“We’re not having a date.” I try to get Nora’s attention, but she’s doing a damn good job avoiding eye contact with me.
“No problem. I hope you have a great time,” she says to Carol.
“Nora.” Jessa rushes around the table and squats down beside her.
I can’t hear what they’re saying, but Nora shakes her head, and then a second later the girls hug and Jessa stands up and goes back to her seat while Nora holds her hand out.
“Can I have your keys?”
Hell. No. They’re buried deep in my pocket, where they’re going to stay. “You don’t need them, because I’m going home with you.”
“Oh, come on, Grayson. Let’s hang out and have a beer. For old time’s sake.” Nick leans back and kisses Jessa’s cheek.
“You should stay.” The sincerity in Nora’s voice makes my stomach drop. “I want you to stay and have a good time. You deserve it.”
“I want you to stay.”
Fuck, I’m pathetic. First, she says we can’t do that again, and now she’s encouraging me to spend time with someone else.
I’ll never understand women.
I dig into my pocket and hand her my keys.
There’s a flash of disappointment in her eyes, but it’s gone almost as quickly as it appeared, and I realize immediately the huge mistake I just made. Nora isn’t being aloof because she’s indifferent, she’s acting this way because she’s sad.
But why?
This is why I don’t date. Women are so fucking complicated. But this woman just might be worth the trouble if I can get her to slow down for a minute and talk to me.
I try to snatch the keys back, but it’s too late, Nora is already packed up and has the kids halfway to the door. Carol slides into her vacant seat.
An hour later, I hop up the porch and rush through the front door. “Nora!”
“Shhh,” she says, walking around the corner. “I just got the kids down. Emma insisted on sleeping in Henry’s room on the floor, and I didn’t think you’d mind so I let her.”
“That’s fine. Nora—”
“And Jack is still awake. He’s wants to say goodnight to you, so he’s waiting up.” I take a step forward, but she turns for the door. “I should get going. I’m exhausted and—”
I don’t know how else to get her to listen to me, so I back her up against the door and swallow her words with a kiss. Her lips are hesitant at first, but she quickly melts against me with a soft moan. Her lips part, and I stroke my tongue against hers the way I’ve wanted to do since the other night in the bathroom.
“I didn’t know how else to get you to shut up,” I say, breathless from her touch.
“I think you did just fine.”
“I did not want to go on a date with Carol, and I’m sorry if I made you think I did. I’ve been so confused since the other night. I loved what we did, and then you said it couldn’t happen again.”
“I meant we couldn’t make the mistake of leaving the bathroom door unlocked. And I was going to tell you that, but I wasn’t sure how long you would be in there with Emma, and then I was going to say something the next day, but—”
I kiss her again, hard and fast.
“Are you trying to shut me up again?”
“I’m an idiot. I should’ve known what you were talking about, and I figured it out way too late.”
“When did you figure it out?”
“When I handed you the keys earlier. The hurt that flashed in your eyes about did me in. I didn’t expect it, and I knew right away that what happened between us the other night was just as important to you as it is to me. But everything was already in motion. You got up and left with the kids, and that woman sat down, and all I wanted was to chase after you and tell you…”