Maybe it’s the act of watching Tate Ward take something he wants.
Whatdid he do with my panties? Why would he have them upstairs?
“Okay, one more.” He opens the fridge and steals another piece.
“Was it one of those places with super tiny portions?” I ask with a wry smile. “With four items on the menu?”
He gives me an odd look, swallowing a big bite. “I’m sorry?”
“The restaurant.”
His head tilts. “I don’t follow.”
“Where you went on the date.”
He starts to smile, staring at me like he’s trying to figure me out. “Date?”
I study my nails. “It’s fine. I’m not going to gossip to the team about it or anything.”
“I know you wouldn’t.”
A long, loaded pause of silence. Finally, I look up. He’s smiling.
“I wasn’t on a date tonight. Why did you think I was on a date?”
I gesture to him. “You look?—”
I’m not going to finish that sentence.
“What?” Still smiling. Eyes doing that sparkling thing. “I look what?”
“Nice,” I force out with a shrug. “You showered and wore a different shirt and stuff.” I’m starting to mumble, looking anywhere but him, my face burning hotter than the sun.
“You think I look nice?”
I chance a look at his face and immediately regret it. “There’s no need to be cocky about this.”
“Who’s cocky?” He takes another bite of pizza, smiling at me. “It’s nice to hear I look nice.”
I swing my legs over the couch and get up. “Okay. Goodnight.”
He bursts out laughing, following me.
“Jordan, wait. I was just teasing you.” He steps between me and the front door, dusting off the crumbs on his jeans, and even that snags in my mind, because he’s so professional and controlled that it’s strange, seeing him do something as human and normal as brushing crumbs off his fingers. Onto thefloor, for god’s sake.
I pull my sneakers on, not even getting my heels in all the way. I need to get out of here before I say or do something dumb.
“I wasn’t on a date. I was at a parent-teacher association meeting at Bea’s school.”
I stand, frowning.
“I make an effort to go when I’m in town,” he adds. “You learn a lot about how your kid is doing from the other parents. Bea doesn’t always tell me what I want to know.” Worry flickers through his eyes. “A few of them go out after the meeting for a drink, and I try to join to get the lowdown on what’s really happening with the kids and teachers.” His mouth twists into a wry smile. “Obviously, I wasn’t drinking.”
“I didn’t think that.” My gaze lingers on his shirt, and even in the dim light in his foyer, his eyes are so sharply green.
He glances down at his clothes. “I don’t always wear a suit, you know.”
A quiet, huffing laugh slips out of me but I keep my mouth firmly shut in case I say something dumb about how good he looks like this.
