Page 76 of Protecting Love

Shit, he couldn’t do that to her. Not after what they’d just shared.

Not looking at the vulnerability in her eyes.

“I don’t want to sound cocky,” he said, dipping his head down and looking at the food spread out.

“Help yourself. Maybe if you’re doing something with your hands and your mouth you’ll be freer with your words. Like last night in the deli.”

She wasn’t wrong.

He reached for the quiche in front of him and took a slice, then put a few pancakes and strips of bacon on his plate.

It was all still warm, telling him she’d had it waiting for him before he even got here rather than spread out like now.

Maybe she worried that he’d say no.

That he didn’t want to be left alone with her.

The smart thing would have been to do that.

He thought he stopped being stupid years ago, but guess not.

“It was a lot more relaxing, I’ll give you that.”

“I can have that effect on people. Or so I’ve always been told.”

“I see it.”

In the way she carried herself.

The bright, welcoming smile that was always present. Even for him.

Even when he barely said a word or did no more than nod.

She’d been pulling pieces of him out for months and rather than walk away with the little she got, she kept going back for more.

Opening up, like she’d said.

He deserved to give her the same.

“Last night, you opened up and then I stumbled and thought you were lying,” she said.

“I’d be a real dick to lie about that.”

“I thought that. But then I asked myself why you were telling me so much when you barely could say hi prior.”

“And what did you come up with?” he asked around a mouthful.

“That I’m getting to you. That maybe you’re thinking of me slightly the same way I’m thinking of you.”

“I’d think what we just did in your bedroom confirms that.”

She laughed. “Yeah. But I’m still moving on thin ice and my skates are pretty sharp. I’m afraid of the ice breaking and me dropping in.”

“Cooling off or drowning?” He looked up into her bright blue eyes. “I wouldn’t let you drown.”

She nodded and blew out a breath. “I know. So I pushed a few more buttons. To push my luck. Because there you were last night, trying to ease me. Trying to take my mind off of why you’re with me. Because you’re not with me the way I wanted you to be and that was only all the more frustrating.”

“You haven’t made any move to say you wanted more,” he said.