when she thought of him gorging on anyone. “I don’t know what’s put you in such a mood,” she mumbled, trying to cover her own.
“I need lunch,” he said, then halted, his gaze fixed on a small café across the street. “And God provides.” His tone was nearly reverent. “Fish tacos.”
In minutes they were at a tiny table, both with an iced tea and a plate of tacos in front of them. The lightly breaded white fish smelled delicious and tasted even better cocooned in a small warm corn tortilla and garnished with cabbage, grated cheddar cheese, a spoonful of tart white sauce and a squeeze of lime.
He held one taco high. “The young goose is a good swimmer,” he said, like a blessing, then ate it in three big bites. An appreciative moan followed.
Smiling, Skye tilted her head at him. “Better now?”
“Almost.” Round two went down as quickly as round one.
Her eyes widened as she lifted her first to her mouth. “Until now, I don’t think I had an accurate understanding of the depths of your appetite.”
He glanced up. “You didn’t get a hint last night?”
Skye stilled, remembering the hot look in his eye when he’d fed her ice cream. But surely that had been her imagination—if not projection. Still, her hand twitched, and her taco dropped back to her plate, its contents scattering. Glad for the distraction, she bent her head and busied herself scooping the ingredients back inside the tortilla.
“Maybe we should talk about it,” Gage said, his voice low.
Embarrassment burned up her neck toward her face. Did he mean... Did he suspect... Her brain stumbled over uncomfortable thoughts. When he’d left her house the night before, she’d hoped he’d not noticed the effect he had on her.
The way he was still affecting her.
“Skye?”
She still didn’t want to look at him. But she did, faking a puzzled expression. “Discuss? There’s nothing to discuss.”
And to her relief, he let it go. She didn’t want to squirm through any conversation he’d want to have about her misplaced interest. In her sloppy clothes and scrubbed face, they both knew she wasn’t Gage Gorge material. No need to make them both uncomfortable by spelling it out.
After lunch, they returned to Crescent Cove. Skye pulled into the driveway behind her beach house. The ride back had been silent and, on her side, filled with awkwardness. Gage, however, remained an enigma. For all she knew, he stayed quiet because he was tired, or bored or thinking of that woman whose number he had in his pocket.
“We have to talk about the attraction,” he suddenly said.
Startled, Skye whipped her head toward him. “Huh?”
“Don’t think I didn’t realize.” He pinned her with those bright turquoise eyes.
Damn. She supposed the notion of fooling him had been a pipe dream. An experienced man like Gage would know when a woman was...was drawn to him.
“It was there in the room with us last night, big as life, and I’d like to get past it, Skye. It’s not—”
“Don’t say anything more!” Clearly it was not a feeling he reciprocated. Who could blame him? She knew what she looked like—colorless and camouflaged in baggy clothes. That’s the way she wanted to be, needed to be. Still, the whole situation stung her pride.
Gage cleared his throat. “I’m only trying to say that I—”
“Have really been out of touch for too long. Or your head has been turned by the attention you’ve received since you got back.”
“What?”
She gathered her self-respect around her like a cloak. “Not every woman in the world falls for you, you know.”
“Skye—”
“Your ego is overinflated, Gage. I wouldn’t be so foolish as to...to want you. There’s no way that a woman who looks like this—” she indicated her sweatshirt and wrinkled pants “—would imagine herself with a man like you. ”
And on that undignified note, she dashed from the car.
* * *
G AGE TRIED LIGHTENING his expression as he turned toward his
“I need lunch,” he said, then halted, his gaze fixed on a small café across the street. “And God provides.” His tone was nearly reverent. “Fish tacos.”
In minutes they were at a tiny table, both with an iced tea and a plate of tacos in front of them. The lightly breaded white fish smelled delicious and tasted even better cocooned in a small warm corn tortilla and garnished with cabbage, grated cheddar cheese, a spoonful of tart white sauce and a squeeze of lime.
He held one taco high. “The young goose is a good swimmer,” he said, like a blessing, then ate it in three big bites. An appreciative moan followed.
Smiling, Skye tilted her head at him. “Better now?”
“Almost.” Round two went down as quickly as round one.
Her eyes widened as she lifted her first to her mouth. “Until now, I don’t think I had an accurate understanding of the depths of your appetite.”
He glanced up. “You didn’t get a hint last night?”
Skye stilled, remembering the hot look in his eye when he’d fed her ice cream. But surely that had been her imagination—if not projection. Still, her hand twitched, and her taco dropped back to her plate, its contents scattering. Glad for the distraction, she bent her head and busied herself scooping the ingredients back inside the tortilla.
“Maybe we should talk about it,” Gage said, his voice low.
Embarrassment burned up her neck toward her face. Did he mean... Did he suspect... Her brain stumbled over uncomfortable thoughts. When he’d left her house the night before, she’d hoped he’d not noticed the effect he had on her.
The way he was still affecting her.
“Skye?”
She still didn’t want to look at him. But she did, faking a puzzled expression. “Discuss? There’s nothing to discuss.”
And to her relief, he let it go. She didn’t want to squirm through any conversation he’d want to have about her misplaced interest. In her sloppy clothes and scrubbed face, they both knew she wasn’t Gage Gorge material. No need to make them both uncomfortable by spelling it out.
After lunch, they returned to Crescent Cove. Skye pulled into the driveway behind her beach house. The ride back had been silent and, on her side, filled with awkwardness. Gage, however, remained an enigma. For all she knew, he stayed quiet because he was tired, or bored or thinking of that woman whose number he had in his pocket.
“We have to talk about the attraction,” he suddenly said.
Startled, Skye whipped her head toward him. “Huh?”
“Don’t think I didn’t realize.” He pinned her with those bright turquoise eyes.
Damn. She supposed the notion of fooling him had been a pipe dream. An experienced man like Gage would know when a woman was...was drawn to him.
“It was there in the room with us last night, big as life, and I’d like to get past it, Skye. It’s not—”
“Don’t say anything more!” Clearly it was not a feeling he reciprocated. Who could blame him? She knew what she looked like—colorless and camouflaged in baggy clothes. That’s the way she wanted to be, needed to be. Still, the whole situation stung her pride.
Gage cleared his throat. “I’m only trying to say that I—”
“Have really been out of touch for too long. Or your head has been turned by the attention you’ve received since you got back.”
“What?”
She gathered her self-respect around her like a cloak. “Not every woman in the world falls for you, you know.”
“Skye—”
“Your ego is overinflated, Gage. I wouldn’t be so foolish as to...to want you. There’s no way that a woman who looks like this—” she indicated her sweatshirt and wrinkled pants “—would imagine herself with a man like you. ”
And on that undignified note, she dashed from the car.
* * *
G AGE TRIED LIGHTENING his expression as he turned toward his
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