The knowing looks they all gave clearly said they didn’t believe her too-simple answer. And she really didn’t either.
He waited for her outside the door of the salon, leaning against a light pole, looking too damn scrumptious for words. The perpetually messy hair, his incredible body encased in jeans and a dark-brown henley shirt. He appeared casual, slouched posture with his hands in his front pockets, shoulder propped against the metal pole. But she saw the telltale signs. The tenseness of his body, the sharpness in his gaze, he looked ready to leap. Or perhaps jump out of his skin.
More than anything, he looked damn nervous.
“Hey.” She approached him, smiling. Reaching out, she grabbed his forearm and gave him a quick squeeze. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
“I wanted to surprise you.” Eric pushed away from the lamppost and leaned in, his lips meeting hers in a sweet, brief kiss. “Have a busy day?”
“Yes, but I’m never too tired to spend time with you.” And wasn’t that the truth. Curling her arm around his, she tucked herself close to his side. “Thank you for the flowers.”
“You liked them?” He sounded relieved, worried. She thought it was cute.
“What woman doesn’t love flowers?”
“I don’t know.” He shrugged, looking vaguely uncomfortable. “I’m not good at this shit.”
Her brows crinkled. “What shit?”
“Romantic gestures.” He waved his hand in the air. “I want to do right by you. I sent you flowers. I surprised you by coming by after work so I could pick you up. I planned to take you to dinner. Someplace intimate and quiet where we can stare into each o
thers’ eyes over lit candles and barely eat the expensive food we ordered. That was my plan. But now I don’t want to go. I just want to take you back home and keep you all to myself. Naked, in my bed. With me, against me, beneath me.”
All the breath expelled from her lungs as she stood there staring at him. In the middle of the sidewalk right in front of her work. Why did all of the important moments in their relationship seem to happen on the street? In public? The one thing she could hardly stand in the past was public gestures of too much affection. She never wanted to air her dirty laundry, so to speak. She was too private of a person.
Eric seemed to strip away all her inhibitions and make her do the craziest things…
“If you really think you’re not good with the romantic gestures, then you didn’t just hear your impassioned speech.”
Now it was his turn for the crinkled brow and confused expression. “What do you mean?”
“What you just said was the most romantic thing any man has ever said to me.” She kissed him, her lips lingering, tongue sneaking out for a quick little lick.
“Really?” He sounded surprised.
“Really.” She kissed him again. She couldn’t help herself. He tasted so good, smelled good, too, and he was warm. Big and protective and the sweetest, most complicated man alive. Just having him close sent butterflies cascading inside her stomach and her skin tingled with awareness. “I don’t want to go out to dinner either, though I appreciate the gesture. I’d rather go home with you.”
“No, I should take you out and treat you right,” he protested, trying to withdraw from her but she held on tight.
“Taking me back to your place and making love to me all night long is treating me right, Eric,” she said, her voice soft as she stared into his eyes.
He studied her for a long, quiet moment. The cars rushing by faded to nothingness, as did the people walking by on the street. She heard and saw nothing but the man standing before her, looking as if he was about to hand her his heart and all that came with it.
Anticipation curled through her at the thought.
“You’re too good to be true,” he whispered. “I don’t deserve you.”
“As long as you keep doing what you’re doing, you more than deserve me.” She tugged on his arm, spotting his car in the near distance. “Come on, let’s go back to your apartment.”
“Want to go in separate cars?” He pointed at her car parked across the street.
“No.” She shook her head. “Let’s ride together. You can drive me to work tomorrow.”
They fell into step together, walking toward his car. “Once I get you alone it will be hard to let you go.”
“Maybe you should tie me to the bed and ensure that I can’t escape.” She teased, but the way his eyes darkened meant the suggestion held appeal.
“That can definitely be arranged.” He paused as he came around to the passenger side and unlocked the door, holding it open for her. “If you want it to happen, that is.”