“I know you well enough to know that I like you more than a cheap seduction.”
“What would you do if this was a cheap seduction?”
“You really want to know?”
She bit her lip. “Yes.”
This whole dating thing was so strange, because she needed it to lead to more than sex with Jack. But sex was heavy in the air between them and would explode. She shouldn’t be goading him into telling her how he would seduce her, because this thing between them couldn’t go there right now. It was as though she was lactose intolerant and just popping into an ice cream shop. If only she didn’t have to convince him that she was girlfriend material for the sake of her career, she’d be able to indulge.
But she wanted to hear about Jack on a mission for a one-night stand. Something she desperately wanted in that moment, but couldn’t have. It wouldn’t hurt to hear about it.
“I wouldn’t bring you someplace this quiet.”
“Hmm?”
“I’d bring you someplace loud so that we’d have to sit really close together.”
She wiped the side of her mouth, checking for phantom drool. “Using the pheromones, eh?”
“Nah. I don’t believe in that shit.” Of course he didn’t. He would only believe in the power of his own magnetism. Cocky. Sexy. He crossed his arms and leaned back. “I would want to be close enough so that I could whisper in your ear.” She could almost feel his breath against the skin behind her ear, and it made her shiver. He rubbed his chin and her gaze followed; she wanted to trail over the stubbled surface with her tongue. And she hadn’t even had a single wine pairing yet. She was so, so screwed.
“I’d have to rest my hand on your thigh so I could hear what you were saying.” She could actually feel his thigh under her palm as she said it. “What would you say?” she asked.
“I’d tell you how much I wanted your hand six inches higher, and how much I wanted to kiss you.”
“But you wouldn’t kiss me?” She tried to keep her tone light even though her skin was hot and she felt suddenly breathless.
“Not in the loud restaurant.”
“Not into PDA?”
“With you? Yeah.” He paused. “But I remember the first time we kissed. I need a lot longer. I need more.” Inside, she was screaming for the scenario that he’d just described. She wanted to have his hands on her more than she wanted to eat the most exquisite food on the planet—and that was saying something considering that food was extremely important to her. “It would be a short dinner.”
“Not three hours and eighteen courses?” she asked.
“The only thing I’d need eighteen courses of would be you, Duchess,” he said with a shit-eating grin.
“But not tonight?” She couldn’t quite contain her disappointment, knew he could hear it in her voice.
“We’ve got time.” Not enough time. The way she’d reacted to his words, the way he’d kissed her the first time, had her so messed up. Two weeks was simultaneously too much time and not enough.
“So, tell me about your family.” Both a change of pace and the question she’d been dreading since they’d met. Sometime between an initial conversation on an app and the second date, the Where are you from? or Tell me about your family conversation happened. She’d never felt the need to lead with her ethnicity in the romantic arena because she didn’t consider that the most important thing about herself. More important things: her love of French bulldog puppies, her loyalty and long-lasting friendships, her competence at her job, and the fact that no one got to fuck with her heart anymore. Been there. Done that.
But guys always wanted to know. Needed to know. Couldn’t help but ask. And even though Jack was proving himself to be different in a myriad of ways, it wasn’t like she could blame him for his curiosity. Still, she gave her first answer in the well-trod series of answers. “The usual. Divorced parents. My mom really raised me on her own. My grandpa was around a lot, too.”
She smiled when she thought about her grandfather. He used to tease her that she’d gotten her good looks from him, along with his great hair. He’d been pretty good-looking, but they didn’t really look alike. He’d only said those things because it made her feel good—like she belonged.
She sobered when Jack said, “Me, too,” shocking the shit out of her. “Just switch it around.”
Usually the next question quickly followed, and it was, But, like, tell me where you’re from. She hadn’t expected him to be actually asking about the family structure she grew up in.
“Oh, really?” She was going to give him a little more rope to hang himself; he could veer into the bad place yet.
“Yeah, you know, fifty percent of marriages and all.” He motioned to the edible menu.
“So, you’re a messed-up kid from divorce, like me?” She had not expected this conversation to lead to their finding common ground, but she was glad that it had.
“I mean, if messed-up is what got me here with you, then I guess we are.” Dear Lord, he was charming. If his father was even half as charming, that was probably what had ended his parents’ marriage. “You have any brothers or sisters?” he asked.
She decided to ignore his strangely sincere, flattering comment, and just answer his question. “No. Plenty of cousins, though—all girls but one.”
“Are they all as—sharp-tongued as you?” He said it with a smile, so she didn’t take offense.
“Not all of us. They’re nice girls.”
He grinned at her, and she melted. “Present company excluded.”
“Hey, I’ve been extraordinarily nice to you. I’m here, and you’re not even planning on seducing me.”
“I see what kind of guy you think I am.” Then that jerk-off had the audacity to wink at her. As though it wouldn’t make her commitment not to go boots up for him vanish completely.
“You’re not like anyone else I’ve ever been out with,” she said, with a sigh she hoped didn’t sound too dreamy. His charm had weakened her resolve not to get in too deep with him emotionally, either. She couldn’t help but say what she was thinking around him.
“How so? I’m just a regular guy.” He shrugged.
“You asked me about my family, and you actually wanted to know how I grew up.”
His brow furrowed. “Yeah?”
“Most of the time guys ask about my race.”
More furrowing followed that statement. “That seems rude.”