After a few minutes, she ventured another glance up at him.
“What?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” she said, turning her eyes back to the platter in her hands. “You get so quiet sometimes.”
She caught his hand twitching out the corner of her eye, like it wanted to go to the scars on his neck, but he was holding it back.
“I’m… not the kind of guy who belongs here,” he said suddenly.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“I’m not a good man,” he said, his voice flat and empty.
“Of course you’re a good man,” she said, turning to him. “You care about people. You gave me a job and clothes to wear. You could have left me at home with your son tonight, but you brought both of us here to have a nice evening. And look at you.”
He frowned, and she gestured at his rolled-up sleeves and the water on his shirt.
“You could be sitting and relaxing, and instead you’re in here doing dishes,” she said. “You see a need and you fill it, Grayson. You’re the best kind of man.”
This time his hand did move for his neck.
Evangeline reacted without thinking, grabbing his hand before it could reach that angry stretch of skin and holding it firmly in her own.
His eyes flashed to hers and the next thing she knew he was pulling her close, crushing her body to his as he leaned in, his eyes sliding down to her lips, the wild hunger on his face causing her heart to beat like it was trying to escape her chest.
Evangeline waited, craving his kiss more than she had ever wanted anything.
“Are you washing up?” Trudy’s voice trilled scoldingly from the next room.
Evangeline stiffened in Grayson’s arms and he let go of her, stepping back as if she were on fire.
“Oh,” Trudy said, her eyes moving between them.
Leo slept on her shoulder, his pillowy cheek smushed against her sweater.
“Yes,” Evangeline said quickly. “We had such a wonderful dinner, and we wanted to just tidy up a few things so you wouldn’t have so much to do tonight.”
“I see,” Trudy said, looking around the kitchen, the corners of her mouth pulling up slightly. “Well, it looks like you did more than tidy up a few things. Thank you both.”
“No problem,” Grayson growled.
Evangeline felt her cheeks heat and she wished she could sink into the center of the earth.
But Trudy seemed not to have noticed a thing. She began energetically getting out dessert plates and the next thing Evangeline knew, she and Grayson were counting out forks and coffee mugs and Chad was striding in triumphantly with a truly enormous container of vanilla ice cream.
It wasn’t until they were back out at the table and Trudy was having everyone pass down plates of warm apple pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting on top that Evangeline finally caught Grayson’s eye.
She’d been worried that maybe he was disgusted with her, or with himself, for what had almost happened tonight.
Does he feel like a bad boss for trying to kiss me?
Does he think I’m a gold digger because I was going to let him?
Instead, when she passed him a plate of pie and hiseyes finally met hers, his blue gaze was filled with warmth and humor.
He’s not mad,she realized.
He actually seemed to be the opposite of mad, whatever that was for Grayson Ward. And that idea sent heat flooding through her chest.
