He looked vaguely chagrined, as if he had no desire for her to go. His next words confirmed it. “Do you have to go so soon?”
She smiled. “Yeah, I promised Pop I’d be over to eat with him and Connor. It’s lasagna night.”
He circled around the bar and stopped mere inches from her. He was so close his body heat enveloped her. His scent flitted across her nostrils. Clean. He smelled of soap and a fresh shower.
“One of these days, you’re going to quit running every time we get close,” he murmured. “You’re harder to catch and hold onto than a greased pig.”
“Pig?” Her mouth fell open. “Did you just compare me to a pig?”
He laughed, his eyes twinkling as he raked a hand through his short-cropped hair. “Hell, that didn’t come out well. My point is that one of these days, I want you to actually stick around for more than two minutes. You have a habit of hightailing it every time we get together. I might start taking it personally if it doesn’t stop.”
Heat bloomed in her cheeks, and a tendril of pleasure wrapped around her chest and snaked up her spine.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she murmured.
He seemed to be closer than he was a few minutes ago. She nervously wet her lips and knew that if she didn’t leave, he was going to kiss her. Did she want him to?
Part of her did. Very much. But another part of her loved the anticipation. The subtle cat and mouse game they played. The attraction between them was building, and she knew it was only a matter of time before things erupted between them.
He hovered even closer. She closed her eyes and leaned forward, but instead of kissing her lips, he cupped the back of her neck with his hand and pressed his mouth to her forehead.
Her eyes flew open as he pulled away. She almost grinned. So…he was giving her a dose of her own medicine, was he? She reached up on tiptoe and brushed her lips briefly across his, certainly not hard enough to constitute a full-blown kiss.
Then she smiled as his eyes sparked and his pupils dilated. She settled back on her heels and sashayed toward the door. When she reached it, she turned around and stared at him.
“I guess I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
CHAPTER 9
F aith shoved the coffeepot under the spout just as the first drops of hot liquid seeped through the filter.
Once a week, Pop held a morning meeting to discuss jobs and divide up duties. Mondays would have been logical, but then Pop tended to be rather illogical about the little things. Meetings such as this were called at random and usually precipitated by a 5:30 A.M. phone call from Pop asking everyone to come into the office before seven.
Faith always rushed in ahead of the guys so she could pick up donuts on her way in and make a fresh pot of coffee.
Not surprisingly, Gray was the first to arrive. He glanced appreciatively at the donut box when he walked into her office and took a seat on the other side of her desk.
“Mornin’,” she said cheerfully. “Feeling any better today?”
He grunted in return but reached eagerly for a donut when she shoved the box across the desk at him.
“There’s fresh coffee made,” she said.
“You’re a goddess,” he said as he rose and made for the pot.
He tugged one of the mugs from the neat row she’d arranged them in and poured a steaming cup of the potent brew.
“Want some?” he asked after he’d taken a sip.
She shook her heard. “I don’t drink it.”
He sauntered back over and slouched in the chair. “Not drink it? I’m pretty sure that’s listed as a cardinal sin somewhere in the Bible.”
She wrinkled her nose. “Never could stand the stuff. Once I drove all night from Louisiana to Kansas. Kept drinking coffee to stay awake. By the time I got to where I was going, I puked my guts up. Just the smell of it now makes me queasy.”
“Yet you still make it for us,” he observed.
“I’m a regular saint,” she said with a saucy wink.
His gaze drifted lazily up and down her, and her cheeks warmed under his scrutiny. She positively loved the way he looked at her, like he wanted to undress her, touch her, explore every inch of her.
“I’d give an entire paycheck to know what you’re thinking right now,” he drawled.
She blinked out of her reverie to see him watching her, his blue eyes flickering with undisguised interest. She managed to control her blush—barely.
“A woman has to keep a few secrets,” she said.
He chuckled and took another gulp of his coffee.
Faith’s gaze averted to the door as Micah strolled in, followed closely by Connor.
Micah did a quick survey of the room. “Nathan not make it in yet?”