“Maybe I like to know when you’re here.”
“Would it make me too egotistical to ask if that’s why you’re here right now?”
“Not at all,” he said. “You’ve felt my eyes on you.”
“Is staring all you plan to do?”
His cock turned to steel at the suggestive tone of her voice and the heat in her eyes. The urge to sweep her back upstairs and take her on his couch this time was nearly impossible to resist, but the restaurant was full of people, and he knew she was needed here.
“Come to my place tomorrow night for dinner.”
Bad idea. Terrible idea.
But he was tired of fighting against this.
Ruby pretended to think about it for a moment, but he could already tell what her answer would be.
“Okay, I guess I can do that,” she said with a teasing glint in her eye.
“Good. Because I wasn’t going to take no for an answer anyway.”
“Do youalwaysget your way?”
He just chuckled and started eating as she went back to work. He tried to tell himself that this date was just a way to get into her pants again, but deep down, he knew it wasn’t true.
10
RUBY
Owen’s house was amazing, with a modern style featuring lots of glass and black siding. She was starting to suspect that she knew what his favorite color was.
The plot of land where it sat was huge, and there were trees at the back of the property, so it felt secluded, even though it was located in a residential area. The place was huge, even though he’d told her that he lived alone when he gave her the address last night.
Ringing the doorbell, she felt nothing but anticipation while she waited for him to answer. After they slept together, she wasn’t sure what would happen between them next. They didn’t exactly talk about if it meant anything, and Owen wasn’t an open book. But this date had to mean that he wanted more, right?
He opened the door, and she stared at him in shock. This was the first time she’d seen him dressed casually. The faded jeans and black T-shirt showed off his body in a way that his fancy suits didn’t. The casual clothing made him look more approachable somehow, more human.
“Are you going to come inside or just stand on the porch all night?” he asked with a smirk on his face.
“Is that dinner I smell?” she asked, stepping inside.
She was in a front hall with a high ceiling. There was a dark hardwood floor and white walls. To the right, she saw a staircase with a beautifully carved banister.
“I made us some lasagna.”
“Italian food? That’s a surprise.”
He shrugged. “I don’t know about you, but I get enough Irish food at the restaurant. Don’t tell my mother I said that, though.”
Ruby laughed and followed him through the huge living room with a marble fireplace and dark leather furniture. They came to the kitchen, and the smell of garlic and cheese was thick in the air. Owen went straight to the oven and pulled out some garlic bread.
“I can’t believe you cooked for me,” she said, smiling. “That’s so sweet.”
He rubbed the back of his neck and mumbled, “I cook all the time…no big deal…”
She laughed. His attempt at being humble was so cute, but she wasn’t going to tell him that, sure he wouldn’t appreciate it.
They sat down to eat at his dining room at a large table. Owen seemed stiff, and she couldn’t stop looking over at him as she ate the delicious meal. He was a great cook, and she wasn’t sure why she found that to be so surprising.
