by JM Stewart
He eyed Lauren again. Shit. He couldn’t stand here all night gawking at her or he’d never find out whether she was his date or not.
He approached from behind and leaned his head over her shoulder. “Fancy meeting you here.”
She started and whipped around to face him, eyes wide, but wobbled on her four-inch platform heels and pitched sideways. He grabbed her elbow to help steady her, and her hand caught the lapel of his jacket, gripping it tight. When she steadied herself, she let out a sigh of relief.
He chuckled and darted a glance at her shoes. “You’re going to kill yourself in those things.”
She furrowed her brow and swatted his arm, but the corners of her mouth twitched. “Because you scared the hell out of me.”
“Sorry. Saw you standing over here and thought I’d come say hello.” He let his gaze trail over her, taking her in from head to toe. “I was going to ask if you were just leaving the shop, but clearly you have a date. You look great.”
Lauren was a button-down shirt and worn jeans kind of girl. He’d never seen in her anything quite so revealing. Her top hugged the contours of her slender shape, the low neckline teasing him with a view of her cleavage but not so much she spilled out of it. It was all he could do to keep his eyes on her face. That was more of Lauren than he’d ever seen.
“Thanks.” She released his jacket and glanced down at herself. “I feel ridiculous in these heels. They’re Mandy’s, and she insisted they’re sexy, but damned if I can walk in them.”
He scanned the length of her legs, from the shoes up. “She’s right. Those heels on you are sexy. That top is stunning.”
Her gaze snapped to his, eyes wide and stunned. Yeah. He shouldn’t have said that, but a soft flush rose in her cheeks, and her lashes fluttered as she diverted her gaze to the ground. A worthwhile reward for having said far more than he ought to. Lauren could be bold as brass when she wanted to be, but sometimes, like now, he caught sight of a more innocent side of her.
That softer side drew him like a bee to a bright yellow flower. That natural innocence made her shy, and he’d long wondered what it would take to bring down those walls. Who she was when she wasn’t holding herself back. He’d bet his every last dollar that behind her shy facade lay the heart of a passionate woman.
He darted a glance around. “So, where’s your date? He didn’t stand you up, did he?”
The flush in her cheeks deepened, and she let out a heavy sigh. “I wouldn’t know. He could be standing behind me, for all I know. I have a blind date. We’re supposed to meet here, and I’m supposed to be looking for someone in blue.”
His heart stuttered to a stop. Son of a bitch…
He tucked his shaking hands in his pockets and prayed, somehow, it was only a coincidence that they were in the same place at the same time…waiting on dates wearing blue. “Let me guess. You weren’t given his name, only a vague description. You were told where and when to meet, and to wear something blue so he’d recognize you.”
Her brow furrowed, those big brown eyes searching his in confusion. “How did you…?”
He swallowed a miserable groan. Fate was a cruel bitch. “And the woman who set you up, her name was Karen?”
Lauren’s throat bobbed as she swallowed. “Yes….”
Of all the women to find himself set up with. Though he couldn’t be sorry it was her. If he had to spend the evening with someone, it might as well be someone he was comfortable with. And he was comfortable with her. When he’d come home in pieces a year and a half ago, he’d wanted to be left the hell alone, to heal and deal with his shit on his own.
His mother and Mandy would have none of it. They’d insisted on caring for him, refusing to let him sit and wallow. Lauren had offered to help and had become part of the almost daily routine. She’d brought him meals, things she’d taken the time to make from scratch. Despite that he’d bitten her head off more than once, she’d sat with him. Sometimes she’d babble at him, filling him in about her day or complaining about the ceaseless rain. Sometimes she sat with him in silence, watching TV with him.
He couldn’t pinpoint when exactly his feelings for her had changed, but she’d become a friend. One he treasured. Just being near her soothed his ragged nerves.
All it meant was he had a date with the one person he shouldn’t touch with a ten-foot barge pole. He wasn’t sure he’d healed enough to handle everything that came with a relationship, and Lauren…deserved better.
Now he had to tell her he was the date she’d been waiting for, and he hadn’t a damn clue how to break the news to her. So he stuck out a hand and winked. “Hi. Trent Lawson. I believe I’m your date.”
Also by JM Stewart
The Military Match Series
A SEAL’s Courage
A SEAL’s Strength
The Seattle Bachelors Series
Bidding on the Billionaire
Winning the Billionaire
Bargaining for the Billionaire
Claiming the Billionaire
About the Author
JM Stewart is a coffee and chocolate addict who lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, two sons, and two very spoiled dogs. She’s a hopeless romantic who believes everybody should have their happily ever after and has been devouring romance novels for as long as she can remember. Writing them has become her obsession.
Learn more at:
AuthorJMStewart.com
Facebook.com/AuthorJMStewart
Twitter: @JMStewartWriter
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