Savage in a Stetson (Crossroads #4) - Em Petrova Page 0,42

didn’t bother to hide his amusement. “I see how I rate against Jada’s pie. Can’t say I blame ya.” He leaned against the wall across from where she sat, giving her a good view of his strong legs and the way he filled out his shirt just right.

She stole a glance at him, keeping her lashes lowered so he didn’t notice. But she glanced up once to find his heavy stare weighted on her, and he didn’t bother trying to hide it.

Finally, Grandpa sat back in his seat, his pie finished. He looked between them. “When is your wedding date again?” he asked.

She jolted, and Dom drew away from the wall. Their stares locked, and she felt a frantic need to set the older man straight.

“Uh… We…”

Dom came to her rescue but didn’t look away from her face. “Not as soon as you’re thinking, Grandpa.”

“What are you waiting for?” He peered closer at Dom. “You didn’t shave yet. That’s the problem.”

Dom’s complexion reddened to a ruddy blush beneath his tan. Whatever the man meant by shaving, Dom understood.

Grandpa stood and in his regular spry manner, walked to the door.

“Where are ya going?” Dom called out, but the man sailed out the door, leaving Jada and Dom to stare at each other.

“Okay, that was weird. Maybe I better go after him.” Jada stood and gathered the empty food containers and carried them to the wastebasket. When she started toward the door, Dom reached out and caught her by the elbow.

She froze. A tickle of awareness started deep in her core. Slowly, she pivoted her head to meet his stare.

He stood so close that she sucked in a breath.

His throat worked on a long swallow. “Jada.” He slid his fingers up her arm, clamping on her skin and then pulling her around to face him fully.

“Dom.” Her insides shook, and with supreme effort, she managed to swallow around a dry lump. He leaned in, hovering, filling her head with his masculine scent that smelled like he’d frolicked in a grassy field all day even though he hadn’t stepped foot out of his restaurant, as far as she knew.

“How is it that you smell like…” she pulled in a deep breath, “hay?”

“Dunno. How is it that I never stop wanting to kiss you?”

Her breaths halted the flow through her lungs, and she started to wonder when he would do just that, when applause broke out from the doorway.

Dom looked up. Jada jerked away. They turned as one toward the commotion of what appeared to be Grandpa and a posse of his friends. Six other old folks gathered there, clapping for no apparent reason.

“What is this, Grandpa?” Dom asked.

“I brought my friends by to help us celebrate your engagement! It isn’t every day that my grandson finds the love of his life.” The older man beamed at Jada and Dom, his face wreathed in so many creases of joy that Jada didn’t have the heart to try to set him straight.

“Lester, start the music.” Grandpa gestured to a man who seemed to shrink in size by the day, being a good inch shorter and more stooped than when Jada had last seen him. Lester pulled a ukulele out from behind his back and grinned as he began to serenade her and Dom with a song.

She threw Dom a look, and he returned her shocked expression but stepped up next to her. He placed his hand on her lower back and whispered into her ear, “Just roll with it. It will make them happy.”

It was true. Each of Grandpa’s friends wore big smiles. Two of the women came forward with arms outstretched to give them congratulatory hugs, and Grandpa tapped his foot in time to the old folk tune.

“Let’s see that ring,” one of the ladies demanded, crowding closer to Jada.

“Um…I’m not wearing it. It’s getting…resized.” She threw Dom a terrorized look.

His warm fingers lingered on her spine, spreading heat through her into places that she didn’t want to acknowledge while Grandpa and his friends looked on.

“Oh, well, next time you’ll show it to me.” The woman bobbed her head and stepped back a few paces.

Two more people appeared in the doorway. “What are we celebrating?” one asked.

“Oooh, a party. I’ll grab some snacks from my room.” The other disappeared and rushed back faster than Jada could even imagine possible with some unopened bags of potato chips and cookies.

The shift nurse peeked into the room. “Oh! Is this an engagement party?” she cried out.

Oh God.