slammed down on the tabletop to find balance, upsetting the perfectly placed silverware. My cheeks burned as I stared at my plate, and rearranged my fork, spoon, and knife.
“Are you all right?” he asked, taking his seat.
“Yes, um, I hadn’t expected you to push the chair in for me.” I was surprised at the gesture. Around Jaxon I felt tiny. Not that I could say any of that out loud. Little things like him effortlessly pushing in my chair made me drool over the strength of his muscles.
He scowled.
I traced my finger over the variations in the wood of the beautiful table. The last time anyone had pushed in my chair, I was six and it was me and Dad at Papa Gino’s. “I guess I’m not used to such formality,” I mumbled.
“Used to what formality?” Angela brought in the bottle of wine and went around to pour each of us a glass before placing it in the nearby silver wine bucket.
“Jaxon, held out the chair for Lily to sit,” Paul responded.
“Oh, did he now?” Angela gave Jaxon a quick look and winked. “Quite the gentleman you are tonight.”
“Isn’t that what you requested?” Jaxon growled low under his breath.
Ah, so Angela had instructed him to be a gentleman. I battled the dismay that settled in my chest. I’d thought he was softening after our rescue attempt today where he almost kissed me. Maybe I imagined the almost kiss. That thought sent a rush of disappointment through me.
“Okay, well let us leave so you two can dig in,” Paul edged toward the door with Angela right behind him.
“Do you all eat dinner together every night?” I asked, trying to break the silence once the other two left.
“I might be agrump-holesometimes, but Angela and Paul seem to tolerate me for dinner most of the time.” He smirked as he sliced into the filet mignon on his plate.
Damn, he’d heard me earlier.I shoved food into my mouth, not sure how to respond. “I—uh. I’m sorry. I hadn’t meant for you to hear that.”
A soft chuckle escaped from his mouth.
It’s deep, rich cadence made me want to trace the too infrequent laugh lines that formed around his perfect lips. Not for the first time, I wondered what it would be like to kiss him. Would his lips be hard and demanding just like his demeanor? Would they ravish and plunder my mouth and leave me wanting more?
