I said, I almost forgot my vow to take things slow when I saw you and did something I promised myself I wouldn’t do.”
“What’s that?”
“Kiss you the way I’ve been dreaming about. Put one hand up your shirt and the other down your pants. Take you against the wall as I kept my nose buried in your hair to better inhale your sweet smell.”
Gillian froze. Holy shit. Walker was way more intense than anyone she’d ever been with before—but she liked it. No, she loved that he knew exactly what he wanted and wasn’t afraid to admit it.
“Shit, I freaked you out, didn’t I?” he asked, taking another step away from her.
“No! I mean, maybe a little, but not in a bad way. I’m just not used to anyone being so honest, but I like it. And…as much as I feel connected to you…I…it’s a bit soon for that. But…” She hesitated.
“What?” Walker asked. “You can tell me anything. Tell me to back off, that I’m moving way too fast, that I’m crowding you, that you need space…and I’ll respect it.”
She shook her head. “I was just going to say that while I might not be ready for all that right now…can I have a raincheck?”
“On the ravaging you against the wall?” Walker asked with a small smile.
“Yeah, that.”
“You got it, Di.”
They smiled at each other, and Gillian found she missed having his hands on her. She loved that she could make him act without thought. She had a feeling that didn’t happen a lot with him. She reached for his hand and intertwined her fingers with his. “Take me to dinner?” she asked softly.
He squeezed her hand and nodded. Together they walked into her living area so she could grab her purse.
“I ordered one of those camera thingies online yesterday,” Gillian told him. “It should arrive on Monday.”
“Good.”
“And I told both my neighbors that a former client was upset with me and if they heard anything weird from my apartment, that they should call the police.”
She looked up at Walker and found he was staring down at her with a satisfied look. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For taking this seriously. I know constantly thinking about your safety is a pain in the ass and can be kinda scary as well. But knowing you’re taking this seriously makes me feel a hell of a lot better about being so far away from you.”
Gillian had thought about that as well. They lived at least forty minutes from one another. If someone broke in or otherwise tried to hurt her, even if she was able to call him, there wouldn’t be anything he could do in the short term. “I might be blonde, but I’m not an idiot,” she told him. “The last thing I want is to end up a hostage again. It wasn’t fun the first time and I have no desire to repeat it. If you think I might be in danger, I’d be stupid to dismiss your feelings.”
“Good. Now, are you hungry?”
“Yeah,” she said.
“You gonna be okay for an hour or so, or do you need a snack?”
Gillian chuckled. “I’m not exactly wasting away, Walker. I think I can hold out until we get to the restaurant.”
Walker tugged on her hand until she fell against him with an umph.
“I know you’re not disparaging your body, are you?” he asked.
Gillian shook her head. One hand was still in his, trapped behind her back where he was holding her to him. The other she rested on his chest as she looked up at him. “No. But I know what I am and what I’m not. And what I’m not is the size and shape of the women men seem to love to look at on the runways and in magazines. I’m okay with that, because I like to eat. I love chips and salsa, and I won’t give up my chocolate.”
Walker smiled down at her. “God, you’re so refreshing,” he said softly. “You really do say it like it is, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Right, well, I don’t watch those fancy shows with people wearing ridiculous fashions, and I don’t have time to look at magazines like Maxim and Playboy. What I do like is how you feel in my arms. Against me.” He pushed harder on the small of her back until she was plastered against his chest. Gillian could feel his erection against her belly, and she swallowed hard.
“I’ll be sure to stock up on chocolate so you can have some when you