"Well, you have me there," she said out of the side of her mouth.
"So what about you?" he asked as he sat back to study her. "What's your story?"
She looked mildly discomfited by the question, and for the first time looked at a disadvantage. And to think he couldn't imagine this woman ever not on top of things. She exuded confidence. She was sure of her place in the world, and that, to him, was about the sexiest quality a woman could possess.
She raised her wineglass to her lips and took a long sip. Her perfectly manicured nails tapped a moment on the crystal as she seemed to collect her thoughts.
Then she grinned and set it back down again. "I would love to lie to you and tell you that I've traveled the world collecting men for my harem, or that I've rubbed elbows with the rich and famous, but the simple truth is, I'm a small-town girl who's never been out of the great state of Texas. Sad, isn't it?"
His brows drew together. "You could have fooled me. You seem so ... I dunno, knowledgeable, and I don't mean book learning as much as you just seem to have lived a lot of life."
"Well thank you, I think. That almost sounds like a compliment."
"It was intended to be one. You seem to have your head on straight. You're confident and beautiful. I imagine you could go anywhere you wanted and fit in."
She looked completely caught off guard by his assessment. For a long moment she just stared at him as if trying to figure out his angle. This was a cynical woman, and he could see the wheels turning in her head. She thought he was plotting his way into her pants. Flattery, pretty words, all the usual stuff.
The problem was, he sucked when it came to wooing a woman. And while he'd love nothing more than to go home and strip every piece of clothing off her with his teeth, he could wait. If she expected a full-on assault, then he was going to give her just the opposite if it killed him.
"You make me feel like a fraud," she finally said with a rueful smile.
"That wasn't my intention."
She shook her head. "Oh, I know. I'm beginning to think you're actually a sincere guy."
"You say that as if it surprises you."
Her eyes glinted with amusement. "It does."
"Okay, so tell me more. You've never been out of the state of Texas. Any plans to change that?"
She leaned back with a thoughtful look. "You know, I hadn't really given it any thought. I'm so busy with my salon. Don't get me wrong, I spend plenty of time dreaming, but I never really thought about making it a reality."
"What do you dream about?"
She blushed. Actually blushed. He had to snap his jaws shut to keep from gaping, because anything that made this woman blush had to be good.
"My dreams aren't up for discussion until at least the fourth date," she said with a cheeky grin.
He smiled and reached for his glass. "I'll keep that in mind."
He sipped at the wine and tried not to grimace. Anything more refined than beer was wasted on him. This entire restaurant gave him hives, but he figured this was a place that Julie would slide right into.
"You want to ditch this place and go get a beer?"
He blinked and stared at her over the glass that was frozen in midair on its way down to the table. Had she read his freaking mind? Surely he hadn't voiced his thoughts aloud.
"Not that I don't like where you chose for dinner," she said in a rush. "But this is way more Serena and Damon's speed. I'd just as soon head over to Cattleman's and have a beer and some greasy French fries."
Yes. Dear God, yes. He had to control the urge to scramble out of his seat and haul her out behind him.
"You sure?" he asked calmly. It sounded so much better than hell yeah!
She shrugged. "It's up to you."
He held up his hand to motion for the check before the words were completely out of his mouth. Beer and French fries sounded damn good to him. Even better, tasting beer and French fries on her lips later.
Chapter 13
Faith sat on the counter in the bathroom, her legs dangling over the edge. Gray stood between her knees holding the paper bag with the EPT test.
"Before we do this, I think we need to make a few things clear," he said in a husky voice. "Or at least talk about the possibilities."
She nodded as a flutter of panic scuttled higher in her stomach.
"How do you feel about the possibility of you being pregnant?" he asked gently.
She closed her eyes. Why couldn't he say how he felt first? Ah well, honesty and all that stuff. If her not embracing the idea upset him, then maybe . . . No, she wouldn't think about things like leaving the wedding called off. She and Gray were on the same page. She had to believe that.
"Terrified?"
His eyes softened, and he leaned in to press his lips to her forehead.
"You know I want children. Eventually. But Gray, I have to be honest. I'm praying so hard for this to be one huge false alarm."
"Me too," he admitted.
Her shoulders sagged in relief.
"Tell me, baby, is this why you called off the wedding? Did you get scared or think I might be upset if you were pregnant?"
"I wish I could say yes," she said glumly. "But the fact is, I didn't even think about the possibility of pregnancy until Julie mentioned it. My boobs have been tender, and I've been so hormonal. I was convinced you weren't interested in me anymore," she added in an embarrassed voice.
He stilled and then pulled away, his eyes narrow. He looked ... angry.
"Okay, maybe we should talk about a few more things before you take this test. What on earth gave you that idea? Are you not happy with the dynamics of our relationship any longer? You need to tell me if it's not working, Faith. We talked about all this before, but you're entitled to change your mind, you know."
Ugh. This was getting way more complicated than she wanted.
She reached up to touch him, needing that brief moment of contact before she went on. "I love our relationship, Gray. I haven't regretted ceding the power, the decision making, putting myself into your hands completely and wholly. I wanted to be taken care of, and until recently thought you did such a wonderful job of making me feel, well, taken care of."
When he opened his mouth, she placed a finger over his lips.
"I was an idiot, Gray. I swear I'm not usually so irrational. I just got scared. I'm not even sure what the hell happened. You've been wonderful, and I feel so unappreciative. I acted like a child sulking because she wasn't the center of attention. If I could take it all back I would. I just snapped."