Page 14 of Gwen's Delta
“Well, I’d rather not have to send you a decoder ring.”
“What? I don’t get a prize?”Good one, Gwen. Except she didn’t know where she’d pulled that out from.
“Maybe you will after we get to know each other better.” Merlin’s deep chuckle sent shivers of need through her body. What would it be like to kiss him? To have his lips against hers, to taste him?
“I guess I’ll just have to wait.”
“Does that mean you want to get to know me better?”
She’d left the door wide open, hoping he’d ask. She wanted to get to know him a lot better, learn where he’d gotten the little scar near his eyebrow, what he’d been like when he was little.
“Yeah, I’d like to get to know you better. What about you?”Ugh, Gwen, that’s the best you could come up with?
Luke Forest was sexy personified as well as a gentleman, funny, and he loved old books. It was like fate put her dream man right in front of her and said, “Take him, he’s yours.”
“I already know me pretty well, but I’d love to spend more time with you.”
Thank God he couldn’t see her embarrassment heat her face. It was bad enough that she sounded like a complete dork.
“Yeah, and if you can’t tell, I suck at this. Small talk. I never know what to say.”
“No worries, Gwen. We’ll figure it out as we go along. I liked chatting with you this afternoon. I’d like to do it again, but next time, take you on an actual date. What do you think?”
“I’d like that. Today was fun. I wondered if you’d just been taking pity on me because of Grams.”
“I might have a little in the beginning, but once we started talking, I forgot all about her.”
“That’s good to know. Contrary to how it sounded, I don’t need a pity date.”
“I didn’t think you did. Your grandmother just cares about you. It comes with the territory.”
“True. Do you have one, too?” Gwen cringed. She didn’t want to put him on the spot if he didn’t want to get personal yet.
“Unfortunately, she passed away a few years ago, but my mom more than makes up for it.” Luke chuckled. “I think she’s finally given up on me ever settling down and giving her grandchildren. My sisters took some of that pressure off at least.”
Gwen figured he was career military. From the thin lines around his eyes and the gray at his temples, she guessed he was probably in his mid to late thirties. And he’d said he had no intention of getting married. A pang of disappointment squeezed her heart, and she hoped she could keep it out of her voice. “I understand. I hear it all the time. I’m an only child and only grandchild. How many sisters do you have?”
“Two, Lara and Karen. They’re both married. Lara has a boy and a girl, and Karen has a daughter so far, but she’s pregnant and due in a few months.”
“Wow, a large family. It must be great at the holidays,” Gwen said with a hint of wistfulness in her voice. She’d dreamed of having sisters and brothers when she was young, but her parents had been too busy traveling.
“It is, but I don’t get home often. My schedule is chaotic, and we never know when we’ll need to leave. You’re probably thinking about hanging up and forgetting you met me, aren’t you?”
Gwen smiled even though he couldn’t see it. He was partly right but also not exactly. There was no way she could walk away—not yet anyway. She couldn’t. Not without finding out why he could make her heart turn over with just a smile.
“It crossed my mind. I wondered if you were just looking for a quickie. I may seem naïve, but I’m not. So if that’s what you’re looking for…” If he was only in the market for a one-night stand or even two, she needed to know now.
“I’m sorry if I gave you that impression. It couldn’t be further from my mind. You’re smart, funny, and beautiful. Why wouldn’t I want to be around you? I could get all the sex I want in Killeen. Wait, that didn’t come out right at all.”
It was the perfect answer except for that last part. But that made her giggle. She wasn’t the only nervous one. “Okay.”
“Okay? That’s it? You’ll take a chance on me?”
“I will.”
“Excellent. So…what are you doing for lunch tomorrow?”
“You don’t waste any time, do you?” Gwen laughed.
