"It's a deal."
-
The beer was cold, the ribs were perfect, and the woman sitting across from Jack made everything on the dessert menu fade into insignificance. He loved watching the delicate way she bit into the succulent meat on the ribs. The barbecue joint was definitely rustic with its rough-hewn tables and checkered curtains, yet Caitlyn looked as if she were dining in the finest restaurant in town. Not in a snooty way, but because she was classy.
It made him wonder what she was doing with a guy like him. He knew from what she'd told him that she held not just one, but two master's degrees. His own education had been much more hands-on in both his military career and the construction work he did now. Damn, he hoped they had more common ground than a mutual love of dancing.
Caitlyn happened to glance up at that moment. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing at all." With her, anyway.
His answer clearly didn't satisfy her. "You'd tell me if I had sauce on my face, wouldn't you?"
"As if you'd do anything so crass, Caitlyn." He laughed and held up his fingers. "You're all neat and tidy while I'm the one who looks like he's been bathing in barbecue."
"Would you be happier if I dripped a bunch of sauce on my new shirt? Because that could easily be arranged." She paused to pick up another rib. "The reason I wore red was that it wouldn't show as much if I did dribble."
His eyes automatically dropped down to study her shirt. He didn't see any evidence of barbecue sauce. She might have chosen the top because of its color but, personally, he liked the way that tank top accented her feminine curves. He couldn't wait until they got back to her place and he could get his hands on-
"Jack, my eyes are up here."
Whoops, busted. "I didn't mean to stare. Sorry about that."
Well, actually, that last part was a lie, and her grin said all too clearly that she knew it. And just to be a brat, she flipped her hair back over her shoulders and then traced the curve of her upper lip with the tip of her tongue. The effect on him was all too predictable.
He shifted in his chair, wishing like hell they were somewhere a lot more private. "That's just cruel, woman."
"And I thought you Special Forces guys were supposed to be so tough." She took another bite of her rib, her gray eyes filled with laughter.
"We are. We're also resourceful." He shot her a look hot enough to melt rocks. "And just so you know, something else we're really good at is identifying our intended target and then going after it with everything we have. Consider yourself warned."
And to underscore his point, he flagged down their waitress. "Can we get the rest of our ribs boxed up along with two pieces of the chocolate pie to go? We have somewhere we need to be."
When she left to take care of that for them, he smiled at the woman sitting across from him. "Any questions?"
Now she was the one looking a bit flustered. "No."
-
Traffic wasn't bad, but it took far longer to get back to Caitlyn's than it had to reach the restaurant. Same route, same distance, twice the time. Okay, yeah, maybe it just seemed that way. He glanced at Caitlyn, who clutched their to-go bag of food as if it were a lifesaver as she stared out the side window of the SUV.
If he weren't mistaken, her tension level had been ramping up ever since they left the restaurant.
"You know, it's not too late to pick a movie to see at a theater if that's what you want."
There, he'd made the offer even if he was hoping like hell she wouldn't take him up on it. "Or if you've changed your mind about seeing a movie, I can just take you home, Caitlyn."
When she didn't immediately respond, he pulled over to the curb and stopped. He twisted in the seat so that he was facing her more directly. "The bottom line here is that nothing is going to happen that you don't want to happen."
She finally turned to face him. "I want … us, Jack. I'm just feeling a bit skittish because it's been such a long time for me."
He thought he knew what she was referring to, but he needed to know for sure. Her answer to his next question might change everything about how he hoped the evening would end. "When you're talking about a long time, are you referring to dating in general or, um, something more specific?"
For some reason, his question made her smile just a little. "Very tactful, Jack. The answer to your question is both, but especially the latter. I've dated a few times since my divorce, but nothing serious enough to make me want to invite someone in for more than a piece of chocolate cream pie."
He wasn't sure why it pleased him to hear that, but it did. "I meant what I said, Caitlyn. If all you want to do is watch a movie and enjoy the pie, that's fine."
"Really?"
"Really."
He'd keep it all casual and fun if that's what she needed. It might kill him, but she meant too much to him to risk ruining what they had because she wasn't ready to go that next step.
Evidently she believed him because all the tension seemed to flow out of her. "Take me home, Jack."
Doing his best to hide his disappointment, he put the truck back into gear. Before he pulled away from the curb, she reached over to put her hand on his thigh and gave it a gentle squeeze. "And then take me to bed."
When he shot her a quick look, she smiled and nodded. "You heard me right, Jack. I asked you to take me to bed."
Actually, it had sounded more like an order, one he would gladly carry out. He grinned at her through the darkness. "It will be my pleasure … and yours."
She laughed and gave his thigh another squeeze.
As tempting as it was to floor it and send the big SUV racing through the night, it was more important to reach her place in one piece than to get there fast. Luckily, they were only a few blocks short of their destination. They rode in silence, which wasn't a bad thing. Right now, he was having a hard time concentrating on his driving instead of the heat from her hand where it still rested on his leg.
If even that small connection was short-circuiting his brain, he wasn't sure what would happen once they got naked behind closed doors, but he couldn't wait to find out. When they finally reached her condo, he parked the SUV and hustled his ass around to the other side to open the door for her.
They walked the short distance to her front door hand in hand. It took her a couple of tries to get the key into the lock and open the door. Maybe it was a sign of how nervous they were that they both found that really funny. He was pretty sure it was a sign that they needed to slow things down a little.
As she walked inside, she said, "Let me put the food in the refrigerator."
He followed her into the kitchen. "Actually, I think I'd like my dessert now, and then we can see what movies are on the television."
Just as he suspected, she looked a bit relieved. "Are you sure?"
Jack took the bag from her and set it down on the counter. "Yeah, I'm going to enjoy my pie and then see if I can't coax my date into making out on the couch while we watch a movie."
He couldn't resist touching the long silk of her hair again. "Think she'll go for that idea?"
"I'm thinking she just might." Caitlyn captured his hand in hers. "Meanwhile, would you like some coffee to go with that pie? I also have beer and soft drinks."
"A beer if that's okay."
Mainly because it wouldn't take her as long to pop the top on a cold one as it would for her to put on a pot of coffee to brew. He would give her all the time she needed, but right now he really wanted her in his arms, even if that only meant a good cuddle on the couch.
"Why don't you go pick a movie to watch while I serve up the pie and fix our drinks?"
"Sounds good." He gave her a quick kiss. "Any preference what kind of movie we watch?"
She gave him a teasing glance. "How about a foreign film with subtitles?"
"Fine with me. And if it's French or Spanish, I wouldn't even need the subtitles."
Her eyes flared wide in surprise. "Really, you speak two other languages?"
"Actually, three. I can also get by in a couple of others, although I'm not fluent. Those of us in Special Forces often serve with troops from other countries. It helps if we can make ourselves understood."
"Wow, I'm impressed. I took German to meet the mandatory foreign language requirement in college, but I can't remember much beyond hello, goodbye, and how to ask where the closest bathroom is."
"All useful phrases. Much more so than being able to tell someone how to break down their weapon to clean it or to yell ‘Incoming!' " His eyes looked a bit bleak as he kissed her on the cheek. "Now, I'll go see about the movie."