Page 93 of Control Freak

His jaw dropped. Obviously, he wasn’t aware of how transparent his jealousy was.

“You show me every time you fix my coffee for me while I’m still in the shower. Every time you help me make dinner just so I’m not doing it alone. Every time you hold my hand. Because I know that’s no small thing for you, Holden. I know how hardyou’re trying, and you don’t have to try at all, not for me. Because you might not touch me much, but you touch my heart all the time, and that means a lot more.”

“Well, Jesus, Shy… This was supposed to be my romantic moment. You’re stealing the show.”

I gave a watery laugh. “Sorry, it’s been a stressful day. My emotions are close to the surface.”

He gave my fingers a squeeze before releasing me. “Go message Jimmie, then. You’ll feel better once you’ve warned him about those threats. With any luck, we won’t have to worry about him ever again.”

CHAPTER 23

Holden

Shiloh emerged from the bedroom,ready for our date, looking gorgeous in a pair of dark slacks and a soft mauve sweater over a collared dress shirt. He looked more like a sophisticated academic than a camboy tonight, and I loved it.

And I couldn’t help wishing I’d taken the same approach. Instead, I’d let Gray and Axel talk me into exchanging my usual black or gray button-down for a fitted royal blue one that fit tight across the shoulders and pecs, with the first couple of buttons undone at the neck and the sleeves rolled up to show my inked forearms.

I was trying too hard, and Shiloh would see right through me. I wanted this date to be perfect, damn it, and I was already screwing it up.

“You look great,” Shiloh said, eyes lighting up as he scanned me.

“No,youlook great,” I said. “I look like…”

“A sexy beast,” Axel put in from where he was lounging beside Dalton. The sheriff had stopped by to let us know he’d put out some calls about Jimmie.

“Our baby is all grown up and going on his first date,” Gray chimed in, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye.

Emory elbowed him, but couldn’t hide his smile.

“Maybe we should take a photo,” Bailey suggested. “You know how Holdenlovesto take pics.”

I whirled to grab our coats. “Quick, let’s go before they find the camera.”

Shiloh laughed but took his puffy coat from me, tugging it on while I shrugged into my long wool coat. Black, of course. Shiloh started to go out the door ahead of me in just the little purple coat. But even in March, the nights were still damn cold. I grabbed a beanie and an extra set of gloves from the coat tree near the front door.

“Aw, stay a little longer,” Axel called.

“We haven’t found the camera yet!”

I shut the door behind us, Shiloh laughing quietly beside me.

“Sorry about that. They live to embarrass me.”

“It’s incredibly sweet,” Shiloh said, breath turning to vapor in the cold air.

I raised the beanie and carefully tugged it over his hair when he allowed it. My nerves heightened, on high alert at our proximity, but we weren’t really touching. Not with the fabric of the hat between us. “There. Hopefully, it won’t mess up your hair, but if it does, you’ll still look gorgeous.”

Shiloh smiled up at me. “Don’t worry. I put enough hair product on it that a fall down a mountain wouldn’t move a strand out of place. One plus of your date not touching you: I don’t have to worry about you feeling that my hair is as hard as concrete.”

I laughed, loving how he tried to put me at ease, and held up the gloves I’d grabbed. “I’ll let you put these on too.”

“Always taking care of me,” he mused as he pulled the slightly too-large gloves over his slender fingers, and we started down the porch stairs. “Is this really your first date?”

I nearly missed a step. “N-no, not entirely.”

“It’s okay if it is,” Shiloh said softly. “I’d just consider myself lucky to be the first.”

I shot him a tight smile. “I tried dating. It didn’t go well.”