Brian had chosen it because it was close to her home and he knew the general manager. Working in the city had given him a great network of connections and he was glad tonight that he’d been able to secure a reservation through that. He didn’t mind waiting for a table, but it was his first date with Piper and he didn’t want to spend the time with her standing in the waiting area.
Plus, it was a relaxed atmosphere so there would be no pressure on either one of them. He wanted to be cool about this, but he knew himself and how he felt about this woman, and there was nothing chill about that. But tonight, he reminded himself, was about Piper. Her wants. Her needs.
And doing everything he could to make her feel comfortable.
But damn. That kiss...
That portrait she’d done of him had changed the game. He wanted to stay focused on the lust side of it, and boy had he gotten his wish. Because her kiss had made him want to make her come in his arms again and again until she was exhausted and she forgot about that man she’d painted.
But, in a way, that lip-lock had been the sweetest kind of torture too. Because the attraction between them wasn’t something he wanted to walk away from and now he knew it with bone-deep certainty. That she’d started to walk away warned him he needed to be careful.
He’d been surprised when she mentioned their age difference. Because, to be honest, it was as he’d told her...he hardly noticed the eleven years between them.
Blowing out a breath, he tossed his keys to the valet and walked into the restaurant. He looked around the lobby for Piper and didn’t see her so he gave his name to the maître d. A minute later Hugh—the owner—came over to greet him. They shook hands. “Good to see you, Brian, and not during billable hours.”
Brian had to laugh at that. Hugh and his wife went through periods where they both wanted to divorce but they had never gone through with it. “It is nice. Thanks for helping me out tonight with a table.”
“Not a problem. I’m guessing this was a last-minute date,” Hugh said.
“Yes,” Brian replied, not wanting to discuss Piper with the other man.
“Say no more. If you need anything let me know,” Hugh said, as one of the waiters came to get his attention.
He walked away as the door opened and Brian turned to see Piper walk in. She wore a halter top under a black leather biker jacket, a pair of boot-cut black trousers and heels, and seemed to stand out from everyone else in the waiting area. Their eyes met and she smiled when she saw him.
He noticed the way everyone’s gaze seemed to follow her and realized she didn’t see that. Didn’t realize how she drew attention just by being the woman she was. He wondered how much of it was down to what she’d said about Ava always wanting her to fit a different mold.
“Hello, Cooper,” she said. “I hope you haven’t been waiting long. I got stuck at a red light.”
“Not long at all.” He grinned. “Let me tell the hostess we are ready to be seated.”
“You got a table?”
“Yes, the owner is a friend,” he said. “This place is more popular than I realized when I first suggested it.”
She nodded and followed him to the hostess station, and they were led to their table. The after-work crowd was changing to couples out for the evening. He put his hand on the small of Piper’s back as they moved through the tables following the hostess—more to touch her than to guide her.
She didn’t seem to mind it and he took comfort in that. He had wondered earlier if he’d pressured her into the date, but she was here and not pushing him away. He knew that they still had a way to go, but this was the first step.
Brian wanted her to get to know him. So that his reassurance that their ages didn’t matter wasn’t something that would ever bother her again. Plus, he wanted her to realize she wasn’t a novelty to him. He wanted Piper because she was Piper, not for any other reason.
They were shown to a high table for two in the back and he held her chair as she seated herself. Then he took the bar stool across from her. “Thanks,” she said. “I hate these high stools. I always feel like I’m not going to be able to get down.”
“I don’t think they have a low—” he began.
“Stop. I’m being silly. Ava’s told me more than once to stop complaining about bar stools.”
Brian quirked a brow. “Do you go out with her often?”
“Not really. When we are in Royal sometimes. I tried to get her to go out when Trent was so sick,” Piper said. “It was hard to see Ava go from being such a glamorous, feisty woman to sort of fading away as Trent’s sickness lingered and then worsened.”
“That did seem to put a strain on her. Uncle Keith said he tried to distract her. It was hard on him, losing his best friend,” Brian said.
“I think it changed them both,” Piper admitted. “Ava hasn’t been the same since.”
“To be honest, neither has Uncle Keith. I think he saw Trent’s death as a second chance for him to step up and be the man Ava needed.” Brian sighed. He hadn’t really intended to talk about his uncle tonight, but Keith seemed to be on Piper’s mind.
“Maybe. I think he took advantage of her grief,” Piper said.
“Ava Wingate?” Brian asked. It was hard to think of Ava letting any man take advantage of her.
“Even a strong woman has vulnerabilities, Brian,” she said, pointedly drawing the menu toward her and opening it up.
“Of course. I didn’t mean to imply that she didn’t. I guess I don’t like to think of Uncle Keith manipulating her. I know he loves her.”
“Fair enough. And I don’t like it when other people point out how bitchy Ava can be,” she said. “Besides, we aren’t here tonight to talk about them.”
“No, we’re not,” he agreed. “We’re here to see if there is more than just a spark from one kiss.”
By mutual agreement they kept the conversation off of Ava and Keith, and talked instead about sports—Brian’s passion—art, which was hers, and movies. She wasn’t sure how, but they managed to cover all of these topics and found they had a lot in common.
“Are you interested in going to a Cowboys game?” he asked. “I’ve got season tickets and I usually go with my college roommate but he’s going out of town. You know they always play Thanksgiving Day.”
“I don’t want to seem like I was faking most of the earlier conversation, but I didn’t know that. Do they play here in Dallas?”
“This year they do,” Brian said. “What about it? My folks have a big family gathering at their house in Southlake. I should let you know we are diehard Cowboys fans.”