Page 20 of Protected By West
“I wish you were a cowboy. Or… an accountant. Or-”
“I’m a man, Tracy. When I’m not wearing the badge, I’m just a man. And when I met you in the bar last night. I was a man. It was that man that asked you out to dinner.
“And that man who kissed you in the elevator.
“When I’m with you, I’m not thinking about being a Texas Ranger. I’m thinking about seeing you again.”
She took another sip of her iced tea and damn if he didn’t watch her lips touch the glass.
“I’m hoping that you want to see me, too.”
TRACY
Her hands were cold.
She couldn’t tell if it was nerves or the fact that she'd been holding onto her iced tea glass like it was a lifeline.
Once she'd heard who he was, or rather his profession, she'd basically resigned him to the 'thanks but hell no' list of her life.
Having him come to talk to her was something she'd expected.
He was a man who was not lacking in confidence.
And while she knew she should go and tell him she didn't want... or rather that she wouldn't see him again, he'd come to see her and asked her to talk.
She'd expected Jaime to help her out and turn him away, but instead, she'd practically ran away leaving them together.
Struggling with her thoughts, trying to untangle them in her head and oddly enough in her heart, she grumbled under her breath. "Traitor."
"Excuse me?"
Startled, she looked at him. "What?"
He laughed, but it wasn't a funny laugh. It was more of a scoff. "You just called me a traitor? Where did that come from?"
She hung her head and wanted to crawl under the table and hide. "Not you. Jaime. I was thinking... too much."
"You were thinking about your friend while you're having lunch with me." He sat back against the chair and gave hera curious look. "Is there something you want to tell me about yourfriend?"
"I'm just making a huge mess out of this conversation." She pushed her plate, and it slid about an inch across the hard tabletop. "I really am a mess as a woman when it comes to relationships."
Weston sat up and reached along the table to pick up the ketchup bottle and twisted the top until it came off. "I'm not all that knowledgeable about it myself. Saying I'm busy is usually an understatement, but with the exception of a few dates to prom and homecoming I'm not all that knowledgeable myself."
Tracy was processing the information as she watched him hold the ketchup bottle almost upside down as the ketchup inside was slowly sliding down the neck toward the opening.
She moved her gaze to his face and back down again to the bottle.
The ketchup inside was moving at a speed that would drive a sloth crazy.
"So," she looked away from the bottle back to his face and smiled, admiring his looks, "neither of us is all that awesome at dating?"
He chuckled. "Basically."
She looked back at the bottle and felt her fingers start to itch. Tracy wanted to snatch the bottle out of his hands.
"You look like you're about to lose your temper."
Her gaze flew back to his. "What?"
