Chapter 19
NINETEEN
W hat was she doing ?
Xanthe felt like she was having an out of body experience as Slater opened the front passenger door of his car for her. He’d backed it into its spot by the walkway leading to the house.
He seemed almost reluctant to let go of her as she slid into the plush, black leather seat that cradled her like an expensive sofa. His car probably cost twice her annual salary, or more.
He shut her door, rounded the hood and got behind the wheel, enclosing them in the interior together and infusing the confined space with his delicious, woodsy scent. “Where do you want to go?” He started the engine with a throaty purr.
“The Skelly? Our first meeting didn’t go very well there. I thought maybe we could start over.”
“I like that idea.” He shifted into drive and started down the driveway.
She looked away before she got caught staring. His car was spotless. Like, she could eat off the floormats spotless. It was sus. “Your car is so clean. Is it always like this?” She’d never met a man so meticulous with his things and appearance.
“Yes. Because I always look after what’s mine.” He slanted her a pointed look that had her mouth going dry before making the turn out of the driveway.
Xanthe snapped her gaze forward and stared at the wet road unfolding ahead of them, a little afraid to look at him again, especially this close up.
The man was dangerously compelling and made her nervous system go haywire.
A few pointed words in that deep voice, a single look, and she was ready to melt into a puddle on the spotless floormat.
And now she couldn’t stop thinking about what he’d said. The way he’d said it, and the look in his eyes.
What would it be like to put herself in this man’s care for just a little while?
That wasn’t something she’d ever imagined wondering about him.
“If you need a hand putting the drone together and programming it, I can help get it set up after we eat,” he said after a few minutes.
“Oh, Allistair’s taking care of all that. He was like a teenager getting a new gaming system from Santa when he opened that box. He’s probably already got it airborne somewhere. Why, are you a drone expert?”
“I’m fairly familiar with them.”
Hmm. She’d been hoping to find out more about his background. “Are you being evasive to be mysterious, or due to security reasons?”
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly. “Both.”
Oh, damn, that just made her want to know even worse. “You’re the one who said you wanted us to get to know each other better.”
“That’s true.”
“So? Where are you from?”
“Born and raised in Seattle. You?”
“Wisconsin. Siblings?”
“Only child.”
That explained a lot.
“You?”
“Also an only child.” That also explained a lot. “What branch of the military did you serve in?”
“Marines.”
“What rank were you when you went into intelligence?”
“Major.”
Nice. Major Slater. Against her will, she found that hot. “And why did you go into private contracting after you left the military?”
“More flexibility, better pay and benefits.”
Made sense. “How did you make your money?”
If he was surprised by her question, he didn’t show it. “Tech and some smart investments.”
That and his military background explained his proficiency with drones. “And why did you move out here after leaving military contracting?”
“To be closer to my mom.”
She blinked, not expecting that. Or the squishy feeling it gave her in the center of her chest. “Really?”
His mouth twitched. “Is it so hard to believe I have a mom?”
Maybe. “No.” But she was surprised that he’d moved back here to be closer to her. That bit of softness in him was compelling. “Where is she?”
“Seattle area.”
“And your dad?”
“Never knew him. He was killed in Iraq when I was young.”
“I’m sorry.” Interesting that he’d been raised by a single mother.
“Okay, my turn to interrogate you,” he said, changing the subject. “Do you have a mom?”
She fought a smile. “Yes.”
“And where’s she?”
“Still in Wisconsin.”
“And your dad?”
Even though she’d expected it, it still hit a raw spot that had barely begun to heal. “I never knew my real dad either. But my stepdad was the best dad ever. He passed away recently.”
He glanced over at her. “I’m sorry.”
“Thanks,” she murmured automatically. Accepting condolences was so awkward.
He focused back on the road, waited a beat and continued when she didn’t say anything else. “Where did you go to college?”
“U-Dub for all three of my degrees. I was a triple threat.”
“A triple threat. I like it. What made you decide to become a marine biologist?”
That was easy. “Family vacation to San Diego when I was six. I saw orcas in captivity at a theme park there. I was distraught. Thought it was the cruelest thing I’d ever seen in my entire existence up to that point, and joined Save the Whales as soon as I got home. The rest is history.”
His low chuckle made something clench low in her abdomen. “I love that story. I can just imagine your parents thinking they were taking you somewhere fun and quickly regretting their decision.”
“I was really upset.”
“I can imagine.”
“It was horrible, seeing them in those tiny tanks, forced to perform like circus animals for the public.”
“That is horrible. And it’s not something I could fully have appreciated before seeing them in the wild.”
She looked over at him, trying not to stare at his profile.
His nose was blade straight, his lower lip slightly fuller than the top one.
He radiated class. Power. Confidence. A wealthy businessman totally comfortable with his place in the world, accustomed to getting what he wanted.
Yet he also clearly loved his mom, and he’d given them an expensive drone without wanting them to know or with the expectation of acknowledgment or thanks.
It had been way easier when she’d been able to dismiss him as an entitled asshole.
And she needed to get a handle on her endocrine system, currently flooding her with neurotransmitters and hormones that were making her all fluttery.
“I’m glad you saw them that way,” she said.
“Me too. But it wouldn’t have had the same impact without you there. You made the difference in making me care about them.”
Oh boy. He had no idea what that kind of flattery did to her. Or did he?
“Is that sufficient information for you at this point, or do you need to know anything else before we get into town?” he asked.
“That’ll hold me for a bit.” It had certainly given her a lot to think about.
He smirked. “Okay. I’ll brace myself for round two.”
She found herself smiling, felt strangely relaxed as he handled the powerful car with ease around the curves in the road.
There was something incredibly sexy about the way he shifted up and down to navigate the twists and turns.
She’d never imagined a manual transmission could be sexy, but with him at the wheel it was.
Rain-soaked tree branches arched over the road in this section, forming a living canopy of glowing red, gold and orange leaves as they passed underneath.
Bright punches of brilliant color against the dark green of the taller evergreens.
The steady rain beating against the windshield and the swish of the wipers was soothing, along with the innate sense of safety she felt being with the man beside her.
Whalebone Cove came into view as he made the final turn and started down the hill toward the harbor. The mix of painted Victorian-era buildings filling the main street of the historic district lit up the gloomy grays of the sky and water.
He pulled into a parking spot out front of The Skelly. “I’ll get your door.”
She felt awkward sitting there while he hurried around to open it for her, but it also felt kind of nice. Though definitely more like a date than a business lunch. “Thanks,” she said when he opened it for her.
His lips curved upward. “You’re welcome. Shall we?” He gestured for her to precede him. Held the front door open for her too.
It annoyed her that she liked it.