“Can you look at me?”
I turned around. This man was just so . . . manly. Big athletic body, toned muscles, and I couldn’t help but wonder if the hair on his chest was as thick as his beard.
Warm, rough-skinned fingers rested beneath my chin when he angled my head up to peer into my face. And those eyes of his. Sigh. Cerulean blue on the outer ring, a smoky gray by his pupil. Beautifully expressive and laser focused with intensity on me right now.
“There are millions of people in the Twin Cities. There are hundreds of bars, theaters and volunteer organizations. The chances of us randomly running into each other twice in one week are miniscule. But we did.” His thumb brushed over the divot in my chin. “I’m considering it a sign.”
Chills danced down my spine. I was glad he’d said it first. Part of me wanted to point out this connection could be a bad sign just as easily as a good one, but the hope—and, yes, forgiveness—on his face had the rebuttal drying on my tongue.
“Let’s start over.”
“You want to pretend that kiss never happened?”
“No. I want to pretend you gave me your real phone number and real name so I can spend time with the real you.”
“That was the real me in the bar, Walker.”
He smiled. “Good. Because I liked you.”
“Past tense?”
“So literal for an artist,” he murmured. “The past is past. But I want the future tense to belong to me.”
Okay. His confidence? Completely sexy.
“Come out with me tonight. You owe me that much since you did agree to a date.”
His insistence didn’t surprise me. But I’d had an exhausting week. All I wanted was to slip between my sheets, try to shut down for a solid eight hours. “Thank you for the offer. But I’ll be worthless company tonight.”
“I doubt that.” He touched my cheek. “Just dinner, then. You have to eat.”
“Do I look like I miss many meals?”
Walker’s eyes turned stormy. “Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“Say shit like that about yourself. I like what I see when I look at you, Trinity.”
“Oh.” That was really sweet. “I like what I see when I look at you too.”
“But that’s not a point in my favor right now, is it? You’re still turning me down for dinner.”
I set my hand on his chest. As hard and muscular as I remembered. “Yes. Just for tonight, though.”
“How about lunch tomorrow? A long lunch.”
He smiled—oh, hello, sexy dimples. I wanted to press my lips to the deep divots and feel his beard tickling my lips. Next time I kissed him, I’d take it slow and explore.
“So is that a yes?” he pressed.
My focus snapped back to his eyes. “It depends on where you’re taking me. I’m not a fan of bar food—chicken wings, nachos, all that fried crap.”
“Got it. Any other things to avoid?”
“I spend so much time inside that I’d like to enjoy the fresh air—as long as it’s not a hundred degrees in the shade.” I could see the ideas churning in his head and then one clicked.
“You’re all right with it just being us tomorrow? Not in a restaurant or a bar or surrounded by people?”
I appreciated that he’d asked and hadn’t assumed. “Sounds good. Where are we meeting?” I knew he probably expected to pick me up, but I needed the option of being able to leave whenever I wanted.
“I’ll text you around ten and let you know. I have to check on a couple of things before I decide exactly where we’re going.” His eyes roamed my face. “Bring a hat and sunscreen.”
“Anything else I should bring?”
“Just your beautiful self.”
“You are smooth.” I slid my hand up and curled it around his neck, intending to pull his mouth down to mine. But something stopped me.
“I have no problem with you taking the lead,” he murmured. “Kiss me anytime you get the overwhelming urge again. But this time, it’s my turn.”
I groaned when our lips met and he swallowed the sound in a hot and hungry kiss. I hadn’t embellished this passion between us. And he seemed determined to remind me of that with every teasing flick of his tongue, with every soft growl, with every angle he moved my head so he could delve deeper into the kiss.
When he broke the seal of our mouths, my lips tingled and my head buzzed. I’d melted against him and was having a hard time remembering why I couldn’t stay right there forever.
Oh yeah. I’d opted to give up more of this to go home alone to my quiet house and my neurotic, cranky cat who hated me.