The man grins, his green eyes sparkling and crinkling at the corners. “You remember.”
I give him a side glance after hearing the ridiculous amount of satisfaction in his voice. Fighting the urge to snort rudely, I force a saccharine smile. “It was a small group. I remember everyone’s names.”
I get the pleasure of seeing his grin slip a little. Maybe if he hadn’t been ogling my tits the entire meeting, I’d be more receptive to his presence. I think he said he was in a fire at his workplace or something. I completely zoned out during his story.
“How was your first meeting?” he asks.
“Great. Helpful.” I pursed my lips—my tell when I lie. But Ethan doesn’t know that.
“Good. I hope I’ll see you at the next one.”
“Uh-huh.” I pick up the pace when I see the double doors leading outside. I know where this conversation is going, and I’m not interested. Ethan is about to be a total dick and ask me out. Who looks for a date at a freaking fire victim support meeting?
After the trauma of surviving a fire, dating is the last thing on my mind... Unless it involves a hot-as-sin firefighter who threw me over his broad shoulders and carried me out of a burning building.
Oh god.
Rowan refuses to stay out of my head.
“Or we don’t have to wait until the next meeting,” Ethan says. “Do you want to grab lunch?”
And there it is. I burst through the door and hurry down the stone steps with Ethan rushing to keep up. “Well...” I don’t want to hurt his feelings. “I’m not really...”
“Grace.”
Instantly, the voice sends electricity zapping through me. I freeze at the bottom step, and so does Ethan. My eyes zero in on Rowan. He’s leaning against a black SUV, ankles crossed and hands in his pockets. He’s wearing sunglasses, but I can practically feel the intensity of his eyes on me.
What the hell is he doing here? Did I conjure him by thinking about him too much?
“Oh, is that your ride?” Ethan asks.
“Apparently,” I grumble.
He gives Rowan a grudging look. “I’ll see you, Grace.”
“Sure.”
He turns and hurries back up the steps to disappear inside.
Blowing out a breath, I walk over to Rowan. “Hey. Here you are... again.”
“You don’t sound happy to see me.”
His baritone makes me shiver even though it’s warm out. “Never that. You just keep showing up to rescue me.”
His eyebrows shoot up over his sunglasses. “This is hardly a rescue, Grace. I’m just offering you a ride home.”
Nibbling my lower lip, I gaze up at him, trying not to ogle him in the gray T-shirt that shows off his biceps and broad chest. “Right. It’s just that you’re making a habit of it, and I’d like to know why.”
Hopefully, the suspicion in my tone doesn’t offend him. I don’t know how he even knew where I’d be today. “I’d like to know what this is all about, Rowan. You helping me, I mean.” Does he have an ulterior motive behind all his good deeds?
He whips off his sunglasses, and I almost take a step back. Those gorgeous blues of his are lethal. In a sexy way.
“Okay,” he says, opening the door to the passenger’s side. “Get in.”
Our eyes clash before I do as he ordered.