It took every bit of fortitude she had to pull away.
“Will, I…I…I need to go check on Evie. Excuse me.”
Coward.
Will’s confused look wasn’t lost on her as she fled down the hallway. Music blared from behind Evie’s closed door, so Gwen didn’t bother to stop and knock.
In the safety of her bedroom, she collapsed across the bed and tried to calm her rapid heartbeat. She stared at the ceiling and mentally recited her list of reasons why kissing Will would be a bad idea.
By the fourth time she made it through the complete list, she almost believed it. But once Evie was launched and she was back in her own house, she would have to start dating again.
She wasn’t sure how long she lay there, but it seemed like only minutes later before Evie knocked at her door.
“Come in.”
“Are you okay?” Evie’s forehead furrowed when she saw Gwen on the bed.
“I’m fine. Just recuperating from your shopping trip. You nearly wore me out.”
The furrow disappeared and Evie grinned. “Sarah warned me you were a lightweight. But it was fun, and if I haven’t said ‘thanks’ already…”
“My pleasure, honey.”
“Will sent me to tell you that he made dinner reservations, and we’ll need to leave in half an hour to make it. So if you want to change or something…”
Gwen hesitated. She’d forgotten all about dinner. Considering what just happened, she should probably stay here. Better yet, she should pack and go home.
Evie picked up on her hesitation. “You are still coming, right? We’re going to Milano’s for pizza. I get to pick the movie, too. Please.”
“Wouldn’t you rather go with just Will? A little family time? You’ve been stuck with me all week.”
“It’ll be more fun if you come.”
How could she say no when Evie looked so eager and hopeful? “All right. Give me a couple of minutes to freshen up.”
“Cool. Will went to change, too, so we’ll see you in a few.”
Gwen fell back on the bed with a sigh. She was making way too much of next to nothing. She was probably no more than a blip on Will’s radar—a “she’s female, must flirt” kind of thing. She could control her hormones for dinner and a movie, and Evie would be there as a buffer.
Giving herself a hard mental slap to sort her brain out, she hauled herself off the bed and to the closet for something cute to wear.
CHAPTER SIX
“SO HOW am I supposed to eat this? Knife and fork?” Evie eye-balled the slice of pizza with everything like she’d never seen anything like it before.
“Easy. You pick it up and take a bite.”
Evie giggled. “Finally. Something I can eat with my fingers.”
Gwen put on her best Miss Behavior voice. “But you must still eat with decorum.” She winked, and Evie tore into the pizza with relish.
Will said something under his breath, and Evie erupted in another peal of giggles. He slid a piece of the pizza onto a plate and handed it to Gwen. She smiled her thanks, careful not to let her hand brush his as she took it.
So much for controlling her hormones. They’d been screaming at her when she’d run from the living room earlier, but they broke into new shrieks when she returned after changing. She’d known dinner would be a casual event and she’d heard Evie’s remark about Will changing, but she hadn’t been quite prepared when she walked in.
It was easier to remind herself of the distance she needed to keep from Will when he was in his suit and tie, but much harder when he appeared in a simple black T-shirt tucked in to body-hugging faded jeans. Her mouth had gone dry at the sight. He looked like the hero of some late-night movie, ready to peel the black T-shirt over his head and do something manly and sexy set to hard-rock music.
He was laughing with Evie, his dark hair falling across his forehead. When he turned that smile on her, she recited her mental list of Reasons This Would Be Bad until the flutters in her stomach calmed. And she kept repeating the reasons every time Will looked at her and started the flutters up again.
For the most part, it worked. Evie did make a good chaperone, talking nonstop and keeping the conversation in neutral areas. By the time they arrived at the restaurant, she felt she had it under control. As long as she avoided direct, extended eye contact with Will and kept a decent distance between them, she could act somewhat normal.
As she settled in to her second slice, Gwen realized—occasional shiver aside—she was enjoying herself.
They ate and talked about everything and nothing until her stomach hurt from laughing at Will’s impersonations of Marcus and too much pizza. The movie theater was just down the block, and Evie suggested they walk off the monster dinner to make room for popcorn.
As Evie ran ahead to buy tickets, Will fell into step beside Gwen. They walked quietly for a moment down the tourist-lined streets of the West End. The night air was still slightly humid, but for a late summer night in Dallas, the weather couldn’t have been nicer. The silence between them stretched with each step, until it changed from “companionable” to “awkward.”
Searching for something to say, Gwen settled on, “Thank you for dinner.”
Will nodded. “My pleasure. I’m glad you came with us.” He shoved his hands into his back pockets and hunched his shoulders, a move so out of character with the man she thought she knew, she did a real double take. Will wasn’t looking at her, though. His eyes were on Evie, and she got a lovely view of his strong profile.
“I guess I should apologize for earlier. I’m sorry I made you uncomfortable.”
Why did he have to bring that back up? She’d been doing such a good job up until then. She took a deep breath. “Uncomfortable” would not be the word she’d have chosen, but she’d work with it. “Please don’t worry about it. We’ll just forget it, okay?”
He turned to face her, his features inscrutable, forcing her to stop walking. “Why?”
Why? “Because it will be easier for everyone if we pretend it didn’t happen.”
Will stepped closer to her, and she found herself eye level with the small hollow at the base of his throat. All she’d have to do is lean in…
“I mean, why were you so uncomfortable?”
“Oh.” A dozen different reasons sprang to mind, but none seemed appropriate. She settled for a version of the truth. “Because I work for you, remember?”
“And?”
That wasn’t enough? Maybe Will was the type to go fishing in the company pond. “It could also make it more difficult for me to work with Evie. You did want me to give her my full attention, correct?” Will didn’t move, and every time she inhaled, the scent of him filled her. “Plus, it’s hardly appropriate behavior.”
“I guess I can’t argue with that.” Will’s voice stayed bland.
You could try. No! What was she thinking?
Will stepped back and she could breathe more normally again. “Come on, Evie’s waiting on us.” He placed his hand on the small of her back again to steer her, and the heat made puddles of her insides.
Okay, so that went easier than expected. Case closed. Will seemed