He bent to pick up my shoes, and I quickly tossed my bra behind me and turned off the bathroom lights. He motioned me to lead the way to the door. There he bent and helped me with the shoes.
He didn’t say anything as he slipped the black heel onto my foot. His light touch at my ankle made my legs Jell-O. Once the shoe was on, his hand lingered on my calf before he moved to the other shoe. The longer he stayed quiet, the more nervous I became.
When he stood, he smiled slightly and leaned forward. He carefully swept my hair back over my shoulder, moving it out of the way. The warmth of his palms heated my upper arms as he held me steady. His breath tickled the skin at the base of my neck as he breathed a path up to my ear. I forgot all about the dress.
“Thank you for saying yes,” he said softly then pulled back.
Yes to what?
He clasped my hand in his and led us out into the hallway. My brain came back online when he closed the door with a soft snick. He wrapped my hand around his arm as we walked downstairs. I could feel his eyes returning to me but didn’t look his way. Navigating stairs with heels required my full attention.
When we reached the bottom, I gave in and met his gaze. His intense regard sent shivers through me. He leaned in once again, his breath tickling my neck near my ear. I focused on the sensation of his lips brushing my skin. Please just kiss me already, I thought. The anticipation of it was driving me crazy.
“You smell wonderful.”
I turned my head slightly and pressed my cheek against his. He groaned.
When he finally straightened and motioned me through Nana’s open door, I walked in on autopilot, my neck still tingling from overexposure to Emmitt.
The boys already played a board game at the table with Jim and Nana. I could see Aden was in hero-worship mode when it came to Jim. Neither boy seemed to care too much that we were leaving for the night.
As I stood there saying goodbye, my head cleared enough that I started doubting the dress, again. I tried to think of an excuse to go back upstairs and change, but couldn’t. At least, not a diplomatic one. So, I allowed Emmitt to escort me out the door. The rain had stopped, but the ground still glistened with water. My heels sank a little when I stepped off the porch.
“Where are we going?” I asked while he held the door open for me.
“A steak and seafood place just outside of town,” he said as I carefully got in.
He hesitated then closed my door and walked around the front of the truck. The moment reminded me of the day I’d bought the truck, and my heart fluttered as he slid in behind the wheel. I wouldn’t have guessed then that the attraction I’d felt would have led to the revelation it had.
Emmitt was a werewolf, and he was mine.
He reached over and brushed back a strand of my hair. I took a calming breath and hoped he thought my racing heart was due to leaving my brothers and not him. He started the truck and pulled out of the driveway.
I settled in and watched the scenery. After a few moments of silence, I glanced over at Emmitt and caught his gaze.
“You’ve never mentioned any family other than your mom and Richard.”
I sighed and turned to glance out the window. “No family as far as I know on either side. It’s just us, now.”
He was quiet the last few miles to the restaurant. When he turned into a wide, paved drive, I saw the restaurant and was surprised. White Christmas lights wound along the fence and cast a soft glow over the parking lot. The place definitely looked more high-end than I would have expected being out in the middle of nowhere, though I could see the glow of city lights on the horizon.
Emmitt got out and opened the door for me. I watched his gaze stray from my eyes as he helped me down. A blush heated my face, and he gave me a small smile as he held my hand and led me inside. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to cover up or bask in his attention. So, I focused on walking.
A maître d' stood at a podium, ready to greet us. Behind him, the polished wood floors of the bar area glowed in the soft light.
Emmitt gave his name and led me to an open place at the bar. He held out a barstool for me. I didn’t miss the brush of his fingers on my exposed back as I sat. He settled beside me and ordered us each a glass of red wine.
I didn’t say anything about the alcohol though I knew Nana would smell it on me. I wondered if I’d get another scolding. The bartender smiled a bit too warmly at me as he set my glass down, and Emmitt scowled in response. I took a sip. Nana would certainly understand.
I’d finished half a glass by the time the maître d' came to seat us at our table. I studied the menu and immediately spotted what I wanted. The last time I had chicken parmesan, my mom had been alive.
Glancing up to ask Emmitt what he planned to order, I found him studying me instead of the menu. I rolled my eyes and reached across the table to pick up his menu and wave it in his face. He laughed, took it, and finally opened it.
Our server wore a crisp, white shirt under a black vest and matching black tie. He was politely formal when he came to ask if we wanted a fresh drink before ordering. Emmitt ordered another one, but I asked for water, instead.
It was no surprise when Emmitt picked the biggest steak on the menu...and appetizers.
* * * *
Relaxed by the glass of wine, dinner had progressed pleasantly, but nervousness had crept back in toward the end. Our ride home remained quiet, and I didn’t mind. I doubted I could maintain any form of intelligent conversation. My focus was on what would happen at the end of our date. Would he finally kiss me?
The crunch of gravel under the tires announced our return. He parked the truck near the porch and got out to open my door. Although it wasn’t far to the ground, he offered his hand to help me down.
“Did you enjoy yourself?” he asked as he closed the door behind me.
Had it not been for the very exposed feeling I’d had throughout dinner, I would have been able to answer with an honest yes. Instead, I tried for vague.
“I think it will take a while before I’m comfortable leaving my brothers.”
We walked inside the quiet house. It wasn’t yet past nine, and I thought the quiet odd, but Emmitt didn’t appear concerned.
Nervous anticipation filled me as we walked upstairs. He opened my door for me, and I didn’t know what to expect next. Would he come in with me? Would he try kissing me? My heart did a crazy stuttering beat at the thought. I wasn’t sure what I wanted. I turned to face him.
“Thank you for tonight. Let me know if you want to go shopping with Nana again. You have amazing taste.” His gaze slid my length again, but he remained in the hallway.
“I think I’ll be fine for a while. Besides, I prefer shorts and t-shirts. Your t-shirts are the best.” Usually, because they hung to mid-thigh and covered me well. It didn’t hurt that they smelled like him too.
He handed me his jacket, and I watched as he pulled his sweater and t-shirt off over his head. The jacket almost fell from my hand. Emmitt, shirtless in the sun, was breathtaking. But this...I swallowed hard. If I appealed to him half as much as he did to me, I understood why he’d kept looking at me all night.
Seeing him in just dress pants made my knees melt. He handed me the white cotton shirt still warm from his body and reclaimed his suit jacket.
He stepped close. “I’ll give you my shirt whenever you ask.”
Clutching the shirt to my chest, I stopped breathing for a moment.
He grinned slightly. “So there’s no misunderstanding, we’re officially in the dating phase of our relationship.”
I nodded dumbly, glad we were officially ignoring my friendship talk now.
He hesitated there, standing toe to toe with me, consuming my space and air as I gazed up at him, held in his spell. Then he shook his head, leaned in to brush his lips against the side of my neck, and left me with a racing heart.