Page 16 of Tastes of Him

Then again, he’s never really outright rejected me.

“Fuck.”

“You alright?”

I swallowed hard and fixed a plain smile on my face before glancing over at Sean. He looked almost innocent as he leaned against the door. Those same dark brown eyes that seemed to haunt my nights were now fixed on me, and even though that was what I wanted, I forced myself to look away. Traffic getting out of Seattle would be hell enough without being distracted by the play of shadows across his face or the way his lips just begged to be kissed.

It was going to be a long ride.

“Yeah. Just getting used to driving again after not really having to.”

His snort made my smile slip into something a little more genuine. “Better do that fast, otherwise, Atlanta traffic will eat you alive.”

I chuckled softly instead of answering and focused on the road. The silence that fell between us was comfortable in a way that I rarely felt with anyone else, and I found myself relaxing. Traffic eased up once we were an hour out, and then it was the two of us and miles of road spread out in front of us.

“So, what made you want to drive?”

“Just something to do,” I replied as I eased around a slow-moving car. “Once I get back, things are going to be full speed ahead, and I wanted some time to just chill and maybe see some things that I can’t see back home. I pre-booked some stops here and there to break things up a bit.”

Sean was quiet for a moment, and I looked over to see him once again gazing at me. I didn’t quite know what to make of his expression. Was he regretting coming with me? He seemed relieved when we got the girls to the airport and he canceled his ticket. I knew he didn’t like flying, so the fact that he even made it out to see me in the first place was still blowing my damn mind. Having him then volunteer to accompany me on this drive was like my birthday and Christmas all wrapped into one. I wouldn’t have minded Kevin joining me, but that would have meant booking an additional room, and I didn’t know if that would have been possible at every location. I didn’t want him getting the wrong idea, and the thought of sharing a bed with him without that happening hadn’t been one I wanted to think about.

“Are you sure it was okay for me to join you?” The question wasn’t one I was expecting from Sean. It wasn’t often that I saw him doubt himself. That was one of the things that I most admired about him—his ability to make a decision and stick with it without wavering. His frown made me want to reach out and brush away the line on his forehead. I clenched the steering wheel harder to keep from doing anything out of pocket. “I mean, it seems you booked a relaxing—”

“I’m relaxed with you,” I blurted out, stopping the flow of his words. “I’m surprised you decided to come with me. I know you probably like to save your vacation days for more exciting things. But I really am happy you’re joining me.”

Sean ducked his head down, and I felt warmth bloom in my chest at his little smile. It was so unlike ones I had seen from him before, and selfishly, I hoped it was one only I had ever seen. I stared a beat longer than I probably should have, letting the sight of it burn into my brain until I knew I would be able to recall it easily whenever I closed my eyes. I loved his boldness and the way he took no shit, but this softer side—the side I had only seen in bits and pieces over the years—was something I coveted.

“Well, I’ve never been on a cross-country trip, and I had no desire to get back on that mechanical death trap in the sky.”

I laughed softly at his description and shook my head. “Was it really that bad?” It was a question I knew would get him worked up, and sure enough, he took the topic and ran with it, letting me know exactly what he thought of the whole experience.

The hours on the road seemed to fly by as we talked, first about his flight and then the new employees he and Cameran had hired before they left. I loved to hear the passion in his voice as he talked about his work and the customers that should probably be put on a wall of shame somewhere. The air outside might have been cool, but in the truck, the warmth was more than just a feeling. Any worries I might have had about my feelings just being leftover fondness for the role Sean played in my baby sister’s life melted away, and I knew this buzzing under my skin was something different but certainly not new.

It had always been there, just waiting to burst through with new blooms.

“Are you hungry?”

Sean shrugged. “I could eat. Did you have somewhere specific in mind?”

“Not really. We’re almost in Spokane, so I figured we could stop there and grab a bite before getting back on the road.”

When he nodded, I told him to find and pick a place. Soon enough, I found myself sliding into a booth across from him, my lips twisted into an amused grin. “Denny’s? Of all the places we could’ve eaten, you chose a Denny’s?”

“I like Denny’s,” he replied. Sean rolled his eyes at my laughter before picking up his menu and promptly pretending to ignore me. We ordered, and I went ahead and got an extra cup of coffee. We had another six or so hours before we got to our first stop in Helena, and I was looking forward to relaxing in the room. “Remember when Cami and I graduated college, and we wound up drunk at the Waffle House?”

I snorted, almost inhaling coffee up my nose when I recalled that particular memory. “I almost had to break down the bathroom door when she couldn’t figure out how to unlock it.”

“I’d never seen you look so panicked before,” he replied, lips split in a wide smile. His teeth gleamed as light filtered in through the window, and my breath caught. I tried to cover up the moment with another gulp of coffee, and thankfully, the waitress saved me from doing something like blurting out that he was fucking beautiful. His hair was normally styled to perfection with not a curl out of place as it fell over his forehead, but now, without any product, it formed the softest-looking halo around his head. It made me want to lean in and bury my face in it.

“I thought she was having a panic attack in there,” I said finally in my defense. “I didn’t realize she was leaning on the damn thing until after the fact.”

Sean’s laughter was loud and drew a few glances, but I didn’t care. I would gladly deal with other people being annoyed if only to keep that look on his face. Our food came quickly, and even I groaned when I bit into it. Other than a cup of coffee, I hadn’t eaten before we got on the road.

“So, tell me again where we’re stopping first.” Sean was looking down at his food as he shoveled in each bite like someone might come and take it from him. Before I could say anything, I felt a brush against my foot, and I jerked my gaze up at him. He was still concentrating on his food, but I knew I felt something.

“Um…” I replied, dragging it out while I tried to reboot my brain. It wasn’t that Sean and I didn’t touch. We did, probably more than most people who were strictly friends. But he’d never played footsie with me before. Kicked me like a brat, sure, but that didn’t feel like a kick. When the brush came again, I knew it couldn’t have been an accident, but he wouldn’t look up, which left me at a loss.

“Helena is first. I rented a room at a bed and breakfast for one night. It’s slightly off the main interstate, but I thought it would be a nice stop.”

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