Page 28 of A Little More

Her leg and shoulder brushed his throughout the entire meal. Her nerves stayed on high alert and her stomach in knots. John carried on the conversation, pulling out plans from his briefcase, unnecessarily explaining details as if the forcefield between her and Nash didn’t exist.

When John got up to leave, she moved to do the same until Nash set his hand on her arm. She jumped, her eyes swinging to meet his, but he didn’t release her.

“Are we going to pretend like this thing between us doesn’t exist?”

“Yes.” Her answer didn’t sound convincing. “Julien will be here in an hour. Forty-five minutes knowing his impeccable timing. There can’t be anything between us.”

He lowered his voice. “If this job, your boss, wasn’t in the way, would you date me?”

“Why are you even asking that?”

“Just answer the question. If I asked you out on a date, would you say yes?”

It sounded so much simpler than reality. “We live three hours apart.”

“Answer the question. If every variable was taken away, just you and me, would you go on a real date with me?” His thumb skimmed along the inside of her arm. Those blue eyes she couldn’t seem to get out of her mind held hers.

“Yes.”

His eyes narrowed. “Good.” He released her then, pushing his chair back and picking up both their trays.

“That’s it?” Too easy. Nash didn’t seem like a man that would walk away like that, not when she openly admitted to the attraction she felt. She didn’t think she wanted him to be that kind of man.

“I needed to know what I was up against.”

“More than you can overcome.”

Nash waited quietly for Lexi to rise. She held out her hand for her bill.

He refused to give it to her. “You’re not paying for a meal when I ask you to lunch.”

“I don’t see you offering to pay for John’s meal.”

“You have nicer legs.”

“That’s sexist.”

He adjusted his hat, a dimple forming on his cheek.

The infuriating man was trying not to smile. “And archaic.”

“So is tossing you over my shoulder and hauling you out of here, kissing you until you forget about your boss. Until you forget about everything else except me.”

Lexi’s jaw fell open, the serious and seductive tone of his voice making her insides turn to jelly.

“That thought has run through my mind a couple dozen times. But, like you said, it’s so archaic.”

She tilted her nose up, trying to gain control of the situation. “Even if Julien wasn’t coming down here, I’m not going to kiss you because you bought me some roast beef and a salad.”

He wiggled the check in the air. “I’m going to buy your meal because I want to. Because I don’t expect a single thing from you except to hope that you feel taken care of. Because every female I invite out, be it someone I want to kiss senseless or only a friend, is taken care of. It was how I was raised.”

Her lips pressed together, wanting to argue but knowing it was useless. “Thank you,” came out a little more petulant than necessary, but that couldn’t be helped.

Her job. Paycheck. Clients. She had other priorities that required her focus. Not ruining all of it by giving in and letting her attraction to Nash take front and center. She turned and walked away. It didn’t mean she didn’t want him, though. Her rational thoughts couldn’t change that.

He caught up. She spared him half a glance. “You can’t go around saying things like that,” she whispered, hoping her voice sounded firm since her heart wasn’t.

“I’m telling you the truth.” He stopped behind her at the back of the line waiting to pay, speaking in a voice barely audible. “I’ll meet you halfway. I can wait until you make the first move and kiss me.” His finger brushed down the back of her arm, so lightly she wondered if she’d imagined it. “But, Lexi, you’re going to have to tell me, right now, that you want me to completely forget about this thing between us. Say the word, and I’ll back off.”

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