Trish Wylie - His Girl Next Door - The Army Ranger's Return / New York's Finest Rebel / The Girl from Honeysuckle Farm

Ryan resisted the urge to reach for her hand, to make a connection with her. It was so unnatural for him to even think like that, but with Jessica it felt natural.

“We’re going to have a good time tonight.”

She leaned back in her seat, body angled to face him. “I think so, too.”

Ryan chanced a quick glance at his passenger. She was looking out the window now.

He dragged his eyes back to the road.

Maybe coming home was the best thing he’d ever done.

Jessica smiled. She couldn’t have wiped the grin from her face if she wanted to.

This morning, she’d been a bundle of nerves. She hadn’t been much better this afternoon. But seeing Ryan again, being with him, something about it felt so right. They shared an understanding, had a bond that was hard to describe.

And Bella had been right.

She was attracted to him.

It didn’t mean she wanted something to happen between them. But maybe she did have to listen to her friend. She’d been celibate for well over a year now, had pledged not to put her heart in harm’s reach or let someone else suffer because of what she might have to go through in the future.

But if Ryan was only here for a short time, who was she to say no to a romantic fling?

Jessica glanced over at Ryan, watched his strong hands grip the wheel, his jaw strong and angled and freshly shaved.

There was nothing not to like about him.

So if she couldn’t get hurt or hurt him in return, what was the harm in admitting it?

Dear Ryan,

I still can’t believe we grew up so close together. Not much has changed here since you’ve been gone, well at least not that I can think of. I often wonder about traveling, but I’m such a homebody. I like being surrounded by family and doing the same old thing, but sometimes, well, sometimes I think it would be nice to run away for a bit, even for a week or two. Step out of my life and be someone else, just another traveler in a foreign place. Jessica

“I THOUGHT YOU said nothing much had changed around here.”

Ryan raised an eyebrow as he looked at her before diverting his gaze. He was looking at a new electronics store, which was certainly not the restaurant he’d been expecting.

“Hmmm, maybe I hadn’t realized quite how long you’d been away.” She bit her lip to stop from smiling.

“I can’t believe the little Italian place has gone. It was my favorite.” He sighed and put the car in gear again. “When I was away I’d dream of their bruschetta and pasta, or watching their pizzas come out of the oven while we waited.”

Now he had her mouth watering.

But, hang on …

“Do you mean Luciano’s?”

Ryan’s eyes flashed. “Sure do.”

Jessica fought the urge to laugh again. The look on his face was priceless. “It might not be as good, but do you mind if I choose where we go?”

Ryan shrugged. “Sure.”

“Turn left up here, then keep going straight.”

He obeyed, pulling the car back out into the traffic.

“You go to this place often?”

Jessica shook her head. “No, but I’ve heard about it.”

“Up here?”

“Yep, keep going and then pull into any spot past the next set of lights.”

When the car was stationary Jessica grabbed her bag and opened the door. She had gotten the hint earlier that Ryan was a little old-fashioned about manners, but she couldn’t wait to get out. To lead him to the restaurant. There was no time to wait for him to get her door.

“So where exactly are we heading?”

Ryan had one hand slipped into his jeans pocket. He looked strong, completely unflappable. He had dark eyebrows, and they were pulled together now, as if he was wondering what to say to her. His almost-black hair was tousled, just-got-out-of-bed messy. Not the cropped soldier look she had expected. There were two buttons of his shirt undone, the sleeves were rolled up to expose his forearms, and his tanned, soft skin was doing something to her insides. To her brain.

Jessica forced her eyes from him. Drinking in the sight of him was way too easy to do.

“This way.”

He followed. They fell into step beside one another. It was weird, this feeling that she was out with a friend, yet the pair of them behaving somehow like it was more of a date than a casual outing.

“Ryan, can I ask you a question?”

He glanced at her as they walked. “Shoot.”

“You’ve only just come back, but your hair is, well, normal. I thought you’d have a buzz cut.”

Ryan laughed. “Not in special forces. Well, not all the time.”

Now she was confused. “Huh?”

He had both hands pushed into his jeans pockets now, his long legs going slow so as not to outwalk her.

“We often have to look the part, you know, fit in wherever we’re posted.”

She liked how comfortable the air felt between them. Like they could talk about anything. That’s how it had always felt when they wrote to one another, like they could open up about whatever was troubling them. No matter what.

“Let’s just say you wouldn’t have recognized me when I was away this time. I had a full beard and my hair was long and shaggy.”

“What!”

“We often have to blend in. The last thing you want is your buzz cut marking you as U.S. Army. That way we’re in less danger, because we’re not likely to create attention. I have to go completely undercover as a sniper sometimes, and that usually means making sure no one notices me.”

Jessica giggled. She couldn’t help it.

“So you looked like a hobo?”

Ryan nudged her, bumped his arm into her shoulder.

Jessica kept her eyes downcast, was too afraid to look up. His touch, the strength of his upper arm as it skimmed hers, made her stomach flip.

“Slow down.”

He did.

Jessica indulged in the pleasure of closing her hand over his forearm, let the warmth of his skin tingle through hers. It had been a long time since she’d touched a man, and even longer since the feel of another human being had made her feel like this.

“We’re here.”

The restaurant had a full glass frontage, a podium outside with the menu displayed and the unmistakable red-and-white checked tablecloths of an Italian restaurant.

“This isn’t …”

Jessica squeezed his arm and dragged him inside.

“Luciano’s.”

Ryan stopped and stared into the restaurant. She loved the wide smile on his face, the way his eyes were dancing. Seeing happiness in another was something that never ceased to warm her heart.

“Wow.”

“Not quite the little old restaurant you remembered, but let’s hope the food hasn’t changed.”

She went to walk inside but Ryan’s grip stopped her. Suddenly it was him holding her, his skin possessing hers rather than the other way around.

“Thank you.”

Jessica refused to drop her eyes, to look at his hand. She made herself be brave, didn’t let her nerves stop her. Because she wanted this. She didn’t want him to think she didn’t.

“No problem.”

Ryan stared at her, his eyes never leaving hers for what felt like forever.

“Table for two?”

Jessica turned, the spell broken. A waiter stood before them in the doorway, menus in hand.

“Ah, sure.”

She felt Ryan follow her, his big body close behind hers.

She glanced at him as they sat at a small table in the corner, tucked near the window. He smiled.

And she knew then that everything had changed.

Because from the look on his face, the way his eyes looked like a storm was brewing but at the same time sunlight was shining through them, made her realize that maybe he was having the same internal battle she was.

That they were supposed to be friends and yet within a few hours the goalposts had moved.