“Are you trying to get me into your bedroom, Axel?”
He felt himself blush, even harder when she laughed. “Would it work?”
“I don’t know. Depends on what’s for dinner,” she teased, and he realized he hadn’t messed up. Yet.
Careful, so careful, he made himself go slowly with her, teasing but not too much. Always keeping aware of his size to not make sudden movements or scare her into thinking he might take advantage.
Axel usually spent a lot of time being less than he was in an effort not to scare his dates. But with Rena, he worked doubly hard because he wanted more than anything for her to like him.
She didn’t say much about his king-size bed or plain black furniture. His walk-in closet wasn’t anything special, though he considered the master bath the crowning glory of the home. The large walk-in shower fit him, with an overhead rain showerhead which hadn’t been cheap to install. And the large tub could comfortably fit him as well.
Being six foot six had its share of advantages, but when it came to furniture and plain old living, he had a tough time getting anything to fit him correctly.
They returned to the dining area, and he sat her at the table at a spot right next to his at the end.
He returned moments later with her favorite drink, a Virgil’s root beer, and a plate of lemon butter angel hair pasta over spinach and pine nuts. Then he brought himself a beer and a plate of the same. She’d poured her drink into the glass by her plate, so he did as well, forgoing a bottle in favor of a pilsner glass.
“Is the food from Vicente?” she asked.
“Ja.”
“It’s my favorite,” she confessed, her voice soft. “Thank you for doing this. It’s lovely.”
For you, Rena. Anything.He waited for her to take a bite before he ate, ignoring the nerves that threatened to turn him inside out. Tonight had to beperfect.“I’ll be right back.” He hurried to put on some music, a contemporary jazz station he preferred. “Do you enjoy this music? I can change it to something else if you want.”
“You know, I like it.” She smiled. Then she held up her glass. “To a fabulous dinner, and to my handsome host.”
He hated that she kept making his cheeks burn. “And to my beautiful dinner date. May she find the night better than an evening of Lifetime, ice cream, and books.”
Rena chuckled. “Smartass.”
“Takes one to know one.”
They clinked glasses and locked gazes. And something passed between them. At least, he felt it, a sizzle of attraction and something much deeper.
Then she took a sip, and he could see nothing more than those lips hugging glass.
And once again, he wanted her more than breath itself.
* * *
Rena sipped, unable to look away as Axel devoured her with his eyes. God, how the hell did a woman resist a man who not only got her flowers and knew her favorite foods but looked at her as if she really was his world?
It was too soon to feel so close to him, wasn’t it? But she could certainly appreciate his efforts.
“So whose idea was a dinner date at home?” she asked. “My money’s on J.T. He’s good like that.”
Axel smiled but didn’t answer, stuffing his mouth full of noodles. Everything about him seemed restrained. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but he seemed to be extremely careful with her. Not that he ever set out to harm her or be rough, but Axel was hesitant before saying or doing anything tonight.
She didn’t know if she liked such care. She wanted to know Axel Heller the man. The real body and soul behind the giant. So how to put him at ease?
“Axel, tell me about your home.” There. That seemed simple enough. Nonthreatening and something he could talk about that had nothing to do with sex or would give her sexy thoughts. Like the ones she’d been having since he’d picked her up wearing dark jeans and a button-up shirt that did nothing but promise a peek at his strong neck and glorious pecs. Or the thoughts she’d had upon spying his big, broad bed, imagining lying on top of him while he gripped her by the hips and—
“…seven years ago,” he was saying, and she prayed she hadn’t looked as if she’d been zoning out. “Right after the shop, I wanted something to call mine. I had been renting, but the opportunity to buy this house, a foreclosure, came up. I did a lot of work on it, and it still needs more.” He described what he’d done to fix it up, and she realized she hadn’t seen the basement yet.
Watching him talk about his project, seeing him so animated, made her forget all about her discomfort with her attraction. She wanted to hear more. “So what about your shop? What prompted you to open an auto body and paint store?”
His expression darkened as he chewed more of his dinner, making her wonder what had brought on the shift in mood. But it passed, and he said, “It’s kind of a family business. My father has a chain of auto parts stores in Germany and a few here on the West Coast. My brother owns several car dealerships. I wanted to do something with cars as well, but I’ve always loved color.”
