fussed with the strands flopping down toward his eyes for a few moments and then looked away from the mirror. That wasn’t helping his nerves any more than watching for Darwin to arrive.
Taking a deep breath, he forced his hand to the door handle and gave it a yank. His heart beat too quickly in his ears and he had to consciously slow his fast, shallow breaths.
It wouldn’t be good to start his first date in more than six months by hyperventilating.
He slid out of the truck and shut the door, locking it immediately so he couldn’t give in to the temptation to climb back into the security of the enclosed cab. As he crossed the parking lot, he realized he was biting the inside of his lower lip and made himself quit.
There was a bench next to the entrance and Tom sat on it, only to pop up immediately. He paced, caught himself chewing his lip again and stopped. He sat down once more, keeping his body still by sheer effort of will.
“Tom Cooper.” Darwin’s voice melted his insides for a split second before fear kicked in again and Tom popped to his feet.
After watching all those cars pass the parking lot, his flustered pacing had made him miss Darwin’s actual arrival.
His vocal cords had frozen again but Tom forced out the semblance of a “hi”. He managed to meet Darwin’s eyes for a moment and then had to look away. The guy was just too incredibly good-looking.
Darwin in his work clothes had been bad enough but in a suit… Tom swallowed.
“Good to see you.” The warm suggestion in Darwin’s voice, even when saying such a simple, everyday thing, heated Tom’s skin.
He looked away to hide his red cheeks.
“You too,” Tom managed. “We should probably go inside. Almost everyone’s here.”
“Am I late?” he asked. Tom’s eyes automatically darted toward the other man and he was reminded of why he’d looked away in the first place when Darwin smiled, bringing his beauty to a whole new and scary level.
Tearing his gaze away yet again, Tom shook his head. “I was early, so I, uh, saw people arrive.” He shifted his weight.
“Should we go in?” He knew he was repeating himself but he needed to be inside the safety of the crowd—not because he was afraid Darwin would harm him, but…
He couldn’t finish the thought. There was no logic to his fear. He couldn’t define why he was afraid. He just was.
“Sure,” Darwin said easily, moving to hold open the door for Tom. As they stepped into the entryway, a group of four people on their way out surged through the second set of doors. The foursome crowded into the small entry, cheerfully apologizing as they bumped and jostled against Tom for a few endless seconds before shouldering their way out into the chilly evening.
Unexpected panic caught Tom and he forgot to breathe, couldn’t think, couldn’t even move. While the reasonable voice in his head told him it was stupid to be afraid just because he’d been crowded by a few people who hadn’t meant any harm, the rest of his brain shut out everything except the fear.
It was seconds or minutes later before Darwin’s voice penetrated.
“You’re okay, Tom. It’s okay. You should probably breathe now. That’s good, in and out, in and out.”
The quiet rumble of his words continued, keeping Tom breathing. He realized his back was pressed against Darwin’s front. He could feel the other man’s heat, even through the barrier of two coats. Could feel the motion of Darwin’s chest, the regular lift and fall that lulled Tom into matching his breathing to the larger man’s. Darwin’s hands held his, his thumbs stroking with the same soothing rhythm as his words.
Tom stepped forward, pulling his hands free of the other man’s grip. “I’m okay,” he said, embarrassment overtaking any lingering panic. “Sorry.”
“You sure?” Darwin asked, following Tom through the second set of doors into the restaurant. His fingers brushed Tom’s coat sleeve but Tom shook him off.
“Yes.
Alana Hart, Lauren Lashley