Dangerous Promise by Gwendolyn Cease by Gwendolyn Cease Read Free Book Online Page B

themselves at him all the time, so she needed to act as if she had sense.
    She found that once she settled, she really enjoyed herself. Grimm was a fun dinner companion and the four of them laughed and talked throughout the meal. The girls seemed as if they really liked him, and that was a huge check in the positive column. If they hadn’t, no matter how much he affected her, she wouldn’t see him anymore. Abby and Olivia were first in her life, and if they didn’t like the man she dated then she wouldn’t date him. They’d had enough with being last with Janie, she’d never do that to them.
    When the waitress delivered the check, Kate leaned in to get a look. Grimm blocked her as he tucked the check and his credit card on the tray and handed it back.
    “How much do I owe you?” Kate asked.
    Grimm leaned in close. “Are you trying to piss me off?”
    “What?” Kate asked in surprise.
    “I asked you and the girls out for dinner. This is a date. Ladies don’t pay when they’re on dates. And you three ladies especially don’t pay when you’re my ladies on a date with me.”
    The two of them stared at one another, his gray eyes steady and unreadable. His ladies. She liked the sound and the thought of that. It wasn’t that she couldn’t take care of herself and the girls. Hell, she’d been doing it for years, but it would be so nice to have someone share the burden. And what the hell was she thinking? They had only met a few times and talked on the phone and suddenly she was building a life with him? Was she losing her mind? She didn’t feel as if she were. In fact, being with him felt right more right than anything had ever felt.
    “I’m sorry, I’m so used to taking care of everything.”
    “I know,” he said with a slight smile. “Not with me, though.”
    Once the bill was settled and the last of the tea sucked up, Grimm helped Abby and Olivia with their coats. The girls giggled as he maneuvered their tiny jackets onto their tiny bodies. Kate knelt to help them button and zip, ensuring they were protected from the night air. When she stood, Grimm held Kate’s coat for her. Blushing, she turned and allowed him to help her slip it on. The heat from his body washed over her, and she held back a gasp when she felt his breath against her neck. She so wanted to lean back into him but knew she couldn’t, especially with the girls watching.
    The gloomy parking lot greeted them as they left the restaurant, and the girls hesitated, as they always did. Olivia moved a bit closer to Grimm’s side as Abby moved into Kate. She saw Grimm look around warily as he reached down and took Olivia’s hand, and she smiled up at him as they moved off to where Kate had parked.
    Just as he had the night before, he helped her get the girls into the car as she watched the lot grow darker around them. She knew, rationally, that nothing was going to come screaming out of the night at them, but it still didn’t stop the fear.
    “Is everything okay?” Grimm asked her as she moved around to the driver’s door.
    “What do you mean?”
    “You look a little nervous, that’s all.”
    “I didn’t realize I was that obvious.” She lowered her voice and he moved in close. She glanced around again and finally spoke. “The girls and I have had some things happen. So nighttime makes us nervous.
    “But it’s no big deal,” she said, with a shrug, “we’re good. And thank you so much for dinner. I know the girls had such a good time, and so did I.”
    “I did, too. I really enjoy spending time with all of you. Look, let me follow you home. Just to make sure you get there safe.”
    “I can’t ask you to do that—”
    He cut her off. “You’re not. I’m offering. I really want to make sure you get home safe. It’ll make me feel better. Besides, then I can walk you to the door, like a proper date.”
    She hesitated. Did she want him to follow them home? Know where they lived? They stared at one another for a long moment,