Slowly he pulled his hand away as if reluctant to stop touching her. He backed up and shut the door then strode around to his side. He slid in with no problem whatsoever, but then he was a good foot taller than she was.
"A person could get a nosebleed in this thing," she said.
He laughed. "Not everyone is as short as you. "
"Why do men like big tires and jacked-up trucks anyway?"
He slid her a sideways glance and grinned. "Guys like big toys. Besides, its fun to go off-roading in it. Ill have to take you mud-ding some time. "
She rolled her eyes. "The only mud Im interested in is the kind a gorgeous guy wraps me in during a day at the spa. "
"I could wrap you in some mud. "
She laughed. "Oh I bet you could. "
He turned back to stare out the windshield as he navigated through traffic. "Have you heard from Faith?"
Though he asked the question in a casual voice, she could hear his concern. It was pretty sweet and obvious he cared about her.
"Actually no. After you left she came back. She, uhm, had to go get something but then Gray showed up. "
Nathan winced. "Yeah, I sorta told him where she was, but he was so worried. I couldnt let the poor guy sweat like that. Besides, they need to work their shit out. "
Julie nodded. "True, and I think they will. She had already come to the conclusion that she needed to go home and talk to him rather than park herself at my place and cry on my shoulder.
Not that I minded. But Gray showed up and she went home with him. I havent heard from her, but then I dont expect to until tomorrow. "
"I hope it works out. She seemed pretty upset this morning at the office. "
"Youre really worried about her, arent you?"
He gave her another quick look as if to gauge whether she was joking. "Of course I am. Faiths like my little sister or something. I dont want to see her hurt. "
"I wasnt implying you werent sincere. I just think its sweet the way you look out for her. "
"My mama did teach me how to treat women," he said with a saucy grin.
She raised an eyebrow. "Did she? Guess Ill have to be the judge of that. "
He reached over and touched her cheek, brushing aside her hair so he could slide his knuckles along her jaw. "I plan to treat you very nice. "
Shivers danced over her skin until her shoulders twitched in response.
"I didnt ask you what you preferred to eat, but Serena said that Rigantis is really nice, and shes friends with the head chef, so I pulled a few strings and got us their best table for the night. "
"Wow. Pulling out all the stops. "
"Maybe I think youre worth it," he said in a quiet voice.
She swallowed. What the hell was she supposed to say to that? In two seconds flat theyd gone from playful teasing to . . . what exactly? Bone-melting declarations? Clearly he had no intention of playing fair.
"Are we dressed for Rigantis?" she asked skeptically as she glanced over their jeans. Not that he didnt look positively spectacular in his
His smile flashed. "Lets just say we have a private setting. No ones really going to notice what were wearing because they wont be able to see us. You struck me as the casual dress type, and this is about as dressy as I get, so I took a chance on not offending you with my choice of wardrobe for the evening. "
"What can I say, Im a girl who likes my comfort. "
"A girl after my own heart. "
He was so going to have to stop with the leading statements because she got a disgusting thrill every time he made them.
When they pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant, Nathan cut the engine and opened his door. "Hang tight. Ill be around to help you out. Id hate for you to break a leg getting down. "
Though he was totally teasing her, she actually might break an ankle, so she waited until he opened the door and reached for her waist with his big hands.
It was ridiculously thrilling to be with a man strong enough to toss her around like she was one of those women who weighed a hundred pounds soaking wet.
And he took his time letting her slide down his body until her feet hit the ground. For a moment he stared down at her, molding her against the juncture of his thighs.
Finally he reached for her hand, tucking her fingers against his palm. He pulled her away from the truck and shut the door behind her.
"I dont know about you, but Im starving. I hope they serve meat in here. Serena wouldnt have sent me to a granola restaurant, would she?"
Julie laughed. "Serena is probably more of a carnivore than you are. The girl loves her red meat. "
"And you?"
Either he was incredibly naive or he was a huge flirt. She was placing her bets on the latter.
Ignoring his blatant innuendo, she leaned further into his side as they walked toward the entrance. He let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her waist, encouraging her further into the crook of his arm.
A man just shouldnt feel this good. It caused a woman to do and think crazy things. She nearly laughed out loud at the absurdity of that thought. Attacking the man during a massage was as crazy as it got. There was nowhere left for her to go but up from there.
Chapter 12
Faith and Gray rode in silence. Uncomfortable silence. There was a lot she wanted to say, but she wasnt about to have such an important conversation when he couldnt even look at her because he was driving.
Every once in a while he glanced over, and she could see the worry, the confusion in his eyes. But she also saw resolve, as if he wasnt about to let her go without a fight. She took comfort in that. They could work this out and chalk it up to one of the many misunderstandings theyd no doubt have over the course of their marriage.
"Where are we going?" she asked, finally breaking the silence.
He reached for her hand, curling his finger around hers. "Youll see. Were almost there. "
She recognized the area as an affluent neighborhood just north of Houston. They drove deeper into the residential area where the houses grew larger and more beautiful, the landscaping speaking of professional hands.
Then he turned into the circle driveway of a large stone house. The yard looked as though it hadnt been tended to in a while, or at least only a cursory hand had been applied.
"Come on," he said as he got out.
She met him around the front and he took her hand to lead her to the front door. To her surprise, he pulled out a key and inserted it into the lock.
“Gray?”