Free All Grown Up by Kit Tunstall Page A

had an interview in
the city last week. The job would be fantastic, and the pay is
phenomenal, but I’m not sure I want to live there.”
    “Seattle and New York are pretty opposite.”
They reached the end of his walkway. “Do you have a dinner
preference?”
    She cocked her head, making the waves in her
bob frame her face in a way that had his mouth going dry. “Seafood?
I love chowder.”
    Blake nodded. “I know just the place. Are you
up for a walk? It’s about six blocks, all downhill—until we come
back. The hills can be a killer if you aren’t used to them.”
    She shrugged. “Sure. I’d like to see more of
the area, and I think I can handle the hills. My prospective
employer is only a few blocks over.”
    Blake looped his arm over her shoulder in a
casual manner to steer her in the right direction, but didn’t drop
it when they had crossed the street. What he felt before she
stepped away told him her body was curvy and soft—whereas he was
getting hard. He cleared his throat and tried to keep the
conversation light. “Ethan didn’t say what the job was?”
    “Biomolecular research.”
    He blinked. “Really?” Brains and beauty?
Nothing irritated him more than trying to have a conversation with
someone who was a complete twit. She was getting hotter by the
minute.
    She nodded. “What about you, Blake?”
    “I do forensic accounting.” He gave her a
grin. “It’s more interesting than it sounds.”
    “I’m sure.” Erin shrugged. “Who am I to
judge? I spend all day looking at molecular structures on a
computer screen, and I love it. If it makes you happy, that’s what
counts.”
    He couldn’t help feeling she had a marked
lack of interest in him. Ethan had told him Erin would be lonely in
a new city and convinced Blake to “volunteer” to take her out one
night during her stay. Why did he get the impression she didn’t
want to be here? It irked him. Without false modesty, he knew he
was damn good-looking, with golden-blond hair, hazel eyes, a toned
body, and a sharp wit. He was never without a shortage of female
attention. Maybe there was someone else?
    “So, are you seeing anyone, Erin?”
    She shook her head, her lack of expansion
telling him a bit—either she’d had little luck finding men or had
her heartbroken. He didn’t want to break her heart. All he wanted
was to get his hands on her curves. Erin was so different from his
usual type that it was surprising to be drawn to her so quickly. He
was acting like a horny teenager instead of a thirty-year-old
man.
    Noticing she didn’t ask, he volunteered,
“Neither am I.”
    Her inscrutable expression made him frown.
“Imagine that.”
    Blake frowned. “What’s that supposed to
mean?”
    Erin’s brown eyes widened. “Nothing.”
    Feeling like an overly sensitive ass, it was
a relief to arrive at the little chowder place in the heart of Pike
Place. “Standing room only,” he joked as he held open the door for
her to precede him. There were three tables in the small
restaurant, and they were all packed. “We can grab chowder and go
sit on the pier.” Striving to sound casual, he said, “Or we could
take it back to my place?”
    Erin never took her gaze from the order
board. “The pier sounds nice.” They were up next, and she placed
her order, slipping a ten on the counter as he ordered his.
    Frowning, Blake tried to slide it back to
her. “My treat.”
    Erin shook her head. She sounded
lighthearted, but her eyes were serious when she said, “There’s no
need. It isn’t a date.”
    Ouch. That smarted. “Sure, of course.”
    The clerk dished up their selections and
passed the white bag to Blake. He resisted the totally childish
urge to ask her if she wanted a separate bag so she could carry her
part. What was with him today, acting like a petulant brat?
    They strolled the remaining couple of blocks
to the pier, trading meaningless conversation. Blake selected a
park bench, and she sat beside him, taking the paper cup