Ray smirked. “I can neither confirm nor deny that I read your romance novels for research purposes.”
She giggled then gave him a flirty wink, “Just don’t forget the mood lighting. I need ambiance if I’m going to suffer properly.”
Ray let out a deep laugh as he reached the doorway. “You’re trouble.”
“And you love it,” she whispered just as he kicked the bedroom door shut behind them.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The rumble of the engine filled the silence between them as Pierce guided the Jeep through the quiet streets of San Diego.
Charley was staring out the passenger-side window, hands folded in her lap, and while she looked calm, her posture made him glance her way every few seconds.
Dinner had been great, and everything about the night had been enjoyable. And Charley…Well, she’d made it better than anything he could’ve imagined. But seeing her and Jessica with tear-streaked faces when he and Ray walked in? That had tightened something deep in his gut, and the worry hadn’t let up since.
He adjusted his grip on the wheel and finally broke the silence. “You okay?”
Charley turned toward him, blinking like she was pulled out of a trance. She looked embarrassed, her cheeks turning that soft pink that made her even cuter. “Yeah,” she said after a beat. “I’m sorry. You just caught me at an emotional time back there.”
Pierce kept his eyes on the road but tilted his head just slightly in her direction. “You don’t have to apologize. I just want to make sure you’re good.”
She gave a small nod. “Jessica and I were just talking about some stuff. Things from my past. It got a little heavy, and then we just sort of laughed and cried through it.”
He stole a glance at her and offered a soft smile. “I get that.”
Charley exhaled and looked down at her hands. “I didn’t mean to make you worry. I know this evening was supposed to be fun.”
“It was fun,” he said. “Still is. As long as I get to spend time with you, it's all that matters.”
She glanced over at him, clearly touched, and then bit her lip like she was working up to something. Finally, she spoke.
“I really like spending time with you, too. And I want to keep seeing where this goes. But a part of me is scared.”
His heart picked up a little. He wasn’t sure where this was heading. “Scared how?”
“Because you’re military,” she said softly. “Still active. And after everything that happened with my dad and my brother…” Her voice trailed off.
Pierce didn’t know the circumstances surrounding her dad and brother’s death, but now, he could guess it happened while they were active duty. He waited as she gathered her words.
“I know it’s not fair to hold that against you, but it’s hard not to think about the possibility of losing someone again.”
His hands tightened around the wheel. Not because he was angry, not at her. He understood that kind of fear all too well. “I hear you,” he said quietly. “And I won’t pretend I can erase those fears, Charley. I can’t promise that I won’t get deployed again if things go south somewhere. But I can promise you this…I like where I am. I like teaching. I like being here. I have no plans to volunteer for anything.”
When he looked over at her again, she was smiling, and damn if it didn’t hit him square in the chest.
“That means a lot,” she said. “And for what it’s worth, I’d never ask you to give it up. I could never be the reason you stepped away from something that matters to you.”
His chest tightened again, this time in a good way.
“You wouldn’t be the reason,” he said. “But it’s nice to know you wouldn’t try to hold me back.”
Charley looked like she wanted to say more, but hesitated.
“Say it,” he encouraged.
She shifted in her seat. “I really like you, Pierce. I want to take things slow, though. I’m not the kind of girl who jumps headfirst into something.”
Pierce exhaled a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding and grinned. “Slow is fine. It might damn near kill me, considering I’ve wanted to kiss you since the second I saw you tonight, but I’ll take slow if it means I still get to have you.”
