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Star scrambled to keep up with Ethan’s longer steps. “Are they watching us?”
“More than likely they’re watching Mrs. Harvey.”
“Why?”
“I have my suspicions.” He hustled along, and Star was nearly jogging.
“Ethan, you’re walking too fast. Slow down a bit.”
Instantly, he slowed his pace. “Sorry.”
“Are you mad?”
“What? No, no, I’m not mad.” He dropped his arm over her shoulders again. “I went into work mode.”
“Wow, if you’re like that when you work, I don’t want to be on the other side of … whatever it is you do.”
“Security,” he said once again.
“Yeah, I get that. Security with computers, and you work for yourself, but what exactly do you do, Ethan? I mean, I do transcription. That’s self-explanatory. Mrs. Harvey runs a deli. Pam works at the hardware store. That makes sense. Exactly what kind of security do you do?”
He glanced down at her, his eyes sharp and searching. Finally, he said, “I’m an independent contractor, which means I work for myself. My clients have non-disclosure agreements with me, so I can’t disclose what I do for them, but everything is absolutely legal. I troubleshoot their systems, resolve problems before they escalate, and ensure no unethical hackers target their systems, their people, or any systems they’re interested in. Nothing nefarious.”
She stopped walking and put her hand on her hip. “Well, couldn’t you have said that six months ago?”
“When I was picking you up from in front of the garbage truck or freeing you from the car window that ate your scarf?”
She blinked. “Well, there is that. But we’ve visited for hours and hours, and you’ve never volunteered that information.”
He smiled and shook his head, starting them toward the house again. “And you’ve never asked me about my work or what I do. Why would I share if you didn’t ask? It wasn’t like we were dating.”
“But we are now,” she reminded him.
He chuckled. “Eventually, we’ll have that dinner.”
“Dinner is overrated. I’ve been told my sauce is better the second or third day.” She glanced up at him.
“Well, then, we shouldn’t mess with perfection, should we?” He extended his hand. Star took it and shivered. Finally, after months of dreaming about this man … That shiver intensified when he looked back at her. Those eyes were wicked and caring, sensual and suggestive. Screw dinner; she was going to a feast instead.
CHAPTER12
As Star placed the uneaten dinner in the fridge, Ethan watched her. She moved with an effortless grace. Her happiness radiated through whatever she was doing. She was beautiful—stunning, really—but it wasn’t just her looks that captivated him. It was her wit, charm, and that unshakable streak of independence that tipped the scales for him.
He’d had opportunities to date other women. Objectively beautiful women. But nothing ever clicked. Nothing ever lasted.
Star reminded him of the women he’d grown up with. They were strong, self-reliant, and determined to do things on their own terms. Stubborn as hell. His mother had been the same way. She’d endured far too much. He understood what she’d suffered under his biological father’s control, the nightmare she’d had to escape. The strength it had taken to run with a young boy, disappearing into the middle of nowhere, was something he still couldn’t fully comprehend. His mother was one of the strongest people he knew.
She and Lycos had raised him on that mountain and developed his intellect and abilities, focusing on computer systems. By the time he was fifteen, his Aunt Jewell had taken him under her wing and started teaching him the ins and outs of hacking systems. When he was in college, Guardian consumed his life. It was all he knew. All he wanted.
And then there was Star.
She’d survived the unimaginable—losing both parents—yet had carved out a life for herself. Built a business. Became entirely self-sufficient. The renovation idea? Maybe a little dramatic, but he understood it. She wanted to restore something that had been lost and bring it back to its former glory.
His focus locked on the woman across the room from him. Every time she glanced over and caught his gaze, a soft blush painted her cheeks, telling him she was thinking about where the evening was heading.
She closed the door to the fridge, and before she could move away from it, Ethan reached for her hand. His fingers closed around hers, warm and steady, and he pulled her toward him, slow and deliberate, giving her every chance to stop him—but she didn’t.
His mouth descended, brushing against hers in a kiss that spoke its own language.