Chapter Ten #2
“What’re your plans tonight?” she asked, placing her hand on his arm.
Ryder shook off her touch. “Let’s skip the third degree.”
Resisting the urge to flinch at the anger filling his tone, Carly said, “I asked because I’m interested in what’s going on in your life.”
Ryder rolled his eyes and made a sound between a snort and a laugh. “Sure you are. I’m going out with a friend. You happy now?”
“How about details such as the friend’s name and when you’ll be home?”
“Nice seeing you, Owen. Glad you made it back,” Ryder said instead of answering her. Then opened the door and stormed out.
Carly released the sigh she’d been holding in, and her shoulders slumped. “I never know what to do. If I don’t ask, I’m worried he’ll think I don’t care, and he can do whatever he wants. But when I do, he treats me like I’m part of the Spanish Inquisition.”
“Monty Python was wrong about nobody expecting the Spanish Inquisition. Teenagers always do,” Owen said straight-faced.
Carly laughed. “Thank you for that.” The fact that Owen still possessed the ability to make her laugh when she needed to amazed her. “Am I expecting too much? You were a teenage male. Am I right to push him to tell me where he’s going and with whom?”
Owen shrugged. “He’s a high school senior. If he doesn’t know right from wrong now, there’s not much you can do, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t ride his case.”
“That’s not the answer I hoped for.”
“Sorry, it’s the one I’ve got.” Owen opened the door and held it for her. “You ready to go?”
She hesitated. The thought of riding with Owen to the bowling alley didn’t bother her. But the ride home later? In the dark? Ending in the driveway where they made out countless times after their dates? That scared the stuffing out of her.
What if he tried to kiss her again? What if her self-control deserted her the way it so often did with Owen around looking so handsome and acting charming and irresistible, making her heart go pitter-patter the way it hadn’t in years?
But what if he didn’t try to kiss her? Would she be crushed?
Oh, Lord. She would be. How insane was that?
She was doomed.
“If we drive separately, you won’t have to come all the way out here to drop me off, only to head back to town.”
His slight smile and the sparkle in his eyes said he wasn’t buying what she was selling. “Yeah, that extra ten minutes to get back to my folks’ place would be a real hardship.”
Then he turned serious and his gaze bored into her, making her want to squirm. “What’s going on? You’re acting like I’ll pounce on you the minute we’re alone.”
Hah. More likely she’d do the pouncing. She suppressed a nervous giggle. “Don’t be silly. We’re adults. Forget I mentioned it,” Carly said and reached for her jean jacket.
Before she slipped it on, Owen took the garment.
The stark desire blazing in his eyes as he held her jacket sent female happy hormones dancing through her body.
Every nerve fired in rapid succession, telling her how much she wanted this man.
He stood so close she saw a spot of shaving cream on his jaw.
He cared enough to shave a second time today.
For this not being a date, he appeared to be pulling out the gentlemanly kindnesses as if he wanted to make a good impression. And blast her body for appreciating his efforts and how fabulously male he looked.
His presence overwhelmed her in that woman-man awareness fashion. Forget bowling. She wanted Owen all to herself. A picture of them spending the night exploring, caressing, and rediscovering each other appeared in her mind.
Her gaze locked on the shaving cream again. Unable to resist touching him, her thumb wiped away the white foam on his strong jaw. Excitement shot through her, making her heart hammer against her ribs.
His breathing accelerated, and his pupils dilated, becoming black spots in a spring-green field. Carly swallowed hard, trying to regain control or anything resembling restraint.
Being with Owen could be a wonderful adventure.
Oh, dear. She wished she hadn’t thought that.
*
When Carly’s thumb slid along Owen’s jaw, desire exploded inside him.
Her breath hitching and her eyes widening in surprise shocked him.
How could she miss that whenever they were near each other, the air crackled with more electricity than a Texas summer thunderstorm?
He leaned toward her. To hell with bowling. He’d rather stay in.
Carly ducked past him and dashed for the door. Then she glanced back. “We’d best get going. We don’t want to be late.”
How long would her head deny the fact her body knew so well?
Landon’s death had taught Owen how precious time was. People should hold onto anything or anyone who gave them joy. Even if only for brief moments. Knowing she wasn’t ready to hear that, he silently followed her outside.
Once in his truck, Carly sat wedged against the passenger door, so close that the handle had to be jabbing into her side.
Her hands folded on her lap, her back ramrod straight she appeared all prim and proper.
As they headed out, she said, “I’m hoping since Cal and Melissa know we’re not a couple we won’t have too much trouble with that issue tonight, but we should be prepared to remind people we’re just friends. ”
“Quit worrying about what people think,” he said.
“You saw what it was like when we went to The True-Blue.”
“Did you hear about it from anyone on the board?”
“No, but—”
“And my guess is you won’t. No one had a problem with us being there together. No one but you,” he corrected. “In fact, most folks looked pleased about it.”
“That doesn’t mean the board won’t care,” she countered.
“You were worried about the agency’s reputation. But if folks are okay with us and no one complains, you shouldn’t worry, especially since nothing’s going on.” Owen resisted the urge to glance out the window to look for a lightning bolt heading to strike him down for that whopper.
“We kissed.”
“Darlin’, that’s nothing compared to what we could be doing.”
“Don’t call me that,” she snapped. “We need ground rules for tonight. One, no touching.”
“That include high fives if you pull off a seven-ten split?” he asked.
A stern glare answered his question. “And no innuendos or those looks.”
“What do you mean?”
She pointed a finger menacingly at him. “Don’t pull that innocent confused routine with me. I know you know what I’m talking about.”
“I don’t,” he lied, unable to resist taunting her.
“Oh, please. You need to be serious. This is important. I don’t want people getting the wrong impression.”
“One thing I learned in the military was how to weed out what mattered from what didn’t. Believe me, I know what’s important, and fretting about what people think isn’t. That does as much good as hollering at the weather.”
Owen smiled. Tonight, he’d implement Operation Teach Carly How to Live Again, and if he had a little fun himself? Well, nothing wrong with that.