services.” His tone was clipped as he stared a moment longer at Zack.
The air crackled with tension. Kacey, her cheek numb from the glass, watched in rapt fascination at the silent struggle of male domination.
The corner of Zack’s mouth twitched with the beginning of a grin. “My mistake, dude, sorry.” His gaze narrowed as he held the young man’s eyes.
He could be an old west gunslinger, her muse whispered, almost with a sigh.
“Will there be anything else…Ms. Winters?” The young waiter turned his complete attention on her.
Kacey blinked from her western cowboy fantasy, responding with a lift of her glass in tribute to his concern. “Oh, no. No, thank you.” Her voice was still a little wobbly with cowboy lust. She noticed how he tipped his head to study her face. Was it beginning to bruise? She waved off his concern with a laugh. “I tripped getting up from the couch and hit my cheek on the coffee table. My fault entirely, I’m such a klutz.” She held up her hand. “That’s the reason for the extra ice.”
“Would you like for me to arrange a visit to the twenty-four-hour clinic? It’s just up the road. I’d be—“
“If the lady needs an ER, I’ll make sure she gets there,” Zack interjected with Clint Eastwood-like calm.
Andrew nodded. “Very good. I’ll leave you to enjoy your supper, then. Have a good evening.”
Kacey watched as Zack held the door, then closed and locked it behind the waiter.
***
“Is it me, or did that kid think I roughed you up, then ordered a steak?” He lifted a mushroom from the glaze on his steak and sampled it. He watched her under hooded lids, not half as concerned about what that kid thought as much her skittish behavior around him.
“That was the same guy who was here yesterday when I arrived. He was unloading my groceries as though he lived here. I didn’t think much about it, though usually they just bring them to the door after I arrive and let me put them away.” Her focus remained on the door. He could almost hear the gears turning in her head. “He wouldn’t take a tip from me, either.” She turned her gaze to his. “Guess he takes his job very seriously.”
“As do I,” Zack remarked, giving her a pointed look. “I bet your blood sugars were too low from not eating and that’s the reason you fell.” He eyed the food.
“Or I’m just naturally klutzy.”
“Yeah, I thought of that, too.” He smiled.
“You’re such a gentleman.”
“It’s a gift.”
She snorted.
“Come on, let’s get you set up over here.” Making certain the afghan was not in her path, he led her to the sofa and placed her supper in front of her. “You park yourself there and I’ll get you some wine. Then we’ll watch one of your movies. How’s that for being a gentleman?”
The look he received was skeptical, but she listened, easing back with her feet on the coffee table, her soup bowl cradled in her hands. “I must say I’m impressed.”
“Are you seducing me, Ms. Winters?”
“It seems to take so little,” she remarked with a quirk of her mouth.
A mouth that he’d thought about more than once since they met. He couldn’t figure out what, exactly, about her intrigued him--perhaps it was her quick, dry wit, or maybe it was her independence. Most certainly her feminine curves hidden beneath the tomboyish clothes she wore made him curious to see what was beneath. Shoving aside such thoughts and reminding himself of why he was there, he set his meal beside her and prepared to pop in a movie. “You ready?”
She looked cute seated there with an ice pack on her cheek, gingerly slurping soup from her spoon. Nodding, she looked at him as he sat down. He had to admit, he was genuinely curious about this movie. At the very least, there was not a danger of going into sugar shock with this one.
“Which one are we watching?” she asked.
“Research,” he said, cutting eagerly into his steak.
The soft Indian-infused soundtrack gave away
The air crackled with tension. Kacey, her cheek numb from the glass, watched in rapt fascination at the silent struggle of male domination.
The corner of Zack’s mouth twitched with the beginning of a grin. “My mistake, dude, sorry.” His gaze narrowed as he held the young man’s eyes.
He could be an old west gunslinger, her muse whispered, almost with a sigh.
“Will there be anything else…Ms. Winters?” The young waiter turned his complete attention on her.
Kacey blinked from her western cowboy fantasy, responding with a lift of her glass in tribute to his concern. “Oh, no. No, thank you.” Her voice was still a little wobbly with cowboy lust. She noticed how he tipped his head to study her face. Was it beginning to bruise? She waved off his concern with a laugh. “I tripped getting up from the couch and hit my cheek on the coffee table. My fault entirely, I’m such a klutz.” She held up her hand. “That’s the reason for the extra ice.”
“Would you like for me to arrange a visit to the twenty-four-hour clinic? It’s just up the road. I’d be—“
“If the lady needs an ER, I’ll make sure she gets there,” Zack interjected with Clint Eastwood-like calm.
Andrew nodded. “Very good. I’ll leave you to enjoy your supper, then. Have a good evening.”
Kacey watched as Zack held the door, then closed and locked it behind the waiter.
***
“Is it me, or did that kid think I roughed you up, then ordered a steak?” He lifted a mushroom from the glaze on his steak and sampled it. He watched her under hooded lids, not half as concerned about what that kid thought as much her skittish behavior around him.
“That was the same guy who was here yesterday when I arrived. He was unloading my groceries as though he lived here. I didn’t think much about it, though usually they just bring them to the door after I arrive and let me put them away.” Her focus remained on the door. He could almost hear the gears turning in her head. “He wouldn’t take a tip from me, either.” She turned her gaze to his. “Guess he takes his job very seriously.”
“As do I,” Zack remarked, giving her a pointed look. “I bet your blood sugars were too low from not eating and that’s the reason you fell.” He eyed the food.
“Or I’m just naturally klutzy.”
“Yeah, I thought of that, too.” He smiled.
“You’re such a gentleman.”
“It’s a gift.”
She snorted.
“Come on, let’s get you set up over here.” Making certain the afghan was not in her path, he led her to the sofa and placed her supper in front of her. “You park yourself there and I’ll get you some wine. Then we’ll watch one of your movies. How’s that for being a gentleman?”
The look he received was skeptical, but she listened, easing back with her feet on the coffee table, her soup bowl cradled in her hands. “I must say I’m impressed.”
“Are you seducing me, Ms. Winters?”
“It seems to take so little,” she remarked with a quirk of her mouth.
A mouth that he’d thought about more than once since they met. He couldn’t figure out what, exactly, about her intrigued him--perhaps it was her quick, dry wit, or maybe it was her independence. Most certainly her feminine curves hidden beneath the tomboyish clothes she wore made him curious to see what was beneath. Shoving aside such thoughts and reminding himself of why he was there, he set his meal beside her and prepared to pop in a movie. “You ready?”
She looked cute seated there with an ice pack on her cheek, gingerly slurping soup from her spoon. Nodding, she looked at him as he sat down. He had to admit, he was genuinely curious about this movie. At the very least, there was not a danger of going into sugar shock with this one.
“Which one are we watching?” she asked.
“Research,” he said, cutting eagerly into his steak.
The soft Indian-infused soundtrack gave away
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