Her Secret Wish by J.M. Madden Page B

was into him but not so much that she would try to hold onto him if he wanted to walk away. At least, she didn’t think so.
    Straightening her spine, she took a deep breath and cupped her hands over his. “I want a man who will respect me no matter what. I want a safe haven where I can relax my guard and not be expected to carry the weight of the world on my shoulders alone. I want someone who will hold me in the night when the nightmares of crashing, over and over again, wake me.”
    There was a confident smile on his lips, as if she hadn’t said anything he wasn’t willing to give her. “I want a man that will take care of my heart as if it were his own.”
    Dean smiled and leaned closer. “Done,” he whispered, before moving in for a kiss that made her gasp. Rachel knew there were still people moving around them. She was a little embarrassed at the display they were putting on, but she couldn’t pull away from him.
    Dean’s mouth opened over her own and his tongue slipped out to taste her lips. Rachel groaned, opening for him. French kissing a man was not her favorite thing to do, but Dean did it wonderfully . As his slick heat invaded her mouth and Rachel leaned into the exploration. Reaching up and around his shoulders, she angled her mouth to fit more solidly against his. One of his hands settled on her hip, tugging her tight against him.
    “Ahem, you’re kind of blocking the aisle way. Excuse me!”
    Rachel would have ignored the irritating, voice but Dean pulled away, reluctantly it seemed. The black pupils of his glorious aquamarine eyes had expanded, telling her that he was seriously aroused. She would have known that without seeing his eyes though. With a final, gentle nudge against the erection she could feel against her hips, she stepped away, tugging her shirt into place.
    The hostess stared at them tapping her toes in aggravation. “Your table is ready.”
    She led them to a tiny table against the far wall, barely big enough for them both to fit.
    “I think this is revenge for blocking her traffic flow,” Dean muttered.
    Rachel grinned, agreeing, and opened the menu. Then, with her face hidden, she tasted her lips. God, she tasted like him now, spicy and minty.
    When the harried waitress came around she ordered ice water and a grilled Alfredo pizza. It made her mouth water just reading the ingredients. Dean ordered a California burger.
    “I love avocado,” she murmured. “That was my second choice.”
    “Well, when she brings it I’ll let you have a bite.”
    “And I’ll share my pizza, of course.”
    Rachel sat back in her chair, a little amazed at the conversation. They sounded like a married couple, together for years and used to sharing food from each other’s plates.
    “You are very comfortable for me to be around, Dean,” she told him honestly.
    He winced a little. “Comfortable? Not exhilarating? Or stimulating? How about arousing?”
    Rachel grinned. “You’re all of those, actually. And more, but comfortable is the most important, because it leads to the others.”
    He gave her a narrow-eyed look. “You’re very comfortable for me to be around as well, Rachel.”
    The waitress brought the food more quickly than Rachel would have expected considering how crowded the restaurant was. And Dean did exactly as he had said. As soon as the waitress left he gathered up the monster burger and offered her a bite. Rachel almost told him no but he seemed to be testing how comfortable she was with him. Leaning forward she took a healthy bite. Then had to sigh in pleasure. “Oh, wow, that’s really something.”
    Using the spatula to scoop a piece of pizza, she made a motion for him to move his hands. She set the slice of pizza on the edge of his plate and he grinned. Then she put one on her own plate and dug in.
    The restaurant was as incredible as Dean had promised, but Rachel barely noticed. She was more interested in watching Dean—the way his bright white teeth cut through the meat