you to us old guys?” he teased.
She chewed on her bottom lip, thinking, and then released it. “You have more confidence, I guess. Like you’ve worked out the kinks or something.”
His smile was infectious and genuine, and it calmed her every time. “I guess that makes sense.” He leaned closer. “Are you attracted to this particular old guy?”
She flushed deeper. “Stop calling yourself old. Thirty-nine is not old.”
“Ah, so you know my age. You’ve asked your friends about me.”
Now she was squirming. Jesus. He was so intense. She had his undivided attention. He never looked away from her. His hand was nearly twice the size of hers, and it felt so warm. Plus, he was holding on to her with just the right amount of pressure, not willing to let go even if she tried. “Well, I mean, it’s more like they keep talking about you, trying to convince me I should go out with you.”
He chuckled. “Did you agree with them? I know your friends and mine have talked us both up for a while now, but here we are. You haven’t answered my question. Are you attracted to me?”
Apparently, he wasn’t going to let this go. “Yes. I wouldn’t be here if I weren’t.”
His smile grew and he gave her hand a squeeze. “Good. Then we’re in agreement. We’re attracted to each other and our friends are going to gloat.”
“Probably.”
The waitress showed up with chips and salsa and their drinks, forcing Bracken to release her hand to make room on the table.
She missed his touch, which was saying something. He’d managed to put her at ease in less than an hour. He didn’t look the least bit annoyed by her lack of conversation skills, and he seemed genuinely interested.
She took a deep breath and decided to ask her own questions. “So, you were in the Army for twenty years?”
“Yep. Got out last year. Started working with the rest of the guys at Westside Programmers. It keeps me busy. I don’t work full-time because I also have my pension and I’d rather live life a bit too.”
“That’s good. Not many people can be partially retired so young.”
He wiggled his brows. “So, I’m young now.”
She chuckled, relaxing even more. “I never said you were old. You did.” She reached for a chip and dipped it in the salsa. The first bite was perfect. Just the right amount of heat.
“How long have you been with Open Skies?” he asked.
“Three years. It’s been fun. I enjoy traveling to new places.” She sobered. “At least it was fun, until some asshole took my friend hostage and scared the hell out of me.”
“Yeah, that part could not have been fun. I was freaked-out myself.”
“Right. I forgot you were there. Thank you for helping Christa.” Bex had been so shaken up and spent most of the day with the police answering hundreds of questions. She’d been aware that Bracken had been with the other guys, all of whom had played a role in rescuing Christa, but she hadn’t seen him.
“Kraft keeps us all updated on how Christa is doing, but what about you? I’m sure the entire day was traumatic for you too.”
She shrugged. She’d rather not discuss this subject. He’d brought it up twice now, and she couldn’t blame him, but she preferred not to think about it. “I’m just glad it’s over and neither of us got hurt.”
He nodded, unable to continue grilling her because their food arrived. Judging by his serious expression, she didn’t think he was buying her response, but it was all he was going to get from her for now. So, she changed the subject after taking a bite of her enchilada. “Do you do a lot of baking? Christa told me a lot about you, but no one mentioned that the guys call you Sweets or that you enjoy baking until recently.”
“I enjoy it. My parents thought I would become a pastry chef, but then I joined the Army instead. These days I do most of my baking when I’m visiting my parents or if I want to take something to poker night. The guys tend to give me shit, but I know they’d be disappointed if I ever showed up empty-handed.” He smiled and shrugged. “What about you? Do you bake a lot too?”
“Not as much as I’d like. I don’t have the time. But it’s soothing. I love spending two hours in the kitchen concocting something that makes everyone around salivate.”
He nodded. “That’s exactly it. It’s