been her one calm port throughout the upheaval of her youth.
Could Luc really not know that?
She glanced sideways, not sure what to think of him. They’d left downtown, casting the interior of the car into darkness. Only the lights from the dashboard showed the hard line of his mouth. That tempting mouth she’d wanted to kiss all evening. He looked so different now than he had back in school, she had trouble believing this attractive man with the sculpted face and killer body had been that pudgy boy with the too-short haircut and horn-rimmed glasses.
The things he’d said on the sidewalk after she’d recognized him came back to her.
Leaning forward, she turned down the stereo. “Did you honestly think I would have canceled our date if I remembered you based on nothing more than how you looked and your lack of popularity back in school?”
“Well, it killed your interest pretty danged quick, didn’t it?” He cranked the volume back up, louder this time.
“No, it didn’t.” She punched the music off completely. Staring at him, she realized the opposite was true. With her defenses lowering back to normal, curiosity snuck in. “If anything, I’m more interested.”
“Yeah, right.” He snorted.
“I’m more interested because look at what you’ve become.” She gestured toward him. “Not just how you look, but the fact that you’ve made something of your life without having it handed to you. How many of those stupid jerks who snubbed you can claim the same?”
“You mean your friends?” he sneered.
His bitterness stung. Did he lump her in with that self-absorbed crowd who thought not having a date to the homecoming game was a life crisis? Try being twelve and fending for yourself because your mother dashed off to join her married lover on his “business trip,” she’d wanted to tell those girls. Or fourteen with budding breasts that draw a little too much attention from your mother’s newest husband.
“They weren’t my friends,” she said, looking away.
The softly spoken words caught Luc off guard. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She seemed somehow smaller, and oddly vulnerable. “Then… why are you so mad?”
“Because you misled me.” She turned to him. “Intentionally.”
“I was going to tell you.” He squirmed a bit. “I just couldn’t figure out when and how to do it without turning you off.”
“You’re that convinced I wouldn’t go out with a man because of how he’d dressed as a teenager? How shallow would that make me?”
“You’re not shallow.” He’d always sensed a complexity in her that other girls her age had lacked.
“How do you know?” she asked, with a challenging lift of her chin. “You don’t know me any more than I know you. Not really.”
He opened his mouth, hesitated, then ventured cautiously. “I’d like to.”
She tilted her head, considering. “Maybe I’d like that, too.”
Neither of them spoke as he drove over the bridge to Pearl Island. By the time he parked before her cottage, hope had joined the less savory emotions churning in his stomach. Quiet descended when he shut off the engine.
“So…” He paused, building up his courage. “Are you saying you’d consider going out with me again?”
“I might.” A smile tugged at her lips. “Why don’t you walk me to my door and ask?”
His heart bumped against his ribs. Holy cow, was she going to let him kiss her goodnight?
“I could do that.” Trying to look calm, he climbed out of the car, and nearly tripped. When she didn’t climb out as well, he realized she wanted him to open her car door. He hurried around the hood to do it.
“Thank you,” she said, extending her hand.
Pleasure raced through him as he helped her from the car. Her hand felt warm and slender in his. To his delight, she didn’t let go, so they walked hand in hand up the steps.
Anticipation and nerves built as they stopped in front of her door and stood facing
Could Luc really not know that?
She glanced sideways, not sure what to think of him. They’d left downtown, casting the interior of the car into darkness. Only the lights from the dashboard showed the hard line of his mouth. That tempting mouth she’d wanted to kiss all evening. He looked so different now than he had back in school, she had trouble believing this attractive man with the sculpted face and killer body had been that pudgy boy with the too-short haircut and horn-rimmed glasses.
The things he’d said on the sidewalk after she’d recognized him came back to her.
Leaning forward, she turned down the stereo. “Did you honestly think I would have canceled our date if I remembered you based on nothing more than how you looked and your lack of popularity back in school?”
“Well, it killed your interest pretty danged quick, didn’t it?” He cranked the volume back up, louder this time.
“No, it didn’t.” She punched the music off completely. Staring at him, she realized the opposite was true. With her defenses lowering back to normal, curiosity snuck in. “If anything, I’m more interested.”
“Yeah, right.” He snorted.
“I’m more interested because look at what you’ve become.” She gestured toward him. “Not just how you look, but the fact that you’ve made something of your life without having it handed to you. How many of those stupid jerks who snubbed you can claim the same?”
“You mean your friends?” he sneered.
His bitterness stung. Did he lump her in with that self-absorbed crowd who thought not having a date to the homecoming game was a life crisis? Try being twelve and fending for yourself because your mother dashed off to join her married lover on his “business trip,” she’d wanted to tell those girls. Or fourteen with budding breasts that draw a little too much attention from your mother’s newest husband.
“They weren’t my friends,” she said, looking away.
The softly spoken words caught Luc off guard. He glanced at her from the corner of his eye. She seemed somehow smaller, and oddly vulnerable. “Then… why are you so mad?”
“Because you misled me.” She turned to him. “Intentionally.”
“I was going to tell you.” He squirmed a bit. “I just couldn’t figure out when and how to do it without turning you off.”
“You’re that convinced I wouldn’t go out with a man because of how he’d dressed as a teenager? How shallow would that make me?”
“You’re not shallow.” He’d always sensed a complexity in her that other girls her age had lacked.
“How do you know?” she asked, with a challenging lift of her chin. “You don’t know me any more than I know you. Not really.”
He opened his mouth, hesitated, then ventured cautiously. “I’d like to.”
She tilted her head, considering. “Maybe I’d like that, too.”
Neither of them spoke as he drove over the bridge to Pearl Island. By the time he parked before her cottage, hope had joined the less savory emotions churning in his stomach. Quiet descended when he shut off the engine.
“So…” He paused, building up his courage. “Are you saying you’d consider going out with me again?”
“I might.” A smile tugged at her lips. “Why don’t you walk me to my door and ask?”
His heart bumped against his ribs. Holy cow, was she going to let him kiss her goodnight?
“I could do that.” Trying to look calm, he climbed out of the car, and nearly tripped. When she didn’t climb out as well, he realized she wanted him to open her car door. He hurried around the hood to do it.
“Thank you,” she said, extending her hand.
Pleasure raced through him as he helped her from the car. Her hand felt warm and slender in his. To his delight, she didn’t let go, so they walked hand in hand up the steps.
Anticipation and nerves built as they stopped in front of her door and stood facing
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