He made himself snap to and carry on to the doors. He didn’t need to worry about any of that yet. The first step was to get her to listen to him. Then he’d need to ask her to open back up to him. Even once she knew the truth, she might not be prepared to do that.
He stepped inside and stopped when he saw her. His breath caught somewhere in his chest. She was so damned beautiful. She wore a light blue dress that accentuated her curves. The front was cut in a V-shape that drew his eyes to her breasts. He dragged his gaze away knowing she wouldn’t appreciate catching him there. There was a wide belt around her middle that made her waist look tiny between her amazing breasts and her rounded hips that his fingers twitched to hold again.
He adjusted his pants as he walked toward her. He was hard as a rock and hoping to hide it.
He’d guess by the way she smiled at him, that she knew. Her lips quirked in amusement, but it didn’t reach her eyes. They were wary.
“Hi.”
“Hey.” He almost blew it. He almost got lost in her big, blue eyes and just stood there staring. But he pulled himself together. He needed to go on the offensive. And last night had shown him the best way to begin.
He stepped toward her and wrapped her in a hug. “You look great. Thanks for saying you’ll come.”
He felt her go soft and lean against him. It was only momentary before she stood back and looked up at him. But it was all he needed—for now.
The little crease lined her brow. “I’m not sure this is a great idea, Ryan.”
He almost asked why, but he didn’t want her to explain. Didn’t want her to convince herself. So instead, he slung his arm around her shoulders and started walking. “It’s a great idea. If nothing else, we need to clear the air. I think yesterday proved that’s true if we’re going to work together. You didn’t last five minutes in my office.”
She stopped halfway down the stairs and looked up at him. “And you know why. We need to stick with business at work. No double meanings or that stuff you pulled yesterday.”
“Yeah. Sorry. But I couldn’t help it. Do you know how hard it was for me to see you in my office with Donovan?”
She pursed her lips and started walking again. When they reached the bottom of the steps she turned right heading for the restaurant, but he tightened his arm around her shoulders and steered her toward the parking lot.
She stopped again. “Where are we going?”
“For dinner. I told you.”
She frowned. “I assumed at the Boathouse.”
“Ah.” He tried to look surprised, but he wasn’t. He’d known she’d think that. And he’d known that she was likely to refuse to come to his place. But he wasn’t going to let that stop him. He started walking toward his truck again. Taking her with him. “No. Not here.”
When they reached his truck, he opened the door for her, but she didn’t get in. “Why was it hard for you to see me in your office with Donovan?”
Wow. He thought she’d ignored that question and had expected her to ask where they were going. “You know why, Lee.”
“Tell me.”
“Because you told me he’s your boyfriend.”
She stared at him.
“And like I told you. You’re mine. Always have been. So, seeing you with someone else isn’t easy.”
Her mouth tightened into a thin line. “Seeing you with someone else wasn’t easy either.”
He closed his eyes. He wasn’t going to get into that. Not here. He needed to get her to his place first.
“But I wasn’t with her. And you’re not with him, are you?” He knew she wasn’t, but he needed to hear her admit it.
She held his gaze for a long moment. “No. I’m not. There’s no way I would have let you kiss me the other night if I were. I’m not like that.” She gave him a pointed look.
“Neither am I. No matter what you think.” He gestured for her to get in the truck and was relieved when she climbed up.
~ ~ ~
Leanne’s heart was racing as he closed the door and went around to the driver’s side. She considered jumping back out. This was crazy. She shouldn’t even be giving him the time of day, never mind letting him take her out to dinner.
He got in and closed the door, and she turned to him. “Where are we going? And don’t say to dinner.”
He smiled. “To my place. I thought you’d like to see the house.”
She could hear her heart thumping in her ears. “Your place?”
“Yeah. I told you I bought a house.”
She nodded. He had. But houses had bedrooms and bedrooms had beds and … She should jump out now before … but he was already pulling away.
He smiled over at her. “Don’t look so worried. You know I’m a gentleman. I’d never ask for anything you didn’t want to give me.”
She pursed her lips. She did know that. What she was worried about was what he could make her want to give.
She bit down on her bottom lip. She’d already admitted to Laura and to Dan that she wasn’t above sleeping with him again. But she also knew that it couldn’t be just that. It had never been just that between Ryan and her. Even their very first time.
They rode in silence and she was surprised when a couple minutes later he pulled into the driveway of one of the big houses near the end of Main Street. “Here?”
He grinned. “Yeah. Do you like it? It’s bigger than I need but I like it. It’s on the water. I have a dock. I even bought a boat.”
She didn’t say anything. If he wanted to remind her of the good times they’d had on the water in his brother’s boat, it was working. She didn’t know what to say, so she kept her mouth shut.
The house was beautiful; she’d give him that. He was right. It was way too big for a single guy. It was a two story, Mediterranean style with white stucco walls and a red tile roof. It stood on what must be over an acre, and the grounds led down to the lake. She loved it and she didn’t see any point in hiding that.
“It’s gorgeous,” she said when he brought the truck to a stop out front. “You have great taste.”
He cut the engine and turned to face her. “I sure do.”
She knew what he meant. He meant her. But she wasn’t going to go there. Instead, she turned to open her door but hesitated when she saw how far down it was.
He appeared in front of her and held his arms up with a smile. “Need a hand?”
She stared at him. She could refuse and possibly break her ankle when she hit the ground. Or she could do what she really wanted to and let him help her.
“Thanks.” He put his hands on her waist sending a rush of desire through her. She closed her eyes and wrapped her arms around his neck as he lifted her out. She wasn’t even surprised when he didn’t set her down. Instead, he looked up into her eyes. “God, I’ve missed you, Lee.”
She tried to swallow around the lump in her throat, but it wouldn’t budge. Her eyes pricked with tears and her arms tightened around his neck. “I’ve missed you, too.”