The skin on her shoulders and arms felt as if a thousand little caterpillars were stomping all over it. "What do you think it is?" Even her voice sounded awkward. She didn't even want to contemplate what her stomach was currently doing.
Adam's face broke into a smile. "I guess it is. It's been a little while since I played the whole dating game. I think I'm out of practice."
"The dating game? Is that what this is to you?"
The waiter had just appeared. He put a jug of water on the table along with some glasses and made a hasty exit.
She tried not to smile as she watched him shift in his seat.
"Well, no, I didn't quite mean that. What I meant was – "
He caught sight of the expression on her face and relaxed back into the seat. "You're joking, right?"
She laughed as she reached for the water jug. "I just wanted to see you squirm for a second. See how you handle pressure." She filled her glass and his and lifted one towards him. "Not bad, Dr. Brady. Not bad at all."
His fingers brushed against hers as he took the glass. "Do you want some wine?"
She nodded. "With ribs? No way. I want a beer." She glanced at the napkin laid across her lap. "You do realize I'm going to have to tuck this into the top of my dress? This might not be the most glamorous date in the world."
Their gazes meshed. "You're wrong," he said quickly. "I think this is going to be the most glamorous date I've ever had."
*
Two hours later she'd drunk one beer, two sodas and did her best to eat ribs without getting sauce on her chin or in her hair. She hoped she'd succeeded.
Adam Brady was intriguing. He talked freely about his work and medical training, but was cagey about his past. Not the kid stuff. Just the adult stuff. It made her wonder if he was trying to hide something.
"So, where exactly did you stay in Washington? I know it quite well. I've a few friends from there and I visit a lot."
"Just in the city. I worked in Washington General and lived in the area."
She frowned. "Washington General covers a huge area. Whereabouts did you stay?"
She recognised evasive answering. Time to find out more about Adam Brady.
"Are your mom and dad from Marietta?" he asked.
She took a sip of her soda. He'd just completely avoided her question. "I grew up in Marietta, but my mom and dad moved to Florida a few years ago. There's just me left now."
"No brothers or sisters?"
She hesitated. How to answer that question? Chances were, if he asked anyone else in Marietta about her they might mention her sisters. There was no sense in lying.
"Two sisters. Both not around anymore." Her heart squeezed inside her chest. She said it so casually – as if it didn't really matter. Fundamentally, it was true. Even if it wasn't exactly honest. There was a huge difference between Grace being buried in the local church yard and Melody running away with her fiancé.
But Adam didn't seem to pick up on anything. "Are your mom and dad happy where they are?"
She nodded. "They loved Montana. But my dad's really arthritic, they needed to move to a warmer climate. The winters around here are just too cold."
He gave a smile. "I kind of like the cold – and the snow. Makes it feel more like Christmas." He gave a shrug. "I like seasons in general." He looked out of the window at the warm summer evening. "I like the summer too." His eyes skimmed over her bare shoulders. "A chance for wearing a little less clothing."
There it was again. The tingling. The warm feeling spreading over her skin. This was nice. This was so nice. It had been so long since she'd flirted like this. It had been so long since she'd actually contemplated dating again. It had so long since she'd felt a connection to anyone.
Her stomach gave a little twist. She'd trusted Joe. She'd known him for years. She had felt completely betrayed by him and her sister. It's probably why she hadn't dated in so long. It was so easy to lose herself in the shop. To help everyone else with their happy ever afters. She'd spent the last few years pretending she was too busy to find her own.
Was she finally ready to trust someone again? To share with someone?
Adam reached over the table and touched her hand. "You okay, Lisa? You look kind of lost in your own little world."
She gave a start and straightened self-consciously in her chair. "Sorry."
He leaned back again. "So, do you really buy into all this celebrity wedding stuff?"
She smiled and gave a shrug. "I have to. I buy into everyone's wedding stuff." She looked up, "Every bride wants to have the best wedding day and be the most beautiful bride. I get to play a part in all that."
His eyes narrowed for a second. Guys. They had a hard time with all this fairy tale stuff. "Don't you think it's all just a big fuss? People spend the kind of money that could be a deposit on a house in one day. Then, if it doesn't work out," he popped open his fingers, "then poof, it's all gone."
It sounded a tiny bit cynical. She shifted on her chair. "You're right. For some people it is a ridiculous amount of money. In my shop I have a whole range of dresses with different price tags. I always work around people's budgets. That's my job." She licked her lips. "But this wedding – Nancylynn's – it could make a huge difference to me. Once Married in Marietta is associated with a celebrity wedding it should be good for business. I'd be a fool to look a gift horse in the mouth. My friend's already helping me with my website." She gave a nod of her head. "This could make my business really soar."
There was silence for a second, as if Adam were contemplating her words. He spoke carefully, a furrow wrinkling his brow. "Is your business in trouble?"
"What? No." She shook her head and took a sip of her beer. "Not at all. Marietta might be a small town but my bridal shop has done well. I'm really happy. But if the online stuff takes off too … ," she raised her beer bottle to him, "I could be the next Donald Trump."
He gave a thoughtful nod. For a few seconds she wondered what was running through his mind. Had she sounded too cut-throat? Too business minded? She was proud of her business. It had been the one thing that had kept her on track when the rest of the world was falling apart around about her.
Whatever it was – it passed in an instant.
He glanced over towards the waiter. "It's a gorgeous night. How about we skip dessert and just go for a walk and a few drinks back in town?"
There it was. The slight suggestion of who knew what? She liked it. The buzz between them had been momentarily hushed, but now it was back.
She nodded. "That sounds good."
He paid the bill and walked her out to the car, his arm gently resting at her back. His touch was gentle, but the warmth of his palm was sending little shock waves of heat along the small of her back. He opened her car door for her and she turned to face him. "Well, Dr. Brady, you're quite the gentleman, aren't you?"
He was standing right in front of her. His pale green shirt open at the neck, giving a tiny glimpse of a few curling hairs. She sucked in a breath and inhaled his woody aftershave. It was so easy. So easy just to tilt her head up towards his.
He gave a lazy kind of smile and their gazes connected. He lifted his hand and brushed his fingers along her shoulder. "Not really." His hand closed in around the back of her head. He pulled her head towards his and bent to kiss her.
It was a definite surprise. A bolt from the blue. But if all bolts came with this amount of electricity she would happily sizzle from here all the way back to Marietta.
Adam's lips were soft. But the way he held her wasn't. He held her like a man in control. A man who knew exactly what he wanted.
One hand was at the back of her head. The other? It seemed to sidle its way around to her ass. She pressed forward a little, her hands on his chest as she kissed him back. It only took a few seconds for them to wind their way up around his neck and for her to push herself even closer.
Their kiss deepened. Her mouth opened and she relaxed into his warmth. He tasted both sexy and sweet and she felt a little surge of something – something she hadn't felt in years.
It wasn't that she hadn't kissed anyone after Joe had left. Truth was she'd kissed quite a few. But none of them had felt right. Most of them she'd just wished to be over. None of them had made the blood rush through her veins the way it was doing now. None had lit a fire in her belly like the one that was burning right now.