Coming Home(51)

Jake fell forward in hysterics as the entire table cracked up, and Danny looked over to see Leah staring at him. He slid his fingers between hers, clasping their hands together, and even through the raucous laughter around them, he heard her tiny intake of breath.

That little hiccup of a sound did more to him than the touch of any woman he’d ever been with.

His eyes met hers as gave her hand a gentle squeeze, and then he turned his attention back to the table.

“Remember, we were gonna have T-shirts made for the shop that said that on the back,” Tommy said through his laughter, and Danny nodded with a smile.

That had actually been Bryan’s idea.

Leah gently squeezed Danny’s hand before she caressed the scars that peppered his skin, and that little movement sent tiny sizzles of electricity up his arm and through his chest. He closed his eyes for a second before he attempted to refocus on the conversation.

It was such a simple, innocent gesture—holding hands—but there was a significance to it that Danny could not overlook, and coupled with the fact that everyone else at the table was completely oblivious to what was going on just beneath it, it seemed that much more intimate.

She shifted her hand and their thumbs met, circling around each other’s slowly.

Okay, he was wrong. He had thought holding someone’s hand was innocent, but this was so goddamn sensual in its simplicity that it made him want to throw her down on the booth and cover her mouth with his.

You need to get the f*ck out of here. Now.

His fingers tightened around hers for just a moment before he cleared his throat and slid his hand out of her grasp.

“Alright, I’m gonna head out,” he said as he stood, and Leah’s expression dropped slightly as she looked up at him.

Give a reason.

“I have to be at the shop early tomorrow.”

“On a Saturday?” Jake asked, cocking his head.

Two years. He’d make him clean the shop floor for two years.

“Yeah,” he said, running his hand through his hair. “An old friend of mine wants me to do a rebuild for him, and I promised him I’d get it done in good time.” He stared at Jake a little longer than he needed to, hoping he got the message, before he turned to the girls.

“It was so nice to meet you guys,” he said, and then he looked at Leah. “I’ll talk to you soon?”

She smiled, reaching up to fiddle with her earring again as she nodded.

He turned then, because if he had to look at the poorly shielded disappointment on her face for another second, he would slide right back into that booth and spend the rest of the night doing anything she asked of him.

Danny forced his way through the crowd for the second time that night, only this time, instead of feeling desperate to get to the door, he felt a tug in his chest, demanding that he turn back the way he came.

He pushed the door open, ducking his head against the wind as he jammed in his hands in his pockets.

“Such an *,” he mumbled to himself, shaking his head. He had no idea why the hell he’d done that. Everything was going perfectly. They were having fun. Friends out at a bar. That was his plan for the night.

And then he had to go and put his hands on her.

He laughed bitterly, running his hand over his eyes.

“Danny!”

His head jerked up as he stopped short, looking over his shoulder.

She was standing just outside the bar, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she wrung her hands together in front of her.

He turned, walking back toward her, and she took a tentative step forward before she picked up speed and met him in the middle.