“You didn’t have to do that,” she said, rushing up to me to take the plates. “You’re my guest.”
“Exactly,” I said, my voice dropping to almost a whisper as I handed her the plates. “You were nice enough to make us dinner. It’s good manners to help clean up.”
“Ah, that small-town charm.” Her eyes flicked up to mine, a bashful smile spreading on those plum-colored lips. “I look forward to experiencing it on a daily basis soon.”
The thought of any other man showing her small-town charm—and how could they not?—made my blood boil. But if I was keeping her at a distance, I couldn’t blame her or anyone else when that eventually happened.
“I was thinking.” I leaned against the edge of the sink, crossing my arms to numb the tingle in my fingertips I couldn’t shake when I allowed myself to really look at Claudia. My gaze fell on the graceful slope of her neck and the loose strands of hair that framed her delicate cheekbones. “How about dinner before we scope out Halman’s? If you have no other plans that day.”
“You mean other than sitting in the kiddie pool obsessing over this crazy decision I’m charging ahead with? I can fit dinner in. Where did you have in mind?”
“I assume you’ve been to Salma’s already.”
“The burger place with the good cocktails?” Claudia’s eyes danced when they met mine. “I love that place. Jake and Peyton have taken me there a few times.”
“Good,” I said, reaching into my pocket for my phone and unlocking the screen. “Put your number in, and I’ll text you what time. I’m off early on Tuesdays, but sometimes I get stuck. Let’s plan for around seven.”
“Sure,” Claudia whispered, hesitating for a minute before she took the phone out of my hands. “Look at us. Exchanging numbers and everything.” She punched in her number, a smirk tipping up the corner of her mouth when she lifted her head. “We’re fake dating for real, I guess.”
My stomach sank when she handed the phone back, her wide grin not reaching her pretty eyes.
“Listen, Claudia—”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have brought that up in front of George. I could tell he was upset, and I’m sure you guys bicker enough.” She chuckled as she slid the pie out of the bakery box and set it on the counter. “From now on, we’ll just leave that between us.”
She squeezed my shoulder, and I felt even worse. My father was right. I was a fucking idiot.
“I shouldn’t have asked you to do that in the first place.”
Her head shot up from where she was digging forks out of one of the kitchen drawers. “I didn’t mind. Happy to be your shield against the matchmaking contingent of Kelly Lakes.” She elbowed my side before she lifted the pie off the counter. “If you wouldn’t mind bringing the napkins and forks out, that would be great. I made a pitcher of iced coffee since I figured it would be too damn hot to make an actual pot, but I’ll come back in for that.”
“I’ll take this and the forks and napkins.” I scooped the pie out of her hands. “And you shouldn’t have to act like some loser’s shield. My father is right—you’re brighter than the sun, and you need to be shown off.”
Claudia blinked at me before her eyes went wide.
“Wow, you and your father are killing me with the compliments tonight.”
A blush stained her cheeks and ran down her neck, and she was so fucking cute I couldn’t take it.
“Okay,” she said, the corner of her mouth twitching, “take this, and I’ll get the iced coffee.” She roamed her eyes up and down my body, a wry grin splitting her mouth during her obvious perusal. “You’re pretty blinding yourself.”
15
JUDE
“Salma’s wasthe best you could offer her?” my father asked as he lingered in the doorway of my bedroom. I didn’t have to turn around to see his look of disdain already so evident in his voice.
“Salma’s is two blocks away from the bar. The whole point of tonight is for her to have a chance to take a look at the place and see what she would want to do with it once she officially owns it.”
“Oh, is that the whole point of tonight? My mistake.”
Dad glared at me when I turned around, resting his hand against the doorjamb as he shook his head.
“Look, this may not seem like it to you, but I am trying. You were absolutely right, and I have a lot to make up for. I wanted us to get to know each other without all the weird complications between us. And making me second-guess my choice of restaurant isn’t helping.” I smiled at my father as I fastened my watch around my wrist.
I’d raced home from work and had taken a quick shower, turning the water to almost ice-cold at the end to both cool off from sweating in my uniform all damn day and to maybe delay my cock’s normal rock-hard reaction whenever I was near Claudia.
I was grateful my father had waited to give me shit and hadn’t seen me change my shirt three times. As much as I was attempting to keep tonight casual, it still seemed like a big deal. This wasn’t my first date since my divorce—if I could even call what Claudia and I were doing tonight a date. But it was the first time I’d made plans with a woman as more than just a mutually agreed upon way to pass the time for an evening.
