Page 16 of A Little More

The corner of her lips curled up in a cute little smile before she wrinkled her forehead and climbed up into the truck. He closed the door and jogged around.

“You really don’t have to do this.” She buckled her seat belt. “The surveyor will be here around two-thirty. I thought after that meeting, I can send some updated specs to the engineer, John, and he could update the blueprints before he came down tomorrow.” Her smile faded. “Before Julien came down.”

“I’m not worried about your boss.” He wasn’t too excited that any man would intimidate Lexi. “Do you ever slow down?” He drove down the highway toward the property. He cracked the window, letting out the smell of smoke clinging to him and in some Georgia heat.

“I have three days to finalize everything before I turn it over and we break ground. Slowing down isn’t in the timeline.”

“Did you have time to eat lunch?”

She turned toward him. “Lunch? What does lunch have to do with the construction?”

Nash leaned forward, making a big deal of looking out the front of the truck as he pulled off the highway at the property. “Sun’s about straight up, it has to be at least eleven, and I skipped breakfast with the fire, so lunch is a pretty big deal to me right now. Are you hungry?”

“Oh, I ate a protein bar on the way down.”

“Don’t let my mom hear you say that.” He parked the truck in the grass and laid his hand along the back of the seat, a few inches from her shoulder. Last time, at their dinner with Juliana, he’d taken the chance and touched her. He wanted to again, but he didn’t think he’d be as successful with the irritated glance she shot him. Especially not covered in soot and ash.

“Why would it bother her?”

“She likes to make sure everyone’s well-fed.”

“I try to stick to a gluten-free diet.”

“Are burgers off your list?”

She opened her door but twisted toward him instead of getting out. “I typically eat a salad.”

“I remember you saying that, but it sounds miserable.” Unable to stop himself, he asked, “Did Charlie take you out for a salad?”

Her face drew in tight. “Charlie?”

“For your date? He came by the table to make sure I knew you two were dating.” Why was he even trying to compete with that city guy? He apparently had something going for him if she’d agreed to a date.

“He did, actually. We went to Green Graces, a place near my office for lunch, and then Pickles and Peas for dinner Saturday night. Both have a variety of salads. Charlie and I both typically stick to salads.”

Two dates. That scrawny, pretentious man managed to get Lexi to go out on two dates with him. If that was her type, he couldn’t compete. Especially on his own turf. They didn’t have anywhere in Statem that served only vegetables. If he did take her to a place like that, he’d have to eat a second dinner after kissing her goodnight. The thought of holding Lexi in his arms made his skin hum with anticipation and eating only a salad worth it. The professional in him knew that his thoughts bordered on being inappropriate. But staying professional always drifted away with a simple look from her.

He climbed out of the truck and started walking across the property to keep from engaging in that conversation. At least Lexi tried and caught up with him.

“You seem like you disapprove of my food choices.”

No, he disapproved of her choice in men. “I don’t think someone can live on salads or protein bars alone and still be happy.” He stopped in the middle of the field, slipping his hands into his pockets instead of brushing the curl off her cheek that the wind picked up. “While you’re here, let me take you out for a burger. The Daylight Diner in town makes the best double cheeseburger. My stomach is growling thinking about it. I can introduce you to Ms. Iris. She runs the place and is like a second mom to most of us.”

She took a deep breath. “I don’t typically go and meet ‘second moms’ during a business meeting.”

“Then let’s not call it a business lunch.”

“Then, it would be a…”

He cocked his head to the side, finishing her sentence. “Date.”

“I can’t date you.”

That was easy enough to understand, but the words were hard to accept. Was it because she was dating Charlie? That burned him more than being rejected outright.

No way he’d let her know that. “Then we’ll go back to calling it a business lunch.” Giving up without a fight wasn’t really his style, anyway. “Learning the people in my town will help you see what I need in my store.” A stretch but reasonable enough.

She licked her bottom lip and stared over his right shoulder. Was it his company or the burger that made the decision so difficult?

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