Waiters and the hostess stood at the entrance, trying very hard not to stare at them.
Jessie picked up her purse. “We better go.”
Cadde followed her out and placed his hat on his head. “Good night,” he said to the group in the alcove.
“Have a good evening,” they chorused.
Once outside, the warm night air embraced them. Instinctively, Jessie reached for his hand. He gripped hers with his strong fingers and they walked to his truck. Darkness now ruled the neighborhood. Very few lights were on, but the streetlight provided ample illumination.
They moved to the passenger side of the vehicle. Cadde pushed a button on his key ring and the doors unlocked with a click. Opening the door, he helped her inside. She smiled. Oh, yeah, this was the way it was supposed to be done.
In a second, Cadde was in the driver’s seat and they sped away. Jessie leaned against the headrest. “It was a nice evening, wasn’t it?”
“Touch and go at first, though,” he remarked.
“That’s because you made me mad.”
“I have a feeling you get mad a lot.”
Jessie watched the night slip by in waves of blackness, punctuated with a light here and there. “I don’t…really.”
“But you have a temper,” he added in a teasing way that didn’t offend her.
“Yes,” she admitted. “I always thought I got that from Daddy, but I’m not sure.”
“You got it from Roscoe,” Cadde assured her. “That man had a temper. I remember one time he lit into a tool pusher for letting a guy who was clearly intoxicated on a rig. He yelled so much he bit his cigar in two. You know how he was always chomping on a cigar.”
“Yeah. And the angrier he got the more he chomped.”
“Mmm.”
Jessie relaxed in the loving memories of her father. She and Cadde shared that—the connection that held them together. Could there be more?
Glancing at Cadde, she wondered how he expected this evening to end. Well, she knew—in the bedroom. She was the one who had asked to take their relationship further and she didn’t want to tease him. That would be cruel, but again she hesitated. And she knew why. She wanted more.
He drove around to the garages and pushed a button on his sun visor. The garage door went up. Lights came on. While he guided the truck into his spot, the Dobermans barked, eager to confront their visitors.
“Down, boys,” Cadde said as he got out and walked around to her side.
The Dobermans sniffed her. “Good grief,” she complained, sliding out. “You’d think they’d know me by now.”
“Just instinct, I suppose,” he said, and they went into the house. The dogs darted away to the front, on guard.
Cadde pushed buttons on the wall, closing the garage door and setting the alarm system. Rosa had left the kitchen light on and there was another light on in her bedroom and the foyer. Coming into a dark house was not one of Jessie’s favorite things. Rosa knew her phobias.
They walked through the kitchen, dining room and living room to the large foyer. Jessie’s nerves were taut, and she turned quickly to talk to Cadde. His arms went around her waist and she forgot what she was going to say. He took her lips gently this time and, unable to stop herself, she returned his ardor. His hands trailed from her back to her hair, and desire, raw and potent, shot through her.
Breathing heavily, she whispered, “Cadde, could we talk?”
He sagged against her. “Jessie…” he groaned.
“Like you said—” she rushed into speech “—this is too fast. I need a little time.” She held her thumb and forefinger close together. “Just a little.”
“More rules, huh?” His voice held a note of complacency rather than anger.
She kissed his cheek. “Thank you,” she murmured, and ran up the stairs.
“This is not how you get a baby, Jessie,” he called after her.
CHAPTER FIVE
JESSIE HURRIED INTO HER ROOM, smiling. Somehow, she’d known behind that hard exterior Cadde Hardin was a nice man. He was giving her time. Touching her lips, she still felt the heady sensation of his kiss. She fell across the bed and closed her eyes.
Something wet touched her cheek and that euphoric feeling vanished. She reached out, pulling Mirry into the crook of her arm. “Miss me?”
The dog snuggled closer, and Jessie could see dog hair clinging to her black dress. Oh, well, it was going to the cleaners anyway. Her cell buzzed. She grabbed her purse and fished it out. Seeing the name, she clicked on.
“Hi, Myra.”
“I called Mama earlier and she said you were out with Mr. Cadde.” Myra dragged out the last part.