Her mind whirled. He was asking her out? Now, when she was sweaty and nauseous. Why was he asking hernow? Her armpits stank. All she needed to cap off her evening—and his—was to puke all over him at some restaurant. “I’m hardly dressed to go out.”
His eyebrows lifted, very slightly, and she flushed. Because the truth was nobody dressed up on Dare Island. Not even to go out. She simply wasn’t confident that she could handle food right now.
Or noise.
Or people.
She just wanted to be alone. Except that wasn’t true, either. She stared at him helplessly, her insides churning.Rescue me.
Those dark, dark eyes watched her. “We could go to my place. I’ll make dinner.”
Shock and pleasure zinged through her. Okay, she knew whatthatmeant. She didn’t have to be alone. She could go home with him and have sex.Yes, said her body. Her brain spun like the little blue circle on her computer screen, struggling to keep up. She looked at him from under her lashes, hungry for his strength, stealing glances like he would catch her and make her give them back. “You cook?”
A corner of his mouth curled. “Well enough.”
“Okay.”Come on, Lauren, you can do better than that. Deep breath. Smile.“Are you going to make red sauce?”
“Not this time.”
Implying there might be a next time. The thought made her giddy.
Or maybe that was the residual effect of her panic attack.
She wanted this, she thought as they went outside. Wanted Jack, filling her up, taking her hard, making her whole and complete.
It wasn’t like he wasn’t getting something out of the deal, too, she told herself as she locked up, as he placed a quick call to the security company. At least...
She slid him another glance as he got into the vehicle beside her. That had definitely been his erection, pressed up against her. Twice. Once when they’d kissed at the inn, and just now, after he helped her off the floor. So he must want her, too, she thought hopefully. Even if he hadn’t called.
She settled into the passenger side, reaching for the seat belt. Something scrabbled in the back of the SUV like a rat in a Dumpster.
“Ohmygod.” She jerked and grabbed at the dashboard. “What was that?”
Jack’s lips twitched. “Dora Abram’s intruder.”
“What?”
He gestured with his head. “Behind you.”
Cautiously, she turned. The top of the Fletchers’ big animal trap stuck up from the cargo space. The backseat in between prevented her from seeing inside.
“If that’s a snake, I’m out of here,” she said.
Definitely a smile this time. “It’s a cat. The island has a big feral population.”
She relaxed back into her seat. A cat was a million times better than a snake. “We have the same problem on campus when the students go home for the summer. They don’t think about what it means to a pet to be forced outside and left behind.”
“I don’t think this one was a pet. The locals say the island cats have been around since the early shipwreck days. Like the island ponies. They’re wild animals, not house pets.”
She turned again, but she still couldn’t see inside the cage. “What will happen to it?”
“Tomorrow a volunteer will take it off island to the humane society. They have some kind of spay-and-release program for adults. This one’s young enough, though, it’ll probably be adopted.”
Her instinct—todosomething, to help—stirred. “What about tonight?”
His shoulders rolled in a shrug. “I’ll take care of it.”
Warmth glowed in her midsection, broke on her face in a smile. “You are such a nice guy.”
