Waiting For You
Page 8
“Volunteer work.” The reply came out mostly under my breath. I didn’t talk to people about it.
“Volunteer work?” she asked, matching my tone. Interest filled her gaze, and I knew I might have finally snagged onto something to grab her attention to me. “Doing what?”
“Come on a drive with me after dinner? I’ll tell you about it.”
She nibbled on the corner of her lip, her brow furrowing. At least, she seemed to be considering it.
“A drive? I don’t know…”
“I promise you’re safe with me. I know you don’t know me well, not my personal life anyway, but I’m not anything like my uncle, okay? Not him or my mom, for that matter.”
More than anything, I needed her to understand that. I wouldn’t get anywhere with Reba if she thought I was an abusive asshole.
Her hand covered mine, and I shivered slightly at this first almost intimate touch. Awareness spiked through me, and my dick responded accordingly, already thrilled to be so close to Reba that I could smell her lemony scent.
“I know, Marshall. I might not be one of your close friends, but I know you’re a kind person. You’re more like your father than you’re like them.”
This was true, still I had to set her straight. “I’m stronger than my father.” Of course, physically. But I meant emotional strength.
She nodded then dampened her bottom lip while she stared at her plate. “No one can know.”
Holy shit! Was she saying yes?
“If that’s what you want, then of course. Whatever you want. We won’t go into town. You can meet me in the garage, and we’ll sneak out.” It was one of the parts of the house that had a servants’ entrance, so the garage staff could come and go without tracking grease through the other parts of the house. She’d have to use the exterior exit from the staff quarters and circle the outside of the mansion to get to that doorway.
It wasn’t the best plan, and I didn’t like the idea of her skulking around, unprotected, outside in the dark. But I couldn’t think of any course of action that didn’t involve her meeting me that way.
“You should eat,” she instructed then lifted a forkful of chicken and rice to her full lips. “I’ll meet you at nine.”