Shit."Don't apologize." I met her gaze. "You didn't."
"That's nice of you to say, but…" She ran a nervous hand through her damp hair. "Forget it. I mean…I don't want to sexually harass you or anything, especially when you're just working for sandwiches."
Damn it.I wanted to pull her close and kiss away her concerns. "That's not it."
Too brightly, she said, "You don't need to explain. I'm really sorry." She gave another nervous laugh. "I don't know what got into me. Let's just, uh, blame the storm, okay?" And with that, she turned away, clearly about to bolt.
On instinct, I grabbed her elbow and turned her once again to face me. My voice was still raw as I asked, "You think I don't want you?"
"Honestly?" She blew out a long, shaky breath. "I don't know."
"Well, let me set you straight," I said. "It's taking everything I have not to drag you into the back and make you forget whatever happened with the bank."
Her breath caught. "So…why…?"
"Don't I?" My heart was hammering in my chest. "Because I don't want to be an asshole."
"How so?" She swallowed hard. "Like…you don't think it would be good?"
"Oh, Iknowit would be good." I paused to let that sink in. "Until you came in tomorrow filled with anger and regret."
Just like that, her eyes lit with renewed interest. "I wouldn't." Her lips quirked upward as her gaze smoldered into mine. "And you wanna know why?"
She looked like sweetness and trouble rolled into one, and it was all I could do not to yank her into my arms and kiss away her worries. "Why?"
Her chin lifted. "Because tomorrow's Wednesday."
I blinked. "Yeah, so?"
"So the shop is closed tomorrow. I won't evenbehere." She gave me an impish smile. "So there."
39
Thunder and Heat
Maisie
The look on his face was priceless.
I hadn't known what to expect when I'd tossed out that line about Wednesday, but it wasn't the stunned silence I'd gotten in return.
I should've been embarrassed. Maybe later, I would be. But right now? I felt surprisingly empowered.
It wasn't because I'd shocked him, although I definitely had. It was because, for the first time all day, I didn't feel so helpless. The rough ferry ride, the tense meeting, the looming disaster with the loan – I'd been stuck on a sinking ship with no good options.
But this? This moment, right here?
This was my own choice.
And if I wanted to spend my storm-soaked Tuesday getting naked with the hottest guy I'd ever met, well, why shouldn't I? And besides, it wasn't only his looks that made me want to fall into him and forget the world.
It was the heat in his eyes, the quirk of his mouth, and the fact that he'd proven himself to be surprisingly decent after that terrible first impression.
In spite of what Griff thought, my only regret would come from playing it too safe when my whole life was headed for danger – or at least, my whole financial life. And besides, this was a perfect reminder that money wasn't everything.
It was a reminder I desperately needed.
So I waited, letting the silence hang like an invitation, which I guess it was.
