Love, Tussles, and Takedowns (Cactus Creek #3)(23)

That was the moment that she discovered her mouth could in fact operate without the help of her brain. And judging by the low, rough groan from Hudson, it was probably better for her not to try and analyze what she’d just said in response.

She pivoted and headed straight to the locker rooms before her mouth could get her into more and far better trouble.




*




PURE SELF-DEFENSE. That’s what his warning for Lia had been. A few more seconds of her staring at him with that velvet soft gaze and who knows what his steam-broiled brain would have persuaded him to do.

Hell, every nerve ending in his body was already strung out on the woman. He’d felt her eyes on him like live electrical currents during his stretches a few minutes ago. And like a masochist, he’d let it go on until he could barely breathe.

Then again, everything she did got him to that point. Frighteningly quick. It was in the way she fought, spoke, hell, breathed. Not deliberately seductive but entrancing all the same. Wholly reactive. Beyond candid, her responses were usually purely instinctive.

Unbelievably sexy.

“Hey.”

Seeing Lia fresh out of a gym shower with her silky ink-black hair softly air-drying around her face, standing in the hallway outside of the locker rooms waiting for him was now officially captured as one of the great-wonders-of-the-world screensavers in his brain.

Then she went and did one of those purely instinctive, wholly reactive things again and reached up to ruffle a few shaggy locks of his wet hair out of his eyes with a smile. And just that quickly, his pulse rate grinded right past second and third gear, to rev hard at fourth.

“I’ve been meaning to cut it,” he said gruffly. Not that she’d asked. But his simple, simple brain was only able to focus on the fact that her fingers were in his hair.

“So this isn’t a Sons of Anarchy statement? Or your head’s version of a Girls Gone Wild thing now that you’re out of the military? From buzz cut to no cut?”

Her brain was a strange and fascinating place. “Is that a long, convoluted way of telling me I need a haircut?”

“No,” she gave him a lopsided smile. “I like it. But I was just curious. You’ve spent nearly half your life with close-cropped hair. I’m just surprised that you like your hair like this.”

“I don’t, actually,” he confessed.

“Then why keep it like that?”

Shrugging, he shoved his hand in his hair, still unused to feeling those extra few inches. A normal hair-length for a lot of guys, sure, but for him, it just felt weird. “My PTSD shrink would probably say it’s some kind of mental roadblock I need to overcome as I adjust to civilian life.”

She studied him for a second. “What would you say?”

He smirked. “That I don’t have a clue how to cut it since I haven’t had any other kind of haircut for nearly half my life.”

Lia’s eyes sparkled excitedly. “Let me cut it for you. The Spencers have a Collie, a labradoodle, and the cutest sheep dog, and I’ve cut all their fur…err, hair. Cutting your hair would be a cinch.”

“As highly convincing a sales pitch as that is,” he grinned at her dancing expression, “let’s grab some dinner first. I’m not certain I want to make the decision on whether or not you should groom me on an empty stomach.” Looking around, he was surprised to see the hallway completely deserted. “I thought you said you normally eat with the other guys after your workouts.”

“Normally I do.” She paused meaningfully, with just the tiniest glimmer of heat. “But they all dug out. Something about not wanting to cock-block.”

He returned with a sage nod. “It is written into our guy-code.”

Chuckling, she picked up her gym bag. “So just you and me for dinner then?”

“Sure.” It was always like this with her. Every phone conversation over the past few weeks had been easy, comfortable. The best part of his day. “You got a place in mind?”

“Remember that fusion glass & veggie noodle food truck I told you about? They’re here tonight if you don’t mind eating in the outdoor food court area, which is basically made up of two long, rickety community-style wooden tables with a bunch plastic chairs.”

“Best offer I’ve had all week. Lead the way.” He slipped an arm around her waist without even realizing he was doing it.

And felt her still for just a beat.

Just as he was about to back off and apologize for invading her personal space, she fit herself against his side. Slowly. Almost shyly. Not a snuggle or cuddle per se, but a tentative, content little relaxation of her body against his that was somehow all the sweeter.

God, she was like kryptonite.

All of the superhuman restraint he’d exhibited for the past few weeks were now completely obliterated in her presence.

As they walked over to the circle of food trucks surrounding a cozy little pavilion, Lia pointed to the photo menu in front of the one they were headed toward. Colorful bowls of gem-bright glass noodles garnished with coordinating vegetables julienned noodle-thin, in a dozen HD colors greeted his eyes. After she ordered the day-glow-orange caviar & carrot noodle dish, he ordered the neon green pesto and zucchini one. Then she added on some seasoned short ribs for them to share with a shrugging, “I’m a rabid carnivore,” and stole another little chunk of his heart right then and there.