He put on his best innocent face.“Or, if you prefer, you could nibble on my ear.”
She let out an exasperated sound and picked up her purse.
“Run your fingers through my hair?”
There was a hint of a smile on her face.“How about I mention how late it’s getting?”
He rolled his eyes.“What fun is that?”
She rolled her eyes right back at him and started for the door.
“Come on,” he wheedled.“We don’t want them thinking we’re bored with each other.”
He was willing to do almost anything to get her to lighten up.She’d handle things much better if she didn’t go in tight and defensive.Besides, he liked getting under her skin, now that he knew what tweaked her.“You could put your hand on my leg under the table.Now that would get me out of there in a flash.”
“Flashpoint,” she said, stopping in her tracks.“Lexie’s flowers.”
She turned so quickly she nearly ran into him.Zac caught her waist to steady her, and her face flushed.They were toe to toe, nearly mouth to mouth.They stayed that way for a long moment until she shied away.Moving around him, she hurried to the refrigerator and pulled out a vase filled with a fiery arrangement.
“I had Laura bring them over.”She deftly shifted blooms and smoothed leaves.
Zac saw more than he thought she wanted him to see.There was hesitancy in her, but a spark too.She was nervous about what might happen tonight.Nervous, but curious.
And maybe a little bit excited.
A knot pulled tight in his gut.
He wanted things to go right for her so badly he nearly reached for his phone to call the sisters.He wasn’t above sitting them down and telling them how it was going to be.
But this had to evolve naturally.Questions had to be asked, and the right answers needed to be given.The three of them had to come to an understanding on their own and develop a relationship if they wanted.Or not.He couldn’t fix something that was already tangled and snared.All he could do was sit at Maxie’s side.
And pretend to be Mr.Right.
He held the back door open for her.“Ready?”
She took a deep breath.“As I’ll ever be.”
“Don’t worry.They’re going to love you.”
The Indigo Iguana was busy when they arrived.Families filled up the booths while happy-hour singles tried to get the bar to extend their hour into two.The atmosphere was casual, relaxed and eclectic.As the name indicated, the Iguana wasn’t normal restaurant fare.The walls of the place were deep purple, decorated with neon iguanas in oranges, yellows and greens.Keeping with the tropical theme, fish netting hung from the ceilings.Oars outlined the doorways, and sea turtles pointed the way to the restrooms.The effect was over the top, which was exactly the reason why cars often filled the parking lot.
The fact that their surf and turf was over the top too didn’t hurt.
“I don’t think they’re here yet,” Zac said, scanning the crowd.“We should grab a table, if we can.”He stiffened when he noticed the man heading straight for them.“Shit,” he muttered.
“Maxie,” Martin Shimwell called gleefully.
If there was one person in this town that Zac hadn’t yet found a way to tolerate, it was this guy.Marty Shimwell had been his opponent in the election for Indigo Falls Sheriff.His very presence made Zac itchy.It wasn’t so much that he didn’t like the guy.He was harmless enough in that weak, spineless way.In fact, Shimwell didn’t seem to carry any grudges and had been friendly enough in return.
“Don’t you look beautiful,” the man said, cupping Maxie’s shoulder.
It wasthat.
Zac gritted his teeth.
“And look at this.”Shimwell touched the bouquet in appreciation.“Bringing your own centerpiece?”
“They’re for…a friend,” she said.
