Bleu jumped when the door closed behind Roche. He had asked again to take her home, and she had refused.
She hadn’t missed the long look he’d given her, or her own longing to say she’d go with him.
Cyrus and Madge had followed Spike back to the offices.
The only sound in the kitchen was the loud tick from an old clock on the wall.
Bleu went to a window overlooking Bonanza Alley. Roche’s car was still there. He had paused to stare toward the bayou. Looking at him tightened her belly—and the muscles in her thighs. She remembered what had happened when she’d been alone with him earlier and her face burned. Roche had behaved as if he didn’t know she was climaxing, but she didn’t believe him.
It had felt so good, even if she had made a fool of herself.
The breeze ruffled Roche’s hair. With his hands on his hips, every lean, muscular inch of him looked rigid.
Bleu turned away, wishing she’d been nicer to him before he left, that she’d made a move to arrange another time to be with him.
Too late now.
She didn’t want to let him go. A breath caught in her throat. It seemed impossible, but she wanted to be alive again and with Roche.
When she glanced back outside, he was getting into his car.
Running, yanking the door to the yard open and leaving it to slam shut on its own, she dashed across the grass to the fence and pulled open the gate. Her sandals scrunched on the gravel parking strip and small rocks lodged under her bare feet.
“Roche,” she called, but he had already started his engine.
In the middle of the alley, she stopped and let her hands fall to her sides. The car was moving.
“Roche,” she said quietly, and felt sick with disappointment.
As his car passed, he glanced over his shoulder and saw her. The brakes squealed when he slammed them on and in seconds he was out of the vehicle and striding to meet her.
“I almost missed you,” he said, breathing hard as if he’d been running. The hope in his eyes quickened Bleu’s heart. “Changed your mind about that ride home?”
She shook her head and saw his shoulders drop slightly. “We were supposed to go out on a date the other evening,” she said. “Well, not a date exactly—”
“I asked you out,” he said, standing so close she had to look up at him. “That’s called a date.”
Bleu nodded. “It’s probably been too long a day, but I wondered if you’d like to grab a meal with me a bit later. I think I need a nap first, and you probably do, too.”
Roche stared at her silently.
She gave a small laugh and crossed her arms. “Of course you’re too tired. Forget I said anything.”
Her hair blew across her face and she pushed it away.
“You’re asking me out?” Roche said, a slow smile spreading. “What do you have in mind?”
She smiled back. “I could make a supper reservation for us and where we go would be a surprise.” It would be a surprise to her, too, since she didn’t know anything about restaurants in the area. “There are a couple of places I’ve heard about up toward Lafayette.” Her flash of bravery began to fade. “You think about it. If you want to go, give me a call.”
“I’m calling,” he said. “I want to go. Thanks.”