The crowd had thinned out some. Half the tables were filled. It was just past ten and she was betting no one new would come in to eat. If anything, someone might stop for a drink or those still here would linger.
“Are you going home?” she asked.
“I can if that is what you want,” he said. “And you want to come with me. Or...”
“You can come back to my place.”
“Which was my thought and what I think you were hinting at but can tell me I’m wrong.”
“I’m sure you’re good at reading the vibes women give off at the bar.”
She forced a smile as those words came out of her mouth. It wasn’t what she wanted to think of. Him going home with any woman any time he wanted.
Crap. Why hadn’t this occurred to her before?
Nope, not letting negative thoughts consume her when she’d just convinced herself this was going to be fun.
“Doesn’t mean I agree or want the vibe they're sending,” he said, staring at her. Like he read her mind.
She finished her drink over the next twenty-five minutes, then grabbed her purse after throwing money on the bar. He squinted at her. He hadn’t let her pay for any of her drinks and it was annoying but no reason to argue in front of anyone.
“See you soon?” she asked. He hesitated and she wondered if he was changing his mind. “Or not.”
“Oh, you will. Just wanted to walk out with you and debated asking you to give me five minutes.”
“I can wait,” she said.
“Hang on,” he said. He moved over to talk to the other bartender, then nodded his head for her to follow him when he walked out from behind the bar.
They went through a door into the kitchen, then an office.
“Is this where you work?”
“My grandmother more than me,” he said. He went to the safe and unlocked it, then pulled out a cash bag, opened it and stuffed more money in there. “Ready to go?”
“I’ve been ready most of the night.”
He laughed, and the two of them left out a back door rather than the front, but both cars were in the side parking lot.
She’d parked as close to him as she could, hoping they’d leave around the same time.
He climbed into his truck. He’d told her what kind and color he drove when they were chatting one day. Her reasoning had been to see if he was here if she drove by, but she hadn’t confessed that.
He followed her to her condo. She parked in her garage, and he blocked her spot, which was fine. It’s not as if she was leaving again tonight.
The minute the door was shut to her place, he had her in his arms, his mouth slanting across hers, her back against the wall.
His hands went up her chest, around her neck and then held her head in place. For a split second her heart hammered as she thought he was going to hold her aggressively by the throat.
It wasn’t in fear either and that might have terrified her more than anything that she was more aroused than afraid.
Instead, his fingers were at the base of her neck, her hair getting tangled, his grip tight.
Yes, please.
She’d never been with a man who took charge like this and she didn’t know how much she needed it. How much she craved it.
One hand left her hair, then landed on the bare skin of her thigh, sliding up it some, around to the inside, then out again.
