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the sun on his face. He didn’t have to speak. She knew what he was thinking. Pete had a lot of ties in Nashville. Why would he want to pack up and leave with her without a guarantee of return?
    Avery only hoped that maybe he did in fact love her as much as she thought he did. It was all she had to go on.
     

Chapter Five
     
    Dinner was set on the table and Pete lit the sleek white candles in the center as he watched Avery’s car pull up.
    Oh, tonight was going to be a night she’d never forget. The day had been glorious and everything was going to be perfect right up until he scooped her off her feet and carried her to bed to make love to her.
    He watched her walk from her car, through the yard, up the back steps, and right into the kitchen where he stood.
    The candlelight and dinner had caught her off guard that was obvious by the way she looked at him.
    He reached for the two glasses of wine he’d poured and handed her one. “This one is for you, my dear.”
    Avery took the glass. “What’s all this?”
    “Dinner.”
    “You’re in a suit,” she said grinning.
    “I wanted to look nice for you.” Pete moved in toward her and kissed her gently, but there was hesitation behind the kiss. He’d thrown her off balance. She’d warm up.
    “You cooked and set the table in a suit.”
    “I plated very fancy carry out, in a suit.”
    The laugh that had mesmerized him since childhood broke from her and her shoulders eased.
    “To be fair, I stole the wine from your reserve too. So I stand before you a great big phony trying to impress you.”
    Avery moved in closer to him. She trailed her hand up his chest and around his neck. “Peter Grant, you impressed me that day you held your hand out to me on the gravel of the playground when I fell off the monkey bars.”
    “You wouldn’t have fallen off the monkey bars if I hadn’t thrown the football at you.”
    Her lips tightened and her eyes gleamed in contrast. “Are you saying you knocked me down on purpose?”
    Pete shrugged his shoulder. “Malcolm wanted to look up your skirt. I didn’t want him to do that.”
    “You risked my life to save my pride?”
    “You skinned your knee. It bled for an hour,” he reminded her. “I don’t think I helped matters much.”
    Avery moved in until they were tightly pressed together. She rested her forehead against his. “And where is Malcolm now?”
    “He owns a telecommunication company. He’s worth millions.”
    Avery laughed, but grew quickly serious again. “I must have gotten over the pain you caused me. I’m right here in your arms.”
    Pete wrapped his arms around her, careful to keep the glass in his hand upright and not spill it down her back.
    “Dinner is ready,” the words croaked from his throat as she pressed kisses to it.
    “Is it?”
    “We should eat.”
    “Mm-hmm,” she moaned against him.
    The kisses she was strategically placing on his neck had the blood quickly draining from his head. He moved so he could set his glass down on the table. Pulling back just far enough he took her glass and set it down too.
    Avery licked her lips and the very motion had him dragging her back to him to cover her soft mouth with his hungry one.
    She gripped him tighter until there was no space between them.
    He picked her up and she wound her legs around his waist.
    “Microwaves are the greatest invention ever,” he said as he carried her to the stairs. “Dinner will wait.”
     
    ~*~
     
    Avery rested her head against Pete’s chest and listened to his heartbeat quicken under her. His breath still came in pants just as hers did.
    She hadn’t expected him in her house, but she found that she was happy he was there. She was always happier when he was there.
    “You had me fooled all this time,” he said when his breath had come back to him. “I thought you liked me in my suit.”
    Avery shifted so that she could look at him. “I do like you in your suit.”
    A grin moved over his lips. “You sure pulled me out