Love Restored (Gallagher Brothers #1)(40)

“I like your mouth,” he agreed. “A whole hell of a lot. And I like the words that come out of it. And while you might not want a twenty-something-year-old kid, those guys just see a very sexy woman at this table. So, yeah, I went a little caveman.”

“I guess you could have been worse, but still, I can fight my own battles. If, you know, there’s an actual battle to fight.”

He squeezed her thigh once. “I know, but that doesn’t mean I won’t help.”

She just rolled her eyes. When the waitress came, they each ordered a beer while she ordered nachos and he ordered wings. He figured they’d share since he kind of wanted both. Not the healthiest meal for them, but hell, he’d eaten well during the week, and if he wanted to indulge once in a while, he would. He and his brothers were doing better about that at home too when they were around. Hence the stir-fry a couple of nights before and not another round of pizza. He winced. Yeah, he’d forgotten about the pizza with Blake he’d already had earlier in the week.

“What was that wince for?”

“Just thinking that our next date needs to be at a place where I’m not eating grease.”

She nodded. “Yeah, I get you. I don’t usually eat so much crap, but I was craving nachos.” She tilted her head. “And next time? You want to keep doing this?” Something passed over her face, but he couldn’t quite figure out what it was.

“Yeah, don’t you?” he asked as casually as he could.

She played with the paper napkin in front of her and gave him a slight nod.

He’d have to take that because he wasn’t sure what else he could do right then when they were in public. The waitress dropped off their drinks and plates for their meals while he and Blake talked for a bit about nothing important but important enough to be talked about. They didn’t go deep into their pasts or what they were feeling, but he was okay with that since they were in a bar. What he liked was that he talked about how his day had gone, and Blake seemed genuinely interested. And when Blake spoke of the small tattoo she’d done that day and the nose ring she’d done for a woman’s fiftieth birthday, he couldn’t help but be enraptured. There was a tension in the air he couldn’t place, though, and no matter how he tried to steer the conversation, he always felt like he was missing something.

After he was stuffed with cheese, meat, and grease, he sighed and finished his glass of water. They’d each only had one beer since he had to drive them to his place where she’d left her car. He found it weird that she hadn’t wanted him to pick her up at her place, but he figured that was just Blake. She was secretive about her past and who she was beyond the shields she wore, but he hoped one day soon he’d figure her out.

He’d told her about Cynthia and Candice and everything that had gone on with that. He may not have mentioned his parents or Murphy, but he felt as if he’d opened up more than he ever had before with another person.

They’d met the first time because of her family’s home, yet he didn’t know why she’d left it the way it was, or why she hated the place his company was rebuilding so much. Maybe that was what she’d wanted to talk about when she’d shown up, and he’d had his very tasty breakfast against the front door. He wouldn’t ask her now as they were in public, but when they got back to his place, he would. Honestly, with so much going on, he’d forgotten about it. But he’d ask her tonight.

“Ready to head back to my place?” he asked once she’d finished her water, as well.

She looked up at him with wide eyes and nodded. “Yeah,” she said softly. “I guess so.”

He frowned at her. “What’s going on?”

She shook her head. “Nothing. Let’s go, okay?”

“There’s something wrong. You need to tell me.”

She met his gaze defiantly, her chin raised. “Let’s just get to your place.”

He didn’t sigh, but he wanted to as he followed her out of the pub and to his car. The drive wasn’t that long, but it was filled with tension. He didn’t ask her questions, didn’t speak, but then again, she didn’t volunteer any information either. He had a feeling the other shoe was about to drop, and he sure as hell didn’t like the idea of it. He’d just gotten used to the idea of Blake, and now he was sure something was going to f*ck it all up.

Again.

When he pulled into his driveway next to her car, he shut off the engine and undid his seatbelt so he could turn and look at her. She had her hands in her lap, her fingers twined together, and that worried him since she didn’t look like herself. When her teeth bit into her lip, and her shoulders began to shake with nerves, he reached out for her.

“Tell me, Blake. What’s going on?”

She looked at him and pulled away from his touch. He tried not to let that hurt. “I…I’ll tell you inside.”

“You can tell me here,” he said slowly.

“Please?”

He nodded and got out of the car as she did. He didn’t speak as he opened the front door and let them both inside. What he really wanted right then was a beer, but he had a feeling he shouldn’t even stop to do that right then.

Graham folded his arms over his chest. “What is it, Blake?”

She rolled her shoulders back. “I’m going to tell you something, and it’s going to come as a surprise. But I want you to know, there are reasons, very, very important reasons why I did what I did.”