“True enough,” he mumbled as he picked up her suitcase. He smiled blandly and accepted that his feelings wouldn’t stay caged by the frail and fragile bars for much longer.
He shoved her suitcase into the back of his truck and opened the passenger door. “Do you have snacks, or should we stop at Publix?”
She held up a bag shaped like a pelican. “We are fully provisioned. I have your favorite pretzels and those weird smoked almonds you love.”
“Perfect.” Telling the itchy, burning, and freaking inconvenient lust to take a break, he held out his hand and helped Tancy into her seat and then closed the door.
Why is my inner fourteen-year-old making a reappearance now?
Settling himself behind the wheel, he heard Tancy blow out a breath. “What’s up?”
“Why are you looking at me all heavy-lidded?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He slid his sunglasses down and decided to make denial his best friend for the next several hours since he wasn’t sure how to ask for what he wanted.
What exactly was the protocol for suggesting a transition from friends to lovers?
“You’re smoldering.”
“That’s ridiculous.” He busied himself with adjusting the mirrors and decided that lying through his teeth was a solid strategy. At least until he came up with a plan that had a better than ten percent chance of succeeding.
“It’s not, and if I’m being honest, it makes me miss your usual falcon stare. I often wish that you’d take it down a notch or two, but after seeing this knowing gleam, I may rethink it.”
“Good to know.” He pulled out of the driveway and acknowledged the age-old truth that desire made a man dangerous. One day he was nothing but civility and good manners, and the next…who the hell knew? “So, have you seen any more wannabe mobsters around town?”
“Well, that’s one way to change the subject.”
Ignoring her penetrating gaze, he drove down the street. “I checked in with Birch, and he hasn’t gotten back to me with an intel update, so I’m assuming no one is on the hunt for Nathan.”
“I hope that’s true since my brother has left me on read. I’ve texted him a dozen times and received only gifs of monkeys in return.”
“Is that his way of sending a sign of life?”
“Yes, and I will let him know how displeased I am when I get my hands on him.”
“Does that usually have any effect on his behavior?”
“It works about fifty percent of the time.” She opened a bag of Red Vines and held it out. “Licorice?”
“No thanks.” He watched her mouth go around the candy stick and looked away as a particularly filthy picture popped into his mind. “If you see anyone else suspicious, please let me know immediately.”
“Yes, sir.”
“No need to address me formally.”
Tancy laughed. “Fine. I’ll just go with; Aye, aye, captain.”
“Please don’t.”
“Why?” she asked with a wide grin. “It means that I will do as you command. As opposed to the more generic, I understand in response to an order.” She placed her hand on his arm. “Would you like to share any other Naval sayings that you’d like me to avoid, or should we save that for later?”
“Are you trying to hit every one of my buttons before we hit the highway?”
“No, but kudos to me for pushing at least two.”
He let out a bark of laughter and prayed they survived the weekend.
And if they happened to include kissing, then so be it.