Outside, the air is cooler, the street quieter.He takes my hand without asking, his fingers wrapping around mine, and everything inside me goes very still.
His hand is big, warm, and callused.Protective.
“You okay?”he asks as we walk toward the truck.
“Yeah,” I say softly.“I had a really good time.”
“Me too.”There’s a smile in his voice.“And for the record?This isn’t just some… in-town fling thing for me.”
I glance up at him, heart pounding again.
“I don’t do casual well,” he continues.“With my job, with my schedule… if I’m in, I’m all in.Even if it’s complicated.Especially if it is.”
“I don’t know how to do casual at all,” I admit.“So that works out, I guess.”
“Good,” he says simply.
The drive home is quiet, but not awkward.He keeps my hand in his on the center console, thumb brushing back and forth in a way that makes it very, very hard to think about anything else.
When we pull into the driveway, the house is dark except for the small lamp I left on in the living room for Beans.I half expect my dog to fling himself at the window again, but he must still be snoozing.
Inside, Ledger shuts the door behind us, and the familiar scent of home wraps around me—lavender cleaner, old wood, a hint of dog, and something warm and male I’m pretty sure is him.
Beans trots in from the hallway, stretching with a big yawn before padding over to sniff my dress.
I scratch between his ears, heart still racing from the night.“Hey, baby.Did you have a good nap?”
He grunts, satisfied that I’ve returned, then shuffles back to his bed.
I straighten, suddenly hyper-aware of Ledger standing behind me.
“Thank you for tonight,” I say, turning to face him.“This was… really nice.”
“I’m glad you liked it.”His eyes drop to my mouth for the briefest second before meeting mine again.“And I’d like to do it again.”
My heart kicks.“Yeah?”
“Yeah.”He pauses.“How do you feel about tacos tomorrow night?There’s a place in town I’ve heard good things about.”
I snort.“I wonder who told you that.”
He shrugs, fighting a smile.“Some very smart, very beautiful woman I’m trying to impress.”
“You’re doing a pretty good job so far,” I admit.
“Tomorrow, then?”he asks.“I’ll be at the gym for part of the day and with Lula and Koa for a bit, but… I’d like to end my night with you.”
Butterflies explode in my stomach.“Okay.Tomorrow.”
His smile softens.“Good.”
The house suddenly feels very quiet.The air between us thickens again, awareness humming like static.
We move almost in sync, feet carrying us down the hallway toward our bedrooms.Our doors face each other, only a few feet apart.I stop in front of mine and turn.
He’s right there.
Close enough that I can see the darker ring around his blue irises, the faint scar near his jawline, the way his throat works as he swallows.
