“Besides, Dakota will jump and get her white hair all over you,” she says as she places her keys into her purse.
“The Samoyed in your Facebook picture?”
She nods. “She’s my baby.”
I laugh. “A fifty-pound baby?”
“Women don’t discuss their weight,” she says, her sexy lips lifting in a grin.
I can’t tear my gaze from her face. “You look beautiful.”
A flush stains her cheeks. “Thank you.”
Reaching out, I tangle a finger in one of her long curls, causing her to draw in a shocked breath, as if I touched her skin.
“Do you want me to pull up the convertible top?” I tilt my head toward the car in the driveway. Women and their hair. I know from my sister, an open top is hit or miss. I never know what Cassidy will say when I pick her up in the ’Vette.
Tara wrinkles her nose in thought. “I did my hair but… I love the wind. I’ll survive,” she says with a smile.
“Down it is.”
Thanks to the breeze as we drive, there isn’t much in the way of deep conversation, and I save that for our dinner. It’s early in the Hamptons summer season, and I chose a restaurant with a view of the water. At sunset, it’s still cool at night, especially on the water, so we take a table inside.
I wait until we’re seated, we’ve ordered and are served a bottle of Chardonnay, and the waiter has disappeared for a while, leaving us alone, to start a conversation.
“Is this where you usually go on a date?” Tara asks, beating me to the first question of the evening.
I can’t stop my grin from forming. “Well, my last date ended with a pup cup so…”
She laughs, breaking the tension between us.
Her hand is on the table, and I reach out, placing my palm over her soft skin. Her gaze darts to our now joined hands, but she doesn’t break our connection.
“I gotta tell you, I haven’t been on a real date since moving east.”
Her eyes widen. “When was that?”
I think back. “Right before last summer, so it’s been about a year. I flew out to talk to Dash Kingston after Caged Chaos imploded, and I liked him. I hit it off with the other guys in the band. Cassidy was already living here, and I thought moving to New York would be a good change of pace.”
“And do you like it here?” With her free hand, she picks up her wine and takes a long sip.
“It can get a little quiet and lonely in the winter,” I say honestly. “But I’m getting used to it. Dash and Xander have apartments in the city, and I was thinking that’s not a bad idea.” I shrug, knowing I’m still undecided. About a lot of things. “I guess I need to figure out where I want to live. I’m renting right now, and since the band is here permanently, I need to buy something for when we’re not on the road.”
She slides her hand from beneath mine and looks away, taking me off guard. Hmm. I’ll have to figure out her reaction later.
Meanwhile… “You’ve done a nice job keeping the conversation about me, but I asked you out to learn more about the woman you are now.”
She squirms in her seat, looking relieved when the waiter walks over.
“Have you folks decided?” he asks.
I shake my head. “We haven’t looked at the menu. Can you give us a few more minutes?”
“Of course.” The man strides over to another table, and I turn my focus back to Tara.
“Tell me about your time on the road,” she says before I have a chance to gather my thoughts.
I blink. “Okay.” She obviously needs to hear about my life, so I dive in. “I guess I should start at the beginning. I left our small town and moved to LA with the band I played with throughout high school.”
