She didn’t disagree. There was so much more to it than that, but she couldn’t talk about it just yet. Instead her fingers curled against the firm, comforting strength of his.
“If it helps, I know what you’re going through,” he said. His voice was as comforting as his clasp. “You’ll get past it. Take it one day at a time and give yourself room to grieve. Don’t shut it inside.”
She took a steadying breath and forced a smile. “Look who’s telling whom not to shut it inside,” she said, meeting his gaze.
He laughed softly. “Okay. Point taken.” The smile faded and he frowned with real concern as he studied her wan face. “Want to give this a miss and go back to Winnie’s?”
Her lips parted. “Oh, no, please,” she faltered. “I’m okay. It was just...sometimes I think about them and it hurts. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to spoil your evening.”
“What makes you think you have?” he asked quietly. “I know how it feels to hurt inside. You don’t have to hide it from me.”
She took a steadying breath and smiled. “Thank you.”
He shrugged. “No sweat. Are you hungry?”
She laughed. “Yes.”
“Good. So am I.”
Their waitress made an appearance, almost running to keep up with the demands on her, apologetic as she deposited a menu and then took their order. Gene found that Allison shared his taste in food, because she ordered a steak and salad and coffee, just as he had. He grinned.
“Coffee will poison you,” he reminded her after the waitress had left it and gone off to the kitchen.
She put cream and sugar into hers. “As long as it doesn’t cripple me, I’ll be okay,” she said. “You’re drinking it, too,” she pointed out.
“Of course. I didn’t say it would poison me.”
Her face beamed as she studied him. “I noticed.”
He grinned at her. “I hope you also noticed that I’m not drinking.”
“It’s hard to miss,” she confided. “You’re turning purple.”
“I’ll survive,” he replied.
Just then, the waitress brought their orders and then they were too busy eating to talk. Allison hadn’t realized how hungry she was. She ate, but, with every bite, her eyes were helplessly on Gene Nelson’s dark face.
Chapter Five
The theater wasn’t crowded, so Gene and Allison had a whole row to themselves, away from the few other people in the audience. Gene put his Stetson atop one folded seat and stretched his long legs, crossing one over the other while the previews ran. Allison munched the popcorn he’d bought her and tried to pay attention to the screen.
It had been a long time since she’d seen a movie, because there hadn’t even been a television set where she and her parents had spent the past few years. She was behind the times in a lot of ways, and the fact was really brought home to her as the story unfolded. As Gene had predicted, despite the fact that the story was supposed to deal with cattle ranching, most of it seemed to take place in bedrooms. She watched, red-faced, during one particular scene replete with heavy breathing and explicit material.
Gene glanced at her expression with faint curiosity. That wide-eyed gape couldn’t be for real. Nobody who had a television set could be shocked these days. Of course, it could be seeing a scene like this with him, a comparative stranger, that made her nervous. She might not be all that experienced, even if she’d been with one or two men. Funny how it disturbed him to think of her being with any man at all except himself.
He reached for her hand and drew it gently into his, resting it on his muscular thigh. She resisted for a few seconds, until the contact began to weaken her and she gave in.
His long fingers played with hers, teasing between them while things heated up on the screen. He lifted them to his lips and began to nibble at her fingertips with slow, sensual intent.
Allison had never been exposed to this kind of thing. She felt his lips against her fingers and almost gasped at the sensations she felt when he nibbled them.
She tried to draw back her hand, but he held it in a firm, gentle grasp. What was happening now on the screen had her rigid with disbelief.
Gene glanced down at Allison, watching her reaction to the screen. Her expression was one of astonished awe, and something scratched at the back of his mind, only to be gone before he could let it in. Her fingers clenched around his unconsciously and he returned the pressure.
“Amazing what they can get away with, isn’t it?” he murmured deeply, keeping his voice low. The nearest people were three rows away, so there was little danger of being overheard. His thumb rubbed slowly across her damp palm, pressing the back of her hand into the powerful muscle of his thigh. The sensation rocked him, because it was such an innocent contact. He looked back at the screen, all too aware of her warm touch. His chest rose and fell heavily as he watched the couple on the screen. “Does it embarrass you?” he asked quietly.
“Yes,” she moaned, giving in to honesty.
“I thought you said you were a modern girl,” he murmured, and he smiled, but it was a kind smile.
“I thought you said sex shouldn’t be a spectator sport,” she returned.
He chuckled at the riposte. “Touché.” The screen suddenly drew their attention as the sounds grew louder and more frantic and finally ended in breathless cries of simulated ecstasy.
Allison was almost trembling by now. Gene felt stirred himself. It had been a while between women. He looked down at Allison with fascination as he felt the shiver go through her. She had to be very sensitive to react so fiercely to a love scene.
His hand absently moved hers up his thigh, until he realized what he was doing and felt the almost frantic restraint of her hand.
“Sorry,” he murmured dryly as he released her fingers
