She sat back as he started to talk, and the night didn’t seem so lonely anymore.
* * * *
David had walked into Top this evening because Carys had seemed to need someone to talk to, and he’d known she would be here since she always helped out on Friday nights. He’d spent the day on campus, grading papers in his office and researching his book in the stacks at the library. The restaurant his stepfather and mom had started was on the way back to his town house, and the thought of microwaving a burrito held no appeal.
Of course, he would have been able to eat that whole burrito. Instead he’d had to share his burger and fries with Mrs. Santiago’s daughter. Little Tess had grown into a stunning woman who held every bit of his attention in a way only an article on the current Chilean political situation usually could.
He also wouldn’t have ended up ordering the molten lava cake and watching her eyes close in pure pleasure. He wouldn’t have sat here and talked for hours.
“Hey, guys, I hate to interrupt you, but this is last call,” Leslie said. The young bartender had done her job perfectly, only disrupting the bubble they’d been in to bring them food or coffee after they’d both had a couple of drinks. The richness of the coffee had gone perfectly with the dark chocolate of the dessert.
His stepfather knew how to cook.
“I think we’re good,” he told her. “I’ll take the bill.”
“Sure you will,” Leslie said with a shake of her head.
He didn’t want to have to fight over this. He hadn’t come in for a free meal, but his mother would likely make a big deal out of it.
“Oh, my god.” Tessa had glanced at the clock behind the bar. “Is it that late?”
He checked his own watch. Almost eleven. Top closed earlier than most of the bars in the area. “Yes, it is. I guess we lost track of time.”
Four hours. They’d been sitting here for four hours. They’d talked a lot about her family and his work. They’d discovered they both loved Marvel movies, and she’d been surprised that he shared her obsession with muscle cars. They’d spent a good hour talking about the 1969 Ford Mustang he was restoring. It had been a present from his mom and Sean when he’d passed his dissertation. Tessa had seemed interested in both his job and his hobby.
She was a unicorn.
She went the loveliest shade of pink. “I can’t believe I did that. I missed the whole party.”
He should have pointed that out to her, but he’d been too happy to sit and talk. “Sorry about that, but I had a nice time tonight. Probably the best time I’ve had in a while.”
He dated. He tended to follow a pattern. Meet a woman, date for a couple of weeks, and then she got bored with the fact that he was far more interested in his work than anything else. He’d even dated a woman in his department, and it had floundered.
But Tessa held every bit of his focus. He’d listened to her stories about growing up with three brothers, and the rest of the world seemed to fade away.
Her long raven-dark hair fell around her shoulders, drawing him in deeper as she gave him a half smile. “Me, too. Why is that hard to admit?”
“For me? It’s hard to admit because then I have to acknowledge that my dating life’s been crappy lately.” He knew he should play it confident and present himself like the stud he wanted to be. Except he’d never wanted to be a stud. He was pretty happy being who he was. Mostly. Though he had to admit that since his Navy officer brother had moved in, he’d noticed that he’d started to fade into the background when compared to Kyle.
But then that was what happened when one was always surrounded by heroic military men. The prof didn’t quite live up to expectations. Kyle fit in with their Taggart stepfamily far better than David ever had.
“Mine’s sucked,” Tessa said with a breathless sigh, as though it felt good to admit that. “I was engaged for a while and since we broke it off, it’s been pretty sad.”
He wasn’t about to let this one slip through his fingers without at least trying. “Well, what do you say we try to turn it around? Any chance you would like to have dinner with me? I promise this time I’ll get you your whole own plate. I know this great Tex-Mex place a couple of blocks over.”
“I would like that.” She practically glowed in the low light. It kissed her golden skin and made her dark eyes flash. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen, with lush hair and a generous smile. Beyond her obvious beauty, there was a warmth about her that called to him.
He pulled out his phone. This was the customary trading of digits, a sacred ritual in the modern mating game. The minute he saw her hesitate he realized he was being too aggressive. He set his phone down and decided to go the more secure route. He picked up the pen he’d meant to use to take notes on Ricardo Montez’s manifesto. He hadn’t picked that sucker up all night because he’d been far too interested in her. He quickly wrote his numbers down. “Here’s my cell and my office number in case you want to give me a call. I would love to take you out to dinner.”
She sighed and picked up his phone. “Unlock it. Sorry. I’m female, and giving out my number can be a risk, but I think I’m willing to take it with you.”
That was good to know. He unlocked his phone and handed it to her. She put her number in and then her phone was buzzing, the ritual of exchanging digits complete. She handed his cell back and saved his number in hers. “I would lose the note. I’m way better at keeping up with digital things.”
And they were at the awkward part of the evening, the part where it was over but they didn’t want it to be over. The point where they both knew damn well it was way too soon to go any further than they’d gone. “How far away are you from home? I’m not trying to figure out where you live. I just want to make sure you get home okay.”
She slid off the barstool and stood in front of him. “You are a sweet man.”
He didn’t like the sound of that. He’d learned that women like her tended to not appreciate sweetness. Or rather sweet got a man locked in the friend zone. It wasn’t a bad place to be. He had lots of women friends, but he wanted something more from her. “There’s more to me than meets the eye.”
Her hands came up, eyes taking him in. “I bet there is, Professor. I don’t know what my work schedule is going to be like, but I would definitely love to continue our conversation. And I would definitely love to see that Mustang of yours. Why don’t you give me a call and we’ll take it from there?”
Desire flooded his system in a way it hadn’t in ages. He’d been so focused on his brain that if felt good to let his body want something. Someone. Her. “I will.”
Was she going to kiss him? He held himself still, willing her to brush those luscious lips against his. He wasn’t about to scare her off though. He would let her set the pace in the beginning, and then once she trusted him, he could take control and show her how not sweet he could be.
“Tessa?” A feminine voice broke through the intimacy of the moment.
He turned, and a somewhat familiar woman was standing there. He couldn’t remember her name, but he’d seen her around the restaurant.
Tessa had stepped back, and an apologetic expression crossed her face. “Nina, I’m so sorry. I…uhm…”