Strong and Steady

He didn’t seem too keen on that as he glanced away.

“Does it say something like you fathered some movie star’s kid?”

He grinned again, and I liked it. I liked knowing I could make him smile. He met my gaze. “Something like that.”

My eyebrows went up. “I was only joking.” A laugh sputtered out of me. “You’re serious, aren’t you?” When he didn’t say more but watched the boxers get back in the ring, I asked, “Was it the lady who stars in that sci-fi blockbuster? I take you more for an action-adventure type.”

Gray wasn't the kind of guy to be flippant about a baby. From what he told me about being afraid he'd hurt one, I knew it was all tabloid fodder, and I played it off as that.

He turned his head toward me and grinned. “There’s only one type I care about,” he replied, stepping closer.

“Oh?”

He nodded and tucked a wayward curl behind my ear. I felt that gesture all the way to my toes. “Emory’s type.”

“Oh.” I had no idea what to say to that. I had absolutely no comeback, and I was flustered. Of course, that made him grin even bigger.

“I love the way you blush.” He ran a knuckle down my warm cheek, which made my face heat even more. “Ready to get out of here?”

I could only nod, still stuck on Emory’s type. I followed him to the truck, and his gaze raked over my body as he opened the door for me.

“So, yoga?”

“It’s not MMA, but it’s a good workout,” I replied, getting in.

“I can tell.”

Was his voice a little rough?

He climbed into his seat, turned on the engine to get the air conditioning going. His truck was new and big and… huge. It had a full backseat that could fit a few extra cowboys. The engine rumbled with as much testosterone as the owner. Yet it was somehow understated and immaculately clean. It matched Gray’s personality.

Turning to face me, he said, “We can go to the bar and meet up with the team, but they’re going to be three beers in by now and singing crude drinking songs as loud as they can. Most guys probably haven’t showered, which won’t be pleasant, so I was thinking we could get some lunch on our own. Something a little less crazy.”

He sat less than two feet away. I could clearly see the scar in his eyebrow, the start of new whiskers on his cheeks. One of his ears had a hint of fighting damage to it, cauliflower ear, that he’d pointed to. But that was all superficial. Inconsequential. It was his eyes that hooked me. The way he looked at me with that dark, piercing gaze as if I was the only person around. In this case, I was, but he was completely and totally focused on me, not the car blaring its horn on the street, not the bad song that came on the radio. It was as if he wanted to be just with me.

I licked my bottom lip, and he sucked in a breath. “What about your friend, Thor?”

“He texted me while I was in the shower. Laura, his wife, didn’t want to waste a babysitter on a bunch of drunk guys singing off key. Her words.”

“Yeah, I don’t blame her. Thor’s a smart man for doing what she wants.”

He cocked his head in question.

“If she gets what she wants, I promise you, he’ll get exactly what he wants,” I explained. I folded my hands in my lap.

He nodded slowly, thinking about my words then grinned. “So if I take you where you want, will I get exactly what I want?”

My eyes widened. Even though the air conditioner was blowing out cool air, it was awfully hot inside the cab all of a sudden, and my heart skidded to a halt. “And… um, what is it that you want?” I whispered. I was dying to know and petrified to find out.

“Your phone number.” He grinned at my expression. It must have been priceless because I was expecting him to say something completely different, something that involved a first-date BJ. And he knew that.

Shaking my head slightly, I laughed as I retrieved my cell from my bag, handed it to him. He fiddled with it for a minute, then I heard a ring from his pocket. He gave the phone back, put the car in gear and backed out of the parking spot.

“There, now you have my number, too.”

8

EMORY