“Let me finish?”

She scowled but planted her ass on her chair, still not looking thrilled by his honesty.

“Like I said, I’m not stupid, so it took me zero-point-three-seconds to work out there’s a hell of a lot more to you than the way you look. I saw that the first time you aimed those eyes on me. You’ve got a head on your shoulders, and you’re extremely talented at what you do. You’ve also got good, loyal friends, and that says a lot about you, too. Beyond that? Well, I’m hoping you’ll give me a shot and show me.”

He meant every damn word. He didn’t know why it was important for him to give it to her straight. He just knew he needed her to know.

Eyes wide, she stared at him across the table, then blinked, making it a struggle to stay in his seat and not drag her around into his lap. “You want me to show you?”

“Yeah, more than anything.” And fuck, he meant that, too.

She tucked her hair behind her ear, the action vulnerable somehow, calling to all of his protective instincts. “I…I don’t know what you want, what you’re asking?”

“What I want? You, naked and in my bed.” He held her gaze. Not letting her shut him down this time. “What I’m asking? That you’ll trust me when I say that having you naked and in my bed isn’t all I want, and that you’ll give me a chance to prove it.”

She shook her head. “I don’t know…”

“I can’t make you any promises. I don’t know where this will lead, but I want to find out.” As he said the words, he knew as much as he’d tried to deny them, he meant them. Every damn word. He should get up and walk out, stop this now, but he couldn’t, couldn’t walk away from her. That scared the hell out of him. “You gonna give me that shot, Rusty?”

Chapter Ten

The man staring at her from across the table, eyes dark, the sincerity of his words shining through, was a man she wanted to spend time with. A lot more time. But there was also something else, a shadow. She’d seen it when he talked about his family, and she realized he had demons in his past, just like she did. They’d made him the man he is now. She desperately wanted to know what caused those demons, wanted to know everything.

He’d told her how it was, despite the fact he’d worked out she had an issue where men were concerned. The man was astute, knew she didn’t want to be seen as nothing but an object, yet he hadn’t given her some line about wanting her only for her mind. He’d laid it out straight. Yes, he thought she was attractive, but he wanted her to show him more, what lay underneath. No other guy had ever bothered to try to find out.

But most importantly, she wanted him. There was no point pretending otherwise. The man was on her mind constantly, had been since he walked into her workshop several weeks ago.

His fingers, still wrapped around hers, gave her a little squeeze. “What do you say?”

She searched his face, and he hid nothing, it was all there—heat, determination, curiosity. She released the breath she’d been holding and jumped off a cliff. “Yeah, I’ll give you that chance.”

“Yeah?”

She nodded, smiling because the guy did that to her. “I’d like to get to know you too, Reid.”

The smile he offered was wide and looked extremely good on him. “That’s good, baby.”

He’d been honest with her, and he deserved the same in return. Her tummy flipped at the prospect. She took a bite of her pizza to stall…and moaned. He was right. The pizza was delicious. Reid continued to watch her, making her heart beat a little faster.

She knew she came across a certain way, and it didn’t take a psychic to work out that Reid had been with more than his fair share of women. Pipe and Alex knew about her past, knew what had happened and why she didn’t date. Her experience where sex was concerned was limited, as in, born-again-virgin status. Maybe he wouldn’t care, but in the spirit of honesty, no matter how humiliating, she knew she had to open up, at least a little. It would be a hell of a lot more embarrassing if, when they finally got down to business, rather than burn up the sheets, she disappointed him.

It had been a long damn time since she’d wanted a man like she did Reid. She didn’t want to screw this up before it properly began.

Lifting his glass, he took a sip of wine, licking the ruby liquid from his bottom lip before placing the glass on the table. Shit, he even made drinking wine look hot. A shiver of need moved through her. God, she wanted that mouth, that tongue on her.

“What’s on your mind?” he said, jarring her from her wandering thoughts.

She finished chewing her last bite of pizza, then took a gulp of her wine, folded and unfolded the napkin in front of her, trying to find the right way to start. “Um…well, you see…”

“What is it, Rusty?” He’d stopped eating, wiped his mouth and hands on his napkin, and sat back, watching her with an intensity that made her squirm in her seat. His jaw tightened. “Is there someone else?”

“What?”

“I don’t share. We see where this is going, we do it exclusively.”

His posture was stiff, fists clenched in front of him, but dammit, all she could hear was the word exclusively. He didn’t want to share her, and he didn’t plan to date anyone else. She liked that, a whole lot. A smile lifted of its own volition, and then she realized he didn’t look quite as happy as she felt.

“That’s it? You’re seeing someone…”

“No.” She held up her hands. “No, I’m not seeing anyone. I haven’t dated, well, not seriously, in a long time…like, a looong time.”

“Yeah?”

She nodded.

“How long?”

She inwardly winced. “Eight…um, years.”

Silence. “You want to repeat that?” he finally said.

No.

She did some more squirming. “I mean, I’ve had the odd date, but nothing, um…more.” Then, without giving herself a chance to chicken out, she blurted, “What I’m trying to say is, I haven’t slept with anyone in eight years, and that was only the one time. So if you’re expecting some freak between the sheets, you’re dating the wrong woman.” There, she’d said it.

She risked another look at him. He sat there, motionless, like a damn statue, eyes locked on her. She’d shocked him. “Um, Reid?”

“You’re telling me, you have only had sex with one guy? And that was eight years ago…once?”

“Yes, that’s what I’m telling you.” Great, she’d put him off. She’d hoped her lack of experience wouldn’t be a problem, but judging by the expression on his face, she’d been wrong.

“You were what? Seventeen?”

“Eighteen.”

He sat back in his chair again, more emotions moving behind his eyes, but this time she had no hope of figuring them out. “This guy took your virginity, then…nothing?”

“Nothing.”

His gaze turned hard, intense, and his fists clenched again. “He hurt you?”

“No. Nothing like that.” And he hadn’t, not physically anyway. “It was my choice.”

He seemed to relax before her eyes, his fierce gaze still blazing hot, but in a completely different way. She shivered.

“Fuck.” Then he groaned and cursed again.

“What is it?” Okay, he was confusing the hell out of her now. “Is that going to be a problem for you? I just thought you should know…so if we, ya know…you won’t be disappointed.”

He sucked in a shaky breath. “Come here, Foxy.”

They were in a corner in the back of the restaurant, the lighting dim, no one was paying them any attention. She stood and went to him. It seemed she could refuse him nothing.

When she reached his side, he slid those big, warm hands around her waist and pulled her down onto his lap. “Look at me,” he said, like she had an option, like she could do anything else when he was near. “First, there’s no if, there is only when. I’ve already told you I want you in my bed, and that’s gonna happen, yes?”