Page 13 of Fire and Ice
His words sent tingles to her belly. No man, not even George, had ever said anything so sweet and so clearly sincere to her. He’d said it in an almost reverent way.
“Thank you.” She smiled, feeling warmth in her cheeks as she accepted his compliment. “I’ll grab my purse and coat.” She left the door open as she returned to the living room, scooped her purse off the coffee table, and coat off the back of the sofa. He stepped into the foyer just long enough to help her with her coat.
When she walked out the door, she locked it behind them. She dropped the set of keys into her purse and smiled at him. God, when he smiled back, heat radiated throughout her body. The kind of heat that made her want to take his hand, drag him back inside the house, and make love to him until they were both exhausted.
Make love? A little too soon to be thinking those two words. Much too soon.
Her body heated as he touched her lower back at the base of her spine, even though the fabric of her coat was between her skin and his fingertips. They made small talk as he guided her down the steps to a blue Nissan SUV parked near the sidewalk.
When they reached the vehicle, he opened the passenger door and grasped her hand to help her onto the running board and up into the cab. Every time he touched her, it was like a burst of electric sparks within her. He shut the door and strode around the front to the driver’s side before climbing in.
She had her seatbelt on before he had his keys in the ignition. She shivered in the chill air. He paused to look at her and smiled. “I’m glad you said yes to going out with me tonight.”
A laugh rose inside her. “You didn’t give me much of a choice. You’re very persistent.”
“You haven’t seen anything yet.” He winked, and a tingling sensation radiated from her belly. He started the SUV, then pulled out onto the street before heading downtown to Giovanni’s.
During the ten-minute drive from Chelsea’s home, they talked about the fall weather and how warm it had been until this month. The conversation was relaxed and easy, and the weather was a safe topic to start with.
Christmas lights glittered along Main Street, and decorations on the lampposts sparkled. Every business window along the street was decked for the holiday, including hers.
“That’s my dress shop.” She pointed to it as they drove past.
“Chelsea’s Closet.” He smiled at her. “I guessed as much. I would probably have stopped by if you hadn't called me.”
She laughed. “I bet you would have.”
Grady found parking in the lot behind Giovanni’s. After he helped Chelsea out of the SUV, he escorted her into the restaurant. He had made reservations, and within a few moments, the hostess escorted them to their table. Grady helped her out of her coat and pushed in her chair.
Even though she had been to this restaurant before, Chelsea paused to look at the elegant but comfortable surroundings. She noticed something different about the place every time she was there. It was almost as if figures in the many murals had moved, making them somehow different every time she looked at them.
Red and gold garlands had been strung around the dim interior of the intimate restaurant, and wreaths with sprigs of holly hung in doorways. A twelve-foot decorated fir stood sentinel in the entryway.
The temperature was warm and comfortable in the dining room. A low murmur of conversation filled the air, and forks clinked on plates as patrons enjoyed their meals. The aroma of red sauce, pasta, and freshly baked Italian bread surrounded them.
When Grady had taken his own chair after seating her, the hostess set a menu on top of the bread plates in front of each of them and placed a small plate at the center of the table before retreating. Chelsea picked up her menu, and her thoughts turned to the fact that she was out with the handsome firefighter—who appeared to be a wonderful man—she had first seen at the ice rink not long ago.
She looked up from the menu and found him watching her. For a moment, she couldn’t look away. She couldn’t even breathe. He reached across the table and put his hand over hers. The warmth of his touch, the way it caused her whole body to come alive, made her feel as if she could be in his arms forever.
Forever.
She hadn’t even been in his arms once, and she was thinking about an eternity with this man?
A soft gasp escaped her as he slowly rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. “I can’t help it.” His smile was wickedly sexy. “All I want to do is touch you.”
“No one is stopping you.” The words came out before her brain caught up with her mouth. He grinned as a wash of nerves nearly caused her to pull her hand away.
He slid his thumb over the knuckles of her left hand, and she shivered. “I’m glad about that.”
“How am I supposed to eat?” Her playful comeback earned another smile from him. “I’m left-handed.”
He released her and took her opposite hand. “Then I’ll take your right in exchange.”
If she had tried, she couldn’t have stopped the smile that curved her lips. “What if I’d like it back?”
He shrugged. “Unless you want to end up in my lap, you’ll let me hold your hand.”
Chelsea laughed just as the server stopped by with a basket of warm slices of Italian bread. He placed a set of bottles on the table—virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar—and he poured each onto the small plate in the middle of the table.
