Page 44 of Seducing Bran
She looked skeptical. “How?”
“Because”—he tossed the keys in the glove compartment, a waft of her floral-orange scent with undertones of Ireland hitting him like a drug—“I own the house.”
Bran slowly straightened, suddenly tense, unsure how Ireland would react to him choosing his place for the evening.
“Oh.” She bit the inside of her lip. “Are w-we staying out here?”
Great, he’d made her nervous. “Is that all right? I brought blankets.” And a twin mattress for comfort.
Shit.It looked bad, didn’t it?
“We can go somewhere else,” he said. “I’ll take you to a restaurant. There are several—”
“No.” She smiled. “This is lovely. I’ve never had an evening picnic. And the houses are so far away that I feel like we’re in the woods.”
He let out a relieved sigh. The last thing he wanted was to make Ireland uncomfortable. That wasn’t what tonight was about. More of a penance for being a dick and then turning and kissing her so many times. Though he never got the impression she’d objected to those kisses.
“Come on,” he said. “I’ve got a basket of food in the back of the truck.”
The sound of the Heavenly Valley Creek trickled in the background as they exited the truck. Bran unhitched the tailgate and lowered it, grabbing a blanket and handing it to Ireland. Evenings could get cool, though tonight was unseasonably warm.
He climbed in the back of the truck and propped outdoor cushions from his backyard furniture against the cab, creating seating—and hopefully not intimidating Ireland with the mattress.
He reached back and helped Ireland onto the tailgate. She crawled across the mattress and leaned against the cushions.
She closed her eyes. “This is the best restaurant I’ve ever been to.”
He grinned watching her, warmth filling his chest. Why did pleasing Ireland make him so damn happy?
“Careful,” he said. “I thought I owned the best restaurant in town?”
Without missing a beat, she said, “Club Tahoe restaurants are a close second.”
Sassy. And he loved it.
Bran grabbed the basket of food. “Well, you’re in luck. Because I brought food from one of the second-place restaurants. Between the location of this one and the food from that one, I’m hoping to impress.”
Her eyes shot open. “Oh, I’m impressed.”
What wasthis man doing to her? Bran hadn’t only chosen an original place to take her, he’d brought her someplace special. Sure, they were technically in his backyard, but it was freaking gorgeous. And he’d brought cushions and blankets and a beautiful basket of food. No man had ever put together such a special night for her.
Bran set out a small folding table that was fairly steady, thanks to the firm mattress beneath them. Ireland had noted the mattress, and it made her pause. For all of two seconds, until she’d scooted onto it and appreciated the comfort far too much to be suspicious of Bran’s intentions.
He placed dishes on the lap table and poured two glasses of wine. “Saw you drinking red when you were doing lunges the other day.” He cut her a sexy, one-sided smile that made her belly clench. “Sorry, no wine yokes tonight.”
“I’m capable of drinking wine without one. Though when lunges are involved...”
He handed her a glass. “Yokes and lunges are good for hiding.”
Dammit. He knew.She’d been hiding behind the counter when Bran walked in with Jaeg after the booze cruise disaster. But things had changed since then. He’d shown her a softer side of himself. Bran wasn’t the stony guy he’d originally projected.
She sent him a serious look. “I’m not hiding now.”
“No. And I’m trying not to either.” He stretched his neck. “I’m sorry. About the things I said on the boat and other times. The way I treated you in the beginning… I tend to be cautious, and sometimes it comes out unkind.”
She studied his face. “Only with women, though.” It was a statement, because she’d had plenty of time to observe this guy. She’d seen him with his brothers and friends.
“Sometimes. Mostly because I don’t trust myself,” he admitted.
