“Then let’s go down that list. You believe me that I’m not responsible for the posts.”
“Yes.”
“You agree we’re attracted to each other, and I’m not referring exclusively to sex.”
When he’d told her earlier Aussies were blunt speakers, he wasn’t kidding.
“Seth, I—” She broke off at his hard stare. “Yes, you know that from last night.”
Seth inclined his head. “Exactly my point. The one thing that’s changed from last night to now is the posts. So what about them exactly makes you want to take a step back?”
“Look, I just feel your energies should be elsewhere right now.”
“Harper, I don’t want to be the guy who hassles you, but I’m trying to work out why you’re running when the look in your eyes each time I touch you says something completely different.” She opened her mouth with an automatic denial, but he spoke first. “I’m no fool, so don’t try to bluff your way out.”
Fine. “This morning your world turned upside down. And mine along with it, at least for a couple of hours. Identity theft. You fighting to save the deal with my dad. Not to mention there’s obviously things you need to work out with your brothers.” Harper shrugged. “In all honesty, after just one night, that’s pretty heavy stuff.” She took a breath as Seth continued to caress her hand. Each sweep of his thumb reassured her on some level, as if coaxing her to reveal more. “I need time before I know if I want to take on that kind of complication.”
Seth picked up his coffee with his free hand and sipped before saying, “I think that’s a smart move.”
She dipped her head to the side. “You do?”
He lowered his cup. “You’d be crazy to not question seeing me again after everything that’s happened. And one of the things I find attractive about you is your intelligence.”
Damn, he said all the right things, but more importantly, from his direct stare, she could tell he meant them as well.
“So you’ll give me that time and space?”
“No.”
She reared back in her seat, pulling her hand out of his grasp. “But you just said—”
“Let me rephrase, I’ll give you both time and space, but not as much as you’d like.” He took another sip of his coffee, as if that explained everything.
Um, not quite. “That’s not respecting my wishes at all.”
“Harper, I’m a guy who learned as a kid what it was like to be denied opportunities. Now that I’m in a different place in my life, when I see something good, especially when that goodness is in front of me, I pursue it with everything I am.”
Her soft gasp seemed louder in that charged moment. She’d never had anyone state their interest in her in such a bold manner. A happy giddiness, as if she was lying on a cloud of cotton-candy that floated on the breeze, swept over her body.
Unfortunately, such feelings just complicated things further.
“I don’t know what to say.” She glanced out the front window and watched people walking by, each heading off on their own path, separate from everyone around them. Facing back to Seth, she said, “It feels wonderful to be wanted, but none of that changes what I said earlier.”
“Harper, I’m not proposing marriage. We’ll take things as they come. No pushing. No expectations apart from being honest with each other and allowing ourselves the chance to explore what we have.”
Okay, but what about the fine print? “And what does taking things as they come mean exactly?”
“It means you taking my calls, us having dinner tomorrow and whatever happens after that”—he shrugged—“happens. But Harper”—he leaned across the table and reclaimed her hand—“I’d like you to call me, too. I’m going to pursue you, of that have no doubt. But if you feel the urge to call, I want you to know that won’t be you putting yourself out there and wondering if you’ll fall. I’ll answer your call.”
She carefully, slowly took a deep breath. “You’re sweeping away any potential reason to evade you, aren’t you?”
“Too bloody right, luv.”
That had to be a ‘yes’ in Aussiespeak. “Tomorrow’s Friday. I can’t make dinner. Previous engagement.” Which was true. She had agreed to go to a fundraiser dinner with a friend weeks ago. “But if you’re free Saturday, could you come over to my place for lunch?” Allowing herself at least one full day off a week was a perk when she had such good staff, and weekends in this mainly business district were quietest at the cafe.
“Sounds good.”
“Great, and maybe before then, you could type out a list of translations for basic phrases and words, so I know what you’re saying when you speak in your native dialect.”