Chapter 10 #2
“Come ’ere,” he said and pulled her into him.
Gillian went willingly. Without shoes, she was quite a bit shorter than him, and she could easily bury her nose in the crook of his neck and shoulder. She inhaled deeply, loving the way his woodsy scent made her feel safe and cared for.
They stood like that for several minutes before he pulled back. “Your appointment is at nine, right?”
She nodded against him.
“Austin traffic sucks, so we’ll leave at seven-thirty and if we’re early, we can stop and get some chocolate doughnuts for you.”
Smiling, Gillian raised her head. “What’d I do to get so lucky to find you?”
Walker didn’t answer, but his smile said it all for him. “How’d your call for the Howard anniversary shindig go today? You find a venue?”
“Yeah, The Driskill Hotel agreed to my terms. The party’s less than two months away.”
“That’s good they agreed,” he told her.
“Next weekend, I’ve got a corporate event I organized.
It’s a casual family thing the president is throwing to show his appreciation for his employees.
He’s rented out the Austin Zoo for four hours, and I have four food trucks parking nearby where everyone can get lunch and drinks for free… do you want to come with me?”
“You want me to?”
“Well…yeah. I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t.”
“I won’t get in your way?”
Gillian chuckled. “Well, if you insist on following me so closely I bump into you every time I turn around, and if you don’t let me do my thing, making sure everything is set up and good to go, then yes you will.
But I think I know you well enough to know that you’ll stand back and watch me from a distance, so no, you won’t get in my way. ”
He smiled. “Then I’d love to come and watch you work.”
“Have you been to the zoo before?”
“Di, do I look like a man who spends his time at zoos?”
“No.”
“Right.”
“So you haven’t been before?”
He grinned. “No, Gilly, I haven’t been to the zoo before.”
“You’ll like it.”
“No offense, but I don’t normally like zoos.
Or circuses. I don’t like seeing animals penned up for the amusement of humans.
But that aside, I can’t fucking wait to go to the zoo next weekend, for the simple fact it means that I’ll get to hang out with you and see you kick ass at your job.
I can’t wait to see that. And after you’re done corralling food trucks and making sure every man, woman, and child has had an amazing time, I get to stroll around with you, hand in hand, and feel proud and honored that you’ve chosen me, not any of the other men chomping at the bit to have their shot with you. ”
Gillian rolled her eyes. “No one’s ‘chomping at the bit’ to go out with me, Walker. You seem to have a warped idea of my appeal.”
Walker leaned in. One arm went around her waist, pulling her against him, and the other snaked behind her head and gripped her nape.
“No, I don’t. You’re just clueless. You don’t see the way the stock boys check out your ass in the grocery store.
You ignore the guys who live in this apartment complex who practically drool as you walk by, and you’ve taken no notice of the scores of soldiers on base who can’t keep their eyes off you.
I don’t give a shit if they look, but as long as you’re with me, I’ll make sure they know you’re off limits. ”
“Walker,” Gillian whispered, overcome with feelings she had no idea how to process.
She still thought he was seeing things that just weren’t there.
She wasn’t popular in high school. She didn’t get asked out a lot in college.
And since she’d graduated, she’d struggled to find men she was attracted to.
But the fact that Walker thought she was the kind of woman men couldn’t help but stare at felt pretty damn good.
He leaned his forehead against hers as he held her to him, and Gillian lifted his shirt slightly and put her hands on the bare skin of his waist. She felt him shudder, but he didn’t move for several minutes.
She knew the second he was going to pull back, and for just a moment, she resisted. She’d been all right with him wanting to take things slow. She’d encouraged it, in fact. But the more time Gillian spent with Walker, the more she wanted him to go a little faster.
She wanted his hands on her. Wanted to know what all the intensity she felt in his gaze and his brief kisses felt like when he let himself go.
She knew he’d be a bit rough and overwhelming, but she wanted that.
She wanted to get lost in passion for once in her life.
Every other time she’d been with a man, she couldn’t stop thinking about where she should put her hands.
Or if the sounds she was making were weird or not.
But Gillian had a feeling when Walker finally lost his restraint, she wouldn’t be thinking about anything other than how he was making her feel.
Letting go of her neck and waist, Walker did indeed step back. “You had dinner yet?”
Gillian shook her head.
“What are you hungry for?”
“I don’t know. I’m not really all that hungry, to tell you the truth.”
“You need to eat,” he said.
“I know.”
“How about we order something from Uber Eats?”
“Let me get this straight, it’s okay to use Uber to deliver dinner, but not for a ride, right?”
“Right,” he said with a grin.
“But they could spit in my food. Or contaminate it with rat poison. Or put a roofie in it or something.”
She could see Walker digesting her words. Then he said, “You’re right. If you want something, we’ll call to order it directly and I’ll go pick it up.”
“I was kidding.”
“No, you’re exactly right.”
“I don’t want to order anything,” Gillian told him, more because she didn’t really want him to leave now that he was there, even if it was just for twenty or thirty minutes to go pick up dinner.
“I’m sure I’ve got something we can make here.
There’s some chicken in the fridge that I probably need to cook. We can bake it, if that’s okay.”
“Sounds perfect. I’ll help,” Walker said.
It took only about fifteen minutes to heat up the oven and prepare the chicken. They watched a cooking show on TV until the chicken was done, then they sat at the table and ate together.
Gillian had lived by herself for almost a decade, and she’d gotten used to eating alone, watching her favorites on the television, and pretty much doing whatever she wanted.
But she’d been lonely. Seeing Walker on the weekends had spoiled her.
She thought about him all week long and counted down the days until she could see him again.
Yes, she was busy with her work, but that didn’t mean she didn’t enjoy talking to him and spending time with him. Having him show up on a Wednesday was a surprise. A happy one. And Gillian could feel how much more content she was just having him near.
“You…you’re staying the night, right?” she asked after they’d eaten and had gotten the dishes put away.
“I’d planned on it…unless you don’t want me to,” he told her.
“No! I do. But you don’t have a bag or anything with you.”
“It’s in the car. I didn’t want to presume.”
Gillian decided to take a chance. She scooted over until her thigh was touching his and put her hand on his knee.
“Walker, I don’t think it’s a secret that I like you.
I live for the weekends. You’re funny and sweet, and the more I get to know you, the more I enjoy spending time with you.
I can’t wait to officially meet your friends, and I hope like hell they like me.
I know my friends have wholeheartedly approved of you, and I’d like to think we’re moving forward with our relationship.
It’s not presumptuous of you to think that you’ll be spending the night.
I’d probably be offended, or at least really confused, if you didn’t.
Hell, we don’t even talk about me staying over at your place on the weekends anymore.
Is that presumptuous? Should I feel bad about not even thinking twice about bringing an overnight bag when you pick me up on Fridays? ”
“No,” he growled, as he leaned over Gillian so abruptly, she fell onto her back on the couch.
He braced himself on his hands as he hovered over her.
“My friends are going to love you. In fact, this weekend we’re going to an event on base with them.
It’s an event for kids, and one of our friends’ little girls is competing.
Everyone’ll be there, and we’ll cheer her on and you can get to know the guys.
“I’m trying really hard not to overwhelm you, Gillian, but it’s hard.
I think the only thing that’s kept me from moving too fast is the fact that you live forty miles away.
I’m not a texting kind of guy. Or someone who likes to talk on the phone much, but with you, I find that I can’t wait to share the shit that amuses me during the day.
I’ve had to call my cell phone company and get the unlimited texting package for the first time in my life, just so I didn’t spend eight hundred dollars on overage fees.
It somehow feels different for you to stay with me…
as if it’s just a given. But I would never want to overstay my welcome or do something that makes you uncomfortable…
like invite myself to stay without your permission. ”
“Permission granted,” Gillian told him, running her hands up under his T-shirt to his chest. He couldn’t grab her hands and stop her since he was using his arms to hold himself up.
She felt his nipples harden immediately at her touch, but before she could even enjoy the fact that she could turn him on, he was standing next to the couch.
“I’ll go get my bag. Lock the door behind me.”
Then before Gillian could say anything, he was gone.
There was no doubt Walker was intense and all man. But he was holding back a lot, and it was beginning to concern her.
Taking a deep breath, she tried to get a grip on her out-of-control hormones.
She was wet between the legs, as she was most of the time when Walker went all alpha male on her.
As much as she wanted his hands on her, she had a feeling if she could just wait until he was ready, he’d make it more than worth her while.