He heard the crinkle of cellophane as he clenched his hand around a bouquet of flowers. He looked down at the gerbera daisies. They were Laura’s favorite flowers; he suspected she was drawn to the bold colors.
A whisper of doubt flitted through his mind. The flowers were probably overkill. Too formal for a night watching kids play baseball.
But he wanted to signal to Laura that this night was different from the other times they’d watched her nephew play. Tonight they’d be on a date.
Heat flashed through him when Laura opened the door. He felt the kick of exhilaration just as he always did when he saw her. And it was the same for her, he realized with deep satisfaction as he noticed the pleasure glow in her brown eyes when she looked at him. The tension in his chest began to relax. Everything was going to work out.
“Connor,” she said with a smile. Connor followed his impulse and bent his head. He captured her mouth with his. The gentle touch was like a burst of summer. She tasted of fun and sunshine. Of sweetness and spice.
Laura leaned into him, and it felt as though that was where she belonged. But he wanted her to melt against him. Connor dipped his tongue past her lips. She moaned with delight and bunched his shirt in her fists as she drew his tongue in deeper.
He was about to wrap his arms around Laura and hold her close when she tensed. Her fingers slowly uncurled from his shirt and she reluctantly stepped away.
Connor frowned when he noticed she wasn’t looking at him. “Come on inside,” she said, her tongue darting along her reddened lip. “I just need to get my purse.”
He wordlessly followed her into her home and tried to tamp down the concern gnawing at him. Something was off. She was being too careful with him.
“I should warn you, this game isn’t going to be a nail-biter,” she said as she went to the hall table to get her purse.
He murmured something as he watched her walk. Her arms were close to her body, shoulders hunched, and she had dipped her head. That wasn’t like Laura. She always walked with bold purpose.
Connor studied her carefully as she spoke about the poor season her nephew’s team was having. His gaze lingered on her curves, which were concealed behind a white long-sleeve T-shirt and dark jeans.
Her outfit put him on full alert. The tension wrapped around his chest, tighter than ever. Something was definitely off. She wasn’t wearing any bright colors. Even when she’d been sick with the flu earlier in the year, she’d worn neon greens and yellows. And why had she put on jeans instead of shorts or a miniskirt? She wasn’t even wearing a shirt that proudly showed off her curves. It was almost as if she was hiding.
But why would she hide? He wondered as he followed her to the hall table. Why hide from him, of all people? Connor narrowed his eyes. He was going to get to the bottom of this.
“I brought you flowers,” he said quietly.
Laura halted. He felt the surprise shimmer from her as she slowly turned around. She blinked as he thrust the orange, pink and red flowers at her.
“Thank you, Connor.” She accepted the bouquet and clasped it to her chest. “I’ve never received flowers before.”
Seeing the pleasure bloom in her face, Connor silently vowed that he would give her flowers for every occasion and for no reason at all. He would grow an entire garden of gerbera daisies just for her enjoyment. “Consider them the start of a tradition.”
She paled as her gaze swiftly met his. “Excuse me?” Laura’s fingers fumbled against the bouquet and she set it down on the table next to her.
Connor took a deep breath and braced himself. “Okay, Laura, what’s going on? What are you hiding from me?”
“Hiding?” She scoffed at the suggestion. “What gave you that idea?”
“Where do I start? You aren’t looking me in the eye, the clothes you’re wearing are not you and you’re pulling away from me.”
Laura sighed with defeat and thrust her hands into her fire-engine red hair. “I should have known I couldn’t get away with this. I could never fake it with you.”
“Fake? Fake what?” Not her affection. Not her desire. He knew those were real.
She dropped her hands and squared her shoulders back. “Connor, I can’t be with you.”
Her words were like a punch in the gut. “Why not?” he asked roughly.
“I shouldn’t have accepted this date.” She shifted from one foot to the other as if she wanted to bolt. “It was wrong of me but I couldn’t resist. I thought if I declined you wouldn’t ask me again.”
“I don’t give up that easily.” He forced himself to ask the next question. “Why can’t you be with me?”