Walker Pride

  Chapter Ten

  The table was full of different plates. After Susan had mentioned that she was a vegetarian at dinner, Eric had done some thinking. It had warranted a stop at the store, which wasn’t convenient, but necessary.

  Before he’d made bacon and sausage for himself, he made sure she wouldn’t be offended. Then he made hash browns, cinnamon rolls, toast, and eggs. He’d offered pancakes, but she’d only laughed.

  Now she sat back in her chair and looked at the plates in front of her. “I don’t know when I’ve ever eaten that much for breakfast.”

  “Most important meal of the day.”

  “Couldn’t agree more, but usually it’s a bowl of cereal or a green smoothie.”

  Eric shook his head. “I don’t get that. Why drink your vegetables? Hell, why eat them at all?”

  She leaned in on her elbows and smiled at him. That did something to his heart that he wasn’t quite ready for and he certainly wasn’t going to let her in on it.

  “You don’t eat vegetables?”

  “Not if I can avoid it.”

  “I’ll bet if I cooked them for you it wouldn’t be a problem.”

  “Sounds like you just offered to cook me another meal.”

  She smiled and that feeling in his chest spread throughout his body, but he sat still.

  “It looks like I did.” Susan picked up her fork, pushed around the leftover hash browns on her plate before looking back up at him. “Your brothers made a comment about us dating.”

  “I’ll punch them both if you want me to.”

  A laugh surfaced that sent a tingling sensation up his spine. He might have reacted to that, but she hadn’t let on.

  “No. I like them.”

  “You said you like me.”

  “Your like is bigger.”

  He couldn’t help but purse his lips to that statement to keep it from becoming vulgar and inappropriate.

  Susan dropped the fork. “I haven’t dated anyone in the year that I’ve been divorced. I haven’t wanted to. I wanted to find me first.”

  They were treading into a territory that said danger to him. He hadn’t thought there would be any deep conversations during breakfast. He’d just wanted to get to know her better. Then he decided this was how that worked.

  “Did you do that?”

  She sat back and tapped her fingers on the table. “I think I did.” She smiled when she said it. “I’m doing exactly what I want to do. I’m on my own time frame. I work harder than I ever thought I would and I love every moment of it.”

  He could see it. There was passion in her eyes. He couldn’t help but wonder what else she did with such passion.

  “Just so you know, I don’t date.”

  By the flash in her eyes he knew that wasn’t what she was looking for him to say. He wasn’t even sure it was what he meant to say.

  “Oh.”

  “I mean, I haven’t wanted to.”

  When her shoulders dropped, he realized there was a reason he didn’t date. He wasn’t very good at this.

  “Let me try that again. I haven’t met a woman in a very long time that was interesting enough to make me want to spend time with her. You are interesting enough.”

  That made the dimple wink at him and he knew he’d managed to dig himself out of the hole he’d dug.

  “I’m going to take that as a compliment.”

  “Good. That’s how it was meant.”

  She looked at her watch. “I have to get back and get some prep work done.”

  “I need to get to work too,” he said, standing and gathering up plates.

  Susan stood and picked up the mugs.

  “I can get that. You don’t have to clean up.”

  She shook her head. “Not acceptable between two people who are dating.”

  Eric set the plates on the counter and let her words sink in. So this was where all that talk about dating was coming from. That’s what he got for finding a woman interesting and kissing her as he had.

  Was that so bad, he wondered? Why did the thought of being involved with someone rock him? It shouldn’t. He was the one who kissed her. Hell, he’d walked Bethany into her house because he’d wanted to. He’d gotten lost in her art and wanted to see her bedroom. He did this. All she had done was put together a nice meal service for his family at a time of need.

  She set the mugs next to the plates he’d laid on the counter. Her body was close enough to him that he could feel the heat of her—smell her.

  Oh, hell. He’d gotten himself into this and he either needed to get out of it or embrace it.

  Shifting a glance to her he noticed how delicate the skin was on her neck. It would be a damn shame to not press his lips to that pulse point just once.

  The thought alone nearly had him light headed.

  When she looked up at him and her eyelashes batted a moment before she licked her lips, he was gone.

  Eric swiftly pulled her to him and took possession of her mouth as if his life depended on it.

  There had been that moment when Susan thought Eric was going to ask her to leave and not come back. Now here she was, again, pressed to him with his mouth doing glorious things with hers.

  She’d quickly wrapped her arms around his neck just to hold on for dear life because when the man touched her, her knees went weak.

  The kiss in the barn had been mind blowing, but now, this one with his fingers tangled in her hair and his other hand pressing into the small of her back—this one topped the charts of all kisses she’d ever been part of.

  He turned her so her back was against the counter and his kiss trailed from her mouth to her jaw and then down her neck. Her pulse quickened under his lips and she knew for certain she wasn’t standing by her own will. She was merely leaning up against him, holding on for dear life.

  What glorious things could this man do if he could kiss like this?

  The moment she heard her phone ring in the other room she winced. Nothing could be as important as Eric holding her—kissing her.

  He let out a groan and buried his face in her neck.

  “Do you need to get that?”

  She held her breath for a moment to gather her thoughts. “It might be my client.”

  He nodded and stepped back as she hurried out of the kitchen. A moment later his phone rang and she heard him curse as he answered.

  “What?” Eric snapped out the word.

  “Pardon me?”

  Glenda’s voice pierced his ear through the phone.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “You should be.” His stepmother was very specific about manners even at forty. “I’m sorry to have obviously bothered you, but that pipe under the sink is leaking again.”

  Eric pinched the bridge of his nose. “Where is Dane?”

  Glenda laughed. “I love my son, but I’ve never known him to be handy, have you?”

  Eric had to laugh at that. “No.” He looked out the window and saw Susan writing in a notebook. Her call was work related and she’d probably have to tend to whatever it was. “I’ll be there shortly. Can you shut off the water?”

  “I did that. I don’t want your father tinkering with this. If he does it’ll be worse.”

  “Yes, it will. I’ll be there soon.”

  He said his goodbyes and disconnected the call. Then he stood and watched Susan conduct business.

  He couldn’t hear her, but he knew she was being very professional. There was a certain look to her when she was listening intently. Then when she talked there was something that lit in her face. She truly loved what she did and that showed.

  It wasn’t good to want to be with her every moment. There was work to be done for both of them and their schedules were never going to meld. What was he thinking by starting something with her?

  He was thinking she was attractive, smart, and he wanted to know her more. It wasn’t fair to pull her into his life when it was about to be turned upside down, but watching her, he couldn’t think of a
nything else.

  Really, he couldn’t remember a time when he was more attracted to a woman than he was with Susan. Every other woman could wait until his day was done to have his attention, but he knew when she drove away he’d be thinking of her.

  What if she didn’t want that? What if her schooling and her business plan was what she wanted and he was in her way?

  Well, he could always find out how she felt about that. After all, he was related to her roommate. That was going to come in handy, he thought.

  Eric watched her put away her notebook and shut the car door. When she walked through the front door, she carried the cold air on her. Her cheeks were red as well as her nose.

  “This is nothing compared to Colorado weather, but I’m frozen after that,” she said.

  “You’re cute with your nose all red.”

  That made her laugh. “I don’t see you as the kind of man who tells people they’re cute.”

  “Can’t say I’ve ever said it to a person with two legs before. I usually save that for creatures with at least four legs.”

  She smiled.

  That smile had a way of easing him—melting him. How could that be? He’d only known her for three days and yet he could simply stare at her and feel happy.

  “I have to go back to town now. I have a lot of work to do and you probably do to.”

  Eric nodded. “I do.”

  “Thank you for breakfast.”

  “My pleasure.”

  There was a long, awkward silence between them as if neither of them knew if they should move or not. This was why he didn’t do relationships. How was anyone supposed to know who was supposed to make what move? He’d already kissed her, wasn’t it her turn to move toward him?

  He waited.

  Finally, she did so. She crossed the room to him and kissed him on the cheek. “Are you in town often?”

  “Hardly ever,” he said, then realized it was probably not the answer she was looking for. “Maybe once a week.”

  Susan nodded slowly. “Drop by if you’re around. I have that job tonight. Class tomorrow. I just got a proposal that could lead to…well, anyway, it looks like word is getting around and I’ll be busy. I could come out some morning if you’re open for visitors.”

  “Sure. Call me and I’ll make sure I’m around.”

  Her lips tightened. That wasn’t what he was supposed to say was it? How was he supposed to know what to do?

  Susan smiled, but it was forced. “I’ll see you later,” she said and turned and walked out of the house.

  He watched her again from the window. She walked to her car, opened the door, and sat for a moment with her hands gripping the wheel before starting the engine. She looked frustrated. Was that him or the job she’d picked up?

  There was a reason he was single at forty.

  Eric hurried out the front door and to the car just as she put it into reverse. The car jolted as she noticed him and she put it in park before she rolled down the window.

  “Did I forget something?”

  “No I did. Get out.”

  She stared at him for a moment before unbuckling her seatbelt and opening the door. When she stepped out of the car he gathered her in his arms.

  “I suck at this. Plain and simple. I’m forty years old and I don’t know how to date.”

  Finally, the smile that formed on her lips was as genuine as the sparkle in her eyes. She lifted her arms around his neck. “It’s been a very long time for me too. So what do we do?”

  “I don’t have any idea. But how about I come into town tomorrow and have breakfast at your place?”

  “I think that sounds wonderful.”

  “I’m going to screw this all up. I’m going to tell you straight off. When you’re done messing with me, you just tell me. I won’t be offended.”

  Susan rose on her toes and nipped his lips with a kiss. “I think this will be a fun adventure.”