CHAPTER 7
Gavin
The way Charlie looked at me, like I was her knight in shining armor… it just reminded me that my life was messed up. And given my past, she definitely deserved better.
I wasn’t anyone’s knight, and it didn’t matter that I wanted to kiss her, nor did it matter that I wanted to scoop her up off her feet and carry her off to my bed to ravage her. And so, despite the insatiable need to kiss her, I let go of her and took a step back.
Fuck. I hated the disappointed look in her eyes. But what was the point? She sure as hell wasn’t the sort of girl you simply hooked up with for a bit of fun. And that meant she was off limits, even if it was going to be damn hard to keep my distance. “Come on, love. I’m starving, and you have some shopping to do.”
She nodded, managing a small smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes—and I knew damn well that it was my fault. I wanted nothing more than to kiss her, but this wasn’t about my needs—it was about her, and I knew I’d be no good for her when I was still dealing with all my issues.
She must’ve seen the hesitation in my eyes, because once again her disappointment was clear. She put some distance between us, leaving me to hate myself. “Lead the way.”
I swallowed down a low grumble and reached out to take her hand, needing the physical connection between us, even though I’d been pushing her away. “I think it’s probably best if we head into the city, just as a precaution. There’s this great little diner I know. They make the best chicken and waffles.”
She followed me out to my car and we got on the road. “Isn’t chicken and waffles a southern thing? You don’t get too much of that here in Seattle.”
“You’re right. It is a southern thing, but it seems like the combination is classic enough to become a popular choice around the country. And this place does a damn good job of it.” At least with the conversation going, she seemed to be back to her normal cheery self, her disappointment quickly fading. “So… Tell me a little bit more about yourself.”
“Honestly, there isn’t much to tell. Other than Ripley and my job… I don’t have much of a life. I spend my free time either going for runs with Ripley, reading, or binge watching my favorite shows. Oh!” She grabbed my arm and shifted in her seat to face me, her amber eyes alight. “And I do a bit of crafting too.”
Her sudden enthusiasm had me laughing—and I loved that she wasn’t letting her current situation drag her down too much. “What kind of crafting?”
“I sew fleece dog coats and comfy blankets for the local shelters, and you’re going to think it’s silly, but… I make costumes for cosplay events. I know—I couldn’t be any more of a geek, huh?” The blush that flushed her cheeks made her look adorable, but I hated that she’d feel embarrassed or uncomfortable about something that she was passionate about.
“I think it’s fucking awesome that you’ve got a creative side to you, in addition to being so into science. And don’t even get me started on what you’re doing for all those shelter animals.” How could she not think those things were amazing? I hated that she questioned herself, and it left me wondering who the hell had messed with her head. “As far as I’m concerned, you’re perfect.”
Her cheeks turned scarlet as she shook her head no, clearly not used to anyone complimenting her. “Trust me, I’m not.”
“I beg to differ, love.” But I wouldn’t argue with her any further. I’d just need to prove it to her, slowly but surely, until she finally came to terms with how special she was. “Tell me more… where did you grow up? Where did you go to college? How about your family? Any brothers or sisters, or are you an only child?”
I wanted to know everything about her, even as I ignored the voice in my head that told me I was better off keeping my distance, and no good would come from getting attached to her.
“I grew up in Minnesota, north of Minneapolis, but wanted a change of pace so I came out here to Seattle for college. Did my undergrad and graduate work at UW.” She bit her bottom lip and looked at the hands in her lap, before continuing. “As for family, it’s just me and my dad now, though he’s still back in Minnesota.”
The pain in her voice broke my heart, and though I was driving, I couldn’t help but reach over and pull her against me, kissing the top of her head. I didn’t know what had happened, but I thought it telling that she was here in Seattle, even though her dad was on his own halfway across the country. Or maybe he wasn’t alone anymore. Maybe he’d remarried… or maybe their relationship was strained. One way or another, it was clearly a topic that carried some emotion with it, and at this point, she had more than enough on her plate to deal with without me opening up old wounds.
“We’re nearly there.” I turned down the road the restaurant was on, and then parked, once we got close. Jogging around to her side of the vehicle, I pulled open her door, loving the smile she gave me as she let me take her hand and help her down from my SUV. Not that I’d be letting go of her hand now that I had it in mine.
I scanned the area as we walked, wanting to make sure there weren’t any threats around, even though, logically, I knew that no one had picked up the hit yet and there was no way of anyone tracking her to our location. Still… I’d feel better once we weren’t out in the open.
Luckily, we didn’t have more than a ten-minute wait for a table, and before long we were both sitting down to a pile of fried chicken and waffles, drizzled with warm maple syrup that had been doctored to give it just a little bit of spice. “What do you think? It’s good, right?”
“It’s a hell of a lot better than good, Gavin. This has to be one of the best things I’ve eaten in a very long time—and that’s saying something, given that Seattle is such a foodie city.” Her lips glistened with maple syrup as she smiled at me, making it nearly impossible for me to resist leaning in and kissing her.
One thing was for sure… Keeping my distance? That wasn’t going to be easy.