“I mean, seeing as you technically blackmailed me to go on this dinner date with you tonight, I wouldn’t expect me to fawn over you with compliments. You didn’t really think I’d be like, "Hello, Jack, you look handsome and muscular tonight.”
“Oh, so we’re calling it blackmail now?” He chuckles slightly as he takes a step closer to me, and I can smell his expensive, earthy cologne. “So, in a court of law, saving your job for doing something that would be an otherwise fireable offense is blackmail now?”
“Well, I mean…” I mumble and look down at the ground. He grabs my hand, and I look up at him in surprise.
“If you don’t want to come, I’m not going to make you. Katherine, I would never make you do anything you don’t want to do." His voice is surprisingly sincere, and it takes me aback so that I barely notice the two dogs walking past with huge bowties on.
“But you’re going to fire me if I don’t, right?”
“No,” he says. His blue eyes gaze into mine, and I feel like my heart is going to stop. He really is the most handsome man. Ugh!
“I’ll come. You obviously need help with all the women in your life.”
“All the women?” He chuckles. “Plural, huh?”
“Well, I don’t know how many women are going to be there tonight trying to jump your bones.”
“I don’t know how many women will be there tonight, but there’s only one woman who’s after me, and her name is Raquel.”
“Raquel. Sounds fancy.” I sound like a jealous bitch and I hate it.
“Well, just remember, Katherine with a K, not to be confused with Catherine with a C or Agnes, that your name is just as pretty,” he says as he pulls me into him. My body presses into his, and I squeal slightly as he runs his fingers all the way down the middle of my back.
“What are you doing?” I pull away reluctantly.
“We’re meant to be together. Remember? We’re dating. We’re boyfriend and girlfriend, and as such, we’ll be touchy-feely.” He grins. “Just practicing before we get to dinner, and you act crazy in front of Raquel.”
“Really? We have to be touchy-feely for this?” I make a face like he’s just given me the worst news I’ve heard in a long time. “Like really?”
He licks his lips slowly and winks at me. “I mean, aren’t you normally touchy-feely with your boyfriends?” He touches the side of my face lightly, stroking my cheek tenderly. My heart skips a beat. “I’m guessing touch isn’t your love language, but it is mine. I like to touch what is mine. I like to feel it. Consume it. Devour it. Possess it.”
“Possess it, like a car?” I roll my eyes. “I’m a human being and not an item to be possessed.”
“If you were really my girlfriend, you would know that is not what I meant.” His breath is warm against my lips. “I would possess your heart and your mouth and your lips and your skin.” He whispers into my ear. “I would own your pussy.”
“Jack.” I gasp, my body trembling at his words. I don’t really want to tell him that I haven’t had a boyfriend in a long time, nor do I want to bring up the fact that touch is my love language. Nordo I want him to know that my panties are soaked and in need of being taken off. Shit, this was not how I wanted the evening to begin.
“Your chariot awaits, my lady.” He brushes past me and leads me to the awaiting Mercedes. He opens the car door, and I slide inside. “You don’t have to slide over. I’ll get in on the other side,” he says as he slams the door behind me.
“Good evening, miss,” the driver says from behind the wheel. I’m so out of it that I hadn’t even realized he was there.
“Good evening, sir,” I say, not knowing what to call him. I watch Jack get in and look over at me with laughing eyes. I stick my tongue out at him, and he winks at me.
“Katherine, this is Eric. Eric, this is Katherine—my date.”
“Nice to make your acquaintance, Katherine. So we’re off to the Champagne Bar?”
“Yeah, we are.”
“Wait, what? I thought we were going for food.” I look at him in surprise. “I didn’t eat tonight. If I drink and only drink, then I’m going to be acting like a fool because I have an empty stomach.” I rub my stomach. “And I really don’t want to act like your foolish girlfriend.”
“Oh, so that's the excuse for being goofy?” His tone is serious as he gives me a once over and I don’t even bother to respond. I give him my best contemptuous glance, and he continues. “Don’t worry, we’re just starting at the bar for one drink, and then we’ll head over to dinner at the restaurant next door. You may have heard of it. It’s called Pinnacle Steakhouse.”
“Oh yeah. Isn’t that one of the best new steakhouses in the city? I heard it’s tough to get a table. I heard the steaks start at like $200. They’re dry-aged.” I lick my lips as my stomach grumbles. I love steak.
“Well, I guess tonight really is your lucky night.”
“You’re so full of yourself, Jack.”
