Page 27 of Something Like That

The waitress whizzed by and slid the check on the table. “Take your time.” And then she was gone again.

Alex reached for the check at the same time he did. Their fingers brushed. A weird tingling raced over her skin, raising goosebumps. She pulled the paper toward her side of the table. He slid his hand over top of hers and held it still.

The heat of his palm seared her. Part of her wanted to pull away, but another part reveled in the burn. It had been a long, long, long time since anyone had touched her in a non-platonic fashion, and even though this touch was innocent, it felt like so much more.

“I’ve got it.” The quiet words, combined with the deep rumble of his voice, settled inside her and sank south. She shifted in her seat, the move automatic, and almost infinitesimal.

He must have noticed, however, because heat sparked in his gaze. He brushed his thumb over the back of her hand. The soft, slow glide was hypnotic. She swore her heart beat changed to match the rhythm. Tick, tick, tick. She shivered and sucked in a quick, quiet breath.

“Ready here?” The return of the waitress shattered the spell.

This time, disappointment she couldn’t deny whipped through her. Did servers take some sort of special class that identified the most inopportune moment to ask a question?

“Yes.” He slid the check out from under her hand. She wanted to snatch the paper back, but resisted. Wrestling over the bill probably wasn’t the most mature solution. She did narrow her eyes at him, though. One side of his mouth tilted up.

Heat bloomed low in her belly, and she shifted again. That seriously charming half smile just about undid her.

He flipped the cheque over so the printed side was up. She couldn’t help but notice the handwritten name and telephone number scrawled across the top. Apparently, Candice the waitress wanted him to call her.

And that absolutely did not send a white-hot streak of jealousy crackling through Alex’s veins.

He didn’t react, just pulled his wallet out of his pocket and plopped his credit card on the table. Candice appeared almost instantly, the quickest she’d been all day, credit machine in hand.

“Ready?” Her smile was aimed specifically at him. He nodded. She picked up the card and swiped it. “I’m a really big fan.” Her voice was all breathy and, had she just batted her freaking eyelashes?

“Thanks,” he said. There was no inflection, no encouragement in his voice.

Candice handed the payment machine to him. He did his thing and handed it back to her without taking his eyes off of Alex.

Her cheeks tingled, and she was pretty sure the tips of her ears were pink. She glanced at Candice, who was staring at him. A handful of tense heartbeats later, Candice gave a curt nod and flounced away.

“That happen often?”

He gave a half shrug. “Not really. Sometimes.” He pushed his chair back. “Shall we?”

“Sure.” She stood and grabbed her coat and bag.

“Here, let me help you.” He took her coat and held it out so she could slip it on. Very suave and gentlemanly. It was enough to make her swoon. If she was the swooning type. Which she wasn’t. The swoon had been stomped out of her when she’d found herself a divorcee and single mom at the age of twenty-two.

The restaurant was busy, the buzz of voices and the rattling of dishes bouncing around the space. It was a maze to get to the door.

He placed his hand on the small of her back, guiding her. The light pressure sent her pulse on a joyride, kicking her hormones into high gear. It was an innocent touch, and yet she was ready to vibrate out of her skin.

The buzz of the restaurant, and the fact they’d kept the conversation over brunch neutral—mostly the weather and training and innocuous stuff—had helped to ease the tension between them. But, now that the meal was over, it was back with a vengeance.

The cold, crisp air outside provided a welcome burn against her warm skin.

“Where to now?” He stopped beside her, putting his hands in his pockets and glancing around. She was glad to see he was as unsure as she was about whatever was happening between them. At least, she thought he was, if the tension in his shoulders and back was any indication.

“Umm, do you want to go down to the water?” She waved in the direction of the ocean.

“Sure.” He finally looked at her, gave her that small smile. Boy, he was handsome. Not traditionally pretty, but more rugged. Her knees actually wobbled. “Lead the way.”

She turned and led him toward the back of the market. They crossed the street, headed down toward the aquarium and pier. It had been a long time since she’d done the touristy thing here in the city, and she’d forgotten how many stairs there were. Was his knee going to be okay? This would put a lot of strain on the joint.

He seemed to be alright, although she couldn’t stop from glancing over at his knee every couple of seconds.

“While I appreciate the concern, my knee and I are fine.” There was a hint of amusement in his voice, but that didn’t stop heat from flaring in her cheeks. Had she ever blushed so much in her life?