Chapter Twelve
When Maura stepped out of the bedroom, KC was waiting in the living room, dressed in khakis and a white button-down shirt.
He stilled, his gaze locking on her before slowly moving, taking in every detail—the way the dress fit her, the soft fall of her hair around her shoulders, the subtle touch of makeup that made her eyes impossible to ignore.
She looked different tonight. Not just beautiful.
Enough to make him forget what he’d been about to say.
It didn’t escape him when she shifted under his silence, a faint shiver running through her, and he forced himself to ease up before he made her uncomfortable. A small smile tugged at his mouth as he swallowed and cleared his throat, trying to get a handle on himself.
“You look very nice.”
Nice? He nearly shook his head at the lame word. His gaze dropped briefly before lifting again, more focused this time. “I mean… You look beautiful. Exquisite.”
“T-thank you. So do you.” Maura’s cheeks turned pink. “I mean, very handsome, not beautiful… um…”
His smile deepened, something warm settling low in his chest at her flustered response. He liked that he could do that to her—probably more than he should. His eyes lingered a second longer than they should have before he finally dragged them away, reining himself in.
This is going to be a long evening.
On the drive into town, KC had to keep dragging his gaze back to the road. It kept slipping down, to the smooth line of Maura’s legs where her dress rode up enough to pull him off track. He tightened his grip on the wheel and forced himself to concentrate on the road ahead.
He hoped his uncle wouldn’t linger too long over dinner, stretching things out with coffee and his usual slice of apple pie. KC had something else in mind for later, and none of it involved sitting around a restaurant.
Pulling into Sassy’s right at seven, he came around to her side, helped her exit the vehicle, and guided her inside, his hand settling at the small of her back. The contact grounded him—barely—but he kept it there as they crossed to the hostess stand.
After introducing Maura to Rebecca, they followed her through the restaurant. KC nodded to a few familiar faces along the way, offering quick greetings, but his gaze kept returning to Maura. He couldn’t seem to focus anywhere else for more than a second or two.
She was stunning. That dress should’ve come with a warning.
When she’d stepped out earlier, he’d seriously considered calling off dinner altogether. Staying in had crossed his mind more than once. But his uncle was already expecting them, so here they were.
Which meant he needed to get himself under control—and fast.
A subtle shift in his stance helped, but it didn’t solve the problem. If anything, it reminded him just how aware he was of her.
When they reached the table, Dan was already seated.
KC pulled out a chair for Maura as his uncle stood to greet her, the movement automatic, ingrained.
Their parents—and Dan—had drilled those habits into the three brothers all their lives.
Open doors. Pull out chairs. Stand when a woman approaches. Respect wasn’t optional.
He waited until she was seated before taking his own chair.
Dan studied Maura with clear approval. “You look absolutely beautiful tonight. Whisper seems to agree with you.”
She returned the compliment with a soft smile, a hint of shyness still there. “Thank you, Mr. Malone. And I think you’re right—Whisper definitely agrees with me.”
His uncle gave a small shake of his head, amusement in his eyes. “You’re old enough to call me Dan or Uncle Dan. Mr. Malone was my father, and he’s long since passed away.”
“Okay. Dan, it is then.”
Their waitress arrived to take their orders, and they all went with the “Famous Friday Fish Fry”—fried catfish with hush puppies and coleslaw.
KC hadn’t been exaggerating earlier; it was his go-to every time he came here.
The platters came loaded, finished with lemon slices, tartar sauce, and malt vinegar, and he had yet to find anywhere that matched Sassy’s recipe.
Before the waitress stepped away, he ordered a round of dark ale from a local brewery after making sure Maura was okay with it.
Even with the place packed, their food came out quickly.
KC watched her take that first bite, waiting for her reaction, and eased back when she let out a soft sound of approval.
“This is really good.” The conversation stayed easy after that.
She relaxed more with each passing minute, the tension he’d seen earlier fading as she settled into the evening.
He and Dan steered clear of anything that might drag her back to darker ground.
Instead, his uncle filled the time with stories—most of them at KC’s expense.
A few were bad enough that he should’ve objected, but he didn’t.
Not when it had her smiling like that. Not when her laughter came easier with each tale.
By the time the table was cleared, an hour and a half had slipped by.
Dan declined coffee, saying he had an early start in the morning, but waved them off when they offered to leave with him.
“You two stay. Have some pie,” he said, like it wasn’t a suggestion.
When the waitress stopped by, he added, “A slice of apple pie to go, please.”
When she returned with a to-go order, KC caught his uncle before he could reach for his wallet. “I’ve got it.”
The older man didn’t argue, just gave him a grin and a wink that said more than any words could.
Damn Matchmaker. KC had seen that look before. This time, he let it slide.
After Dan left, Maura turned toward him, her expression warm. “Thanks for bringing me tonight. I had a wonderful time. Your uncle is such a sweet man. The woman at the boutique, Bonnie, told me he’s been a widower for a long time. It’s a shame he never found love again.”
KC nodded. “Dan always said Annie was his one shot at that kind of love. He never expected to get lucky twice.” He paused, then added, “I’ve always hoped he’d prove himself wrong.”
The conversation tapered off as they sat there, the quiet stretching between them. KC let his gaze move over her again, taking in the details he hadn’t been able to ignore all night. No one else in the room came close.
After a moment, Maura cleared her throat. “Shall we, um, get dessert?”
His reaction was immediate, heat flashing through him. He wanted dessert, all right—just not here. “Why don’t we get it to go?”
After paying the bill, KC ushered her out of the restaurant, his pace a tad shy of rushing. Keeping to the posted speed limit on the drive back through Whisper took more effort than it should have. If it were up to him, they’d already be at the house.
He glanced her way more than once during the short drive.
Her hands were clasped tightly in her lap, her gaze fixed straight ahead.
She hadn’t said a word since they’d left, and unease edged in.
He hoped he hadn’t pushed too hard, but the need to be alone with her had taken over.
Being out in the open, where anyone could see them, wasn’t going to cut it.
Reaching across the console, he eased her left hand free and brought it to his mouth. He pressed a slow kiss to her palm, then grazed her skin with his teeth in a playful nip.
Her attention shifted to him, then up to his eyes, a smile breaking across her face.
Something in his chest hit hard and fast, stealing his breath for several seconds before his pulse kicked back in, stronger than before.
Pulling into the loose-gravel driveway beside the beach house, KC cut the engine and let the quiet settle around them. Neither of them moved as a few heartbeats passed.
Then he turned toward her.
His hand lifted almost on its own, brushing along her cheek, his thumb grazing softly over her skin. Her eyes lifted to his, their blue depths darkening as her breath caught. He felt it—that shift, that pull between them tightening again, stronger now that they were alone.
He slid his fingers into her hair, the soft strands slipping through his hand, steadying him even as they pushed him closer to the edge.
When he leaned in, the first kiss was gentle. Careful.
The second wasn’t.
It deepened quickly, the connection between them snapping taut, pulling him closer, drawing a low, steady heat through his body. Her hands found him with the same urgency, and for a moment, everything else—time, place, restraint—fell away.
He broke the kiss long enough to rest his forehead against hers, his breath uneven.
“Come to bed with me?” His voice was quieter now, rougher, stripped of everything but honesty. “Please.”
“Yes.”
That one word affected him more than anything else that night.
They were out of the car in seconds, his hand closing around hers as he led her up the steps and into the house. The door shut behind them with a muted thud, but he barely registered it before she was in his arms again.
The kiss picked up where it had left off—stronger now, less hesitant. He held her close, one hand at her waist, the other at the back of her neck, steadying her, steadying himself.
He forced himself to slow it down.
She deserved that. More than that.
Without breaking contact, he guided her through the living room, pausing only long enough to set her purse aside before continuing toward the bedroom.
The moment they reached the bed, everything shifted.
He felt it instantly—the subtle change in her, the tension that hadn’t been there seconds before.
He pulled back, searching her face. “Is something wrong?”
Her gaze dropped, her fingers tightening slightly against him. “No… yes… I mean… I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” Concern replaced everything else in an instant. He tipped her chin up gently, meeting her eyes. “Talk to me.”
She hesitated, then drew in a breath. “It’s just… I’m not really good at this.”
He frowned, confusion cutting through the moment. “What are you talking about? From what I’ve seen so far, you’re doing fine.”
“Not that.” Her voice dropped, softer now, edged with embarrassment. “I mean… the rest of it.”
It took a second for her words to make sense. When they did, his expression hardened—not at her, but at whoever had put that doubt in her head.
“Who told you that?” he asked, his tone low and controlled.
She gave a small, uncertain shrug. “It doesn’t matter. I just… I don’t want you to be disappointed.”
Something in his chest tightened hard at that.
He took her hand, holding it between both of his, anchoring her before she could pull away. “Listen to me. There’s nothing about you that could disappoint me. Not one thing.”
Her eyes lifted slowly, searching his.
He held her gaze, making sure she saw the truth in his. “We take this at your pace, whatever that looks like. No pressure. No expectations. Just us.”
The tension in her shoulders eased—only a fraction, but enough.
“Okay,” she whispered.
KC brushed his thumb along her cheek again, softer this time. Then he leaned in, pressing a slow kiss to her lips—gentle, unhurried, letting her set the rhythm.
When she leaned into him, he followed.
And this time, he didn’t rush.