“No need. We stopped loving each other a long time ago.”
She peered down into the bowl as if searching for answers under the pile of popcorn. Finally, she spoke again. “So tell me more about your daughter.”
He was embarrassed to admit how little he knew about Lauren. He vowed to make things better… except he’d been vowing that for a long time. Another example of how he sucked at relationships.
Nola looked up from the bowl. “Is that sacred territory, too?”
“We don’t get to see each other all that often.”
Her pretty arched brows rose.
“You disapprove.” And who did she think she was to pass judgment?
“It’s not for me to say. I don’t know your life. I’m not a parent.”
Damn straight. Except she was right.
“But you obviously have an opinion.”
“I’m of the opinion that you are hogging the bowl of popcorn. Pass it over or pay the fine.”
“The fine?” Thank God they’d left the other discussion behind.
“You’ll be doing the dishes for the rest of the week.”
“I’m recovering from serious injuries.”
“You seem totally able-bodied to me.”
He snitched the bowl from her lap. “Tyrant.”
“Popcorn hog.”
He scooped kernels up and brought two to her lips. Slowly, she opened and let him feed her. Holy crap. He recognized an invitation when he saw one.
While she chewed, he kept his fingers against her lips, his eyes locked on hers. Less than a week and they were already getting this close. There was no question that they were headed for n**ed pretty soon. If not tonight, then sometime in the very near future.
He wasn’t sure about the wariness in her eyes. Because of the stalker maybe? Hell, he would just have to dig deep for sensitivity and ask. Maybe he would kiss her first and knock down a few more walls and years between them.
As soon as he formed the thought, a ringing jarred him out of the sensual haze.
Her phone?
No. His cell. Rick blinked fast twice. He reached into his pocket for his cell phone. He glanced at the faceplate…Lauren.
“I’m sorry, Nola.” He shuffled the bowl of popcorn to the coffee table. “I really have to take this call.”
“It’s okay. Please, go ahead.” She hit Pause on the remote and grabbed the bowl on her way off the sofa and toward the kitchen. “I’ll make more popcorn.”
Fear. He saw flat-out fear in the woman’s eyes as she backed away from him. He’d been in combat with enough people to recognize the emotion when confronted with it.
What had happened to her during the past five years? And why was she so frightened of him, a man she’d known all of a few days?
A few very intense days and sexual nights.
He could only deal with one crisis at a time, starting with the one in his hand. “Yeah, hello, Lauren. Happy Thanksgiving, kiddo.”
Chapter 7