Blaze opened the passenger-side door for her.
Johanna looked up at him with narrowed eyes. “You really commit to this gentleman thing.”
Blaze leaned one arm casually against the truck door, his gaze holding hers steadily. “My mother raised me better than to let a woman open her own door.”
Warmth spread unexpectedly through Johanna’s chest. “And if I wanted to open it myself?”
A grin tugged slowly at his mouth. “Then I’d let you pretend for about five seconds.”
Johanna laughed softly before climbing inside.
Blaze closed the door carefully behind her, and by the time he slid into the driver’s seat moments later, the atmosphere inside the truck already felt too intimate.
Johanna stared straight ahead through the windshield trying not to notice his hands gripping the steering wheel.
Strong, capable, and dangerously distracting hands.
“How’s your mother doing?” Johanna asked after a comfortable stretch of silence.
The question softened Blaze’s expression.
“She’s good.” He glanced toward her briefly while easing the truck onto Main Street. “Still calling me from California to ask if I’ve eaten enough vegetables.”
A smile tugged at Johanna’s lips. “I remember Ms. Loretta thinking vegetables could solve almost any problem.”
Blaze huffed out a laugh. “That woman once tried convincing me kale could cure both high blood pressure and heartbreak.”
Johanna burst out laughing. The sound seemed to surprise both of them.
Blaze’s mouth curved into a slow smile, and for a moment, neither of them seemed interested in breaking the spell. It had been a long time since something felt this easy.
“She asks about you every time I see her.”
Johanna’s smile faded. “Really?”
He nodded while making a left at the corner, one hand resting loosely against the steering wheel as a low pop song played quietly through the speakers.
“She never stopped loving you either.”
Johanna turned her attention toward the window because every second gave her too much time to think and even more time to remember, the warmth of his kiss, the rough sound he'd made when she'd touched him, and the hunger in his eyes whenever he looked at her. It wasn't merely desire she saw there. It was the look of a man who'd finally found his way back to something he'd never stopped loving.
A shiver moved through her.
When Blaze shifted on his seat, she became painfully aware of his scent lingering throughout the truck. Warm cedarwood and clean, masculine spice wrapped around her with every breath.
Honestly, the man disturbed her peace on every possible level.
At the next red light, Blaze turned toward her.
She felt his attention. "What?" she asked softly.
His gaze drifted across her face before lingering briefly on her mouth.
"You're thinking hard again."
Johanna glanced toward him. “You always know when I’m in my head.”
A faint smile touched his mouth. “That’s because your face gives you away.”
