She nodded, but didn’t answer. When he opened the door for her, she wouldn’t look at him. So Bullet did the thing that came naturally to him; he spun her around and kissed the daylights out of her. The tension he felt in every part of her body quickly released. Her arms went around his neck, and she kissed him back.
“I’m sorry,” they pulled back and said simultaneously. Then they both laughed.
“I’m the one who should be sorry, Bullet. I don’t know why I reacted the way I did last night.”
“Wasn’t fair of me to put you on the spot the way I did. I understand if I embarrassed you.”
Tristan looked in the direction of the house. “Let’s go, okay? We can talk about this better over breakfast.”
There was a part of him that wondered if Tristan was trying to hide being with him. Did she look toward the house to see if anyone was watching? He leaned down and kissed her again. When her mouth opened to him, he knew he’d won this battle if there was ever a war.
&nb
sp; “How’s Grey this morning?” Tristan asked once they were seated.
“He’s fine. I think he was startled more than hurt last night.”
“I felt terrible. I still do.”
“The thing that upsets me the most is I left in such a huff that you didn’t get to meet my daughter.”
Tristan looked away and hoped what she was thinking wasn’t showing on her face. Did he really care whether she met his daughter, or was he just saying that?
“I know what you’re thinkin’.”
“You do?”
“Yeah, I do. And neither of us needs to say it out loud.”
“Bullet, I don’t think—”
“Look, Tristan, there isn’t anybody who knows I’m not good enough for you better than I do.”
Is that what he thought? Is that what she was somehow leading him to believe?
The shame she felt, hearing him say those words mortified her. If her father knew she’d ever made another human being feel that way, that would disappoint him more than anything else she could do. He had raised her with compassion and the belief that anyone who was willing to work hard and do the right thing, could make anything they wanted of themselves.
The words she’d said when they’d first met came back to haunt her. She’d called him irresponsible, and she had been judgmental. Her embarrassment heated her cheeks.
“You’re wrong, Bullet,” she said finally. “The better I get to know you, the more I think I’m the one who isn’t good enough for you. I’m sorry for everything I said in the past that made you feel that way.”
He smiled. And she melted. Bullet was meant to smile. Frowning didn’t suit him.
“God, you’re beautiful.”
Tristan dipped her head and felt her cheeks heat for a completely different reason. Not only wasn’t she good enough for him, she didn’t deserve him. He had every right to be mad at her, or even dislike her. Instead, he told her she was beautiful.
“Thank you.”
“Come on, now, give me one of your sweet smiles.”
What choice did she have? When he talked to her that way, she was powerless to do anything but what he asked of her.
He stood and came to her side of the booth. When she slid over to give him room, he smiled again.
“Now, that’s much better.” Bullet reached around the back of the bench seat and put his arm around her shoulders. “I like you as close as I can get you.”
Tristan looked at her phone; it was almost noon. She couldn’t believe she and Bullet had been talking for over two hours.