“Excuse me?”
“Don’t ever lose your enthusiasm for life, Grace. Your excitement over a dessert is one of the sexiest things I’ve ever witnessed.”
“You’ve led a sheltered life, then,” I reply, and lay my menu over my plate.
“Quite the opposite, love. I’m very happy that you mistook me for your instructor today. It’s perhaps the best thing that’s happened to me in a long while.”
“There’s that blarney again,” I reply with a laugh. “But thank you. And back at you. What made you come to Montana?”
“I was here on holiday years ago,” he says, and sips his wine. “It’s beautiful here.”
“Very different from Europe.”
“Indeed. But it’s become home.” He takes my hand in his again and threads our fingers together. “How long have you lived here? Are you native?”
“No.” I take a sip of my wine and think about how much I want to confide in this sexy, sweet man. “I’ve been here since I started teaching. About six years.”
“Where are you from?”
“Arizona.”
He nods and watches me, waiting for more.
“I don’t have any siblings.”
“I had a younger brother,” he says softly. “He drowned when he was nine.”
I tighten my hand on his. “I’m sorry.”
“It destroyed my parents. They’ve never been the same.” He tilts his head. “Your parents?”
“I don’t speak to them.” I firm my lips, determined not to tell him any more.
His jaw ticks at my response, but he doesn’t push. He just nods and smiles at Babs when she returns to take our orders.
“The lady will have the rib eye with a baked potato. Would you like salad, love?”
“Yes, please. With ranch. Medium on the steak.”
“And for you, Bax?”
“I’ll have the same.”
Babs nods and takes our menus. “Oh, Bax, Jerry asked me to tell you that he wants a word with you before you leave.”
“He’ll have to wait. I am with a guest. Tell him I’ll have a word with him tomorrow morning.”
“You’re the boss.” She winks and saunters away, leaving us alone.
“Maybe Jerry’s issue can’t wait.”
“Jerry always has an issue, and trust me, it can wait.” Jacob grins and drags his knuckles down my cheek. “I’m in the middle of a very important meeting.”
“So I’m a business meeting now?” I ask with a cocked brow. “I’m flattered.”
Jacob laughs and shakes his head. “You were telling me how you ended up in Montana.”
“I went to college with someone from here. I joined her one weekend when she came home to see her parents, fell in love with the town, and decided to move here when college was done.”
“I’m glad you did.”
“Me, too. I love snow.” Babs sets our salads in front of us. “The cold doesn’t bother me.”
We eat in relative quiet, making small talk about the unusually dry winter, the days getting shorter, and what we studied in college. The meal is as delicious as the conversation.
“Oh, God,” I moan, and lean back in my chair. “There’s no way I can eat the cheesecake. I’m stuffed.”
“We could share it,” he offers.
“You’re far too tempting, Jacob Baxter.”
“I hope so, Grace.”
“Okay, fine. I’ll eat half.”
Jacob hails Babs and orders our dessert. “What are your plans for the rest of the evening?” he asks.
“Yoga pants and a Lifetime movie,” I reply.
“Can I talk you into doing those things in my suite?”
His face is hopeful and sexy and I’m so fucking tempted to say hell yes! But I’ve known him less than a day. And he wasn’t honest with me.
“I take your silence as a no,” he says ruefully.
“Jacob, you are an intriguing man. The chemistry between us is . . . impressive. I’m interested. But I just met you today.”
“I understand, darling. Completely.”
Babs sets our dessert, two spoons, and two black coffees on the table, winks at Jacob, and walks away. We dig in with gusto, and when Jacob wraps his lips around that spoon and moans in appreciation of the sugar and sweet fruit hitting his tongue, I almost change my mind about his offer and beg him to take me to bed right now.
But instead I laugh at him, eat my half, and keep quiet.
Finally, he walks me down the hall to my room. He pushes my back against the wall beside my door, braces his hand on the wall next to my face, and leans in. Almost unbearably slowly, he drags his nose down my own and nibbles the corner of my mouth.
“Good night, sweet Grace.” He kisses me softly, but with no less passion, leaving me a quivering mess.
“G’day, mate,” I whisper. He laughs, and leans his forehead on mine.
“God, Grace, you’re so damn funny. I can’t wait to spend tomorrow with you.”
“Back at you, mate.”
“I’m not your mate, love.” He nuzzles my nose once more before backing away. “I’m going to be much more than that.”
chapter 5