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When the main courses arrived, Sara stared in wonder, then took a single bite of her fish and closed her eyes to savor the delicate, sweet flavor.
“How is it?”
She met his laughing gaze and felt herself tumbling headlong into territory she’d sworn to avoid.
This man, this time, were all wrong in so many ways. Yet, beyond his rugged, impossibly handsome face there was his humor, compassion—and a solid core of integrity that told her he was a man she could count on. She was in deep trouble.
“What, no comment?”
“Perfect. Altogether too perfect for words.” And the fish isn’t bad, either.
Behind Sara’s chair, a set of open bookshelves filled with plants rose from floor to ceiling, providing greater privacy for a table in the corner.
A familiar voice on the other side murmured something, then laughed with giddy delight at what her male companion said in return. Jane?
Knowing how lonely her friend had been, Sara took another bite of her fish, trying to tune out the couple’s private conversation.
But then the man’s voice came through the divider more clearly. Robert Hanson? So Jane’s blush had meant something, after all, Sara thought with an inward smile. You go, girl.
Unless...Robert was part of the scheme to deliver drug shipments in the Minneapolis area.
“You suddenly seem awfully quiet,” Nathan mused, giving her a thoughtful look. “Anything wrong?”
“No, not at all.” She eyed his plate. “Except that I might have stolen the rest of your meal if you hadn’t finished it.”
He laughed. “We can order a second round if you’d like.”
The voices behind Sara rose, then Robert clearly told Jane to lower her voice.
Distracted, it took Sara a moment to answer. “Um...I’d better not. But I’ll definitely come back if I can figure out how we got here.”
“Maybe you’ll join me again sometime?”
“Maybe...” It was a mistake to become involved with anyone in town. So why did she want to say yes?
On the way out, Nathan rested his hand at the small of her back, and in the parking lot he opened the door of his cruiser for her.
She hesitated before getting in, transfixed by his pensive expression and the thought that if she moved toward him, just a little, he might kiss her.
Even though the car was at the far end of the lot and they were out of view, the thought was as frightening as it was compelling.
He searched her face as if looking for a signal. Then, with slow, deliberate care, he moved his thumb along her jaw and slid his hand to the back of her neck to draw her closer. “I’ve wanted to do this for a long time,” he murmured.
Her heart lurched as he kissed her.
He lifted his head and gazed deeply into her eyes, then rested his forehead against hers. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
From behind them came the voices of people heading toward their cars, and he stepped away with a heavy sigh.
Once in the car, he started the engine, then leaned his head back against the headrest and closed his eyes. “Sorry.”
Regret lanced through her. “We need to forget this ever happened.”
“Forget?” He looked over at her, and the emotion in his eyes sent a shiver through her.
She wished she could draw him into another kiss.
But a nagging, unwelcome voice reminded her of just how wrong that would be. Forcing herself to look away, she found her breeziest tone. “I’ll be back in Dallas in a few months, so why make life complicated?”
