Page 16 of Untamed

She opened the door.

“Come in,” she said, making room for him to walk by. He stopped in front of her and leaned down, brushing his lips against her cheek.

“You look lovely,” he whispered. Her cheeks grew warm, and she ducked her head, not bothering to hide her smile.

“Not so bad yourself, Ramos,” she said. His sapphire blue button-down shirt fit him perfectly, and the black leather jacket he had on looked buttery soft. He was wearing jeans, and she wanted nothing more than to get behind him to see if that view was as good as the front.

He winked at her and said, “I even showered, just for you.”

Lesley laughed. “Just let me get my shit together and I’ll be ready.” She tugged on her boots and opened the closet. No jacket. “Huh. Hold on.” She walked back to her bedroom.

When she walked out, Antony was looking at the table she had against the wall inside her front door. A collection of candles were scattered around the outer edges of the table and in the middle sat a cobalt blue bowl filled with water. A pump hummed softly and caused the glass lotus in the middle to bob gently in the waves. It was lit from below with a soft, clear light.

“That’s beautiful,” he said. “I have a thing for lampwork. One of my sisters dabbles.”

“I noticed with your gift.” She nodded toward the lotus. “That came from a place in Taos. I’m surprised it’s survived all the moves over the years.” She held up her coat and nodded toward the door. “Shall we?”

Lesley tugged the door closed and turned around. “I didn’t tell you about the driveway.”

“Nope. I’ll remember it next time.” He held out his arm, and she looped her hand in the crook of his elbow. Together, they walked up the drive to his car. The air was tinged with a chill and the sky was a gradient of reds and oranges on the horizon, fading to blue overhead. It was going to be a clear night.

He opened her door for her, bowing gallantly before closing it gently. She chuckled and shook her head as she settled in.

Once the engine roared to life, he navigated down to the highway and turned away from Sierra Vista. Bisbee and Tombstone were the only places she’d heard of out this way, though there were a few more little spots nearby. She considered asking but chose to enjoy the anticipation instead. Besides, it’s not like she’d been to these places, so it didn’t really matter.

He reached over and took her hand, holding it as he drove. His thumb made lazy circles over the back and up and down each of her fingers. She shivered a little as the pad of his thumb, smooth and soft, lightly brushed the fine hairs on her hand and knuckles. It was hypnotic. She sat back and settled in, lulled by the roar of the engine and the local classic rock station on the radio.

CHAPTER NINE

Antony glanced over at Lesley and saw that her eyes were closed. It pleased him she was so relaxed. The quiet between them was comfortable, and her calm radiated toward him and he welcomed it. It’d been over a year since he’d been on an honest-to-gods date, and his nerves were shot when he pulled up in front of Oliver’s house.

Most of his dates normally ended up at a club, where the throngs of people provided a buffer for him to hide behind. He didn’t want that with Lesley. They may have met in a club, but they’d talked enough to where he knew that wasn’t her scene. Honestly, it had been less and less for him over time as well, but it was a necessary component of his job. He’d made enough contacts to where information came to him easily and had helped solved several cases over the past couple years.

But tonight, he wanted to be alone with Lesley. She came alive when it was just the two of them talking, and the fire that burned in her drew him to her warmth. With her, his aversion to that inscrutable soul baring, skin-flaying feeling of intimacy wasn’t the intimidating thing he’d danced his way around for so long. For the first time in years, he was comfortable. Not complacent, but comfortable in not having to pretend. Not long ago, he’d have scared himself away by that kind of admission, but as he looked over at her, settled deeply into the bucket seat, he simply couldn’t think of a better place to be.

Well. He could, but he was nothing if not patient.

Antony hoped she liked the place he was taking her to. It was a little hole in the wall he’d found not long after he arrived in Arizona, and he drove out there at least once a month. Always alone. There was never anyone he wanted to share it with, but knowing Lesley and where she was from, he was certain she’d like it.

Her hand was warm and soft, the bones delicate, but still strong. He felt her shiver a little when he ran his thumb up the insides of her fingers, and did it again, just to see if it happened again. It did. No, not complacent. Anticipatory.

He’d fought with himself over trying to meet up with her before their date. They’d gotten to know each other better without the pressures of dates and awkward small talk. The anticipation he’d felt each day, knowing that she’d leave work and turn on her phone to find some silly message or joke, and that they’d spend the rest of the evening chatting back and forth, carried him through the pain of starting an investigation that was becoming more worrying by the hour.

Antony shook his head to clear those thoughts. Now was not the time to dwell. Giving her hand a gentle squeeze, he let go and navigated through Bisbee.

“Oh! This main street is charming!” Lesley said, looking around. “It reminds me of the mountain villages back home.”

He smiled. “I took a back way home once, not long after I moved to Arizona and came through here. They’ve done a good job of preserving the area.” He took a left and immediately swung right into a parking space. The small sign in the window called the place Santiago’s.

“Best Mexican I’ve found in the area,” he said. “Hope that’s okay?”

“I’ve been looking for a good place,” Lesley replied. “After living in San Antonio for the last few years, I’m a bit tired of Tex-Mex.”

Antony chuckled and held open the door for her. “Well, I hope this passes muster,” he said.

It apparently did. He enjoyed seeing her face light up at the menu. They placed their orders and settled in with the obligatory chips and salsa that accompany drinks in most Mexican restaurants.

A few minutes later, a short, white-haired woman came out from the kitchen and walked up to their table. Antony stood and leaned down as she wrapped her arms around his waist, dropping a kiss on her cheek.

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