I paused, both shocked and a little taken aback by his stare. He seemed to always be staring at me so attentively. “Do you always do that?”
“Do what?” A blond eyebrow spiked upwards.
“Look people straight in the eye when talking to them.” It was unnerving and fulfilling all at the same time. As if every last word I spoke held his completely enraptured attention. I’d felt it when I was trapped inside my car as well.
“Does it make you uncomfortable?” He inched closer, gaze intent on me.
“Would you stop doing it if it did?”
“Probably not.”
I tilted my head to the side. “Why not?”
“Because I can’t help it around you … nor do I even want to try to.” His free hand?because he still held my left hand in his right?went up to my shoulder, and began stroking the loose end piece of the braid I wore.
“Soft,” he murmured, as if committing my hair’s feel to memory.
Something inside of me shook. Like my body was shaking off the feeling of being in darkness for a long time. I got that wonderful feeling you get when you first stretch after a good night’s rest, but I hadn’t moved. I’d merely been held captive by Carter’s watchful eyes.
“What do you like on your hotdogs?”
I blinked. “Huh?”
He tilted his head behind me and I turned to glance over my shoulders. We were at a hotdog stand.
“Unless you’d prefer a restaurant experience.”
“What? No, this is fine. I bet you’re pretty busy at the station and don’t have time for a sit down restaurant,” I rushed out.
I turned back to see sparkling eyes trained on me. “My shift ended twenty minutes ago.”
“Oh, well, a hot dog’s fine for now. I’ll take a raincheck on the restaurant,” I lied, knowing I could never agree to going on an actual date with this man. “I’ll take just ketchup and mustard on mine.”
“Ketchup and mustard it is.” He stepped forward, and ordered our food along with two cans of cola from the vendor.
“I haven’t had a hotdog from a vendor in ages,” I said, grinning just before taking my first bite. Thankfully, it was one of those warmer spring days and we were able to locate a bench not too far off, to sit down.
“Why’s that?”
I watched as Carter took a huge bite of his hotdog. His jaw bulged and shifted as he ate, and Lord help me, I found the movement of his mouth erotic. The trimmed hairs of his beard reflected the sunlight. I noticed, not for the first time, the splattering of freckles across the bridge of his nose and tops of his cheeks. The urge to kiss every single one as I counted them arose, and instead of leaning in to do just that, I took a bite of my own hotdog.
“Um …” I hesitated to swallow before answering his question. “I try to cook well-balanced meals for my son. I rarely allow him to eat street food.”
“So you’re a health nut?” he asked, grinning, and balling up the paper that held his hot dog. How the hell had he finished already?
“Pssh, yeah right.” I held out my arms, as if to say look at me. “I hardly look like a health nut.”
His eyes narrowed, all humor leaving his face. His gaze sharpened on me, pinning me before moving over my face, neck, breasts, thighs, and legs. I tried to swallow but all the saliva in my mouth had dried up. He was taking his entire fill of me, drinking me up with just his eyes, and despite the cream jeans and sleeveless blouse I wore, I felt completely raw and exposed under his scrutiny.
“You’re perfect.” His voice was low but laced with a steely firmness that pulled at a need deep within me that I’d done my best to suppress.
I wasn’t about to let myself get sucked under by his magnetic pull. I’d made that mistake once in my life and was still suffering the consequences of my actions. Instead, I made light of the situation.
Smiling, I said, “You’re a firefighter. Everyone knows what notorious flirts you all are.” I tried to laugh it off, and stood, taking the last sip of my can of soda.
Carter stood as well, his stern eyes barreling down on me. “I don’t.”
I swallowed my last sip on a gulp. “Don’t what.”
