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Silas nodded as though he understood. “All right. I'll take you there, and then I'll drop you off at home.”

“You don't have to do that. I can go on my own.” She glanced at him, trying to make her refusal sound casual. “I don't want to waste any more of your time.”

“Consider it an apology for last night.”

Allison stiffened at once, caught off guard by his response.

Silas's gaze softened as he stepped closer. She had to tilt her head back to meet his eyes, suddenly aware of how much taller he was than her.

“You're always so busy,” he said softly. “How am I supposed to get to know the woman I love better if I don't spend time with her?”

Allison stared at him, momentarily at a loss for words. The way he looked at her made her cheeks grow warm. There wasn't even a heater nearby, and the weather was much more pleasant than it had been the previous night, yet she suddenly felt as though she were standing too close to a fire.

With him standing right in front of her, she found it strangely difficult to breathe.

“Fine,” she muttered, quickly stepping past him before he could notice how flustered she was.

She hurried to the passenger side and opened the door, grateful for the chance to turn her face away from him.

Silas said nothing. A faint smile touched his lips as he watched her climb inside.

He walked around to her side of the car and leaned into the open doorway. Allison had just settled into her seat when he reached across her to pull the seat belt from beside her and draw it over her.

“I can do it myself,” she protested, turning toward him.

Silas had one hand braced against the back of her seat and the other near her thigh as he leaned over her to fasten the seat belt. His broad shoulders blocked out much of her view, and his cologne filled her senses.

His scent reminded her of rain falling on sun-warmed stone, fresh and earthy with a subtle warmth that made her want to breathe him in again. She had never understood why she found the smell so intoxicating, but with him this close, she couldn't seem to get enough of it.

Over the years, she had always felt a strange happiness whenever it rained. The moment that familiar earthy scent filled the air, something inside her would settle, leaving her with a warmth she could never quite explain. She had always assumed it was because she loved the smell of rain.

But now, with Silas standing so close, she realized the truth. It wasn't the rain she had fallen in love with. It was the familiarity of his scent that the rain had unknowingly carried to her all those years.

He was close enough that when he turned his face toward her, his lips nearly brushed her cheek.

Allison held her breath, her eyes widening slightly as she met his gaze. Rather than moving away, Silas lingered for another moment, his eyes searching her face before he leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

Then he drew back just enough to look at her properly. His fingers brushed her cheek with unexpected tenderness.

“You can,” he murmured. “But I want to.”

Allison's heart gave a sudden, unsteady beat.

Silas withdrew from her slowly, leaving her little room to pretend that his closeness hadn't affected her. He carefully closed the car door, a small smile still lingering on his lips, before walking around to the driver's side and getting in.

The few seconds he spent moving away were barely enough for Allison to release the breath she'd been holding.

Her body trembled slightly as she settled back against the seat, suddenly aware of just how close he had been. Even after he moved away, the scent of his cologne lingered in the air around her, reminding her of his nearness. She pressed her lips together, trying to steady herself, but the memory of his face so close to hers refused to leave her mind.

She had never felt anything quite like it before. His presence stirred something inside her that made her nervous and strangely excited at the same time. The unfamiliar sensation frightened her, especially because she couldn't understand why he affected her so much.

Silas climbed into the driver's seat, closed the door, and turned toward her.

“Send me the location. Where do you want to go?”

Allison quickly pulled out her phone and searched for the company's address. As she tapped the screen, she noticed that her fingers were trembling slightly. She frowned at them, annoyed with herself, before sending him the location.

It wasn't that she was afraid of Silas. It was the way he made her so intensely aware of him, as though every nerve in her body had become sensitive to his presence. She couldn't decide whether she wanted him to come closer or give her some space, and that uncertainty only made her more nervous.