Holy shit!How the fuck was he supposed to get through dinner with a raging hard-on?
Tilting his head toward the ceiling, he breathed deeply and tried to get his body to behave.Something rubbed against his leg, and he glanced down to find a grey cat doing figure-eights around and through his legs.Sean smiled at the animal and squatted down to stroke its back.“Hey there, little guy.Who are you?”
“That’s Rico.”Grace returned with a silver clutch and a light, black cape in her hands.
“I didn’t know you had a cat—he wasn’t here when we had dinner the other night, was he?”
Grace chuckled as he stood again.“No.This is Rico’s first day in his new home.I found him at the animal shelter this afternoon and fell in love with him.When I brought him home, he immediately strutted around like he was a king of the castle.No adjustments needed.”
She handed Sean her cape and turned around so he could place it over her shoulders.He was disappointed the material covered up her bare skin.He opened the door for her while she bent down to scratch the top of Rico’s head.“Now, you be a good boy, okay?”
Rico meowed his response, leaning into her touch.After one more ear scratch, she stood, then stepped over the threshold with Sean on her heels, shutting the door behind them.He placed his hand on her lower back, escorting her to his car, and she could feel the heat of her skin burning his hand even though the silk and light wool materials separated them.She shuddered as they reached the vehicle.
“Cold?”Sean asked.Without waiting for a reply, he opened the car door for her and took her hand to help her into the low seat.He silently groaned when the hem of her dress rose even higher as she settled in.
Heaven help him.
Chapter14
The Elegant Swan was an upscale restaurant located in the heart of Kitty Hawk.Sean thought it would be nice to go someplace that was new to both of them, and Brad had suggested it when Sean had asked the older man for ideas.There was no way in hell he was asking his brother to recommend a place.He didn’t want Brian to know they were out on a date—hell, Uncle Dan and Bonnie didn’t even know.For now, he just wanted to keep Grace to himself, at least until he was sure things would work out between them.The last thing he wanted was for anyone else to make things awkward about their dating.
He held the door open and followed her through.The place was close to being full, and Sean was glad he’d made reservations as Brad had advised.The hostess greeted them and then led them past the bar into the rear dining room overlooking the ocean across the street.He didn’t miss the appreciative looks Grace had gotten from several men along the way, and he placed his hand at her lower back, staking his claim.
After they were seated and their drink orders were taken, they both perused the menu.“The chateaubriand sounds delicious,” he commented.“So do the lamb chops.What looks good to you?”
“The Chilean sea bass.I can’t remember the last time I had that, and I love it.”
The waitress returned with their drinks and took their meal orders.A busboy placed a basket of warm rolls and butter on the table before hurrying away again.
Grace took a sip of her wine, and Sean noticed she suddenly seemed as nervous as he was, but as he tried to think of a conversation starter, she beat him to it.“I… um… how was work today?Did you find out how that reporter got her information?”
“No,” he answered, giving his head a small shake while he buttered a roll.“But at least I got a little revenge and banned her from all the future press conferences about the case.”
She grinned.“Good for you.So what were you planning on doing these next few weeks if you hadn’t gotten called to duty?”
Glad she was steering the conversation away from the murders, Sean swallowed a small bite of his roll.“Well, I was hoping to get caught up on a few books I’ve wanted to read, do a little fishing, and just relax.It’s been a while since I’ve had some serious time off.”
“Fishing?Gee, I haven’t done that since I was about twelve, and your uncle invited me along on one of your fishing trips.”
Fishing was one of his fondest memories of Whisper as a kid and teen.His father and Uncle Dan had taught the brothers how to fish as soon as they were old enough.There had been countless trips out on charter boats or just on the beach and piers to fish.It never mattered how much they caught, but there was always a money pool for the biggest fish reeled in.When they were young, it had been a dollar each, but now it ranged anywhere from $20 to $100, depending on everyone’s mood.
“Well, then, we’ll have to remedy that.Maybe I can take Saturday or Sunday off if there’s nothing new with the case, and we can go fishing.That is if you want to.”
“I’d love it.But you’re going to have to teach me all over again.If memory serves me right, last time, I kept getting my line all tangled.Your poor uncle spent most of the day getting out the knots for me.”
Sean chuckled as he finally started to relax.“No worries.After a few pointers, I’ll have you tangle free.”
The rest of the evening went smoothly, and the conversation remained clear of the serial killer terrorizing the area.As Sean drove Grace back to her place, he wondered if she would invite him in.He wanted her in the worst way, but aside from the few steamy kisses they’d shared, he wasn’t sure if she was ready for more than that.They’d gotten to know each other over the past week as adults, and he felt closer to her than any other woman he’d dated before.Maybe because of their history, but that had been so long ago, they’d almost started from scratch again.
Pulling into a space in front of her unit, he turned off the engine.Whether she was inviting him in or not, he was still walking her to the door.They both climbed out of the car and met on the walkway in front of her place.Holding Grace’s hand in his, he strolled toward her condo.His thumb caressed her soft skin.
As they approached her door, Grace took her keys from her purse.“Would you… like to come in?”
Sean stopped and turned to face her.A heavy blush stained her cheeks, and he reached up to stroke her jawline with his fingers.“I would very much like to come in, but I’m not sure I could resist trying to get you into bed.I don’t want to rush you, so it’s probably best if I go home and take a cold shower.”
“Or,” her voice had become huskier, “we could take ahotshower together here, instead.”
Gazing into her eyes, he searched for any uncertainty, but all he saw there was shyness and desire, the combination undoing him.He cupped her chin and gave her a brief kiss before taking her keys from her hand.Unlocking the door, he swung it open and then closed it again after trailing her inside.
