Light worked. She was getting over a bad marriage, trying to rebuild a business, and had no plans to stay in Glory Junction indefinitely. There had never been an expectation that they’d become an immediate couple. Still, she couldn’t help needle him. “It took you five days to decide you just wanted to fool around?”
“Not just fool around,” he said, sounding insulted. “I like you, Delaney. I like talking to you, drinking beer or wine together, this.” He swept his hand around the restaurant. “I like spending time with you.”
He just didn’t want to like it too much, she suspected. Not with her life in flux the way it was. Colt was more sensitive than he let on, hence the whole privacy issue. She could understand how he didn’t want the town to have a front-row seat to his love life, especially after what Lisa had done to him.
“Plus, we’ve been doing surveillance in connection with those burglaries I told you about,” he continued, putting his finger to his lips. “That’s not to be repeated. But that’s at least part of the reason I’ve been MIA. It was either that or come over in the wee hours of the morning. It seemed a little douchie, even for me.”
She felt a rash creep up her neck, remembering the time she’d gone banging on his door to show him a pair of cargo pants and he’d rightfully assumed it was a booty call.
“How’s that going ... the surveillance?”
“Jack’s got it tonight, but let’s not talk about work.” He rubbed the toe of his boot against her calf and she shuddered.
That must’ve been why he was having a glass of wine, Delaney thought. He wasn’t on call tonight, a rarity on a Friday. And how was it that she’d come to know his schedule so well?
“I guess you’ve got the night free?” she said.
“Yep.” He hitched his brows again. “Like I said, I’ve got plans.”
“Do share.”
“It’ll start with me taking off that dress.” He nudged his head at the bodice, making a big production of staring at her chest ... her puckering nipples.
“Then what?” She pressed her thighs tightly together to stem the tingling between her legs.
“Then I’m going to take my time looking at you.” He put his hand under the table again, pried her legs apart, reached up until he touched the layer of ruffles on her panties, and grinned.
“Then what?”
“You know what.” He winked.
The waiter arrived with a big tray and took forever putting it on a stand and serving each plate with a flourish, chattering endlessly about the black truffles on Colt’s risotto. At this point the only thing she was hungry for was Colt, so she tuned the server out until he left.
Colt tucked into his food like a starving man and when he caught her watching, said, “What? I’m gonna need my strength.”
Yes, you are. So sexually worked up she could barely see straight, she tried to eat her chicken. This meal would put a big dent in Colt’s wallet and she didn’t want to waste it, even though she couldn’t wait to get home and have him do all the things he said he would.
“You like it?” he asked.
“Delicious. Would you like to try some?” She held a forkful of the coq au vin to his mouth and watched him devour it.
“Mmm, good. You want to try some of this?” He gave her a taste of his creamy risotto, which melted in her mouth.
“Wonderful.”
They continued to feed each other across the table, probably annoying the rest of the diners. Away from Glory Junction, Colt was more flagrant with his affection and she was too wrapped up in him to worry about decorum. They were entitled to a romantic night out and it wasn’t as if they were sucking each other’s toes.
“Delaney?”
“Huh?”
He took a visual stroll over her dress ... her body, his eyes narrowing. “Hurry up and finish.”
Thank the Lord Jesus. “I’m stuffed. We can go anytime.”
He flagged over the waiter and asked for the check, not bothering to look at it when it came, just shoving his credit card at the poor man. As soon as the server returned with the receipt, Colt wrote in a tip, signed the bill, and pulled Delaney out of her chair. “Let’s go.”
They got as far as the lobby door when he suddenly turned around and steered her to the reservation desk.
