my place.”
Macy finished off her strawberry while her mind turned that over. His place? Interesting. They hadn’t made concrete plans beyond the restaurant; she’d just assumed they’d go back to her apartment again. She was going to get to see where he lived. Given his various interests, it was rather frightening.
“You’re giving me ideas, you know,” he said, picking up his fork and digging into his own dessert.
“Ideas?”
“I could name a few things I’d like to do with you and strawberries. And whipped cream.”
She fidgeted, tempted to tell him to hurry this along already. Something about slipping into the red panties she knew he found so sexy had lit fires down below. He’d known what he was doing making her put them on. And now he was making her wait.
Freaking tease.
The waitress, on her way to the family at the other table, dropped off the leather folder with their check. As he reached for it, she put her hand over his. “Let me.”
“No way. I got this.”
“Let me pay my share at least. I asked you to take me on a date, after all.”
“And I did, right? Because I wanted to, not because you asked me to.” He winked and slid the folder from under her hand. “I’m an old-fashioned guy myself in many ways, you know.”
She wasn’t placated in the least. She hadn’t asked him to bring her to one of the most expensive places in town, hadn’t even imagined he would dream of doing so. It had been a pleasant surprise, because it was her favorite. But not something she needed or expected. Hopefully, he didn’t have that impression of her, when she’d have been perfectly happy catching a movie or going to the sushi place they both loved.
And hopefully…well, she felt wretched for even thinking it. She had no idea about his financial situation, really, and no business speculating. But she hated the idea that he might think he needed to overextend himself just to make her happy.
Not to mention it brought back Raina’s hateful words from the other night, try as she might to keep them from echoing in her head.
After he’d taken care of the check, he helped her into her coat. He held the restaurant door open for her. He opened the car door for her. She didn’t think more than a few seconds had gone by on the journey without his hand on her somewhere…whether it was resting lightly on her back or low on her hip or even at her nape, raising the fine hairs there. Even they craved his touch, it seemed. When he settled in the driver’s seat, she cursed the console and gearshift between them. She wanted to scoot over until she could feel him all along her side, like she had in the restaurant.
Despite her aggravation with its obstacles, she adored his car. That he’d so lovingly restored it to mint shape gave her a little tickle in her belly. It made her think of everything else that could flourish in his careful hands.
“Your place, huh?” she asked once he steered out onto the street.
“Was there somewhere else you wanted to go?”
“Oh no. I just…” She broke off and laughed. “I am extremely curious to see where you live, I admit.”
“Yeah? I hope you won’t be disappointed with how normal it is, then. It’s the house I grew up in. I try not to deface it too much.”
“Ah. Family home.”
“When my parents died, Nana moved down from Oklahoma to take care of us so we wouldn’t be uprooted after what happened. After we all grew up, my brother was the first to take off, so that left me and my older sister. Nana moved back to Oklahoma after she saw Steph and I weren’t going to starve or wander aimlessly into the street. Not every day, anyway.” He threw her a grin. “Steph’s a mother-hen type too.”
She chuckled at his light-heartedness, but it sounded…lonely. Of course, she’d been surrounded by family all her life. Family and more friends than she knew what to do with. And the rodeo, though, all that had changed…
“But doesn’t your sister live in Oklahoma now?”
“She was visiting Nana a few years back, and she met a guy. Moved up there, got married. Has two boys.”
“Aw, Uncle Ghost.” She gave him a playful pinch on the arm.
“I miss those guys, too. I really got to know them while I was staying there. I need to get back up there soon.”
“Did you ever think of