“Others?”
“A few men have been glancing your way since we walked in.The same thing happened at the get-together at the club last week.”He frowned in visible agitation.His thumb slid over her knuckles and sent shivers down her spine.
Jennifer smiled and looked around the restaurant in disbelief.Her smile fell, her eyes widened, and a deep blush spread across her face as she caught sight of a man across the room who stared their way.Her eyes jerked back to Grant’s before she lowered them to the table.
His gaze locked with hers.“I guess I really can’t blame them because I’m the same way, but don’t expect me to like it when other men stare.”A deep flush swept across his face as his heated gaze touched every part of her body he could see above the table.“You have no idea how beautiful you are, do you?”
Jennifer didn’t answer immediately but bit down on her lower lip and kept her gaze on the table.She tried to pull her hands from his.
“I’m not,” she said, shaking her head.
Grant tightened his grip.“Yes, you are, baby,” he said softly.
The sweetness of his voice pulled her gaze up to him.
He chuckled softly.“If you turn any redder, you’re going to explode.How about we table this discussion for later?”He continued when she nodded her head in relief.“Tell me more about you.”
Jennifer lowered her eyes again.“I’ve told you everything.”
A frown puckered his brows when she tensed up.“Jennifer, look at me,” he coaxed in a soft voice.He was pleased when she promptly looked at him.“You’ve only told me the basics.I want to know everything—your favorite color, foods, movies, what you enjoy doing—from your childhood to your college years.”
Something tightened in his stomach at the quick flash of despair and fear in her eyes.“Everything’s okay, baby.Nothing can happen to you while I’m with you.”
He caught a flash of desperation before her chin came up.
“Do I get to know everything about you, too?”
His eyes narrowed on hers, and his lips tightened.After a long moment, he realized he’d have to indulge her curiosity about him if he didn’t want to watch her walk away from him.“I’m guessing I will have to share if I want to know about you.”
Jennifer nodded hesitantly.“Yes.I think that’s fair.”
Grant nodded and sighed.“Okay.You are first.”
His hands tightened when she rolled her eyes and tried to pull away from him.
Before she opened her mouth, the waiter was at the table with their drinks.Jennifer watched Grant glue his eyes on the guy until he left.She cleared her throat.
“I’ve told you about college and after?”When he nodded, she continued.“Well, let’s see.”Jennifer looked at their clasped hands and took a deep breath.“I’m an only child.We moved around a lot when I was young.”
“You had a parent in the military?”
She licked her lips nervously.“No.They just got bored easily.”
His brows bunched together.She wasn’t telling him something.“So, how many times did you move?”
She shrugged.Her attention roamed around the restaurant before it came back to him.
“I lost count after eight times, and I was too young to count the earlier years.It got worse after my mom died.”
“When was that?”
“I was ten or eleven.”She exhaled raggedly.
“Then what happened?”His stomach got tighter at the despondent expressions that shadowed her beautiful, delicate face.
“We moved every few months.My dad never seemed to settle.His drinking worsened after my mom’s death, so keeping a job was hard for him.I also suspect he was stealing and making the wrong people angry because a few times we left quickly and at night.”
Grant sat quietly as he digested what she said.“You were so young.Who took care of you?”
