Page 28 of Colton On Guard

Sitting across from Parker Colton at one of the newest and trendiest restaurants in town, Genna felt rejuvenated. Whether from her brief nap or simply due to his presence, she wasn’t sure. Either way, she felt more alive in this moment than she had since the kiss. And there it was again.The Kiss. An action she should have regretted but instead wanted to repeat. And more.

Parker wanted more, too. She could tell from the heat in his gaze when he looked at her, the way she caught him studying her when he thought she wouldn’t notice. She had no idea what to make of the chemistry between them, but she could no longer deny it existed.

Part of her wanted to see where it led. But she loved her job. She really hadn’t thought she’d find something she enjoyed that paid so well. And if she and Parker developed a relationship and it went south, then she’d lose her job.

The question she needed to answer was if she wanted him enough to risk that.

Which is why she hadn’t responded when he’d hinted that he wanted a “next time.”

The waitress arrived to take their order. Shaking her head, Genna gestured toward Parker, letting him order what rolls they’d share. She’d never have been able to decide anyway. All of them sounded amazing.

Taking another small sip of her wine, she studied the handsome man across from her. With his tousled mane of sun-streaked hair and bright blue eyes, he drew more than his fair share of glances from women walking by.

He looked both comfortable in his skin and at one with the outdoors. The kind of man who knew how to be gentle yet would place himself between her and a pack of hungry wolves and fight them off with his bare hands.

And in bed… A flash of heat shot through her entire body. Despite how much time had passed since they’d shared a bedand their bodies, she didn’t think she’d ever forget how his lovemaking had made her feel.

Blinking, she realized Parker had tilted his head and was regarding her with a quizzical expression. “Are you all right?” he asked. “You look like you went very far away just now.”

Since she definitely couldn’t tell him what she’d been thinking, she simply shrugged.

The first of the sushi rolls arrived. One entrée had been arranged into an elaborate tower of sushi. “That looks too beautiful to eat,” she said.

He grinned. “Not for me.” To prove his point, he plucked one off the tower and plopped it into his mouth. Rolling his eyes, he made sounds of appreciation as he chewed.

What could she do but laugh and then try it herself?

They ate and talked and ate some more. She finished her wine and switched to hot tea. When all the platters of sushi had arrived, she’d figured there wouldn’t be any possible way they’d eat it all. Turns out, she was wrong.

Replete, they passed up the waitress’s offering of saki. When the check came, Parker paid. “Are you ready to go?” he asked.

So full, she could barely move, Genna nodded. She figured she’d waddle out to his truck and hope she didn’t fall asleep on the way home.

“I feel like we kind of gorged ourselves on sushi,” she mused.

Her comment made him grin. “I love watching you eat.”

Unsure how to take his comment, she cocked her head. “What do you mean?”

Leaning in, he lowered his voice. “It’s sexy as hell.”

A jolt of pure lust lanced through her. To hide it, she looked down, fiddled with her napkin and her empty wineglass.

He held out his arm and she took it.

The simple act of being close to him kept her heart racing, though she hoped he couldn’t tell. As they walked to his truck,her thoughts were a jumbled mess. Should she invite him in? Suggest a nightcap? Or maybe instead of taking her home, should she see if he might want to go someplace for a drink?

In the end, she decided to let him take her home. Then, depending on whether or not he acted reluctant to leave, she’d play it by ear.

When they pulled up into her driveway, he shifted into Park and killed the engine. “I’ll walk you up to your front door,” he said, his tone leaving no room for disagreement. “I want to make sure your new alarm system is working before I head home.”

Hiding her disappointment, she slowly nodded. “Thanks. I appreciate that.”

Using her key, she unlocked the front door. Immediately, her alarm began beeping. She hurried over to the keypad and keyed in her code to stop it. Turning, she eyed Parker standing near the threshold, as if reluctant to enter.

What the heck. She decided she might as well go for it. “Do you want to have a drink before you go?”

His easy smile once again kindled that spark low in her belly. “Normally, I’d love to. But I know you’re exhausted. How about I take a rain check on that drink? I’ll see you tomorrow when we drive out to Valdez.”