She opened her mouth like she was going to speak again, then shut it.

He waited, but she didn’t say anything so he prompted her. “What are you thinking, babe?”

“That I’m keyed up, and you’re going to be disappointed.”

Now he knew this was a bad idea. If Imogen went into sex with that mind-set, she was going to be nervous and inhibited. No matter what he did, it had the potential to wind up awkward and unsatisfying for her.

Damn it. He should have driven faster.

“I can guarantee that I will not be disappointed.” Ty turned and brushed her still-damp hair off her cheek. “I find you fascinating. And I don’t want this to be a one-night stand that leaves you feeling like you can’t even look me in the eye next time we see each other.”

She opened her mouth, but Ty leaned over and gave her a soft kiss to stave off any protests. “So I’m going to get out of the car now, and I will call you tomorrow and hope like hell that you’ll agree to go to dinner with me.”

“You’re going in and I’m supposed to go home?” she asked. “Is that what you’re saying?”

“Yep. I don’t want to screw this up, Emma Jean. So I think we need to call it a night right here and pick up where we left off another day.” He saw things going nowhere but south if he tried to get her naked. As nervous and agitated as she looked, she just wasn’t going to enjoy herself.

“I see.”

Ty waited for her to expound on that statement, since Imogen seemed fond of using seventeen words to his one, but she didn’t. She just got out of the passenger side and walked around to his side. The rain had stopped and the glow from his garage lights turned her face a pale pearl white.

“Good night,” she said with a smile that was anything but genuine.

Shit. He knew that look and it wasn’t a good one. “I’ll call you tomorrow,” he said.

“Fine.”

That was it? Ty sat in the car and stared up at her, trying to read her expression. She looked irritated. Maybe even veering toward angry. Determined not to leave it on that note, Ty reached over and pulled out the first book in her bag he could get a grip on. “Can I borrow this?” he asked.

She gave him a funny look.

Ty wondered what the book was, given the incredulous expression on her face. All he could tell was that it was the one with a couple on the front of it, but he couldn’t read the title. Great, it was probably a romance novel. But he had been thinking he would take it, have his assistant order it on audio, then he could discuss the book with her. Show Imogen he could participate at her level, have a decent conversation.