“I missed you,” he said.
She couldn’t remember anyone other than Jenna ever telling her that before. A sense of fullness expanded inside her chest. “You did?” she asked, breathing in the masculine spice of his skin.
Shane pulled back enough to make eye contact. “Yeah. I did.” Cupping her cheek in his big hand, he leaned down slowly, bright gray eyes looking into hers, and kissed her once, twice, three times. Small, warm presses of his lips to hers that left her breathless and yearning for more. Would he kiss her like this if he’d been disgusted by her back? He stepped away, pulling her from the thought, and took her hand in his. “You have time for a cup of coffee?”
She smiled, absolutely adoring how sweet and considerate he was. That’s not why you’re here, Crystal. For the tenth time, this isn’t a date. Right. “Yeah. Just enough,” she said.
“Come on, then.” Holding her hand, he guided her to the door, which he held open for her. Then, with his hand on the small of her back, they stepped toward the counter and got in line behind a man ordering a tray of drinks to go.
“What would you like?” Shane asked.
“Coffee’s fine,” she said, then she caught him ogling the case of pastries and laughed. “I think the question is what would you like?”
His gaze swung from the treats to her face, and his eyes flashed hot. “I’m looking at her.” Crystal’s heart stopped, then took off at a sprint. He . . . would like . . . me? Shane winked and said, “But for right this moment, I might settle for that big peach muffin.” He rubbed his stomach. “I skipped breakfast and could eat a horse.”
“Better get two, then,” she said.
“Aw, you’re gonna go and spoil me talking like that.” Smiling, he put his arm around her shoulders and squeezed her against his side.
“Can I help you?” the pretty brunette behind the counter asked. The woman smiled at them both and was plenty polite to Crystal as she placed her order, but the clerk was so openly smitten with Shane it was almost funny. He joked with Crystal, tried to talk her into a pastry, insisted on paying the bill, and rubbed her shoulder while they waited, never seeming to notice the young woman’s obvious admiration. He probably didn’t even realize he’d done something special in that moment, but his actions made Crystal feel respected in a way she never felt when she was around Bruno. Hell, Bruno had no qualms at all about blatantly checking out other women when they went out together. Which wasn’t often.
Enough about Bruno. Enjoy the moment. There won’t be many more of them.
They retrieved their drinks and Shane’s softball-sized muffin and went to the little bar at the side to fix their coffee. Two creams and two sugars for her, three sugars for him. She smiled when she realized he was paying attention to how she took it.
She could get used to a man who treated her this way. Just don’t get used to this man.
Shane led them toward the back of the small shop and paused beside the last table. “This okay?”
“Yeah,” she said, slipping into the booth. He slid in opposite her, his long legs spilling into her side under the table. Crystal sipped her coffee and peeked at him above her cup.
God, he was so freaking gorgeous. Nice. Gentle. Playful. The list of things she liked about him went on and on. It made her chest fill with a pressure it surely couldn’t hold.
“You look pretty in that shirt,” he said. His kind words and friendly gaze made her squirm.
“Oh, uh, thanks,” she said, not offering up that she’d made it. Sewing was one of the few pre-Bruno parts of herself she still possessed, and she felt protective of it, probably overly so. Grappling for a different topic of conversation, she blurted, “How did last night go?” Immediately, she worried she’d made a mistake when something dark and pained flashed through his expression.
“Some good, some not so good,” he said, shaking his head and looking down at his muffin. “Turns out Church’s people have another meeting sometime Friday. Maybe things will go better then.”
“Oh.” She had made a mistake. Way to go, Crystal. Not that he seemed angry that she’d asked, but he definitely seemed upset. Had she heard anything about Friday night? She didn’t think so. “Maybe I can help again,” she said, wanting to bring back his happiness.
He looked up at her, and the angle made her realize how long his eyelashes were. Her Pretty Boy. And he really was. “If you hear something, that’s great. But don’t do anything to put yourself at risk. We’ll figure it out.”
She nodded, but her mind spun on what she might be able to do. After all, it was only fair since she planned to ask him for help. “Here,” she said as she pulled a chunk of the muffin top free. “Open up.”
His face brightened, and he smiled. “Yes, ma’am.” He licked his lips and opened his mouth.
And the swipe of his tongue scrambled Crystal’s brain. She chuffed out a nervous laugh and went with it even though her heart raced and her hand shook. Leaning across the table, she placed the muffin on Shane’s tongue. And she didn’t think she was imagining the heat in his gaze as he chewed slowly, like he was savoring it, and made these little appreciative noises in the back of his throat.
“More,” he said.
Rolling her eyes but secretly pleased with this game, Crystal broke off another piece and brought it to his lips. When he opened, she popped it in, but he leaned forward and caught the tips of her fingers with his lips when he closed again. She laughed.
She recalled the dinner with Bruno the night before and . . . God . . . there was no freaking comparison. Not once in four years had she ever felt comfortable or free enough to be herself at his side. And the more she thought about it, the more she realized she might not know exactly who the real Crys—the real Sara—was anymore.
All she knew was that she greatly preferred the version of herself who came out around Shane, the one who laughed and joked and occasionally even got up the courage to do what she wanted, take what she wanted.
“You taste good,” he said, the smile clear on his face even as he took a long drink of coffee.
“You’re a terrible flirt, aren’t you?” It wasn’t a complaint. Crystal found it sexy and fun and flattering.
He winked. “You bring out the best in me, sweetness.”
She ducked her chin, hoping to hide the heat she suspected was pinking her cheeks again. Sighing, she pressed the button on her phone to check the time. Just as she thought.
“You said you had just enough time for coffee,” he said. “You have to be somewhere?”
Crystal nodded and brushed her hands against her jeans. “Unfortunately. I got called in to work a luncheon. I should leave in twenty minutes.”
Shane twisted his lips, like maybe he was disappointed. “Okay. What did you want to talk about?” he asked, taking another bite of muffin.
“Right,” she said, tucking her loose hair behind her ears. She grappled for the right words, but finally decided to go with the simplest and most direct. “I need your help.”
He reached across the table and covered one of her hands with his. “Name it.”
It was that easy? Sure, he’d offered—several times. But she was so unused to people being there for her that she realized she hadn’t fully believed him until this moment. “Um, okay. Something happened last night and—”
“What? Are you okay? Jenna?” A storm rolled in across Shane’s expression, and his gaze roamed over her face, her bare arms below the sleeves of her top.
She laid her free hand atop his. “We’re both okay, but I realize that we need to start planning a way out.” Instinctively, she lowered her voice and looked over her shoulder. “Now. I thought we could wait, but . . .” Crystal shook her head.