woman and been unable to remain civil to her after. “You’re frowning again. Stop worrying.”
She was. That line in the middle of her forehead had reappeared.
“I can’t help it. It would be a disaster if we were a disaster and it affected our work.”
“It’s one date for some ribs and maybe a pulled pork sandwich. Why would that be a disaster? And we are both mature adults who see each other at the track like once a month. I think we can handle it.” He did. Putting his hands on her shoulders, he rocked her back and forth a little. “It’s okay. Chill out. Have some fun. Hug a kitten.” He handed her the stuffed cat she’d won for him.
Eve rolled her eyes, but she did smile at the same time. “God, okay, fine, whatever. Let’s go out on a date. But if this goes horribly wrong I’m blaming it on you.”
He wasn’t about to point out that technically they were currently
on
a date. “I’ll be the fall guy. That’s fair. Not. But I’ll take the blame.”
“When are we doing this? I need to get it on my calendar.”
Nolan pulled a face. She had no idea how to have fun. He was catching glimpses like when she danced or wrestled with him, but man, she was wound tight. It felt like he’d been given a personal mission to loosen her up. Which gave him an idea.
“I hadn’t thought that far ahead,” he told her truthfully. “But this weekend I’m competing in the demolition derby. You should come with me, drive a car in it.”
Eve paused in the middle of pushing buttons on her phone, probably checking out her calendar. She gave him a look that showed precisely what she thought of that idea. “Now why would I do that? And how? I don’t have a car.”
So she was considering it. “You would do it because it’s fun. Because knocking around on the track banging into people is a great stress reliever. Think about it—you get to smash up a car and no one’s going to get pissed.”
She seemed to be debating the idea. But then she shook her head. “Again, I don’t have a car. And I don’t drive anymore. It’s a crazy idea.”
“You can use my car and I’ll drive Rhett’s. He hasn’t driven it in six months or more. And you drove for years, you can handle a derby. Come on, it’ll be a blast. Hell, you may even win.”
That got her. He could see the competitive fire spark to life in her eyes.
She snorted. “There’s no way I’d win. But yeah, it might be fun. I’ll think about it.”
“Think about it fast, that’s only three days from now.”
Staring hard at him, she jammed her phone into her purse, then pulled her sweatshirt back on over her head. It was a stall tactic that he recognized clearly. If she decided to drive, she’d need a practice session behind the wheel, just to get the feel of the car, and he wasn’t sure when they were going to squeeze that in if she didn’t make a decision tonight. But he wasn’t about to tell her that. If he put too much pressure on her, she’d just say no.
“Okay, fine, I’ll do it. Only to prove to you that it’s a bad idea.”
“Well, as long as you’re going in with the right attitude.” Nolan slung his arm over Eve’s shoulders and pulled her in close to him. “You want your own brat or do you just want a bite of mine?”
“What?” She looked up at him in confusion. “What the hell are you taking about?”
“I’m buying myself a bratwurst to eat. You want your own wiener or just a bite of mine?” He smiled at her. Two could play the double entendre game. It was only fair. He still hadn’t fully recovered from that pussy comment. It was a game she was good at.
“I’ll just take a big old bite out of yours, thanks.” She gave him a challenging smile.
Yeah, she was good at this game. Nolan felt a stirring down south. A call to arms. He wanted to kiss Eve again while imagining her biting him.
But when he leaned forward to do just that, she took a step back. “On second thought, I’ll take a rain check on the wiener.
She was. That line in the middle of her forehead had reappeared.
“I can’t help it. It would be a disaster if we were a disaster and it affected our work.”
“It’s one date for some ribs and maybe a pulled pork sandwich. Why would that be a disaster? And we are both mature adults who see each other at the track like once a month. I think we can handle it.” He did. Putting his hands on her shoulders, he rocked her back and forth a little. “It’s okay. Chill out. Have some fun. Hug a kitten.” He handed her the stuffed cat she’d won for him.
Eve rolled her eyes, but she did smile at the same time. “God, okay, fine, whatever. Let’s go out on a date. But if this goes horribly wrong I’m blaming it on you.”
He wasn’t about to point out that technically they were currently
on
a date. “I’ll be the fall guy. That’s fair. Not. But I’ll take the blame.”
“When are we doing this? I need to get it on my calendar.”
Nolan pulled a face. She had no idea how to have fun. He was catching glimpses like when she danced or wrestled with him, but man, she was wound tight. It felt like he’d been given a personal mission to loosen her up. Which gave him an idea.
“I hadn’t thought that far ahead,” he told her truthfully. “But this weekend I’m competing in the demolition derby. You should come with me, drive a car in it.”
Eve paused in the middle of pushing buttons on her phone, probably checking out her calendar. She gave him a look that showed precisely what she thought of that idea. “Now why would I do that? And how? I don’t have a car.”
So she was considering it. “You would do it because it’s fun. Because knocking around on the track banging into people is a great stress reliever. Think about it—you get to smash up a car and no one’s going to get pissed.”
She seemed to be debating the idea. But then she shook her head. “Again, I don’t have a car. And I don’t drive anymore. It’s a crazy idea.”
“You can use my car and I’ll drive Rhett’s. He hasn’t driven it in six months or more. And you drove for years, you can handle a derby. Come on, it’ll be a blast. Hell, you may even win.”
That got her. He could see the competitive fire spark to life in her eyes.
She snorted. “There’s no way I’d win. But yeah, it might be fun. I’ll think about it.”
“Think about it fast, that’s only three days from now.”
Staring hard at him, she jammed her phone into her purse, then pulled her sweatshirt back on over her head. It was a stall tactic that he recognized clearly. If she decided to drive, she’d need a practice session behind the wheel, just to get the feel of the car, and he wasn’t sure when they were going to squeeze that in if she didn’t make a decision tonight. But he wasn’t about to tell her that. If he put too much pressure on her, she’d just say no.
“Okay, fine, I’ll do it. Only to prove to you that it’s a bad idea.”
“Well, as long as you’re going in with the right attitude.” Nolan slung his arm over Eve’s shoulders and pulled her in close to him. “You want your own brat or do you just want a bite of mine?”
“What?” She looked up at him in confusion. “What the hell are you taking about?”
“I’m buying myself a bratwurst to eat. You want your own wiener or just a bite of mine?” He smiled at her. Two could play the double entendre game. It was only fair. He still hadn’t fully recovered from that pussy comment. It was a game she was good at.
“I’ll just take a big old bite out of yours, thanks.” She gave him a challenging smile.
Yeah, she was good at this game. Nolan felt a stirring down south. A call to arms. He wanted to kiss Eve again while imagining her biting him.
But when he leaned forward to do just that, she took a step back. “On second thought, I’ll take a rain check on the wiener.
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