“How does Serratto sound?”
“Sounds good,” he said, and closed my door then jogged around to the driver’s side.
Itwas a relatively quick drive to the restaurant, and before I knew it, we were being led to our table. I took my seat and Jake gallantly waited until I was settled before taking his. We ordered our meal and I watched him study me. “What?” I asked.
“Why’d you really ask me to lunch?”
“I can’t simply take you to lunch to thank you?”
“Sweetheart, I’ll be glad to go to lunch with you for any reason,but I’m thinkin’ this isn’t just about a thank-you.”
I smoothed my hand over the napkin on my lap and smiled. “I was wondering if you would be interested in accompanying me to the fundraiser I’m organizing. It’s a week from Friday.”
He sat back and raised an eyebrow. “You’re asking me out on a date?”
My stomach dropped a little and I suddenly wondered if a man like Jake might be turned offby a confident and outspoken woman. “Um. Yes, I suppose I am asking you out on a date.”
“Just to be clear. I’m now oh for two.”
“I’m sorry?”
“You’ve invited me on two dates, while I have yet to ask you out on one.”
“Well, I don’t mess around.”
“I can see that.” He grinned. “Will I be required to wear a tuxedo to this shindig?”
“Yes, but I’m happy to provide you with one if you need it.”
“I can handle gettin’ a tux, Addison.”
“Right. Of course you can. I didn’t mean to imply—”
“I’d love to go with you,” he said, letting me off my hook of humiliation.
“You would?” I asked (a little too brightly).
“Yeah, Addison, I would. What time do you want me to pick you up?”
“Well, Daddy’s sending a limo, so, six?”
“Six is perfect.”
“We’ll be riding with Asher and Dylan. Will that causean issue for you?”
“Because she’s a suspect?”
I nodded. “I don’t want anything to jeopardize her being exonerated, or make you look guilty by association.”
“You let me worry about my reputation, yeah?” He leaned forward. “And since she’s innocent until proven guilty, I’m sure it’ll be fine.”
“Perception can be an ugly thing.”
“Yeah, it can, but I’m not worried.”
I bit my lip. “That makesone of us.”
Jake chuckled. “It’s all gonna be okay, Addison, you’ll see.”
Bolstered by his confidence, the rest of lunch was filled with topics of a non-arrest nature, and when he walked me to my door, I was even treated to a gentle kiss on the cheek. I figured we’d move on to making out in the hallway in the next phase of my making babies with Jake Parker plan.
* * *
Jake
Idropped Addisonoffand headed back to the station, my mind swirling with all things Addison Allen. This woman was weaving her way into my soul and I wasn’t entirely sure how to process it.
I should slow things down. I should really put the brakes on altogether, but I couldn’t seem to find the strength to do it. I was falling and I was falling hard.
