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“I used to come here a lot in high school.” Her seatbelt swished into the retractor spool. Her door cracked open. “Especially after final exams. My reward for all that stress from studying.”
He slid out of the driver’s seat and went around to help her out. Since that first weekend, nothing dangerous had happened. The FBI had locked up Winston and Caruceko, the renegade arms dealer, so whatever had shaken her must be something else. He’d learned Gwen had to do things on her own timetable, though. If she wanted to reveal her secret, she would. If she never did, he would have to deal with having misjudged her, walk away, and lick his wounds.
The thought nearly paralyzed him. He didn’t want to lose her, and everything that had happened since that first weekend only strengthened his certainty.
A car door banged shut and Gwen came around, her gaze already focused on the windows along the booths. “It looks really crowded.”
“We could sit at the counter if need be.” He took her hand.
“Stools are for losers.” Her smile showered him with sparkles. “We’ll find a booth. Have faith.”
Warmth and cheery voices greeted them when they stepped inside. The enticing smell of grilling hamburgers and toasty French fries filled the air. He ignored his grumbling stomach as Gwen had assured her aunt they’d still want supper.
Will held up two fingers to the hostess.
“I’ve got a table in the back.” She took menus from a bracket, pausing while a foursome vacated a booth.
“Can we take this one?” Gwen pointed to a pile of dirty dishes on the booth beside them.
Did she really want to sit here? This was the same one they’d occupied the first time.
The woman frowned. “It needs to be bused.”
He opened his mouth to say they didn’t mind the table in the rear when a bus boy appeared and began to fill his tub.
He let Gwen slip in first, and he sat across from her. He glanced at the menu. Gwen stared at hers, so he flipped through the songs on the vintage juke box mounted on their table. Finally, she lifted her head. He smiled before he noticed she wasn’t even looking his way, but instead staring over his shoulder, her expression pinched.
She gasped and looked at him. “This was where we sat when we were watching for the black sports utility five weeks ago.”
“I know. Do you want to find someplace else?”
“We might as well stay here since we’re not going to be here long.” She took a napkin from the holder and tore off a strip, frowning.
The whole point in coming here, for him anyway, was to get her to relax and tell him why she’d gotten so upset about the detour. Was it the road? The train overpass? Something else?
Their first night together she’d revealed her trust issues, but he must have proved himself. So far, she hadn’t run screaming into the night. Something troubled her now, something big because she’d looked more shaken than he’d ever seen her. Something he wanted to know about. Now, before they wasted any more time.
She tore another piece from the napkin. “I know the FBI arrested Caruceko and Winston, but revisiting Bailey’s still feels a little creepy.”
He needed to get her thinking about something else. “Some couples have a favorite song.” He patted the music selector box. “We have a favorite booth at Bailey’s.”
“We’re a couple?” Gwen’s startling blue eyes pinned him. And that blasted groove cut between her brows again.
“I think so.” He nodded, holding his breath for her response.
Their malts came before she said anything more. She didn’t even look as if she would. While the sweet coldness sliding down his throat tasted wonderful, it only seemed to deepen the black void filling his gut.
They discussed plans for her cousin’s wedding, but she never mentioned what had frightened her about the train trestle. Would she ever trust him enough to confide the cause of that…trauma? Or had he already lost her?
Later, when they left, Will slid his hand down to hers as they crossed the lot to his Jeep, the crisp autumn air a relief after the warm restaurant. Her shoulder brushed his. Their hands weren’t a lot of bodily contact and he wished they were in a bed—hers, his, didn’t matter, so he had access to all of her.
He caught her intoxicating scent and wanted nothing more than to bury his nose in her hair and fill his whole being with her essence. Didn’t she know that?
She’d questioned his description of their relationship as a couple, and he needed to do something to show her they were. Irrevocably.
She reached for the passenger door handle, but he unwound her fingers and pulled her hand away. Her eyes widened and he swooped in close, covering her lips with his. Her surprise made her hesitate, but then she opened her sweet mouth to his, trusting him. And he took the kiss deeper.
He pulled her close, splaying a hand across her back so that her body fit against his. Finally, she reached up and slid her fingers through his hair. He kissed her cheeks, her ears, her neck, and his body grew hard and hot.
